Open Courses
Advance your career, one course at a time.
Flexible, graduate-level business courses designed to build skills without the commitment of a full degree.
What are Open Courses?
Open Courses offer a flexible way to invest in your future without committing to a full degree program. You’ll experience Simon’s graduate-level learning firsthand, build skills you can apply immediately, and even use employer tuition benefits if that’s an option for you.
Why you should enroll.
Earn 2.5–3 credits in a single graduate-level class at Simon. Explore topics like business fundamentals, analytics, and professional skills, gain knowledge you can put to work right away, and even transfer credits toward a Simon degree or certificate later.
- ACC 401 – Corporate Financial Accounting (Spring A, In Person)
Professor: Vivek Pandey
Modality: In Person
EveningsDeadline: January 5
Corporate financial accounting is concerned with the form and content of the information firms disclose to external parties (e.g., shareholders). In the United States, financial reporting is based on generally accepted accounting principles(GAAP) set by the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB). GAAP define the accounting methods and disclosure practices that firms select from when providing financial statements to external parties. This course covers these principles and other important financial reporting practices. The primary focus of the course is developing the skills required to interpret and analyze financial information, rather than the skills required to prepare financial statements. Upon completion of the course, students will appreciate how financial accounting information is used in contracts between parties (e.g., lenders and the firm) and to evaluate a firm’s past performance and potential future performance.
- CIS 401 – Info Systems for Management (Summer 2026, In Person)
Professor: Roy Jones
Modality: In Person
EveningsDeadline: May 11
Information technology is transforming firms, markets, products, and processes with remarkable speed. Recent developments in AI have the potential to further accelerate the transformation. This presents managers with new challenges and valuable opportunities. This course dives into the strategic use of information technology within a business context, focusing on how it can enable competitive advantage, enhance business processes, and drive innovation. The course introduces a number of useful frameworks for analyzing the use of information technology and AI in organizations and includes some exposure to database and data visualization tools. The strategic and economic impacts of information technology are emphasized. The course is designed with line and senior managers in mind, as opposed to the managers of the IS function.
- MKT 402 – Marketing Management (Fall A | Spring A, In Person)
Professors: Kristina Brecko (Fall A) | Ron Goettler (Spring A)
Fall A Evenings | Fall B Weekends
Modality: In PersonDeadline: January 5
This course is our introduction to marketing management. The key objectives of the course are (1) to provide the student with a series of frameworks for identifying, analyzing, and solving marketing problems and (2) to enhance the student’s ability to effectively communicate analyses and solutions. We first focus on understanding the three C’s – customers, the company, and competitors. Based on this analysis, we develop a strategy for our product(s) and discuss how a marketing strategy can be implemented through the elements of the marketing mix: product design, pricing, advertising & promotion as well as channels of distribution. The class sessions consist of classroom lectures and case study discussions. Rather than focusing on internalizing facts and institutional detail, the emphasis is on critical thinking and application of the fundamental marketing strategy principles to business situations at hand.
MBA Prerequisite: STR 401
MS Prerequisite: GBA 462- STR 401 – Managerial Economics (Fall A, In Person)
Professor: Russell Morton
Evenings
Term: Fall A
Modality: In PersonDeadline: This deadline has passed
The primary objective of the course is to train students to think in economic terms, to identify the relevant economic issue in a given situation, to separate the relevant from the irrelevant, and to analyze the implications of alternative actions. Another objective is to provide an increased understanding of markets.The course presents the basic analytical tools of microeconomics, particularly as those skills are relevant to managers. Important economic concepts used in subsequent courses, such as opportunity costs and a Nash Equilibrium, are covered. Applications of marginal analysis are stressed.
- STR 421 – Competitive Strategy (Spring A, In Person)
Professor: Roberto Colangelo
Evenings
Term: Spring A
Modality: In PersonDeadline: January 5
Competitive strategy deals with the most significant decisions that companies make in the marketplace, including entry into a market, product positioning, pricing, investments, technology choice and acquisitions. This course provides tools and concepts for analyzing these decisions and for designing business strategies that help firms make above-normal profits in the long run. Throughout the course, there is an emphasis on how firms interact with existing or potential competitors and other parties in the market. The tools and concepts used to understand this interaction are partly those of the traditional field of Strategic Management, but more importantly those of modern microeconomics, especially the field of Industrial Organization.
The first half of the course looks at the “big picture” and covers industry analysis, value creation and competitive advantage, and integration and diversification decisions. The second half of the course focuses on strategic interaction among firms, and covers specific topics such as the dynamics of price competition in oligopolies, commitment strategies of firms, entry and exit, networks and standards, and technological competition. The course is largely case-based. About one third of all classes are lectures; the other two thirds are case discussions.
