Business Management Requirements

Communicating Plus: Business Management. Students completing a major in Business Administration develop skills in the four Communicating Plus areas — written communication, oral communication, critical thinking and problem solving — in required and elective coursework in the discipline. The Communicating Plus Student Learning Goals are laced through all of the core courses and elective courses in Economics and Business Administration. Because the Business Administration program is an interdisciplinary program, students are exposed to the communication techniques, analytic tools and modes of thinking of other fields of study. The Senior Seminar in Business Administration provides students with an opportunity to integrate the skills they have developed throughout their coursework in the completion of a project that requires research, data analysis, critical thinking, and oral and written presentations of information and ideas.

Requirements for all majors in Business Management: Business Administration 131, 313 and 452; Economics 211-212; Mathematics 120 or Psychology 211-212. Junior and senior Business Administration majors are strongly encouraged to complete an internship in an area of interest. Internships with approved employers or agencies may be arranged on an individual basis. Many ACM off-campus study programs also contain an internship component. In addition, it is highly recommended that any student interested in business administration consider mastery of a foreign language, which is extremely useful in today's global business world.

Requirements for a major in Business Management (Individualized Track): The Individualized Track is ideal for students who want to focus on a specific area of business (i.e., marketing, entrepreneurship, human resources, etc.). It also is a good choice for students who want to incorporate their interests into other disciplines with their business major. In addition to the above required courses, students would take Economics 351 and 354. Students interested in graduate school studies in business should consider taking one or more mathematics courses as shown below in the general track. In addition, an integrated set of at least four courses from at least two departments totaling at least 12 credits will be completed. No more than one of these courses may be at the 100 level, and no more than two may be at the 200 level or below. At least three of these courses must be taken subsequent to declaration of the major. The direction and content of the individually-focused component will be proposed by the student and approved by the Director of the Business Administration Program or other designated adviser. Students may choose courses from any discipline, but they must document how the courses selected are germane to their business study goals and objectives, and how the courses selected form a cohesive whole. An appropriate semester of off-campus study may be counted as one course (four credits) toward satisfaction of the self-designed component. Guidelines for completing this requirement as well as possible examples are available from the Director of the Business Administration Program and from other faculty advisers.

Requirements for a major in Business Management (General Track): The General Track is a good choice for students who are interested in general business leadership and for those who are preparing for graduate study. In addition to the courses required of all majors, students will take either Mathematics 123, 133, 141 or 146. (Students without adequate preparation in calculus should choose 123 or Math 130, which is a prerequisite for 141. Students who are especially well-prepared in math may choose Math 142.) General Track students also take Business Administration 208 and eight credits of electives from the following: Business Administration 222, 310, 315 or 413; Economics 311, 351 or 354; Philosophy 202; Psychology 110, 225 or 226; Communication 115, 223 or 352; Sociology 110 or 115. At least four of the credits will be from 300 or 400 level courses, and at lest four of the credits will be from a discipline other than business.

Requirements for a Business Management Minor: 20 Credits. Economics 211-212 and three additional business administration courses. At least two of the courses must be numbered 300 or above. The following courses may be substituted for one of the 100 or 200-level business administration courses: Philosophy 202, Psychology 225 or 226, or Communication 223.

Requirements for a Entrepreneurship Minor: 20 Credits. Economics 211-212, Business Administration 413 (Entrepreneurship and Small Business Management), and eight credits from any of the following: Philosophy 202 (Business Ethics); Psychology 110 (General Psychology); Communication 115 (Public Speaking); Communication 223 (Organizational and Business Communication) or Communication 352 (Political Communication); Business Administration 208 (Marketing); Business Administration 310 (Nonprofit Organization Management); and Business Administration 315 (Strategic Management); or Business Administration 325 (Business and Society).

Requirements for a Nonprofit Management Minor: 20 Credits. Economics 211-212, Business Administration 310 (Nonprofit Management), and eight credits from the following: Philosophy 202 (Business Ethics); Psychology 110 (General Psychology); Sociology 110 (Introduction to Sociology) or Sociology 115 (Social Problems); Communication 115 (Public Speaking), Communication 223 (Organizational and Business Communication) or Communication 352 (Political Communication); Business Administration 208 (Marketing), Business Administration 315 (Strategic Management), Business Administration 325 (Business and Society), and Business Administration 413 (Entrepreneurship and Small Business Management). Up to four credits of internship earned during the ACM Urban Studies Program also could be used for this minor.

Suggested Course Sequence for Business Management Majors

(Courses listed as, for example, First-Year Requirements, need not be taken in the first year. Rather, the listing means that they are suitable for first-year students.)

First Year All majors: Business Administration 131; Mathematics 120 General Track: Mathematics 123, 133, 141 or 146 First-Year Electives: Psychology 110; Communications 115; Sociology 110 or 115

Second Year All majors: Economics 211 and 212 General Track: Business Administration 208

Second Year Electives: Business Administration 208 (Individualized Track), 222; Philosophy 202; Psychology 225 or 226; Communications 223

Third Year All majors: Business Administration 313 Individualized Track: Economics 351 and 354

Third Year Electives: Business Administration 300, 310, 315 or 325; Economics 351 or 354 (General Track) or 311; Communications 352

Fourth Year All majors: Business Administration 452

Fourth Year Electives: Business Administration 413 In addition, students opting for the Individualized Track will complete their individual focus proposal.

