DEGREE PROGRAM

AVAILABLE

CONCENTRATIONS

MAief

International Business

International Finance

International Economic Policy

MBA

International Business

International Finance

International Economic Policy

Socially Responsible Business (“Green”)

MSF

International Investment

Business Finance

OVERVIEW

Many IBS students have found jobs in real estate, both in the US and abroad.  As the largest asset class in the world, real estate offers a wide range of opportunities in marketing, development, finance, and management. 

To give you a competitive edge in this job market, we offer a Specialization in Real Estate.  You can complete the Specialization with as few as 16 credits (4 semester-equivalent courses).

There are many ways to complete the course work during your two years at IBS.  Given the prerequisites and the sequencing of courses, it is harder to do so in only one year.  So plan accordingly.  Your advisors are ready to assist you, as you think through your scheduling.

BUS 235f is the entry point for the Specialization.  At some point, you need to take Financial Statement Analysis (FIN 216f) and Credit Risk Analysis (FIN 242f), since most entry-level jobs require strong credit analysis skills.  In addition, you need to take 2.5 electives, at least one of which must be a module on international real estate (BUS 236f or BUS 237f).

REQUIREMENTS

16 credits

which must include these 6 credits:

            BUS 235f           Real Estate Fundamentals  (2 credits)

                (this course is a prerequisite for all Real Estate electives)

            FIN 216f            Financial Statement Analysis  (2 credits)

            FIN 242f            Credit Risk Analysis  (2 credits)

and 10 credits of the following

(see Overview for the international RE requirement):  

           BUS 236f     International Real Estate in Emerging Markets  (2 credits)

           BUS 237f           International Real Estate in Mature Markets  (2 credits)

           BUS 238f           Real Estate Development  (2 credits) 

                 (may not be taken by students who took BUS 238a)

            BUS 295a          Field Projects in Real Estate  (4 credits)

            FIN 225f            Real Estate Finance  (2 credits)

            FIN 226f            Real Estate Capital Markets  (2 credits)

            This academic year, the above classes are offered as follows:

                        FALL                                         SPRING

            BUS 235f  (1^st module)               BUS 235f  (1^st module)  

            BUS 236f  (2^nd module)              BUS 237f  (2^nd module)              

                                                           BUS 238f  (2^nd module)              

            BUS 295a  (full semester)           BUS 295a  (full semester)          

            FIN 216f  (1^st module)                FIN 216f  (1^st module)    

            FIN 225f  (2^nd module)               FIN 226f  (2^nd module)               

            FIN 242f  (2^nd module)               FIN 242f  (1^st module)    

OVERVIEW

Interest in marketing courses has risen at IBS and we have been able to expand our faculty and course offerings in response to that interest.  More students are also pursuing marketing careers.  A Specialization in marketing can equip you with valuable knowledge and skills for a marketing career or can strengthen your broader understanding of business.

Marketing comprises a set of strategies that help a business or organization understand and address the needs of its target market.  When used properly, these strategies will help create, grow and sustain value, improve customer satisfaction and loyalty, fend off competition, and maximize long-term profitability.  Regardless of the products or services they offer, or the industry they are in, all businesses or organizations can benefit from effective marketing. 

This Specialization is intended to give you a competitive edge in the marketing job market.  You can complete the Specialization with 16 credits (4 semester-equivalent courses).

BUS 252a Marketing Management is a required course for the Specialization.  It provides an excellent introduction to marketing that covers important marketing principles and marketing mix strategies.

In addition, you will choose 12 credits out of the six electives to fulfill the requirement for the marketing Specialization. These elective courses will prepare you for a variety of career tracks in marketing, including brand management, marketing consulting, marketing research, and Internet and marketing communications, both in-house and at an agency.

REQUIREMENTS

16 credits

which must include:

           BUS 252a          Marketing Management  (4 credits)

and 12 credits of the following:

           BUS 250a          Global Marketing  (4 credits)

           BUS 253a          Marketing Research  (4 credits)

                 (unless used for towards the Quant Methods requirement)

           BUS 254a          Branding Strategy (4 credits)

           BUS 255a*        Consumer Behavior (4 credits)

           BUS 257f           Marketing Communications (2 credits)

           BUS 258f           Sales and Sales Management (2 credits)

* Please note that BUS 255a will not be offered in 2012-2013. You may cross-register for an equivalent course at a university in the Boston Consortium to fill this temporary gap in our curriculum or request admission to the undergraduate section of Consumer Behavior (BUS 55a) in Spring.

OVERVIEW

Asset management is concerned with evaluating the investment opportunities and risks of any financial asset or asset class in relation to stated investment objectives, and in implementing both strategic and tactical approaches to portfolio management.   Professionals operating in the asset management field are expected to have a detailed understanding of the security universes in which they operate, and to be able to blend quantitative tools and sound qualitative judgment to make investment decisions in both selecting and managing global investment portfolios.

FIN 261a and FIN 263a form the foundation for asset management, and build on the knowledge and skills introduced in the required Investments course by both deepening and generalizing the portfolio management materials to an international context, and delving deeper into the specialized tools and conventions of the fixed income markets.

The first set of electives listed below builds on the core and required courses above by providing additional quantitative tools, economic insights and security valuation skills. 

The second set of electives provides students with additional opportunities to shape the emphasis of their Specialization into a more quantitative or qualitative asset management focus.

