Course Description
Capstone®; course in which participants develop a major case study of business administration issues, programs and policies in a current organization. Draws from and utilizes concepts, theories and skills developed in previous courses. Prerequisite: Completion of all core courses in the MBA program or approval of advisor.
Course Learning Objectives Upon successful completion of this course, the student will be able to:
All graduate business students can obtain additional program information by logging into Blackboard with the user name = business and password = blackboard.
This syllabus is a guide and may be modified or revised as necessary during the term. Students will be informed, in writing, of any changes.
Textbook(s):
There is no text required for this course. However, students must register and pay for the Capsim®; at www.capsim.com . We may have multiple industries. Please wait for instruction before registering for a Sim id# .
About your Instructor:
Dr. Tony Muscia is Director of Graduate Business Studies and Director of Enrollment Management at Ottawa University . His background includes a unique blend of corporate, entrepreneurial, and educational experience.
Prior to joining Ottawa University , Dr. Muscia served as Chief Executive Officer of the Speakers Academy and he has owned and operated ten businesses. His corporate experience includes senior management positions in several multi-million dollar companies, and he also served as a marketing and management strategist for the Small Business Development Center .
Previously, Dr. Muscia served as Director of the Small Business Management Program and the Gaming Management Program at Scottsdale Community College . He has also served as Chair of Graduate Business Programs and Chair of the Marketing Department at Western International University . In 2000, he was selected as a Distinguished Educator in Who's Who Among America's Teachers.
Dr. Muscia has his Doctorate in Management, an MBA, a Master's Degree in Psychology, and a Bachelor's Degree in Journalism/Advertising.
Competency Assessment:
You will have several OPPORTUNITIES to demonstrate your knowledge and understanding of the principles taught in this course. The primary means of evaluating your work will be through PRACTICAL APPLICATION of the material. Please remember that instructors do not randomly assign grades. Students earn them and everyone has the same opportunity to earn a good grade!
In the event that you have difficulty completing any of the assignments for this course, please contact me immediately. My email address and telephone number are listed on this syllabus.
Description of course assignments:
CLICK ON THE ASSIGNMENTS TAB TO SEE DETAILED DESCRIPTIONS OF YOUR ASSIGNMENTS.
1) MBA & University Wide Learning Outcomes (15 Outcomes; 10 points each; 150 points total)
To graduate with an MBA from Ottawa University , you are required to demonstrate competency in 10 MBA Program and 5 University-Wide Outcome areas . Each outcome is listed in LiveText . You should have completed assignments in some of your coursework that demonstrate your competency in each of these areas.
2) Readings Applications (9 Assignments; 10 points each; 90 points total)
Write a brief summary of an article/book/essay, etc. that discusses and/or illustrates current theory or application related to each of the core courses in your program. Then, answer the following questions related to your reading:
POST THESE ASSIGNMENTS IN LIVETEXT.
3) Weekly Management Simulation Briefings (8 briefings; 20 points each; 160 points total)
Your assignment is to make simulated business decisions using a spreadsheet program downloaded from the Capsim ®; website. This assignment allows decision-making across major functional departments within a company under your control.
The program crunches all the numbers as you enter your decision variables and then provides you with proforma financial reports that are based around your sales forecast projections.
Details and instructions for this weekly assignment can be found under the CAPSIM ®; menu tab . You must post your decisions each week by the scheduled deadline . Results of the decisions for each week will be posted in the CAPSIM ®; menu -> CAPSIM Reports folder.
Starting in Round 1, you are required to submit a one-page Management Briefing that identifies your rationale for the decisions you made to begin the competition. What decisions did you make, and what results are you seeking based on your decisions?
Then, after you receive the results of your Round 1 decisions, AND AFTER THE COMPLETION OF EVERY OTHER ROUND IN THE COMPETITION, you will submit a Management Briefing that discusses the results from the previous round and then explains how you will adjust future decisions (IF YOU WERE TO CONTINUE IN YOUR ROLE) to improve your performance and competitive position. The simulation runs promptly at noon Arizona time on the given dates on your syllabus. Therefore, your management briefings must be posted before noon Arizona time on those same dates (in Blackboard); otherwise, it is considered late.
You will post these briefings in the corresponding Assignment weeks in Blackboard.
4) Final Shareholder Debrief " 50 points
It's time to face the Board of Directors as President of your company to explain the results of your tenure at the helm. Where are you and what have you learned that leads us to believe that you should continue in this position of responsibility? In AT LEAST TWO PAGES , discuss your strengths and weaknesses based on the success indicators and tell us¦
5) Oral Presentation - 50 points
In a 5-10minute presentation, you should cover the highlights and lowlights of your tenure as CEO. Visual aids will enhance your presentation.
