Business Administration (BUS)
Associate Professors: Grassmueck (Chairperson), Kolb, Sterngold
Instructor: Josephson
This major is designed to educate students about business and management functions in for-profit, nonprofit and public organizations. The program provides a well balanced preparation for a wide variety of professions and careers, including banking, financial services, small business management, marketing, sales, advertising, retailing, management, supervision, investments, human resources management, organization development, entrepreneurship and management information systems. The major is also appropriate for students who plan to attend graduate school in business or related fields, such as law or public administration.
The Department of Business Administration is a member of the Institute for Management Studies. For more information, see the Institute for Management Studies listing.
All students majoring in Business Administration must complete the core courses and at least one of the four tracks listed below:
Core Course Requirements:
ACCT 110, and either ACCT 130 or 223; BUS 228, 238, 244, and 441; ECON 110 and 111. Students complete the core business courses before taking courses to satisfy track requirements. BUS 441 must be taken during the senior year after completing the other core business courses.
Track requirements:
Finance: Bus 339, 410 and two courses from BUS 349, ACCT 225, and ECON 220, 331, 332, 337, 340 and 343.
Health Care Administration: BUS 306; three courses from BUS 439, BUS 470-479, BIO 107, ECON 349, PHIL 219, SOC 222, SOC 310. Only one of these three courses may be selected from BUS 439, BUS 470-479 and ECON 349, and the practicum or internship must be in the area of Healthcare Administration or a related field.
Management: BUS 310; one course from BUS 313, 348 and 420; two additional courses chosen from ACCT 225, 235, BUS 306, 313, 334, 348, 420, ECON 335 and PSY 424.
Marketing: BUS 342, 429, and two from BUS 332, 334, 347 and CCOM 324.
Sustainable Business Management: BUS 313, 334, and two courses from BUS 439, BUS 470-479, ANTH 232, BIO 220, ECON 225, ECON 349, PHIL 228, PSCI 338, PSY 221. Only one of these courses may be an internship or practicum, and it must be in the area of Health Care Administration or a related field.
A course may be used to satisfy the elective course requirements in only one business track.
Assessment Exam:
To earn a degree in business administration, students must pass an outcomes assessment exam during their senior year as determined by the Department. Students who fail must re-take and pass the assessment.
Minor
A minor in Business Administration consists of ACCT 110; BUS 228, 238, 244; and one business course numbered above 200 excluding the core business courses.
Internships
Through BUS 439, Business Practicum, the department facilitates a wide variety of internships with businesses, government agencies and nonprofit organizations. In addition, the department is a member of the Institute for Management Studies, which also facilitates internships, including full-time internships during the summer.
Diversity and Writing Intensive Courses
The following course satisfies the cultural diversity requirement: BUS 244. The following courses, when scheduled as W courses, count toward the writing intensive requirement: BUS 347, 348, 410, 420, 429 and 441.
228
MARKETING PRINCIPLES
A study of the methods used by business and nonprofit organizations to design, price, promote and distribute their products and services. Topics include new product development, advertising, retailing, consumer behavior, marketing strategy, ethical issues in marketing and others.
238
FUNDAMENTALS OF FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT
A study of the fundamental theory, tools, and methods of financial management. Topics include the time value of money, bond valuation, capital budgeting, stock valuation and analysis of financial statements. Prerequisite: ACCT 110.
244
MANAGEMENT AND ORGANIZATIONAL BEHAVIOR
A study of the complex character of organizational life and the discipline and process of management. Topics include the evolution and scope of organizations and management, planning, organizing, leading and controlling. Emphasis is placed on the importance of managing in a global environment, understanding the ethical implications of managerial decisions and appreciating work place diversity.
306
HEALTH CARE ADMINISTRATION
This class presents key issues impacting the administration of today’s healthcare organizations and explores how those issues impact the delivery of care. Issues of accounting, finance, marketing, human resource management and management information systems are explored. The goals of the course are to provide a solid foundation of applying managerial knowledge within the healthcare industry. This course introduces students to the practices and theories of health care policy and current issues facing the healthcare industry. Prerequisites: BUS 228, 238 and 244, or consent of instructor.
310
HUMAN RESOURCES MANAGEMENT
A study of the human resources function in organizations. The course introduces the roles and functions of the human resources department and how managers engage in human resource activities at work. The functions of selection, training and development, compensation, retention, performance appraisal, promotion, employment law and the modern-day importance of strategic human resource management are explored. Prerequisites: BUS 228, 238 and 244, or consent of instructor.
313
SUSTAINABLE BUSINESS MANAGEMENT
An introduction to the conception and practice of sustainable business methods in organizations around the world. It also introduces the concepts of “Sustainable Business Management” and “Triple Bottom Line Management” which assume that management should focus on three critical goals simultaneously: financial, environmental and social. This course is designed to lead to an understanding of the process of sustainable business management. Prerequisites: BUS 228, 238 and 244, or consent of instructor.
332
INTEGRATED MARKETING COMMUNICATIONS
Integrated marketing communications combines the promotional tools of advertising, direct marketing, sales incentives, public relations and personal selling. This class focuses on how to plan, develop and execute integrated marketing communications programs for a coordinated strategic program of total communications for an organization. IMC is a concept in use in business, government and social service sectors. Prerequisites: BUS 228, 238 and 244, or consent of instructor.
