Starting a Franchise, Healthcare Management, and More – Los Angeles News
Let’s explore some of the most interesting stories that have come out of Los Angeles business schools this week.
So You Want to Start a Fitness Franchise? – Forbes
Katya Strombland, Los Angeles-based entrepreneur and MBA graduate of USC’s Marshall School of Business, was featured this week in an interview with Forbes. Strombland, who spent ten years working for Avery Office Products after earning her MBA, eventually found a way to combine her passion and profession—opening two Club Pilates franchises in the Los Angeles area.
The Forbes Q+A discusses how Strombland got involved with fitness franchising, and the process of investing, opening and ultimately profiting from the process. She also discusses both the rewards and challenges of franchising, as well as offering advice for those looking to get their foot in the door: “If you have the opportunity to work or volunteer at another franchisee’s location to learn the ropes from within, do it. It’s invaluable experience.”
Read more about Strombland and the process of franchising here.
Healthcare Management Students Extend Cal State LA’s Winning Streak – CBE Newsroom
A team of healthcare management students at the College of Business and Economics California State University, Los Angeles, recently placed among the top three winners at the Western Regional Healthcare Executives College Bowl Case Study Competition. The students faced off against eleven teams from graduate schools across five states to take the honor, working for more than 60 hours in three weeks to prepare.
Several of the participating students are already industry professionals, but nonetheless agreed that the competition will help shape their careers going forward. The challenge, which takes place over two rounds, requires students to develop solutions for a problem currently faced by a regional healthcare facility. Judges at the competition include all practicing C-suit executives from the healthcare management industry.
Find out more about the annual challenge and the healthcare management program at CalState LA here.
LMU Business Incubator Showcase to Spotlight Start-Up Companies – LMU Newsroom
The Loyola Marymount University College of Business Administration recently hosted its annual Business Incubator Showcase. Sponsored by the Fred Kiesner Center for Entrepreneurship, the event allows Loyola students and recent graduates to share their best business ideas with the community, while the incubator provides the necessary workspace and guidance to turn their ideas into reality.
A wide variety of business ideas were featured at the Business Incubator Showcase at the end of April, including Recupera, a meal service company for those with medical considerations, Influencer Line, which designs and markets products for influencers, and Bristl, a toothbrush that uses light therapy and sonic vibrations to boost oral healthcare.
“I am so proud of the men and women who, with the incubator’s help, have built innovative and promising businesses that are positioned for success in the marketplace,” commented Kiesner Center director David Choi.
You can read more about the business incubator here.
Los Angeles MBA Programs that Specialize in Supply Chain Management
As businesses grow and develop, it’s up to supply chain managers, or SCMs, to effectively ensure that all goods and services are delivered in a quick, optimized manner.
SCMs are the logistical overlords of any major operation—they oversee how all the parts of their product, including raw materials, information, and finance, move from supplier, to manufacturer, to wholesaler, to retailer, and finally to the consumer.
As more and more MBA students and graduates find employment as SCMs, more business school have added courses and concentrations in supply chain management, including some top business schools in the Los Angeles metro.
If you’re a prospective MBA in the City of Angeles, take this deeper dive into these LA metro MBA programs.
The Best Los Angeles Supply Chain Management MBA Programs
Anderson School of Management – UCLA
While the UCLA Anderson School of Management doesn’t offer a concentration or major in supply chain management, related coursework is recommended for MBAs on the consulting specialization, including 240F – Supply Chain Management. The course is taught by Chris Tang, UCLA Distinguished Professor and Edward W. Carter Chair in Business Administration. Tang is a foremost scholar on supply chain management, having published more than 100 articles and five books.
The course explains how supply chains work and how to deal with many of their strategic and tactical challenges. Topics covered in the class include:
- Issues and opportunities brought by the Internet and the rise of e-business
- Instabilities caused by inadequate information-sharing
- Outsourcing
- Strategic alliances
Graziadio School of Business and Management – Pepperdine University
The Graziadio School of Business and Management offers not only one, but two specialized MBA programs that offer supply chain coursework: the Digital Innovation & Information Systems MBA and the Full-Time Applied Analytics MBA.
The Digital Innovation & Information Systems MBA is available to 15 and 20-Month MBA students and focuses on bridging the gap between business and technology. All electives in this program are offered in a blended learning format with one elective course scheduled per 7-week period and requires two Saturdays of on-campus class sessions at the West Los Angeles Graduate Campus, with the remaining coursework offered online. Related coursework includes DESC 634 – Supply Chain Management.
