COURSES DESCRIPTION 

CORE COURSE 22 MODULES (26 CREDITS): 

1. MBAF 601 Business Simulation (1 Credit) 

This course aims to build teamwork through playing games simulating actual business practices. The business game course involves decision-making in all the functional areas of a business enterprise. 

2. MBAF 602 Design thinking and business models (1 Credit) 

Design focuses on identification of unmet demands on one side, while business models deal with the way to answer that demand in a viable way. Design thinking is a process of innovation that encompasses concept development, applied creativity, prototyping, and experimentation. Innovation will be studied through the three key dimensions of desirability, feasibility, and viability. A viable business model is a framework for how a company will create value. Business models are studied through the canvass, the building blocks of problem-solving method consisting of customer segments analysis, value propositions, channels of distribution, customer relationships, revenue streams, identification of key resources, activities, partnerships and cost structure. 

3. MBAF 603 Managing People (1 Credit) 

The course aims to understand in general the conceptual foundations and practice of human resource management and more specifically how to manage talent in today’s competitive global landscape. Thus, the course will provide insights on the ways in which people strategies and talent management initiatives and programs contribute to the competitive advantage of organizations. Participants will be equipped with essential HR tools and techniques that are required to achieve high performance in the organization. It will also dwell on the regulatory frameworks and dynamics of workforce activities, thereby making participants aware of the challenges and opportunities faced by individuals and organizations in implementing HRM systems in organizations. 

4. MBAF 604 & MBAF 605 Financial Accounting (2 Credits) 

The primary learning outcome of this course is to provide participants with the tools of financial accounting, a knowledge of which is essential for a firm to achieve its goals. The tools of financial accounting provide “useful” information about amounts of resources used, means of financing them and the results achieved using them. However, measuring this information is not enough. It also has to be communicated to the various stakeholders of the organization such as shareholders, employees (managers and executives), customers, suppliers’ financial institutions and statutory agencies such as investors, analysts, and consultants. 

5. MBAF 606 Finance (1 Credit) 

The primary objective of the finance course is to provide participants with the tools of financial management through learning about the financial universe, including its vocabulary, basic theory and models, the institutions that play a part in the financial world, problems and solutions. They will also learn the role of financial markets in an economy from perspective of firms. Thus, the main objective of the course is to develop an understanding of the features of these markets and discover the basic analytical tools and concepts useful in mapping and evaluating various financial instruments. 

6. MBAF 607 Scenario-planning and risk management (1 Credit) 

Companies evolve in a VUCA environment (volatility, uncertainty, complexity, ambiguity). This is an environment they cannot control. They cannot predict with certainty what will happen, but they must come up with a multitude of scenarios in order to survive. Participants will study the Shell scenario planning because it is most used and the most trusted method dealing with the unknown. Risk is part and parcel of scenario planning because companies want to reduce it as much as possible. For that, participants will work on identification, assessment, and management of the risks. Even if risk management is mainly applied in finance, participants will also be exposed to risks in design, production and delivery of products.   

7.  MBAF 608 Managerial Economics (1 Credit) 

Managerial economics or microeconomics is essential to understand the basics of how management principles work. The main learning outcome of this course is to provide the basic tools, concepts and insights to understand the anatomy, behavior, and functioning of all microeconomic units from the viewpoint of a firm. The participants will learn why a firm exists and how the firm does what it does based on its own interest, as well as how it operates within a complex web of multiple stakeholders, such as buyers or customers, suppliers, rivals, new entrants, substitute products and government policy. Participants will be enabled to understand demand, production, cost, pricing theories and practices.

8. MBAF 609 Fundamental Marketing (1 Credit) 

The course exposes the learners to the fundamental principles of Marketing and how they apply in a business concept. The course requires the learners to explore the concepts and apply them in a business case setting of their choosing by means of the development of an initial marketing plan to start a business in a GCC country of their choice. 

9. MBAF 610 Digital Marketing and Social Media (1 Credit) 

Digital transformed marketing on all the 4 Ps but it is evident that the main influence was on communication. From one-to-many and seller to customer, social media introduced a second revolution where the customer takes the initiative and influences the seller through social media and influencers. 

10. MBAF 611 Geo-strategy of the Middle East (1 Credit) 

Geo-strategy is the most important non-market factor influencing companies’ behavior and strategy. The main emphasis is on the Middle East and its complexities stemming from location, natural resources misbalance, historical issues, and questions of identity or religion. Even if companies do not want to be involved in geopolitics, they cannot avoid this area because they must follow the position of their home countries. 

