Fermanian School of Business Courses

BUS 603 (1.5) BUSINESS COMMUNICATIONS
This course presents the fundamentals of business written and oral communication including informal communication skill assessment and improvement, crisis management, public speaking, formal business presentations, the presentation of complex information and the use of presentation software.

BUS 604 (1.5) MARKETING
This course addresses the role of marketing in society and in the organization; construction of a formal marketing plan, including choice of target market, product development, pricing, distribution, and promotion. Additional topics include the social, legal and ethical dimensions of marketing.

BUS 605 (1.5) ECONOMIC SURVEY
This course presents a survey of the fundamental principles of macro and micro economics. The course includes the basics of supply and demand economics including the production, distribution and exchange of wealth as well as national fiscal and monetary policy.

BUS 607 (3) BUSINESS LAW
This course provides a general introduction to law and business. It will do so using traditional legal analysis, supplemented by a substantial use of law, current practice, proposed legislative changes, and economics. Topics covered include: choice of corporate form; capital markets law, including venture capital and IPOs; antitrust; intellectual property; telecommunications and the regulation of natural monopoly; corporate social responsibility, environmental law, sustainability, and e-Commerce.

BUS 608 (1.5) BUSINESS MATH
This course is designed for the graduate student who wants to refresh their mathematical background for basic courses in finance, statistics, and economics. The main topics are as follows: a review of basic tools such as algebra, and exponents; solving word problems; linear systems (equations and matrices, etc.); exponential and logarithmic functions, mathematics of finance; and basic tools of calculus (limit, derivative, optimization, and integral).

BUS 609 (1.5) BUSINESS GOLF
This course introduces swing fundamentals, golf etiquette, basic USGA rules, and “business golf rules”. Use golf as a tool for networking, business deals and relationship building. How corporate golf events and tournaments work. The Golf Business: Retail, Manufacturing, Golf Courses, PGA Tour . . . Golf: Profit, Personal relationships and Philanthropy.

BUS 610 (3) ORGANIZATIONAL BEHAVIOR AND THE FUTURE
This course addresses organizational behavior and how it is impacted by values, diversity, and technology. Students examine the process through which managers learn to apply concepts from the behavioral sciences to observe, understand, and influence behavior in the workplace. Concepts such as motivation, leadership and application of techniques for individual and organizational growth and decision-making in a global environment are discussed.

BUS 612 (3) BASICS IN ACCOUNTING AND FINANCE
This course presents an introduction to: (1) the theory and practice of accounting applicable to measuring, recording and reporting business transactions for external uses; (2) the study of information systems for management accounting, the analysis of accounting information for planning and management decision-making, and the use of various performance measurements and evaluation techniques; and (3) the techniques, concepts, and analysis of finance. Topics include the understanding and preparation of financial statements and all the component sections, cost behavior, financial decision-making, financial planning, capital budgeting and time value of money, and performance measurement.

BUS 615 (3) MANAGERIAL ACCOUNTING
This course develops the concepts and techniques necessary to analyze financial information and management accounting reports. In particular, participants will learn to use these statements and reports as effective management tools for decision making in the coordination of managerial and organizational activities.
Prerequisite: Business 612 or equivalent.

BUS 620 (3) MANAGING HUMAN RESOURCES
This course explores the management of human resource functions including employee selection, training, evaluating, and compensation. Stresses the importance of Human Resources in a rapidly changing global environment impacted by different sets of values and progressive technology. It examines the impact of the setting in which human resources takes place. It also addresses labor relations, collective bargaining and equal employment opportunity issues.

BUS 625 (3) BUSINESS STATISTICS AND QUANTITATIVE METHODS
This course covers statistical concepts and tools needed for business applications in the global economy. Also provides relevant quantitative tools necessary for more advanced electives in the curriculum, especially finance, marketing, managerial economics, and operations management.
Prerequisite: Business 608, equivalent or consent of the instructor.

BUS 630 (3) MANAGERIAL ECONOMICS
The course is about the principles and techniques of managerial economics and its applications to everyday business challenges. Topics include the theories of price, production, consumer behavior, cost, distribution, risk and uncertainty, and transaction costs.
Prerequisite: Business 625 or equivalent.

