Master of Business Administration General online

Develop advanced managerial skills applicable to a variety of business disciplines while shaping your degree to meet your professional goals.

Apply by: 1/5/25
Start class: 1/27/25

Program Overview

Discover why our MBA online stands out.

$17,872.50 Total Tuition
As few as 12 months Duration
30* Credit Hours

Prepare for wide-ranging leadership roles and career paths in the Master of Business Administration General online program with a rigorous core curriculum that will deepen your understanding of financial operations, global economics, business analytics, innovation and corporate sustainability, and persuasion and negotiation strategies. Our curriculum embeds top-down management, leadership, decision-making, and career development themes throughout the degree, preparing you to assume higher-level positions.

Take advantage of total flexibility while choosing electives that match your interests in the MBA - General online program. You can also structure the unique capstone course to apply to your professional interests—for example, investigating a specific issue in your own workplace, conducting an independent research project, or writing a proposal for a startup. You also will develop a personal strategic plan that includes goal setting, a SWOT analysis, and a personal branding strategy.

As a graduate of this program, you will be able to:

  • Understand the economic, financial, and environmental factors impacting international business operations
  • Use business analytics and resulting data to problem-solve, make organizational decisions, and develop actionable plans
  • Comprehend the interplay of environmental sustainability, strategic management, and corporate social responsibility
  • Apply the managerial persuasion and negotiation skills needed to influence others, manage conflict, and negotiate agreements in a wide range of internal and external business scenarios
  • Understand the economic, financial, and environmental factors impacting international business operations
  • Use business analytics and resulting data to problem-solve, make organizational decisions, and develop actionable plans
  • Comprehend the interplay of environmental sustainability, strategic management, and corporate social responsibility
  • Apply the managerial persuasion and negotiation skills needed to influence others, manage conflict, and negotiate agreements in a wide range of internal and external business scenarios

Career opportunities:

  • Business Owner
  • General Manager
  • Chief Operations Officer
  • Director of Operations
  • Business Owner
  • General Manager
  • Chief Operations Officer
  • Director of Operations

Also available:

William Paterson University offers a variety of specialized MBA concentrations. Check out all of our online MBA programs.

$17,872.50 Total Tuition
As few as 12 months Duration
30* Credit Hours
AACSB logo

William Paterson University’s Cotsakos College of Business is accredited by The Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB International).

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Need More Information?

Call 833-960-0139

Call 833-960-0139

Tuition

Discover the value of our low-cost tuition.

MBA online programs from William Paterson University offer affordable, pay-by-the-course tuition. All fees are included in the total tuition.

Tuition breakdown:

$17,872.50 Total Tuition
$595.75 Per Credit Hour

Tuition breakdown:

$17,872.50 Total Tuition
$595.75 Per Credit Hour

Calendar

Upcoming dates for our online MBA General program.

William Paterson University online programs are delivered in an accelerated format ideal for working professionals, conveniently featuring multiple start dates each year.

Now enrolling:

1/5/25 Apply Date
1/27/25 Class Starts
TermStart DateApp DeadlineDocument DeadlineRegistration DeadlineTuition DeadlineClass End DateTerm Length
Spring I1/27/251/5/251/8/251/17/251/22/253/16/257 weeks
Spring II3/24/253/2/253/5/253/14/253/19/255/11/257 weeks
Summer I5/19/254/27/254/30/255/9/255/14/257/6/257 weeks
Summer II7/14/256/22/256/24/257/3/257/9/258/31/257 weeks
Fall I9/8/258/17/258/20/258/29/259/3/2510/26/257 weeks
Fall II11/3/2510/12/2510/15/2510/24/2510/29/2512/21/257 weeks

Now enrolling:

1/5/25 Apply Date
1/27/25 Class Starts

Have questions or need more information about our online programs?

Ready to take the rewarding path toward earning your degree online?

Admissions

Are you ready to apply?

At William Paterson University, we've streamlined the admission process to help you get started quickly and easily. Please read the requirements for the MBA General online, including what additional materials you need and where you should send them.