11. MBAF 612 Ethics & Corporate Social Responsibility (1 Credit) 

The main learning outcomes of this course are to sensitize the participants to the nature of ethical debates and discourses. There may be alternative perspectives and frameworks to understand different issues in the international business environment. The course aims to help participants evaluate their choices and behavior from an ethical standpoint, the effect of culture and religion in shaping ethical discourse and choices made by society and individuals, firms and managers. This course shall help the participants learn to analyze critically some of the social and ethical challenges faced by managers and thus frame appropriate managerial and corporate responses. It also enables participants to understand the concepts underlying corporate social responsibility and the difference between CSR strategies adopted by firms. 

12. MBAF 613 Global Strategy (1 Credit) 

The world of the modern corporation is being transformed as the world is becoming borderless, as corporations are competing to be more and more global.  Consolidation through mergers and acquisitions, strategic alliances, outsourcing and networks are becoming widespread, for example, in the automobile, cement, telecom or the banking industries. A study of the stategy of international firms or multinational corporations (MNCs) encompasses any problem faced or opportunity available, in the areas of finance, production, marketing, information technology, and human resource management. This course draws from both the external and internal environment, and macro- and microeconomics of the firm.  Hence, it is both interdisciplinary and integrative. 

13. MBAF 614 Entrepreneurial Manager (1 Credit) 

Identifying and nurturing the entrepreneurial spirit is the objective of this course. Entrepreneurial managers are to be found everywhere: in small and large companies, private or state owned, the industrial and service sectors. They initiate change in terms of firm strategy and its organizational behavior. However, their number is small and they are not always welcomed, especially by the upper management of an established firm. Their role is invaluable because they are able to identify new business opportunities and present them in an appropriate form to the decision-makers in the firm. The entrepreneurial manager is also able to mobilize the best human resources within the firm in order to reach desirable goals. Finally, the entrepreneurial manager is able to lead teams in  ways that are often non-conventional to reach profitable goals. 

14. MBAF 615 Business Sustainability and Society ( 1 Credit) 

For profit or not-for-profit organizations, do not evolve in a closed system with no interference with their environment. In a pure liberal society, the company`s only role is to create value for the shareholders. In today`s world the company has a responsibility towards nature, hence sustainability and people, hence society. Words such as Stakeholders, Corporate Social Responsibility or Sustainable Growth and Development, and Environmentally-Friendly are becoming hot issues in management. All these societal considerations are backed by ethical considerations and concerns shared by all components of society would it be consumers, suppliers or regulators. 

15. MBAF 616 Business Law (1 Credit) 

This course gives participants an overview of world legal systems, with a focus on American and European business law. Participants study legal aspects of foreign investment, joint ventures and technology transfer in acquiring an understanding of international business law. 

16.  MBAF 617 Driving Digital Change – People and Processes (1 Credit) 

The aim of the course is to master the levels and dimensions of the Digital Change (digital transformation and change management). The objective is also to understand how to use different tools and techniques such as Design Thinking, Agile Method, teamwork, and collaborative methods. 

17. MBAF 618 & MBAF 619   E-Commerce and Digital Platforms (2 Credits) 

This course replaces the course ‘Technology IT and Technological Management’. This course makes a transition from a pure player on E-Commerce such as the Microsoft Store that sells only Microsoft products and services online to Amazon, Alibaba or Uber, which provide a platform to a multitude of operators. How E-store and platforms operate, and what is needed, as a backup will be studied in this course. 

18. MBAF 620 Leadership & Organizational Behavior (1 credit) 

Modern companies need managers capable of understanding the complex mutual      interactions between individuals, the groups to which they belong and the wider system and structures that constitute organizations. The course aims to prepare participants to understand, lead and manage organizations. This course deepens the conceptual analysis and self-awareness that is necessary to reach a fuller understanding of these linkages and how they can influence organizational performance, cooperation or conflict. 

19. MBAF 621 Islamic Marketing (1 Credit) 

The objective of this course is to make students aware of the possibilities of implementing marketing strategies and techniques within the Islamic environment. The Muslim world is diverse and challenging and presents tremendous opportunities for companies that want to serve its growing markets.  Islam is a universal religion and present in not only Arab countries, but also South East Asia, while the number of Muslims living in Western countries is increasing. Islamic marketing is challenging because Islam has a comprehensive set of orthodoxies that govern everyday life, and greatly influences the consumer behavior of Muslims worldwide. Muslim markets are growing at a rate outpacing western countries, and present unique opportunities for companies. 

