Management Course Descriptions

MGMT1101  Foundations of Management

This survey course introduces students to business and management in the 21st century.  Topics covered include: the role of business; macro and micro economics of business; the legal, social, and ethical environment of business; and stakeholders and stakeholder relationships. The functional areas of business are also covered: management, operations, finance, accounting, and marketing. The course emphasizes the remarkable dynamism and liveliness of business organizations, raises issues of ethics and social responsibility, and encourages students to engage in self-reflection around career issues in business and management. (Formerly MGMT1303)

Fall and spring semesters. 4 credits 

MGMT1201  Financial Accounting (QA)

At its core, financial accounting converts data into financial information for decision making. The course introduces students to the methods and procedures accountants use to gather data, record their financial effects, summarize them into financial statements, analyze and interpret the economic impact, and report them to stakeholders.

Fall and spring semesters. 4 credits

Prerequisite: Completion of the College computer literacy requirement and satisfied math competency 

MGMT2201  Managerial Accounting

The use of accounting in planning, controlling, and decision-making is examined in this course. Cost terms, classification and behavior are fully developed and utilized in budgeting, break-even analysis and pricing of products and services. Simulation exercises in production, cost accumulation systems and budgeting will make extensive use of the Excel electronic spreadsheet.

Fall and spring semesters. 4 credits

Prerequisite: MGMT1101 and MGMT1201 

MGMT2202  International Management

This course focuses on the strategic role of culture and ethics in the implementation of global strategies.  Emphasis is on the management functions, resources, and strategies required for organizations (not-for-profit and for-profit) to sustain competitive advantage in world markets. With ever-accelerating advances in technology and world events, the complex dimensions of global business relationships entwined with interpersonal relations are discussed. 

Fall semester. 4 credits

Prerequisite: MGMT1101 

MGMT2211 Leadership I: Person and Process

Through readings, class discussions, case studies, group and team activities, and self-assessments, students consider questions like: “What is leadership?”  “What makes a great leader?” and “Can I learn to be a leader?” In this course, students will become familiar with historical and contemporary models of leadership and with the lives and accomplishments of many different leaders. Students will also develop greater self-awareness and practice leadership skills in groups and teams.

Fall Semester: 4 credits

Prerequisite: Sophomore standing 

MGMT2301  Legal Environment of Business

This course provides students with an understanding of the legal environment in which businesses operate. Students will learn to use knowledge and understanding of ethics, law, and regulation in making business decisions. Formerly titled Business Law.

Fall and spring semesters. 4 credits

Prerequisite: Sophomore standing 

MGMT2307  Organizational Behavior (SA)

Organizational behavior ( OB) concentrates on understanding and predicting the behavior of people and groups in the work environment. No matter what role people play in a work organization – as individual contributors, team members, or managers – understanding OB concepts and developing OB skills will enhance their ability to initiate and sustain healthy working relationships and to contribute more effectively at work. In this course, students will learn organizational behavior concepts and theories, apply them in cases and exercises, develop greater self-awareness, and practice team skills. In addition, the course devotes attention to career issues and ethical concerns that arise between and among people at work.

Fall and spring semesters. 4 credits

Prerequisite: Junior standing 

MGMT3110  Management Research for Positive Change

This project-based service-learning course gives students the opportunity to develop skills in social research methods as they work with a local not-for-profit organization to collect and analyze data needed for organizational decision making and action. Students will gain experience in research design, the collection of data, the analysis of data using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS), and the presentation of results to support positive change.

Alternate years, expected spring 2008. 4 credits

Prerequisites: MATH1117 and either MGMT2307 or MGMT3301 

MGMT3207 Human Resource Management

Large or small, for profit or not for profit, the effective management of human resources is a challenge all organizations face. This course will introduce students to the central functions they will need to successfully manage human capital, whether they work in HR, finance, operations, marketing, accounting, or general line management. HR activites covered in this course include recruiting and selecting employees, training them, evaluating their performance, and rewarding them. Other HR concerns covered in this course include labor relations, work and family, health and safety at work, and diversity.
Fall and spring semester. 4 credits
Prerequisite: MGMT 2307

MGMT3211 Leadership II: Effective Leadership at Work

Being an effective leader at work requires self-knowledge, an understanding of conceptual and practical models of organizational leadership, a range of leadership behaviors and skills, as well as ongoing leadership development. In this course, students will learn from conceptual material, experience, behavioral exercises, cases, discussion, and reflection. The focus is on both the leader and the organizational context of leadership. Topics include: self-understanding, models of leadership, ethics and values, trust, communication, power and influence, vision, leading change, shaping culture, and leadership diversity.

