BUSI 650 is Liberty's MBA course in operations management. Its written work is four two-week forums (a key topic thread, then replies) and an Integrative Learning Project built in stages, an organizational setting, an annotated bibliography and an outline, into a final paper of at least 24 pages describing a successful organization through the course's operations concepts.
Liberty's catalog lists the course as BUSI 650 Operations Management, 3 credit hours; Canvas and the course guide file print it as BUSI650.
What BUSI 650 covers
The catalog description: This course provides graduate-level instruction regarding the concepts and analytic methods that are useful in understanding the management of a firm's operations. Special emphasis will be placed on familiarizing the student with the problems and issues confronting operations managers, and providing the student with language, concepts, insights and tools to deal with these issues in order to gain competitive advantage through operations. Because the course deals with the management of "processes," it applies to both for-profit and non-profit organizations, to both service and manufacturing organizations, and to virtually any functional area or industry. (Crosslisted with BMIS 650 )
The course gives graduate instruction in the concepts and analytic methods for managing a firm's operations: the problems operations managers face and the language, concepts and tools to gain competitive advantage through operations. Because it deals with processes, it applies to for-profit and nonprofit organizations, services and manufacturing, and nearly any function or industry. The text is Meredith and Shafer, Operations and Supply Chain Management for MBAs.
Four quizzes have no guide here. Forum credit depends on the quality of content, interaction with the class and professional behavior, judged by the professor. Week 1 runs Monday to Friday and Weeks 2 to 8 run Saturday to Friday.
Textbook named in the published guide: Meredith & Shafer, Operations and Supply Chain Management for MBAs (2016). Check the current edition in your Canvas section.
BUSI 650 assignments, week by week
Every graded written assignment in the published guide has its own how-to guide below. Quizzes, exams, checklists and class introductions are left out because there is nothing to write.
| Week | Assignment | Points | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Discussion Board Forum 1 | 100 | Not set in the guide; substantive posts |
| 2 | ILP Organizational Setting | 75 | Not set in the guide; follow the ILP instructions |
| 3 | Discussion Board Forum 2 | 100 | Not set in the guide; substantive posts |
| 4 | ILP Annotated Bibliography | 75 | Not set in the guide; follow the ILP instructions |
| 5 | Discussion Board Forum 3 | 100 | Not set in the guide; substantive posts |
| 5 | ILP Outline | 50 | Not set in the guide; follow the ILP instructions |
| 7 | Discussion Board Forum 4 | 100 | Not set in the guide; substantive posts |
| 8 | ILP Final | 200 | At least 24 pages |
Week 1: Discussion Board Forum 1
Post a key topic thread in Week 1, then replies in Week 2, graded on substantive content and interaction. How to write BUSI 650 Week 1 Discussion Board Forum 1.
Week 2: ILP Organizational Setting
Describe the organization for your Integrative Learning Project: its mission, industry and operations. How to write BUSI 650 Week 2 ILP Organizational Setting.
Week 3: Discussion Board Forum 2
Post a key topic thread in Week 3, then replies in Week 4. How to write BUSI 650 Week 3 Discussion Board Forum 2.
Week 4: ILP Annotated Bibliography
An annotated bibliography of sources for your Integrative Learning Project. How to write BUSI 650 Week 4 ILP Annotated Bibliography.
Week 5: Discussion Board Forum 3
Post a key topic thread in Week 5, then replies in Week 6. How to write BUSI 650 Week 5 Discussion Board Forum 3.
Week 5: ILP Outline
An outline of your Integrative Learning Project paper. How to write BUSI 650 Week 5 ILP Outline.
Week 7: Discussion Board Forum 4
Post a key topic thread in Week 7, then replies in Week 8. How to write BUSI 650 Week 7 Discussion Board Forum 4.
Week 8: ILP Final
The final Integrative Learning Project: at least 24 pages in APA describing your organization's mission and, through the course's concepts, what makes it a successful organization. How to write BUSI 650 Week 8 ILP Final.
How BUSI 650 is graded
The schedule lists four forums at 100 each (thread 70, replies 30), quizzes at 50 each, the ILP organizational setting 75, annotated bibliography 75, outline 50 and final 200, and the checklist 10, totaling 1,010; the points table instead lists quizzes at 400 and the ILP at 200, so check your course for the exact split.
| Graded item | Points |
|---|---|
| Discussion Board Forums (4) | 400 |
| ILP Organizational Setting | 75 |
| ILP Annotated Bibliography | 75 |
| ILP Outline | 50 |
| ILP Final | 200 |
| Quizzes (4) | 200 to 400 |
| Course Requirements Checklist | 10 |
The published scale puts an A at 940 to 1010 points.
Week timing in the published guide: Module/Week one begins on Monday and ends at 11:59 p.m. (ET) on Friday. Modules/Weeks 2-8 begin on Saturday and end at 11:59 p.m. (ET) on Friday.
How to approach BUSI 650
Choose the organization for your Integrative Learning Project in Week 1; the organizational setting is due in Week 2 and the final paper of at least 24 pages in Week 8.
Pick an organization you can research in depth, with public information on its mission, processes and supply chain.
Questions students ask
What is the BUSI 650 Integrative Learning Project?
A research paper of at least 24 pages in APA describing an organization's mission and, using the course's operations concepts, giving a comprehensive description of a successful organization; it is built through an organizational setting (Week 2), annotated bibliography (Week 4) and outline (Week 5) before the final (Week 8).
How are BUSI 650 forums graded?
On substantive interaction with the professor and classmates: the quality of content, interaction and professional behavior, with correct English and grammar required.
Working through BUSI 650 now?
Tell us the week and the assignment. A tutor who knows the course replies with a plan for the draft.