BUS - Business Course Descriptions
Familiarizes the beginning business student with the organization, structure, and operations of the various forms of business enterprise along with problems of planning, controlling, and integrating the major functions of business.
This is an introductory course in marketing. It examines the role of marketing in our society and as a vital part of successful organizations. The general and competitive environments, segmentation and buyer behavior are considered in developing optimal product, service, pricing, promotion, distribution, and branding strategies. An introduction to business-level strategies along with business portfolio planning is included. Marketing ethics are considered from both a secular and Catholic social teaching viewpoint.
Is a survey of business law. Topics included are an introduction to law, torts, criminal law, contracts, sales, real and personal property, ownership and transfer, bailments, and insurance.
Is a survey of business law. Topics include agency, partnership, commercial paper, negotiable instruments, business organizations, corporations, bankruptcy, suretyship, and governmental regulations.
Presents the range of skills, methods, and tools deployed in planning, monitoring, analysis, using statistics, data mining and business modeling, exploring data, and the results of analysis and communication of business problems and solutions. Emphasis is on a problem-solution format to explore data analysis options and to cover best practices for delivering solutions in Excel. Students will learn to perform in-depth data analysis via pivot tables and reports, use data visualization to present data and tell impactful stories to audiences, scale to massive data volumes, and deliver analytical insights to organizations.
This course addresses the practical aspects of communication in business to integrate critical verbal and written skills required in business environments. Preparing a variety of professional documents, creating visually organized presentations, facilitating group communication, crafting a business communication strategy, and researching professional documents, and interpersonal communication skills in the context of the business environment are explored. Business communication methods, grammar, punctuation, spelling, professional expression, career communication, scholarly business communication are additional topics covered.
Is an introduction to the field of international business. It will provide an overview of the interrelationships of global business operations and provide the general framework of international business including the cultural, political, social, legal, and economic aspects of conducting business on a global scale.
Presents the development of the union movement; the relationship between management and unions and their varying approaches to collective bargaining; the issues in collective bargaining; public policy toward labor relations; administration and interpretation of union contracts; and the settlement of labor disputes.
Investigates the basic functions of management (planning, organizing, directing, and controlling) to provide a comprehensive familiarity with managerial literature, style, principles, and practices. It also encompasses evaluation of line, functional and line, and staff organizations, along with traditional and contemporary perspectives of management functions with emphasis on the systems approach.
Notes
Additional course fee applies.
Employs a mathematical and statistical approach to prototype decisions in business and economics. This provides a conceptual understanding of the role management science plays in the decision-making process. Resource allocation, queuing, competitive situations, and scheduling are considered. Some quantitative methodologies studied are linear and other mathematical programming, decision theory, and Markov analysis.
Provides students with an overview of the theory and practice of professional selling and sales management with an emphasis on the business-to-business selling environment. The selling process is presented, including prospecting, sales call planning, the approach, the presentation, negotiation, closing, and after-sale follow-up and service. Sales management topics include strategic planning, organizing, directing, controlling, motivating, compensating and evaluating the sales force.
Analyzes basic understanding of buyer decision-making processes and psychological, sociological, and cultural factors that influence these processes. This provides a basis for marketing decisions leading to buyer satisfaction.
Examines the field of marketing communications, with emphasis on consistent branding, marketing strategies and creative campaigns across both traditional and non-traditional marketing channels. Students will learn how to use branding, advertising, public relations, promotions, email marketing, and social media in the digital age to reach a brand’s awareness and sales goals. This course also provides a brief overview of inbound marketing and how it applies to integrated marketing communication plans
is an introductory course dealing with financial securities, investment principles, operation of securities markets, and the selection process for various investments. The purpose of the course, in the context of portfolio management, is to give students insight into the suitability of financial securities and basic evaluative techniques.
Junior standing
Security analysis is a method of performing fundamental research of tradeable financial instruments, namely stocks and bonds, to determine their intrinsic value. Derivatives and debt linked to securities will also be discussed. The process follows a bottom-up approach, focusing on quantitative factors but not excluding qualitative factors, to assess risk and value of individual securities.
studies the impact of the Federal Reserve, banking, insurance, economics, fiscal policy, and monetary policy from the perspective of finance. The course studies the history of financial institutions and policies from their origins through current events and issues. This allows students to develop a deeper understanding of the effect these institutions and their policies have on finance, investments, and the economy. Understanding how these institutions evolved and their direct or indirect impact on the economy is valuable for making sound decisions in finance.
