Course Descriptions - All

Accounting

ACC 430: Financial Accounting Theory

This course is a study of the theoretical and conceptual foundations of financial reporting standards, including an overview of the development of financial accounting and the environment in which it operates. Current accounting practices are analyzed and evaluated in the context of the theoretical framework. Prerequisite: 18 semester hours of accounting including ACC 232 (Intermediate Accounting II)

ACC 431: Current Issues In Accounting

A variable content course giving consideration to current issues and/or controversies in the theory and practice of accounting. Students will investigate independently and as a group problems of special interest in various aspects of accounting. Prerequisite: 18 semester hours of accounting including ACC 232 (Intermediate Accounting II).

ACC 434: Federal Taxes and Management Decisions

The primary objective of this course is to familiarize graduate business students with the important tax consequences that result from many common business transactions. Unlike many undergraduate tax courses, this course does not focus on detailed tax provisions, but rather on how taxes affect decision-making. Federal tax policy issues are also addressed. Prerequisite: FIL 440 and ACC 450 or equivalents. An extensive accounting background is not required.

ACC 435: Auditing Issues and Cases

Application of current auditing standards to auditing cases emphasizing decision-making under uncertainty and effective communication skills. Consideration is given to ethical issues facing accountants, current auditing theory, application of current accounting standards to auditing cases, international accounting standards, international auditing guidelines and statements, and current issues related to the practice of auditing. Prerequisite: 18 semester hours of accounting including ACC 232 (Intermediate Accounting II) and 235 (Auditing).

ACC 439: Managerial Accounting

Theory In-depth investigation of theories that underlie current managerial accounting practice. Heavy emphasis on the impact of research on the development of modern cost techniques. Prerequisite: 18 semester hours of accounting including ACC 230 (Managerial Accounting), or equivalent.

ACC 472: The Professional Accountant as a Manager of Information Systems

The objective of this course is to cover the concepts an accountant needs in the role as a manager of information systems. Prerequisites: ACC 261 and 263 or equivalent.

ACC 482: Business Information Systems Consulting

The primary goal of this course is to allow the student to comprehend and explore the significant issues facing a business information systems consultant. The course is organized around three central themes: developing and analyzing e-business systems, customizing and deploying ERP systems, and IS project management. Through the use of cases and oral and written presentations, the course allows the student to integrate, apply, and expand system analysis and design skills, program development skills, business organizational structure and management knowledge, and the critical success factors of systems integrators. Prerequisite: ACC 468.

ACC 489.07: Financial Statement Analysis

This course provides you with a systematic framework for business analysis and equity valuation using financial statement data and demonstrates how to apply this framework to a variety of investment, lending, and reporting decisions. The course is designed to improve your ability to assess a firm's financial performance to date through analysis of its financial statements and accounting policies, forecast the firm's future performance, and estimate the firm's intrinsic value implied by your forecasts. The course also integrates recent forecasting and valuation findings from academic research. The student should leave the course with the ability to generate reasonably accurate (or at least logically consistent) forecasts of a firm's future financial performance, including revenues, earnings and free cash flows. The class also presents all the major valuation models in a unified framework so the student should be facile in moving between discounted cash flow models, residual income models and models based on market multiples such as price-earnings ratio and the market to book ratio. Prerequisites: ACC 231 and 232 or equivalent, or consent of department chair.

Business Law

FIL 411: Corporate Law

The course provides in-depth knowledge of corporate legal structure and organization; analyzes corporate financial structure from a legal standpoint; and explores the legal basis of corporate management, including the legal and ethical responsibilities of corporate officers, directors, and employees. It also provides substantial knowledge of federal and state securities laws and provides in-depth instruction on the federal antitrust laws as they apply to corporations. Prerequisite: FIL 405.

Finance

FIL 400 EIF: Portfolio Management

The Educational Investment Fund is a real dollar portfolio which students manage for a semester. Students also interact with investment professionals through the EIF Advisory Board. If you have had FIL 440 (MBA core course, Financial Management) and an investments elective or undergraduate investments class, this may be an excellent opportunity. This class is primarily for undergraduates, 2-3 graduate students are usually admitted after consulting the professor. Contact your advisor for more information.

