Curriculum

An overview of the Penn State Smeal Executive MBA Program business curriculum.

Master the Business Fundamentals

In the first 13 months, students will emerge with mastery of the business fundamentals including a concentration in strategic leadership. Overall, the curriculum of the Penn State Smeal EMBA focuses on three fundamental areas:

Principled Leadership

Develop and communicate a sound strategic vision, lead with integrity, and establish partnerships and alliances to guide teams and entire organizations. Courses include:

  • Ethical Leadership
  • Leadership and Change
  • Leadership Communications
  • Leading Diverse Organizations
  • Management
  • Negotiations
  • Strategy Implementation
  • Strategic Leadership 
  • Team Processes and Performance

Financial Management

Harness financial resources to fund operations and increase corporate value. Courses include:

  • Finance
  • Financial Accounting
  • Global Macroeconomics Environment
  • Management Accounting

Strategic Analysis

Evaluate and deploy effective strategic approaches for specific functions of the business and the overall organization. Courses include:

  • Business Analytics
  • Economics for Managers
  • Global Business Strategy
  • Marketing Management
  • Risk and Statistics
  • Strategy Development and Management
  • Strategic Implementation
  • Supply Chain Management

Online Concentration

After students complete the first 13 months of in-person class weekends in Philadelphia, they will begin the online portion of the program in August. Students may choose from 13 available concentrations, or build their own with Smeal graduate courses to create a custom concentration, or choose to work within the curriculum plan from 12 graduate certificates to earn the credential upon completion of the EMBA at no extra cost.

Graduate Certificate Concentrations

  • Accounting Foundations
  • Business Analytics
  • Business Architecture
  • Business Sustainability Strategy
  • Corporate Innovation and Entrepreneurship
  • Management Consulting
  • Marketing Analytics
  • Negotiation and Influence
  • Real Estate Law and Valuation
  • Strategic Leadership
  • Supply Chain Management
  • Supply Chain Risk Management
  • Taxation 

Concentration Only

  • Finance 

Custom Concentrations

  • Students can work with faculty to create a custom concentration to meet their needs.