The requirements include:

  • Undergraduate degree from an accredited institution
  • Transcripts from all colleges and universities previously attended
  • GPA of 2.75 or higher
  • Resume detailing professional experience

You must meet the following requirements for admission to this MBA online program:

  • Submit online application and $50 application fee
  • Bachelor's degree from an accredited university
  • Professional resume detailing educational and work experience
  • Cumulative undergraduate GPA of 3.0 or higher OR
    • Cumulative undergraduate GPA of 2.75+ with 2 years of work experience in a professional supervisory capacity OR
    • Cumulative undergraduate GPA of 2.75+ and a minimum score of 500 on the Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT) or a minimum score of a 152 verbal and a 152 quantitative on the Graduate Record Examinations (GRE)
  • Official transcripts from all colleges and universities attended

Official transcripts, test scores, and other documents should be sent from the granting institutions to:

Email address: [email protected]

Mail address:

Office of Graduate Admissions and Enrollment Services
William Paterson University
Morrison Hall 102
300 Pompton Road
Wayne, NJ 07470

Courses

Advance your knowledge in these online MBA courses.

For the MBA General online, you must complete 15 credit hours of core courses (including a capstone course), three credit hours of concentration courses and 12 credit hours of electives. Students without a “B” or better in pre-requisite undergraduate business foundation courses may be required to take additional leveling courses.

Students who have completed the required foundational business courses with a grade of “B” or better may have the Foundation Courses listed here waived. Students without a “B” or better in pre-requisite undergraduate business foundation courses may be required to complete up to nine additional credits. Students can start the MBA core while taking these courses.

