COURSES IN BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION

(2007-2008 Westminster College catalog)

 

BA 140 The American Workplace. An introduction to the nature of work and organizations. The course will explore the functions of managers in work environments, and the issues that shape contemporary management such as global competition and information technology. This course cannot be taken for credit if you have received credit for BA 310 (or are currently enrolled). This course is not open to junior or seniors except by permission.

BA 160 Personal Financial Decisions. An introductory course on the basics of financial decision making and personal finance. Topics will include basic accounting concepts, investment alterna­tives, budgeting, and the nature of risk and insurance. This course does not carry credit for any major in the Department of Economics and Business. Sophomore standing is recommended.

BA 220 Statistics. An introductory course in the analysis and interpretation of quantitative data. Attention is given to the binomial distribution, the normal distribution, sampling, introductory probability theory, and hypothesis testing. Real world applications are used with computer soft­ware for statistical analysis. Prerequisite: MTH 131 or equivalent or consent of instructor. (Also listed as ECO 220.)

BA 221 Business Research Methods. A course in the commonly used statistical methods. Broad coverage is given to research design and hypothesis testing. Included are chi-square test of independence, analysis of variance, multiple regression and correlation analysis, and non-parametric statistics. Applications are used with computer software for statistical analysis. Prerequisite: BA 220.

BA 230 Business Law. A study of law as it pertains to business. Legal principles pertaining to a variety of topics, including the Uniform Commercial Code, will be presented and applied to business entities. Text and case study will emphasize legal reasoning processes.

BA 231 Law and Public Communication. An introduction to the legal issues surrounding public communication and business promotion. This course explores the legal and philosophical foundations of freedom of speech and the legal implications of recent changes in media systems and services related to the communications and business professions.

BA 300 Cost Accounting. Development and use of financial information for management pur­poses. Coverage includes cost determination, analysis and control, budgeting, decision making, and performance evaluation. Prerequisites: ACC 202. (Also listed as ACC 300.)

BA 305 Marketing. A study of the process by which products or services are brought to targeted consumers. The discussion includes consumer behavior, formation of a marketing plan and strategy, and marketing ethics. The approach is from the position of a business; however, consumer issues and concerns will also be discussed. Prerequisite: BA 140 and ECO 150.

BA 310 Organizations and Management. A course that studies the behavior of people in a work organization. Topics include motivation, leadership, group processes, job and organizational design, communications, effectiveness and ethics in the workplace. Prerequisites: ECO 150 and junior standing.

BA 325 Management Information Systems. The course provides a basic understanding of how organizations develop, use, manage, and secure their information systems. The course examines the impact of information systems at the strategic and operational levels of an organization. Key system applications, such as electronic commerce and enterprise information systems, are examined as well as the technological infrastructure that supports them. Prerequisites: BA/ECO 220, ACC 202.

BA 326 E-Commerce. The course examines fundamental areas of e-commerce: the economic and strategic implications of the Internet; the uses of Internet technology to manage and rede­sign a business’s value chain; financing and valuing e-commerce organizations; the economic, regulatory and technical environment of e-commerce; risk management issues associated with e-commerce. A number of case studies will be employed to illustrate the principles discussed. Prerequisites: BA 140 and ECO 150.

BA 330 Econometrics. Introduction to econometric modeling; estimation and testing economic relationships, forecasting; detailed analysis of classical linear regression models; discussion of serial correlation, collinearity, specification errors, and dummy variables. Popular computer software packages are used in real world applications. Prerequisites: ECO 150 and BA 220 (or equivalent). (Also listed as ECO 601.)

BA 350 Finance. A study of the financial principles involved in operating a business enterprise. Topics include asset management, creditor relationships, owners’ equities, budgeting for future capital needs and cash requirements, and the management of income and expenses. Prerequisites: ECO 150, ACC 202, and BA/ECO 220 (or equivalent).

BA 360 Human Resources Management. A study of activities necessary for the recruitment, retention, development, and motivation of an organization’s human resources. The course cov­ers typical personnel functions as well as theory on human behavior in organizational settings. Prerequisite: BA 140.

BA 361 Compensation and Benefits. An examination of financial reward systems in organizations and the study of relevant theoretical and legal perspectives. Topics will include job evaluation, wage surveys, equity, individual and group motivational programs, benefits, and compensation strategies. Prerequisites: ECO 150, ACC 201, and BA 360.

BA 362 Employment and Labor Law. Examines the development and current operations of labor unions, the process and outcomes of collective bargaining and the impact on society and businesses, and law regarding workplace rights. Practical insights from National Labor Relations Board rulings and grievance cases will be addressed. Prerequisite: ECO 150, BA 360.

BA 365 International Trade and Finance. An introduction to theories and policies concerning international trade, open economy macroeconomics, and international finance. Topics include traditional and modern theories of international trade, trade policies in advanced and developing countries, the balance of payments, fixed and flexible exchange rates, arbitrage and hedging, monetary and fiscal policies, currency areas, international debt, and the global capital market. Prerequisite: ECO 150. (Also listed as ECO 365.)

BA 371 Management of Healthcare Organizations. A review of changing influences on the variety of sectors in American healthcare provision, organization, and financing. Issues concerning public and private insurance are included. Prerequisite: junior standing.

BA 380 Investments. A course which presents a realistic picture of investment problems and the means for their successful solution. Description of the basic investment instruments is provided. Prerequisite: ACC 202. BA 350 is strongly recommended.

BA 385 Financial Economics. The course presents the Black-Scholes theory of options, futures markets, the time value of money, the rate of return on investment, cash flow sequence, utility functions, expected utility maximization, mean-variance analysis, value at risk, optimal portfolios, and the capital asset pricing model. Prerequisites: ECO 150 and BA/ECO 220 (or equivalent). (Also listed as ECO 385.)

BA 390 Buyer Behavior. Study of major theories of consumer and industrial buying behavior, consumerism, and the ethics of marketing. Prerequisites: BA 220 and 305.

BA 410 Global Marketing Management. An introduction to the complexities of marketing goods and services to international consumers. The environment of international marketing will be addressed from conceptual and applied perspectives. Topics include the various economic, social, political and legal dimensions confronted in international marketing. Prerequisite: junior standing and BA 305.

BA 560, 570, 580, 590 Field Experience/Internship (1–4 SH). Will not be counted in the minimum number of courses needed in the major. All grading S/U. Prerequisites: six courses in economics and/or business, junior or senior standing, and consent of department.

BA 601 Strategic Management. A capstone course that focuses on general management skills involved in choosing an organizational strategy, committing critical resources to implementation, and appropriately reevaluating that strategy as internal and external organizational environments change. The course integrates the major business functions using top management’s generalist view. The primary method of instruction is case analysis. Prerequisites: BA 305, 310 and 350.

BA 602 Managing Across Borders and Cultures. An examination of business activities between the United States and its principal and developing trade partners throughout the world. The impact of culture on business activities between countries will be examined. Topics to be covered, but not restricted to: the impact of NAFTA and other trading blocks on U.S. business, implementation of import/export agreements, future of trade in evolving economies. This is the capstone course for the international business major. Prerequisite: BA 305, 310, and 350.

BA 610, 611 Seminar/Advanced Topics (1–4 SH). A study of relevant topics and techniques pertaining to the current business and economics environment. Solution processes and problem defining are stressed.

BA 620, 630, 640, 650 Independent Study (1–4 SH). Prerequisites: six courses in economics and/or business, with at least a 3.250, junior or senior standing, and consent of department.

BA 660, 670, 680, 690 Honors Project. Required 3.300 average overall. (See p. 59.)