The Master of Business Administration (MBA)
The MBA program strives to provide a stimulating, intellectually rigorous, ethically sensitive and personally fulfilling program of learning. The course work is relevant to the professional and lifelong learning needs of professionals and managers in business, education, government, religious and service organizations. The program is designed to develop competencies and skills for innovative and responsible leadership.
Professional tracks in the program include Econometrics, Entrepreneurship, Finance, Information Technology Management, International Business, Macroeconomics, Management and Organizational Behavior, Marketing, and Nonprofit and Social Enterprise. A general MBA is also an option.
Goals of the Program
All MBA students will be involved with the common body of knowledge characteristic of all elements of leadership including the following:
- The ability to solve problems, based on a knowledge of tools, concepts, and theories of each of the functional business disciplines;
- The ability to transcend functional boundaries, synthesizing and integrating information to make complex, short-term decisions with limited information, as well as conduct the research, competitive analysis, and environmental scanning necessary for long-term strategic decisions;
- The ability to apply specialized skills to managerial problems inherent in a rapidly changing global environment;
- The ability to effectively harness and use information technology;
- Effective written, oral and presentation skills;
- The interpersonal and team leadership skills needed to build an organizational environment that is effective and conducive to collaboration;
- A sense of professional and social responsibility in the conduct of managerial affairs.
Academic Calendar
Students can select a “blended program” combining some traditional campus based courses with some online courses. The on-campus MBA courses are offered year round in four 11-week terms: Fall, Winter, Spring and Summer. Classes are scheduled in the evening once a week to accommodate adult learners who are employed full time and pursuing course work on a part-time basis. Occasionally, a class will be offered in a compressed weekend format or as an International travel course. The online MBA courses are offered year round in five 8-week terms. Please note that only select professional tracks are offered in the online format. Depending on admission requirements, some students may complete the program in as few as 12 months, though they may take up to seven years, if they choose. Students who wish to proceed at a slower pace may do so, as long as they complete the program within seven years after their first registration.
Admission Requirements
International applicants are subject to separate admission procedures. For current admission procedures, international applicants (only) should consult the following: www.callutheran.edu/Business
Candidates for admission to the MBA program should submit a complete application portfolio at least 45 days prior to the start of the term. Admission decisions for regular graduate standing are based on a review of the following materials in the candidate’s file:
- A completed application form and non-refundable application fee;
- Evidence of an interview with an admission counselor;
- Official transcripts showing a bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited U.S. institution. Normally, a grade point average of 3.0 or higher in upper division undergraduate work is expected;
- Two letters of recommendation;
- A personal statement;
- Test scores. Applicants whose undergraduate records do not satisfy the criteria set forth in paragraphs A-D below must include Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT) scores in their admission portfolio. The GMAT may be waived for candidates who present an official transcript of previous college work from a regionally accredited college or university reflecting any one of the following criteria:
- An undergraduate, upper division grade point average of 3.0 or higher on a 4.0 scale; or
- A combined grade point average of 3.0 or higher for the most recent 60 credits of study consisting of any of the following: graduate course work, upper division post baccalaureate course work (exclusive of extension or continuing education work), and upper division undergraduate course work; or
- A minimum of nine credits of graduate course work completed and a 3.50 grade point average; or
- A previously earned master’s degree.
Note: All applicants who have completed their undergraduate work at an institution outside of the U.S. must submit GMAT and TOEFL scores and have their transcripts evaluated for equivalency to a U.S. bachelor's degree.
Admission Counseling
Prior to enrollment in graduate classes, the applicant must make an appointment for an advisement interview with an admission counselor. This exploratory interview will clarify individual program requirements and provide the opportunity to answer students’ questions. Counselors are available by appointment.
Provisional Admission
Under some conditions, after meeting with an admission counselor and with the approval of the Program Director, a student may register for classes before completing the entire admission process. However, the Application for Admission, the $50 application fee, and a copy of a transcript showing a bachelor’s degree with an acceptable GPA and/or acceptable standardized test score must be on file in the Graduate and Adult Programs Office before the class registration can be accepted. Students are expected to complete all admission requirements in the first term of their program or they will not be permitted to enroll in subsequent terms. Provisionally admitted students are not eligible for financial aid.
International Students
International students have unique admission requirements. They should refer to the admission requirements for international students listed in the general admission section of this catalog or at http://www.callutheran.edu/business.
Requirements for the Master of Business Administration (MBA)
The MBA requires 45 semester credits of course work (36 required and 9 elective credits) which must be completed within a seven-year period. Pass/Fail grading is not permitted for any courses taken towards graduation credit in the MBA and Post-MBA Programs.
Additional course work may be required for individuals whose academic records reflect the need for preparation in the areas of accounting/finance, communication, economics and/or statistics. The requirement for this preparation is determined during the admission process. These courses, which we call Business Foundations, are primarily designed for students who are admitted to the MBA program but do not have sufficient business and/or academic background. Basic knowledge of word processing, spreadsheet and database applications is expected.
Foundation Courses (3 Credits each) | ||
BUS 511 | Foundations of Accounting and Finance | 3 |
BUS 512 | Foundations of Business Methods and Communication | 3 |
BUS 513 | Foundation of Economics | 3 |
BUS 514 | Foundation of Quantitative Methods | 3 |
Required (36 Credits) | ||
BUS 521 | Statistical Analysis for Managers | 3 |
BUS 522 | Management Science 1 | 3 |
BUS 531 | Managerial Economics | 3 |
BUS 551 | Managerial Accounting | 3 |
BUS 565 | Organizational Theory and Development | 3 |
BUS 567 | Behavioral Sciences for Management | 3 |
BUS 568 | Business Ethics | 3 |
BUS 573 | Law for Business Executives | 3 |
BUS 575 | Marketing Theory | 3 |
BUS 581 | Management Concepts for Information Technology | 3 |
BUS 591 | Financial Principles and Policies 2 | 3 |
Capstone Course | ||
BUS 574 | Strategic Management: Capstone Course* (Capstone) 3 | 3 |
Total Hours | 48 |
1 | Prerequisites:BUS 521 |
2 | |
3 | All required courses must be completed before enrolling in Strategic Management. |
The mandatory attendance policy for all courses offered through the Online MBA at California Lutheran University serves to improve student learning and comply with federal regulations and financial aid policies. CLU Online MBA courses consist of synchronous and asynchronous activities. All activities are mandatory and in some way count towards the final grade. While the degree of participation in asynchronous activities (e.g. weekly assignments, threaded discussions, quizzes, etc. as outlined in the syllabus of an online course) is documented by the degree of completion and the quality of the outcomes, the degree of participation in synchronous activities (e.g. a weekly live chat session in a virtual classroom) is documented by the actual presence of a student during such activities. Based on this general policy, the following apply:
- Attendance of synchronous activities (e.g. weekly live chat session in a virtual classroom) is mandatory for all students and in all Online MBA courses.
- Students may be dropped from the course if they do not attend the first synchronous activity of the course (unless discussed with the instructor prior to the activity) and/or if they have not logged into the learning management system (online course) during the first week of the term.
- Students may miss a maximum of two synchronous activities. Attendance of less than 75% of a synchronous activity will be considered as insufficient (i.e. missed). Failure to meet the individual course attendance requirements may result in a grade of F.
- Students can make up for a maximum of two missed synchronous activities. In the case of a live chat session, students must listen to the archived chat session for that week and complete an assignment at the instructor’s discretion.