The Full-Time Applied Analytics MBA is an immersive program that prepares students through a core curriculum is built around Decision Sciences and Information Systems and Technology Management, with Global Business and elective course requirements to round out your education, such as DESC 627 – Supply Chain Management Analytics. The class places a strong emphasis on the development and use of analytics-based models to illustrate the underlying concepts involved in both intra-and inter-firm logistics operations.
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Loyola Marymount University – College of Business Administration
The Loyola Marymount University College of Business Administration offers a Purchasing and Supply Chain Management Online Training Program. While not an MBA program or part of a graduate degree program, this online certificate program teaches fundamental aspects of the supply chain environment, including enterprise resource planning systems, requirement systems, interrelationships between purchasing, vendor selection, sources of supply, and more. This program is a good choice for those looking for project management experience.
Marshall School of Business – USC
Similarly to Marymount, the USC Marshall School of Business offers a graduate certificate program in Optimization and Supply Chain Management. Offered in partnership with the Viterbi School of Engineering, the program focuses on areas such as product introduction, strategic procurement, outsourcing, logistics and distribution, information technology and its role in managing global supply chains, and supply chain optimization. Units earned in the process of completing the certificate can usually be applied to an MBA degree and successful completion of the graduate certificate is documented on the graduate’s USC transcript and acknowledged with a certificate (diploma) issued by the University of Southern California.
Peter F. Drucker and Masatoshi Ito Graduate School of Management – Claremont Graduate University
The Peter F. Drucker and Masatoshi Ito Graduate School of Management offers supply chain management as an area of concentration for their MBA program. Students on this track explore concepts of supply chain management while learning to leverage technologies like big data, analytics, optimization, and geospatial systems.
Drucker is also home to the Center for Supply Chain & Logistics. After launching in 2015, the Center has partnered with business, government, trade, and policy leaders to enhance the performance of supply chains globally and the economic performance of the region. Partnership with companies like Toyota have created wonderful opportunities for students, such as the Toyota Women of Achievement Scholars program, which aims to create the future of supply chain by empowering women to take the lead in this vital field. The fellowship provides female scholars with a top notch education and formal mentor programs with other women leaders and career guidance to make the most of their degrees.
The Best Information Technology MBA Programs in Los Angeles
As the line between business and information technology industries continues to blur, more and more tech professionals are looking to business schools and MBA programs to help give them a leg up on the competition. An MBA with a focus on information technology (IT) is a great path to landing any number of tech-related jobs, especially in the Los Angeles metro. Here’s a rundown of what the city has to offer:
Anderson School of Management – UCLA
Founded as the College of Business Administration in 1935, the UCLA Anderson School of Management initially taught vocational business skills to people who would be teaching others. The program was renamed the John E. Anderson Graduate School of Management at UCLA in 1987 in honor of Anderson’s $15 million gift to the program. Today, the school offers a full-time, two year MBA program, as well as a part-time, Executive and two Global Executive MBA programs.
The UCLA Anderson Easton Technology Management Center prepares business students to drive change in technology through coursework, workshops and events covering tech in the business world. MBA students enrolled at Anderson are also able to specialize their degree through the Center with the Easton Technology Leadership concentration. Sample Courses include:
- Innovation in Media & Entertainment Technology
- Intellectual Property
- New Product Development
- Payment Technology
- Technology Management
Argyros School of Business – Chapman University
The Argyros School of Business at Chapman University gives students the opportunity to pursue a track during the MBA program, including Information Systems in Digital Times. While the track will not be recorded on the transcript or diploma, the coursework will come in handy while pursuing a career in technology and can be referenced on a resume. Students on the Information Systems in Digital Times track can choose from the following elective classes:
- Marketing Research
- Information Technology for Sustainable Competitive Advantage
- Statistical Models for Analytics
- Data Mining
- Marketing Analytics
California State University, Long Beach
California State Long Beach began offering business classes in 1949 with only 24 business students and four faculty members. Today, the College of Business Administration is located in state-of-the-art building, complete with decision support laboratories, classrooms with the latest in technology, multimedia capability and modern lecture halls. The Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business International accredited school is also offers a Daytime Accelerated MBA program.