MBA Prerequisite: STR 401
- GBA 411 – Business Modeling (Summer 2026, In Person)
Professor: Huaxia Rui
Evenings
Term: Summer 2026
Modality: In PersonDeadline May 11.
This course has two major objectives: to develop your ability to frame business decision problems in a way that makes them amenable to quantitative analysis, and to train you in some fundamental techniques useful for analyzing and solving these problems. The course draws on three toolkits: 1. Spreadsheets to model business problems. 2. Optimization techniques to solve complex decision problems involving many variables and constraints. 3. Monte Carlo simulation for understanding and analyzing uncertainty. Examples from different functional areas will demonstrate how the techniques taught can be applied in a practical way to a variety of settings.
Recommended: GBA 412 or GBA 462
- EXP 420 – Business Modeling (Fall A, In Person)
Professor: Ravi Mantena
Weekends
Modality: In PersonDeadline: This deadline has passed
This course has two major objectives: to develop your ability to frame business decision problems in a way that makes them amenable to quantitative analysis, and to train you in some fundamental techniques useful for analyzing and solving these problems. The course draws on three toolkits: 1. Spreadsheets to model business problems. 2. Optimization techniques to solve complex decision problems involving many variables and constraints. 3. Monte Carlo simulation for understanding and analyzing uncertainty. Examples from different functional areas will demonstrate how the techniques taught can be applied in a practical way to a variety of settings.
Recommended: GBA 412 or GBA 462
- GBA 471 – Probability and Descriptive Analytics (Fall A, In Person)
Professor: Ravi Mantena
Evening - Online MSBA
Modality: In-PersonDeadline: This deadline has passed
A key goal of GBA471 is to generate insights from data to support business decision making. This course introduces basic techniques for data exploration and visualization, with an emphasis on understanding and reasoning with data and communicating data-driven results to a managerial audience. The course further covers the fundamental concepts in probability and inferential statistics necessary for understanding model building, and the use of data in decision making. Generative AI will be used to uncover conjectures for further exploration of data sets and augment attainable insights from data. Students will use Microsoft Excel and be introduced to Python for data analysis and graphing
- GBA 478 – AI and Business (Spring B | Fall B, In Person)
Professor: Dan Keating
Evening
Modality: In PersonDeadline: Spring B–January 5 | Fall B–October 22
GBA478 covers the application of generative AI technologies across diverse business contexts. The course will help you understand how to integrate Generative AI into today’s business workflows, providing frameworks to decide when and how to use it effectively. You’ll gain hands-on experience designing Generative AI tools to create business value and programming basic LLM-driven applications in Python. Finally, the course will ask you to become conversant with the big questions about Generative AI, to debate the moral, philosophical, and ethical challenges inherent in these systems and technologies.
MS Prerequisites: (GBA 462 or GBA 471),
(GBA 464 or GBA 465 or GBA 485A)- HSM 465 – Health Care Data Visualization & Analytics (Fall A/Spring A)
Professor: Roy Jones
Evening
Modality: In-PersonDeadline: Fall A–Passed | Spring A–January 5
GBA478 covers the application of generative AI technologies across diverse business contexts. The course will help you understand how to integrate Generative AI into today’s business workflows, providing frameworks to decide when and how to use it effectively. You’ll gain hands-on experience designing Generative AI tools to create business value and programming basic LLM-driven applications in Python. Finally, the course will ask you to become conversant with the big questions about Generative AI, to debate the moral, philosophical, and ethical challenges inherent in these systems and technologies.
MS Prerequisites: (GBA 462 or GBA 471),
(GBA 464 or GBA 465 or GBA 485A)
- BPP 433 – Business Law (Fall B)
Professor: Paul Shanahan
Tuesdays and Thursdays Daytime
Modality: In-PersonDeadline: October 22
A foundational knowledge of the American legal system is essential for business owners, fiduciaries, and accountants. This course covers the basic structure of the United States legal system along with a detailed overview of contract law and business enterprises formation and governance. There is a particular emphasis on partnerships, corporations, and limited liability companies. The course also examines the fundamentals of securities regulation, intellectual property, tort law, and the doctrine of fiduciary duty. Case study will be a major component of the course.
Key Takeaways
- Understand and appreciate the constraints, risks, and opportunities the legal environment provides.
- Be familiar with external and internal liabilities that business managers must consider when making appropriate business decisions.
- Protect and enhance business value by proper policies and actions.
- Gain a basic understanding of securities law and intellectual property protection.
- Understand business formation and governance.
