Become a Visionary Problem-Solver
Become a Visionary Problem-Solver
An Online MBA Curriculum That Builds Leadership
The William & Mary Online MBA curriculum totals 49 credits and is designed for working professionals who need to balance career demands with academic growth. Our “wicked problem” framework threads throughout the program, allowing you to apply new concepts immediately to workplace challenges.
With the core MBA curriculum and specialization courses, you’ll gain business mastery while developing expertise in your chosen field. Credits earned in most specializations can be applied to several of our specialized business master’s degrees, meaning you could earn a future degree on an accelerated timeline and at a lower cost.
Core Courses (36 credits)
BUAD 5017: Renaissance Leader (4 credits)
This course provides a framework for students to understand their leadership identity and the tools and processes to further develop leadership and critical thinking skills using the Design Thinking model. Students will identify and develop a plan to address their individual "Wicked Problem" as they progress through the MBA curriculum.
BUAD 5947: Global Managerial Economics (4 credits)
This course explores the essential macro- and micro-economic theories and evidence about how markets work and the factors that hinder their execution in an applied, global framework. As part of the course, students will assess the effects of other countries’ differing monetary and fiscal policies in relation to the competitive conditions in various industries. They will also apply demand and cost analysis and industrial structure to frame and answer the questions of optimal pricing, resource allocation, global outsourcing, and competitive strategies.
BUAD 5607: Operations (4 credits)
To achieve a competitive advantage, managers must understand how to design and control products and services, as well as the systems for their delivery. To reach that understanding, this course focuses on issues of planning and control of complex products and services, as well as managing quality and continuous improvement and control of the supply chain.
BUAD 5227: Integrated Technology (4 credits)
This course is designed to introduce students to basic information technology and digital fluency. Emphasis will be placed on understanding how managers can participate in opportunities to select and successfully implement information technologies in order to promote business strategy. Interactive analytic tools will be used to solve business problems involving various functional areas.
BUAD 5507: Organizational Behavior (4 credits)
Organizational behavior is a field of study that seeks to understand, explain, and improve human behavior. The structure of this course is designed to explore how Renaissance Managers can improve two aspects of human behavior. The first is job performance, or the degree to which employees can perform the behaviors necessary to help the organization reach its goals. The second is organizational commitment, which is the extent of an employee’s loyalty to the present organization rather than seeking employment elsewhere. This course will guide students through a model that seeks to explain both areas of organizational behavior.
BUAD 5707: Business Analytics (4 credits)
The primary aim of this course is to supply the student with the analytical tools that are needed for success in business. The course covers various tools that are necessary to analyze and understand the implications of collected data, including statistical tools (hypothesis testing, correlation and covariance analysis, probability distributions, simple and multiple regression, forecasting), statistical decision-making, simulation, constrained optimization and sensitivity emphasized throughout the course.
BUAD 5107: Accounting for Decision-Making and Financial Analysis (4 credits)
This course introduces students to the roles that accounting systems play in various organizations and global markets. Accounting is frequently referred to as “the language of business,” emphasizing its prominent position in both business communications and decision-making. The reports derived from accounting systems are often the primary way that information within organizations—as well as from organizations to various stakeholders—is communicated. Such information provides essential input and serves as a fundamental basis for managerial and stakeholder decisions. At the conclusion of this course, students should understand the primary elements of this language so that they are able to communicate more effectively about important business matters.
BUAD 5127: Principles of Finance (4 credits)
Finance focuses on how people and businesses evaluate investment opportunities and raise capital to fund them. This course will provide you with an understanding of the financial principles that guide decision-making and equip you with the basic tools necessary for analyzing and interpreting financial data. The goal is to learn how to price securities in modern financial markets and to develop insights into the methods by which financial managers can create value for their shareholders.
BUAD 5407: Marketing (4 credits)
This course will focus on developing the integrated marketing programs that address customer needs, competitive activity, channel and supplier behavior, macro environmental factors, and market evolution. Strong emphasis is placed on assessing the market and developing a responsive marketing mix that includes product policy, pricing, channels of distribution, integrated marketing communications and support structure.