Long Beach offers an MBA Emphasis in Information Systems through the school’s IS department. Students on this track must take the IS core classes of Quantitative Methods for Managerial Decision Making and Management of Information Systems before selected three of the following electives:
- Internet Applications Development
- Business Telecommunications Management
- Network Modeling and Simulation
- Database Management Systems
- Electronic Commerce
Graziadio School of Business and Management – Pepperdine University
The Graziadio School of Business and Management offers a Digital Innovation & Information Systems MBA to its 15 and 20-Month MBA Students. According to the school, this program focuses on bridging the gap between business and technology and helps students gain an advanced and in-demand understanding of technology innovation. This degree prepares students for careers in the following fields:
- Systems or Technology Analyst
- Infrastructure Manager
- IT Director, CIO
- Business Intelligence Analyst/Manager
- Process Analyst/Manager
- IT Program/Project Manager
- Business-IT Relationship Management
- Digital Business Consultant
- Operations Management, COO
- Technology Product Management
Loyola Marymount University
Founded in 1911, Loyola Marymount University (LMU) is a premier Catholic university rooted in the Jesuit and Marymount traditions. LMU’s College of Business Administration (CBA) was established in 1926. Today, the college offers several undergraduate degree offerings and graduate degree offerings, including an MS in Accounting, MBA and Executive MBA.
Marymount offers various areas of emphasis for their MBA degree, including Information Technology. Six different IT courses are offered, such as Risk Analysis and Financial Modeling, which introduces advanced quantitative model building skills for financial risk analysis. Another high-level IT class offered for Marymount MBAs is Information Technology Security. The school describes the course as follows:
“After 9/11 and the fall of Enron—the 7th largest corporation in America—information technology security has become one of the fastest growing areas in the business world. The need to know how to protect corporate information from attacks both from terrorists and business insiders are enormous. The main objective of this course is to provide students an exposure to the complex information security management issues in the US today. This course offers business professionals a unique blend of technical knowledge and managerial training to investigate digital threats, study corporate security needs, modeling potential risk, and explore possible strategies that management can adapt to protect valuable corporate assets.”
Mihaylo College of Business – California State University, Fullerton
The Mihaylo College of Business and Economics was founded in 1963. The college is named for Steven G. Mihaylo, a 1969 Cal State Fullerton graduate-turned-businessman who made significant contributions to the university. The school has offered MBA degrees since its inception, and today offers MBA, MA and MS programs, including online programs and programs for working professionals.
The Information Systems And Decision Sciences Department at Mihaylo offers concentrations in Information Systems to MBA students. Coursework includes:
- Integrated Enterprise Information Systems
- Information Privacy and Security
- Systems Analysis, Design and Development
Peter F. Drucker and Masatoshi Ito Graduate School of Management – Claremont Graduate University
The Peter F. Drucker & Masatoshi Ito Graduate School of Management was founded in 1971 and in 1987 was named in honor of Peter Drucker, a pioneer in management theory who helped create one of the first EMBA programs in the United States. In addition to the traditional full-time MBA, the Drucker School of Management offers a part-time and an Executive MBA.
Drucker offers a dual MS in Information Systems & Technology/MBA degree that teaches foundations in technology and management. The special degree is presented in partnership with the Center for Information Systems & Technology (CISAT) and features a curriculum that teaches best practices in both IS&T and management. Students earn two degrees simultaneously and consists of 19 courses.
The Paul Merage School of Business – University of California, Irvine
Located about halfway between Los Angeles and San Diego, the UC Irvine campus is just ten minutes away from the coastal communities of Huntington Beach, Newport Beach and Laguna Beach. The UC Irvine Paul Merage School of Business offers a full-time, two year MBA program, as well as a part-time, Executive and Healthcare Executive MBA programs.
The Merage School offers some Information Systems coursework for MBA students. All MBAs must take the core Information Technology class. These electives include:
- Critical IT Decisions for Business Executives
- Business Intelligence for Analytical Decisions
- Digital Strategies and Markets
- Special Topics in Information Systems
Loyola Marymount Professor George Hess Retires at 82
After 42 years, former Loyola Marymount University’s College of Business Administration Management Professor and Associate Dean George Hess has announced the end of his lengthy career. Continue reading…
LMU MBA Students Nab Second Place in Business Ethics Competition
A team of MBA students from Loyola Marymount University won second place honors at the International Business Ethics Case Competition (IBECC). The competition was held from April 19-21 at the JW Marriott Santa Monica Le Merigot. Thirty-five teams from five countries had the opportunity to present with the LMU students coming out near the top.
Your Guide To The LA Executive MBA Programs
Are you working professional in the Los Angeles metro who want to really start to climb the corporate ladder? Do you have significant managerial experience, but want to really take the next step and assume a leading roles in your organizations. Then an Executive MBA (EMBA) may be what you’re looking for. EMBA classes are typically offered every other or every third weekend, ensuring that those enrolled in these programs don’t miss much, if any, work. Continue reading…
