Business
Women's College and College of Adult Undergraduate Studies
Overview
Major
Minor in Business
Minor in Entrepreneurship
Five-Year Option: B.A./M.A.
Programs of Study
Four-Year Plan
Course descriptions
Deborah Calhoun, M.B.A., Ph.D. Candidate, Chair
Ademar Bechtold, Ph.D.
Lawrence Beyer, C.F.A., M.B.A.
Patricia Brelsford, Ed.D.
Mary Fanning, RSM, M.B.A., Ph.D.
Megan Farrell, M.B.A., J.D.
Albert Hannan, C.P.A., M.B.A. J.D.
Elizabeth H. Jones, Ph.D.
Charles E. Yoe, Ph.D.
Associate Faculty
Barbara Paul, M.A.
John Pollard, M.B.A.
The business and economics department of the School of Arts and Sciences offers a major in business to students in the Women's College and College of Adult Undergraduate Studies. It also offers a major in international business in the Women's College as well as minors in business and entrepreneurship to Women's College and College of Adult Undergraduate Studies students. The business major includes a broad range of courses that provide the student with a strong foundation of knowledge in business and economics within the liberal arts curriculum. In addition to gaining a thorough understanding of core business concepts, students are taught to act ethically, think critically and creatively, and communicate effectively. Students don't just read about the latest theories and practices in business, they experience and experiment with them in real business situations. Consulting assignments and internships, as well as the use of the case method, actively engage students in their learning.
Each course is designed to prepare students for leadership positions while meeting the needs of the business community. The business curriculum is designed to ensure that all Notre Dame business graduates meet the following core competencies identified by major employers in the Baltimore/Washington corridor:
- Integrate quantitative and qualitative skills to solve problems and support decision making
- Demonstrate effective leadership skills in a team environment
- Communicate effectively in all business environments with different types of media
- Use technology to enhance business productivity and the quality of decision making
The business and economics department aims to develop socially responsible leaders who understand core business concepts, solve problems ethically, think critically, and communicate effectively to maximize sustainable results for both organizations and society at large. Graduates of the business program work in a wide variety of fields such as accounting, banking, marketing research, project and product management, human resource management, health care administration, nonprofit management, information systems, marketing communications, portfolio management, investments and product development. Locally, business graduates work for Black & Decker; federal and state government; CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield; Constellation Energy; Ernst and Young; Hormel; Legg Mason, Inc.; McCormick & Co., Inc.; Motorola; Procter and Gamble; The Johns Hopkins Hospital; Kennedy Krieger Institute; Verizon; Wells Fargo Bank; Peterson, Howell and Heather (PHH); the Social Security Administration; T. Rowe Price; Glifton Gunderson LLP, Coca-Cola and Under Armour.
The Academic Program in Business
Foundation Business Courses—Courses in management, finance, marketing, economics, international business, law and accounting provide a solid foundation in the fundamentals of business. [30 credits]
Skills-Based Courses—Courses in data analysis, professional communication, business research, teamwork, negotiation and leadership enhance the technical skills necessary to compete in the workplace. [15 credits]
Advanced Business Policy and Practicum—These courses enable students to apply the knowledge and skills learned throughout the degree program to strategic issues in business management and in the workplace. The successful completion of Advanced Business Policy, the capstone course, is required of all business majors and should be taken during the student's last semester of study. The four-credit practicum course is required for all Women's College business majors. The practicum includes a 120-hour internship. [3 to 7 credits]
Students complete their degree requirements either by completing courses for a concentration in accounting, or by completing at least two 400-level Business Elective courses.
Business Elective Courses—These upper-division courses challenge students to address complex business problems in a chosen field of interest such as finance, management, marketing, international business and human resource management. Students are required to complete two business elective courses but are encouraged to take additional business electives if possible. [6 credits]
Accounting Concentration—Intermediate and advanced accounting courses are offered for those students interested in preparing for the Certified Public Accountants (CPA) exam. Business students must complete 12 credits of intermediate and advanced accounting courses to fulfill their accounting concentration requirements. Students preparing to take the CPA exam are encouraged to complete as many accounting courses as possible. [12 credits]
Business Minor
The business and economics department works closely with students in other majors interested in a minor in business. Students with a business minor are better prepared to understand and respond to the business environment in which their career fields operate. The flexibility of the business minor ensures that students have the ability to choose those business courses that will prove most helpful in their career fields. The business minor comprises six courses (18 credits) and requires that the student complete at least one course in economics and BUS-416 Managing Financial Resources. No more than three courses from the student's major may be applied to the completion of the business minor. No more than nine credits may be transferred into the minor.
