Pharmaceutical Business Course Descriptions
Managerial and Financial Accounting, PB711
This course provides the participant with an understanding of accounting terminology, how to read and analyze financial statements, how to develop product costs, and how to analyze and measure performance in the plant, with an emphasis on how to use some of the measurements outside of the manufacturing environment. Also, activity-based costing concepts are examined and applied in exercises, in addition to applying cost/volume profit analysis to marketing situations.
Managerial and Financial Accounting, PB712
This course provides the participant with an understanding of accounting terminology, how to read and analyze financial statements, how to develop product costs, and how to analyze and measure performance in the plant, with an emphasis on how to use some of the measurements outside of the manufacturing environment. Also, activity-based costing concepts are examined and applied in exercises, in addition to applying cost/volume profit analysis to marketing situations.
Managerial Finance, PB721
This course covers the basics concepts of finance, including the ability to read key business statements such as balance sheets, income statements, and sources and uses statements. The course discusses the main forms of business organization and the finance function itself. The course continues with an overview of financial markets and institutions, as well as a description of the various major types of debt and equity. Students will learn fundamental financial concepts such as present value and future values, risk-and-return principles, and financial portfolio analysis. The course will pay particular attention to understanding the issues involved in long-term investment decisions, which are so critical to the pharmaceutical industry.
Corporate Finance, PB722
This course covers concepts such as valuation principles,
including the time value of money, interest rates, diversification,
risk and return, debt, and equity, as well as the
options. Investments and financial operations will also be
addressed. The course will also examine the major questions
of financial policy and planning, including long-term
dividends and capital structure, investment analysis,
restructuring, and long-term financial planning.
(Prerequisite: PB721)
Mergers and Acquisitions, PB723
The course presents the key financial and managerial
issues involved in the merger and acquisition process. It
covers the business reasons for making an acquisition or
merger or deciding to sell a business or business unit.
The course addresses evaluating and valuing a potential
acquisition, forms and characteristics of mergers, and
the financial alternatives involved in mergers or acquisitions.
Particular attention is devoted to identifying the
characteristics of successful mergers in general and in the
pharmaceutical industry, in particular.
(Prerequisite: PB721)
Financial Management and Governance, PB725
This course covers the basics concepts of finance, including
the ability to read key business statements such as balance
sheets, income statements, and sources and uses statements.
The course discusses the main forms of business
organization and the finance function itself. The course
continues with an overview of financial markets and institutions,
as well as a description of the various major types
of debt and equity. Students will learn fundamental financial
concepts such as present value and future values,
risk-and-return principles, and financial portfolio analysis.
The course will pay particular attention to understanding
the issues involved in long-term investment decisions,
which are so critical to the pharmaceutical industry.
(Prerequisite: PB712 and PB733)
Capital Investment and Financing, PB726
This course covers concepts such as valuation principles,
including the time value of money, interest rates, diversification,
risk and return, debt, and equity, as well as the
options. Investments and financial operations will also be
addressed. The course will also examine the major questions
of financial policy and planning, including long-term
dividends and capital structure, investment analysis,
restructuring, and long-term financial planning.
(Prerequisite: PB725)
Business Statistics, PB731
This course provides the student with an understanding of the common statistical methods used in business analysis for marketing, operations, and R&D. It examines probability, sampling methods, measurement scales, measures of central tendency, dispersion, association statistical process control, and statistical quality control, as well as univariate and multivariate distributions of data structures. The course also introduces various statistical software packages, such as SPSS and SAS.
Pharmacoeconomics and Economics of Health Care, PB732
This course equips the student with an understanding of
the pharmacoeconomics of specific drugs as well as macroeconomic
and microeconomic concepts, how to read and
analyze economic and pharmacoeconomic reports, how
to develop clinical economic studies, and how to analyze
and measure inputs and outcomes. Tools covered include
cost-benefit, cost-effectiveness, and cost-utility analysis.
In addition, the course covers how to apply economic
analysis to marketing situations.