Spring semester. 4 credits

Prerequisites: MGMT2211, MGMT2307, PHIL2103, ENGL1207 or ENGL1208, elective (a service learning course or course at the 2000-level or above dealing with a contemporary social problem or issue of public policy; may be taken concurrently)

MGMT3301  Principles of Marketing

This course focuses on the total system of interacting business activities involved in the movement of goods from producers to consumers and industrial users. It involves analysis of the marketing functions performed by the manufacturers, wholesalers, retailers, agent middlemen, and market exchangers. This course examines consumer and industrial products and services; private, public, for-profit, not-for-profit organizations; as well as the social, ethical, and legal implications of marketing policies. Students evaluate pricing, branding, choice of distribution channels, selective selling, and the planning and implementation of sales programs. Emphasis is on a managerial approach to making responsible marketing decisions. 

Fall and spring semesters. 4 credits

Prerequisites: MGMT1101, MGMT1201 and ECON1101 

MGMT3302  Operations Management

Operations management is the discipline that focuses on how organizations produce goods and provide services. Students learn concepts and techniques related to the design, planning, production, delivery, control, and improvement of both manufacturing and service operations. They address problems and issues confronting operations managers such as process improvement, forecasting, capacity planning, facility layout, location planning, inventory management, quality management, and project management. This course employs practical methods for analyzing and improving manufacturing and service operations, and considers the interface of operations to other management functions.

Fall and spring semester. 4 credits

Prerequisites: MATH1111 or MATH1121, MATH1117, and MGMT2201 

MGMT3305  Financial Management

Topics in this course include the search for financing and the management of funds already invested, economic value added (EVA) and wealth creating strategies, financial analysis and planning, valuation of stocks and bonds, the management of working capital, the cost of capital and capital budgeting analysis. Also reviewed are financial markets, institutions and interest rates.

Fall and spring semesters. 4 credits

Prerequisite: MGMT2201 

MGMT4303  Strategic Management

This is one of two capstone courses of the management curriculum. This course focuses on the formulation and implementation of strategy. Students use tools and knowledge from other courses to extract, develop, and make sense of technological, financial, economic, marketing, operational, geographic, and human information. Emphasis is placed on the strategy process (assessing company performance, identifying problems and possibilities, developing strategies, putting strategies and plans into action) as well as the ethical issues and social responsibilities that should be addressed in the formulation and implementation of strategic decisions. Cases and/or simulation exercises will be a pedagogical component of this course.

Fall and spring semesters. 4 credits

Prerequisites: MGMT2307, MGMT3301, MGMT3302, and MGMT3305.  This course is limited to management seniors. 

MGMT4396-4397 Management Internship I-II

The management internship is one of two capstone courses of the management curriculum that involves experiential learning in a for-profit or not-for-profit firm related to the student’s prospective career. The course requires that students apply theoretical knowledge to a practical setting, and provides them with the opportunity to gain experience in their chosen career and make a contribution to the organization in which they complete their internship. In addition to working at their internship site, students attend weekly seminar sessions that will deal with theoretical, practical, and ethical aspects of work. Together with the Internship supervisor, a project is defined for the student that will add value to the organization and that will help the student build expertise and confidence in an area of mutual interest. The student completes the project as part of the internship.

Fall and spring semesters. 4 credits

Prerequisites: INT1001, MGMT2307, MGMT3301, MGMT 3302, MGMT3305, and approved internship placement. This course is limited to management seniors.

Economics

ECON1101 Principles of Microeconomics (SA)

Microeconomics focuses on how individual markets work. The emphasis is on how consumers make choices and how privatelyowned businesses produce goods, set wages and earn profits. It also examines policies designed to overcome market failure, including antitrust law, taxation, environmental regulation, and the redistribution of income. Tools of analysis include supply and demand, profit maximization in competitive and monopolistic markets, and the tradeoff between incentives and equity in policy design. Microeconomic theory is applied to a variety of markets, such as energy, software, pharmaceuticals, housing and labor markets.
Fall and spring semester. 4 credits
Prerequisites: MATH1101 or concurrently with MATH1101