20. MBAF 622 Fundamentals of Islamic Banking and Finance (1 credit) 

All GCC countries and almost all MENA countries are Islamic countries. It is therefore necessary to look at how Islamic Law regulated one of the most important business elements, which is banking and finance. Bahrain is the home of the most vibrant centers for Islamic finance. It is therefore necessary to analyze it in detail. 

21. MBAF 623 Decision Making and Negotiation (1 Credit) 

Managers make decisions every day. They have to negotiate with outside partners and colleagues inside the company about everything, from the allocation of available and leveraged resources to the strategic and tactical moves of the company. Very often, managers make their decisions based on their ‘feelings’ or through the prism of their personality. The objective of this course is to give students a systematic and objective framework for decision-making and successful negotiation, which will improve their personal effectiveness on one side and the profitability of the company on the other. Knowing oneself is the first step. So, a significant part of the course will be devoted to the study of different decision-making styles, helping student to recognize their own style and teaching them the necessary skills to upgrade their judgment and problem-solving techniques. 

22. MBAF 624 Export Management (1 Credit) 

Export management address problems as regulations, customs, clearance, contract with incoterms, international payment, and obviously too, the main point, supply chain management. The last years have put supply chain and logistics at the top of the main concerns for worldwide business, and export management. Increasing costs for containers and decreasing costs for the same, lower availability of products, poor quality of services are exactly what supply chain managers are afraid of. However, during the 20 past years, supply chain has made considerable contributions to improving the level of service and reducing related costs. The current phase involves a reengineering of the supply chain, a more collaborative way to manage the operations and the development of more efficient local approaches with better service local clients. For numerous reasons, the comprehension of what is logistics and supply chain is not very clear for everybody. However, in many cases, the decisions you make, in your current position, even if it is not a supply chain or logistic position, have a direct impact on the level of the supply chain performance. This course is the opportunity for each attendee to build herself or himself a new framework about supply chain and export management in order to be able to make better decision influencing this part of their business. 

23. MBAF 625Big Data and Artificial Intelligence for Business (1 Credit) 

This course will replace the existing course ‘Big Data’. It aims at making participants understand what a big data system is, using the three criteria: volume, velocity, and variety. The course also covers the basic programming functionalities and algorithm functions. Participants will navigate through a programming software, interpret basic coding, and write a short coding program. 

24. MBAF 626 Family business in the GCC (1 Credit) 

In all countries, family business is the main engine for the economic activity. They typically represent more than 95% of total number of companies in each country, GCC countries included. It is therefore important for participants to be exposed to the unique challenges and opportunities represented by this vital part of the economy. Participants will study the main problem of family business which is family relationships (governance models of a family business) and wealth management of the family (family offices, banking and consulting advice). The peculiarity of the definition of family and the system of inheritance that is specific to the region because of religious, customary and legal practices makes the study of family business in the GCC different from other regions in the world. 

25. MBAF 627 & MBAF 628 Public Utilities Management-Managing the Utilities Sector (2 Credits) 

A public utility is an organization maintaining the infrastructure needed for a public service or providing a service consumed by the public. The utilities in question range from physical domains such as electricity, oil, gas or water to service domains such as postal services or waste management. In all cases, the rationale behind a public utility is that the government believes that it is better for these services to be provided by a public entity than a private one. Governments vary in the interpretation of what is considered a vital public service. As a result, some countries have an important public utility sector, while others have a limited public utility sector.  The management of a public utility differs from a private one in that there are natural and/or artificial monopolies on the one hand and heavy regulation and monitoring from the public authorities on the other. 

26. MBAF 629 Economics of Regulations (1 Credit) 

This course outlines different ways of organizing economic activity (regulation, deregulation, competition etc.) and explores how economics can be applied to public policy problems, helping to find the right fit between economic institutions and industry characteristics and thus promote consumer welfare and sustainable development. 

27. MBAF 630 & MBAF 631 Project & Contract Management (2 Credits) 

This course gives participants the keys to plan, organize, secure and manage resources to meet strategic goals. An overview of the different ways to manage contracts efficiently in order to ensure that financial and operational risks are minimized and vendor performance optimized will also be given.