(Prerequisite: PB751)
Business Statistics, PB733
This course provides the student with an understanding of common statistical methods used in business analysis for marketing, operations, and R&D. The course examines probability, sampling methods, measurement scales, measures of central tendency, dispersion, association statistical process control, and statistical quality control, as well as univariate and multivariate distributions of data structures. The course also introduces various statistical software packages, such as SPSS and SAS.
Team Dynamics-Human Resources, PB741
Organizations are rapidly adapting to change, with significant implications for leadership and organization. Teams are becoming increasingly important, and leaders find they must be able to operate in a virtual environment. The course covers the essentials of successful human resources management illustrated through exercises in team dynamics. This course also covers the nature and practice of effective leadership in a team-based environment. The course has the goal of enhancing the teamwork skills of each participant as well as providing a firm grasp of the dynamics.
Leadership and Development, PB742
The course identifies the characteristics of successful leaders and managers in modern corporations. In addition, it examines the components of a successful organization, exploring organizational integration, environment, structure, performance, and administration. The course then focuses on polishing students' leadership and organizational management skills.
Leadership, Team Dynamics, and Human Resources Management, PB743
Organizations are rapidly adapting to change, with significant implications for leadership and organization. Teams are becoming increasingly important, and leaders find they must be able to operate in a virtual environment. This course focuses on the nature and practice of effective leadership in a team-based environment. Course format is highly experimental with the goal of enhancing the leadership and teamwork skills of each participant.
Introduction to Marketing, PB751
The course is designed to introduce the student to the basic concepts in marketing so students understand the similarities between pharmaceutical marketing and other industries in addition to the distinctive areas of pharmaceutical marketing. The course covers analyzing market opportunities, planning marketing programs, formulating product strategy, structuring the market mix, and managing the marketing program.
Introduction to Market Research, PB752
This course examines qualitative methods, such as focus
groups and individual in-depth interviews, and quantitative
methods, such as self-administered questionnaires, conjoint
analysis, discrete choice models, Internet surveys, and various
hybrid marketing research methods. Application of
results in designing and testing marketing communications,
SWOT analysis, and designing and evaluating marketing
tactics will be explored.
(Prerequisites: PB751 and PB731)
Pharmaceutical Marketing and Sales Management, PB753
The course covers the distinctive features of the American
health care market, including formulary decision making,
managed care and third-party insurance providers, retail
outlets, direct-to-consumer marketing, and government
reimbursement issues. The tactical portion of the course is
divided into three segments: (1) pharmaceutical marketing,
(2) strategy and implementation, and (3) development of a
comprehensive cross-functional tactical and promotional
plan. Students will use teamwork to develop and present
their plan.
(Prerequisite: PB751)
Brand Management, PB754
The course focuses on branding concepts and techniques
appropriate for product managers and marketers. It covers
research and planning approaches through a wide range of
brand strategies, including market segmentation, product
line marketing, physical services, and the use of public relations
and advertising. Additional topics include branding
approaches for building patient loyalty and strategies for
dealing with the diverse institution's product mix. The
course will also include contemporary case studies illustrating
branding decisions faced by health care professionals.
(Prerequisite: PB755)
Introduction to Marketing, PB755
The course is designed to introduce the student to the basic concepts in marketing so students understand the similarities between pharmaceutical marketing and other industries in addition to the distinctive areas of pharmaceutical marketing. The course covers analyzing market opportunities, planning marketing programs, formulating product strategy, structuring the market mix, and managing the marketing program.
Pharmaceutical Marketing and Sales Management, PB756
The course covers the distinctive features of the American
health care market, including formulary decision making,
managed care and third-party insurance providers, retail
outlets, direct-to-consumer marketing, and government
reimbursement issues. The tactical portion of the course is
divided into three segments: (1) pharmaceutical marketing,
(2) strategy and implementation, and (3) development of a
comprehensive cross-functional tactical and promotional
plan. Students will work in teams to develop and present
their own plan.
(Prerequisite: PB755)
Introduction to Market Research, PB757
This course examines qualitative methods, such as focus
groups and individual in-depth interviews, and quantitative
methods, such as self-administered questionnaires, conjoint
analysis, discrete choice models, Internet surveys, and various
hybrid marketing research methods. Application of
results in designing and testing marketing communications,
SWOT analysis, and designing and evaluating marketing
tactics will be explored.
