Master of Management Program Overview

UC Merced's 12-month Master of Management (MM) program, facilitated by Management of Innovation, Sustainability and Technology (MIST) faculty, equips recent graduates with advanced managerial insights, preparing them for roles in both private and public sectors.

The curriculum integrates knowledge from fields like business, engineering, and data analytics, with an emphasis on challenges unique to the San Joaquin Valley.

Developed in collaboration with local employers, the program focuses on real-world case studies and team projects, promoting discussion, presentations, and leadership. It aims to address the dual goals of business profitability and environmental responsibility.

Course Descriptions

MIST 201: Leadership, Organizations, and Communications

Using management and organizational behavior theories, students will identify and evaluate examples of functional and dysfunctional leadership in workplace settings. Students will also learn and apply strategies for effectively managing employees and other human resources through the use of organizational case materials, leadership assessments, and team exercises involving both oral and written communications. Class and group discussions will focus on improving individual and team performance in work organizations with sensitivity to cross-cultural differences.

MIST 202: Managerial Finance and Accounting

Introduces students to fundamental concepts and principles of financial capital, and how to apply them in the budgeting and accounting of organizational projects and entrepreneurial ventures. Concepts include the time value of money, business valuation, capital sources and structure, equity distribution and dilution, as well as financial aspects of the management of small business and entrepreneurial firms (sole proprietorships, partnerships, and small private corporations).

MIST 203: Quantitative Tools for Management

This course will prepare students for qualitative, quantitative and data-oriented reasoning for complex decision-making scenarios. In qualitative scenarios, when quantitative information and data are sparse, reasoning draws on careful thought experiments. When the problem has a measurable component that nevertheless lacks data, insights and direction can still be obtained from back-of-the-napkin estimations that also require an assessment of error propagation. In the digital era, the increasing availability of data for decision-making clarifies some aspects of problem-solving, but there are still statistical pitfalls that should be addressed and overcome using careful analysis design. To this end, this class will largely focus on identifying best practices for collecting, processing, visualizing, and communicating data-driven analysis strategies.

MIST 204: Spatial Analytics

Introduces methods for acquisition, analysis, and assessment of spatial data. Emphasizes geographic information systems and spatial statistical packages as support tools for problem-solving and decision-making in natural resource management, market-based institutions, and non-profit organizations. Students will work in teams to acquire, explore, analyze, and assess spatial information from a given set of management case studies. The course will culminate with a team presentation where students will convey spatial data through visualization techniques and communicate findings.

MIST 205: Technology-Enabled Service

Students will gain an understanding of how information-based services and systems can be used to meet the needs and challenges of modern organizations. Additionally, students will gain an understanding of how internet-related technologies add value to organizational and business functions, including marketing, management and more. Students will be asked to use design thinking and management principles to improve strategies, processes, operations, and decision-making in specific cases to better meet customer and other stakeholders’ needs.

MIST 206: Entrepreneurship and Innovation

Provides graduate-level exposure to key concepts and theories of entrepreneurship and innovation. Using a variety of cases, the course will explore the basis of creativity, processes and practices of innovation within new ventures and established enterprises, and the fundamentals of entrepreneurial action and innovative organizational cultures. It will also discuss design thinking, innovation strategy and the alignment of innovative projects to corporate strategy.

MIST 207: Project and Operations Management

Introduces operations and project management concepts and tools to assist managers in the efficient and effective delivery of goods and services. Explores project and program management concepts including critical path, crisis management, human resources, budgeting and planning considerations. Operations management topics explore value creation in both private and public sectors, quality service delivery, supply chain, and techniques for efficient service delivery.

MIST 208: Law, Policy, and Risk Management

Utilizes theory and frameworks at the intersection of law and economics, as well as case studies, to train students how to consider law, policy, and risk in the management of corporate, non-profit, and public sectors. Concepts include: the Coase theorem; market failures and policy tools; laws as individual rights and obligations scaled up to society; policies as prevailing strategies to reconcile social, ecological, and economic tensions; and risks as real or perceived exposure to loss of value for individuals, the environment, or the market.

MIST 210: Integrated Capstone Project

This course focuses on how to align people, information, and resources effectively to meet the triple bottom line (3BL): value generation, ethical treatment of workers, and environmental sustainability. Students will reflect on and analyze their management of the 3BL in their internship, entrepreneurial venture or professional position. An individual final report and presentation is required.

MIST 211: Strategy: Regional and Global Perspectives

This course introduces students to strategic management and marketing in both regional and global contexts. Students will learn frameworks and theories about strategy formulation, competitive advantage, market research, product-market fit, value creation and business model innovation. Students will integrate and apply this knowledge during their participation in programs and field trips involving for-profit and non-profit enterprises.

Course Totals

Enrolled students take 10 courses total in one year:

Four courses in the fall
Four courses in spring
Two courses in summer including an integrative capstone experience

Total Required Credits = 38

Take Your Next Step

Unlock Business Leadership With UC Merced's Master of Management

Considering a master's in management and leadership? The Gallo School of Management at UC Merced provides an MM program designed to enhance your business acumen and leadership capabilities.

Complete the form to download our comprehensive brochure and:

Learn about the distinctive features of the management program
Familiarize yourself with UC Merced’s engaging master curriculum
Discover the vast career opportunities this degree brings to the table

Admissions Dates and Deadlines

Mar

Application Deadline

March 1

Fall 2024

Aug

Term Start Date

August 21

Fall 2024