Eberhardt School of Business
Undergraduate Course Descriptions
A student must receive a grade of “C” or better in any core course which is a prerequisite before taking a related concentration course.
BUSI 010. Deans’ Seminar (1) A general survey of the programs and methodologies of the Eberhardt School of Business, including but not limited to educational requirements, professional orientation, career opportunities and School and University regulations. Required of all Eberhardt freshmen. (P/NC only)
BUSI 031. Principles of Financial Accounting (4) Analysis, recording and reporting of business transactions; analysis and use of financial statements; and the use of accounting information in management decision-making.
BUSI 033. Principles of Managerial Accounting (4) Use and analysis of accounting information for management decision-making in planning, production, evaluation and control decisions. Prerequisite: BUSI 031.
BUSI 053. The Legal and Ethical Environment of Business (4) Introduction to Law: court systems and jurisdiction; litigation and other methods of resolving disputes; ethical decision-making; the Constitution and business; lawmaking and regulation by administrative agencies; international law; business organizations; antitrust law; consumer protection; employment law, contract law; and product liability.
BUSI 100. Management Information Systems (4) An introduction to the concepts and skills needed to utilize information systems resources. The focus is the role of information systems in management function. An emphasis is made on end-user computing, including the role of users in information system planning and design. Topics will include information systems technology, applications and development. Students will gain experience with spreadsheet, data base and network applications. Prerequisite: COMP 025 or 051.
BUSI 104. Operations Management (4) Analysis of production and operations systems in the organization; application of quantitative methods in solution of production and operations problems with major emphasis on managerial and economic implications. Prerequisites: BUSI 031, 033; ECON 053, 055; MATH 037, 045; an acceptable computer course; junior standing.
BUSI 105. Financial Management (4) This course introduces financial instruments and institutions from the perspective of the financial management of the firm. Tools of financial analysis and planning as well as principles of short-term and long-term financing are developed as they relate to profit-ability and liquidity. Prerequisites: BUSI 031; ECON 053, 055; MATH 037, 045; junior standing.
BUSI 107. Marketing Management (4) An introduction to the institutions, techniques, policies and procedures utilized in the planning and performance of the activities which direct the flow of goods from producers to consumers. Emphasis is placed on the managerial process of decision-making in the setting of marketing strategy. Prerequisites: ECON 053; junior standing.
BUSI 109. Management and Organizational Behavior (4) The applications of the concepts of organizational behavior and structure theories to the managerial processes, with emphasis on organizational efficiency and effectiveness, are developed. Prerequisite: junior standing.
BUSI 110. Career Development Seminar (1) This course is designed to enable business students to clearly define their career objectives and available opportunities. Through the course business students will understand the connection between internships and full-time careers, be trained in the methods of conducting a successful job search and in preparing for on-going career development. Topics will include career assessment, resumes and related correspondence, interviewing, career planning, and job search resources. The course will also discuss opportunities available in graduate studies. Prerequisite: junior standing.
BUSI 113a. Intermediate Accounting I (4) Primarily a study of income measurement and asset valuation under generally accepted accounting principles. The course emphasizes current procedures, form and content of financial statements and critical evaluation of alternative accounting practices. Prerequisites: BUSI 031 with a “C” or better; junior standing.
BUSI 113b. Intermediate Accounting II (4) A continuation of the study of generally accepted accounting principles. Topics studied include owners’ equity, dilutive securities, pensions, leases, income taxes, statement of cash flows and inflation accounting. Prerequisites: BUSI 113a with a “C” or better; junior standing.
BUSI 113c. Advanced Accounting (4) A study of advanced accounting theory and practice which includes accounting for inter-corporate investments, partnerships, foreign currency transactions, government and nonprofit organizations and current topics. Prerequisites: BUSI 113b with a “C” or better; junior standing.
BUSI 115. Tax Accounting (4) The study of federal tax laws and doctrines that significantly affect businesses, property transactions, and individuals. Tax planning techniques and tax research skills are emphasized. Prerequisites: BUSI 031 and 033 with a “C” or better; junior standing.
BUSI 117. Cost Accounting (4) This course emphasizes skills used by management accountants or other decision makers within an organization for planning and control. Topics include analysis of cost structures, profit planning, product cost systems, cost estimation, budgeting, and the behavioral implications of management accounting systems. Prerequisites: BUSI 031 and 033 with a “C” or better; MATH 037; junior standing.
