Graduate & Continuing Studies Undergraduate Catalog and Handbook 2007-2008

Business Management
(no longer available as of June 1, 2008)

The Business Management curriculum prepares students for managerial positions in any organization and provides opportunities to acquire distinctive functional competence in specialized areas. These goals are accomplished through a core of required courses that may be enhanced by electives, independent studies, and internships.

The Business Management faculty has a strong interdisciplinary orientation and believes that preparation for any career must be grounded in a liberal arts education. Students are encouraged to assume a broad perspective and to take course work beyond the introductory level in liberal arts areas, to think critically and creatively and to behave confidently. Students planning graduate study in business should take at least one semester of calculus.

Requirements for the B.S. in Business Management

The Bachelor of Science degree in Business Management requires completion of 45 semester hours of Business coursework, specified below, 30 semester hours of specified liberal arts courses and 45 semester hours of electives. Business majors must take at least 15 semester hours of business courses (BUS/ACC/ECO prefix) with Stephens College faculty. A grade of "C-" or better is required in each of the core and elective courses in the major and a cumulative grade point average of at least 2.0 over all BUS/ACC courses is required for graduation.

Major Course Work                     Semester Hours

The following represent a list of courses from which a student may select BUS electives:

Course Descriptions:

ACC 210: Accounting I
This is an introductory course in financial accounting. It is designed to help students develop an understanding of financial statements and the concepts that underlie the information so that they are able to read, understand, and make personal and professional decisions regarding financial information.

ACC 220: Accounting II
Prerequisite: ACC 210 or permission of instructor
This is an introductory course in managerial accounting. It is designed to introduce the student to the preparation, use, and interpretation of internal accounting data in the managerial functions of planning, organizing, controlling and decision making. After successful completion the student should have an understanding of the concepts of managerial accounting, in order to make decisions based on that information and move on to more advanced accounting courses.

BUS 171: Introduction to Entrepreneurship
An introduction to the structure and functions of contemporary business enterprise. Emphasis placed on career possibilities and the skills and knowledge necessary for specific careers.

BUS 201: Introduction to Investments

An introduction to investment alternatives with an emphasis on conceptual issues in selection and evaluation. This course will be offered in conjunction with the Stephens Student Investment Group which manages a portfolio. Those students earning credit through this course will be responsible for the investment strategies and alternative investments for that portfolio.

BUS 205: Personal and Family Finance
Examination and application of basic economics and finance principles as they relate to the individual. Topics include: budgets, banking, housing, taxes, insurance and investments.

BUS 225: Principles of Management
The study of the basic principles of management, including organizational designs and the use of groups, leadership, communication, planning, decision-making and controlling.

BUS 250: Principles of Marketing
A course designed for beginning students of marketing. Attention will be devoted to a study of the process of planning and executing the conception, pricing, promotion and distribution of goods, ideas and services. The role of marketing in modern society is also examined.

BUS 280: Topics in Business
Credit and prerequisites depend on topic offered.
Topics courses explore current trends or special interests in business. Courses taught in the past under this topic designation include Women in Organizations and Entrepreneurship for Non-Business majors.

BUS 305: Human Resource Management
Prerequisite: BUS 225 or permission of instructor.

A course designed to acquaint students with the theory and techniques of effectively managing human resources in modern organizations. Topics covered will include the following: job analysis and design; recruitment and selection; appraisal; training and development; compensation and health; and employee relations.

BUS 318: Social and Ethical Issues in Business

Note: Cross-listed as PHL 318
An applied ethics course in which techniques of moral reasoning are applied in the analysis of moral issues in business. The course covers such broad issues as the moral justification of our economic system, the moral responsibility of corporations and the role of business in a global society.

BUS 320: Sales Management
Prerequisite: BUS 250 or approval of instructor
A study of the process of planning, staffing, training, directing and controlling the efforts of sales personnel. Attention also given to the responsibilities of salespeople.

BUS 326: Marketing Management
Prerequisites: BUS 225, BUS 250, MAT 207, and Junior standing or permission of instructor; ECO 202 strongly recommended
The use of marketing principles and data to evaluate, analyze and solve managerial problems in marketing settings. Market planning, marketing mix strategies and decisions, and issues in marketing will be addressed through the use of case studies, current readings and/or simulations.

BUS 331: Advertising
Prerequisites: BUS 225, BUS 250, MAT 207, and Junior standing or permission of instructor; ECO 202 strongly recommended
An introduction to the basic principles of advertising.  Course examines the purpose, practices and effects of advertising, its role in marketing and society, and the career potential.   Creative aspects analyzed and discussed.

BUS 335: Case Studies in Marketing and Public Relations
Prerequisites: grade of C- or better in MCO 205 or BUS 250 and junior standing or permission of instructor
A combination case study and hands-on course designed to increase research, writing and assessment skills in marketing and public relations. Cases will focus on research, planning, strategies, tactics and evaluation. Course culminates in researching and writing a marketing and public relations case history. Offered every other spring semester.