Residency Requirement (1 credit)
Students choose one of the two options to fulfill the Residency requirement.
BUAD 5007: Residency (1 credit)
The residency is designed:
- To help students better understand and assimilate into the culture of William & Mary and the Mason School of Business
- To teach content that is best learned in a face-to-face environment (e.g., experiential exercises)
- To allow students to make connections with faculty and each other along with an opportunity to create relationships that will endure beyond the end of the program
BUAD 6817: Online Global Immersion (1 credit)
The objectives of this course are: 1) to introduce students to the interactive concepts of marketing and culture, 2) to enable students to understand the cultural issues at the corporate, national and transnational levels, 3) to provide insights on effective marketing and management decision making in unfamiliar or cross-cultural settings, particularly with respect to various international contexts, and 4) most importantly to give students unique experiences with cultural immersion.
Capstone Course (4 credits)
BUAD 5967: Revolutionary Strategic Leader Capstone (4 credits)
Why are some organizations more successful than others? This is the most fundamental question of organizational strategy. This capstone course analyzes the sources of competitive success for organizations by breaking down organizational strategic management as a decision-making process that has four basic steps: analysis, strategy formulation, strategy implementation and strategy evaluation.
Specialization Courses (8 credits)
Students will take 8 credits in their chosen specialization to create the exact foundation needed to build individual skills. Students who do not select a specialization will take 8 credits of electives.
Accounting Specializations
Choose from Accounting or Tax Planning and Strategy.
Accounting
BUAD 6019: Nonprofit & Government Financial Management (2 credits)
To create meaningful societal impact, nonprofits and governments must fund essential services, maintain accountability, and ensure long-term financial sustainability. After providing an overview of the nonprofit and public sectors, this course examines how reporting and disclosure tools support decision-making and foster trust. It also explores how financial management practices contribute to financial health and organizational performance. Topics include IRS Form 990, CAFRs, tax-exempt financing, endowment management, fundraising strategies, governance practices, budgeting and sector-specific considerations.
BUAD 6009: Business Law (2 credits)
Legal considerations influence many aspects of business decision-making. Understanding business law helps accountants, managers, entrepreneurs, and board members manage risk, ensure compliance and develop informed strategies. Following an introduction of the American U.S. legal system, this course will expose students to contract law, commercial law, negotiable instruments, secured transactions and creditors’ rights. Additional topics covered include bankruptcy, agency law, and business organizations, including sole proprietorships, partnerships, LLC and corporations.
BUAD 5749: Driving Organizational Performance (4 credits)
Accountants and analysts assist management in the formulation and implementation of operational and strategic decision-making. Focusing on contemporary and conceptually advanced tools, this course improves students’ ability to prepare, analyze, interpret, measure, and communicate financial and non-financial information so they can make appropriate recommendations to support management decision-making that improves organizational performance.
Tax Planning & Strategy
BUAD 509C: Individual Income Tax (2 credits)
Many people find the tax system to be overwhelming, but there is a method to its madness. This course explores the U.S. individual income tax framework, including the motivations behind many of its complexities. Students also learn how taxes relate to many of our major life decisions and discuss basic tax planning considerations.
BUAD 6009: Business Law (2 credits)
Legal considerations influence many aspects of business decision-making. Understanding business law helps accountants, managers, entrepreneurs, and board members manage risk, ensure compliance and develop informed strategies. Following an introduction of the American U.S. legal system, this course will expose students to contract law, commercial law, negotiable instruments, secured transactions and creditors’ rights. Additional topics covered include bankruptcy, agency law, and business organizations, including sole proprietorships, partnerships, LLC and corporations.
BUAD 5759: Advanced Federal Taxation (4 credits)
This course provides tax and accounting professionals the ability to recognize tax factors that influence business decisions and the ability to integrate them into the business decision-making process.