- In addition to these attendance requirements, each instructor will have separate grading policies concerning participation in synchronous activities.
Professional Tracks
The 11 required courses and final capstone course (36 credits) are the same for all professional tracks. The remaining nine credits may be selected from specified elective courses for each track. MBA students may work toward an MBA in a general track, which consists of nine credits of any MBA electives, or they may choose to earn an MBA with a specialization consisting of nine credits in one of nine professional tracks. All prerequisite core courses should be completed before enrolling in track electives. The professional tracks are:
- Arts Management and Administration
- Econometrics
- Entrepreneurship
- Finance
- Information Technology Management
- International Business
- Macroeconomics
- Management and Organizational Behavior
- Marketing
- Nonprofit & Social Enterprise
- Sustainable Business
Elective Courses
Arts Management and Administration
The Arts Management and Administration track is designed to prepare students for the fluxuating world of arts management and administration with both consumers, organizations, and the global society in mind.
Electives | ||
Select three of the following: | 9 | |
Business of the Arts | ||
The Anthropology & Spirituality of Consumption | ||
Studies in Cultures | ||
Economics of Arts & Culture | ||
Fundraising, Board Development and Succession Planning | ||
Total Hours | 9 |
Econometrics
The Econometrics sequence trains students to use modern statistical techniques to analyze data. The first course covers the classical regression model. The second course covers panel data techniques, instrumental variables, and limited dependent variable models. The third course emphasizes time-series methods. Serial correlation, univariate and multivariate times-series econometrics will be discussed in detail.
Required Prerequisite Core Course | ||
BUS 531 | Managerial Economics | 3 |
Electives (all required) | ||
ECON 510 | Econometrics 1 | 3 |
ECON 511 | Econometrics 2 | 3 |
ECON 512 | Econometrics 3 | 3 |
Total Hours | 12 |
Entrepreneurship
Discover the natural advantages that result from your company's small size, speed, agility, flexibility, sensitivity to customer's needs, creativity, a spirit of innovation so you can successfully compete. You will become excited about the possibilities, the challenges, and the rewards of owning your own business. You will learn the tools necessary to become successful and be able to work at doing something you really love.
Recommended Prerequisite Core Courses | ||
BUS 551 | Managerial Accounting | 3 |
BUS 565 | Organizational Theory and Development | 3 |
BUS 567 | Behavioral Sciences for Management | 3 |
BUS 575 | Marketing Theory | 3 |
Electives | ||
Select three of the following: | 9 | |
Management and Marketing for High-Technology Innovations | ||
Executive Roundtable | ||
Strategic Public Relations | ||
International Business Opportunities - European Community, Latin America Or Pacific Rim | ||
Leadership and Managerial Effectivenss | ||
Human Resources Management | ||
New Venture Development * | ||
Consulting to Business | ||
Marketing Research | ||
Sales Management | ||
Negotiation and Conflict Management | ||
Consumer Behavior * | ||
Sustainable Operations Management | ||
Total Hours | 21 |
* | Elective also available online. |
Finance
The Finance Track develops financial managers who are aware of the external factors and are proficient in applying the most current tools and quantitative techniques to provide smooth running day-to-day operations, as well as contribute to the company's long-term success. Students will integrate financial strategy and product market strategy; define and measure asset and portfolio risk and return; and develop and implement capital and dividend policies. Depending on course selection, the skills taught in the Finance Track may also equip students to plan and implement their own financial plan, including managing a personal investment portfolio.
Recommended Prerequisite Core Courses | ||
BUS 521 | Statistical Analysis for Managers | 3 |
BUS 531 | Managerial Economics | 3 |
BUS 551 | Managerial Accounting | 3 |
BUS 591 | Financial Principles and Policies | 3 |
Electives | ||
Select three of the following: | 9 | |
Corporate Finance | ||
Financial Strategy | ||
Strategic Financial Analysis | ||
Executive Roundtable | ||
Money and Banking | ||
International Finance | ||
Investment and Portfolio Management * | ||
Total Hours | 21 |
* | Elective also available online. |
Information Technology Management
The Information Technology Management Track develops business leaders who understand the concepts and methods required to define, design, build, manage and evolve information technology. In addition, students will learn to align technology goals to strategic business goals, design client server applications, develop data communication and networking strategies, assess the business risks and rewards of new information technology, apply re-engineering principles to business processes, and understand the role of the technology manager in business planning.
Recommended Prerequisite Core Course | ||
BUS 581 | Management Concepts for Information Technology | 3 |
Electives | ||
Select three of the following: | 9 | |
Project and Change Management | ||
Management and Marketing for High-Technology Innovations | ||
Distributed Systems and Applications | ||
Relational Technology | ||
Information Security Management | ||
Green Business | ||
Global Information Technology | ||
Business Systems Development | ||
Data Communications and Network | ||
Information Systems and Business Strategy | ||
Management Concepts for E-Business | ||
Total Hours | 12 |
International Business
Designed to prepare graduates for professional careers in this borderless world economy. Today's managers need to be prepared to interact with other countries, cultures, beliefs and business systems. Therefore, future students of business will need to acquire rather complex skills attributed to cross-cultural management because today's business is increasingly global.
Recommended Prerequisite Core Courses | ||
BUS 531 | Managerial Economics | 3 |
BUS 565 | Organizational Theory and Development | 3 |
BUS 567 | Behavioral Sciences for Management | 3 |
BUS 575 | Marketing Theory | 3 |
Electives | ||
Select three of the following: | 9 | |
Executive Roundtable | ||
Applied International Management * | ||
International Business Opportunities - European Community, Latin America Or Pacific Rim | ||
Importing and Exporting * | ||
International Strategic Planning | ||
International Marketing | ||
International Finance | ||
International Business * | ||
Total Hours | 21 |
* | Elective also available online. |
Macroeconomics
The Macroeconomic sequence will establish the core macroeconomic theoretical foundation. It will include study of traditional static models and widely used dynamic modeling techniques in macroeconomic research today. Monetary and fiscal policy and the impacts of each will also be discussed.
Required Prerequisite Core Course | ||
BUS 531 | Managerial Economics | 3 |
Electives | ||
Required Core Courses: | ||
ECON 530 | MacRoeconomic Theory - Part 1 | 3 |
ECON 531 | MacRoeconomic Theory - Part 2 | 3 |
Select one of the following: | 3 | |
Development Economics | ||
International Economics | ||
Total Hours | 12 |
Management and Organizational Behavior
The Management and Organizational Behavior Track equips managers to understand the dynamics of complex organizations. In addition to specific skills in decision-making, human resource management, conflict resolution, labor and management relations, and issues related to cultural diversity, students will study relationships between organizations and their external environments. They will explore how organizations can respond responsibly to the ecological environment and to social responsibilities. CLU graduates will be prepared to foster innovation, participate in resource acquisition, facilitate change and enhance production and services within their organizations.