Courses

131. Financial Accounting with Spreadsheet Applications (Keuler)
Four credits. This course introduces students to the accounting principles and requirements for measurement, recording and reporting of business transactions encompassed in the accounting cycles for enterprises in service and merchandising industries. The course emphasizes business terminology used in developing financial information for analytical and decision-making for sole proprietorships and corporations through presentation in Excel worksheet applications; as well as focusing on the interrelationships of component items on business financial statement. Open to first-year students.

208. Introduction to Marketing (Rauch)
Four credits. An introduction to the study of marketing in business and other organizations. Topics include: the marketing environment, marketing strategies and decision-making, and marketing ethics.  Prerequisite: Mathematics 120 And Economics 212

222. Managerial Accounting with Spreadsheet Applications (Keuler)
Four credits. This course focuses on the accounting concepts utilized by decision-makers in planning, implementing and monitoring operations in various management and business environments. The course broadens the student's understanding of the statement of cash flows and financial statement analysis. Students are introduced to job costing and process costing of manufacturing enterprises. The course includes the use of Excel spreadsheets to explore the concepts of differential analysis, capital investment analysis and activity-based costing. Prerequisite: Business Administration 131. Prerequisite or corequisite: Economics 212.

300. Departmental Studies (Staff)
One to four credits. Special subjects in business administration not covered by regular courses. Previous topics include: Business Law; Heath Care Management; and International Marketing. This course may be repeated for credit when topics change. Prerequisite: Consent of the instructor.

310. Nonprofit Organization Management (Avery)
Four credits. A study of the world of philanthropy including history and current practices, an introduction to the world of nonprofit organizations (their purposes, opportunities and challenges) and the application of business and entrepreneurial models to community problems and the needs of nonprofit organizations. Prerequisite: Junior standing or consent of the instructor.

313. Corporation Finance (Huang)
Four credits. Theoretical framework for analysis of business financial policies and problems consistent with the objective of maximizing the market value/stock price of an individual corporation. This is the basic financial management course introducing students to such essential financial concepts as the analysis of financial statements, the time value of money, stock and bond valuation, risk and return, capital budgeting and the cost of capital. Same as Economics 313. Prerequisite: Economics 211-212, Mathematics 120. Prerequisite or corequisite: Business Administration 131.

315. Strategic Management (Rauch)
Four credits. Visioning and strategic planning are essential to all organizations.  In a world so greatly impacted by e-commerce, global markets and exploding technology, effective organizations must plan or perish. Examining the external environment, discovering the organization's unique attributes/challenges and responding accordingly are key tasks of managers today.  This course will cover strategic management theory and make extensive use of case studies to help students better understand the manager's job.  Prerequisite: Junior standing or consent of the instructor.

325. Business and Society (Avery)
Four credits. A review of business and its relationship to society as a whole. Corporate social responsibility including corporate philanthropy, employee relations, environmental responsibility and business ethics will be the primary focus of the course. The role of government in its relationship to large corporations also will be reviewed. Case studies will be used, and students will develop projects that will help to build ethical leadership skills.

328. Consumer and Corporate Behavior (Staff)
Two credits. An overview of consumer and corporate behavior in the modern marketplace. Emphasis will be on the theoretical frameworks for meeting societal needs, wants and preferences through product and service design, pricing, communication and distribution. Prerequisite: Junior or senior standing or consent of the instructor.

413. Entrepreneurship and Small Business Management (Sensenbrenner)
Four credits. Introduction to the opportunities, risks and rewards found in the ownership of a small business. Concentrates on the effective management of small firms to include: planning and organizing the new company, financial and administrative controls, franchising and purchasing an existing business. Reviews the role of small business in American society. Prerequisite: Senior standing.

452. Senior Seminar Business Management (Avery)
Four credits. An integrative course analyzing managerial decision-making in the firm. Emphasis is placed on the formulation of policies and strategies and the application of concepts through case studies and simulation exercises. All areas of the business management major (including long-run strategic planning, employment and ethical issues, and questions of marketing, sales and finance) are integrated by developing skills in problem identification, analysis and solution. The case preparations may take the form of individual written presentations, both individual and group oral presentations, and group discussions in class. Prerequisites: Senior standing and completion or concurrent enrollment in the courses required for the major.

541, 542. Independent Study (Avery)
One to four credits each semester. Supervised investigation of business management problems of special interest to the student. Prerequisites: Junior or senior standing and consent of the program director.

551, 552. Independent Study: Internship (Avery)
One to four credits each semester. Supervised work off campus in an area of business management of special interest to the student. Prerequisites: Junior or senior standing, 12 credits of related classes and consent of the program director.

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