Entrepreneurship Minor
The entrepreneurship minor provides an introduction to both business entrepreneurship and "social entrepreneurship" for students from any major area of academic study. A social entrepreneur is someone who recognizes a social problem and uses entrepreneurial principles to organize, create and manage a venture to promote social change. The entrepreneurship minor provides students with an opportunity to develop a business plan for either a social or for-profit entrepreneurial organization that is appropriate for pursuing investors or grants. The entrepreneurship minor provides all students whose professional plans would benefit from entrepreneurial perspectives and skills a chance to develop their problem solving, negotiation, organizing, ambiguity and risk tolerance skills. The minor requires the completion of 7 courses (21 credits): BUS-302 Principles of Management, BUS-303 Principles of Marketing, BUS-416 Managing Financial Resources, BUS-401 Entrepreneurship I, BUS-402 Entrepreneurship II, plus two elective courses offered by several departments on campus and chosen and approved in consultation with the chair of the business and economics department. Business majors do not take BUS-416. No more than three courses from the student's major may be applied to the completion of the entrepreneurship minor.
Five-Year Option: B.A./M.A.
This option enables a full-time undergraduate business major or minor student to complete the bachelor of arts in business and the master of arts in management degrees in five years. A student wishing to pursue a five-year integrated program must meet with her advisor and the chair of the business and economics department before she registers for the spring semester of her junior year to plan her program of study and to determine program eligibility and review program requirements.
The following business courses satisfy general education requirements: BUS-451 Women in Leadership — gender studies, BUS-350 International Business — cross-cultural.
A grade of C or better is required for all courses in the business major or business and entrepreneurship minors. Transfer students must complete a minimum of five courses in the business major regardless of the number of credits accepted in transfer.
Programs of Study
Required Core Courses for Major in Business (Credits)
BUS-105 Introduction to Business and Entrepreneurship (Women's
College only) (3)
BUS-211 Principles of Accounting I or BUS-253 Financial
Accounting (3)
BUS-212 Principles of Accounting II or BUS-254 Managerial
Accounting (3)
BUS-225 Data Analysis for Business Decisions (3)
BUS-302 Principles of Management (3)
BUS-303 Principles of Marketing (3)
BUS-304 Legal Environment of Business I (3)
BUS-310 Professional Communications (3)
BUS-321 Corporate Financial Management (3)
BUS-334 Teamwork and Negotiation (3)
BUS-350 International Business (3)
BUS-360 Business Research (3)
BUS-400 Leadership and Empowerment (3)
BUS-432 Advanced Business Policy (capstone) (3)
BUS-461 Business Practicum (Women's College only) (4)
ECO-211 Introduction to Macroeconomics (3)
ECO-212 Introduction to Microeconomics (3)
ECO-402 Money and Banking (3)
Computer competency in word processing, presentation software and
spreadsheet applications is required. A student may demonstrate this
competency by one of two methods:
1) complete CST-130 Introduction to Microcomputer Applications (or
a comparable course) with a grade of "C" or better or
2) earn a passing score of 70 percent on the CST-130 Challenge Exam.
Business majors must fulfill the general education math requirement
with MAT-103, College Algebra, or Calculus.
Students also must complete either the accounting concentration or at least two of the 400-level business elective courses listed below.