Duration: 7 Weeks weeks
Credit Hours: 1.5
This course provides students with an introduction to basic accounting fundamentals and skills necessary to analyze financial information of firms from a decision-maker perspective. Financial information is presented in the form of financial statements, principally, the income statement, balance sheet, statement of retained earnings, and cash flow statement. We will discuss how accountants organize the results of business transactions and report them to external users who will then use the reports to make decisions.
Duration: 7 Weeks weeks
Credit Hours: 1.5
This course will help students to develop a comprehensive analysis of the micro and macroeconomic forces that shape and modify our economy. Supply and Demand, Revenue and Cost, wages, employment, regulations and taxation are discussed as they affect production, consumption, investment, trade, prices, quantities, profits, inequality, and the economy as a whole.
Duration: 7 Weeks weeks
Credit Hours: 1.5
A study of the basic principles and practices of financial management of private (as opposed to government owned or affiliated) business operations. The principles and models discussed in the course can be equally applied to publicly listed companies as well as privately owned ones. This course includes an operational framework for financial analysis, financial planning including capital budgeting, along with valuation analysis and cost of capital. The basic framework of analysis used is that of risk and return, emphasizing that the objective of the firm is to maximize shareholder return, subject to satisfying societal and other stakeholder concerns.
Duration: 7 Weeks weeks
Credit Hours: 1.5
The main objective of this course is to introduce the basic statistical concepts and tools in order to form the foundation through which students can analyze data used for decision-making. The course is application-oriented and focuses on topics that are useful in business and industry such as descriptive statistics, probability, conceptual modeling, and problem formulation and decision analysis. The course prepares students to develop an understanding of how to deal with new trends in the industry such as big data and data mining.
Duration: 7 Weeks weeks
Credit Hours: 1.5
This course takes a broad-based look at management and organizations in order to provide students with the building blocks needed for more advanced classes in the program. It exposes students to the history of management thought and to some of the most influential organizational theories. It uses insights from multiple disciplines such as economics, sociology, anthropology, psychology, and political economy and offers frameworks for analyzing modern organizations and current managerial practices. The course concludes with a discussion of contemporary issues in management.
Duration: 7 Weeks weeks
Credit Hours: 1.5
Marketing is viewed as a system designed to create, capture, distribute, and communicate value to consumers and businesses. The course emphasizes the managerial approach to developing marketing strategy through analyses of business conditions, customers, and competitors. Emphasis is given to understanding buyer motivations, behaviors, and contexts as the basis for marketing decisions.
Duration: 7 Weeks weeks
Credit Hours: 3
This course deals with the environment in which international business is conducted, including economic and financial relations, environmental and strategic factors that affect business operations within different nations. Topics include international trade, the balance of payment, exchange rate determination, hedging of foreign exchange exposure, tariffs and other trade restrictions, economic development, economic integration, and international economic organizations within different nations. Also reviewed are the economic, political and cultural conditions that influence international business.
Duration: 7 Weeks weeks
Credit Hours: 3
Students may choose to investigate an issue at their place of work, undertake research that will lead them to new fields, or create proposals for business models or start-ups. The capstone experience will provide students with direct exposure into various industries and also serve as a basis for planning and advancement. Finally, the course will also help MBA candidates establish their professional identities through reflective assignments and self-assessments as guided by their instructor. The course is taken in the MBA student’s last semester, or after completing the majority of courses.
Duration: 7 Weeks weeks
Credit Hours: 3
This course explores business analytics concepts and applications aimed at improving business performance. The course focuses on the three facets of analytics: Descriptive Analytics, Predictive Analytics, and Prescriptive Analytics. An integral part of business analytics is the use of IT tools to support the collection and analysis of data, and converting it into actionable knowledge in the context of organization decision-making and problem-solving. As such the students will learn problem analysis and formulation, data modeling, and the application of various spreadsheet tools.
Duration: 7 Weeks weeks
Credit Hours: 3
The course studies strategic management from the perspective of environmental sustainability, with an emphasis on the impact of innovation on corporate social responsibility. Sustainable Strategic Management refers to strategic management policies and processes that seek competitive advantages consistent with a core value of environmental sustainability. Firms that pursue sustainable strategic management base the formulation, implementation, and evaluation of their strategies on an analysis of the ecological issues they face, the values they hold that support sustainability, and the ecological interests of their stakeholders.
Duration: 7 Weeks weeks
Credit Hours: 3
Managers need resources to succeed, and successful managers tend to negotiate well to give themselves the best chance to succeed. They negotiate with customers and suppliers for better prices, and they negotiate with internal functions to get better support and key resources to deliver value to both internal and external stakeholders. As managers move up the corporate ladder, they negotiate with their team members for better commitment and they negotiate with their superiors for domain independence. This course will focus on managers’ need to influence others, manage conflict, and negotiate agreements in a wide range of business scenarios both within and outside the organization. Students will be introduced to basic theories of negotiation, practices and frameworks of negotiation. Students will be provided with opportunities to reshape their understanding of negotiation, discover their own negotiation styles, and apply negotiation principles to critical issues. The course takes a view that negotiation is also a life skill that comes in handy in career growth and addresses the managers need to understand that influencing often occurs without formal power or authority. The course uses a combination of lectures, discussions, role-play exercises, cases, and exams.
Students must take one of the following courses.
Duration: 7 Weeks weeks
Credit Hours: 3
The emergence of global organizations (companies that view the entire world as their market as opposed to individual countries) is an important recent development in marketing. This course provides a comprehensive overview of the marketing of products and services by a global organization, with emphasis on international culture, the marketing mix, and marketing strategy. Projects deal with the problems of and opportunities for specific products in specific countries and the world.
