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Business | Beedie School of Business Simon Fraser University Calendar | Summer 2024

Management of Technology

Master of Business Administration

The management of technology (MOT) MBA addresses high technology business sector needs. Graduates will have a solid grounding in business fundamentals, particularly focused on topics relevant to an organization with technical core competencies. MOT MBA students work in enterprises that have advanced technology products or services. Most will have an undergraduate degree in a technical discipline; some will have an undergraduate business degree with technical work experience.

The program is for those who already have at least four years of experience working in the technology sector and who are now considering a move into management.

Applicants should also refer to the program website http://beedie.sfu.ca/mot.

Admission Requirements

Applicants must satisfy the university admission requirements as stated in Graduate General Regulation 1.3 in the SFU Calendar and have a minimum of four years of relevant work experience in a technology firm or technology position. A minimum score of 550 on the Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT) is also required. Applicants may be eligible for a GMAT waiver at the discretion of the academic director, based on a combination of academic background, work experience, and professional designation(s).

Program Requirements

This program consists of course work for a minimum of 54 units. Courses from other SFU graduate business programs, or a special topic course, may be substituted for courses below at the discretion of the academic director.

Students must complete

BUS 700 - Orientation (0) *

Intensive program for SFU Beedie graduate students to meet each other and develop both individual and group strategies for academic success. Through experiential learning and team-building activities students develop a deeper understanding of the skills and knowledge that contribute to an effective team-based learning environment. Students will also learn about program-specific academic expectations, academic and administrative resources, and supports available at Simon Fraser University. Graded on a satisfactory/unsatisfactory basis.

and 54 units of the below chosen in consultation with the program director

BUS 750 - Managing Technological Innovation (4)

This course examines successful product and process innovations in industry, as well as the effective organization and management of the technological change process in new ventures, multi-divisional and multinational enterprises.

BUS 751 - Managerial Economics for Technology Firms (4)

The purpose of this course is to introduce students to basic concepts in microeconomics and to explore the relevance of economic reasoning to managerial decision-making, both tactical and strategic. The importance of economic concepts, economic models and quantitative applications will be emphasized and applied to problems regularly encountered by technology managers. Students who have taken BUS 552 or BUS 703 may not take this course for further credit.

BUS 752 - Strategic Management of Technology-Based Firms (4)

This course deals with how technology-based firms develop and implement strategies to create competitive advantage. The module treats strategy at two levels of analysis: (a) the overall strategy of the firm and (b) the technology strategy of the firm.

BUS 753 - Business Ethics (2)

This course addresses how to navigate the moral quandaries, issues and debates raised by direct participants and stakeholders in the high-tech economy. Topics include character building practices, moral stages in the high-tech career, corporate social responsibility, the role of reputation capital in the high-tech firm, and the moral and legal obligations of the expert. Students who have taken BUS 511 or BUS 707 may not take this course for further credit.

Section Instructor Day/Time Location
G100 Patricia Plackett
TBD
BUS 754 - Marketing Tech-based Products and Services (4)

What differentiates high-tech markets from more traditional ones is the environment of shrinking product life cycles, rapid changes in information and knowledge and great uncertainty about competitors. This course is designed to teach strategies for developing and executing marketing strategies in technology-intensive markets. Students who have taken BUS 556 may not take this course for further credit.

BUS 755 - Topics in International Business (2)

This course will address emerging issues in international business relevant to technology intensive firms. Globalization means that cross-cultural business interactions have become more commonplace.

Section Instructor Day/Time Location
G100 TBD
BUS 756 - Strategic Use of Information and Knowledge (4)

This course will demonstrate, through cases and discussion, how information can be used to support decision-making, monitor operations and enable global communications. Topics will include knowledge management and information technology to support a learning organization.

BUS 757 - Negotiations (2)

Negotiation is the art and science of securing agreements between two or more parties that are interdependent and who are seeking to maximize their outcomes. Graded on a satisfactory/unsatisfactory basis.

BUS 758 - Business Operations Design (4)

The Business Operations Design course integrates organizational theory and operations management theory to provide a working knowledge of the key elements involved in designing and operating organizations. The aim is to introduce students to the best current thinking for creating effective organizational configurations that realize a desired strategy and achieve the accompanying performance.

Section Instructor Day/Time Location
G100 Ian McCarthy
TBD
BUS 759 - Special Topics (4)

This course provides flexibility to address emergent topics in Technology Management.

Section Instructor Day/Time Location
G100 Carlos Lopes da Costa
TBD
BUS 761 - Leadership for the Technology Driven Enterprise (2)

Developing and balancing critical management competencies at the individual, interpersonal, team and organizational levels. Focus is on effective organization, motivation and leadership.

BUS 762 - Project Management (4)

In high technology firms, projects are a way of life. The introduction of a new product or service, the redesign of an information system, and the opening of a new warehouse are all examples of projects that the technology-driven manager may encounter. This course demonstrates how complexity can be managed in a manner that increases the probability of project success. As a course assignment, students develop their own plan for the project/internship phase of the program.

BUS 763 - Managing Self and Others: An Organizational Simulation (2)

An intensive 3-day simulation where students discover what they would actually do when confronted with the reality of working in a company with multiple interdependencies, financial and geographical constraints and a complex and changing environment. Graded on a Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory basis.

BUS 764 - Financing the Organization (4)

The objective is to teach the foundations of applied finance with respect to the capital raising process and the creation of finance-able business plans. A company 'life cycle' approach to financial development is utilized and topics explored include the entrepreneurial process, angel and venture capital financing, legal entities and capital structure, term sheet negotiations, business valuation techniques, going public, debt financing, mergers and acquisitions, financial contracting. Students who have taken BUS 555 or BUS 708 may not take this course for further credit.

BUS 766 - Financial and Managerial Accounting (4)

Concepts and principles in financial accounting from the user perspective and the use of accounting information for managerial decision-making. Students who have taken BUS 510 or BUS 705 may not take this course for further credit.

BUS 782 - Capstone Simulation (2)

A Comprehensive Examination for the MOT MBA program. Students with credit for BUS 645 and BUS 729 may not take this course for further credit.

BUS 783 - Entrepreneurship (4)

An overview of entrepreneurial thinking and actions such as: opportunity discovery; strategy and implementation; innovation in the context of uncertainty, ambiguity and risk.

Section Instructor Day/Time Location
G100 Andrew Harries
TBD
BUS 784 - Special Topics (2)

Special topics in business administration. Students may repeat this course for further credit under a different topic. Students with credit for BUS 725 may not take this course for further credit.

Students who have completed or have been enrolled in the graduate diploma in business administration program at SFU may receive advance credit for BUS 751, 753, 754, 756, 762, 764 and 766 at the discretion of the academic director. A minimum grade of a B (3.0) in the course equivalent is required.

Students who have completed or have been enrolled in the science and technology commercialization graduate certificate program at SFU may receive advance credit for BUS 754, 764 and 783 at the discretion of the academic director. A minimum grade of a B (3.0) in the course equivalent is required.

* BUS 700 is a prerequisite for all courses in this program

Biotechnology Management Stream

Students wishing to complete the biotechnology management stream must successfully complete the MOT requirements and four units of biotechnology specific courses. The biotechnology courses BUS 770 and BUS 771 replace one standard four-unit course determined by the academic director.

Program Length

Students are expected to complete the part-time program in six terms.

Academic Requirements within the Graduate General Regulations

All graduate students must satisfy the academic requirements that are specified in the Graduate General Regulations, as well as the specific requirements for the program in which they are enrolled.