Business Electives (6 Credits)
BUS-406 Leading Innovation and Change (3)
BUS-436 Socially Responsible and Sustainable Business
Practices (3)
BUS-442 International Finance (3)
BUS-480 Organizational Behavior (3)
BUS-482 Buyer Behavior (3)
BUS-483 Integrated Marketing Communications (3)
BUS-484 Investment Management (3)
BUS-485 Advanced Financial Management (3)
BUS-486 Human Resources Management (3)
NPM-411 Topics in Nonprofit Management (3)
Accounting Emphasis (12 Credits)
Select a minimum of four courses from the following:
BUS-305 Legal Environment of Business II (3)
BUS-335 Cost Accounting (3)
BUS-337 Intermediate Accounting I (3)
BUS-338 Intermediate Accounting II (3)
BUS-340 Tax Accounting (3)
BUS-341 Corporate Tax Accounting (3)
BUS-412 Auditing (3)
BUS-421 Advanced Accounting Theory I (3)
Four-Year Plan
Sample program of study for the business major. Students should select courses with the assistance of a faculty advisor. See course description for prerequisites and corequisites.
Fall | Spring | ||
---|---|---|---|
First year | |||
IDS-100 Perspectives on Education | 3 | BUS-303 Principles of Marketing | 3 |
ECO-212 Microeconomics | 3 | ECO-211 Macroeconomics | 3 |
ENG-101 College Writing | 3 | Foreign Language (if required) | 3 |
BUS-105 Create Your Future: Introduction to Business and Entrepreneurship | 3 | General Education/Electives | 6 |
Foreign Language | 3 | Computer Competency Completed | |
[15 credits] | [15 credits] | ||
Second year | |||
BUS-211 Principles of Accounting I | 3 | BUS-212 Principles of Accounting II | 3 |
BUS-334 Teamwork and Negotiation | 3 | BUS-310 Professional Communication | 3 |
BUS-302 Principles of Management | 3 | BUS-225 Data Analysis for Business Decisions | 3 |
General Education/Electives | 6 | General Education/Electives | 6 |
[15 credits] | [15 credits] | ||
Third year | |||
BUS-321 Corporate Financial Management | 3 | BUS-350 International Business | 3 |
BUS-304 Legal Environment of Business I | 3 | BUS-400 Leadership and Empowerment | 3 |
Gen. Ed./Electives and/or Accounting concentration and/or Business electives | 9 | Gen. Ed./Electives and/or Accounting concentration and/or Business electives | 9 |
[15 credits] | [15 credits] | ||
Fourth year | |||
ECO-402 Money and Banking | 3 | BUS-432 Advanced Business Policy | 3 |
BUS-360 Business Research | 3 | BUS-461 Business Practicum | 4 |
Business Elective or Accounting Concentration | 3 | Business Elective or Accounting Concentration | 3 |
General Education/Electives | 6 | General Education/Electives | 6 |
[15 credits] | [16 credits] |
Note: Business electives in management, marketing, finance, international business or human resources management may be taken in junior year if prerequisites are completed.
Course Descriptions
BUS-105 CREATE YOUR FUTURE: INTRODUCTION TO BUSINESS AND
ENTREPRENEURSHIP
Begins with the learner developing a profile of her ideal work
experience and explores how that ideal may be met through a career
in business. Placing the learner in the role of a new business
entrepreneur, the course exposes the learner to all the disciplinary
aspects of starting a new business (management, marketing, finance,
accounting, human resources, legal and economics) by focusing on the
tasks that must be accomplished. This hands-on approach to starting
and running a business exposes students to the complex world of the
small business entrepreneur and helps them determine which area of
business they wish to study in depth. [3 credits]
BUS-211 PRINCIPLES OF ACCOUNTING I
Introduces principles and practices leading to the preparation
of a balance sheet and income statement. Presents the basics of
spreadsheet design through accounting applications. Explores the
concepts and techniques of accounting for the individual
proprietorships and corporations. [3 credits]
BUS-212 PRINCIPLES OF ACCOUNTING II
Builds on material covered in the introductory accounting course.
Focuses on preparing and interpreting financial statements,
understanding managerial accounting for cost, and planning and
controlling of business operations. Prerequisite: BUS-211 or
BUS-253. [3 credits]
BUS-225 DATA ANALYSIS FOR BUSINESS DECISIONS
Critically evaluates the source and quality of information informing
business decisions, demonstrating how to store, manipulate, retrieve
and analyze data. Illustrates how to organize information
effectively using graphics and tables as well as how to extract
useful information from data using statistical methods. Students
demonstrate their ability to use the Internet as a communications
and research tool and to use word processing, spreadsheet
applications and presentation software in a business context.