(Prerequisites: PB751 and PB731)
Competitive Analysis and Strategic Business Planning, PB761
This course provides an in-depth understanding of the
process of competitive analysis and business planning in
the pharmaceutical industry. Focus will be on how to analyze
the competition's strengths and weaknesses, product
life-cycle analysis, and therapeutic portfolio management.
(Prerequisites: PB721 and PB751)
Pharmaceutical Research and Development Management, PB762
The course reviews, in depth, the elements of managing the research and development process in pharmaceutical companies. It includes an introduction to the major R&D components of drug discovery, preclinical development, clinical development, project management, and pharmaceutics. The course will take students through a case study of a drug development program.
New Product Development, PB763
This course provides an overview of portfolio analysis, the
drug development process, and the factors necessary for
economic success in the marketplace. Particular attention
will be devoted to the role of marketing in the R&D
process.
(Prerequisite: PB762)
Pharmaceutical R&D and New Product Development, PB764
The course reviews the elements of managing the research-and-development process in a pharmaceutical company. It includes an introduction to the major R&D components of drug discovery, preclinical development, clinical development, project management, and pharmaceutics. The course will take students through a case study of a drug development program.
Business Strategy, PB765
This course provides an in-depth understanding of the
process of competitive analysis and strategic planning in
the pharmaceutical industry. It includes an overview of
major schools of strategic thought and how these schools
have influenced strategy in the pharmaceutical industry.
Students work in teams with a senior executive from a
pharmaceutical company to solve a strategic issue. Final
and mid-term presentations are made to faculty and a
pharmaceutical executive.
(Prerequisite: PB755)
Regulation of Prescription Drugs and Ethical Issues, PB771
Drug regulation spans the entire scope of the pharmaceutical business. The course addresses the role of regulatory agencies in manufacturing, marketing, and marketing support material. In addition, the course examines the role of regulatory agencies outside the United States in their own markets. In-depth attention is devoted to regulatory agencies in new product development and product safety overview. The course also covers the major ethical issues in the delivery of general health care and pharmaceutical health care from the perspective of public policy and the pharmaceutical industry.
Introduction to Health Policy, PB772
The course provides students with knowledge of the basic structures of the American health care system in terms of its key components and their interrelations and refines students' abilities to identify health policy issues in terms of conflicts and common themes. The course also touches on the basic health care structures of Europe and Japan, highlighting similarities and differences with the American system.
Regulation of Prescription Drugs, PB773
Drug regulation spans the entire scope of the pharmaceutical business. The course addresses the role of regulatory agencies in marketing and marketing support material. In addition, the course examines the role of regulatory agencies outside the United States. Regulation of product manufacturing is also discussed. In-depth attention is devoted to regulatory agencies in new product development and product safety overview.
Ethical Issues in Pharmaceutical Business, PB774
This course addresses the role of ethics in the U.S. pharmaceutical industry, along with a brief discussion of ethical standards in the pharmaceutical markets of Europe, Asia, and other regions. Marketing, clinical trials, compliance, sales, and other pharmaceutical-related issues will be examined from an ethical perspective. In addition to specific ethical issues in the drug industry, general business ethics and medical ethics will also be briefly covered.
Business Communications and Information Strategies, PB780
This course provides new graduate students in the online MBA program with an introduction to: oral, written, and virtual communication; methods for finding and evaluating course resources; online research techniques; critical thinking, the purpose and benefits of the MSM (Multidiscipline Strategic Management) project, program standards; stress and time management; and learning team process. The design of the course will also assist students in mastering the online learning environment and developing collegial relationships with their cohort members.