BUSI 119. Auditing (4) A capstone course in accounting studying the integration of financial and management accounting systems. Topics include the attest function and ethics, generally accepted auditing standards, systems of internal control, evidence and audit reports. Prerequisites: BUSI 113a with a “C” or better; junior standing.
BUSI 121. Financial Markets (4) An examination of the monetary transmission mechanism with emphasis on its implications for financial management of the individual firm. Topics include the institutions of money and credit creation, the flow-of-funds accounts and financial market subsection interconnection. Prerequisites: BUSI 105 with a “C” or better; junior standing.
BUSI 122. Student Investment Fund (3) This course is an entity that will be operated entirely by students. Selected students, under the guidance of a faculty advisor, will gain hands-on, real world experience in managing an equity/bond fund with substantial market value. The objective of the fund is to maintain a well diversified portfolio that will outperform the market. Prerequisites: BUSI 105 with a “C” or better and permission of the instructor; junior standing.
BUSI 123. Investment Analysis (4) The nature of securities markets and the characteristics of various types of securities for institutional and personal investment are examined. Sources of investment information, security valuation and investment planning are introduced. Prerequisites: BUSI 105 and 121 with a “C” or better; junior standing.
BUSI 124. Entrepreneurial Finance (4) Entrepreneurial Finance discusses the financial issues facing a business start-up and those of a growing enterprise. Specific attention is paid to the acquisition of financing for new ventures, financial management of new and growing businesses, and the harvest of the entrepreneurial venture. Prerequisites: BUSI 105 with a “C” or better; junior standing.
BUSI 125. Intermediate Financial Management (4) A second course in business finance with emphasis on problem solving. Selected problems in the management of long-term and short-term assets are examined in depth and techniques for optimizing the goals of the firm are developed. Prerequisites: BUSI 105 with a “C” or better; junior standing.
BUSI 126. Topics in Finance (4) This course will examine in-depth special topics of current interest in the field of finance. Students and faculty together will explore empirical and theoretical issues in such areas of finance as investment analysis, financial management, financial markets and other related areas. Prerequisites: BUSI 105 and 121 with a “C” or better; junior standing.
BUSI 127. Legal Aspects of Real Estate (4) A study of the legal aspects concerning real estate and real estate transactions including deeds, listing agreements, title insurance, real estate contracts, closing, property taxation, land use regulations and landlord-tenant relationships. Prerequisites: BUSI 053 with a “C” or better; junior standing.
BUSI 128. Real Estate Valuation and Investment (4) An analysis of real estate valuation techniques and investment decisions, including the market, tax and financial environments within which real estate decisions are made. Risk and return characteristics of income-producing properties and the contribution of real estate to the investment portfolio are examined. The discounted cash flow model for valuation and investment decisions is emphasized. Prerequisites: BUSI 105 with a “C” or better; junior standing.
BUSI 129. Real Estate Finance (4) An examination of the theory and practice of real estate finance, including such topics as the sources of mortgage funds, types of financing instruments, cost of borrowing, and secondary mortgage markets. Emphasis is placed on using financial analysis techniques to structure and evaluate financing alternatives. Prerequisites: BUSI 105 with a “C” or better, junior standing.
BUSI 134. Conflict Management (4) Conflict is inevitable in organizational, inter-organizational and international settings. This course deals with conflict in concept and in practice and is designed to provide insights into its causes and its productive and destructive consequences. It also focuses on providing tools for managing conflict productively, emphasizing negotiation in particular. Prerequisites: BUSI 109 with a “C” or better; junior standing.
BUSI 136. Business Programming (4) Introduction to programming logic and design. Visual Basic is used to emphasize the development of business applications. Introduction to Windows design elements, forms, and events. Prerequisite: junior standing.
BUSI 137. Database Management Systems (4) Development of database management systems to design and build business applications. The course teaches database design (normalization), queries (SQL), development of business applications using forms and reports, and an introduction to database administration. Prerequisites: BUSI 136 with a “C” or better; or permission of the instructor; junior standing.
BUSI 138. Networking and Telecommunications Management (4) Design, implementation, and management of local area networks. Design issues in wide area networks and telecommunications with emphasis on Internet connectivity. Network server setup and administration, including Web site administration. Prerequisites: BUSI 100 or permission of the instructor; junior standing.
BUSI 139. Electronic Commerce Project (4) Designing and building applications for electronic commerce. Uses databases and programming to build interactive Web sites. Prerequisites: BUSI 100 with a “C” or better; junior standing.