Recommended Prerequisite Core Courses | ||
BUS 565 | Organizational Theory and Development | 3 |
BUS 567 | Behavioral Sciences for Management | 3 |
Electives | ||
Select three of the following: | 9 | |
Project and Change Management | ||
Management and Marketing for High-Technology Innovations | ||
Executive Roundtable | ||
Applied International Management * | ||
International Strategic Planning | ||
Current Issues in Management | ||
Communication for Management | ||
C.S.R. and Social Enterprise * | ||
Organizational Dynamics | ||
Leadership and Managerial Effectivenss * | ||
Human Resources Management | ||
Sales Management | ||
Negotiation and Conflict Management | ||
Business Transformation | ||
Sustainable Operations Management | ||
Information Systems and Business Strategy | ||
Management Concepts for E-Business | ||
International Business * | ||
Total Hours | 15 |
* | Elective also available online. |
Marketing
The Marketing Track prepares students to apply marketing research tools and concepts in domestic and international markets, identify strategic factors and trends, analyze the external environments, plan campaigns, and understand the application of the principal tools of marketing and sales management.
Recommended Prerequisite Core Course | ||
BUS 575 | Marketing Theory | 3 |
Electives | ||
Select three of the following: | 9 | |
Marketing Management | ||
Management and Marketing for High-Technology Innovations | ||
Marketing for Nonprofit and Social Enterprise | ||
Executive Roundtable | ||
Strategic Public Relations | ||
International Marketing | ||
C.S.R. and Social Enterprise * | ||
Marketing Communications | ||
Marketing Research | ||
Sales Management * | ||
Consumer Behavior * | ||
Services Marketing * | ||
Total Hours | 12 |
* | Elective also available online. |
Nonprofit and Social Enterprise
The Nonprofit & Social Enterprise track develops leaders who are able to upgrade management practices within an organization to achieve financial success while implementing operational approaches that benefit society and the natural environment.
Students will be prepared to work for nonprofit organizations, create Corporate Social Responsibility programs within their commercial companies, or branch out on their own as social entrepreneurs.
Recommended Prerequisite Core Courses | ||
BUS 565 | Organizational Theory and Development | 3 |
BUS 567 | Behavioral Sciences for Management | 3 |
BUS 575 | Marketing Theory | 3 |
Electives | ||
Select three of the following: | 9 | |
Marketing for Nonprofit and Social Enterprise | ||
Executive Roundtable | ||
Green Business | ||
Strategic Public Relations | ||
Current Issues in Management | ||
Communication for Management | ||
C.S.R. and Social Enterprise * | ||
Leadership and Managerial Effectivenss | ||
Services Marketing | ||
Total Hours | 18 |
* | Elective also available online. |
Sustainable Business
The Sustainable Business track will provide students with opportunities to further explore concepts of triple bottom line and sustainability, as the importance of green strategies, technologies and innovations grows, and sustainability becomes incorporated in all aspects of business operations and management. This shift will require a new generation of managers with a vision of sustainability, new skill sets, and different kinds of knowledge, to address sustainability-driven changes.
Electives: | ||
Select three of the following: | 9 | |
Green Business | ||
Sustainable Operations Management | ||
Business of Renewable Energy Technologies | ||
Sustainable Marketing | ||
Total Hours | 9 |
Courses
BUS 501. Introduction to Financial Planning. (3).
This is the introductory course in the Financial
Planning (FP) program. As the name suggests, this
course will introduce students to the general
principles of Financial Planning. The course will
begin by describing the FP process including the
collection of data, financial statements and the
budgeting process and the requirements of both
the planner and of the profession (ethics,
competencies, standards, regulations, etc.). The
course will then establish the different areas of
FP (law, taxes, insurance, investments, estate
planning, etc.). The course will provide the
appropriate foundation for the rest of the FP
courses.
BUS 502. Tax Management and Strategy. (3).
This course will primarily cover the following
three areas: tax planning considerations, tax
computations and tax planning strategies. The
main focus will be on personal tax management and
strategies.
BUS 503. Project and Change Management. (3).
Project management is an increasingly prominent
and requested discipline within organizations
today. More and more companies are looking to
experienced project managers to deliver company
strategic objectives while applying proven
project management principles to execute their
projects. This course is an introduction to the
basic fundamentals of project management.
Specifically, the class will focus on building
core competencies required to pass the Project
Management Professional (PMP) certification
examination. Students will receive a general
baseline of project management knowledge based on
the nine knowledge areas defined by the Project
Management Institute (PMI). (cross-listed with
IST 503).
BUS 504. Healthcare Information Systems. (3).
This course provides an overview of the business
questions Chief Information Officers (CIOs) and
Chief Executive Officers (CEOs) of Mobile
Technology, Patient Safety, HIPAA, ePrescribing,
Telemedicine, Bioinformatics and Emerging Trends.
The course will take a practical approach to
Healthcare Informatics and will be conducted with
a mix of lectures/discussions, student
presentations, case studies, demonstrations,
in-class exercises, and exams. Interactive
discussion during all class sessions is strongly
encouraged. (cross-listed with IST 501).
BUS 505. Employee Benefits and Retirement Planning. (3).
This course will cover the requisite material for
the field of financial planning. Students will
begin by being versed in different benefits plans
including disability and cafeteria plans as well
as business applications of the above. The course
will then cover retirement planning issues
including Government Social Security, Medicare
and Medicaid plans. Students will be exposed to
needs analysis, different types and
characteristics of retirement plans, distribution
options, ethical considerations, etc. At the end
of this segment, students should be able to
recommend suitable retirement and portfolio
plans. Prerequisites: BUS 501 and BUS 591.
BUS 506. Risk Management and Insurance. (3).
Insurance is an important aspect of a financial
plan. In order to acquire and develop the
requisite skills, students will be provided with
a knowledge base in the evolving area of risk
management. This course in Risk Management and
Insurance will provide students with an
understanding of the modern methods of appraising
risk and the different tools and techniques used
to manage it. The course will provide an in-depth
introduction to insurance as the traditional tool
of risk management. Life, health, property and
casualty, liability and other forms of insurance
will be examined in detail in this course. At the
end of this course, students should be able to
assess the risk exposure and tolerance of clients
and the different ways in which different types
of insurance can be used to manage risk.
Prerequisites: BUS 501 and BUS 591.
BUS 507. Principles of Estate Planning. (3).
A significant task of a financial planner is to
address the estate planning needs of clients.
This complex legal area explores issues in
transfer of property, wills, trust, gifts, etc.
Related issues in valuation, taxes,
documentation, etc., are also examined. This
course will also delve into issues of probate,
freezes, marital deductions, charitable
contributions, charitable trusts and planning for
incapacity. Special attention will be given to
trusts, the use of insurance in estate planning,
taxation issues in estate planning, etc. The
course should provide students with the knowledge
necessary to advise clients in estate planning
matters as well as to recommend different plans
and strategies.
Prerequisites: BUS 501 and BUS 591.
BUS 508. Capstone Course in Financial Planning. (3).
This is the capstone course in Financial Planning
and it will attempt to integrate the material in
all other dedicated FP classes. Students will
take this course only when they have finished all
other courses successfully. This course will be
structured as a casework course and the cases
used will closely reflect the types of cases they
may encounter both as financial planners and as
part of their CFPTM Exams or Certification.
Hence, each case will have components of all
other FP courses and will integrate such material
to reflect the complexities of real life clients.
The course ends with an exam styled after the CFP
Certification Exam. Successful students will not
only be proficient in basic and advanced
financial planning skills and competencies but
also will most likely be successful in attaining
their CFP certification. Prerequisites: BUS 501,
BUS 505, BUS 506, BUS 507, BUS 524, BUS 591 and
BUS 593.
BUS 509. Information Technology Infrastructure. (3).
