Hit the ground running

Fuqua’s curriculum covers all the bases when it comes to business. You’ll gain a core foundation in accounting, finance, economics, marketing, strategy, operations, management, and decision science. But you’ll also build professional capabilities, developing the analytical, critical thinking, communication, and leadership skills that will make you stand out in any role. In just 10 months, you’ll be ready to contribute value in whatever aspect of business most interests you.

Course highlights

Explore the 15 courses offered through the MMS program.

Fundamentals of Business Economics

Cover the fundamental ideas and tools of microeconomics through supply and demand analysis, consumer choices and market demand, and production and cost theory. Gain the tools for market structure analysis and apply them to monopoly and oligopoly markets and price discrimination.

Introduction to Financial Accounting

Develop your ability to read, understand, and interpret corporate financial reports. Become an informed user of financial statement information through learning the basics of bookkeeping, accounting terminology, and fundamental accounting concepts.

Foundations of Capital Markets

Explore the fundamental principles of asset valuation, investments, and investment management. In this course, you’ll cover diversification, risk, discounting, arbitrage and hedging, portfolio management, performance evaluation, and the interaction between capital markets and the macro-economy.

Principles of Cost and Managerial Accounting

Learn managers’ internal use of accounting information to plan, control, and evaluate operations and personnel of the firm. You’ll learn the design of cost management systems and their use in decision making and management control systems.

Foundations of Corporate Finance

Examine important issues in corporate finance from the perspective of managers. You’ll use the concepts of net present value, uncertainty, and strategic concerns to analyze how investment and financing decisions interact to affect the value of the firm.

Fundamentals of Financial Analysis

Building on your prior coursework in financial accounting, strategy, managerial accounting, investments, and corporate finance, you’ll focus on the financial analysis of a firm and its shares.

Quantitative Business Analysis

Gain an introduction to the analytical basis of decision making by building a foundation in probability theory, statistical inference, and regression analysis. First you’ll develop an understanding of probability and random variables, and then you’ll learn to use sample data and associations among variables for prediction and problem solving.

Spreadsheet Modeling and Decision Analysis

Develop your ability to make good decisions when responding to challenges and complex situations. You’ll use spreadsheet models in Microsoft Excel to explore, evaluate, and improve alternative scenarios in a systematic fashion.

Business Communication I

Whether you’re conveying the results of a project or leading an organization, communication is key. Here you’ll concentrate on presenting information clearly, strategically, and persuasively in a professional business setting. You’ll gain exposure to successful skills - oral, written, and presentation – in a broad array of media, including how to communicate effectively through spreadsheets and other analytical modeling tools. And because effective professional conduct is a core requirement in managing your career, you’ll focus on developing and executing an effective job search strategy.

Business Communication II

Building on concepts from Business Communication I, you’ll concentrate on building capabilities needed for success in a team-based work environment. This course focuses on developing your skills in presenting, structuring persuasive speeches, team dynamics, and interpersonal communication.

Introduction to Marketing Analysis

Learn how to create business value by applying the principles, processes, and tools to analyze markets. You’ll design optimal marketing programs through “the 3C's”—company, customers, and competition—and “the 4 P's”—pricing, promotion, place, and product.

Fundamentals of Market Research

Gather, analyze, and interpret data about markets and customers. Learn to define decision problems and determine what information is needed as you examine how to acquire trustworthy, high-quality data and analyze data relevant to classic marketing decisions.

Principles of Strategy

Identify business opportunities in dynamic competitive environments. You’ll analyze competition in this era of globalization and changing boundaries, and you’ll assess strategy under increasing uncertainty, gaining vital strategic analysis concepts, models, and tools.

Foundations of Management and Organizations

Learn to be an effective leader and manager, whatever your level in an organization. Examine practices that make teams more efficient and adaptable by harnessing diversity to enhance innovation. Learn to lead others as you study the theory and practice of negotiation.

Introduction to Operations and Supply Chain Management

Learn the basic facts and principles of supply chain processes and activities. You’ll gain an understanding of the cycle from the extraction of raw materials, through transportation and processing, to the delivery of finished products to the customer.

 

Teaching Methods

Your courses will include a mix of lecture, case studies, exercises, strategic games, corporate visits, and guest speakers. Professors use actual business problems to help you consider solutions, and you’ll also learn from real-world projects—like creating a marketing plan to launch a new Burt’s Bees toothpaste. Because so much of your learning happens through debate and analysis, you’re expected to be an active participant in class discussion. This approach challenges you to think practically, critically, and creatively, preparing you to tackle business problems from multiple perspectives.

Honor Code

Fuqua is serious about ethical leadership, and we create a climate of integrity. All members of our community are governed by Fuqua's Honor Code. By electing to join our community, in turn, you will be expected to abide by our standards of honesty and integrity.

We're STEM Designated!

Our MMS: FOB program:

  • Deepens your expertise in the tools, frameworks, and models that address managerial problems
  • Prepares you to conduct analysis

And NOW - the entire program (instead of the prior MSTeM track) carries the official STEM designation, giving international students whose jobs meet certain requirements 2 additional years to work in the United States

true

my advice

The Top 10 MMS Experiences

Top 10 Experiences in the MMS Program
From Fuqua Fridays to Duke athletic events, a student shares the quintessential experiences of being in the program.
read more from anagh
true

MMS Experience

Clubs 101

Student in the library
Professional clubs help you build up your network, gain leadership and teaming skills, and put into action what you’re learning in class—from investments to brand management. Leisure clubs help you have some fun with classmates and professors.
Explore MMS Clubs

Explore This Program


MMS: Foundations of Business

Admissions Information

Facts + Dates

Here's what you need to get started.

Read More about Admissions Facts + Dates

Application Instructions

Admissions Events

Learn about Fuqua in person or online.

Read More about Events

Class Profile

See a snapshot of our current class.

Read More about the Class Profile

Tuition + Costs

Determine your investment.

Read More about Tuition + Costs

Financing Your Degree

Learn how to fund the program.

Read More about Financing Your Degree