Business Administration - Undergraduate Courses

Business Course Descriptions

BUS 150
Introduction to Business 3 credits
Prerequisite:Freshman or Sophomore standing.
A study of the functions of the business organization as they relate to both the internal and external operating needs of the firm. The historical development of the industrial organization is examined, together with the structure, process, and behavior of the firm. Effects of government and economic systems are investigated.

BUS 231
Business Law I 3 credits
A study of the law as it relates to organizational activity. Material covered includes courts and procedures, sources of American Law, the Constitution; administrative law, contracts, business torts and crimes, business organizations including partnerships, limited liability companies and corporations. Also included are regulations placed upon business including S.E.C. regulations and anti-trust.

BUS 290
Personal Finance 3 credits
This course does not fulfil a concentration requirement for Business Administration majors. Emphasis is on personal financial planning. Numerous topics are covered including types of consumer credit; auto, home and life insurance; auto leasing; savings and investing; retirement planning; and various tax related issues.

BUS 311
Organizational Management 3 credits
Prerequisite: Junior standing.
A study of the evolution and development of the work organization with emphasis on the relations among structures, processes, and behaviors of people in organizations. Topics include: structure, environment, administrative systems, decision making and organizational theory.

BUS 312
Principles of Marketing 3 credits
Prerequisite: Junior standing.
A study of the principles, concepts, functions, institutions and environment of marketing s a social organization that fulfills distribution of goods and services through effective and ethical communication and distribution systems. Marketing topics to be covered include: new product development, market research and demand assessment, promotion, advertising, pricing, distribution, global and internet marketing.

BUS 313
Financial Management 3 credits
Prerequisites ACC201, ECN296, MTH 214, Junior standing.
An introduction to the concepts and techniques employed to manage the financial resources of the firm. Major topics include: working capital management, capital expenditure analysis, valuation of the firm, dividend policy and sources of capital.

BUS 315
Quantitative Methods for Decision Making 3 credits
Prerequisite. MTH214.
Concepts, techniques and applications of quantitative methods for decision making are introduced. Topics include: forecasting, regression analysis, analysis of variance, statistical decision theory, utility theory, linear programming, and waiting lines. The course incorporates computer software packages.

BUS 316
Control of Operations Management and Quality 3 credits
Prerequisite: BUS 315.
Presents a broad conceptual framework for the management and control of operations and quality. Topics include: operations function in service and manufacturing, product and service design, facility location, process selection and capacity planning, design of work systems, aggregate planning, inventory management, MRP, scheduling, quality assurance, organizing for quality, quality of design and performance, inspection and measurement, statistical process control, quality circles, acceptance sampling, and quality improvement.

BUS 317
Management of Information Systems 3 credits
Prerequisite; CIS I00 and BUS 311.
This course covers the concept and capabilities of any MIS, the role of the MIS in supporting planning and control in the organization, the management of the organization's information resources and how these resources can be used at all levels of decision making.

BUS 318
Organizational Leadership 3 credits
Prerequisite: BUS 311.
Traditional and contemporary theories of motivated behavior of individuals and groups are examined and related to the concepts of leadership/managerial style. An in-depth examination of the leadership function as it relates to administrative decision making and the organizational climate including goal setting, written and oral presentations and behavioral flexibility.

BUS 319
Business and Society 3 credits
Prerequisite: BUS 311.
An examination of business-government relations, consumerism, environment, energy and resource policy, global corporations, governance of the firm, disclosure, corporate social reporting, and socio-political forecasting. Included is an examination of ethics and personal values and their impact on professional decisions.

BUS 330
Fundamentals of Investments 3 credits
Prerequisites: BUS 313.
An introduction to the financial assets and investment tools used by individual investors and institutions. Assets covered emphasize stocks and bonds. The key variables which govern all investors, risk and expected return, are examined in detail and are used to explain asset selection and investment performance evaluation. Some emphasis is placed on the structure and evolution of the investments market and on the role of the various market participants, such as traders and stock brokers. The excitement of this rapidly changing field is demonstrated bv examining current events and new investment technology.