- Be aware of the current fiduciary duty reporting requirements.
- ENT 423 – New Venture Development (Fall A)
Professor: Dennis Kessler
Evenings
Modality: In-PersonDeadline: This deadline has passed
The focus of ENT 423 is learning how to prepare an effective business plan that will communicate the value of the concept. Among the critical issues that will be addressed are competitive conditions and industry trends, sustainable competitive advantages, management, marketing, financial plan, exit possibilities, franchising, and legal entities. The approach used is appropriate for start-ups and for corporate venturing. It is also suitable for both profit and for not-for-profit organizations. At the same time plans are prepared, other entrepreneurial issues are studied, such as assembling resources, launching and building new ventures and harvesting results. Lectures, a prominent case study, and guest speakers are utilized. The speakers are entrepreneurs at various stages in their careers and will provide an interesting context to the entrepreneurial endeavor. The course will address a range of new venture topics from the development of management teams, marketing, finance, ven00000ture capital and legal issues. The completion of a business plan for a proposed new venture is required.
- GBA 435 – Negotiations (Fall A)
Professor: David Oliveri
Tuesdays and Thursdays Daytime
Modality: In PersonDeadline: This deadline has passed
(Same as ENT435)
The course is subtitled “Bargaining for Value” because the notion of “bargaining” implies interaction and communication among self-interested players of diverse backgrounds and styles. “Bargaining for value” implies that the quantum of value extracted in a deal may vary within a range of potential values. “Negotiation” is a commonly-accepted term that captures the essence of these processes in a competitive or cooperative environment. This course surveys the theoretical and behavioral underpinnings of negotiation practices and develops skills that enhance the ability to capture value in cooperative and competitive bargaining scenarios.- GBA 441 – Business Ethics & Corporate Social Responsibility (Spring B)
Professor: Andras Miklos
Evenings
Modality: In PersonDeadline: March 9
This course has two major objectives: to develop your ability to frame business decision problems in a way that makes them amenable to quantitative analysis, and to train you in some fundamental techniques useful for analyzing and solving these problems. The course draws on three toolkits: 1. Spreadsheets to model business problems. 2. Optimization techniques to solve complex decision problems involving many variables and constraints. 3. Monte Carlo simulation for understanding and analyzing uncertainty. Examples from different functional areas will demonstrate how the techniques taught can be applied in a practical way to a variety of settings.
Recommended: GBA 412 or GBA 462- OMG 416 – Project Management (Spring B)
Professor: Jeff Sokol
Evenings
Modality: In PersonDeadline: March 9
The topics treated in this course span a wide spectrum of issues, concepts, systems, and techniques for managing projects effectively in today’s complex business environment. Students are led through a complete project life cycle, from requirements analysis and project definition to start-up, reviews, and phaseout. Important techniques for controlling project costs, schedules, and performance are studied. The course employs a combination of lectures, case analyses, business/project simulations, videos, Internet resources, and group discussions to develop the conceptual understanding and operational skills needed for effective managerial role performance.
MBA Prerequisite: OMG 402
- STR 424 – HR Strategy (Fall B)
Professor: Barry Friedman
Evenings
Modality: In PersonDeadline: March 9
Intended for general managers and not limited to HR specialists, this course addresses human resource management issues and practices that align with organizational strategy, mission, vision, and values. It explores recruitment, selection, training, career development, performance evaluation, compensation, unions, labor and employment law, equity, and inclusion such that HR initiatives improve organizational, group and individual outcomes. Students learn and practice data/people analytical tools to increase decision-making effectiveness and efficiency.
MBA Prerequisite: STR 401
- STR 427 – Organizational Behavior (Fall A)
Professor: Barry Friedman
Evenings
Modality: In-PersonDeadline: This deadline has passed
This course presents behavioral concepts that influence individual, group, and organizational effectiveness. Particular emphasis is given to motivation, culture, globalization, leadership, group dynamics, communication, organizational structure and change. Students develop ways of thinking about organizational problems to increase individual and organizational effectiveness. Multiple stakeholder perspectives and systemic approach to organizational problems are emphasized.
- Be aware of the current fiduciary duty reporting requirements.
Upcoming Registration Deadlines
Registration is simple—no essays or transcripts required. Deadlines are typically two weeks before classes begin.
Next Deadline:
October 15, 2025 (Fall B)
Tuition & Benefits
Open Courses are billed at Simon’s current per-credit hour tuition rate. Many employers offer tuition assistance. Check with your HR or benefits team to see if your Simon course may be fully or partially covered. University of Rochester employees may also be eligible for employee tuition benefits. Click the buttons below for more information.