As the structure of this graduate program is focused on business management, it keeps two common threads linked to its research lines: (a)Strategic Marketing Management and (b) Strategic Operations and Inter-organizational Relation Management.
In order to earn this degree, students must successfully complete 30 credits, from which 24 are from General Core courses, 06 from Elective Courses – which may be selected according to the research line (work field) followed by the student – and the last 06 credits center on writing the thesis.
General Core
People Management – 30 hours (2 credits) General, theoretical and empirical overview of People Management. Operational and strategic actions and their socio-economic implications. The history of the people management area. Transformations of the people’s manager. The new roles in the people management area. People management at the strategic level.
Business Administration Research – 30 hours (2 credits) The different sources of knowledge; Characterization of systematized knowledge;The method dimension; The qualitative aspect of the method; The case study method in business: concept, characterization and procedures; The quantitative aspect of the method; Population study and survey: concept, characterization and procedures; The research project scheme on business in the context of different methods.
Quantitative Methods – 30 hours (2 credits) Initial quantitative methods concepts. Construction of scales and questionnaires. Preliminary data analysis. Using of the software SPSS (Statistical Package for Social Sciences). Validity and reliability analysis. Outliers and missing data analysis. Univariate, bivariate and multivariate analysis as well as advanced statistics analysis.
Marketing Management – 30 hours (2 credits)- The course examines the concepts and processes that lead organizations to gain a competitive advantage in the market, studying the selection of a strategy, and the development of it, with the content: Historical marketing evolution;Competitive Advantage and Organizational Performance; Companies and the relationships with the markets; Customers and Competition;Compound marketing; Transactions and relations.
Strategic Operations Management – 30 hours (2 credits) Fundamental concepts of operations and its use, aimed to the continuous improvement of the results of the organizations, constructed from a systemic view and considering the strategic dimension of the processes and operations. North American and Japanese production management models’ analysis.
Financial Management – 30 hours (2 credits) The main objective of the course is to present the financial concepts and develop the relevant theory through the contents: value and capital budgeting, risk and return, capital structure, financial planning, working capital management, dividend policy, short and long term financing, mergers and acquisitions, control and ownership, efficient capital markets, investments in corporate finance, behavioral finance and unresolved issues, undiscovered territories and the future of finance.
Leadership and Business Ethics – 30 hours (2 credits) Practice in leadership; situational leadership; emotional intelligence; business ethics;personal development as a leader by applying the MBTI instrument (Myers-Briggs Type Indicator) individually, Online (Distance Learning)
Businesses and International Relations – 30 hours (2 credits) The theme of business and international relations deals with international marketing, the study of economic blocks and strategic alliances in the international context; the differences between consumers in different cultures; global marketing strategies; international management models; input modes; analysis of the international environment; Hofstede;Trompenaars approach; Upsalla School; international channel management; and success factors in company's internationalization process.
Business Strategy – 30 hours (2 credits) The course includes strategies and strategic processes, with the content: Schools of Strategic Thinking and their main approaches. Corporate strategy: business and functional. Dimensions and Perspectives in Business Strategy. Market Based View (MBV) and Resource Based View (RBV). Strategic intent. Strategic alignment. Deliberate and emergent strategies. Strategic planning.
Specific Core
Academic field in Strategic Marketing Management:
Consumer Behavior – 30 hours (2 credits) The consumer behavior study; consumer behavior and its strategic interfaces in product and service. Consumption and society, consumption X consumerism, decision-making process of buying, factors that influence the decision-making process of buying, purchasing agents, types of purchase; Types of buying behavior; Organizational purchase; Segmentation and positioning, consumer behavior in the international context.
Marketing Information System – 30 hours (2 credits) The course covers theoretical and practical aspects of the information system and research. Highlights the research evaluation of advertising, products and concept tests, measurement on positioning and image, satisfaction assessment and market structure research. The role of information in marketing management. Types of Research. Research Process. Data collection techniques and data analysis. Scales, based on Marketing Research.
Marketing Planning – 30 hours (2 credits) The course aims to show the importance of marketing planning throughout the whole process, including the assessment of the company and the market, the definition of objectives, goals and strategies, and the formulation of action programs and performance indicators. The content covers the components: methodology of creating and steps of the marketing plan;environmental analysis; Competition Analysis; objectives, strategy and assumptions; action programs; the implementation process of Marketing Planning; the marketing plan related to the strategic planning of organizations; and development input to project planning in a new market, development of a planning project to enter into a new market expansion and / or creation of a strategic business unit.
Academic field in Strategic Operations and Inter-organizational Relation Management:
Inter-organizational Relations – 30 hours (2 credits) Within a context in which the notion of inter-competitiveness is highlighted, this course aims to work the core approaches, the arguments used and the basic theories on the subject of the formation of different types of inter-organizational arrangements: chains, partnerships, alliances, clusters and networks. The syllabus includes: Cooperation as Competitive Strategy;Commercial relationships versus long-term partnerships; Productive chains and production chains; Joint Ventures; Strategic Alliances; Clusters, Local Productive Arrangements and Industrial Clusters; Networks; and the International and Brazilian Experience in Inter-organizational Arrangements.
Supply Chains and Logistics – 30 hours (2 credits) The course covers the development of supply channels and distribution of products, services and raw materials, involving operational, tactical and strategic supply chains and logistical business, based on: Supply Chains and Distribution Chains; Supply Chain Management; Customer service; purchasing and distribution strategies; Management of transportation and storage; and organization and control of supply chains.
Organizational Culture and Competencies – 30 hours (2 credits) Organizations and complexity. Systems of thinking. The context of culture in organizations. Culture and innovation. The creation of skills and learning. Change management. Interdisciplinary approach on addressing problems.
Thesis
The thesis is developed within the 24-month period of the Master’s program.
Second Language Proficiency
After enrolling in the Master’s Degree Program, students will be requested to present proof of proficiency in one of the following foreign languages: Spanish, English, French, German or Italian - being a pre-requisite for the Thesis Defense.
Course Schedule
The Master’s Degree in Business Administration offered at UNISC lasts 24 months. All lectures take place during the first year and the second one is when students will focus on writing their thesis. Lectures take place on Thursday evenings (7:00 to 10:00pm) and Friday mornings (8:00 to 11:00am) and afternoons (1:00 to 4:00pm). There is, in each term, a crash course takes place from Monday to Thursday, mornings and afternoons. All PPGA meetings are held in Santa Cruz do Sul/RS, at the Main Campus of the University.