BUS 331
Advanced Investments 3 credits
Prerequisite: BUS 330.
A continuation of Fundamentals of Investments, covering more specialized assets and more advanced analytical tools. Possible investment assets to be studied include options, futures, real estate, and various mutial funds. In addition, the course provides further details related to stock and bond selection. The characteristics of the performance of an investor's total collection of assets (portfolio analysis) are also covered, as are various thoeries related to the valuation of individual assets. As in Fundamentals of Investments, the emphasis in the course is to convey the dynamic nature of this market to the student.

BUS 334
Corporate Finance 3 credits
Prerequisite: BUS 313.
A case study approach to the problems facing the corporate financial manager. Application of financial principles and tools to problem solving in the areas including but not limited to working capital management, capital budgeting, financial structure, cost of capital, dividend policy and valuation.

BUS 337
Management of Financial Institutions 3 credits
Prerequisite: BUS 313.
This course offers an overview of the opportunities and challenges faced by major financial institutions such as banks, savings and loan associations, mutual savings banks, and insurance companies. Emphasis is placed on application of principles and techniques of financial institutional management.

BUS 351
Human Resources Management 3 credits
Prerequisite: BUS 311.
An introduction to the functions and principles of human resources management as they relate to the integration of human contributions to organizational performance. Areas include the following: strategy and structure of the HRM unit; measurement and HRM dccision making criteria (e.g., fairness and legality); attracting, selecting, and placing personnel, training, appraising, and rewarding personnel; and health and safety management.

BUS 352
Labor Law and Collective Bargaining 3 credits
Prerequisite: BUS 311.
An examination of the legal framework within which formalized (unionized) labor-management processes operate (in private and public sectors), including initial organization of labor union representation, and subsequent development and management of collective bargaining and grievance processes. Also considered are effects of these processes on organizational effectiveness as it relates to outcomes for stakeholders including labor, management, owners and shareholders, customers or clients, and the larger communities within which the organization operates.

BUS 353
Seminar on Current Issues in Human Resource Management 3 credits
Prerequisite: BUS 351 or approval of instructor.
An exploration of recent developments in the literature concerning human resources management. Topics range among, but are not limited to the following: privacy, recent labor legislation and its impact on HRM; genetic screening and related health and safety, issues; cooperative labor-management experiments and their results; statistical aspects of fairness in selection, placement and promotion; internationalization of HRM functions, job security and labor productivity. Students are required to complete a major project for the course in accordance with guidelines provided by the professor.

BUS 355
Individual and Group Behavior Motivation, Decision Making and Performance Processes 3 credits
Prerequisite: BUS311.
Basic theories and models of individual and group work motivation and decision making processes arc explored. In addition, how the theories and models can be employed to analyze and solve problems such as optimizing performance and satisfation among organizitional members is developed within the course.

BUS 362
Introduction to Entrepreneurship 3 credits
Prerequisites: BUS 311 and BUS 312 or instructor approval.
This course is composed of lectures, case analysis, the development of a business plan by each student and classroom visits by entrepreneurs. Student teams act as consultants for existing businesses. Key course topics include: developing skills needed to initiate and sustain a business venture, conceptual aspects of building a business, financing alternatives, government regulations, management, customer relations, human resources and planning. The importance of individual leadership in developing and maintaining innovations in larger organizations is also addressed. Students majoring in business, engineering, liberal arts, health, education, and architecture may consider this as an elective.

BUS 382
Consumer Behavior 3 credits
Prerequisite: BUS 312.
A study of the variables that determine consumer buying behavior and decisions. Concepts and theories of individual and group purchase and consumption behavior are discussed including information processing, perception. interest, learning, attitudes, beliefs, motivation, personality, lifestyles, values, brand loyalty, adoption, diffusion and culture.Cross-cultural and international patterns of buying behavior are investigated.

BUS 386
Business Research Methods 3 credits
Prerequisite. BUS 312 and MTH 214.
A study of the marketing research process. Research methodologies will be discussed in terms of problem identification and formulation, research and sampling design, data collection methods, data analysis, data interpretation, and report development. Ethics of marketing research are discussed.

BUS 435
Global Finance 3 credits
Prerequisite: BUS 313.
Focuses on the financial problems caused by foreign exchange rate variation, study of the international monetary system and the basic financial instruments of international transactions, issues in foreign investment, internal and external financing and financial control in the multinational corporation.

