Business

This course emphasizes the practical application of modern business communications. Students will prepare and present various business communications: letter, reports, memoranda, resumes, briefings, fact sheets, decision papers, etc. Additionally, this course is designed to provide students with the opportunity to demonstrate and improve their oral communications and interviewing skills.

Notwithstanding the fact that business leaders may have been taught approaches to ethical decision-making, the question remains as to what is required for corporate decision-makers to choose the right path. This course examines ethical decision-making within the framework of business leadership, corporate governance policies and practices, and codes of ethics. Students will explore various aspects of corporate governance in selected corporation and their relationship to sound leadership qualities. The course also encompasses a survey of professional codes of business ethics. Prerequisite: MGT 100

Notwithstanding the fact that business leaders may have been taught approaches to ethical decision-making, the question remains as to what is required for corporate decision-makers to choose the right path. This course examines ethical decision-making within the framework of business leadership, corporate governance policies and practices, and codes of ethics. Students will explore various aspects of corporate governance in selected corporation and their relationship to sound leadership qualities. The course also encompasses a survey of professional codes of business ethics. Prerequisite: MGT 100

This course presents an advanced study of the American legal system as it affects business. It focuses an in-depth study of the Commercial Paper, Products Liability, and Warranties, Bankruptcy Law, Business Associations, Antitrust Law, Labor Law and Employment. Issues, including legal issues involving discrimination and how it affects business operations and hiring and firing decision. Students will study and discuss the Uniform Commercial Code, the United States Bankruptcy Code, the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Equal Pay Act of 1963, the Age of Discrimination Act, the Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986, and the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1991. Prerequisite: BUS Law 310

This course introduces undergraduate business students to information systems (IS). The course includes important topics related to IS, such as the drivers of IS, database concepts, IS development, and the types of systems used in organizations. Prerequisites: CS 140; MGT 100

Problem analysis and evaluation techniques are presented. Students are shown methods for defining, researching, analyzing, and evaluating problems that often occur in work environments. Specific statistical information covered in the course includes identifying and measuring objectives, collecting, working with significance levels, and analyzing variance and constructing questionnaires. Prerequisite: MATH 160 or equivalent

Supervised placement for qualified students in a field related to the student’s career interest. Monthly meetings and a paper are required. The internship is for Juniors and Seniors only. Note: Preparation for internships must begin at least one semester prior to the semester in which the student is enrolled. Only 1-3 credits may be taken in a given semester. Prerequisite: Permission of the Dean

This capstone experience in business assesses students’ mastery of the principal components of the business curriculum and the core competencies expected of all business professionals. After an initial group meeting, private sessions are held between the student and the professors teaching the course. These meetings will permit students to address any gaps in their business knowledge and improve their quantitative and communication skills.

Economics is a social science that includes the study of how individual and aggregate choices influence the marketplace and the overall economy. This course will introduce students to the broad dimensions of the United States and global economies, and the core principles of microand macroeconomic theory, while emphasizing real-world personal, business and government applications of both. Microeconomics explores the way in which individual economic agents, such as producers and consumers of goods and services, make decisions. Macroeconomics encompasses the aggregate economy and is concerned with issues such as the national income, interest rates, inflation and unemployment.

The study of the overall performance of the American economy, this course provides a theoretical and analytical framework to expand the determination of national income, output, employment and the general price level. It is concerned with issues related to the business cycle, the influence of the banking system, the economic role of government, fiscal and monetary policy, finance, and economic growth.

An analysis of the market price system, this course studies the organization and operation of the American economy with respect to the production, distribution and consumption of goods and services. The nature and behavior of the consumer and the producer are explored, and the theory of pricing under varying market conditions is analyzed. Labor and other resource markets are examined and topics such as business and government, welfare, economics, income and poverty, unions, and the international economy are discussed.

An in-depth study of specific topics in business administration designed to enhance understanding of areas of management concepts and practices. Emphasis will be placed on current issues and, where possible, instruction will incorporate the expertise of professionals in business administration.