Duration: 7 Weeks weeks
Credit Hours: 3
This course examines the financial and management accounting problems of international entities, the structuring of external and internal reporting and the application of recent accounting pronouncements. This course also applies some of the many accounting and economic concepts to the analysis of a firm’s financial position and performance as shown in published information, primarily focusing on financial statements.
Duration: 7 Weeks weeks
Credit Hours: 3
Emphasizes the patterns of worldwide development and business relationships; economic, political, and social involvement; the role of government in economic planning; development and control of the private sector. An analysis of mixed public and private activity in specific industry sectors is also included. Other topics covered include governmental regulations as to tariffs. The equity participation of foreign investors, exchange controls and the repatriation of profits.
Duration: 7 Weeks weeks
Credit Hours: 3
This course focuses on the general sales management process and how it changes across national boundaries and within different business cultures. Learning goals will include exploring the concept of global account management and the problems and opportunities afforded by this strategic management directives.
Students must take four electives from the following.
Duration: 7 Weeks weeks
Credit Hours: 3
The main objective of the course is to help participants understand and evaluate ecommerce business models and digital marketing methods from a variety of perspectives such as business analysts, consumers, entrepreneurs and investors. The specific objectives for student learning under the broad goals are to understand digital trends and disruptive technologies and understand their impacts on customer preferences and the competitive environment; to comprehend digital business strategy and the lead roles of marketing in implementing digital business initiatives. In this course there will be a specific focus on value creation in B2B, B2C, C2C markets; to understand how digital technologies can be used to create customer value, within the bounds of the ethical and legal environment; to apply key frameworks and methods to solve digital business problems; to utilize a participant centered learning approach to critically analyze technology issues and develop innovative solutions.
Duration: 7 Weeks weeks
Credit Hours: 3
Marketing strategy is a top management responsibility that encompasses financial, strategic management, and marketing research and analytics perspectives. The course will provide students the opportunity to develop and refine their analytical skills to make informed marketing decisions. The course will help develop critical reasoning and improve decision-making skills through the case study process. The marketing concept will be utilized to help understand how marketing strategy is developed, implemented, and monitored. Special emphasis will be given to understanding the role and importance of ethics and corporate social responsibility for marketing practice. The course will also examine the role of innovation and its link to profitability and sustainability in today’s intensely competitive business environment.
Duration: 7 Weeks weeks
Credit Hours: 3
This course provides a highly practical introduction of the field of entrepreneurship and the creation of new business ventures. It focuses on the motivation and characteristics of successful entrepreneurs, the germination and analysis of business ideas/opportunities, the development of business, marketing, organizational, and financial plans, and the identification of alternative sources of venture capital.
Duration: 7 Weeks weeks
Credit Hours: 3
This course introduces various facets of crisis management. The focus is on the decisions that owners/managers of small businesses are faced with before, during, and after a crisis. While emphasis is placed on how crises are addressed in small business because of the disproportionate effect crises have on them, much of the course material is applicable to larger businesses as well.
Duration: 7 Weeks weeks
Credit Hours: 3
This course focuses on educating students on the business and personal requirements required to fund new ventures. Major emphasis is placed on the assessment process that all entrepreneurs are faced with and on understanding the source of funds available to entrepreneurs. This course complements the Business Plan course and focuses on the financial documents required for each plan.
Duration: 7 Weeks weeks
Credit Hours: 3
This course addresses market-oriented problems for entrepreneurs, including identification and selection of marketing opportunities and demand for forecasting; formulation of competitive strategies; and designing and/or evaluating marketing plans and programs. Includes marketing in special fields such as services and not-for-profit areas. Various marketing decisions are examined with regard to product planning, channels of distribution, promotion activity, pricing, and aspects of international marketing. Integration of the Internet with marketing techniques is also discussed and examined.
Duration: 7 Weeks weeks
Credit Hours: 3
This is an overview course that provides both the context of rapid change and means by which we can help guide innovation and entrepreneurship within organizations. By understanding the historical lessons of change, we can minimize potential innovation failures and gear up for disruptive or incremental change. Both entrepreneurs and established firms must respond to multiple changes in their environments to survive. But even more so, these changes that extend from globalization to technology to demographics and beyond provide opportunities for new streams of revenue and competitive advantage. This course will explore a wide range of topics, approaches, and techniques that promote innovation and entrepreneurial behavior in different organizations of all sizes. It will explore how breakthroughs in technologies and markets create opportunities and threats, and how organizations that can master innovation have an advantage over those who lag behind. We will also consider internal structures, processes, core competencies, and cultures of innovation, entrepreneurship, and creativity in different size firms.
Duration: 7 Weeks weeks
Credit Hours: 3
The course is designed to offer management accounting and costing tools for decision-making and business strategy. Some examples of these tools are: cost-volume-profit analysis, product costing, incremental analysis, investment and operational budgeting, and standard costing. Real world cases and examples will be used extensively. Students will learn how financial and non-financial information can be integrated in areas such as strategic positioning and value-chain analysis to gain and enhance competitive advantage in the market place.
Duration: 7 Weeks weeks
Credit Hours: 3
This course provides an analysis of the Modern Portfolio Theory (MPT) and valuation of securities. It explores the risk and return characteristics of various financial investment instruments, such as stocks, fixed income securities, options, and other derivatives. The student develops an understanding of pricing processes, valuation models, efficient markets, international capital markets, and rational expectations. The student is also exposed to global financial markets from the perspective of long-term investments. A simulation portfolio investment game is conducted in the class. The course extensively uses both global and domestic real-time data available at the trading floor.
Duration: 7 Weeks weeks
Credit Hours: 3
