Core Requirements

The Core Requirements are offered through the Weekend Business Degree Program.

Requirements for the upcoming Catalog Year

All business majors are required to take all of the following core courses with a grade of C- or better:

• BA 301 - Research and Analysis of Business Problems (4cr)

• BA 302 - Organizational Behavior (4cr)

• BA 303 - Business Finance (4cr)

• BA 311 - Marketing Management (4cr)

• BA 325 - Competing with Information Technology (4cr)

• BA 339 - Operations and Quality Management (4cr)

• BA 385 - Business Environment (4cr)

• BA 495 - Business Strategy / Senior Capstone (6 cr)

Course Descriptions

BA 301 Research and Analysis of Business Problems (4cr)
Development and use of business tools and techniques as applied to business problems. Students will identify business problems, articulate the issues, research, develop, and evaluate solution alternatives relevant to the problem, and present the results orally and in writing. Students will integrate and reinforce their skills in logical and analytical processing, critical thinking, and communication. Prerequisite: admission to SBA.

BA 302 Organizational Behavior (4cr)
Focuses on issues that are relevant to the three levels of organizational behavior (i.e., individual, group, and organizational). Key topics include: the nature and dynamics of teams, personal values and employee job attitudes, communication, conflict resolution, motivation, leadership, decision making, employee effectiveness, and the impact of organizational level issues such as policies, structure, design, and culture. Techniques used to facilitate learning may include role-plays, cases, presentations, organizational simulations, teamwork, and/or term research papers. Prerequisite: admission to SBA.

BA 303 Business Finance (4cr)
Development and study of a decision framework for financial management with special emphasis on small- and medium-sized businesses. Topics include analysis of financial health, planning for future financial performance, evaluation of investment opportunities and analyses of risk. Financing of firm growth and valuation will be introduced. An integration of the concepts of financial management into a total system approach to business decision making will be facilitated with the use of cases, as appropriate. Prerequisites: admission to SBA.

BA 311 Marketing Management (4cr)
Basic marketing concepts from the perspective of the marketing manager. Key focus is to examine the marketing planning and analysis necessary to develop sound marketing plans and strategies. Specific topics include the role of marketing within the firm, analysis of marketing opportunities, selection of target markets and market segmentation, marketing strategies in a global marketplace, use of technology in market, and marketing mix decisions. Experimental learning approaches for class participation will be used. Prerequisites:  admission to SBA.

BA 325 Competing with Information Technology (4cr)
Presents the key steps required to gain a competitive advantage in the marketplace through the use of information technologies. Primary focus is to help students understand the information systems development lifecycle and the ways that systems can support functional areas of a business. Other topics include communication technologies to support groups, productivity software and applications, designing system for competitive advantage, and systems reengineering. Prerequisites:  admission to SBA.

BA 339 Operations and Quality Management (4cr)
Develops an understanding of the various issues and strategies involved in the operation of a service or manufacturing organization. These considerations include the support by the operations organization of corporate strategy through design and Operating decisions. Issues such as global supply sources, worldwide business system influences, continuous improvement and total quality management will be discussed. Prerequisite:  admission to SBA.

BA 385 Business Environment (4cr)
Study and critical analysis of the role of business in its environment with special references to the interrelationships of legal, technological, economic, political, and social forces with the business enterprise and to the legal and ethical obligations of the business enterprise with its owners, employees, consumers, and society. Prerequisites:  admission to SBA.

BA 495 Business Strategy / Senior Capstone (6 cr)
Concerned with developing and implementing strategy for the total organization. Designed as an interdisciplinary capstone course that teaches students how to analyze the internal and external environment of the firm and develop a business strategy and business plan. Strategy formulation and implementation are demonstrated in light of the interdependence of the organization's internal dynamics and in relation to the global markets in which contemporary firms must compete. Prerequisites: Admission to the School of Business Administration, BA 301, BA 302, BA 303, BA 311, BA 325, BA 339 and BA 385.