Economic history is the study of economic change and phenomena of the past. This course involves a survey and critical analysis of the history of Western economic ideas from the sixteenth through the twentieth century, with particular emphasis placed on Classical economic thought and the emergence of Neoclassical economics. This study of economic history is undertaken using both historical methods and the application of economic theory.

This course is designed to introduce students to international economics, in particular, the determinants that affect the flow of goods across countries, as well as the interchange of savings and investments from one country to another. We will also consider the application of our studies upon many topics of current interest, including the debate on free trade and the US current account deficit.

This course is a focused examination of the policies and performances of different historical and contemporary economies, trying to establish the impact of ideological versus external or concrete influence on the shaping of economic systems. Emphasis will be placed on the comparison of capitalism and socialism, as well as on the intense analysis of existing capitalist systems and the continuing evolution of the emerged and emerging economies of the world.

This course is designed to introduce students to international economics, in particular, the determinants that affect the flow of goods across countries, as well as the interchange of savings and investments from one country to another. We will also consider the application of our studies upon many topics of current interest, including the debate on free trade and the US current account deficit.

An introduction to the theory and practice of personal financial management and planning. Strategies for the small investor and principles of financial plans and long-term wealth accumulation are emphasized. Specific topics include principles of portfolio decision-making; investment in securities, insurance, real-estate, public and private pensions, and retirement and estate planning.

This course examines the important questions of capital budgeting and short-term and longterm financing. Topics include evaluation of risk and value; capital budgeting, cost of capital, capital structure, and dividend policy; financial planning and long-term financing; short-term financial planning cash management and audit management. Also included is the study of mergers and acquisitions, pension plans and international corporate finance.

A survey of the fundamental concepts of finance, including sources and uses of shortterm and long-term funds. Topics include the demand for funds in the business sector, sources of capital, risk management, the selection of alternative investments, and the term structure of interest rates. Also included is the study of financial institutions, particularly the monetary and credit systems of the United States.

This course builds upon the basics learned in Corporate Finance to develop skills inherent in the managerial finance function. Using the case study method, this course will give students a solid background in the long-term financial decision-making of the firm, including capital investment, particularly with regard to capital budgeting, and financing, as it deals with the cost of capital and ramifications for capital structure. This course will also delve into short-term financial decision-making as it relates to working capital and current assets and liabilities management. Finally, special topics in hybrid and derivative securities will be explored.

The purpose of this course is to give the student tools to think analytically about business issues in a structured, organized, and thoughtful manner. Organizational success can be linked to activities such as strategic and tactical planning, product quality and customer satisfaction, and improvements to business processes. The course therefore focuses on the role of accounting for internal management decision-making.

This course focuses on accounting standards relating to business combinations, consolidated financial statements, goodwill, and other intangible assets. To this end, the purchase and equity methods are emphasized. The course also addresses accounting issues relating to the formation, changes in ownership interests, and liquidation of partnerships. Other special topics are also covered.

The purpose of this course is to shift the mental positioning of the subject of economics from outside the organization to inside the organization. Economics is much more than a study of GDP and price indexes; it is, instead, a way of thinking. Students who develop the ability to “think like an economist” and bring such thinking into their work environments will help develop organizations that can weather economic storms and ensure organizational survivability.

In their quest to adapt to the ever-changing business environment, organizations seek faster, more flexible, more aggressive, and more innovative techniques to maintain the competitive edge. Organizations must find ways to set the entrepreneurial spirit free within each employee, develop innovative organizational strategies to re-energize the company, and work to create corporate start-ups that can transform the entire organization. This course is designed for just such purposes.

In any managerial setting, some individuals immediately devise creative plans and effortlessly mobilize the work of others toward organizational goals. In the past, the leadership qualities demonstrated by these individuals was viewed as unteachable. Management theory has progressed beyond this such that successful companies have discovered ways to harness leadership and promote it at every level of the organization. This course
provides an overview of the ways leadership can be infused throughout an organization and how students can develop leadership and entrepreneurial qualities in others.

