CUSTOMIZE YOUR MBA
Specializations are focused course tracks for students desiring an in-depth study of the functional area for their chosen career. Specializations require 20 credit hours of course work beyond the core. The 20-credit-hour requirement represents the 12 credit hours earned in the related concentration plus an additional eight hours. The following specializations are offered: Brand Management, Corporate Finance, Human and Organizational Performance (HOP) and Investment Management.
Brand Management
In order to best prepare our students for brand management career paths, the Vanderbilt business faculty have created a comprehensive brand management career specialization curriculum.
Electives
Choose 20 credit hours from the following:
| Course | Credits |
|---|---|
| Healthcare Marketing | 2 |
| New Product Development | 2 |
| Marketing Strategy | 2 |
| Pricing Strategies | 2 |
| Marketing Communications: Advertising and Social Media | 2 |
| Consumer Insights for Marketing Decision Making | 2 |
| Consumer Behavior | 2 |
| Quantitative Analysis for Marketing Decision Making | 2 |
| Selling Strategy: Promotions, Persuasion and Public Relations | 2 |
| Marketing Analytics | 2 |
| Brand Management | 2 |
| Digital Marketing Strategy | 2 |
CORPORATE FINANCE
To prepare students for career paths in corporate finance, the Vanderbilt business faculty have created a comprehensive corporate finance career specialization.
Required Courses
| Course | Credits |
|---|---|
| Financial Reporting l | 2 |
| Financial Reporting ll | 2 |
| Investments | 2 |
| Corporate Valuation | 2 |
| Corporate Financial Policy | 2 |
| Mergers and Acquisitions | 2 |
Electives
Choose eight credit hours from the following:
| Course | Credits |
|---|---|
| Taxation of Business and Investment Transactions | 2 |
| International Financial Markets and Instruments | 2 |
| Advanced Corporate Valuation | 2 |
| Corporate Restructuring for Distressed Firms | 2 |
| Financial Institutions | 2 |
| Corporate Restructuring for Non-Distressed Firms | 2 |
| Venture Capital and Private Equity | 1 |
| Entrepreneurial Finance | 2 |
HUMAN & ORGANIZATIONAL PERFORMANCE (HOP)*
The human and organizational performance (HOP) specialization is a more structured, intense, and focused version of the HOP concentration. The purpose of the career track is to provide a foundation of knowledge and practice for MBA students targeting careers in human capital consulting or corporate human resource management.
Students working in HOP need, most importantly, to be broadly educated in business disciplines such as strategy, finance, economics, marketing, operations, and accounting. This foundation differentiates our students from Master of Human Resource Management graduates. In addition to this foundation, the HOP career specialization consists of a rigorous course sequence.
*Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) Alignment
Required Courses
| Course | Credits |
|---|---|
| Strategic Human Resource Management | 2 |
| Employee Engagement and People Analytics | 2 |
| Compensation Decision Making | 2 |
| Labor and Employee Relations (not offered 2021/2022) | 2 |
| Leading Change | 2 |
| Managerial and Organizational Effectiveness | 2 |
Electives
Choose six credit hours from the following:
| Course | Credits |
|---|---|
| Negotiation | 2 |
| Healthcare Delivery Organizations | 2 |
| Executive Coaching (short course) | 1 |
| Training Systems Management (short course) (not offered 2021/2022) | 1 |
| Special Topics in Organization Studies: Practicum on Employment Discrimination: EEOC | 2 |
| Diversity in Organizations | 2 |
INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT
To prepare students for career paths in investment management, the Vanderbilt business faculty have created a comprehensive investment management career specialization that consists of a sequence of 10 finance courses.
Required Courses
| Course | Credits |
|---|---|
| Financial Reporting l | 2 |
| Financial Reporting ll | 2 |
| Investments | 2 |
| Corporate Valuation | 2 |
| Applied Investment Management | 2 |
| Bond Markets | 2 |
| Derivatives Markets | 2 |
Electives
Choose four credit hours from the following:
| Course | Credits |
|---|---|
| International Financial Markets and Instruments | 2 |
| Derivative Securities Valuation | 2 |
| Financial Institutions | 2 |
Secondary Electives
| Course | Credits |
|---|---|
| Corporate Financial Policy | 2 |
| Advanced Corporate Valuation | 2 |
| Financial Statement Analysis | 2 |
| Mergers and Acquisitions | 2 |
| Entrepreneurial Finance | 2 |
Degree requirements and course information are subject to change; not all courses are offered every year. The most recent Course Catalog contains academic policies, degree requirements, and individual course descriptions for each of our degree programs.