BUSI 140. Business Systems Analysis (4) Systems development life cycle; methods and tools for systems analysis and design; human factors, user interface, and systems integration issues. Prerequisites: BUSI 136 with a “C” or better or permission of the instructor; junior standing.
BUSI 141. Marketing Research (4) A study of the concepts and techniques useful in the solution of marketing problems and in the identification of marketing opportunities. Emphasis is given to the design of information acquisition and to the evaluation and interpretation of research findings. Prerequisites: BUSI 107 and MATH 037 with a “C” or better; junior standing.
BUSI 143. Product Innovation (4) Maintaining competitiveness in the contemporary marketplace requires that companies focus increasingly on the management of product and service innovation. This course will address the innovation process - technology-based and otherwise - from the identification of new ideas through the development of innovations and eventual introduction of novel products to consumers. Topics which will be addressed include sources of innovation, identification and screening of product innovations, business planning for new products, technological forecasting, integrating innovation with business objectives and organizational models for fostering innovation. Prerequisites: BUSI 107 with a “C” or better; junior standing.
BUSI 145. Retailing and Channels (4) Consideration in depth of the distribution structure and strategies available to a firm, with emphasis on conceptual as well as decision-making aspects. Special attention will be given to the structure and management of retailing. Prerequisites: BUSI 107 with a “C” or better; junior standing.
BUSI 147. Consumer Behavior (4) A study of the bases for consumer behavior, including relevant information from social psychology, sociology and cultural anthropology. The application of analysis of consumers’ behavior and attitudes to marketing management decisions. Among the management decision areas included are advertising, product policy, product development, marketing research and pricing. Prerequisites: BUSI 107 with a “C” or better; junior standing.
BUSI 149. Strategic Marketing (4) Students will be introduced to the strategic marketing process, including the analysis of marketing situations, identification of problems, determination of solutions, implementation of corrective action, and planning strategy. Prerequisites: BUSI 105 and 107 with a “C” or better; junior standing.
BUSI 153. Labor-Management Relations (4) A study of labor movements and their impact on organizations and the economy. Prerequisites: ECON 053, 055; junior standing.
BUSI 157. Commercial Law (4) Basic principles of commercial and trade law; business organizations including agency partnerships and corporations; contracts and the Uniform Commercial Code, real and personal property; securities regulation, secured transactions; bankruptcy; professional liability and negotiable instruments. Prerequisites: BUSI 053 with a “C” or better; junior standing.
BUSI 159. Employment Law (4) Consideration of major labor-management relations legislation and its interpretation and treatment by administrative agencies and the courts. Primary emphasis will be on the National Labor Relations Act as amended, but attention will also be given to law concerning public sector labor relations, employment discrimination and other related law. Prerequisites: BUSI 053 with a “C” or better; junior standing.
BUSI 163. International Financial Management (4) An analysis of management problems arising in an international financial environment. Specific consideration given to financial risk(s), risk management and international financial markets. Prerequisites: BUSI 105 with a “C” or better; junior standing.
BUSI 165. International Marketing (4) Examination of the environment for marketing across borders. Consideration of marketing practice, policies and strategies in the multinational setting. Students complete a global screening of countries and draw up a marketing plan and strategy for a given product. Prerequisites: BUSI 107 with a “C” or better; junior standing.
BUSI 169. Comparative Management (4) Develops cross-cultural awareness through understanding of social, political, economic, and historical influences on managerial practice. Methods used include lectures, readings, videos, role-plays, and reports (written and oral). Prerequisites: BUSI 109 with a “C” or better; junior standing.
BUSI 170. Human Resources Management (4) This course introduces the P/HR management area with its core of activities which include job analysis, performance evaluation, employee acquisition, employee and management development, and compensation and benefits. The influences of the equal employment and civil rights laws, wage and hour laws, labor law and labor unions in organizational operations are studied. Prerequisites: BUSI 109 with a “C” or better (may be taken concurrently); or junior standing.
BUSI 172. Entrepreneurship (4) Coverage of the new venture creation process from the venture idea phase to the capital search and acquisition, through the new venture start-up and operations. Theories and techniques are applied to the planning and development of an actual new enterprise. New ventures can include the traditional small business or a high growth venture; the forming of a new business entity or a new venture within an existing organization. Prerequisites: BUSI 031, 033, 107 with a “C” or better; junior standing.
