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Business Administration
The courses listed below are for the 2012-13 Academic Catalog and are subject to change. Please reference the Academic Catalog for further information and course descriptions. If you are a current student, please reference the catalog in which you come under.
Bachelor of Science in Business Administration
Liberal Education Curriculum 49 credit hours
Business Administration Core Courses 39 credit hours
Concentration 12 credit hours
General Electives 20 credit hours
Total credit hours for the B.S. in Business Administration 120 credit hours
Business Administration Core Courses 39 credit hours
Global Business Environment
BSA 160This course exposes students to the many ways that countries differ and examines the impact of those differences on business activities. The history and theories of international trade and investment are discussed as well as the evolution and role of the global monetary system. In addition, the course will explore the current international business environment including culture, infrastructure, and economic development and examine the strategies and structures of businesses operating in that environment.
Principles of Microeconomics
BSA 211This course provides an overview of market processes under conditions of pure competition, monopoly, and imperfect competition. Topics covered include demand and marginal utility analysis; supply and costs of production; elasticity; and consequences of government regulation of markets. In addition, students will be exposed to the application of microeconomic theory to current social problems.
Principles of Macroeconomics
BSA 212This course provides a brief survey of aggregate demand, aggregate supply, and the role of consumption, investment, government spending, and net exports in establishing full employment equilibrium. The concepts of fiscal and monetary policy, business cycles, and economic growth are also introduced.
Finite Math
MAT 202You will study selected topics in finite mathematics, including set operations, Venn diagrams, elementary probability, counting techniques (including permutations and combinations), matrices, solving systems of equations, linear programming, and mathematics of finance.
Principles of Accounting 1
BSA 221The ability to understand financial information is critical to anyone who wants to invest in stock, apply for a loan, or evaluate the profitability of a business. In this course, students will learn how to record business transactions, prepare financial statements and analyze financial data. Students will be prepared to do basic bookkeeping for a service-oriented or retail business.
Principles of Accounting 2
BSA 222The majority of business sales are generated by corporations. In this continuation of BSA 221, students will be able to record basic corporate transactions. Emphasis is given to developing critical thinking about complex financial data and ratio analysis. Students will also be introduced to basic managerial accounting terminology and cost-volume-profit analysis.
Finance
BSA 225This course introduces basic financial management topics including financial statement analysis, working capital, capital budgeting, and long-term financing. The approach will include issues faced by multinational corporations such as foreign currency translation, international tax rates, and evaluation of international projects. Students will use problems and cases to enhance skills in financial planning and decision making.
Management/Organizational Behavior
BSA 240This course concerns the management of organizations in a competitive global environment and evaluates the forces external to the firm that structure decisions. This course examines the different elements that shape managerial discretion and the tools that organizations use to survive their environments. This course will explore the impact of cultural differences on the success and failure of a firm and will address management styles across cultures.
Human Resource Management
BSA 250Human Resources Management (HRM) is a functional area of every business with the goal of attracting and retaining the best and brightest employees from all over the globe. Topics covered include intercultural sensitivity, global managers as change agents, global workforce diversity, expatriate issues, the role of the global manager, and the influence of culture on employee motivation and management styles.
Business Law
BSA 270This course addresses the legal and ethical issues confronting the global business manager. This course also addresses the legal system, legal processes, and several areas of substantive commercial law relevant to management decisions. In addition, it discusses the developing recognition of legal and ethical issues, and their managerial implications. The concepts studied in this course include product liability, the administrative legal process of regulation, antitrust, and the contract as the fundamental legal instrument of global commercial relations.
Decision Science
BSA 441Vast amounts of data are collected in today's business environment. The most successful managers are those that can put this information to work effectively to guide their decision process. This course prepares student to describe, gather, and analyze business data and to use statistical and management science tools to make effective business decisions in operations, finance, marketing, management, and staffing.
Strategic Management
BSA 499A company attains a competitive position when the configuration of its product mix and service activities generates superior value for customers. The challenge of formulating effective competitive strategy is to balance the opportunities and risks associated with dynamic and uncertain global environment. This course will explore changes in industry attractiveness and competitive position and students will develop skills for formulating a global strategy. This is the capstone course for all students seeking a degree in Business Administration.
