Course Catalog

Topics vary every semester.

Examines finance as the practical application of economic theory and accounting data in the procurement and employment of capital funds. Applies the principles of strong fiscal planning and control to asset investment, and debt and equity financing decisions. Emphasizes sound leveraging in view of the time value of money, subject to the pernicious effects of taxation and inflation. BA 2002 recommended for simultaneous registration.

This course provides the student with the basic understanding of small business management and the activities required for the planning and creation of new enterprises. Entrepreneurial spirit, opportunity identification, new ventures selection, ownership options, legal and tax issues will be discussed. Students apply concepts such as a business plan and, most importantly, will develop a business model. Special attention is given to entrepreneurship in an international setting.

Consumer behavior lies at the crossroads of marketing, psychology, economics and anthropology. We employ theories developed in these fields to help predict how consumers will respond to various marketing stimuli. We examine the impact of purchase involvement on consumer decision making; the various kinds of decision models used by consumers; and the influence of attitude, culture, demographics, emotions, learning, memory, motivation, personality and perception on our behavior as consumers. Consumer behavior attempts to understand the consumption activities of individuals as opposed to markets.

Following an introduction to the International Monetary System and Foreign Exchange Markets, students explore spot and spot-forward arbitrage. They also engage in a FX trading competition using a Demo platform. Students will complete a project on exchange rate forecasting, and discover the essentials of financial derivatives (options, futures and swaps), including practical applications. At the end of the course special topics such as ETFs are investigated. Each semester a different financial literary work is explored and used as the focal point for group discussion.

The major purpose of this course is to identify common threads through different major disasters throughout the world and from this examination draw lessons learnt that ought to be applied to limit their recurrence and mitigate the human and financial pain they spawn. The key question posed and framework for study: How are the myriad technical, emotional, economic, legal, public policy, financial, communications, ethics and international relations issues that necessarily arise in disasters best handled? Once posed we will develop an analytical framework for the implementation of the practical action in disaster prevention, mitigation and remediation.

This course is designed to introduce students to the strategic importance of various operations decisions (process and plant layout, capacity planning, job design, forecasting, quality control, inventory and supply chain management). We take both a theoretical and practical approach, beginning with a brief review of the fundamental purpose of management. We explore the strategic role of operations, study some of the problems and challenges that managers face and examine the theories and strategic tools available to tackle these issues. We take this a little further by analyzing how managerial philosophy, attitudes toward work, technology and culture can affect successful implementation of an operations strategy.

Students will examine the legal process and the legal environment within which business must operate, as well as the interrelationship of government and business. Students develop an understanding of the methods by which legal decisions are formulated as they affect both individual rights and business transactions.

Briefly examines the great legal families in the world: Common Law, Civil Law, Socialist Law, and Islamic Law. Within the Civil Law family, emphasizes French Contract Law and then explores the law of the European Union. Studies the legal aspects of international business transactions and uses major international and European projects to examine the principles discussed.

Topics change each semester.