BUSI 174. Work Group Dynamics (4) The purpose of the course is to provide students with an understanding of group dynamics that will enable them to develop skills in both participating in and leading groups in the workplace. Because the focus is on groups, the course will take a “learning by doing” approach and will involve numerous group activities designed to reinforce the material. Prerequisites: BUSI 109 with a “C” or better; junior standing.
BUSI 175. Leadership and Change (4) The processes of deliberate organizational change as adaptations to both internal and external developments. Criteria for and of effective change programs, strategic variables affected in change (e.g., power, communication, conflict) and technologies for producing change (e.g., consulting, training, research). Prerequisite: BUSI 109 with a “C” or better, or junior standing in psychology or sociology.
BUSI 176. Managing Small Businesses (4) The focus of the course is on the decisions owner-managers make in choosing opportunities, allocating resources, motivating employees and maintaining control while not stifling entrepreneurial activities that cause a business to grow. Topics included are managing under adversity, management of the family business, professionalizing the growing business, corporate entrepreneurship, financial planning, control, accountability and the changing role of the board of directors. A field study and a research paper involving the applications of the concepts in a specific firm are required. Prerequisites: BUSI 031, 109 with a “C” or better; junior standing.
BUSI 177. International Trade Law (4) International Trade Law will provide students with the opportunity to study legal aspects associated with international trade agreements. The primary emphases of the course will be on the global trading system as represented by the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade and the World Trade Organization and regional trading systems such as the European Union and the North American Free Trade Agreement. The course will also examine agreements ancillary to these trading regimes as well as relevant national laws. The emphasis of the course will be on the recognition of legal problems and the discovery and application of appropriate principles of international and domestic law that may assist in resolving these problems. Prerequisites: BUSI 053 with a “C” or better; junior standing.
BUSI 178. International Commercial Law (4) International Commercial Law will provide students with the opportunity to study the law governing international contracts. The course will examine ethical considerations in international contracting, commercial dispute resolution, and import and export transactions. Several different types of contract will be examined, including those relating to the sale of goods, services, transportation, insurance and intellectual property rights. The emphasis of the course will be on the recognition of legal problems and the discovery and application of appropriate principles of international and domestic law that may assist in resolving these problems. Prerequisites: BUSI 053 with a “C” or better; junior standing.
BUSI 181. Strategic Management and Policy (4) An integrated analysis of the major functional areas of an enterprise, viewed primarily from the upper levels of management. The strategic management process provides the framework for formulating and implementing objectives, policies and programs, through which a company gains sustainable competencies and competitive advantage in then marketplace. Students will participate in computer simulations, case analyses, and experiential exercises in order to develop skills in executive teamwork, solving strategic problems and presenting and defending recommendations. Prerequisites: BUSI 031, 033, 053, 100, 104, 105, 107, 109.
BUSI 183. Administrative Internship (4) The internship affords students the opportunity to combine administrative practice and classroom theory. Interns are placed with private, public or third sector agencies for a period of 16 to 20 hours a week for one semester. Interested students should contact the Eberhardt Career Management Center or the Associate Dean for Undergraduate programs.
BUSI 186. Firm, Markets, and Environment: Theory and Application (3) This course is designed to provide in-depth exposure to both the theory of the firm and a set of quantitative techniques that managers need to utilize in order to facilitate decision making and problem solving. The topics covered include demand theory and estimation, forecasting with econometric and time-series techniques, production and cost theory, theory of markets, capital budgeting, fiscal and monetary policy, and the global economic and financial environment. Prerequisites: senior standing; ECON 053, 055 and permission of the MBA Program Director.
BUSI 188. Data and Decisions (3) This course introduces the fundamental concepts and techniques for analyzing risk and formulating sound decisions in uncertain environments. The course examines statistical methods for interpreting and analyzing data including sampling concepts, regression analysis, and hypothesis testing. Applications include investor management, portfolio analysis, quality control and inventory management. This course emphasizes analytical techniques that are broadly applicable to business problems. Prerequisites: senior standing; MATH 037, 045 and permission of the MBA Program Director.
BUSI 191. Independent Study (2-4) Primarily for advanced majors in business administration. An independent study proposal must be submitted to and approved by the student’s faculty adviser, the instructor and the ESB Academic Standards Committee. Independent study is to be construed as self-directed study by the student.
BUSI 193. Special Topics (4) Special topic courses offered by the School of Business will be of three types:
- Advanced subjects studied in the concentration program.
- General courses open to all students other than freshmen.
- Special courses introducing new approaches to subjects studied previously, or presenting new subjects which require preparation in disciplines other than business administration.
