Online Graduate Courses for Nondegree Students

Instructor: Danielle Tussing
Challenging the idea that “leaders are born, not made,” you can learn, practice and advance your leadership skills. Explore what leadership really means and how it drives motivation, team effectiveness and organizational success. Through self-assessments, reflection and relevant readings, you'll examine your own leadership style and develop effective leadership practices whether you are actively managing a team or preparing for advanced roles in your career.

Availability: Fall A and Spring A

Where could I go from here? MGB 607 counts as elective credit in our online MBA program.

Instructor: Arman Falahati
Nearly every app, website and informed business decision today relies on data — and behind that data is a well-designed structure for organizing and managing it. This course provides the foundational knowledge and practical skills needed to design, build and manage relational databases. Learn how to model data, create Entity-Relationship diagrams, normalize datasets and use SQL programming language to bring your designs to life. You can then apply your new skills to a wide range of real-world projects. By the end of the course, you’ll be better equipped to position yourself as a data-savvy problem-solver within your organization.

Considerations: This course combines essential theory with hands-on projects. No prior programming experience is necessary. Come prepared to collaborate in a team, as well as engage in individual work.

Availability: Fall B and Summer III

Where could I go from here? MGS 613 can be transferred into our online MS Business Analytics program, where it is a core class.  It also counts as elective credit in both our online MBA and MS Supply Chain Management programs.

Instructor: Joana Gaia
As machine learning and generative AI transform industries, future-ready leaders must know how to harness these technologies. This course equips you with a foundational grasp of today’s most impactful AI tools and concepts, beginning with explainable AI and moving into hands-on experience with generative AI. You’ll explore prompt engineering, large language models and generative tools for text, image and sound, while also navigating critical issues like ethics, legal compliance and the managerial challenges of AI integration.

Availability: Fall B and Summer III

Where could I go from here? MGS 636 can be transferred as elective credit toward our online MBA, MS Business Analytics or MS Supply Chain Management programs.

Instructor: Charles Wang
Any organization’s activities can be boiled down to three things: make the stuff, sell the stuff and collect the money. This course focuses where it all begins, making the stuff, exploring how inputs are transformed into products and services enjoyed by customers. You'll learn the concepts of cost and efficiency, sustainability and customer-centered service, while applying quantitative tools to real-world settings. Topics along the way include demand management, capacity and quality management, planning, sourcing and distribution in supply chains. Through data analysis, case studies and interactive simulations, you'll build the skills and judgment needed to manage complex operations effectively and keep your organization running smoothly.

Availability: Fall A and Summer I

Where could I go from here? MGO 630 can be transferred into our online MBA or MS Supply Chain Management program, as a core requirement.  It also counts as elective credit in our MS Business Analytics program.

Instructor: Natalie Simpson
Whether you're leading a team, launching a startup or managing personal goals, project management skills can set you apart. Learn how to define, organize and manage complex projects with tools essential in today’s fast-moving world. No matter your background or industry, you'll build the confidence and capabilities to deliver results.

Considerations: This course requires some group work, to practice team skills in a remote work environment.  You will be assigned to a team of fellow MGO 634 students, and to carry out part of this work on our virtual campus in Minecraft.

Availability: Spring A and Summer I

Where could I go from here? MGO 634 can be transferred into our online MBA program, where it is a core class.  It also counts as elective credit in both our online MS Business Analytics and MS Supply Chain Management programs. 

Instructor: Ian Tarrant
Gain the tools to analyze cost and performance information to strengthen business operations and competitiveness. With a focus on the manager’s perspective, you'll learn how to use financial and non-financial data for strategic planning, decision-making, product costing and performance evaluation. Through an applied focus, you’ll gain the analytical skills needed to improve business competitiveness and support effective internal decision-making.

Considerations: Familiarity with introductory-level statistics is recommended, but not required.

Availability: Spring B

Where could I go from here? MGA 609 can be transferred as elective credit toward our online MBA, MS Business Analytics or MS Supply Chain Management programs.

Instructor: Kyle Hunt
Turn data into foresight by building predictive models to power decision-making. You’ll take a deep dive into foundational techniques in modern machine learning, including regression, decision trees, neural networks, collaborative filtering and clustering, learning how each can uncover patterns to help guide strategy. With extensive hands-on practice processing data and building predictive models in Python, you'll gain the experience to apply techniques from predictive analytics to real-world business problems and lead data-driven initiatives with confidence.

Considerations: This course will teach Python programming, specifically for purposes of handling data and building predictive models. Overall familiarity with installing and navigating new software is helpful. Prior introductory knowledge in probability and statistics will also be helpful.

Availability: Spring B

Where could I go from here? MGS 616 can be transferred into our online MS Business Analytics program, where it is a core class. It also counts as elective credit in both our online MBA and MS Supply Chain Management programs.

Instructor: Maria Kraimer
Great results don’t happen by accident, they’re the outcome of purposeful behavior, smart systems and effective leadership. Explore the powerful links among human resource practices, leadership behaviors and employee motivation that improve employees’ work performance. Learn why people do what they do and how to shape systems and environments that align employee behavior with organizational goals. Develop the skills to drive performance, support positive outcomes and become the kind of manager who brings out the best in others.

Considerations: Come prepared to collaborate in a team, as well as engage in individual work.

Availability: Spring B

Where could I go from here? MGI 617 counts as elective credit in our online MBA program.

Instructor: Bob Neubert
If you're looking to lead innovation from within an established organization, start with this course. MGO 664 equips you with the tools and mindset to identify unmet market needs, design impactful new products and manage the uncertainty that comes with creating something original. You'll explore how to define clear customer segments, generate solutions tied to measurable value and develop the personal habits that help innovation leaders thrive. Whether you're already in a leadership role or aspiring to one, this course will help you turn fresh ideas into real outcomes.

Availability: Spring B

Where could I go from here? MGO 664 counts as elective credit in our online MBA program.