This hands-on course will explore the
configuration and management of the various
components involved in information technology
infrastructure. Such infrastructure elements as
routers, firewalls, mail servers, content
management servers, and other such components
will be used to develop skills required to manage
IT infrastructure. Other components may include
storage networks, grid computing, virtual private
networks, and wide area networks. The course will
use a combination of dedicated devices and
virtual machine technologies to gain experience
with those techniques at the same time.
(cross-listed with IST 502).
BUS 511. Foundations of Accounting and Finance. (3).
Basic principles of accounting and finance will
be presented as a foundation for advanced study
and as a vocational skill. The course will
include covering the accounting cycle, basic
financial statements for sole proprietorships,
partnerships and corporations as forms of
entities, plus the time value of money, stock
valuation, weighted average cost of capital, bond
interest, and how to use a financial calculator.
BUS 512. Foundations of Business Methods and Communication. (3).
The study of professional business methods with
an emphasis on critical analysis of real world
business problems, development of professional
business correspondence, and planning,
organizing, preparing and presenting major
business reports and PowerPoint presentations.
Significant use of computer skills and public
speaking skills will be included.
BUS 513. Foundation of Economics. (3).
This course provides the groundwork for a general
understanding of economics. It deals with both
aspects of the study of economics (Micro and
Macroeconomics). Microeconomics explains economic
decision making by the individual economic
agents, and Macroeconomics describes the working
of an economic system and its behavior as a
whole. In order to help students get a better
grasp of the pertinent discussions and follow
them in a systematic order, the course is divided
into five segments: 1) Introduction to Economics;
2) Market, Price, Quantity, Market Failure, and
Concept of Efficiency; 3) Product Market; 4)
Macroeconomic Measurement, Models and Fiscal
Policy; 5) Money, Banking and Monetary Policy.
BUS 514. Foundation of Quantitative Methods. (3).
The main objective of this course is to help
entering MBA students acquire and/or refresh
basic math and quantitative skills needed to
succeed in the MBA program. This course aims to
review mathematical concepts and methods which
are frequently used in core courses such as
statistics, management science, finance, economic
analysis and accounting. The course is designed
for students who have not taken a formal course
in math and/or statistics, students that took
these courses long ago and need to refresh this
knowledge, or students that are not confident
with the basic quantitative skills, statistics
and mathematics.
BUS 515. Marketing Management. (3).
Marketing Management introduces students to the
great variety of functions that must be managed
in a marketing organization. Activities and
issues addressed include: product marketing and
management, customer satisfaction, pricing,
product launching, telemarketing, marketing
information systems, channel management,
marketing administration, industry marketing,
marketing planning, marketing communications,
lead management, show participation and marketing
campaigns. Prerequisite: BUS 575.
BUS 516. Management and Marketing for High-Technology Innovations. (3).
The global economy is driven by technological
innovations. High-tech industries such as
nanotech and biotech develop their products and
innovative manufacturing processes through
systematic application of scientific and
technical knowledge. Nowadays, the scope of
high-technology applications encompasses a broad
cross section of industries. For nonprofit and
social enterprises also, sustainability and
scaling will increasingly depend on the use of
innovative technologies. The course explores the
challenges, such as market uncertainty,
technological uncertainty and competitive
volatility, faced by product managers and
marketers in high-tech industries. The role of
marketing and creating customer-oriented and
market-driven high-tech products and technologies
as well as societal and ethical issues arising
from the unintended consequences are examined
through business case studies. Examples from the
emerging nanotechnology and rapidly expanding
biotechnology fields are discussed.
BUS 517. Marketing for Nonprofit and Social Enterprise. (3).
Social enterprises and nonprofit organizations -
domestic and global - face unique challenges in
working to achieve financial sustainability,
especially in a time of increasing competition
for available charitable funding. The course
looks at successful social enterprises, in the
U.S. and around the world, that have employed
creative earned-income strategies and decreased
their dependence on traditional philanthropy. In
addition, social marketing trends, technologies
and scaling strategies are illuminated. Through
readings and discussions, case studies and a
group project, students learn how social
marketing objectives are accomplished through
carefully chosen combinations of research,
planning, implementation, and program evaluation.
BUS 518. Emerging Technologies and Issues. (3).
This course will explore current emerging
technologies as they relate to information
systems in organizations. Topics will change as
technology and organizations continue to evolve.
Current topics include social computing, "Web
2.0," blogs, wikis, user-generated content, the
role of geographic information systems, the role
of ethics in information systems and other
cutting-edge topics. (cross-listed with IST 570).
BUS 519. Business of the Arts. (3).
The Business of the Arts is an introductory
course that surverys the full spectrum of the
arts as a business. The course will focus on
current & future trends & business practices in a
field that is rapidly changing due to the
increasing international profile of performing &
visual arts & the changing marketing resources
provided by the internet & social media.
Students will b engaged to investigate the
various career opportunities open in the exciting
business of professional arts management. This
course is required for the professional track &
students must complete the appropriate foundation
courses.
BUS 521. Statistical Analysis for Managers. (3).
The course is designed to help students acquire a
good intuitive grasp of statistics - what it is,
how and when to apply statistical techniques to
managerial situations and how to interpret
results. The course focuses on the use of
statistics in research, including defining the
research question; designing experiments;
collecting, managing and analyzing data; and
interpreting the results. Descriptive and
inductive statistics will be discussed in detail.
Topics include an introduction to math,
descriptive methods (i.e., tabular, graphical and
numerical methods), sampling design and sampling
distribution, probability theory, continuous
probability distribution, discrete probability
distribution, interval estimation and confidence
intervals and hypothesis testing. The course also
introduces the use of the computer as a tool in
statistical analysis. Students will learn how to
describe their data to efficient statistical
software (SPSS or Excel) and how to request a
data analysis.
BUS 522. Management Science. (3).
The purpose of this course is to provide students
with a sound conceptual understanding of the role
management science plays in the decision-making
process. Specifically, the course is concerned
with the wide variety of quantitative techniques
currently being used in the field of management
science (a field melding portions of business,
economics, statistics, mathematics and other
disciplines into a pragmatic effort to help
managers make decisions). Topics to be covered
are regression analysis (simple as well as
multiple variable models), forecasting, linear
programming, inventory decision making, PERT &
CPM models, decision analysis (deterministic as
well as probabilistic models), transportation
models, goal programming and simulations.
Prerequisite: BUS 521.
BUS 523. The Anthropology & Spirituality of Consumption. (3).
Connects the relationship between the consumption
of arts related goods, services & ideas of human
spirituality. Consumption has emerged within a
spiritual place in the anthropology of western
counsumers. As such, within the course, current
studies & research in the arts comsumption sphere
& connections to anthroplogic spirituality are
presented. Principles covered in the course are
applicable to management & administration of the
arts practice in relation to production of its
outputs. THis course is required for the
professional track.
BUS 526. Corporate Finance. (3).
This course deals with corporate financial
decisions involving long-term debt, dividend
policy, equity, capital structure, cost of
capital and long-term financial planning. These
issues will be addressed mostly in the context of
the underlying theory and practice.
End-of-chapter problems and other assignments are
intended to illustrate how ideas introduced in
the course are applied to real-world situations.
Prerequisites: BUS 521, BUS 531, BUS 551 and BUS
591.
BUS 527. Financial Strategy. (3).