BUS 345: e-Commerce
Prerequisites: BUS 225, BUS 250, MAT 207, and Junior standing or permission of instructor; ECO 202 strongly recommended
This course provides students with an opportunity to learn how organizations are using the Internet as a viable marketing tool.  The course will also examine the increasing role electronic commerce is playing in the global economy.

BUS 350: Principles of Finance
Prerequisite: ACC210 and ACC220 or permission of instructor
An introduction to finances from a corporate perspective. Topics include financial markets, capital budgeting, working capital, and financial statement analysis.

BUS 352: Business Law
Prerequisite: Junior standing, BUS/PHL318E strongly recommended
A study of the basic concepts of law as they relate to ethics and legal rights, with an emphasis on broad concepts of liability in business practice.

BUS 354: Consumer Behavior
Prerequisite: BUS 250
A course introducing the analysis of factors affecting purchase decisions in the market place. Theories and research findings from behavioral and social sciences are examined from the point of view of marketing management and buyer behavior. Attention is given to exploration and evaluation of buyer behavior, the consumer decision process, and the research in the development of a marketing program.

BUS 364: Organizational Behavior
Prerequisites: BUS 225 and junior standing, or permission of instructor
The study and application of knowledge about how people act and react in goal-oriented groups. Emphasis is placed on using theories from the social and behavioral sciences to aid managers in understanding, predicting and influencing behavior. The course focuses on areas such as motivation, leadership, learning theory and organizational development.

BUS 375: Investigations of Free Enterprise
Prerequisites: ENG 102, one BUS course and junior or senior standing
This course provides an opportunity to work on several community outreach programs that are assigned to promote a better understanding of how market economies and businesses operate. This experience will enable students to acquire stronger communication, team building and management skills. Writing intensive.

BUS 380: Topics in Business
Credit and prerequisites depend on topic offered
Topics courses explore current trends or special interests in business. Courses taught in the past under this topic designation include Business Negotiations, Computer Applications in Business, Direct Marketing, Women in Small Business, Mentoring and Project Management.

BUS 383: Project Management
This course explores the “hard” and “soft” techniques of successful project management. This course will explore the skills necessary in the management of complex projects.

BUS 386: International Business
Prerequisites: BUS 225, BUS 250, MAT 207, and Junior standing or permission of instructor; ECO 202 strongly recommended
Provides insight into the contemporary foreign environment through a macro view of the world of the economic, political, social and cultural environments; studies the problems encountered in business operations abroad and possible solutions; applies economic and trade theories to the role of foreign operations; and places special emphasis on the marketing and management activities of multinational business. 

BUS 395: Special Studies and Projects in Business
Prerequisites: Courses deemed relevant to proposed studies and projects by assigned instructor Note: Course can be repeated for credit with different topics
An in-depth investigation of an area of special interest to the student by application of theory, methodology and analysis to a practical organization setting. Students should submit proposals to the faculty member they wish to sponsor the project.

BUS 480: Topics in Business
See current course schedule for titles and credit.

BUS 490: Advanced Entrepreneurship
Prerequisites: ACC 220, BUS 225, BUS 250, BUS 350, ENG 102 or ENG 206 or permission of instructor
This is the capstone course for BUS majors, and is designed to give students the opportunity to integrate the different functional areas of business. The means to this end are the creation of detailed business, financial and operational plans that can be presented to potential investors and used to create and manage successful businesses.

BUS 496: Internship Seminar
Prerequisites: Completion of internship and approval of business administration faculty

Course brings together students who have completed industry internships.  Students share information on internship experiences, positions and responsibilities and evaluate their internships.  Offered fall semester only.

CIS 206: Introduction to Information Systems

This course will study the impact and uses of computers with an emphasis on fundamentals of computer hardware and production software to include Microsoft Office 200 including Microsoft Windows, Word, Excel, Access, Outlook, and Power Point.  Topics will also include history and future of computer science, ethical considerations, virus protection, computer maintenance tools, privacy issues, and ethical issues concerning women and minorities.  Note:  The student must have access to a computer with Microsoft Office 97 or 2000 (including Access), an internet connection and email.

ECO 202: Microeconomics
An introduction to basic theory of business or market economics under capitalism: How the market works in theory vs. how it functions in reality; what should be the role of the government in a capitalistic economy; and the evaluation of "the firm."

ECO 203: Macroeconomics
An introduction to the economics of Keynes and post-Keynesian theory. Includes fiscal and monetary theory and policy.

INT 210: Internship Development
Prepares the student for locating, securing, completing, and evaluating an internship experience.  Topics covered include: clarifying goals and objectives, networking, locating and researching employment sites, writing resumes and business letters, and developing interview skills and appropriate business behavior.

MAT 207: Introduction to Statistics
Prerequisites: Elementary Algebra or one year of high school algebra and good arithmetic skills.

A study of elementary statistics as used in psychology, business or information management.  Topics include organization of data, measures of central tendency and variability, the normal distribution, sampling distributions, estimation, statistical inference, correlation, and chi-square tests. 

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