An Interdepartmental Program in Business

Last updated: September 2, 2020 at 1:54 PM

Louis Brandeis was among the first to define business as a profession worthy of pursuit. Before his appointment to the Supreme Court, he practiced commercial law. He was fascinated both by the way business worked and the impact it had on society. While the business world of his day differed in many respects from that of our own, many of his insights still have the ability to open up new perspectives and stimulate debate.

At Brandeis, we believe that a business education consists of much more than the acquisition of a set of practical skills. We emphasize critical thinking, broad perspective, and multicultural understanding. In this way, we hope to prepare students to be responsible and thoughtful citizens in the business world of tomorrow.

The Business Program introduces undergraduates to the functions, opportunities, and challenges of business enterprises, and helps students acquire skills and perspectives essential to a business career. Administered by the Brandeis International Business School and the College of Arts and Sciences, the curriculum allows students to combine ideas and methods from liberal arts disciplines with an intensive education in business thinking and practice. The curriculum offers multiple paths for students to develop connections between their business studies and the "non-financial" measures of success they value – from concerns with global society and sustainability to innovation in science and art.

Students in the Business Program participate in the life at Brandeis International Business School. Business School professors teach undergraduate business courses, and students in the program regularly attend events and talks at the graduate school. Students also have the opportunity to take some graduate level courses.

The BA/MA curriculum targets financial and economic skills needed to understand the global economy and operations of international capital markets. Students would enroll in the graduate school in their fourth year at Brandeis and receive the master’s in international finance and economics in their fifth year.

Undergraduates also have two choices to earn a master’s degree at an accelerated pace.

The Accelerated Master’s Program at Brandeis International Business School allows undergraduate students in the business program to earn a Master of Arts in International Economics and Finance (MA) degree in just one additional year starting in the summer after completing their BA. The Accelerated MA Program curriculum combines graduate business coursework and practical learning in both international economics and finance – giving students expanded knowledge across both subjects and enabling them to succeed in the global job market across a wide range of opportunities.

Both programs allow students the opportunity to pursue concentrations in Applied Economic Analysis, Data Analytics, Financial Economics, Marketing, or Real Estate Finance. In addition, Brandeis undergraduates can apply for two specialized master’s programs, the Master of Science in Finance (MSF) and the Master of Science in Business Analytics (MSBA).

Learning Goals

The Five Learning Goals of the Major

Fundamental Concepts: Students will understand the fundamental concepts of business.
Business Disciplines: Students will have knowledge of key paradigms in core business disciplines.
Analytical Skills: Students will possess the quantitative, analytical, and critical thinking skills to evaluate businesses and the environment in which they operate.
Communications Skills: Students will have competence in a range of essential business communications skills.
Ethical Awareness: Students will be aware of the ethical, societal, and environmental implications of business decisions.

Fundamental Concepts: Students will understand the fundamental concepts of business.

Knowledge

Ability to use the language of business and management.
Ability to describe the structure of a business and its component parts.
Ability to describe the major factors influencing business formation and operations.

Course: BUS 10a

Business Disciplines: Students will have knowledge of key paradigms in core business disciplines.

Knowledge

Knowledge of key principles in finance, organizational behavior, and marketing.
Ability to apply appropriate frameworks to problem-solving in those areas.

Courses: BUS 71a, BUS 120a, BUS 152a

Analytical Skills: Students will possess the quantitative, analytical, and critical thinking skills to evaluate businesses and the environment in which they operate.

Core Skills

Ability to prepare and interpret basic financial statements.
Ability to use analytical techniques to assess the financial well-being of a business.
Ability to use business school case studies to understand a management or industry issue.

Courses: BUS 6a, BUS 10a, BUS 51a, BUS 71a, BUS 152a

Communications Skills: Students will have competence in a range of essential business communications skills.

Core Skills

Ability to give a persuasive business presentation.
Ability to write a convincing business memo.
Ability to effectively advocate an idea.

Courses: BUS 10a, BUS 51a, BUS 120a, BUS 152a

Ethical Awareness: Students will be aware of the ethical, societal, and environmental implications of business decisions.

Social Justice

Ability to identify the ethical, societal, or environmental aspects of a business situation.
Ability to evaluate these factors when making business decisions.

Courses: BUS 6a, BUS 10a, BUS 71a, BUS 120a, BUS 152a

How to Become a Major or Minor

Students may apply for the major once they have completed (a) three full semesters of college study and (b) ECON 2a or ECON 10a; BUS 6a; and BUS 10a; all with grades of C or better. There is a formal application process and students are not guaranteed admission into the program, acceptance into the program is required for transcript notation. The minor welcomes all students who wish to augment their liberal arts education with a brief but sophisticated overview of business issues. Students interested in learning about the major or minor should first consult the Business website. To declare the minor, students must have completed or currently be enrolled in BUS 10a. Student will then need to meet with the program administrator to complete the minor declaration form. To learn more about the major, they should make an appointment with the Undergraduate Advising Head.

Committee

Daniel Bergstresser, Chair
(International Business School)

Elizabeth Brainerd
(Economics)

Jane Ebert
(International Business School)

Maura Jane Farrelly
(American Studies; Journalism)

Richard Gaskins
(American Studies; Legal Studies)

Andy Molinsky
(International Business School; Business)

Hagit Weihs, Undergraduate Advising Head
(International Business School; Business)

Faculty

Hamza Abdurezak
Corporate finance. Investment management. Risk management. Hedge funds.

Robert Angell
Accounting. Business planning. Entrepreneurship. Financial management. Operations. Strategic planning.

Edward Bayone
Credit risk. Real estate. Country risk. Leveraged finance.

Sava Berhane
Leadership. Organizational design and behavior. Public sector management. Labor and employment law. Contracts. Diversity in the workplace.

Daniel Bergstresser
Municipal finance. Corporate governance. Household financial behavior.

Sandra Cha
Leadership. Identity in organizations. Organizational behavior.

Jane Ebert
Consumer judgment and decision-making. Temporal discounting. Health promotion.