REQUIREMENTS

20 credits which must include:

            FIN 261a           Fixed Income Securities  (4 credits)

            FIN 263a           International Portfolio Management  (4 credits)

and 8 credits from the following electives:

           FIN 270a           Options and Derivatives (4 credits)

           FIN 230a           Trading and Exchanges (4 credits)

           FIN 237f            Security Analysis (2 credits)

           FIN 233f            Relative Value of Securities (2 credits)

and 4 credits from the following electives:

           FIN 236f            Technical Analysis (2 credits)

           FIN 242f            Credit Risk Analysis I (2 credits)

           FIN 244f            Credit Risk Analysis II (2 credits)

           ECON 232f         Country Risk Analysis (2 credits)

           FIN 231f            Private Equity (2 credits)

           FIN 232a           Mergers and Acquisitions (4 credits)

           FIN 271a           Options and Derivatives II (4 credits)

           FIN 285a           Computer Simulations & Risk Assessment (4 credits)

           FIN 258a           Introduction to Quantitative Finance (4 credits)

OVERVIEW

Corporate finance gives one the tools for making company investment and financing decisions in an uncertain environment.  This includes the fundamentals of accounting, financial analysis, capital budgeting, and international financial management. Specifically, these issues hold relevance for students who want to understand the broad financial issues and choices facing firms and how these choices influence performance, valuation and risk. A corporate finance Specialization is useful for students who will work in corporate financial operations and in other finance assignments, such as fundamental company analysis, private equity, mergers and acquisitions, etc.   Professionals working in corporate finance need to understand the workings of financial markets, product innovations and the rapidly changing world of financial economics. 

These required courses below (“must include”) form the foundation of corporate finance. They build up from the core accounting and finance requirements and provide students with a deeper understanding of issues and quantitative tools that are essential for analyzing corporate decision making.

The first set of electives listed below builds on the core and required courses above and provides students with a more specialized but fundamental knowledge and tools in particular areas of corporate finance.

The second set of electives provides students with insights into further topics and areas that are crucial in the overall package of the marketing of a corporate finance Specialization. Understanding these concepts and tools will help shape students as successful corporate managers.  

REQUIREMENTS

20 credits which must include 8 credits of:

either: FIN 213a           Intermediate Financial Accounting  (4 credits)

or:       FIN 214a           Managerial Accounting  (4 credits)

and:    FIN 217f            Financial Modeling I (2 credits)

           FIN 248f            Advanced Corporate Finance (2 credits)

                                  and 8 credits from the following electives:

           FIN 232a           Mergers and Acquisitions (4 credits)

           FIN 218f            Financial Modeling II (2 credits)

           FIN 203f            International Financial Management (2 credits)

           FIN 242f            Credit Risk Analysis I (2 credits)

           FIN 216f            Financial Statement Analysis (2 credits)

           FIN 241a             Venture Capital and Entrepreneurial Finance (4 credits)

                                and 4 credits from the following electives:

           FIN 244f            Credit Risk Analysis II (2 credits)

           FIN 231f            Private Equity (2 credits)

           FIN 271a           Options and Derivatives II (4 credits)

           BUS 278f           Corporate Governance (2 credits)

            FIN 247f            Commercial Bankruptcy (2 credits)

            FIN 233f            Project Finance (2 credits)

            FIN 288a           Corporate Financial Engineering (4 credits)

            FIN 241f            Financial Planning and Control (2 credits)

OVERVIEW

Risk Management encompasses both the development and application of “quantitative” models for operational risks and a host of market risks: commodity, interest rate, credit, currency and equity; as well as the more “qualitative” risk management approaches relating to the managerial and organizational response to operational risks, corporate governance, fraud detection, strategic risk, reputational risk, etc.  The requirements of this Specialization are structured to give students some flexibility in tailoring their coursework between these two risk management frameworks.

FIN 270a and FIN 279a form the foundation for risk management, and build on the knowledge and skills introduced in the required Investments course by both deepening and generalizing the materials on financial derivatives and their applications, as well as introduce students to many of the core issues and approaches in risk management.

The first set of electives below builds on the core and required courses above and provides students with experience in various areas of risk management which involve quantitative tools but where the emphasis is on qualitative considerations and managerial judgment. 

The second set of electives provides students with additional quantitative tools of risk management, many of which form the building blocks of financial risk management careers.

REQUIREMENTS

20 credits

which must include:

           FIN 270a           Options and Derivatives (4 credits)

            FIN 279a           Applied Risk Management  (4 credits)

and 4 credits from the following electives:

           FIN 242f            Credit Risk Analysis I (2 credits)

           FIN 244f            Credit Risk Analysis II (2 credits)

           ECON 232f         Country Risk Analysis (2 credits)

           BUS 280f           Operational Risk Management (2 credits)

           BUS 278f           Corporate Governance (2 credits)

           BUS 279f           Corporate Fraud: Detection & prevention (2 credits)

and 4 credits from the following electives:

           FIN 261a           Fixed Income Securities (4 credits)

           FIN 280a           Financial Risk Management (4 credits)

           FIN 288a           Corporate Financial Engineering (4 credits)

           FIN 271a           Options and Derivatives II (4 credits)

           FIN 285a           Computer Simulations & Risk Assessment (4 credits)

           FIN 258a           Introduction to Quantitative Finance (4 credits)

and 4 credits from either group of electives listed above