This course serves as a bridge between the realms of entrepreneurship and strategy. The connection is an easy one: Entrepreneurship involves all of the activities involved in seizing the opportunities inherent in new ventures while strategic planning provides the tools by which these opportunities might be discovered. Strategic planning is routinely performed by large organizations, but is often overlooked by start-up or entrepreneurial firms. Conversely, entrepreneurship is rarely a problem for new companies, but is sometimes ignored by larger, mature organizations. The premise underlying this course is that both entrepreneurship and strategic analysis are required for all firms, regardless of their size and maturity.

This course examines ethical decision-making within the framework of business leadership, corporate governance policies and practices, and codes of ethics. Students will explore various aspects of corporate governance in selected corporations and in relationship to sound leadership qualities. The course also encompasses a survey of professional codes of business ethics. The goal is for students to incorporate Franciscan values into the work-place and assist in the creation and maintenance of a business setting that consists of core ethical values.

This course provides an examination of the role of innovation in sustainable marketplace advantage. Students will investigate the process of converting ideas, technologies, and customer needs into new products, services and processes, as well as explore disruptive and sustaining technologies. Particular attention is given to the nature and types of innovation, and the implications of different innovation types for new product/service development processes.

This course is designed to examine current issues and trends in business that are brought about by the domestic and international economic climate, the continuing and more frequent developments of disruptive technologies, business models, corporate cultures, internal corporate environments, and the impact of other external forces. Exact content of the course will vary, based on a combination of the needs of the students in the program at the time.

Throughout the course of their participation in the program, students are expected to build mastery of the MBA in Innovation and Entrepreneurship core competencies of ethical decision making, creativity, teamwork, critical reasoning, effective communication, and emotional intelligence. In lieu of a culminating thesis paper, the MBA student demonstrates this mastery in a portfolio. The portfolio is composed of the student’s reflections on his/her growth in each of the core competencies as well as samples of assignments and projects that demonstrate the student’s application of each core competency. In addition, students may also include specific leadership, marketing, and management projects they have developed for use outside of the classroom. As part of the MBA Capstone course, ENT 599, students present their portfolio to Business School’s faculty and members of the business community for review and assessment. This course is required for graduation.

The course focuses on the opportunities and challenges involved in the management of growth in entrepreneurial settings, either in an individual company or as part of a larger corporation. Growth is the ultimate resource constrainer, stretching all systems in a company to the limit and often beyond. This course will emphasize management "at the limit" of what students may have already learned in other functional courses.
Integrated into this course is the student’s defense of their portfolio to faculty of the School of Business and representatives of the business community. The portfolio is a demonstration of the student’s mastery of the six core competencies built into the MBA curricula.

The course focuses on the opportunities and challenges involved in the management of growth in entrepreneurial settings, either in an individual company or as part of a larger corporation. Growth is the ultimate resource constrainer, stretching all systems in a company to the limit and often beyond. This course will emphasize management "at the limit" of what students may have already learned in other functional courses.
Integrated into this course is the student’s defense of their portfolio to faculty of the School of Business and representatives of the business community. The portfolio is a demonstration of the student’s mastery of the six core competencies built into the MBA curricula.

Combining theory with analytical tools, the course provides the background needed for developing and managing major corporate financial decisions. The course covers a variety of topics including financial statement analysis, financial forecasting, time value of money, valuation of financial securities, management of risk and return, and cost of capital. Students will also estimate and analyze cash flows in the capital budgeting process and examine capital structure, dividend policies and long-term financial planning.

Statistics is becoming the language of business and the well-equipped manager must be conversant in it in order to make good decisions. This course focuses not only on the basic statistical methods used in the analysis of business problems, but places emphasis on the appropriate use of statistical techniques, the correct interpretation of statistical data, and how to assess data with a healthy dose of skepticism

This course serves as a bridge between the realms of entrepreneurship and strategy. The connection is an easy one: Entrepreneurship involves all of the activities involved in seizing the opportunities inherent in new ventures while strategic planning provides the tools by which these opportunities might be discovered. Strategic planning is routinely performed by large organizations, but is often overlooked by start-up or entrepreneurial firms. Conversely, entrepreneurship is rarely a problem for new companies, but is sometimes ignored by larger, mature organizations. The premise underlying this course is that both entrepreneurship and strategic analysis are required for all firms – regardless of their size and maturity.