Developing an Integrated Finance and Marketing MBA Core Course

Abstract

In recent years, the business community has placed an increasing demand on universities to develop students who can think holistically. One way that universities have responded to this challenge is by adopting a cross-functional, integrated curriculum. Although this type of curriculum may provide students with a better understanding of the dependencies between the functional areas of the firm, successfully implementing this educational change is difficult. This article addresses some of the issues encountered in developing and implementing an integrative, team-taught finance and marketing MBA core course (in its fourth semester at the time of this writing) and offers integrative applications that have proven to be successful. The article concludes with recommendations for those engaged in similar efforts.