333
GLOBAL BUSINESS STRATEGIES
Students study the basic concepts and theories pertaining to today’s global economy, business environment and markets. Topics include international business environment, foreign political systems, world cultures, global economic integration, operation of the international monetary system and ethical issues involving global business. In addition multinational corporations, national trade policies, foreign direct investment and regional trading areas are covered. Prerequisites: BUS 228, 238 and 244, or consent of instructor.
334
THE BUSINESS OF ENERGY
This course examines the development, management and marketing of conventional and unconventional energy resources, such as coal, oil, natural gas, solar and wind. The course explores public and private sector efforts to develop new energy technologies and to promote more efficient energy practices, and it examines public policy debates about a range of energy-related issues. Prerequisites: BUS 228, 238, 244, or consent of instructor.
339
FINANCIAL STRATEGY
An intensive study of issues and applications of financial management. Topics covered include advanced capital budgeting, cash flow estimation and risk analysis, real options, capital structure and leverage, dividend policy, derivatives, international finance and special topics in financial management. Extensive use of Excel in directed and non-directed cases. Prerequisites: BUS 228, 238, and 244, or consent of instructor.
342
MARKETING RESEARCH
This is a study of the principles and practices of marketing research. The focus is on thedevelopment and application of marketing research methods. Topics covered include selection of a research design, data collection, analysis and report writing. Both quantitative and qualitative methods will be covered. The class will focus on an applied project. Prerequisites: BUS 228, 238, and 244, or consent of instructor
347
CONTEMPORARY ISSUES IN MARKETING
Students examine social controversies involving marketing as portrayed in books, popular writings, political debates and films (e.g., marketing of junk-foods, prescription drugs or violent video games), or the students study specialized marketing practices, such as financial services marketing, nonprofit marketing, Internet marketing or sports and recreational marketing. Prerequisites: BUS 228, 238, and 244, or consent of instructor. May be taken twice for credit if the classes cover significantly different topics and the department approves.
348
CONTEMPORARY ISSUES IN MANAGEMENT
Students examine social controversies involving management as portrayed in books, popular writings, political writings and films (e.g., the effects of plant closings and global competition on local communities), or the students study specialized management practices, such as social entrepreneurship, environmentally sustainable business practices or public administration. Prerequisites: BUS 228, 238, and 244, or consent of instructor. May be taken twice for credit if the classes cover significantly different topics and the department approves.
349
CONTEMPORARY ISSUES IN FINANCE
Students examine social controversies involving finance as portrayed in books, popular writings, political debates and films (e.g., Enron and other corporate financial scandals, the destabilizing effects of hedge funds and programmed trading), or the students study specialized financial practices, such as public finance or investment banking. Prerequisites: BUS 228, 238, and 244, or consent of instructor. May be taken twice for credit if the classes cover significantly different topics and the department approves.
410
INVESTMENTS
An introduction to key concepts in investments. Students learn about security types, mutual funds, returns and risks, portfolio theory, portfolio selection, asset pricing models, market efficiency, behavioral finance, security analysis, option valuation and special topics in investments. In addition, this course introduces students to different concepts, theories and philosophies in the literature on how to invest profitably and how to adjust portfolio strategies. Prerequisites: BUS 228, 238 and 244, or consent of instructor.
420
ORGANIZATION DEVELOPMENT
An overview of the concepts, models, and theories in the field of organization development. Students will learn how to design and manage organizational change through diagnosis, intervention and institutionalization of change events. Students are given the opportunity to apply what they have learned by acting as change agents with a local organization. Prerequisites: BUS 228, 238 and 244, or consent of instructor.
429
MARKETING STRATEGY
A study of the methods used by business and nonprofit organizations to analyze and select target markets, and then to develop strategies for gaining and maintaining these customers. Topics include competitive strategy, market segmentation, product positioning, promotional design and marketing-related financial analysis. Case studies, and the development of a detailed marketing plan, are covered. Prerequisites: BUS 228, 238 and 244, or consent of instructor.
439
BUSINESS PRACTICUM
This course provides students with practical work experience with local companies and organizations. Students work 10-12 hours per week for their sponsor organizations, in addition to attending a weekly seminar on management topics relevant to their work assignments. Since enrollment is limited by the available number of positions, students must apply directly to the business department before pre-registration to be eligible for the course. Prerequisites: BUS 228, 238 and 244, or consent of instructor.
441
BUSINESS STRATEGY AND ENTREPRENEURSHIP
An intensive study of the entrepreneurial function of business enterprises designed to build students’ skills in conducting strategic analysis and strategic development in a variety of industries and competitive situations. Students examine industry structure, functional strategies, competitive challenges of a global marketplace and sources of sustainable competitive advantage. This course is designed to integrate the knowledge and skills gained from previous coursework in business and related fields. Prerequisites: All core courses or consent of instructor. Seniors only.
470-479
INTERNSHIP (See index)
Prerequisites: BUS 228, 238 and 244, or consent of instructor.
N80-N89
INDEPENDENT STUDY (See index)
Prerequisites: BUS 228, 238 and 244, or consent of instructor.
490-491
INDEPENDENT STUDY FOR DEPARTMENTAL HONORS (See index)
Prerequisites: BUS 228, 238 and 244, or consent of instructor.