BUS 632 (3) HUMAN FACTOR FOUNDATION OF ACTION
Students will learn, understand, discover, and act on the knowledge and significance of the human factor foundation of human action in the diverse spheres of life. Students will be exposed to critical, analytic, and conceptual analysis that are bound to guide them to comprehend better the connectedness among the social institutions and the degree to which the quality of the human factor impacts the performance of leaders, managers, and employee. Students are guided and encouraged to dig deeper into the precise role the quality of the individual as well as group human factor plays in human performance in the diverse marketplaces. The primary task in this course is to discover the degree to which the quality of the human factor impacts effectiveness in the business organization as well as the social institutions.
Prerequisite: Business 630.

BUS 635 (3) INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS
An overview of international business and the political economy of nations. The course may include an off-campus component. The course provides the theoretical background and appreciation for the international trade environment including economics and finance.

BUS 640 (3) TECHNOLOGICAL INNOVATION AND MANAGEMENT KNOWLEDGE
This course investigates and demonstrates the planning and implementation of strategies that help organizations improve productivity, satisfaction, and responsiveness to the environment. The course views management from the perspective of human systems and organizational development, technological innovation, and strategic management.

BUS 645 (3) ORGANIZATIONAL LEADERSHIP
Students explore the development of theoretical basis of what intrinsically and extrinsically motivates people to exceptional performance. The course examines different leadership styles, personal leadership effectiveness, and contemporary leadership literature. Students analyze the ways leadership and culture shape an organization’s environment and history.

BUS 650 (3) OPERATIONS MANAGEMENT
This course focuses on the delivery of high quality products and services in competitive environments. It addresses the issues of total quality management and continuous process improvement. The approach is quantitative in nature, exploring collection of relevant data, data analysis techniques and development of information systems to support management decision-making. In addition the course is designed to allow for the exploration of the use of the data generated by the tools used in this field.

BUS 655 (3) MARKETING IN AN ENTREPRENEURIAL WORLD
This course examines the issues involved in organizing and operating start-up businesses and new ventures as well as the role of marketing in today's organizations. Attention is given to the ethical, social, and economic problems faced by entrepreneurs and marketing managers.

BUS 660 (3) CONTEMPORARY MANAGEMENT IN A COMPETITIVE WORLD
This course explores how high performance in organizations is related to one’s ability to adapt to changing internal and external needs and the impact of values upon the performance of the organization. It examines the environmental, structural, and human dynamics of organizational change, including factors bearing on organizational rigidity or flexibility. The role of leaders in implementing collaborative change processes is stressed along with a study of strategies for involving others in the designing and execution of change projects in a technologically and culturally changing world. The course includes an assessment of the student’s own orientation to change and style of change leadership.

BUS 665 (3) ORGANIZATIONAL COMMUNICATION
Organizational Communication examines the role and function of communication in creating the dynamics of organizational life. Students explore the impact of information technology on the dissemination, content, patterns and context of communication.

BUS 670 (3) FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT
This course explores the role of the financial manager in providing the financial resources necessary for the successful operation of the firm. It addresses the topics of evaluating financial performance, financial forecasting, asset valuation, capital budgeting, planning the firm’s capital structure, and corporate restructuring.
Prerequisites: Business 612 (or equivalent), and both 615, 625.

BUS 672 (3) ENTREPRENEURSHIP
This course addresses topics including business start-ups, venture capital, planning, and the expansion of small or family run businesses. Course includes lectures by entrepreneurs, financial planning using spread sheets, and preparation of a formal business plan.

BUS 673 (3) VALUE CREATION AND NEGOTIATION STRATEGY
The purpose of this course is to understand and use the theories and processes of negotiation as they are practiced in a variety of settings, to be relevant to the broad spectrum of negotiation problems that are faced by the manager and professional, by utilizing content that is relevant to finance, marketing, real estate, technology, consulting relationships, entrepreneurship, and mergers and acquisitions.  The course emphasizes negotiations that occur in the daily life of the manager, under the basic premise that while a manager needs analytical skills to discover optimal solutions to problems, a broad array of negotiation skills is needed to get these solutions accepted and implemented.  The course allows students the opportunity to develop these skills experientially and to understand negotiation in useful analytical frameworks.  Considerable emphasis is placed on simulations and role playing.

