Business

Business (BUSCS)

BUSCS 100 College Algebra (4 Credits)

Introduction to graphic, numeric, and analytical approaches of college algebra. Application of theories, methods, and technology to model, analyze, interpret data, and solve real world problems. Covers real number system; algebraic, exponential, and logarithmic functions and their inverses; graphing for polynomial and rational functions, sequences and series; and systems and equations.

BUSCS 125 Business and Public Speaking (3 Credits)

Theory and practice relevant to a variety of business and public speaking situations. Develop informational, authoritative, and persuasive presentations. Topics include active listening, audience analysis, research, style, and delivery of public presentations.

BUSCS 130 Business Writing (3 Credits)

Develop approaches to effectively plan, write, and edit common business communications, including letters, reports, memos, and e-mails. Identify proper tone, grammar, style and format to meet audience needs. Create planning strategies and approaches that ensure accuracy and timeliness. Learn the use and misuse of electronic communication in a business setting.

BUSCS 135 Business Reporting Using Excel (3 Credits)

Learn common business computing tasks, including the application of basic college algebra and statistical methods using Excel. Examine navigation techniques, spreadsheet and workbook formats, formulas, build-in functions, chart design, common tips and tricks, special features to simplify tasks, data filters, the Tip Function, and Chart Wizards.

BUSCS 136 Excel Essentials I (2 Credits)

Learn common Microsoft Excel tasks. Topics: spreadsheet navigation and design, common functions and formulas, data interpretation and organization, application of basic business statistical methods, and tools, menus, and automated techniques.

BUSCS 137 Financial Literacy Essentials (2 Credits)

Explore key financial literacy topics including consumerism, budgeting, debt, risk management, and savings strategies.
Numeric grade only.

BUSCS 138 Visual Persuasion (2-4 Credits)

Introduction to the concepts of commercial graphic design in the context of visual presentations. Students will develop an understanding of the four basic principles of design (contrast, repetition, alignment, proximity) applied to visual presentations that are planned, created, and executed by individuals in any degree program, industry, or profession.
Numeric grade only.

BUSCS 140 Data Analytics Essentials (2 Credits)

This introductory course in data analytics is designed for those with little or no prior experience in the analysis of data. Vital topics to today's quantitative environment will include, but not be limited to: basic finance, probability, graphing, sampling, predictive analytics, artificial intelligence, data collection ethics, and descriptive statistics.
Numeric grade only. 

BUSCS 145 Mathematical Foundations for Business (4 Credits)

Introduction of mathematical foundations with applications for decision making in business, economics, finance, business statistics, and operations management. Focus is on mathematical concepts, including functions and their graphs and systems of equations.

BUSCS 150 From Beer to Eternity (0-1 Credits)

Exploration of the history of beer and the burgeoning craft beer movement. Study of beer including its history, chemistry, biology, and physics, ingredients, brewing styles, industry, brewery operations, and job opportunities in the craft brewery industry.

BUSCS 230 Economics for Business (4 Credits)

Introductory study of macro- and micro-economics. Macro-economics includes coverage of the national and global economies. Microeconomics studies decision making by individual firms and consumers in regard to the allocation of scarce resources.

BUSCS 232 Business Statistics (4 Credits)

Basic statistical concepts, including measuring of central tendency and dispersion, frequency distributions, probability distributions, sampling distributions, and estimations. Also covered are statistical inference, and one- and two sample hypothesis testing.

BUSCS 310 Supply Chain Management Principles and Practices (3 Credits)

Survey of supply chain management, including defining the scope of service, procurement, and purchasing and materiel management. Business concepts include return on investment, value chain principles, contracts and legal issues, and operations management.

BUSCS 311 Supply Chain Management Logistics (3 Credits)

Examine transportation and distribution concerns, including production scheduling, third-party logistics, calculating costs of services, warehousing, materiel management, analyzing value of services, staffing and supervision, and technology.

BUSCS 312 Supply Chain Management Procurement (3 Credits)

Explore procurement management and contract administration, including procurement policies and procedures, supplier selection, cost analysis, contract negotiation, strategic sourcing, bidding and requests for proposals, and overall project management.

BUSCS 313 Supply Chain Management Practicum (3 Credits)

Capstone experience focusing on the application of industry best practices. Topics include aligning supply chain management operations with business practices. 
Prerequisites: two of the following courses: BUSCS 310, BUSCS 311, or BUSCS 312.

BUSCS 320 Managing Individual Performance (3 Credits)

Explore the roles and responsibilities of supervisors and managers in developing, monitoring, and managing performance standards. Topics include motivation, goal setting, supervisory excellence, communication skills, reward systems, vision, and values.

BUSCS 321 Coaching and Mentoring (1 Credits)

Survey the role coaching and mentoring play to improve performance, employee morale and customer service. Topics include identifying what makes a great coach or mentor, understanding the role and establishing ongoing mentoring and coaching relationships.