6) Star Summary & Analyst Report " 100 points each (200 points total)
At the end of 8 Rounds, you will receive points for your overall performance. See the rubric below for grading criteria.
Analyst Report
100 Pts |
95 Pts |
90 Pts |
85 Pts |
80 Pts |
75 Pts |
70 Pts |
65 Pts |
|
Cumulative Points (After 8 Rounds) |
8000-6000 |
5999-5600 |
5599-4800 |
4799-4400 |
4399-4000 |
3999-3600 |
3599-3200 |
Less than 3199 |
Star Summary
100 Pts |
95 Pts |
90 Pts |
85 Pts |
80 Pts |
75 Pts |
70 Pts |
65 Pts |
|
Cumulative Stars (After 8 Rounds) |
40-32 |
31-28 |
27-24 |
23-20 |
19-18 |
17-16 |
15-14 |
13 or less |
6) Surveys
Complete the Course Evaluation, Exit, and Program Surveys in LiveText. Click on the corresponding Form to complete the evaluation. These responses are recorded anonymously.
¢ Capstone®; Simulation Support
toll free number (877) 477-8787 Extension 228, Monday to Friday, 8:00 AM to 6:00 PM Central time, as well
via Email
This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
-- or use support center located on student website.
Assignment Summary
MBA & U-wide Outcomes |
150 points |
Reading Applications |
90 points |
Weekly Management Simulation Briefings from Capsim ®; |
160 points |
Final Shareholder Debrief |
50 points |
Oral Presentation |
50 points |
Star Summary |
100 points |
Analyst Report |
100 points |
TOTAL |
700 Points |
Grading Scale
90 to 100% = A |
80 to 89% = B |
70 to 79% = C |
60 to 69% = D |
< 60 = F |
Course Schedule
Due Dates by 12pm Arizona Time |
Assignments |
Sat. March 31 |
No assignments due: Face-to-Face class session. Register for Simulation & Read Tutorials; |
Wed. April 11 |
Rehearsal Round Due: No Debrief Required; Complete LiveText Portfolio for BUS 7000 & BUS 7100 |
Wed. April 18 |
Practice Round Due: No Debrief Required; Complete LiveText Portfolio for BUS 7200 & BUS 7450 |
Wed. April 25 |
Round 1 Decisions Due: Submit Debrief; Complete LiveText Portfolio for BUS 7500 & BUS 7600 |
Wed. May 2 |
Round 2 Decisions Due: Submit Debrief; Complete LiveText Portfolio for BUS 7700 & BUS 7800 |
Wed. May 9 |
Round 3 Decisions Due: Submit Debrief; Complete LiveText Portfolio for BUS 7900 |
Wed. May 16 |
Round 4 Decisions Due: Submit Debrief; Complete LiveText Portfolio for BUS 8500 COURSE PORTION ONLY |
Wed. May 23 |
Round 5 Decisions Due: Submit Debrief; Complete LiveText Portfolio for BUS 8500 University Wide Outcomes 1-3 |
Wed. May 30 |
Round 6 Decisions Due: Submit Debrief; Complete LiveText Portfolio for BUS 8500 University Wide Outcomes 4 & 5 |
Wed. June 6 |
Round 7 Decisions Due: Submit Debrief |
Wed. June 13 |
Round 8 Decisions Due (final round): Submit Debrief |
Saturday, June 23 from 12-2pm in Phoenix (or by phone conference--June 18 @ 10am or June 20 @ 3pm) |
Oral presentation & Final Shareholder Debrief Due |
Class Policies
Late Assignments:
I accept late assignments for up to two days after the due date. You will lose 10% for each day the assignment is late.
Attendance Policy
You are expected to attend all scheduled classes and to participate actively in discussing the assigned material.
Final Materials :
To comply with the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), Instructors are prohibited from leaving graded papers or projects at the front desk of any site. If the student wants the graded paper or project returned (other than in a class session), the student must provide a stamped and self-addressed envelope of the appropriate size and postage to the instructor for return to the student after grading.
Editorial Format for all Written Assignments
All written work must conform to standard APA format. Work should be double-spaced; using 12 point font in Times New Roman, Courier, Arial, or similar font (no -exotic- or script fonts). S tudents can access APA format information from the OU Blackboard.
Academic Integrity
Plagiarism and cheating will not be tolerated at any level-on any assignment. The reality of cyberspace has made academic dishonesty even more tempting for some, but be advised that technology can and will be used to help uncover those engaging in deception. If you ever have a question about the legitimacy of a source or a procedure you are considering using, ask you instructor. As the University Academic Council approved on May 29, 2003, -The penalty for plagiarism or any other form of academic dishonesty will be failure in the course in which the academic dishonesty occurred. Students who commit academic dishonesty can be dismissed from the university by the provost/director.- Consult your student handbook for information concerning all university regulations.