With the help of your academic advisor, you will create a focus within your major by choosing one of the following concentrations):
Concentration in Global Business 12 credit hours
Global Businesses' Opportunities and Challenges
BSA 345This webinar based course exposes students to a variety of issues related to identifying and taking advantage of global business opportunities. Specific topics to be covered are exporting, accounting and taxation, logistics, off-shoring, staffing, and cross-cultural negotiation. These webinars will be presented in partnership with both government and non-governmental organizations.
Choose 9 credits, in any combination, from the following:
Concentration in Leadership and Management Studies 12 credit hours
Introduction to Leadership
BSA1 140This course is designed to provide an introduction into the many issues, concepts, and theories involved in the study of leadership. The course will explore traditional and contemporary leadership theories and models, with a major emphasis on understanding one's self as a leader.
Leadership and Change in Organizations
BSA 343This course examines the opportunities and issues when leading an organizational change effort. Emphasis is on organizational vision, motivation, organizational culture, alignment of organizational systems, and theories of change. Students will learn to form vision statements, implement strategies for organizational change, anticipate obstacles, and maintain motivation. Students will also analyze the successes, the failures, and the multiple dilemmas of modern organizations in the private, nonprofit, and public sectors in order to better understand the causes, implications, and potential leader actions and strategies associated with organizational change.
Performance Management
BSA 354Every employee has his/her performance evaluated and every supervisor evaluates someone's performance. This course is designed to provide you with an in-depth study of performance management (PM) in an organization. You will understand why effective performance management is critical, develop the skills to give feedback to employees, and learn how to develop a performance appraisal system. A required team project allows students to enter a local organization and evaluate their performance management system against the criteria taught in class. You should leave the course possessing a set of "tools" which can be used in effective performance management.
Choose 1 of the following:
Group Process and Dynamics
BSA 340As a process of working with others to accomplish shared goals, leadership must be studied in the context of groups and teams. The purpose of this course is to provide students with the knowledge and skills necessary to lead and work effectively in groups and teams. This course will explore theory, practice, and research in group process, including group dynamics, group roles, teamwork, diversity, decision-making, conflict resolution, motivation, and visioning and goal setting.
Employment Recruitment and Training
BSA 356Managers in all departments are responsible for selecting and training new employees. These decisions are increasingly being made across national borders where learning styles and expectations can differ greatly. In this course, you will get hands-on experience exploring on-line resources, planning a job analysis, and making a hiring decision. You will also learn how to develop training programs relevant to adults' immediate needs and learning styles
Concentration in Marketing 12 credit hours
Advertising
BSA 331This course examines the creation of an advertising strategy, and explores the planning and execution of advertising and related promotional functions. Among the topics discussed are setting advertising objectives and budget, media strategy, creative strategy, and measuring advertising effectiveness. It also evaluates controversies surrounding advertisement effectiveness measurement, and reviews legal issues, including privacy, deception, and advertisement substantiation. The course emphasizes the management of advertising campaigns, expenditures, and the integration of advertising efforts as part of the total marketing program.
Consumer Behavior
BSA 332This course provides an overview of current knowledge about consumer behavior. Basic behavioral science and specific techniques used in marketing practice are covered. Course topics include focus group interviews and qualitative research, survey analysis, sensory and perceptual analysis, attitude analysis, value analysis, and psychographics. The approach is not mathematical, but is technical. The course is directed at students preparing for positions in brand management, advertising, and marketing research.
Marketing Research
BSA 336This course considers the gathering of marketing related data from individuals and organizations, with particular emphasis on integrating problem formulation, research design, and sampling so as to yield the most valuable information. Statistical approaches to improve marketing decision making in such areas as strategic marketing, advertising, pricing, sales force management, sales promotions, new products, and direct marketing are examined. The development, implementation, and use of quantitative models are emphasized.
Sales Marketing and Management
BSA 426This course focuses on improving the efficiency and effectiveness of a company's marketing activities. Topics will cover product management, pricing, distribution and inventory, market segmentation, and positioning. The course will demonstrate quantitative techniques for determining sales territories and compensation; advertising and other promotional budgets; product line and business unit profit margins; and other metrics for determining the net contribution of the marketing program.
