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Core Curriculum (24 credits)

The Business and Management program's core courses are designed to provide an understanding of basic business practices and leadership. All students must complete the following core curriculum for a total of 24 credits:

 

  • 768.302 Corporate Finance

    Students explore the role of the financial manager and develop concepts and tools for use in effective financial decision making and problem solving. The course covers forms of business organization, the federal income tax system, financial markets and institutions, capital budgeting, flow of funds and ratio analysis, operating and financial leverage, and working capital management. The course has key focus on time value of money, bond and stock valuation, and calculating the cost of capital. Practical exercises are used to illustrate and apply theories and concepts. (3 credits)

    Prerequisite(s): BU.768.101 AND BU.768.102 AND BU.768.203 AND BU.768.204

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  • 768.306 Marketing

    Why do some products fail in the marketplace while others succeed? The answer often lies in marketing—understanding and meeting the needs of the consumer. Students in this course examine strategies for successfully targeting markets and positioning products as they apply the four elements of marketing: developing product lines, determining pricing strategies, selecting appropriate distribution channels, and designing promotional strategies. Participants learn the steps in designing a marketing plan that incorporates these concepts. (3 credits)

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  • 768.307 Business Statistics

    Business managers and decision-makers can be inundated with data, but how can these data be organized into useful information? Course participants use statistical concepts and techniques that help in the interpretation of data, including probability, measures of central tendency, hypothesis testing, sampling distribution, and linear regression. These concepts are described within the context of business decision making. Specifically, issues regarding risk quantification, probability distribution, and how these concepts are used in business to create and enhance profits will be addressed. (3 credits)

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  • 768.308 Process and Operations Management

    How do organizations create value by turning resources into outputs? Management challenges require an analysis and examination of the processes and operations for performing work functions within the framework of time objectives, resource management, and organizational goals. Students examine the effect of communication on relationships between operations and other business functions, such as marketing, finance, accounting, human resources, and management. Students gain experience in applying tools that help maintain product quality and customer satisfaction. (3 credits)

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  • 769.304 Mgmt Info Systems

    In order to more effectively utilize technology in the business, managers need to understand technology, how it works and how it affects their operations. It will help them make better decisions on implementing and utilizing technology. This course will explore technology operations and how to make decisions concerning it. Topics include the role of technology in the organization; historical development of systems concepts of analysis; design, development, and implementation; networking and telecommunications; managing technology; data reliability, acquisition, security, and technology trends. (3 credits)

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  • 768.312 Professional Research and Writing

    Research is not the private domain of scholars. Business and IT professionals who know how to conduct advanced research and to present their findings in clear, readable prose bring indispensable skills to their workplace. These skills require mastery of the information process: (1) locating and accessing information (at the library, on-line, or in the field); (2) evaluating this information through a critical examination of its sources (author, publisher, etc.); (3) synthesizing and presenting information in a sophisticated argument that conforms to professional guidelines for documentation (e.g. MLA, APA). Students in this course work with several research tools—including periodical indices, government documents, electronic databases, on-line search engines, interviews, and surveys—to create a well-documented and written research paper. Particular attention is given to evaluating arguments, methods, and information sources. (3 credits) (3 credits)

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  • 768.318 Leadership and the Classics

    What are the qualities of an effective leader? How do historical circumstances, culture, and psychology impact a leader's ability to lead. Are particular leadership styles best suited to particular situations? This course explores these and related questions through a selection of readings that ranges from ancient Greek philosophy to 20th-century fiction, including works by Plato, Sophocles, Shakespeare, Macchiavelli, Mill, Hemingway, and Martin Luther King. Through directed reading and discussion, students gain valuable insights into ethical decision making, critical thinking, and teambuilding. (3 credits) (3 credits)

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  • 768.450 Ethics and the Professions

    Is lying to be condemned in all situations? Does a doctor have the right to conceal the truth from a patient in order to spare the patient's feelings? When does a politician's “spin” become falsehood? Beginning with a careful consideration of lies and deception, this course applies ethical analysis to a variety of professional situations. Students read short passages from religious and philosophical works ranging from the Bible to the writings of philosophers such as Kant, Mill, Nietzsche and Kohlberg. These are then applied to specific situations and problems. Students learn how to identify, evaluate, and resolve ethical problems related to confidentiality, sexual harassment, advocacy, hiring practices, whistleblowing, expense accounts, and other areas. Students consider what it means to provide ethical leadership and to demonstrate social responsibility. (3 credits) (3 credits)

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