Prerequisite: CST-130, MAT-103, College Algebra or Calculus. [3
credits]
BUS-253 FINANCIAL ACCOUNTING
Introduces principles and practices leading to the preparation of a
balance sheet, income statement and statement of cash flow. Presents
the basics of accounting principles and its applications in the
business world. The course explores the concepts and techniques of
accounting for individual proprietorships and corporations. [3
credits]
BUS-254 MANAGERIAL ACCOUNTING
Builds on material covered in the Financial Accounting course.
Focuses on understanding and developing managerial accounting skills
that help analyze the cost of production in a manufacturing
environment. The course introduces the topics of budgeting, planning
and controlling of costs in a business operation. Prerequisite:
BUS-253 or BUS-211. [3 credits]
BUS-255 PERSONAL FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT
Develops a realistic approach to managing personal finances.
Students will be introduced to the fundamentals of sound financial
planning, goal setting, and strategies to accomplish those goals. [3
credits]
BUS-302 PRINCIPLES OF MANAGEMENT
Focuses on developing a foundation of knowledge related to
traditional and contemporary management theories and practice. The
course describes the management functions of planning, organizing,
leading and controlling necessary for organizational success.
Students examine the important influence of an organization's
external and internal environments and the role of ethics in
managerial decisionmaking. [3 credits]
BUS-303 PRINCIPLES OF MARKETING
Introduces the language of marketing and the strategic marketing
process. While formulating viable marketing strategies for diverse
business situations, students will gain experience gathering and
analyzing industry and market data as well as implementing core
marketing concepts such as market segmentation, targeting,
positioning and the marketing mix in the formulation and
implementation of real-life marketing strategies. The course
culminates with student teams developing a marketing plan for a new
product, service or retail establishment. [3 credits]
BUS-304 THE LEGAL ENVIRONMENT OF BUSINESS I
Explores the legal environment of business, including contracts,
implications of the Constitution and our structure of government,
sales and employment law, legal substitutes for money, consumer and
creditor protection including bankruptcy, and types of business
organizations. Focuses on the implications of law for the business
leader and practical ways to track changes in the law. [3 credits]
BUS-305 THE LEGAL ENVIRONMENT OF BUSINESS II
Builds on material covered in Legal Environment of Business I. It
explores commercial paper, debtor-creditor relations, real property
and estates, accountants' liability and secured transactions. In
addition, students examine the legal aspects of the various business
forms in greater detail. Prerequisite: BUS-304 or permission of
chair. [3 credits]
BUS-310 PROFESSIONAL COMMUNICATIONS
Provides a hands-on, workshop approach to the strategy and practice
of effective and appropriate business communications. Emphasis is
placed on producing convincing analytical presentations, both
written and oral, geared to the needs and interests of the audience.
The course encourages learners to approach the definition of
business communications from a broad perspective by exploring the
contextual frameworks of the communication processes in
organizations and the application of techniques and structures to
overcome common organizational barriers to effective communication
and interaction. Learners will analyze, evaluate, formulate and
apply the course concepts to a variety of practical organizational
processes and activities. Prerequisite: ENG-101 or IDS-100 (honors
section). [3 credits]
BUS-321 CORPORATE FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT
Emphasizes the foundation areas of finance to educate students in
financial decisionmaking. Introduces concepts including time value
of money, net present value and alternative measures used in
financial decisionmaking, financial ratio analysis, capital
budgeting, cost of capital, and asset valuation. Prerequisites:
CST-130, MAT-103, College Algebra or Calculus; BUS-212 or BUS-254;
BUS-225. [3 credits]
BUS-334 TEAMWORK AND NEGOTIATION
Analyzes the dynamics, structure and function of teams in businesses
and other organizations, and examines the framework and components
of negotiation in organizational and personal decisionmaking. The
course utilizes role play, case analysis and group/team assignments
and is highly interactive. Replaces BUS-334 Teamwork and Quality
Improvement. [3 credits]
BUS-335 COST ACCOUNTING
Introduces cost data as a tool for management decisionmaking. The
course provides an in-depth examining of volume-profit analysis,
budgeting, job order costs and variance analysis. Prerequisite:
BUS-212 or BUS-254. [3 credits]
BUS-337 INTERMEDIATE ACCOUNTING I
Covers collecting, adjusting and presenting of accounting
information. Emphasizes understanding published financial statements
and developing a framework for analyzing a wide variety of financial
reporting issues. Students examine topics including cash, short-time
investments, receivables, payables, inventories, and operational
assets and liabilities. Prerequisite: BUS-212 or BUS-254. [3
credits]
BUS-338 INTERMEDIATE ACCOUNTING II
Builds on material covered in BUS-337. Provides information on
stockholders' equity, long-term investments, long-term debt,
pensions, leases, financial statement analysis and price-level
accounting. Prerequisite: BUS-337. [3 credits]
BUS-340 TAX ACCOUNTING
Focuses on federal tax laws as they apply to the individual.