This course deals with the corporate financial
strategies as they relate to the areas of
valuation, capital budgeting, financial distress,
options, risk management, corporate
restructuring, dividend policy, international
finance, and mergers and acquisitions. These
issues are addressed in the context of real case
studies. Selected readings and research articles
are intended to provide a foundation for
introduced concepts and expose the student to the
latest thinking in this area. Prerequisites: BUS
521, BUS 531, BUS 551 and BUS 591.
BUS 528. Strategic Financial Analysis. (3).
This course is designed to provide students with
the skills necessary to exploit the richness of
information available from financial statements.
Upon completion of the course, students will have
an appreciation for the usefulness and
limitations of financial statements in asset
valuation and credit analysis, and should be
aware of much of the research that exists
concerning the role of financial information in
capital markets. Prerequisites: BUS 521, BUS 531,
BUS 551 and BUS 591.
BUS 529. Executive Roundtable. (3).
The intent of this course is to serve both as an
elective for the Management and Finance emphasis
areas in the MBA program or as an optional
capstone for Finance majors. Of course, all
emphasis areas are welcome to take the course for
credit and all students (including
undergraduates) are invited to attend the
presentation and subsequent discussion for each
executive speaker.
BUS 530. Information Systems and Ethics. (3).
Existing and emerging technologies pose important
ethical questions for individuals, organizations
and society. These questions will be examined
from multiple perspectives through in class
exercises, debate, dialogue, and discussion as
well as readings and media that draw upon broad
ethical frameworks, everyday dilemmas, and
current trends in information systems. The
importance of ethics will be emphasized and
applied to thought provoking topics including,
but not limited to, ownership of digital works,
online identity and expression, and the global
nature of information systems. (cross-listed with
IST 530).
BUS 531. Managerial Economics. (3).
This course studies the role of economic theory
in management analysis and decisions. The study
of demand, cost, and supply theories from a
business viewpoint are also covered. This course
is about economic principles and their relevance
to business decision-making. We will explore the
interaction of information, economic incentives
and market competition and how these interact to
determine prices, products available, profits,
and patterns of trade and organization. At the
end of this course, students should be able to
understand how basic economic reasoning can lead
to improved managerial decisions.
BUS 531A. Macroeconomics for Investments. (3).
This course is concerned with the application of
economic concepts and analyses to issues relevant
to investments in particular and financial
planning in general. Focus is on understanding
basic economic relationships that shape the
economy, factors that affect economic growth,
issues of government spending and budget
deficits, how the Federal Reserve addresses
issues of inflation and unemployment, the
business cycle and how it affects investment
strategy, international interdependence and the
economic gains from trade. The course will enable
students to apply economic reasoning when
constructing investment portfolios.
Pre-requisite: BUS 521.
BUS 532. Distributed Systems and Applications. (3).
We use distributed systems every day. Every Web
interaction, every email, every bank transaction
uses a series of at least two computers to
accomplish the task it is been asked to do.
Distributed systems require an added level of
understanding of how systems work together, as
the distribution of applications can have both
positive and negative impacts on system behavior.
This course provides an overview of distributed
computing architectures in terms of hardware and
software. Topics will include client/server
software and N-tier architectures, middleware,
Internet technologies, application development,
networking, security, and system management.
Prerequisite: BUS 581. (cross-listed with IST 532).
BUS 534. Relational Technology. (3).
Relational database management systems (RDBMS),
together with information data models, are the
cornerstone of today's information technology
architecture. They are key components of
distributed computing environments and client
server applications. This course will examine the
following: 1) the definition and role of RDBMS in
today's information technology; 2) the basic
aspects of data: structure, integrity and
manipulation; 3) information modeling concepts
and disciplines; and 4) database modeling tools.
Utilizing the Erwin information modeling software
and applying the IDEFIX modeling method, the
student will participate in the development of an
information data model. Prerequisite: BUS 581.
(cross-listed with IST 534).
BUS 535. Information Security Management. (3).
This course is designed to expose managers to the
major concepts and theory of Information
Security. Students will understand and apply the
principles upon which any information security
program is built. Course will cover the basics of
the "10 domains" including data classification,
cryptography, network and application security,
risk management, threat and vulnerability
analysis, computer forensics, and policies and
architecture designs. (cross-listed with IST 535).
BUS 536. Fundamentals of Web Developmnt. (3).
The course provides a foundation in skills and
concepts that web developers need to be able to
develop highly effective web sites. The primary
focus is on learning and using XHTML and CSS.
After learning the basics of web page development
using XHTML and CSS, a Web Authoring tool is
introduced. Microsoft Expression Web makes
creating compliant standards-based Web sites
faster and easier. A tutorial on Microsoft
Expression Web (EW) is offered and EW is used for
a course project. The students will learn the
skills to build a multipage standards-based web
site. (cross-listed with IST 536).
BUS 537. Green Business. (3).
"Green Business" refers to sustainable business
that meets customers' needs in ways that solve
rather than cause environmental and social
problems. Green businesses operate across all
business sectors from production of conventional
goods/services to developing new breakthrough
technologies. This model of socially and
environmentally responsible business does not
assume a sacrificing of corporate profits. On the
contrary, sustainable businesses show financial
success in the long-run, benefit many
stakeholders while exploiting none. This course
explores the tremendous impact green movement is
having on marketing and business strategies. It
catalogs the adoption of green principles,
policies and practices by mainstream
corporations, and reviews how clean technologies
are helping to optimize natural-science use while
improving financial performance.
BUS 538. Strategic Public Relations. (3).
In this course, Public Relations is approached as
a proactive and strategic management function.
For all kinds of organizations - commercial
companies, nonprofits and social enterprises,
governments - PR must be a vital function that
identifies, establishes and maintains
relationships with the key publics upon which
organizational success or failure depends.
Students study the key theories, models and
processes of public relations, while developing a
command of PR terminology. They focus on current
developments in the macro PR environment,
especially the impact of emerging communication
technologies. They will study real-world cases
involving PR practice, including employee
relations, media relations, community relations,
customer relations, government relations, issues
management, corporate PR, fundraising and
institutional development, and emergency
PR/crisis communications.
BUS 539. Global Information Technology. (3).
Provides the student with necessary insights into
challenges and opportunities of the international
use of information technology, as well as the
criticality and approach to alignment of I.T.
with global enterprise. (cross-listed with IST
539).
BUS 541. Money and Banking. (3).
This course studies the theory and functions of
money, the principles of commercial banking and
the operations of the fractional reserve banking
system in the U.S. The ability of the government
to influence the U.S. economy by monetary and
fiscal policies is examined. Prerequisites: BUS
521, BUS 531, BUS 551 and BUS 591.
BUS 542. Applied International Management. (3).
All organizations are directly or indirectly
affected by international management issues. This
holds true for a small business as well as a
major enterprise. Yet, too often, inadequate
attention is paid to differing cultures, styles,
customs and protocols involved with conducting
business across national borders. This class is
designed to introduce graduate students to some
of the concepts and implications of the
accelerating trend of increased globalization.
Managing a culturally diverse work force within
the same national boundaries will also be
addressed. A combination of lectures, videos,
case studies and hands-on activities will be used
to present the subject in an experiential manner
designed for practical application.
Prerequisites: BUS 565, BUS 592.
BUS 543. International Business Opportunities - European Community, Latin America Or Pacific Rim. (3).
These are varied international business courses
focusing on the potential business opportunities,
cultural, political, economic and sociocultural
environments specific to three major global
arenas. The classes will be taught on a rotating
basis, identified in the current term class
schedule.
