Academics
Undergraduate Coursework
Each semester, you will take a STEM Business Honors course worth 1.5 credit hours that meets for 75 minutes per week. The class size is limited to 35 students, and each semester covers a business topic like Marketing, Accounting, or Operations Management, among others. You will engage in several group projects, closing out each semester with a case study based on the semester’s business topic. You are encouraged to stay with the same faculty member for each STEM Business Honors course to develop a mentor-mentee relationship with your professor and a sense of camaraderie with your cohort. Additionally, the STEM Business Honors courses will fulfill your departmental honors credit requirement as a student in the Honors College.
Graduate Coursework
After you are admitted into the MBA Program, you will take one summer semester of three online MBA classes between your junior and senior years. The courses are online to allow you to engage in study abroad, internship, or co-op experiences while staying on track academically. During senior year, you will take another set of 1.5 credit hour STEM Business Honors courses dedicated to your senior project. You will take another semester of three online MBA classes between your senior year and MBA year. Finally, you will return to campus and take five courses in the fall and five courses in the spring to complete the MBA.
Projects
Starting freshman year, you will be assigned group innovation projects every semester that involve developing business models for new products or businesses. These innovation projects are themed; some past examples include NASA IP, a project focused on creating a marketable application of NASA intellectual property, and SmartCampus, which focuses on integrating modern techniques and technologies into university campuses to solve everyday problems. Typically, there are two innovation projects per semester. Additionally, as a final project, there is a case study focusing on the business topic of the semester. Finally, you will work on a year-long group project sourced from companies on the STEM Path to the MBA Advisory Board during your senior year, such as NetScout, Adtran, and Brasfield & Gorrie. Some of our student projects can be viewed on our STEM & CREATE innovation projects website: stem-create-innovate.ua.edu.
Curriculum Schedule
Freshman Year:
- Fall: GBA 171
- Spring: GBA 172
Sophomore Year:
- Fall: GBA 271
- Spring: GBA 272
Junior Year:
- Fall: GBA 371
- Spring: GBA 372
- Summer: 3 Online MBA Courses*
Senior Year:
- Fall: GBA 571
- Spring: GBA 572
- Summer: 3 Online MBA Courses
MBA Year:
- Fall: 5 On-campus MBA Courses
- Spring: 5 On-campus MBA Courses
*Assumes completion of 91 credit hours and admission to Graduate School