Michael McKay
Private equity. Public markets investing.

Andrew Molinsky
Cross-cultural interaction. Organizational behavior.

Brad Morrison
System dynamics. Behavioral operations, healthcare operations, and operations management. Supply chain management. Medical decision making and patient safety.

Aldo Musacchio
State capitalism. Business strategy in emerging markets. Business history.

Matthew Petit
Managerial accounting.

Linda Stoller
Real Estate. Finance. Financial accounting.

Lawrence Strauss
Supply chain management. Distribution management. Business process improvement.

Detlev Suderow
International human resource management. Organizational development.

Yang Sun
Financial Institutions. Corporate Finance. Household Finance. Applied Microeconomics.

Sharon Thomas
Marketing. Business strategy. Communications.

Xavi Vidal-Berastain
Quantitative Marketing. Demand Estimination. Machine Learning. Big Data.

Hagit Weihs, Undergraduate Advising Head
Financial Accounting. Managerial Accounting. Financial Statement Analysis.

Philippe Wells
Entrepreneurship. Private Equity. Hedge Funds. Sustainable Investing. Investment Management.

Grace Zimmerman
Marketing. Sales. Strategy. Entrepreneurship.

Requirements for the Minor

ECON 2a or ECON 10a, BUS 6a, and BUS 10a.
One non-ECON "Business and Society" course: refer to the "Thematic Electives in Business and Society" section.
Any one BUS course numbered above BUS 10a or LGLS 189a, except BUS 89a or BUS 98a.
One additional course: any Business & Society elective (including ECON courses) or Business Administration elective.
No course, except as noted, with a final grade below C, and no course taken pass/fail, can count toward fulfilling the requirements for the minor in business. The exception is that C- is the minimum grade for Business and Society courses.
Students undertaking the Economics major and Business minor may only double count Econ 2a or ECON 10a for the Business minor.

Requirements for the Major

The process of applying for the Business Major is separate from the process of applying to Brandeis. The business major at Brandeis is one of only two majors on campus for which students must apply and which is competitive. This means that there is no guarantee that all applicants will be accepted. A Business major at Brandeis will only be granted to students who applied to, were formally accepted to, and completed all of the required course work.

ECON 2a or ECON 10a.
BUS 51a. May be exempted by the following quantitative courses: BIOL 51a, ECON 83a, MATH 36a and MATH 36b, or PSYC 51a, or an appropriate score of 4 or 5 on AP Statistics.
BUS 6a, BUS 10a, BUS 71a, BUS 120a, and BUS 152a.
Two "Business and Society" electives, and three "Business Administration" electives.
Foundational Literacies: As part of completing the Business major, students must:
- Fulfill the writing intensive requirement by successfully completing: 2-credit practicum BUS 46a.
- Fulfill the oral communication requirement by successfully completing: 2-credit practicum BUS 45a.
- Fulfill the digital literacy requirement by successfully completing one of the following: BUS 6a, BUS 10a, BUS 51a, or BUS 71a.

No course, except as noted, with a final grade below C, and no course taken pass/fail, can count toward fulfilling the requirements for the major in Business. The exception is that C- is the minimum grade for Business and Society courses.

Students undertaking the economics major and the business major are subject to additional restrictions. Business majors may double count no more than two courses for the Economics major. Excluded in this calculation are: ECON 2a or ECON 10a, ECON 83a to exempt from BUS 51a, and ECON 171a to exempt from BUS 71a. Please note that ECON 171a cannot be counted as both a Business Administration elective and an upper-level Economics elective. PSYC 150b, which has several prerequisites, may be taken in place of BUS 120a.

For Business and Economics double majors, BUS 10a (required for the Business major) will count as a lower level elective for Economics and ECON 20a (required for the Economics major) will count as a Business and Society elective for Business. As a result, no further "double-counts" are allowed for the Business major, except as noted in the requirements for the Business Major.

Specialization is achieved by taking three courses on one of the nine designated themes (see III.A and III.B). This specialization does not appear on the transcript, but may be reported in a resume.

Honors Program

Qualified seniors are invited to participate in the business honors program, which involves completing a project under the supervision of a member of the faculty. Candidates for honors must maintain a cumulative GPA of at least 3.5 in their BUS courses (excluding BUS 89a and BUS 98a) and be on track to complete at least 20 credits of BUS courses (excluding BUS 89a and BUS 98a) by the end of the first semester of their senior year. If accepted to the program, students enroll in BUS 99a and BUS 99b and receive course credit for their completed work; however, this will not count towards the requirements for the major. For more information, see the program website.

Special Notes Relating to Majors and Minors

Courses taken during a Brandeis-approved study abroad may be used as substitutes for BUS courses in the program with prior approval from the Study Abroad Liason. Students who are studying abroad will not be permitted to take substitutes for BUS 6a, BUS 10a, BUS 120a, and BUS 152a. The same rule applies for summer study at another university, with the exception of BUS 6a, which may be considered if taught in the United States to US GAAP (generally accepted accounting principles). Any exemption to the previously listed rules requires approval by petition. See the program administrator or the Undergraduate Advising Head.

Transfer students may apply to the Undergraduate Advising Head for courses taught elsewhere to fulfill the requirements for the major or minor, with the provision that at Brandeis they must take a minimum of five other full semester BUS courses for the major, or two other full semester BUS courses for the minor. In addition, for both the major and minor, transfer students must take at least one course at Brandeis in Section III.A Business and Society. Transfer students are not guaranteed acceptance to the Business major. Please see the “How to Become a Major or Minor” section of this bulletin.

BUS 98a does not provide credit towards the business major or minor, but it is a four-credit course that counts as one of a student’s thirty-two courses.

Students interested in taking a BUS internship for credit should consult the description and enrollment information for BUS 89a (below) or the Business website for more information. Most BUS 89a students do their internships in the same semester they enroll for the classes, but internships can also be done during a prior academic semester or summer. Priority will be given to Business and Economics majors. Consideration will also be given to Business minors who intend to apply for the Business major. All other students should register for INT 89b (or 89a courses offered by other majors). Searching the university’s main website for "internships" will lead to information on availability of courses, guidelines, and requirements. BUS 89a may be taken once towards the business major.

