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Master of Science in Management and Organization (MS), University of Colorado Denver Business School, CU Denver

Business School, University of Colorado Denver
 

MS in Management and Organization

Prepare yourself for a managerial career

Learning to lead in the 21st century requires you to invest your time and talent in a program that gives you theory, technique and hands-on experience. The University of Colorado Denver Business School's Management and Organization degree emphasizes the key skills for successful careers.

Our degree program prepares you for upper-level management roles in the public and private sectors through an advanced understanding of how to manage interpersonal dynamics, effectively design organizations, and implement change.


 

Classes are held in the day, evenings and online so students can attend classes at times that work for them. Students can blend campus and online courses within a semester if the online option is available for your program. Our MBA degree is available completely online. Our class sizes are smaller so students can learn from expert practitioner faculty and network with other seriously motivated students. Students develop relationships that last for a lifetime.

The MS Management and Organization prepares you for significant managerial responsibilities. Core courses give you advanced understanding while your specialization extends your experience into an area of your choice.

Choose the specialization that matches your career goals, or design your own program from the many management, entrepreneurship and international business electives offered each year.

Business Strategy

Business strategy examines the development of firm strategic plans and implementation including careful resource allocation and leadership skills essential for organizations to effectively meet their objectives. With this specialization, you get the necessary skills and knowledge used to develop and implement business strategy.

Change and Innovation

The MS management core covers skills and perspectives you need to effectively identify, design and implement organizational change initiatives. Build on that foundation by developing specific skills used to implement change or by learning more about key areas that generate the need for change.

Communications Management

The communications management specialization helps you get the skills to effectively develop messages and communicate to key stakeholders both inside and outside an organization.

Enterprise Technology Management

Information technology is the prime driver of business strategy. You will focus on the strategic, technological, financial and organizational issues involved with the effective management of information technology within an enterprise. Learn more about

  • emerging technologies and the evolving roles and importance of IT in modern organizations
  • IT-enabled organizational processes and knowledge management
  • methods to develop, acquire and implement information systems
  • implementing and managing complex IT projects
  • security and privacy issues associated with IT
Entrepreneurship and Innovation

The Entrepreneurship specialization provides a wide range of entrepreneurship courses, all taught at the Bard Center for Entrepreneurship located in the heart of downtown Denver. Complete three entrepreneurship courses to receive a Certificate in entrepreneurial studies. Additionally, you have opportunities to participate in a number of Bard Center programs; including the annual business plan competition, internships in area businesses, a bioscience internship program, speaker programs with local entrepreneurs, and connection with new ventures.

Global Management

International Business is quickly becoming simply business. Adding a specialization in International Business to your degree will help you to work internationally, and with international companies. From cross cultural management to legal aspects to marketing internationally. Prepare yourself for the future of business.

Leadership

Become a more effective leader with this specialization as you concentrate on developing key leadership skills and learn about areas where leadership matters most.

Managing Human Resources

A company is a group of people working toward a common goal. Add the Human Resources Management specialization to your degree, you get advanced knowledge, tools and techniques you can use in recruiting, hiring, developing, motivating and rewarding managerial and non-managerial employees. Also learn about technology solutions such as designing and delivering online training and performance management programs.

Managing for Sustainability

More than ever before, major companies and entrepreneurial ventures are seeking competitive advantage and success by embracing sustainability — social and environmental responsibility — as a core business strategy. Farsighted leaders recognize that this new way of doing business requires skills in sustainable management including social entrepreneurialism, eco-efficiency, inter-disciplinary problem solving and a triple bottom line approach of economics, environment and society.

Make your degree a sustainable MS by adding the Managing for Sustainability specialization and learn what businesses are facing in a world where resources are scarce, social safety nets are declining, and customers and commentators are concerned about a company's investment in corporate responsibility.

There are alternative ways to reduce the negative impact of economic activities through:

  • sustainable finance and accounting
  • corporate social responsibility
  • social entrepreneurship
  • green marketing
  • carbon and climate management

Examine the role of business in fostering the long-term health and viability of communities, the environment and the company.

Quantitative Decision Methods

Add the Quantitative Decision Methods specialization to your degree and learn to use mathematical models to enhance decision-making capabilities in the workplace. Gain understanding of the more common types of modeling procedures—supply chain, quality, and project management, forecasting, services operations management, and other advanced quantitative methods.

Sports and Entertainment Management

The Sports industry is the sixth largest industry in the U.S. and the Sports and Entertainment industries are converging. To become a professional in these industries, you need special skills. A Sports and Entertainment Management specialization gives you the tools to get ahead in this growing industry.

Our industry needs leaders. This program can groom the leaders we need to take professional sports to the next level. Keli McGregor, President,
Colorado Rockies
Strategic Management

Business Strategy examines the development of firm strategic plans and implementation including careful resource allocation and leadership skills essential for organizations to effectively meet their objectives. This specialization concentrates on the skills and knowledge areas used to develop and implement business strategy.

The dual degree allows students to obtain the generalist MBA degree and the specialization of the MS with fewer courses than it would take to earn them separately. This is accomplished by recognizing required and elective courses common to both programs.

To earn a dual MBA/MS in Management and Organization degree, you will complete your MS in Management requirements and the following MBA core courses. See your graduate advisor for details.

  • Managing Individuals and Teams BUSN6520
  • Legal and Ethical Environment of Business BUSN6540
  • Analyzing and Interpreting Accounting Information BUSN6550
  • Marketing Management BUSN6560
  • Information Systems Management and Strategy BUSN6610
  • Applied Economics for Managers BUSN6620
  • Financial Management BUSN6640
  • Strategic Management BUSN6710
  • International Business Elective (3 semester hours)

When pursuing a dual degree, you are not permitted to waive any of the MBA core classes.

If you want both your MS in Management and Organization, and the career advantages of an MBA's broad knowledge base, consider a dual degree.

Note: Each course is typically three semester hours.

Admission standards are specific and varied for each degree.  Therefore, applicants must meet specific admission standards for the degree for which they apply. 

If students choose to pursue a dual degree after they have joined a graduate program, they must meet the admissions requirements of the degree they intend to add, irrespective of their performance in their current program.

Faculty in the management and organization program include internationally and nationally recognized scholars who produce theoretical and applied research in academic journals in their fields. This cutting-edge research guarantees that the management curriculum reflects relevant developments in the business world. You will learn in our classrooms what other students will read in a textbook next year. Many of our faculty also have executive-level experience that bring added relevance to the curriculum.

Management and organization faculty have received numerous prestigious research awards, including distinguished scholar by the Organizational and Managerial Cognitions Division of the Academy of Management, and a new century scholar by Fulbright. A management professor was also selected as our first endowed chair in the Business School. Our faculty have authored and coauthored textbooks and published academic research related to management and organizational change issues.

The UC Denver Business School provides the only MBA with a human resources specialization in Colorado. The professors are knowledgeable, involved with the students and focused on providing real-world learning. I feel privileged to be part of this exceptional program.

Hilarie Ryals,
Defined Contribution Administrator Milliman, Inc. LLC​​