BUSCS 322 Leading and Managing Teams (3 Credits)

Examine how effective teams are led and managed even when you may not have direct authority over team members. Understand hierarchies, team dynamics, managing expectations, coaching, mentoring, aligning teams with organizational goals, and communication.

BUSCS 323 Managing and Resolving Conflict (2 Credits)

Develop effective conflict management skills. Learn how and when conflicts arise and identify approaches to manage conflicts with subordinates, peers, and supervisors. Know how to engender goodwill and develop win-win conflict management tactics. 

BUSCS 324 Organizational Change Management (2 Credits)

Identify when, how, and why organizational change occurs. Create approaches to manage change by using intervention strategies, creating buy-in, communicating in a productive and positive manner, identifying the sequence of change, and managing resistance.

BUSCS 325 Organizational Leadership Principles and Practice (2 Credits)

Explore organizational leadership roles: visionary, manager, director, change agent, supervisor, coach, and mentor. Identify how leadership styles influence the direction of the organization. Develop an appreciation for how leaders affect daily operations.

BUSCS 340 Principles of Marketing (4 Credits)

Introduction to the concept of marketing and marketing principles, with a focus on how marketing creates value for the customer. Survey the marketing mix (product, price, promotion and place/distribution) and its application to products and services in profit and not-for-profit enterprises in a local, national, and international environment.

BUSCS 341 Marketing Research (3 Credits)

Learn how to make effective marketing decisions using marketing research. Explore market research sources, data collection, analysis, surveys, research theories, and strategies. Evaluate quantitative and qualitative research with an emphasis on the value and limitations of various sources. Identify how to blend and manage marketing research sources.

BUSCS 342 Customer Experience Management (3 Credits)

Develop an appreciation for the various ways customers experience products and services from brand awareness to product and service fulfillment to loyalty programs. Examine the customer and brand experience. Identify how to create a customer experience management system. Learn to deliver exceptional customer service.

BUSCS 343 Internet and Social Media Marketing (3 Credits)

Explore Internet marketing, including its components, structure, and technology, as well as the application of marketing concepts to social media. Learn the strategies, tools, and tactics related to Internet marketing with special attention given to the development of messaging techniques designed for specific social media tools.

BUSCS 344 Integrated Marketing Communication (3 Credits)

Survey the integration of advertising, sales promotion, public relations, direct marketing, and the marketing mix to support marketing strategy. Learn the linkages of segmentation, targeting, positioning, buyer behavior, and branding. Explore planning, budgeting, and the execution of a comprehensive, integrated marketing communication program from message development through media selection and evaluation.

BUSCS 345 Marketing Analytics (3 Credits)

Learn how marketing measurement relates to business return on investment using analytics. Review top view campaign performance, tactical management, and real-time campaign monitoring. Explore how to integrate results from multiple media and channels, including retail, sales, direct marketing, and online media. Covers use of analytics tools.

BUSCS 346 Search Engine Optimization (3 Credits)

Learn how to optimize website content for the best possible search engine ranking. Examine the theory behind a Google search and other popular search engine algorithms. Demonstrate skills that can be applied to a career as a Search Engine Optimization specialist, digital marketing professional or online content developer.
Numeric grade only.
May be offered online.

BUSCS 349 Personal Branding (4 Credits)

Examine the strategies, tools, and tactics of personal branding.  Topics include: brand evaluation, brand creation, social media integration, online and offline brand management.

BUSCS 350 Financial Planning, Principles, and Practice (3 Credits)

Learn how financial plans are developed. Topics include: establishing a client-planner relationship, gathering client data and determining client financial needs for investment, insurance, estate planning, and retirement benefits. Understand the roles and responsibilities of the financial planner, including professional ethics.

BUSCS 351 Insurance Planning and Risk Management (3 Credits)

Develop life, health, casualty, and liability insurance planning strategies as part of a comprehensive financial plan. Topics include: assessing and managing risk, evaluating insurance products for tax and estate planning consequences, and understanding the role of insurance in retirement and businesses.

BUSCS 352 Investment Planning (3 Credits)

Survey various investment vehicles available to meet financial planning goals. Topics include: evaluating risk tolerance, asset allocation strategies, security analysis, bond and security valuations, modern portfolio theory, market analysis, alternative investment instruments, and special topics.

BUSCS 353 Income Tax Planning (3 Credits)

Develop an understanding of income tax planning opportunities, issues, and challenges. Topics include income tax law, compliance, calculations, accounting, tax of business entities, trust and estate tax, tax basis, depreciation, like-kind exchange consequences, property tax, alternative minimum tax (AMT), tax reduction techniques, passive activity rules, special circumstances, and deductions.

BUSCS 354 Employee Benefits and Retirement Planning (3 Credits)

Learn how employee benefit plans and comprehensive retirement planning help clients meet their financial goals. Topics include retirement needs analysis, Social Security, types of retirement plans, qualified plan rules, investment considerations, distribution rules and consequences, employee benefit plans and options.