Thematic Electives in Business and Society (III.A)

Communications, Commerce, and Culture Courses

AMST 103b Advertising and the Media
AMST 190a Money, Markets and Morals in American Culture
ANTH 26a Communication and Media
ANTH 70a Business, Culture and Society
ANTH 163b Production, Consumption, and Exchange
CHIN 106b Business Chinese and Culture
CLAS 121b Money, Markets, and Society in the Ancient Mediterranean
ECON/FA 87a Economics and the Arts
FREN 124a French Cultural Perspectives on Work and Business
HBRW 124a Hebrew for Business, Doing Business in Start-Up Nation
NEJS 163a Jews and American Capitalism
PHIL 25a Business Ethics
PSYC 34b Social Psychology
SOC 120b Globalization and the Media
SOC 150b Culture of Consumption
THA 138a The Business of Show Business

Environment, Health and Social Policy Courses

ECON 57a Environmental Economics
ECON 76b Labor Economics
FA 181a Housing and Social Justice
HS 104b American Health Care
HS 110a Wealth & Poverty
HSSP 104b Health Economics
HSSP 106a Managing Medicine
HSSP 107b Health Care Technology: Evaluating Emerging Medical Services, Drugs and Devices
SOC 112b Social Class and Social Change
SOC 117a Sociology of Work and Gender
SOC 175b Environmental Movements: Organizations, Networks, and Partnerships

Law and Government Courses

AAAS 126b Political Economy of the Third World
AMST 188b Louis Brandeis: Law, Business & Politics
ECON 20a Introduction to Macroeconomics
HIST 160b American Legal History II
LGLS 114a American Health Care: Law and Policy
LGLS 114aj American Health Care: Law and Policy
LGLS 127b International Economic Law
LGLS 138b Science on Trial
POL 172b Introduction to International Political Economy
SOC 123b The Welfare State and Nonprofit America

Applied Methods

COSI 12b Advanced Programming Techniques in Java
COSI 21a Data Structures and the Fundamentals of Computing
MATH 15a Applied Linear Algebra
MATH 37a Differential Equations
MATH 126a Introduction to Stochastic Processes and Models

Thematic Electives in Business Administration (III.B)

To complete a specialization, you need to complete 3.00 courses within it. Specializations do not appear on your transcript but you may note them on your resume. All 200-level courses listed below are for seniors only and require instructor approval.

Accounting and Finance

At least one accounting course:
BUS 113a Intermediate Financial Accounting
BUS 114a Managerial Accounting
At least one finance course:
BUS 117a or FIN 202a Corporate Finance
BUS 118a Corporate Finance: European Case Studies
ECON 171a or FIN 201a Financial Economics/Investments
Other electives to choose from:
BUS 135a Real Estate and Society
ECON 161a International Finance
ECON 172b Money and Banking

Human Resources and Leadership

BUS 89a Work in the Global Business Environment: Internship and Seminar
BUS 125a Leading in the Era of Diversity
BUS 222f Global Dexterity (0.5 course credits)
BUS 227a Influence, Power and Identity
BUS 275a Introduction to Negotiations
BUS 297c Leadership Internships in Social Impact Organizations (full year course)

Innovation and Strategy

BUS 130a Entrepreneurship and Innovation
BUS 160a Competitive Strategy
BUS 231a Entrepreneurial Finance and Business Plans
BUS 261a Managing Technology and Innovation
BUS/ECON 265a Business and Economic Strategies in Emerging Markets
ECON 135a Industrial Organization
ECON 141b Economics of Innovation

Management

BUS 111a Business Analytics
BUS 114a Managerial Accounting
BUS 172a Operations Management
BUS 174a Supply Chain Management
LGLS 189a Business Law

Marketing

BUS 111a Business Analytics
BUS 153a Marketing Research
BUS 155a or BUS 255a Consumer Behavior
BUS 160a Competitive Strategy
BUS 195a or BUS 292a Marketing Field Project

Courses of Instruction

Expand All

(1-99) Primarily for Undergraduate Students

BUS 6a Financial Accounting
[ dl ss ]
Prerequisite: ECON 2a or ECON 10a.
Develops basic concepts and accounts and applies them to income measurement, capital values, and costs. Through the use of cases, develops the basis for rational choice and control of business activity. Usually offered every semester in multiple sections.
Robert Angell, Linda Stoller and Hagit Weihs

BUS 10a Business Fundamentals
[ dl ss ]
Prerequisite: BUS 6a. BUS 6a may be taken concurrently with BUS 10a.
Introduces the internal complexity of modern businesses and the various roles they play in society. First examines the internal workings of firms--marketing, operations, finance, and other functions. Subsequently, the relationships between businesses and their context--the economy, social issues, and government are studied. Usually offered every semester in multiple sections.
Ed Bayone, Sava Berhane and Philippe Wells

BUS 45a Oral Communication and Your Business Career
[ oc ]
Prerequisite: BUS 10a. Yields half-course credit. Enrollment limited to Business majors and minors.
Helps students build interviewing, job search, and career planning skills, and will build the foundational oral communication skills that are essential for job search and career success. Regular presentations will be organized around the career development content and will give students practice, feedback, and more practice at oral communication in a variety of different career-related contexts. Usually offered every year.
Staff

BUS 46a Written Communication and Your Business Career
[ wi ]
Prerequisite: BUS 10a. Yields half-course credit. Enrollment limited to Business majors and minors.
Helps build the foundational written communication skills that are essential for job search and career success. Regular writing exercises will be organized around the career development content and will give students practice, feedback, and more practice at written communication in a variety of different career-related contexts. Usually offered every year.
Staff