ECON1103 Principles of Macroeconomics (SA)

Macroeconomics studies the well-being of societies by focusing on unemployment, economic growth, inflation, poverty, income inequality and globalization. There is a multitude of contributing factors, including the actions of governments, individuals and firms. Specifically, the Federal Reserve, tax and trade policies, financial systems, values and beliefs all contribute to the well-being of a society in complex ways. Macroeconomics provides a theoretical framework for understanding these interactions, causes and their effects, and informing difficult policy decisions.
Fall and spring semester. 4 credits
Prerequisites: MATH1101 or concurrently with MATH1101

ECON2101 History of Economic Thought

This course revolves around key ongoing debates in economic theory over the nature of economic growth, the ideal economic system, and the role of government in the economy. The historical, political and philosophical context of the evolution of economics is examined. As a survey of economic thought, the course also provides an overview of the entire body of economic theory, from the inception of economics to current techniques and ideas.
Fall and spring semester. 4 credits
Prerequisites: ECON1101 and ECON1103

ECON2113 The Politics of International Economic Relations

This course will explore the interrelationships of economics and politics in the international arenas. Students will study the interdependence of economies, questions of economic development, the power of multinational corporations, international trade and trade agreements, oligopolies, oil, environment and the arms trade.
Fall semester. 4 credits
Prerequisite: Either one economics or one political science course (Cross-referenced with POLSC2409)

ECON3103 The International Economy

This course will analyze the workings of the international economy and the economic interdependencies between nations using current theoretical models. Four major topics are covered: international trade agreements, the international financial system, multinational corporations, the relationship between rich and poor countries and the prospects for economic development.
Fall semester, alternate years, expected fall 2007. 4 credits
Prerequisite: ECON1101 and ECON1103

ECON3104 Economics of Latin America

The course will examine the historic and current economic development of Latin American Countries. During the course, the topics of international trade, capital flows, exchange rate policies, monetary and fiscal policy, agriculture, and natural resource management all will be discussed as they relate to the past and future of Latin American economic development. The course will be based on extensive reading and research assignments.
Fall semester, alternate years. 4 credits.
Prerequisite: ECON1103

ECON3105 Money and Financial Markets

What is money? How does the stock market work? How do financial markets impact the economy? This course will analyze the role of financial markets and institutions in the world economy, with special emphasis on the U.S. economy, and an in-depth look at the banking industry, the bond market, markets in stocks, foreign currencies, financial futures and derivatives. The course explores the impacts of financial activity on real economic activity and consider the effects of government policies and regulations on financial markets.
Spring semester, alternate years, expected spring 2009. 4 credits
Prerequisite: ECON1103

ECON3109 Emerging Economies

This course offers an overview of theories of economic development and experiences of developing countries. Specific topics include debt relief, population growth, HIV/AIDS, migration, the special role of women, microfinance, agrarian reform, education, health care, privatization, aid, nationalization, monetary and fiscal policy, exchange rate regimes, foreign capital flows and trade negotiations. The roles of international organizations and private industry in economic development are also examined.
Spring semester, alternate years, expected Spring 2008. 4 credits
Prerequisites: ECON1103

ECON3113 Economics of Health Care

This is a service learning course that synthesizes the local strength in medical care with the desperate local need for health care. Complementing the service project is a rigorous examination of health care and health decisions, including major issues such as private insurance and government health programs. Access, equity and efficiency, both currently and in the future, will all be explored. The future challenges of globalization, technological shifts, political dynamics, demographics shifts and private sector initiatives will all have significant impacts on the health landscape and will also be studied. By the end of the course, students will have not only have the tools to understand health care issues, but the knowledge needed to propose solutions.
Spring semester, alternate years, expected Spring 2009. 4 credits.
Prerequisite: ECON1101

ECON3115 Economics and the Environment

This course examines the environmental impact of economic activity and effectiveness of environmental policy. Topics include: the depletion of minerals and oil; management of renewable resources such as water and forests; conservation of biodiversity; mitigation of global climate change; and the regulation of pollution. Environmental policies are assessed in terms of costs, benefits, ease of implementation and the prospects for encouraging sustainable development.
Spring semester, alternate years, expected spring 2008. 4 credits
Prerequisites: ECON1101

ECON4178-4179 Directed Study

This course is limited to seniors.
Fall and spring semester. 4 credits
Prerequisite: Permission of instructor