Business Analytics Specialization
Artificial Intelligence for Business Leaders
BUAD 6012: Artificial Intelligence for Business Leaders (4 credits)
This course is a comprehensive, strategic-focused course designed to equip students with the knowledge and tools to integrate artificial intelligence into organizational decision-making. Participants will explore foundational AI concepts—agentic AI, machine learning, deep learning and data analytics—and gain a clear understanding of how to identify high-impact AI opportunities across diverse business functions. Through case studies, ethical frameworks and hands-on activities, the course will introduce the opportunities and challenges of AI adoption and align AI initiatives with organizational goals. The course will cover responsible deployment, risk management, and leadership strategies for fostering an AI-ready culture. Students will emerge with a practical AI roadmap and the ability to drive innovation, efficiency and competitive advantage in their organizations.
BUAD 6002: Data-Driven Organizations in Dynamic Business Environments
This course provides business leaders and professionals with the knowledge and frameworks to build and lead data-driven organizations. While covering key technical concepts, the focus is on how to align data initiatives with business goals, develop a data-centric culture, and leverage analytics for effective decision-making. The course will utilize case studies, frameworks and practical tools to help students understand how organizations can successfully integrate data into their operations and strategy. Students will be equipped to make informed decisions about data initiatives, collaborate effectively with technical teams, and drive data-led transformations.
Finance Specializations
Choose from Corporate Finance, Investment Management or Real Estate Finance.
Corporate Finance
BUAD 5317: Corporate Valuation & Credit Analysis (4 credits)
This course will familiarize students with the tools and techniques for valuing corporate investment projects and assets in a wide range of settings. It offers hands-on experience in building and interpreting valuation models in Excel as commonly used by corporate financial managers, investment managers and investment bankers.
BUAD 5417: Advanced Corporate Finance (4 credits)
The objective of this course is to study the major decision-making areas of managerial finance. The course reviews the theory and empirical evidence related to investment and financing policies of the firm and to develop decision-making ability in these areas.
Building on previous courses, this course incorporates richer institutional details and deepens understanding of how firms interact with the financial markets. Topics to be included are: financing investments with capital market imperfections, corporate control, governance and risk management.
Building on previous courses, this course incorporates richer institutional details and deepens understanding of how firms interact with the financial markets. Topics to be included are: financing investments with capital market imperfections, corporate control, governance and risk management.
Investment Management
BUAD 5527: Investments (4 credits)
The course introduces the theory and practice of portfolio management and investments in various asset classes. Emphasis is placed on wealth/asset management and hands-on development and use of financial software tools. Topics include financial markets and intermediaries, measuring risk and return, asset allocation, portfolio optimization and wealth management. Students will emerge from this course with a thorough understanding of modern techniques in asset management and the ability to apply these techniques in practice.
BUAD 5617: Applied Investment Management (4 credits)
This course introduces students to the economic principles and practical skills that are essential to managing investment portfolios. Students will explore equity, fixed-income and derivatives strategies and their applications in achieving investment goals and managing investment risks. Students will also learn up-to-date knowledge on financial markets and the asset management industry.
Real Estate Finance
BUAD 6207: Real Estate Finance (4 credits)
The value of real estate is roughly the same as that of the stock market, yet business decision-makers often overlook its importance. For example, real estate requires a fundamental choice for every firm and individual: the decision to rent vs. own commercial/residential real estate. The real estate market collapse in 2008, which led to a global financial crisis, has changed the way we think about commercial and residential real estate. It is of great import to manage the financial risk of real estate as its very nature is to have tremendous financial leverage. This class will cover a wide range of real estate topics from understanding the home buying process to programming complex mortgages.
BUAD 6307: Real Estate Investments (4 credits)
Real estate has become an established asset class in which private individuals and institutions, pensions, life companies and foreign investors have increasingly invested. This is due largely to real estate’s large investable universe, high yield, low volatility and diversification characteristics, resulting in potentially enhanced diversified portfolio risk-adjusted returns. Broadly speaking, real estate’s investable universe can be categorized into four quadrants, based on whether the investment is public or private, and whether the investment is equity or debt. While each quadrant has distinct investment characteristics, the underlying property and its ability to generate rental income ultimately drives investment performance. As such, an understanding of real estate property types, markets, underlying assets and tenancy, along with the respective space and capital markets in which an asset operates, is necessary when analyzing an investment opportunity. Additionally, an understanding of the various real estate investment vehicles, strategies and structures is important, especially when considering a real estate investment in the context of a multi-asset portfolio. In this course, students will explore each of these and several related topics that will improve their understanding of the real estate asset class, and if desired, prepare them for exciting careers in the real estate industry.