BUS 51a Introduction to Data Analytics with Excel
[ dl qr ss ]
Prerequisite: Bus 6a. May not be taken for credit by students who took BUS 51b in prior years.
Teaches students how to analyze data, how to create data visualizations, and how to use data for basic inference. The course is taught using Microsoft Excel, thus allowing students to also learn the most common piece of software used in the workplace to analyze business data. Usually offered every semester.
Philippe Wells

BUS 71a Introduction to Finance
[ dl ss ]
Prerequisite: BUS 6a. Corequisite: BUS 51a. 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, relationship of risk and return, and the time-value-of-money. Usually offered every semester.
Daniel Bergstresser, Michael McKay and Yang Sun

BUS 89a Work in the Global Business Environment: Internship and Seminar
Does not meet the requirements for the major or minor in Business if taken prior to fall 2017. May be taken only once for credit.
Normally students arrange an internship placement prior to registration and the internship is concurrent with the seminar. Students wishing to fulfill the internship component during the summer must obtain approval from the instructor prior to the internship and then enroll in the following fall (or spring) semester. The course will meet every other week and a structured journal documenting the internship experience is required as a basis for seminar participation. The course encourages students to pool experiences and lessons drawn from various business environments and to analyze and discuss them in the context of related readings. Usually offered every semester.
Detlev Suderow

BUS 98a Independent Study
Does not meet the requirements for the major or minor in Business.
Normally available for a student who has taken a course and wishes to pursue further reading or research in that field or study a subject not listed among the department course offerings. Usually offered every year.
Staff

BUS 98b Independent Study
Signature of the instructor required.
Normally available for a student who has taken a course and wishes to pursue further reading or research in that field or study a subject not listed among the department course offerings. Usually offered every year.
Staff

BUS 99a Senior Research
Independent research and writing under faculty direction for the purpose of a senior Business honors project. Usually offered every fall.
Hagit Weihs

BUS 99b Senior Project
Completion and submission of a senior Business honors project. Usually offered every spring.
Hagit Weihs

(100-199) For Both Undergraduate and Graduate Students

BUS 111a Business Analytics
[ ss ]
Prerequisites: BUS 6a, BUS 10a and BUS 51a.
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.
Xavi Vidal-Berastain

BUS 113a Intermediate Financial Accounting
[ ss ]
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 year.
Robert Angell

BUS 114a Managerial Accounting
[ ss ]
Prerequisite: BUS 6a.
Introduction to the principles, concepts, and methods of managerial accounting, including internal reporting used in planning, control, and decision making. Learn how organizations use this information to measure and control resources used in producing goods and providing services. Usually offered every year.
Matthew Petit

BUS 117a Corporate Finance
[ ss ]
Prerequisite: BUS 71a or ECON 171a.
Develops greater depth of financial skills and logical thought processes necessary to formulate and implement business decisions in a global environment. Topics include firm valuation, capital structure and security issuances, payout policies, and corporate restructuring. Usually offered every second year.
Yang Sun

BUS 118a Corporate Finance: European Case Studies
[ ss ]
Prerequisites: BUS 6a and ECON 10a. Course to be taught at Brandeis program in Copenhagen.
Addresses how companies raise and manage their financial responsibilities, apply corporate finance theory and compare U.S. and European corporate finance practices. Topics include capital structure, debt financing, equity financing, valuation methods, mergers and acquisitions, leveraged buy-outs, corporate governance, and risk management. Usually offered every year.
Staff

BUS 120a Organizational Behavior in Business
[ ss ]
Prerequisite: BUS 6a and BUS 10a. This course may not be taken for credit by students who have taken PSYC 150b.
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.
Sandra Cha and Andrew Molinsky

BUS 125a Leading in the Era of Diversity
[ ss ]
Prerequisite: BUS 6a and BUS 10a or WGS 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.
Sava Berhane

BUS 130a Entrepreneurship and Innovation
[ ss ]
Prerequisite: BUS 6a and BUS 10a.
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.
Philippe Wells

BUS 134aj Entrepreneurial Marketing
[ ss ]
Prerequisite: BUS 152a or BUS 252a.
Examines idea evaluation and development of early stage businesses. Students learn to identify unique, compelling business opportunities, size the market and potential demand, and develop successful go-to market strategies. Offered as part of the JBS program.
Grace Zimmerman

BUS 135a Real Estate and Society
[ ss ]
Prerequisite: BUS 6a and BUS 10a.
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.
Linda Stoller

BUS 137a Real Estate Finance
[ ss ]
Prerequisite: BUS 135a.
Examines real estate finance from the perspective of the users of capital (developers and property owners) and the sources of capital (lenders and equity investors). Also considers the role of the public sector in using tax payer funds to advance public purposes by offering various kinds of subsidies to developers, and evaluating the relative success of such programs. Usually offered every third year.
Staff

BUS 138a Real Estate Development
[ ss ]
Prerequisite: BUS 135a.
Focuses on the real estate development process, including zoning and planning, permitting, site analysis and acquisition, design and construction, financing, leasing, and value enhancement. Also considers the role of the community and regulators in supporting or objecting to a real estate project; and, the role of the public sector in using tax payer funds to advance public purposes. Usually offered every third year.
Staff

BUS 152a Marketing Management
[ ss ]
Prerequisite: BUS 6a and BUS 10a. Corequisite: BUS 51a.
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.
Sharon Thomas and Grace Zimmerman

BUS 153a Marketing Research
[ ss ]
Prerequisite: BUS 152a.
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 produce design, and customer profitability. Usually offered every year.
Jane Ebert

BUS 154a Branding Strategy
[ ss ]
Prerequisite: BUS 152a.
Examines strategies to build and sustain brands, from development of highly differentiated value propositions, through promotional, pricing and distribution strategies. A competitive, online team-based simulation exercise is used to enhance case studies and provide a competitive learning environment. Usually offered every third year.
Staff

BUS 155a Consumer Behavior
[ ss ]
Prerequisite: BUS 152a.
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. Not offered in 2020-2021.
Jane Ebert