Introduces gross incomes and exclusions, tax determination, passive
activity losses, itemized deductions, tax credits and property
transactions. Students examine tax planning considerations and tax
avoidance techniques. Prerequisite: BUS-212 or BUS-254. [3 credits]
BUS-341 CORPORATE TAX ACCOUNTING
Focuses on federal tax laws as they apply to corporations, S
corporations, partnerships and estates. Students examine tax
analysis and determination for management decisionmaking, filing
requirements for estates and trusts, and choosing an entity
selection to minimize tax liability. Prerequisite: BUS-212 or
BUS-254. [3 credits]
BUS-350 INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS
Critically analyzes factors affecting corporate operations in the
global marketplace, from economic, cultural and financial factors to
political realities at home and abroad. The course offers a
practical, strategic approach to analyzing the impacts of
constraints and opportunities from cultural differences to evolving
bilateral and regional free trade alliances. Includes practical
applications for the business leader, from comparing the tax
policies of our leading trade partners to hands-on evaluation of
different currency hedging opportunities. Prerequisites: ECO-211 or
ECO-212. Fulfills general education requirement in cross-cultural
studies. [3 credits]
BUS-360 BUSINESS RESEARCH
Considers options for researching decisions in business. Students
will learn to define the research problem, develop the research
plan, collect, evaluate and organize relevant information, develop
findings and conclusions and recommend a preferred course of action
supported by analysis. Students will be able to access and analyze
company, industry and competitive information. Students will learn
core primary research concepts such as how to design and implement
mail, telephone and electronic surveys, and how to run a focus
group. Prerequisites: BUS-302, BUS-303. [3 credits]
BUS-400 LEADERSHIP AND EMPOWERMENT
Examines multiple leadership paradigms with a focus on approaches
that are inclusive, empowering and ethical. Students apply major
leadership models and research to group and individual experiences.
The course strengthens personal and organizational leadership
through integration of course learning, experience and feedback.
Assesses individual leadership skills and identifies personal
development needs. Replaces Manager as Leader. Prerequisite:
BUS-302. [3 credits]
BUS-401 ENTREPRENEURSHIP I
Provides a thorough overview of the complete process of developing
and launching for-profit, non-profit or social business ventures.
Topics include idea generation strategies, executive summaries,
brand creation and selection of business names. Students will gain
an understanding of bootstrapping, scalability, promotion,
distribution and pricing. The importance of laws and regulations for
all aspects of a new venture will be explored. Patents, copyrights,
contracts and regulations will also be discussed. The major
component of this course will be application of market research
skills to research databases and primary/secondary sources of
information to complete a formal assessment of the viability of a
business idea. This course will culminate in the completion of a
feasibility analysis to test assumptions derived from market
research. Prerequisite: BUS-303 or permission of chair. [3 credits]
BUS-402 ENTREPRENEURSHIP II
Continues the progression set forth in Entrepreneurship I by
teaching students the process for developing a comprehensive
business plan for an entrepreneurial start-up endeavor.