FIL 411: Corporate Law

FIL 441: Advanced Financial Institutions and Markets

A critical study of sources of funds and investment management of these funds; scope and the changes in financial markets; recent policy changes and problems in financial management of financial institutions; changes being proposed in regulations affecting structure and functions of the intermediaries and the nature of the financial markets. Prerequisite: FIL 440.

FIL 442: Investment Management

This course introduces students to modern theories and practice of investment. It will survey basic investment tools and concepts, securities analysis, and portfolio theory. Emphasis is on functional understanding of risk-reward relationships from an investment analyst's perspective. Special attention is given to derivative securities (options and futures). Prerequisite: FIL 440.

FIL 445: Advanced Corporate Finance

This seminar is an advanced corporate finance course that will discuss major issues in asset valuation, capital budgeting, capital cost and structure, dividend policy, and corporate restructuring. The course will be taught by a combination of lectures, case studies, paper discussion, and computer application. Prerequisite: FIL 440.

FIL 449.06: Use of Derivatives as a Financial Management Tool

This course presents an in-depth investigation of use and pricing of financial futures, options, and swaps. This course is a must for MBA students interested in passing level II of the CFA exam. It also fits well into the program of all risk managers as well as all MBA's who want to understand the advantages and dangers associated with derivatives trading. The focus of the class will be on developing the models and applications for futures, options, and swaps. It is hoped to include a visit to the Chicago Board of Trade and/or the Mercantile Exchange. Prerequisite: FIL 440.

FIL 454.02: Seminar in Insurance: Financial Planning

The seminar provides comprehensive coverage of individual financial planning. This includes property liability coverage and special endorsements, risks of loss of income or premature death loss and strategies for insuring against these risks; risks and returns of various investment vehicles, including stocks, bonds, annuity and life insurance products; and laws, regulations and strategies to consider in pension and estate planning. Prerequisite: FIL 440.

FIL 454.06: Seminar in Insurance: Convergence of Financial Services

This course will study the diminishing distinctions among insurance companies, banks, and the capital markets. Discussions will consist of capital market innovations, including exchange-traded and ovr-the-counter securities tied to insured risks. The course will involve extensive coverage of emerging competition among large financial services firms and integration of financial services. The emphasis will be on understanding current transactions and their strategic importance. Prerequisite: FIL 440.

FIL 454.08: Seminar in Insurance-Risk Management

This course will cover the notions of risk, choice, and risk management from a corporate perspective. Corporations face a number of risks including operational, political, legal and financial risks. Viewing the organization as a bundle of risks, this course will provide a perspective on how the risks are selected, financed, and managed; the management of risk includes the avoidance, reduction, and transfer with tools including insurance and derivatives. Participants will gain an understanding of the theory and issues relevant to the management of pure and speculative risks. Participants will have a chance to discuss the issues and practices surrounding risk management. Topics covered include: history of risk, expected utility and choice, financial markets, values and corporate objectives, pure and speculative risks, risk management, risk finance, hedging, and integrated risk management. Prerequisite: FIL 440.

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Human Resource Management

MQM 423: Advanced Human Resources Management

This course will provide a survey of a number of the important topical areas related to the human resource management function of the firm. Selected topics to be covered will include government regulation, organizational staffing, employment legislation, performance appraisal, employee compensation, and labor relations, as well as topics of current interest in the field of human resource management (e.g. sexual harassment in the work place, AIDS in the work place, etc.). The course format will consist of a combination of lectures/discussions, case discussions, and student presentations of selected topics in the context of both individual and group work. No prior background in the field of human resources management is required, and students need only bring an enthusiasm for inquiry into the subject matter. Prerequisite: MQM 421.

MQM 426.14: Seminar in Human Resource Development

This course will explore the role of human resource development in achieving strategic organizational objectives. Topics that will be discussed include diversity issues as they relate to training and development, knowledge management, HRD for international assignments, and technology for HRD. In addition, students will have a major input into the design of the second half topics for the course. Some potential topics for discussion include performance management, nontraditional delivery systems for HRD, low skill level training and programs, and the transfer of training, just to mention a few. Prerequisite: MQM 421.