BUS 157a Marketing Communications
[ ss ]
Prerequisite: BUS 152a.
Explores the activities a company undertakes to educate, engage and prompt to action its various target consumer segments. Topics include advertising, promotions, event sponsorship, internet marketing, social media marketing, corporate blogs, word-of-mouth advertising, and marketing communications for social initiatives. Usually offered every third year.
Staff

BUS 160a Competitive Strategy
[ ss ]
Prerequisite: BUS 6a and 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.
Aldo Musacchio

BUS 172a Operations Management
[ ss ]
Prerequisites: BUS 6a and BUS 10a. Corequisite: BUS 51a.
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.
Brad Morrison and Lawrence Strauss

BUS 174a Supply Chain Management
[ ss ]
Prerequisite: BUS 172a.
Explores how to optimize supply chain processes to achieve a company's strategic goals. Students will understand the basic activities in 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.
Staff

BUS 195a Field Projects in Business
[ ss ]
Provides students with the opportunity to apply their skills and knowledge to solving actual client problems, assessing client challenges and opportunities and generally adding value to the client's operations. The course culminates in a final client presentation before the semester ends. The instructor will serve as project manager for all projects. Usually offered every third year.
Staff

Core Courses

ECON 2a A Survey of Economics
[ qr ss ]
Intended for students who are not Economics majors or minors. May not be taken for credit by students who took ECON 10a in prior years.
Introduces economic analysis with policy applications. The economist's approach to social analysis is systematically elaborated. Usually offered every semester.
Geoff Clarke

ECON 10a Introduction to Microeconomics
[ qr ss ]
Intended for Economics majors and minors or students who intend to take more than one Economics course. Students who have taken ECON 2a and received a B+ or better cannot receive credit for this course. May not be taken for credit by students concurrently with or after they have taken ECON 80a.
Introduces the field of microeconomics, which is the study of how individuals and firms make decisions and how these decisions interact. Usually offered every semester.
Geoff Clarke and Nelson Sa

Elective Courses in Business and Society

AAAS 126b Political Economy of the Third World
[ nw ss wi ]
Development of capitalism and different roles and functions assigned to all "Third Worlds," in the periphery as well as the center. Special attention will be paid to African and African American peripheries. Usually offered every year.
Wellington Nyangoni

AMST 103b Advertising and the Media
[ ss ]
Combines a historical and contemporary analysis of advertising's role in developing and sustaining consumer culture in America with a practical analysis of the relationship between advertising and the news media in the United States. Usually offered every second year.
Maura Farrelly

AMST 188b Louis Brandeis: Law, Business and Politics
[ ss ]
Brandeis's legal career serves as model and guide for exploring the ideals and anxieties of American legal culture throughout the twentieth century. Focuses on how legal values evolve in response to new technologies, corporate capitalism, and threats to personal liberty. Usually offered every second year.
Daniel Breen

ANTH 26a Communication and Media
[ dl ss ]
An exploration of human communication and mass media from a cross-cultural perspective. Examines communication codes based on language and visual signs. The global impact of revolutions in media technology, including theories of cultural imperialism and indigenous uses of media is discussed. Usually offered every second year.
Janet McIntosh

ANTH 70a Business, Culture and Society
[ ss ]
In a diverse and rapidly changing global marketplace, it is crucial to understand local traditions, customs and cultural preferences. In this course, we adopt anthropological approaches to understand their impact on business practices, products, services, clients and ideas. Usually offered every second year.
Patricia Alvarez or Elizabeth Ferry

ANTH 163b Economies and Culture
[ djw nw ss ]
Prerequisite: ANTH 1a, ECON 2a, ECON 10a, or permission of the instructor.
We read in newspapers and books and hear in everyday discussion about "the economy," an identifiably separate sphere of human life with its own rules and principles and its own scholarly discipline (economics). The class starts with the premise that this "common sense" idea of the economy is only one among a number of possible perspectives on the ways people use resources to meet their basic and not-so-basic human needs. In the course, we draw on cross-cultural examples, and take a look at the cultural aspects of finance, corporations, and markets. Usually offered every second year.
Elizabeth Ferry

CHIN 106b Business Chinese and Culture
[ fl nw wi ]
Prerequisite: CHIN 40b or equivalent. Does not meet the requirement in the school of humanities.
An advanced Chinese course where students develop their language proficiency and cultural knowledge in professional settings such as the workplace. The course is conducted entirely in Chinese and is designed for students who want to sharpen their language skills and reach a higher level of proficiency in which they are able to read newspapers, magazines, or professional documents, as well as to improve their communicative ability and enhance their self-confidence in Chinese workplaces. Usually offered every second spring.
Staff

CLAS 121b Money, Markets and Society in the Ancient Mediterranean
[ hum wi ]
Examines the complex interactions between economic and social systems in the ancient Mediterranean, especially Greece and Rome, through literature, documents, and artifacts. Readings in English. Usually offered every third year.
Cheryl Walker

COSI 12b Advanced Programming Techniques in Java
[ dl sn ]
Prerequisite: COSI 10a or successful completion of the COSI online placement exam.
Studies advanced programming concepts and techniques utilizing the Java programming language. The course covers software engineering concepts, object-oriented design, design patterns and professional best practices. This is a required foundation course that will prepare you for more advanced courses, new programming languages, and frameworks. Usually offered every year.
Staff

COSI 21a Data Structures and the Fundamentals of Computing
[ dl sn ]
Prerequisite: COSI 12b. Graduate students may take this course concurrently with COSI 12b with permission of the Director of Graduate Studies.
Focuses on the design and analysis of algorithms and the use of data structures. Through the introduction of the most widely used data structures employed in solving commonly encountered problems. Students will learn different ways to organize data for easy access and efficient manipulation. The course also covers algorithms to solve classic problems, as well as algorithm design strategies; and computational complexity theory for studying the efficiency of the algorithms. Usually offered every year.
Antonella Di Lillo

