Business Program

Prerequisite: BUS 6a. Corequisite: BUS 51b. This course cannot be counted as an elective toward the Economics major or minor.

Introduces students to topics and methods in the field of finance. Covers how firms secure financing via equity and debt markets, valuation of stocks and bonds, fundamental analysis techniques, capital budgeting techniques, the relationship between risk and return and the time-value-of-money. Usually offered every semester.

Prerequisites: ECON 2a or 10a, and either BUS 71a or ECON 171a

Behavioral Economics and Finance applies insights from psychology to understand the observed behavior of people and markets. It is traditional in economics and finance to assume that economic agents are “perfectly rational,” meaning they makes decisions in accordance with logic and statistics textbooks, they see the world accurately, they have perfect recall, and they are perfectly selfish. This approach has provided insights of great practical value and explains a lot of what we know about financial markets and corporate decisions, but it leaves much of the real world unexplained. Why do stock prices, house prices, and exchange rates sometimes go through bubbles, rising far higher than justified by fundamentals and then crashing? Why do retail investors trade too much, and why don’t they diversify enough? Why don’t people save enough for retirement? Usually offered every year.

Prerequisites: BUS 10a and BUS 51b

This course is about analyzing and interpreting data about markets and customers. It has been designed for managers who will be using data analytics, and so is intended for students wanting to go into marketing, finance, consulting, entrepreneurship, business strategy and operations management. Students who take this class will learn about the sorts of business decision problems in which research information is most useful, including problems related to pricing, target market selection and new product introduction. Usually offered every year.

Prerequisite: BUS 6a

Expands the understanding of accounting theory and evaluates the impact of alternative accounting procedures on financial statements. Topics covered include revenue recognition, accounting changes/errors, inventory measurement and valuation, long-lived assets acquisition, disposition and impairment. Usually offered every second year.

Prerequisite: BUS 6a

Expands the understanding of accounting theory and evaluates the impact of alternative accounting procedures on financial statements. Topics covered include revenue recognition, accounting changes/errors, inventory measurement and valuation, long-lived assets acquisition, disposition and impairment. Usually offered every second year.

Prerequisite: BUS 10a

This course may not be taken for credit by students who have taken PSYC 150b. May not be taken for credit by students who took BUS 20a in prior years. Covers the fundamentals of organizational behavior, including topics like leadership, work motivation, organizational culture, organizational structure, group dynamics, perception and decision-making in a global environment.

Assignments include individual and group project analyses focused on topical business issues using course concepts. Usually offered every semester.

Prerequisite: BUS 10a or WMGS 5a or permission of the instructor.

Introduces students to analytical frameworks for understanding and influencing individual, group, inter-group and total organization dynamics. Increases students' awareness of and competence in recruiting, collaborating with, retaining, managing and advancing people different from themselves. Usually offered every year.

Prerequisite: BUS 10a. May not be taken for credit by students who took BUS 30a in prior years.

Explores why, when, and how to start a new business venture. Includes identifying opportunities, gaining access to resources, and assembling a team with key skills. Uses lectures, case discussions and outside speakers to introduce issues in both theory and practice. Usually offered every semester.

Prerequisite: BUS 10a. May not be taken for credit by students who took BUS 35a in prior years.

Provides students with the fundamentals of real estate investment analysis and examines major trends and current issues: affordable housing; preservations, conservation, and environmentalism; green construction; new urbanism and smart growth; and the meltdown in the capital markets. Usually offered every semester.

Prerequisite: BUS 10a. Corequisite: BUS 51b. May not be taken for credit by students who took BUS 52a in prior years.

An introduction to key concepts in competitive strategy and marketing, which are used to help firms create, sustain, and capture value. Topics include industry analysis, competitive advantage, market identification and marketing policies. Incorporates case studies, discussion method, team projects, and business research. Usually offered every semester.

Prerequisite: BUS 152a. May not be taken for credit by students who took BUS 53a in prior years.

Marketing research is critical to business success in today's information economy. We will learn quantitative marketing research models and techniques for analyzing consumer behavior and marketing information. Topics include marketing segmentation, targeted promotion strategies, brand positioning, new product design, and customer profitability. Usually offered every year.

Prerequisite: BUS 152a. May not be taken for credit by students who took BUS 55a in prior years.

Examines fundamental theories and concepts in consumer psychology. Learn about new findings to enhance understanding of how and why people choose, use and evaluate goods and services the way they do. This knowledge will come from lectures, readings and discussions in class, but also from hands-on experiential learning through involvement in a semester-long group project. Usually offered every year.

Prerequisite: BUS 10a. BUS 152a is recommended.

Allows students to examine the challenges and opportunities of doing business globally using a few simple frameworks developed at Harvard Business School. Students will use such frameworks to think about the design and execution of successful strategies, in the US market, in emerging markets, in entrepreneurial firms and in social platforms. Usually offered every year.

Prerequisites: BUS 10a. Corequisite: BUS 51b.

Operations Management is the scientific study and optimization of the processes that organizations use to create the products/services purchased by their customers. Topics include process analysis, the impact of variability on process performance, quality management (lean production and six sigma), project management, inventory management, supply chain coordination, revenue management and operations strategy. Usually offered every semester.

Prerequisite: BUS 172a.

Explores how to optimize supply chain processes to achieve a company's strategic goals. Students will understand the basic activities of an organization's supply chain, such as planning, the selection of suppliers, negotiations and coordination with suppliers, production and inventory decisions, and logistics. This course uses analytical tools and conceptual frameworks to make effective decisions about supply chains. Usually offered every second year.