BUS 436
Real Estate 3 credits
Prerequisite: BUS 313.
A study of the selection, financing and taxation of investments in real property. Topics include: the types of real estate investments, analysis of risk and rates of return, sources of investment capital and the criteria for the selection of real estate investments and financing sources.

BUS 452
Labor and Industrial Relations Past, Present and Future 3 credits
An examination of the conceptual foundations of organized labor-management relations, the environmental factors which have shaped its development to the present time and consideration of forces which will shape its future evolution.

BUS 454
Organizational Strategy, Cultural Design, Development, Change and Performance 3 credits
Prerequisites: BUS 318.
Explores the theories and practices associated with planned organizational change aimed at integrating human and other resources to achieve superior organizational performances. Topics include, but are not limited to the following: organizational decline, organizational renewal, structural and human resources approaches to change and others. Emphasis is placed on change processes that lead to the organizational performances and contribute to increased satisfaction among organizational stakeholders: consumers, clients, shareholders and the larger communities within which the organization operates.

BUS 456
Comparative International Management 3 credits
Prerequisites: BUS 318.
A comparison of the strategic and policy considerations distinctively associated with various regions of the world in which major industrial producers operate, including contrasts among British, Western European, Pacific Rim, Japanese, and the new emerging systems of Eastern Europe. This course compliments BUS 499 but is not a prerequisite for it.

BUS 457
Current issues in Organizational Management and Leadership 3 credits
Prerequisites: BUS 318.
Investigates and analyzes contemporary issues relevant to management theory and practice. Emphasis is placed on current research and applications to management problems.

BUS 481
Promotion Management 3 credits
Prerequisite: BUS 312.
A study of the promotional process for products and services. Advertising strategies including media selection, message development, and effectiveness are discussed. Sales promotion tools such as discounts, rebates, samples and point of purchase are analyzed. The impact of the selling and sales management process are explored.

BUS 482
Channel and Retailing Management 3 credits
Prerequisite: BUS 312.
A study of channel management and retailing. Channel management topics include distribution, transportation, inventory, wholesalers and other intermediaries. Retailing management topics include location, purchasing, width, depth and consistency of offerings, store layout, pricing, merchandising, and profitability.

BUS 483
New Product Management 3 credits
Prerequisite: BUS 312.
Studies the new product/service development and marketing process from concept development and testing, pretest and test marketing, to forecasting national demand, and national launch. Recent best new products and services will be examined together with product failures.Exercises in creating, discovering, inventing and innovating new product/service ideas and market opportunities will be emphasized.

BUS 484
Ethics in Marketing 3 credits
Prerequisite: BUS 312.
The role of ethics in new and old product development, marketing research, distribution, channels, pricing, promotion, advertising and retailing management are discussed. Rights, duties and responsibilities of marketing managers and consumers in relation to safe, environment-protective, traditional values-preserving products and services are also discussed.

BUS 487
Global Marketing Strategies 3 credits
Prerequisite: BUS 312.
Explores and analyzes current global markets and marketing strategies in relation to their political, financial and cultural risk and opportunity. Specific topics include: Global technological alliances for developing core competence, products and services; globalization versus customization of the product mix; great global product successes and failures; assessing global markets such as NAFTA, EU, LAIA and MERCOSURE, CIS, ECOWAS, ASEAN, China and the Pacific Rim; and ethics of global marketing strategies.

BUS 489
Marketing Strategy 3 credits
Prerequisite: Senior Standiing and BUS 312.
A capstone course discussing comprehensive marketing mix strategies. Current successful and unsuccessful products and services will be analyzed using a case format.

BUS 492
Directed Studies in Business 1-6 credits
Prerequisite: Senior standing and approval of program director.
An intensive study of special topics in the field of business, directed by members of the faculty. This course is generally open only to students with a cumulative grade point average of 2.75 or above who have achieved senior standing in business; it is designed to serve as an advanced elective course and cannot be used to substitute for required course work.

BUS 494
International Studies in Business 3-6 credits
Prerequisites: Senior standing and approval of program director.
Study in one or more disciplines conducted abroad under supervision of members of the faculty. Course allows students to gain additional perspective on international business, with specific reference to the host country.