ECON 20a Introduction to Macroeconomics
[ ss ]
Prerequisite: ECON 2a with a B+ or higher or ECON 10a. May not be taken for credit by students concurrently with or after they have taken ECON 82b.
Introduces the field of macroeconomics. Macroeconomics is the study of the overall or aggregate economic performance of national economies. Usually offered every semester.
Geoff Clarke, George Hall, Scott Redenius, and Nelson Sa

ECON 57a Environmental Economics
[ ss ]
Prerequisite: ECON 2a or 10a.
Investigates the theoretical and policy problems posed by the use of renewable and nonrenewable resources. Theoretical topics include the optimal pricing of resources, the optimal use of standards and taxes to correct pollution problems under uncertainty, and the measurement of costs and benefits. Usually offered every year.
Linda Bui and James Ji

ECON 76b Labor Economics
[ ss ]
Prerequisite: ECON 2a or 10a.
Analysis of competitive and less-than-competitive markets. Rationale for alternate methods of paying workers (e.g., hourly wages, piece rates, bonuses). Sources of wage differentials among jobs and workers. The U.S. labor movement, the process of collective bargaining, and the economic effects of unions. Effects of government interventions in the labor market, such as the minimum wage and occupational safety regulation. Extent and effects of discrimination in the labor market. Inequality in the distribution of wages. Usually offered every second year.
Elizabeth Brainerd

ECON/FA 87a Economics and the Arts
[ ca ss ]
Prerequisite: ECON 2a or 10a; FA 30a, 30b, 57a, 59a or 62a. The FA course may be taken concurrently with ECON/FA 87a.
Economics and art history provide dual lenses for studying the mechanics of art auctions and building collections. The course will focus on the intersection of history and patronage of specific artists and works of art with the marketplace. Usually offered every second year.
Kathryn Graddy and Nancy Scott

ENG 188b Capitalism and Culture
[ hum oc ]
How does capitalism influence the culture of advanced economies? How are the arts, dreams, and everyday lives of capitalist cultures organized? What traces of pre- or non-capitalist cultures survive? When, if at all, do we imagine worlds after capitalism? Usually offered every third year.
Caren Irr

FA 181a Housing and Social Justice
[ ca deis-us dl ss ]
Employs housing as a lens to interrogate space and society, state and market, power and change, in relation with urban inequality and social justice. It trains students to become participants in the global debates about housing. In doing so, it teaches students about dominant paradigms of urban development and welfare and situates such paradigms in the 20th century history of capitalism. It will explicitly adopt a comparative and transnational urban approach to housing and social justice, showing how a globalized perspective provides important insights into local shelter struggles and debates. Usually offered every second year.
Muna Guvenc

FREN 124a French Cultural Perspectives on Work and Business
[ fl ]
Prerequisite: FREN 106b or the equivalent, or permission of the instructor. Does not meet the requirement in the school of humanities.
Examines the cultural and practical elements of the French work place. The course is designed for students who wish to better understand the complexity of the French social model as well as the distinctive aspects of the French vision of work and business. Students will gain the communication skills necessary for entering into and advancing in the French-speaking workplace. Usually offered every second year.
Gabriela Nenciu

HBRW 124a Hebrew for Business, Doing Business in Start-Up Nation
[ dl fl wi ]
Prerequisite: Any 30-level Hebrew course or permission of the instructor. Does not meet the requirement in the school of humanities.
Provides students with tools and competence to deal with the Israeli business community. For advanced-intermediate Hebrew students who wish to gain cultural understanding and business language speaking skills. Usually offered every second year.
Sara Hascal

HIST 160b American Legal History II
[ deis-us ss ]
Survey of American legal development from 1865 to the present. Major topics include constitutionalism and racial inequality, the legal response to industrialization, progressivism and the transformation of liberalism, the rise of the administrative state, and rights-based movements for social justice. Usually offered every year.
Michael Willrich

HS 104b American Health Care
[ ss ]
Examines and critically analyzes the United States healthcare system, emphasizing the major trends and issues that have led to the current sense of "crisis." In addition to providing a historical perspective, this course will establish a context for analyzing the current, varied approaches to health care reform. Usually offered every year.
Stuart Altman

HS 110a Wealth and Poverty
[ ss ]
Examines why the gap between richer and poorer citizens appears to be widening in the United States and elsewhere, what could be done to reverse this trend, and how the widening disparity affects major issues of public policy. Usually offered every year.
Tom Shapiro

HSSP 104b Health Economics
[ ss ]
Prerequisite: ECON 2a or 10a.
Emphasizes the concepts and tools of health economics applicable to both developed and developing countries. Topics include: cost-benefit and cost-effectiveness analysis, the demand for health services, insurance and risk, managed care, provider reimbursement, national health insurance, and an overview of health care systems in other countries. Usually offered every second year.
Dominic Hodgkin

HSSP 106a Managing Medicine
[ ss wi ]
Prerequisite: HS 104b or LGLS 114a.
Overview of the principles of management within health care, and how public policy decisions can influence the choices of individual healthcare organizations. Through case studies of real hospitals, insurers, and firms, the class examines choices of clinicians and managers aimed at improving health care quality, delivering patient satisfaction, and containing costs. Usually offered every year.
Darren Zinner

HSSP 107b Health Care Technology: Evaluating Emerging Medical Services, Drugs and Devices
[ ss ]
Recommended prerequisite: HS 104b or permission of the instructor. Priority given to HSSP majors and minors.
An overview of the role of medical technology in the U.S. health care system, with a focus on the impact of prescription drugs on the health care system, their promise for the future, and inherent risks. Usually offered every year.
Cindy Thomas

LGLS 114a American Health Care: Law and Policy
[ ss ]
Closed to first-year students.
Focuses on individual rights, highlights how our laws and policies affect American health care. Traces the evolution of the doctor-patient relationship; explores access issues, including whether health care is or should be a fundamental right; assesses the quality of care and the impact of malpractice; and examines the cost of having (or not having) adequate health insurance. Concludes with options and prospects for meaningful reform. Usually offered every year.
Sarah Curi