28. MBAF 632 Economic Policy, Global Economy and the GCC (1 Credit) 

GCC countries do not live in isolation, but interact with other countries and share the fate of the global economy in many ways. If the global economy is sluggish, there is a high probability that GCC exports of oil and gas and revenues coming from trade and tourism will decrease and vice versa. Sovereign funds, company and family investments from the GCC countries are also directed towards other countries, mainly western ones. Therefore, they also share the fate of the global economy, positive or negative. The question for GCC countries is whether they would have better results if they band together in an EU-like entity or act individually. Students will thus analyze the pros and cons of common, GCC-shared, versus individual moves in the global environment. 

SPECIALIZED TRACK PPP Courses (4 Credit Hours) 

29. MBAF 633 & MBAF 634 Strategic Planning for Public and Non-Profit Organization (2 Credits) 

Strategic planning is an integral part of Strategic Management. It is therefore used by all organizations, regardless of their nature, because having organizational visions and missions are not enough. A robust planning process is needed in order to make these visions and missions happen. Planning includes the organization determining where it is starting from, what it wants to achieve and how it will do it. These universally recognized steps are valid for public entities where the state often sets up long-term and short-term objectives with precise plans about how to attain them. These steps are also valid for non-profit organizations since they are liable to their founders, whether individuals or other entities. 

30. MBAF 635 Budgeting and Financial Management for Public and Non-Profit organizations (1 Credit) 

Public and non-profit organizations are extremely diverse, so their budgeting and financing is diverse as well. The funding for purely sovereign institutions such as ministries comes from the state budget. On the other hand, foundations, associations, sport clubs and the like, get their funding from subscriptions or donations. Public companies are set up and controlled by the state, but their funding usually comes from the sale of goods and services they have a monopoly on. While making a profit is not acceptable for public companies, increasing their income is desirable in order to expand their activities. 

31. MBAF 636 Legal Context and Management of Public Cession (1 Credit) 

One of the first things domestic and foreign investors want to check before being involved in a concession agreement is whether the country`s legal and regulatory environment is favorable to concessions operations. Because the concession agreement (which is part of contractual law) cannot forecast all potential problems, it is therefore important to know if the legal framework is friendly to private initiatives in this domain. The law may permit foreign or domestic private investment, but sometimes does not permit or limits the operation of the investor. Finally, there is also a risk of expropriation and companies should assess and provide for this. 

SPECIALIZED TRACK Utility Management Courses (4 Credit Hours) 

32. MBAF 637 Water and Sanitation Policy and Management (2 Credits)

The general objective is to find integrated sustainable solutions to problems of water management in urban areas, in particular those in the GCC countries in the line with their socio-economic, environmental, and political conditions. Module learning outcomes serve the following purposes:

1. Understand urbanization, its major driving forces, and its major water-related issues and challenges.
2. Understand the components that make up the urban water cycle and urban water systems and their interaction
3. Understand the principles of, and methods for, integrated urban water management and its multidisciplinary perspective.
4. Identify some research questions in the field of urban water management.

33. MBAF 638 Energy Policy and Management (2 Credits)

The energy sector is playing a crucial role in the GCC economies. A number of challenges to secure their competitiveness in the market place as well as to achieve sustainable development are facing today's managers. One of the major challenges is the nexus between energy, economy, and the environment.  This course is an introduction to energy resources management. It highlights the interrelations between energy, economy, and the environment. It will focus on number of emerging energy issues that are relevant to the GCC”. 

34. MBA 699 Consultancy Project (4 Credits) 

The main motivation behind the consulting project is to supplement in-class room academic experience with fieldwork. The program is designed to integrate the educational objectives of creating future leaders with a true global mindset and a commitment to making positive changes on the world and its people. Working together with a company, participants will try to come up with a solution for the issues it faces. This project helps students understand the macro-economic underpinnings and the strengths and weaknesses of different business perspectives. Projects are provided by the MBA administration in a 13 variety of industries, including consumer products, international development, energy, finance, healthcare, biosciences, sustainable development, demographic studies, media and entertainment, technology, telecommunications, luxury, and public-private partnership. 

The key phases of each project cover: 

• Country – business, political, social environment analysis 
• Industry analysis 
• Company analysis 
• Issue analysis 
• Implementation & feedback: the team’s analysis and action plan are presented to the client/s 

Each team hands in a written report that is presented orally to a jury including the company coordinator (plus other company executives), the MBA Coach and the MBA Academic 

Director.  Each Team must therefore hand in 2 documents: 

• A written report (including an executive summary) 
• A power point presentation.