International Business Opportunities - European
Community
Since regional alliances are becoming
increasingly important, this course will look in
depth at the area known as the European
Community. It will examine the history and
cooperative spirit that defines this area, in an
effort to understand possible business alliances
existing there.
International Business Opportunities - Latin
America
This is an advanced international business course
focusing on the potential business opportunities
existing within this vast regional area. Topics
will include common political/legal/economic and
sociocultural environments. Specific country
research will be the backbone of this course and
will afford the students distinct competence in
their area of choice. The structure of this class
will include lectures, guest speakers, extensive
library research, country reports and a formal
report including a presentation on a specific
country in Latin America.
International Business Opportunities - Pacific
Rim
The Pacific Rim, with half the world's population
and one-third of the globe's surface, has become
one of the economic powerhouses of the world.
This course is designed to explore the cultural,
political, economic and sociocultural
environments specific to this area. In-depth
studies on differing business practices within
the Pacific Rim region will provide students with
specialized skills for practical business
opportunities.
BUS 544. Importing and Exporting. (3).
This course covers the techniques and procedures
involved in successfully carrying out export and
import transactions. Topics include the language
of, and documentation for, international trade,
payment terms, trade barriers, export licensing,
pricing, order handling, insurance, international
collections and international transportation. The
functions and operations of Foreign Trade Zones
are illustrated, as well as the legislation that
affects the international trader to include some
of the alternatives to exporting such as
licensing, foreign manufacturing and joint
ventures. Prerequisites: BUS 565, BUS 567 and BUS
592.
BUS 545. International Strategic Planning. (3).
International Strategic Planning means the
ability to plan ahead and stay competitive in the
world market, considering the strengths and
weaknesses of each individual environment. In
fact, the term has extended its importance to
become one of central preoccupation of not only
private firms but also governments, industries
and individuals seeking global successes. The
purpose of the course is to examine the specific
issues involved in the development of
international competitive strategy for various
American industries and major firms. Attention
will be focused on the following aspects: 1)
studying and exploring the meanings and tactics
for staying competitive; 2) understanding how and
why such strategies are developed; 3) evaluating
and analyzing when and why such strategies
succeed or fail to offer competitive advantages
for a particular firm or industry; and 4)
learning and adopting appropriate strategic
planning for each individual need and situation.
Prerequisites: BUS 565, BUS 567, BUS 592.
BUS 546. International Marketing. (3).
The objectives of this course are 1) to
understand the differences between domestic and
international marketing; 2) to provide the
background and tools necessary to research and
analyze major risks and opportunities in foreign
markets; and 3) to develop techniques for
preparing strategically oriented international
marketing plans. Prerequisites: BUS 565, BUS 567,
BUS 575 and BUS 592.
BUS 548. SAP for Managers. (3).
IT presents many new opportunities at the
enterprise level for the design and
implementation of integrated organizational
structures and business processes that better
align the business to meeting its market demands
and allow it to pursue new strategic
relationships with other organizations.
Enterprise IT primarily involves enterprise
resource planning (ERP), supply chain management
(SCM), knowledge management (KM), and customer
relationship management (CRM) to support and
coordinate business activities. This course will
explore these opportunities in depth and breadth,
including reengineering of business processes,
planning enterprise IT, and planning ERP
implementation strategies. (cross-listed with
IST-548).
BUS 549. International Finance. (3).
This course is designed to familiarize students
with the international capital environment and
challenges faced by all entrepreneurs seeking
global successes. Apart from sessions introducing
interest rate parity, purchasing power parity and
international Fisher Effect, this course will
also cover the pragmatic aspects of finance such
as the currency, futures, forwards and options
markets. Updated forecasting techniques and
methodologies on exchange rates, interest rates
and country risk analysis will also be covered.
Prerequisites: BUS 521, BUS 531, BUS 551 and BUS
591.
BUS 551. Managerial Accounting. (3).
This course teaches accounting in relation to the
decision-making process; various cost systems;
relevance of various cost concepts; direct
costing, flexible budgets, distribution costing;
break-even analysis; capital budgeting; and other
techniques of management planning and control.
BUS 553. Current Issues in Management. (3).
Blending theory and practice, this course offers
graduate business students an opportunity to
examine emerging issues of importance to
contemporary managers. Course content will vary
by instructor and may include (but is not limited
to) the following: labor/management relations,
total quality management, diversity in
organizations, issues pertaining to the
environment, the value of innovation in the work
place and the changing role of organizations in a
modern society. Prerequisites: BUS 565, BUS 567
and BUS 568.
BUS 554. Communication for Management. (3).
The purpose of this course is to enhance verbal,
nonverbal and written communication skills.
Professional and interpersonal dialogue, group
communications and processes will be explored.
Managerial writing, public speaking, positive
self-presentation and techniques for effective
meetings will be included. Prerequisites: BUS
565, BUS 567 and BUS 568.
BUS 556. C.S.R. and Social Enterprise. (3).
Corporate Social Responsibility and Social
Enterprise encompass concepts and practices by
which leading entrepreneurial thinkers and
trend-setting companies are making the world a
better place while achieving their business goals
and objectives. Ascending concepts such as
sustainability, social ROI, the triple bottom
line, earned income strategies, global governance
are discussed - as are the Millennium
Developmental Goals. Students study the models
and examples of well-run businesses that apply
their considerable resources and expertise,
becoming engines of social progress.
BUS 558. Organizational Dynamics. (3).
Examination of conceptual models used to
facilitate planned organizational change and
development by internal and external consultants
are considered. Topics include necessary skills
for interacting within organizations,
intervention strategies and managing
client-consultant relationships. Case studies of
successful and unsuccessful organizational
development efforts are analyzed. The course
addresses challenges for organizational change
within a global environment. Prerequisites: BUS
565, BUS 567 and BUS 568.
BUS 559. Leadership and Managerial Effectivenss. (3).
Development of core competencies and skills
needed for effective managerial leadership in
organizations is addressed. Study includes the
historical development of the field of
leadership, examination of various leadership
perspectives and models, and various measures of
managerial and organizational effectiveness in a
global environment. Prerequisites: BUS 565, BUS
567 and BUS 568.
BUS 561. Human Resources Management. (3).
This course is a comprehensive study of current
and research-based introduction to the human
resource management function. Major themes
include global and cultural dimensions,
responsibilities for facilitating ethical
behavior by employees and the cost/benefit
analysis of human resource programs in dollar
terms. Prerequisites: BUS 565, BUS 567 and BUS
568.
BUS 563. Studies in Cultures. (3).
Studies in Culture exposes students to the arts &
aesthetics with the intended purpose of giving an
overview of various arts, their purposes,
productions & populations in relation to arts
management in the greater society. This course
is designed to give an overview & history of the
studies & aesthetics of culture including
performing arts, museums, art history, fine arts,
visual arts, literature, hypermedia arts, video
gaming, leisure, theatre & other arts. Students
are prepared to interact with a variety of
industry specialists in their chosen arts
management career.
BUS 564. Behavioral Finance. (3).