LGLS 114aj American Health Care: Reform
[ ss ]
Nine years after the historic passage of the ACA, the United States and our health care system are at a crossroads. While the ACA seems to have weathered most of the significant implementation challenges, even its most ardent supporters acknowledge that the law provides only a partial fix for our nation's health care system. While access should improve appreciably, particularly for those who are currently uninsured, many will still remain without access to needed care. Moreover, among advanced nations our costs are the highest by far and the quality of our care is no better than that found in these less costly nations. We will explore the ACA, the events leading up to its passage, the policies the law was designed to further, its impacts so far--and the potential repeal and replace efforts. Offered as part of the JBS program.
Alice Noble

LGLS 127b International Economic Law
[ ss ]
Prerequisite: ECON 2a or ECON 10a or permission of the instructor.
Studies the transnational legal institution and practices that constitute the global economic networks of the 21st century. Surveys the fields of corporate regulation, including business practices and human rights, and legal regimes supporting trade and finance. Practice in arbitrating investment disputes between states and corporations. Usually offered every second year.
Staff

LGLS 138b Science on Trial
[ qr ss ]
Surveys the procedures and analytic methods by which scientific data enter into litigation and regulation/policy making. Introduces basic tools of risk analysis and legal rules of evidence. Case studies of tobacco litigation and regulation; use of DNA and other forensic evidence in the criminal justice system; the Woburn ground-water contamination case; and other topics to be selected, such as genetics in the courtroom, court-ordered Cesarean sections, polygraph testing, alternative medicine, and genetically modified foods. Usually offered every second year.
Daniel Breen

MATH 15a Applied Linear Algebra
[ sn ]
Prerequisites: MATH 5a and permission of the instructor, placement by examination, or any mathematics course numbered 10 or above. Students may take MATH 15a or 22a for credit, but not both.
Matrices, determinants, linear equations, vector spaces, eigenvalues, quadratic forms, linear programming. Emphasis on techniques and applications. Usually offered every semester.
Tarakaram Gollamudi and John Wilmes (fall), Staff (spring)

MATH 37a Differential Equations
[ sn ]
Prerequisites: MATH 15a or 22a and MATH 20a or 22b.
A first course in ordinary differential equations. Study of general techniques, with a view to solving specific problems such as the brachistochrone problem, the hanging chain problem, the motion of the planets, the vibrating string, Gauss's hypergeometric equation, the Volterra predator-prey model, isoperimetric problems, and the Abel mechanical problem. Usually offered every fall.
Thomas Fai

MATH 126a Introduction to Stochastic Processes and Models
[ sn ]
Prerequisites: MATH 15a, 20a, and 36a.
Basic definitions and properties of finite and infinite Markov chains in discrete and continuous time, recurrent and transient states, convergence to equilibrium, Martingales, Wiener processes and stochastic integrals with applications to biology, economics, and physics. Usually offered every second year.
Jonathan Touboul

NEJS 163a Jews and American Capitalism
[ hum wi ]
Explores the central role played by capitalism and the market economy in the lives and religion of American Jews, from colonial times onward. Through a series of case studies, the course explores the occupational structure of the American Jewish community, the values that shaped occupational choices, and some of the surprising ways in which religion and capitalism have interacted. Usually offered every second year.
Jonathan Sarna

PHIL 25a Business Ethics
[ hum ]
Offers an introduction to ethical theory and ethical reasoning, as they relate to business issues in particular, especially questions about what ethical constraints (if any) should limit a company's pursuit of profit. Usually offered every second year.
Staff

POL 172b Seminar: International Political Economy
[ ss ]
Prerequisite: Sophomore standing or higher.
The politics and modern evolution of international economic relations, comprising trade, money, multinational productions, and development. Also the role of states and transnational actors in international markets and the global differentiation of power, and distribution of wealth. Usually offered every year.
Kerry Chase

PSYC 34b Social Psychology
[ ss ]
Prerequisite: PSYC 10a.
An introduction to theory and research on the psychological processes that relate the individual to the larger social world in terms of behaviors, thoughts, and feelings. Topics include attitudes, social perception, prejudice and discrimination, attraction, behavior in groups, and the role of culture. Usually offered every year.
Jennifer Gutsell

SOC 112b Social Class and Social Change
[ ss ]
Presents the role of social class in determining life chances, lifestyles, income, occupation, and power; theories of class, inequality, and globalization; selected social psychological aspects of social class and inequality; and connections of class, race, and gender. Usually offered every second year.
Gordon Fellman

SOC 117a Sociology of Work and Gender
[ ss ]
Many people think gender differences in work are disappearing. Yet gender segregation by job type is pervasive and women predominate in the lower paid, lower status jobs, particularly in the care sector. Women are also still doing disproportional amounts of domestic and parenting labor at home, which exacts a great cost from them in the paid workforce. This course examines gender disparities in both paid an unpaid work, and how that affects women’s and men’s lives, work/family conflicts, and society at large. Usually offered every second year.
Staff

SOC 120b Globalization and the Media
[ ss ]
Investigates the phenomenon of globalization as it relates to mass media. Topics addressed include the growth of transnational media organizations, the creation of audiences that transcend territorial groupings, the hybridization of cultural styles, and the consequences for local identities. Usually offered every third year.
Laura Miller

SOC 150b Culture of Consumption
[ ss ]
Examines the historical development and social significance of a culture of consumption. Considers the role of marketing in contemporary society and the expression of consumer culture in various realms of everyday life, including leisure, the family, and education. Usually offered every year.
Laura Miller

SOC 175b Environmental Movements: Organizations, Networks, and Partnerships
[ ss ]
Studies environmental movement organizations and field strategies, national advocacy organizations, as well as community-based and civic approaches to environmental problem solving. Case studies draw from sustainable and climate resilient cities, watersheds, coastal adaptation, forests, ecosystem restoration, environmental justice, renewable energy, and the greening of business. May be combined with internships and action research. Usually offered every year.
Carmen Sirianni

THA 138a The Business of Show Business
[ ca ]
Provides students with an overview of the many different facets of what it takes to produce live theater in America today. With an emphasis on non-profit theater, students will learn about organizational structure, aesthetic and artistic goals, facilities management, budgeting and revenue streams, public relations/marketing/advertising and communication. From brainstorming to barnstorming, this course will give students the step-by-step process of delivering live, professional theater. Usually offered every second year.
Robert Walsh

Elective Courses in Business Administration

All 200-level courses listed below are for seniors only and require instructor approval.