Marketing Specializations
Choose from Marketing Analytics, Marketing Innovation or Modern Integrated Marketing Communications (IMC).
Marketing Analytics
BUAD 5217: Analytics for Evaluation & Situation Analysis (4 credits)
This course focuses on qualitative and quantitative analytics techniques designed to assess the current state of any marketing situation-how consumers are responding to current efforts, how their responses fit with expectations, and gauging the effect on purchase, repeat purchase and recommendation.
BUAD 5247: Analytics for Planning & Optimization (4 credits)
This course focuses on the use of research to plan and optimize future marketing efforts. Consumers expect personalization in exchange for loyalty(ish). Customer analytics allows marketers to use customer behavior data to identify insights and help make key business decisions. Market segmentation is used along with predictive analytics to drive tactics such as product/service innovation, promotional activities such as direct marketing, distribution decisions like site selection, pricing tactics, and customer relationship management.
Marketing Innovation
BUAD 5257: Product Management & New Product Development (4 credits)
This course is focused on an ability to innovate through several interrelated capabilities: a) the ability to identify unique insights into customers’ needs and motivations, b) the ability to identify and define the best opportunities for innovation given these insights, c) the ability to generate creative product and service solution concepts to exploit these opportunities, and d) the ability to continually learn from customer feedback and to iterate towards products and services that capture a disproportionate market share and/or that create new markets. Course activities will promote the development of each student’s innovation skills and mindset (e.g., design thinking), as well as equip each student to participate on and to lead cross-functional innovation projects.
BUAD 5267: Market-Driven Strategy & Management (4 credits)
This course is focused on innovation tools and techniques appropriate to corporate strategy along with innovation management. Success factors in innovation management include: innovation strategy, innovation process, resources and organization, and innovation culture. Visual design, innovation techniques, and cutting-edge tools are added to the traditional strategic toolbox to bring new insights into innovation management, including business model canvas, value proposition canvas, strategy canvas, service blueprinting, corporate identity, branding, and other visual marketing strategy tools.
Modern Integrated Marketing Communications (IMC)
BUAD 5277: Integrated Campaign Management (4 credits)
Integrated campaign management entails the orchestration of paid, earned and owned media vehicles to create a marketing experience that increases consumer engagement, strengthens brand differentiation and demand, and moves consumers through the purchase funnel toward repeat purchase and brand advocacy. This course will approach integrated marketing communications through an experience planning lens: teaching students to create integrated communications experiences that make strategic use of communications vehicles to drive brand and business growth.
BUAD 5287: Digital Content Management (4 credits)
This course explores the evolving world of digital content management and its role in integrated marketing campaigns. Students will examine how digital media tools and techniques can be leveraged to advance products and services as well as their personal brands. Upon completion of this course, students will have a working knowledge of the current digital marketing ecosystem, content marketing tactics and ethical practices.
More Than a Degree.
This Is Your Launchpad.
A William & Mary education is not just a degree but a unique connection to a tight-knit community of students, alumni, bold educators and driven, principled, connected leaders. Build your brand with a university known for breaking barriers, championing integrity and channeling academic grit since its inception.
The Raymond A. Mason School of Business imparts essential business knowledge and builds the dynamic mindset necessary to lead in today’s challenging and rapidly changing business environment. As an online graduate business student, you will:
✓ Graduate with the perspective to envision and enact positive
change
✓ Access mentorship and experiential learning opportunities
✓ Receive personalized career support
✓ Build a lasting network to bolster your career for years to
come
Download Program Brochure
This will only take a moment.