This course is intended to explore the field of
behavior and to promote an appreciation for the
importance of human behavior in the spectrums of
households, institutions and society. Behavioral
science is an interdisciplinary body of knowledge
with strong ties to the social sciences -
psychology, sociology, and anthropology, as well
as to allied social sciences - such as economics
and political science. Behavioral studies uses
scientific methods to develop and empirically
test theories about human behavior across all
spectrums; therefore, the role of the scientific
method in understanding and application of
knowledge regarding topic areas is
quintessential. This course is devoted to
understanding the nature and role of reason,
emotions and behavior in financial
decision-making under uncertainty. The two areas
of decision-making behavior that will be
thoroughly explored will be in the fields of
investment and retirement savings.
BUS 565. Organizational Theory and Development. (3).
Analysis and design of complex organizations with
an emphasis on organizational technology is
studied. Major theoretical perspectives covered
include organization design parameters,
structural configurations, organization culture,
organizational effectiveness, the external
environment, issues related to globalization,
change due to emerging organizational technology
and others. This course integrates theoretical
knowledge with practical applications.
BUS 567. Behavioral Sciences for Management. (3).
Investigation and consideration of individual and
group behavior within an organizational context
is explored. Focus is on the understanding and
application of knowledge issues including
motivation, group process, leadership,
communication, performance enhancement,
innovation, cultural diversity and global issues.
Integration of theory and practice from a
managerial perspective are considered.
BUS 568. Business Ethics. (3).
Situational dilemmas and relationships with
employees, unions, customers, competitors,
government and society are examined from an
ethical point of view.
BUS 569. New Venture Development. (3).
This course studies the development of new
business ventures, encompassing classical
entrepreneurial approaches and including the
corporate, new venture perspective
(entrepreneurship). Considerations include idea
generation and development, market research
methodologies, financial forecasting and spread
sheet formulation, and new venture funding.
Behavior and motivational patterns of
professional corporate managers will be compared
to entrepreneurial characteristics. Case
histories are applied and class project
development is required. Prerequisites: BUS 521,
BUS 531, BUS 551 and BUS 591.
BUS 570. Consulting to Business. (3).
This course is a study of unique characteristics
of closely held business and techniques of the
consulting process. Students will perform actual
consulting assignments to local businesses
through the Small Business Institute. This course
allows students to apply academic theory to
actual business operations. Prerequisites: BUS
521, BUS 531, BUS 551 and BUS 591.
*Students may petition to have BUS 570 satisfy
their Capstone Course requirement.
BUS 571. Marketing Communications. (3).
Marketing Communications introduces students to
the broad field of integrated communications with
the company's markets and other targets of its
messages. Students are taught how to integrate
the elements of the promotional mix: advertising,
direct marketing, sales promotions,
publicity/public relations, customer relations
and personal selling. A strategic approach to
managing marketing and promotional programs is
presented and the coordination of various
communication functions is carefully addressed.
The challenge of targeting and reaching a
company's audiences for its marketing
communications, as those markets are becoming
more and more fragmented, is investigated. New
media approaches to reaching those markets are
discussed. Prerequisite: BUS 575.
BUS 572. Marketing Research. (3).
Marketing Research consolidates inputs from a
variety of sources, including its own surveys.
The inputs are analyzed and the results made
available in the form of position reports, from
which marketing plans and marketing research
reports are developed, which are used as inputs
to strategic planning. The decision process and
the marketing research process are introduced and
the importance of the relationship between the
two is stressed. Prerequisites: BUS 575 and BUS
521.
BUS 573. Law for Business Executives. (3).
Analysis of the essential aspects of law which
pertain to business including materials from the
law of contracts, sales, agency, business
organizations, property, negotiable instruments
and secured transactions. The effects of
government regulation on labor and business are
analyzed.
BUS 574. Strategic Management: Capstone Course*. (3).
The central theme of Strategic Management is the
general manager or CEO's responsibility to
oversee the implementation of a strategy that
will result in a sustainable competitive
advantage for his or her organization. This
course will include steps that lead to strategy,
how to translate strategy into tactical plans
that drive day-to-day action, how to measure
performance of the strategy as well as the
tactics, and how to decide the corrective action
that should be taken when things go wrong. The
purpose of this capstone course is to integrate
as much of the student's BUS curriculum as
possible into a holistic activity. A goal is to
show the student how all of the courses that he
or she has taken "fit together." Considerable
emphasis is placed upon analysis, evaluation and
interpretation of information, outcomes, results,
etc. "What does this mean and what should be
done?" will be questions that are continually
addressed. Prerequisite: All other core courses.
*Students may petition to have BUS 570 satisfy
their Capstone Course requirement.
BUS 575. Marketing Theory. (3).
Marketing Theory is about understanding and
appreciating the basic concepts and fundamentals
of marketing and how they can be applied toward
improving the prospects of companies faced with
the opportunities and challenges of doing
business in today's business environment. The
materials are up-to-date and "real world," and an
effort is made to relate to the situations and
realities that students are experiencing in their
jobs. The student will assess and solve marketing
problems.
BUS 576. Sales Management. (3).
This course discusses sales problems and how to
put in place sales management processes designed
to solve these problems. The purposes and
reasoning behind the material are emphasized and
sales management principles are reinforced with
actual examples. An effort is made to relate to
the situations and realities students experience
in the work place. Some topics covered include
sales cycles; installing a sales process;
strategic selling; selling to distributors; OEMs
and VARs; telesales, telemarketing and direct
marketing; sales planning, budgeting and
reporting; sales compensation plans; sales
forecasting; account and territory management;
conducting sales effectiveness audits; sales
automation and sales organization. Students are
introduced to several structured approaches for
defining and addressing selling problems and
opportunities. Prerequisite: BUS 575.
BUS 577. Negotiation and Conflict Management. (3).
The course is designed to explore the major
concepts and theories of the negotiation process.
Special emphasis will be given to the dynamics of
interpersonal and intergroup conflict and
resolution. Topics addressed include
interpersonal influence techniques plus tactics
and strategies involved with improved bargaining
and negotiation. Students will learn key
negotiation skills through an interactive
experience that includes case studies, readings,
videos and role-plays as well as the development
of effective negotiation strategies and tactics.
The course is designed to be relevant to the
broad spectrum of negotiation challenges
traditionally encountered by managers in
business. Concepts include the nature of
negotiation as a tool for managing conflict. The
curriculum provides a comprehensive overview of
the negotiation process. Students will learn to
recognize situations; understand how negotiation
works; know how to plan, implement and complete
successful negotiations. (cross-listed with PA
577).
BUS 578. Consumer Behavior. (3).
This course is a dynamic analysis of the role of
the consumer in the marketplace, purchasing
influences and the marketing of both products and
services. The knowledge of consumer behavior
drives the marketer's research efforts.
Prerequisite: BUS 575.
BUS 579. Services Marketing. (3).
Service providers face dramatic changes in their
environment, especially the increasingly
competitive nature of the marketplace. This
requires a distinctive approach to planning and
implementing marketing strategy for services as
diverse as counseling, consulting, financial
services, accounting, healthcare, education and
retail. This course integrates traditional
marketing theory and creative strategies to
address critical issues and tools for the
marketing of services. Prerequisite: BUS 575.
BUS 580. Business Transformation. (3).