Multidiscipline Strategic Management I and II, PB791 and PB792
MSM is a two-part course that runs throughout the entire program, from the initial week to the final (capstone course). Students working in teams are asked to construct a hypothetical pharmaceutical company that, in principle, could compete in today's marketplace. The purpose of this course is to integrate what students have learned in all of the MBA program's individual classes. Students construct their hypothetical company, including a full description of the health care and competitive environments, company product(s), and company organizational design, along with related management, personnel, financing, and strategic issues. Students will also develop a case study, detailing one or more major strategic issues their company might face and how their company might successfully address these issues. Students defend their case study to a panel of professors. The hypothetical company will also be used in the final, and separate, capstone course.
Multidiscipline Strategic Management I, PB795
This course provides students with an overall understanding of how a pharmaceutical company operates, including both the internal structure and the company's interaction with its external environment, as well as the issues and problems that might affect or impact the company and how it might address those issues. The course is not lecture-based but is instead a student-centered-learning course. Students will work as teams in order to develop a full profile of a hypothetical pharmaceutical company. The teams must describe all aspects of how their hypothetical company does business. The course requires the students to utilize the information they are gaining in their other MBA courses, tie all this information together so that they understand how it all interrelates, and use this knowledge as a foundation to create a profile of this hypothetical pharmaceutical company. Student teams will present and defend their company profile to faculty at the end of the semester.
Multidiscipline Strategic Management II, PB796
Building on the work done in the MSM I course, MSM II
provides students with a deeper understanding of how a
pharmaceutical company operates, as well as covering the
issues and problems that might affect or impact the company
and how it might address those issues. The course
is not lecture-based but is instead a student-centeredlearning
course. Students will continue to develop their
case study of a hypothetical pharmaceutical company by
developing a global strategic response to a challenge
faced by the company. At the end of the semester the
teams will present their findings and defend and discuss
them with the faculty advisors. Guest lecturers, mentors,
and written exercises will be part of the educational experience.
(Prerequisite: PB795)
Multidiscipline Strategic Management III, PB797
MSM III is the third part of a three-semester series of
courses where the students get a broad, in-depth understanding
of the kinds of issues that corporations must deal
with in the pharmaceutical industry. The course is not lecture-
based but is instead a student-centered-learning
course. In MSM III, the students use the knowledge gained
in MSM I and II to interact with representatives of an actual
pharmaceutical company. The goal is to understand how
pharmaceutical companies solve real issues by actually participating
in the problem analysis and problem solving
process.
(Prerequisite: PB795 and PB796)
International Pharmaceutical Business, PB880
This course provides an overview of global markets in the
pharmaceutical industry. Global competitiveness based
on the effects of national regulatory environments and
economic and market factors will be explored. Issues
such as the drug approval process, pricing decisions,
and intellectual property will be discussed.
(Prerequisites:
PB751 and PB791)
Capstone: Global Business Strategies, PB890
This course summarizes and expands on the learning from the entire program based on the hypothetical pharmaceutical company developed in MSM I and II. The course incorporates active decision making, use of marketing plans and strategy development, and implementation. A computer simulation may be used as part of this course.
Health Economics, PA840
This course focuses on the development and assessment
of economic tools for pharmaceutical interventions and
health services. It covers determining patient preferences
and quality of life.
(Prerequisite: PB733)
Issues and Trends in Health Policy, HP707
This course provides an orientation to analytical and substantive components that are necessary for understanding current health policy issues. Students gain an awareness of the complexities of major issues, such as the uninsured, quality assessment and disparities in outcomes, their historical evolution, and the nature of how different interests and actors interact in shaping them. They also learn to apply commonly used frameworks for policy analysis to a range of current health policy issues and themes.
Risk Assessment, Critical Thinking and Health, HP725
The basics of risk assessment as an analytical tool and its application to aid decision making on health issues will be discussed. Examples will be drawn from uses of risk assessment by health and environment regulatory agencies, including the EPA, the FDA, the CDC, and others. Alternative techniques of risk assessment will be presented. Examples from the literature and popular press will be used to illustrate the application of critical thinking in the development of appropriate risk models.
Health Services and Policy, HP808
This course analyzes the economic and organizational foundations of health care, including issues related to the past, present and future of the health system and health care professions. The social and economic factors affecting health policy will be studied, as well as the role of health practitioners relative to health institutions, governmental agencies and patients.