Additionally, students will be assigned a successful entrepreneur
from the student's field of interest to serve as their mentor
throughout the semester. Students will learn how to prepare a
financial plan. They will analyze actual business agreements to gain
familiarity with the language of and issues contained in those
documents. Students will build marketing competencies essential to
building and sustaining a new venture, such as how to identify
customer needs, determine correct target markets and develop
sales/marketing tactics and strategies. Students will also prepare
and deliver an oral presentation of their plan from the perspective
of an entrepreneur presenting to potential investors. Prerequisite:
BUS-401. Corequisite: BUS-416 or BUS-321 or permission of chair. [3
credits]
BUS-406 LEADING INNOVATION AND CHANGE
Examines the core problems organizations and people face as they
move through the dynamic processes of innovation and change.
Students will identify highly successful change efforts and evaluate
the strategies and techniques used. The key issues of changing
behaviors, overcoming resistance to change and the role of leaders
in the process will be important themes. [3 credits]
BUS-411 TOPICS IN BUSINESS
Explores contemporary topics in management such as non-positional
leadership, leadership's dark side, managing human capital, crisis
management and contingency planning. [3 credits]
BUS-412 AUDITING
Explores principles and practices of auditing through use of
problems, questions and specimen working papers applicable to a
balance sheet audit. Emphasizes techniques and routine procedures by
applying the principles to a realistic audit. Prerequisites: BUS-212
or BUS-254, accounting concentration or permission of chair. [3
credits]
BUS-416 MANAGING FINANCIAL RESOURCES
Provides students with an overview of the accounting and financial
tools necessary for managers. Addresses the development and analysis
of basic financial statements, the development of budgets (both
operating and capital), and other techniques of financial analysis
for management decisionmaking. Prerequisite: general education
mathematics requirement. Business majors may not take this
course; students who have taken BUS 261 may not take this course.
[3 credits]
BUS-421 ADVANCED ACCOUNTING THEORY I
Focuses on more complex topics in financial accounting. Emphasizes
accounting theories and practices used in partnerships, business
combinations and consolidations. Prerequisite: BUS-338. [3 credits]
BUS-432 ADVANCED BUSINESS POLICY
Provides opportunities for students to apply knowledge gained from
their core business courses to the formulation, implementation and
evaluation of strategic management initiatives through case studies
of specific organizations. Designed as a capstone experience.
Prerequisites: BUS-302, BUS-303, BUS-321 and senior standing. [3
credits]
BUS-436 SOCIALLY RESPONSIBLE AND SUSTAINABLE BUSINESS PRACTICES
Studies and analyzes the increasing pressures on organizations to
make the right decisions by acting in ways that benefit society and
reduce negative environmental impacts. Students will complete
research on organizations that use sustainable and responsible
models; utilize case studies to identify current and best practices;
and develop guiding principles for decision making. [3 credits]
BUS-442 INTERNATIONAL FINANCE
Examines opportunities and risks associated with international
finance. Studies the international banking system, international
money market, international bond markets and international equity
markets. Explains exchange rate behavior and examines currency
derivatives including future and options on foreign exchanges,
currency and interest swaps, and international portfolio
investments. Students will evaluate strategies to hedge against
foreign exposures, including economic, translation, transaction and
cash flow exposures. They will also analyze and evaluate the impact
of central banks and financial policies around the world.
Prerequisites: BUS-321. [3 credits]
BUS-450 INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS CAPSTONE: EXPORTING AND IMPORTING
Integrates learning from business courses, courses from other
departments and real world experiences through the completion of
teamwork-based capstone projects. Student teams will be given the
option to work with a client or to create an international business
report. Teams that choose to work with a client will develop an
international business strategy and write a business plan for a
specific initiative related to trade, production or investment in
one or more foreign countries. At the end of the year, the team will
prepare a business plan and deliver a presentation to the client.
Teams that choose to conduct research will create an international
business report evaluating the globalization of markets, production
and investment for a selected country. Teams will interview business
representatives in the United States and the foreign country. At the
end of the semester, each team will deliver a presentation to
students, faculty and guests at Notre Dame. Prerequisites: BUS-302,
BUS-303, BUS-321, BUS-350 and corequisite BUS-442. [3 credits]
BUS-451 WOMEN IN LEADERSHIP
Evaluates opportunities, issues and complexities that women face in
the workplace. Analyzes differences between gender style and
content in communications and behavior; critiques societal
expectations of women and men in the workplace and in leadership
roles; connects management and leadership precepts through the lens
of gender; examines leadership attributes through non-traditional
sources. Cross-listed as a graduate course to promote co-mentoring
and networking. Prerequisite: senior standing or permission of chair
applies to Women's College students only. Fulfills general education requirement
in gender studies.