The purpose of this course is to introduce
students to business transformation approaches,
methodologies, successes and challenges through
scrutiny of recent industry initiatives. Students
taking this course will be introduced to current
management tools and techniques including
activity-based management, value chain analysis,
benchmarking, process redesign/automation, shared
services/outsourcing, supply chain management and
strategic performance measurement. The role of
change management and information technology as
enablers of the transformation effort will be
discussed. Special attention will be given to
electronic business/commerce technologies and
applications as they relate to business
transformation. Classes are organized to
stimulate discussion by relating course topics to
specific industry cases. The course will leverage
both the instructors' and students' occupational
experiences to provide students with practical,
industry-focused training relevant to today's
business environment. Prerequisites: BUS 551 and
BUS 591.
BUS 581. Management Concepts for Information Technology. (3).
In today's dynamic and competitive economy, the
ability of an enterprise to effectively leverage
existing and emerging information technology is a
critical success factor in gaining and sustaining
a strategic advantage. This course presents
management concepts that lead to an understanding
of information technology and its role within the
enterprise. The challenges of transitioning from
legacy technology and business practices to new
technology and reengineered business practices
will be examined. The course also reviews how to
build consensus among business and technology
professionals using modern approaches to
strategic planning, business process
reengineering and system development. Utilizing
case studies, the student will apply theory and
practice.
BUS 582. Selected Topics. (3).
Topics of current and particular interest in
business administration. Students may enroll in
more than one selected topics course.
BUS 583. Business Systems Development. (3).
This course provides the student with concepts,
tools, and techniques required to analyze
business information systems. The course
emphasizes structured development approaches
using various tools and techniques. The entire
Systems Development Life Cycle (SDLC) is
introduced. However, the major emphasis will be
placed on the problem definition and analysis
phases of the SDLC. Topics covered include the
role of systems analyst, the systems development
life cycle, popular methodologies, systems
planning, project management, and systems
analysis. A comprehensive case study will be used
to apply many of the techniques. Prerequisite:
BUS 581. (cross-listed with IST 583).
BUS 584. Data Communications and Network. (3).
Organizations are finding that an effective and
efficient means of communicating among
distributed entities is a business imperative.
This management course addresses current and
emerging data communication and networking
technologies from a business perspective. The
application of these technologies to solve
business problems and create competitive
advantage is of particular emphasis. Students
taking this course will learn to make
knowledgeable decisions pertaining to strategies
and architects for the deployment of
telecommunication technologies. Prerequisite: BUS
581. (cross-listed with IST 584).
BUS 585. Sustainable Operations Management. (3).
Operations management, planning and
decision-making activities within an enterprise
are studied from two perspectives: first, the
theory of the activities within operations
management; and second, the applicability and
execution within the "sustainable" enterprise.
The course provides insights into the trade-offs
associated with sustainable operations management
decisions and introduces a variety of tools and
techniques for assisting managers to make
production decisions for both goods and services,
implement them in a global ecological
environment, and achieve triple bottom line goals
for the organization. Individual topics include
operations strategy as it relates to the
enterprise strategies in the relationships
between people, profits and the planet; the tools
for production planning, master scheduling,
inventory control, forecasting, materials
requirements planning, just-in-time systems,
quality management and manufacturing and service
technologies; and the development, execution and
control of sustainable supply chain management
(SCM) systems to include the functions of:
supplier relationships, logistics, waste
management, closed-loop systems, process and
product design. Prerequisite: BUS-522.
BUS 586. Information Systems and Business Strategy. (3).
This course provides an overview of contemporary
issues in information systems as a strategic and
competitive resource for business. The course
examines how information technology is aligned to
support the goals and strategy of the
organization. Topics include strategic planning
of information technology, using information
technology for competitive advantage, information
infrastructure architecture and applications,
global information technology issues, information
technology as an enabler of business process
innovation and information technology-based
strategic applications. Prerequisite: BUS 581.
(cross-listed with IST 586).
BUS 587. Management Concepts for E-Business. (3).
In today's world the Internet touches part of
every business. It has changed the way business
is conducted in the world - and has become a
requirement for any business to be a competitive
player in today's marketplace. Electronic
commerce affects professionals across all
disciplines of the business world, from finance
to government to education, etc. This course
provides an overview of electronic commerce, how
it is conducted and managed, and its
opportunities, along with its risks and
limitations. Case studies spanning applications
including business-to-consumer,
business-to-business, intra-business, electronic
funds transfers and underlying technologies will
be used for analysis and understanding of both
real-world and theoretical electronic commerce
business models. Prerequisite: BUS 581.
(cross-listed with IST 587).
BUS 589. Economics of Arts & Culture. (3).
A course that covers not only the economics of
the fine arts & performing arts, The Economic of
Arts & Culture also addresses public policy
toward the arts at federal, state & local levels
in the U.S. & discussion of the international
arts sector is included. The course provides a
systematic analysis of the economics of the arts.
Theoretical concepts are developed.
BUS 590. Independent Study. (1-4).
Approved research in an area not covered by
course work listed in this catalog.
BUS 591. Financial Principles and Policies. (3).
Finance and financial institutions as they relate
to the firm and the flow of funds are studied.
Emphasis is on the supply and demand of capital,
principles and tools of business finance, money
and capital markets. Prerequisites: BUS 521, BUS
531 and BUS 551.
BUS 592. International Business. (3).
Changes in the world environment are creating
drastically different working conditions for
today's businesses. In an effort to understand
these working conditions theoretically and
practically, this introductory course deals with
many of the environments that shape or reflect
business realities. These environments will
include historic and geographic patterns, as well
as political/legal and economic business
atmospheres. The socio-cultural and technological
environments in which businesses participate will
be highly emphasized. Course information will be
presented through lecture, case study, guest
speakers, videos, research projects and other
pertinent learning avenues. Prerequisites: BUS
565, BUS 567.
BUS 593. Investment and Portfolio Management. (3).
A study of the various types of available
investments and the functions of financial
intermediaries in money and capital markets.
Study will also be given to the problems
encountered in the management of a portfolio of
investments. Prerequisites: BUS 521, BUS 531, BUS
551 and BUS 591.
BUS 596. Business of Renewable Energy Technologies. (3).
Renewable Energy Technologies are becoming more
and more mainstream. Many countries around the
world, including the United States, are
instituting policies in support of the
development of renewable energy power plants.
This course aims to bring an understanding of the
technologies, business opportunity, financing and
regulatory aspects, and "how to put it all
together". A wide range of topics including
ocean, hydroelectric, biomass and biofuels,
geothermal, wind and solar technologies will be
examined. The course explores the status or
renewables and current government initiatives,
provides a comparison of global business
landscapes in support of renewable energy, and
evaluates business prospects of developing
alternative energy power plants in the United
States and abroad.
BUS 597. Sustainable Marketing. (3).
This course is structured around strategic,
functional and tactical marketing activities and
decisions. The major theme of the course is how
marketers can reinvent strategy and craft
solutions assuming a sustainable paradigm that
represents a circular use of resources, not the
linear approach that leads to waste and pollution
of ecosystems. Throughout the course, the
emphasis will be on how social and environmental
aspects are integrated in every step and every
action of the whole marketing process. The
course also addresses the increasing demand for
green products - environmentally friendly, safe,
and beneficial for consumers. The triple bottom
line framework is discussed with focus on how the
sustainability concept inspires new product
innovations and brings life-cycle awareness into
the product design process. Students will also
examine the role of NGOs, regulators and
communities which influence building sustainable
marketing strategy.
BUS 598. Fundraising, Board Development and Succession Planning. (3).
A course designed to prepart higher level
expertise for students interested in fundraising
& succession planning in arts organizations in
both the for profit & non-profit sectors.