Seeks to enhance the student experience in the semester abroad by facilitating informed cultural awareness, enhancing appreciation of European business practices, and advancing student engagement with faculty and professionals in European businesses and governmental agencies.
Addresses who is a European and looks at both past and current cultural crises and fears. The course emphasizes sensitivity to ethnic differences and promotes leadership in creating a cultural synergy and development of best practices for managing diversity in the global work culture.
Focuses on strategies for motivating, leading, and communicating with people across different countries and cultures. The course emphasizes a global perspective on hiring, training and developing employees, dealing with international labor unions, and building an effective global workforce.
Junior standing
Is a work-experience opportunity with the purpose of expanding education by applying accumulated knowledge in business administration. The availability of internships is limited to upper-level students, normally juniors and seniors with a 3.0 quality point average. Students are approved individually by the academic department. A contract can be obtained from the Career Services Office. Internships count as general electives.
Business senior standing and permission of chairman. Internships must be preapproved.
examines the main concerns in human resource management in terms of policies and procedures. Among the topics that are presented are work force administration, human resource management system, meeting human resource requirements, developing sound employment policies and practices, creating a productive work environment, and providing compensation and security. Emphasis is placed on the review of the legal framework impacting the field of human resources.
This course provides an understanding of those managerial concepts and quantitative tools required in the design, operation, and control of production systems and provides an introductory approach to the complex processes in supply chain management. Considering supply and demand, the components of the supply chain are explored, including the linkages between operations and logistics. The general analytical tools required in supply chain management will be explored in relationship to forecasting, capacity management, project management, sales and operations planning, materials requirements, quality control, production planning, inventory control, distribution, and order fulfillment. Global and domestic challenges in supply chain coordination are examined.
Focuses on the principles and practices of financing the corporate form of business. Students will learn how to analyze corporate financial needs and gain an understanding of the methods of capital formation.
studies the management of one's money as well as saving and investing in concurrence with the economic environment. This course develops financial planning skills by encompassing budgeting, banking, insurance, mortgages, investments, retirement, taxes, and estate planning. As a capstone, these skills will contribute to the development of a personal financial plan for each student at the end of the course.
Explores the relationship between the business firm and its social responsibilities to both the public and private sectors. Among the concerns presented are strategic management and social responsiveness, human investment, consumer welfare, ecology, corporate governances, and multi nationals.
Senior standing
Provides an overview and basic application of marketing research methods. The course presents the types of qualitative and quantitative research design, sampling, data collection and analysis techniques and the interpretation of results to support effective decision making
This course examines the public economy within a framework of institutional economics, focusing on collective activity, property rights, the role of public entrepreneurship, and the fiscal process. In addition to addressing the theory of the public economy, students will study cases highlighting budgetary and financial management tools applicable to governmental settings.
Examines the basic principles of retail store management, sales promotion, store location, selection and training of personnel, handling of merchandise, budgeting, control, and selling techniques.
Presents an overview of issues encountered by enterprises as they establish and maintain linkups with end users of their products and services. Screening international marketing opportunities, analyzing buyers in different cultural and political contexts, conducting research, and sustaining flows of product, two-way information, and customer service are crucial in today's global marketing environment. Strategies, control relationships, and key functions performed are considered.
Students are expected to make marketing decisions and compete with other teams to achieve superior performance in terms of market share, profitability and stock price in a web-based marketing simulation. In addition, the course will require students to analyze, report, and present on several marketing-oriented business cases. The course aims to integrate both strategic and tactical marketing considerations.
To succeed, managers must develop the resources and capabilities needed to gain and sustain advantage in competitive markets. This course introduces the concept of strategic management through case analyses and considers the basic direction and goals of an organization, the environment (social, political, technological, economic and global factors), industry and market structure, and organizational strengths and weaknesses. The emphasis is on the development and successful implementation of strategy in different types of firms across industries. This capstone course requires development of a strategic plan as a demonstration of mastery.
Notes
Additional course fee applies.
Continues the study of capital formation with an emphasis on management problems related to corporate structure, cost of capital, and short-term financial planning and management, including cash, liquidity, credit, and inventory management.
In this course, finance students consider in depth a specific topic or area of finance such as portfolio analysis, options and futures markets, financial policy, cost control and analysis, financial reporting issues, principles of insurance, or other current financial problems/topics. This course can be taken more than once since its content will vary.
Permission of department
Is required of all students majoring in business administration. Guidance and supervision on individual research work will be provided by members of the department. For a description of the economics courses, see the catalog section designated for economics.