BUSCS 355 Estate Planning (3 Credits)

Survey estate planning principles as they relate to the development of a comprehensive financial plan. Topics include property titles and transfers, documents, including wills and trusts, gifting strategies, tax consequences and compliance, liquidating estates, charitable giving, life insurance, business transfers, fiduciaries, and special topics.

BUSCS 356 Financial Plan Development (3 Credits)

Develop professional financial planning strategies, approaches, and techniques. Upon completing the course, each participant will have developed and presented a comprehensive financial plan based on various client concerns, life stages, and risk tolerances.

BUSCS 357 Equity Trading and Fund Risk Management (3 Credits)

Provides a thorough study of the investment process and strategies. The focus is on hands on practice in carrying out investment plans through real-time simulation. Participants practice controlling impulsive and emotional equity trading behavior and establishing good investment habits and attitudes.

BUSCS 358 Options Trading and Hedging Strategies (3 Credits)

Provides real-time simulation in practicing various options trading and hedging strategies. Directional and non-directional trading concepts, applications, and options portfolio strategies are examined. Participants study various approaches in forming hedge funds with options or embedded options.

BUSCS 550X Certified Associate in Project Management (CAPM®) / Project Management Professional (PMP®) Examination Review (2.8 (CEU) Credits)

BUSCS 550X (2.8 Continuing Education Units – CEUs) – Four-day exam preparation workshop for Certified Associated in Project Management (CAPM®) and Project Management Professional (PMP®) Certifications. In-depth topic reviews of the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK®), state-of-the-art courseware, and practice assessments.

BUSCS 600 Situational Leadership & Strategic Thinking (1 Credits)

Explore situational leadership dynamics and your role as a visionary, manager, director, change agent, supervisor, coach and mentor. Examine strategies to become more effective in your daily work by improving your approach to operational, tactical, strategic and managerial decision-making.

BUSCS 610 Business Location Analytics: Foundations and Value Creation (3 Credits)

Overview of value creation using GIS and location intelligence in various private sector industries. Using a location value chain approach, myriad roles of GIS and location analytics in sales, marketing, operations, supply chain management, risk mitigation, and R&D are discussed, with emphasis on industry trends and applications.
Numeric grades only.

BUSCS 611 Business Location Analytics: Problems, Insights, and Solutions (4 Credits)

This course introduces students to hands-on applications of GIS and location analytics, using Esri's industry-leading web-GIS platform ArcGIS Online. Focus is on location analytics and decision-making for understanding customers, expanding the business, and managing risk (such as how GIS has played a visible and strategic role in addressing business disruption due to the 2020 pandemic).
Numeric grades only.

BUSCS 612 Business Location Analytics: Competitive Spatial Strategies (3 Credits)

This course focuses on GIS as a driver of differentiated business strategy that informs decisions and actions from the C-suite on to managers and analysts in a coherent and consistent fashion. Spatial storytelling is a distinguishing aspect of this course.
Numeric grades only.

International Business (INTBCS)

INTBCS 470 International Area Studies (3-4 Credits)

International Business course. 

Misc Courses

EDUCCS 610 Entrepreneurship and Niche Practices for Mental Health Professionals (0 Credits)

Learn concepts and strategies of entrepreneurship in creating, developing, and enhancing a private practice in a mental health setting. Topics include identifying and capitalizing on opportunities in developing niche practices, developing business models, ethical and legal issues in establishing a practice, and setting up operations.

EDUCCS 611 Ethics and Risk Management in the Business of Private Practice (0 Credits)

This course introduces ethical and regulatory compliance issues that are especially salient for mental health professionals in private practice, especially those that arise in starting a practice, in practice policies, in practice administration, in billing and financial management, and in staff training and marketing. Emphasis will be on practical applications.
Credit/No Credit only.
May be offered online.

EDUCCS 612 Practice Finances for Mental Health Professionals (0 Credits)

Learn concepts and strategies necessary for managing finances independent practices. Topics include key terminology, exercising fiduciary responsibility, attitudes toward money and the effects on those attitudes, financial metrics, using practice dashboards, compensation systems, fee setting, and creating a financial action plan.
Credit/No Credit only.
May be offered online.

EDUCCS 613 Practice Management for Mental Health Professionals (0 Credits)

Learn concepts and strategies of managing a private practice as a business entity in a mental health setting. Topics include understanding a practice as a system with subsystems, identifying and acting on core values, roles of a practice owner, data-driven decision making, strategic planning, and writing a business plan.
Credit/No Credit only.
May be offered online.

EDUCCS 614 Ethical Marketing for Mental Health Professionals in Private Practice (0 Credits)

Learn concepts and strategies of ethical marketing for mental health professional in private practice. Topics include understanding of what constitutes ethical marketing for private practice, how to connect with referral partners and ideal clients, and marketing via person-to-person contact, print, websites, blogs and social media.
Credit/No Credit only.