BUS 674 (3) REAL ESTATE INVESTMENT
Investment in real estate markets, real estate property including deeds, mortgages, escrow, title insurance, leases, rentals, etc. This course satisfies the educational requirement for real estate broker’s license.

BUS 675 (3) STRATEGIC MANAGEMENT
The aim of this course is to give the student a thorough understanding of the analytical techniques and skills necessary to identify and exploit strategies successfully. Students explore steps taken toward achieving the objective by understanding an overview of the main elements of the strategic management process, and examination of how they fit together, and a discussion of the factors that affect the quality of strategic decisions generated by the process.

BUS 681 (3) BUILDING SUSTAINABLE ORGANIZATIONS
This course explores the role of business and business strategies for addressing global economic, social, and environmental sustainability. Informed by Christian theological understandings of creation care, stewardship, justice, human well-being and restoration, the course topics include natural capitalism, the Natural Step, biomimicry, cradle to cradle design, and business environmental and social strategy. Examines how individuals can facilitate organizational change towards adoption of a triple-bottom-line (economy, ecology, equity) strategic perspective.

BUS 682 (3) BUSINESS SUSTAINABILITY PRACTICUM
This course explores tools and processes for conducting an environmental audit of an organization, preparing a "green business plan", and marshalling organizational commitment to change. Students will prepare a major sustainability-related project, such as an environmental footprint analysis, or a green business plan on behalf of a local organizational client.
Prerequisite: Business 681.

BUS 685 (3) MANAGEMENT OF NOT-FOR-PROFIT ORGANIZATIONS
This course covers the application of management principles to non-profit organizations, including managing volunteers, advising board of directors, accounting, investment, financial management, marketing, fund raising, ethics and responsibility to society and donors.

BUS 687 (3) HEALTHCARE FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT
This course provides a basic framework for understanding and using financial information for making decisions in the healthcare industry. Topics covered include: operating and capital budgets, cost-volume-profit relationships, variance analysis, time value of money, financial statements, government accounting, and ethics in financial management.

BUS 688 (3) HEALTHCARE OPERATIONS MANAGEMENT
This course provides a basic framework for understanding and using concepts, practices and tools of operations management in the healthcare industry. Topics include: Healthcare operating systems, clinical process management and design, strategy and execution, process improvement and statistical tools, patient flow, scheduling, forecasting and capacity management, supply chain, operational excellence, and principle-based system design.

BUS 690 (1-3) SPECIAL STUDIES IN BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION
This course presents selected studies in an area of Business Administration as determined by the Fermanian School of Business. Permission is required from the Dean of the Fermanian School of Business and the course faculty. The student must be in good academic standing. Students may repeat the course for credit up to a maximum of 6 units. The repeat course must cover different content.

BUS 695 (A,B,C) (1-3) APPLIED PROJECT
To finalize the graduation requirements for the M.B.A., this course presents the student with an opportunity by completing and defending a project applying academic and professional experience in the development of a recommended solution of a specific complex situation found within an organization. The project is divided into the following parts: proposal, fact-finding, solution building, professional report, and formal presentation to a faculty committee. This project is to be completed as a self-directed study under the guidance of a selected faculty mentor. Students will register for 1-3 units per semester in sequence (a,b,c) corresponding to the 3 units necessary to complete the thesis requirement. At the end of each semester a grade of Credit/No Credit will be issued reflecting the student's satisfactory progress toward thesis completion. If in the final semester (BUS 695c) of thesis enrollment the student has not completed all requirements for the thesis, the student will be assigned the grade of IP (In Progress) and automatically be enrolled in thesis extension status for each subsequent semester until the thesis grade is posted. A thesis extension fee will be charged (see fee schedule) for each semester of thesis extension. Graded Credit/No Credit.

BUS 698 (3) LEADING WITH INTEGRITY: BUSINESS ETHICS, CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY AND SOCIAL ENTREPRENEURSHIP
This course is the cornerstone of the M.B.A. experience and is taught in an intensive seminar format which brings in executives who have led with integrity by living out their faith in their public profession and private life. The course challenges the M.B.A. professional to integrate their academic knowledge, core values, and professional experience. It emphasizes the challenges executives face in balancing the needs of customers, community, shareholders, employees, and other stakeholders with Biblical, ethical, and legal considerations. Graded Credit/No Credit.
Prerequisite: Consent of Instructor.