BUS 222f Global Dexterity
Meets for one-half semester and yields half-course credit.
To be a global worker and a true "citizen of the world" today means you are able to adapt your behavior to conform to new cultural contexts without losing your authentic self in the process. Work on developing "global dexterity" skills to accomplish this. Usually offered every year.
Andrew Molinsky

BUS 227a Influence, Power and Identity
Examines how many aspects of your career—landing a job, a promotion, or a new client—require you to influence other people and to affect how they think, feel and behave. Students will explore and apply the latest research on successful influence strategies. Usually offered every year.
Sandra Cha

BUS 231a Entrepreneurial Finances and Business Plans
Open only to IBS students.
Introduces techniques for preparing business plans and explores the process of using a business plan to acquire funding. Requires students to prepare a business plan for a new venture and to present this plan in front of a critical audience. Usually offered every year.
Aldo Musacchio

BUS 233a Entrepreneurship and Rapid Prototyping
Recommended prerequisites: BUS 152a and BUS 232f.
Focuses on prototyping/lean startup, minimum-viable products, design thinking, project management, and product/service development. Today, the most important skills entrepreneurs need to have are not necessarily learned in the traditional classroom environment. The work of an entrepreneur and project manager of any kind requires mastering the art of rapid experimentation/prototyping with multiple iterations to improve systems, products or services. This course is designed to allow students learn those tools in a hands-on, immersive approach, allowing students to launch one actual product or service in the course of a semester. Usually offered every year.
Ian Roy

BUS 255a Consumer Behavior
Focuses on fundamental theories and concepts in consumer psychology and exciting new findings to enhance students' 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.
Jane Ebert

BUS 261a Managing Technology and Innovation
Focuses on skills and strategies needed to develop businesses based on new technologies. Through discussion of cases and concepts, the course explores innovation and technology management, strategy, marketing, financing, and performance of new ventures in entrepreneurial or existing firms. Usually offered every year.
Benjamin Gomes-Casseres

BUS 275a Introduction to Negotiations
Introduces students to the fundamentals of negotiation analysis and practice. It uses case studies and experiential exercises, which take place inside and outside of the classroom to build an analytic and behavioral framework for sharpening understanding and improving performance in negotiation. Usually offered every year.
Sava Berhane

BUS 292a Marketing Field Project
Prerequisite: BUS 252a or permission of the instructor. Open to IBS MAief and MBA students only. May be repeated once for credit.
Students work in teams on marketing projects for external sponsors. This course provides an opportunity for students to apply their skills and knowledge to solving real-world problems under the supervision of a faculty member. The course culminates in a final presentation to the sponsor before the end of the semester in which it is undertaken. Field Projects serve as a transition point for students from education to professional practice. Requires a strong foundation in marketing, along with good presentation and teamwork skills. Usually offered every year.
Staff

BUS/ECON 265a Business and Economic Strategies in Emerging Markets
Formerly offered as BUS 265a.
Studies the economic strategies followed by emerging markets and examines the differences in the business environment in emerging and developed markets. We then zoom in and study the strategies of firms that successfully (and unsuccessfully) do business in emerging markets. We analyze strategy in large and small entrepreneurial firms, particularly social enterprises that target the base of the pyramid. Usually offered every year.
Aldo Musacchio

ECON 135a Industrial Organization
[ qr ss ]
Prerequisites: ECON 80a and ECON 83a or permission of the instructor.
Microeconomic analysis of firm behavior under alternative market structures and implications for market outcomes. Topics include strategic interaction, entry and exit, collusion, predation, price discrimination, product differentiation, vertical relations, imperfect information, advertising, and patents and innovation. Usually offered every year.
Mahsa Akbari and Benjamin Shiller

ECON 141b Economics of Innovation
[ ss ]
Prerequisites: ECON 80a and ECON 83a or permission of the instructor.
Studies the innovation and technological change as the central focus of modern economies. Topics include the sources of growth, economics of research and development, innovation, diffusion and technology transfer, appropriability, patents, information markets, productivity, institutional innovation, and global competitiveness. Usually offered every year.
Gary Jefferson

ECON 161a International Macroeconomics and Finance
[ ss ]
Prerequisites: ECON 82b. Corequisite: ECON 184b or permission of the instructor.
Applications of international economic theory – regarding trade, the balance of payments, investments, and exchange rates – to the management of import/export firms and multinational corporations. Usually offered every year.
George Hall

ECON 171a Financial Economics
[ ss ]
Prerequisites: ECON 80a and ECON 83a or permission of the instructor.
An introduction to financial economics. Topics include the selection of assets, portfolio choice under uncertainty, equilibrium asset pricing models, the efficient markets hypothesis, futures, and options markets. Usually offered every year.
John Ballantine

ECON 172b Money and Banking
[ ss ]
Prerequisites: ECON 82b and ECON 83a or permission of the instructor.
Examines the relationship of the financial system to real economic activity, focusing especially on banks and central banks. Topics include the monetary and payments systems; financial instruments and their pricing; the structure, management, and regulation of bank and nonbank financial intermediaries and the design and operations of central banks in a modern economy. Usually offered every year.
Scott Redenius

LGLS 189a Business Law
[ ss ]
May not be taken for credit by students who took AMST 189a in prior years.
Surveys core legal institutions of property, contracts, and corporations. Examines how law promotes and restrains the development of capitalism and market society in America, from the era of mass production through the age of global trade and digital commerce. Usually offered every year.
Daniel Breen

University Bulletin (2020-2021)