A study of the theoretical and empirical bases for international economic transactions among nations. Emphasis is placed on understanding various theories of trade; cost and benefits of international specialization; and protectionism, quotas, tariffs, and trade policy. In addition, the course examines several topics in international finance such as exchange rate determination, balance of payments, and open economy macroeconomics.
Duration: 7 Weeks weeks
Credit Hours: 3
The primary objective of this course is to discuss the process of portfolio management. It covers the concepts of management of individual investor portfolios, management of institutional investor portfolios, professional ethical standards of practice, equity portfolio management strategies, debt portfolio management strategies, real estate and alternative investments in portfolio management, portfolio risk management, and portfolio performance measurement and presentation.
Duration: 7 Weeks weeks
Credit Hours: 3
This course covers introduction to derivatives and basic trading strategies. Attention is paid to two primary types of derivative securities: options and futures. It examines the nature of various strategies involving futures and options on stocks, stock indexes, currencies, and underlying futures. Both the standard binomial and Black-Scholes option pricing models are developed to value the options and futures. The feature of embedded options in convertible bond and other exotic options is discussed.
Duration: 7 Weeks weeks
Credit Hours: 3
Examines the critical role of financial planning for a business enterprise and its relationships to the firm’s objective. This includes the development and interpretation of financial plans under certainty and uncertainty. Special emphasis is given to the application of theories that address the acquisition and allocation of financial resources.
Duration: 7 Weeks weeks
Credit Hours: 3
The course provides a rigorous introduction to the world of commercial banking and related financial services which includes an overview of field, an analysis of commercial banks, including how to analyze and evaluate bank financial statements; profit drivers in banking; managing principal risks in banking, including credit (loan management) and interest rate (asset liability management) risks, and finally the evolving role of commercial banking in the twenty first century. The course is designed for students who are interested in a career in banking and financial services, or for those who are already there and would like to upgrade their discipline based analytical and other skills.
Duration: 7 Weeks weeks
Credit Hours: 3
This course is designed to provide in-depth overview of financial management concepts and tools and their applications. The topics include cost of capital, discounted cash flow analysis, optimal capital structure theory, dividend payout policy, real options valuation in capital budgeting decision, valuation of risky debt and term structure of interest rates, warrants and convertibles, lease analysis, and the analysis of mergers and acquisitions.
Duration: 7 Weeks weeks
Credit Hours: 3
A comprehensive treatment of the primary components of human resource management. Course content includes human resource planning, recruiting, selection, job analysis and evaluation, performance evaluation, total compensation, training and development, productivity improvement programs, and personnel research. The role of the human resource executive is examined within the constantly changing internal and external environment of the corporation. The international differences in human resource management programs that arise from cultural differences are explored.
Duration: 7 Weeks weeks
Credit Hours: 3
Builds upon the base knowledge and understanding of the principles, policies, practices, and challenges relating to the planning, recruitment, selection, compensation, benefits, employee and industrial relations, safety, and career development of an organization’s human resource as learned in MGT 7040, however this course is taught from the point of view of the HR professional. Examines how the human resource functions in an organization are accomplished and the various roles in the HR department.
Duration: 7 Weeks weeks
Credit Hours: 3
This course provides a broad overview of the many facets of leadership, ethics, and change management in business, government, and other organizational settings. The course also provides an integrated analysis of the major concepts, theories and functional viewpoints that are shaping today’s dramatically changing business environment. Emphasis is placed upon four areas: first, to assess and manage one’s own leadership style; second, to develop practical leadership skills and insights that will help build one’s career and drive organization goals; third, to create awareness and act ethically while navigating through multiple and often conflicting contemporary business goals; and fourth, to understand the psychology of change and change model applications. Students will benefit by developing ethical leadership and change management plans required in meeting modern-day organizational challenges relative to competition, innovation, power and politics, career advancement, social responsibility and global concerns.
Duration: 7 Weeks weeks
Credit Hours: 3
This is a master’s-level course in the basics of employment law. The course is directed at managers and HR professionals. It provides a comprehensive overview of contemporary employment law. The focus is on practical applications and current issues.
Duration: 7 Weeks weeks
Credit Hours: 3
This course studies in-depth specific accounting subjects such as assets and liabilities and equity, revenue and expense recognition, accounting changes and error analysis, and preparing income statement, balance sheet, and cash flow statement for business entities.
Duration: 7 Weeks weeks
Credit Hours: 3
This course studies in-depth specific accounting subjects such as deferred taxes, pension, leases, business combinations and consolidations, partnership, foreign currency transactions and translation, and accounting for government and not-for-profit entities.
Duration: 7 Weeks weeks
Credit Hours: 3
This course is designed to provide the student with in-depth understanding of all aspects of auditing. These include accepting and planning the audit, evaluating internal controls, verifying account balances and financial statement assertions, reporting on audited financial statements, as well as auditing standards, and the legal liabilities and professional and personal ethical responsibilities of auditors.
Duration: 7 Weeks weeks
Credit Hours: 3
This course provides a study of the U.S. Internal Revenue Code with emphasis on income taxation of individuals. The course looks at tax-minimizing decision-making of individuals. The course is a practical study of federal income taxes and emphasizes research techniques and tax planning principles; it provides practice in the preparation of tax returns and solution of case problems.
Duration: 7 Weeks weeks
Credit Hours: 3
This course provides a study of the U.S. Internal Revenue Code with emphasis on income taxation of business entities. The course looks at tax-minimizing decision-making of entities and their owners. The course is a practical study of federal income taxes as they relate to business entities, such as C Corporation, S Corporation, Partnerships and LLCs with emphasis on research techniques and tax planning principles; it provides practice in the preparation of tax returns and solution of case problems.

*Students without pre-requisite foundation courses may require additional credits.

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