[3 credits]
BUS-461 BUSINESS PRACTICUM
Connects academic learning with professional experience. Develops
and reinforces business-related skills, especially those needed by
women in business today. Provides peer support to discuss and
reflect on work-related issues. Students examine individual
strengths and areas for improvement. Prerequisites: Business major
with senior standing and permission of instructor. [4 credits]
BUS-463 INDEPENDENT STUDY IN BUSINESS
Provides an opportunity for business students to explore an area of
business in-depth while working independently and under faculty
supervision. The nature, scope and design of the project to be
completed, as well as a schedule of prearranged meetings, will be
individually contracted between the faculty member and the student.
Prerequisite: acceptance for supervision by a department faculty
member. [1-4 credits]
BUS-480 ORGANIZATIONAL BEHAVIOR
Examines the factors affecting human behavior in organizations.
Students apply relevant theories to contemporary organizational
problems through the use of case analyses, readings and
experiential exercises. The course focuses on developing analytical
frameworks to describe and assess organizational culture, structure,
leadership, ethics, change, decision making, power and political
processes. Prerequisite: BUS-302. Cannot be taken if student has
taken BUS-394. [3 credits]
BUS-482 BUYER BEHAVIOR
Investigates domestic and international consumer and organizational
buyer behavior theory and its impact on the formulation of marketing
strategy. Provides students with an opportunity to research and
evaluate current buyer behavior theory, including digital consumer
behavior as well as how marketers influence consumers and how
consumers use the products and services marketers sell. Through the
analysis of case studies and the development of a marketing plan,
students will use marketing and buyer behavior concepts to develop
strategies appropriate for today's competitive business environment.
This class is designed as an interactive, collaborative seminar.
Prerequisite: BUS-303 Principles of Marketing or permission of
chair. [3 credits]
BUS-483 INTEGRATED MARKETING COMMUNICATIONS
Provides an overview of integrated marketing communications programs
and the role they play in the implementation of successful marketing
strategy. Students will examine value innovation theory as well as
the integration of traditional and non-traditional forms of
communication. Traditional forms of communication include
advertising, public relations and personal selling. Non-traditional
forms of communication include online advertising, blogs, guerrilla
marketing and direct response marketing. Students will gain
experience gathering and analyzing market data and developing an
integrated marketing communications plan. Designed as a capstone
experience. Prerequisite: BUS-303 Principles of Marketing. [3
credits]
BUS-484 INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT
Emphasizes the foundation areas of investment management, including
securities markets, stock and bond valuation, portfolio theory, the
efficient market hypothesis and investment decision-making.
Students will complete a research project as well as build a
diversified investment portfolio for a hypothetical client. Projects
involve written and oral reports. Prerequisites BUS-225, BUS-321. [3
credits]
BUS-485 ADVANCED FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT
Provides in-depth analysis of financial management decisions and
decision-tools. Topics may include capital structure and capital
issuance, dividend policy, corporate financial planning, derivatives
for hedging stock volatility, derivatives for hedging interest rate
risk and financial institutions. Students will complete a research
project and develop strategies to manage an external environment
challenge. Projects involve written and oral reports. Prerequisites:
BUS-225, BUS-321. [3 credits]
BUS-486 HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT
Develops knowledge and skills in the human resource management
functions of strategic human resource planning, job design,
recruitment and selection, training and development, performance
management, employee relations and compensation and benefits.
Focuses on the legal environment of human resource management and
its impact on the entire human resource system. Enhances background
students will need to make informed human resource decisions in
organizations. Prerequisite: BUS-302. Cannot be taken if student
took BUS-315. [3 credits]
NPM-411 TOPICS IN NONPROFIT MANAGEMENT
Provides students an opportunity to study a variety of current
issues related to nonprofit management. Recent topics have included:
grant writing, nonprofit marketing and fundraising strategies, and
planning for service. [3 credits]