MQM 426.15: Employee Relations (Conflict Management and Negotiation in Organizations)

This course will address different types of organizational conflicts resulting from interpersonal communication, group interaction, workplace violence, diversity, and so on. The class will present topics as well as ways to resolve the conflict through conflict management, negotiation and alternative dispute resolution. In addition, the course will concentrate on developing one's own conflict management skills through cases and exercises. Prerequisite: MQM 421.

International Business

MKT 438: International Marketing

The International Marketing course addresses strategic issues for marketing programs conducted on a multinational scale. The material covered includes such issues as evaluating opportunities in overseas markets and adapting strategies to specific national market needs and constraints. Prerequisite: MKT 430.

Information Systems

ACC 472: The Professional Accountant as a Manager of Information Systems

The objective of this course is to cover the concepts an accountant needs in the role as a manager of information systems. Prerequisites: ACC 261 and 263 or equivalent.

ACC 482: Business Information Systems Consulting

Insurance

FIL 454.02: Seminar in Insurance--Financial Planning

FIL 454.06: Seminar in Insurance--Convergence of Financial Services

This new finance course will consider two new and related trends in the insurance and financial services industry, convergence and securitization. Convergence deals with the blending together of previously separate financial services businesses, including insurance, banking, and securities, while securitization deals with repackaging cash flows to create new securities which better satisfy the risk/return requirements for a set of investors. The financial services industry can disperse risk more efficiently by securitizing its cash flows. Prerequisite: FIL 440.

FIL 454.08: Seminar in Insurance--Risk Management

Management

MQM 420: Organizational Theory

Organization theory focuses on the macro aspects of organizational behavior and management. Variables such as organizational structure, technology, and environmental relations are examined as ways to understand and predict organizational performance. Prerequisite: MQM 402.

MQM 423: Advanced Human Resources Management

MQM 426.08: Organizational Development and Change

This seminar focuses on historical development of change concepts and strategies. The class evaluates the underlying values and norms of change strategies. The impact of specific interventions on organizational performance is also reviewed. Research and evaluation methodologies in the field of organizational change are explored. Prerequisite: MQM 421.

MQM 426.13: New Venture Creation

The objective of this course is to expose you to multiple facets of entrepreneurship and to learn about the new venture creation process in a very hands-on manner. This means that you will be exposed to concepts, skills, information, and tools that are relevant for the creation of a new venture, the management of an early-stage venture, and the harvest of a venture. You will have opportunities to apply your knowledge through class discussions, case studies, and the creation of an actual business plan. The creation of the business plan will provide you with an opportunity to appreciate the challenging and ambiguous environment that faces entrepreneurs . Prerequisite: MQM 421.

MQM 426.14: Seminar in Human Resource Development

This course will explore the role of human resource development in achieving strategic organizational objectives. topics that will be discussed include diversity issues as they relate to training and development, knowledge management, HRD for international assignments, and technology for HRD. In addition, students will have a major input into the design of the second half topics for the course. Some potential topics for discussion include performance management, nontraditional delivery systems for HRD, low skill level training and programs, and the transfer of training, just to mention a few. Prerequisite: MQM 421.

MQM 426.15: Employee Relations (Conflict Management and Negotiation in Organizations)

MQM 426.16: Project Management Fundamentals

The use of projects and project management continues to grow in our society and its organizations. Businesses regularly use project management to accomplish unique outcomes with limited resources under critical time constraints. This course is designed to familiarize the graduate student with the basic concepts and techniques of project management. The topics to be focused on include project scope management, project time management, and project cost management. Prerequisite: MQM 421.

MQM 426.17: Advanced Project Management

Organizations are increasingly relying on the use of project management techniques to achieve their objectives. The effective and efficient management of constrained project resources is critical to any project meeting its performance, time, and cost targets. This course builds upon the topics covered in the prerequisite course-Project Management Fundamentals. The focus of this course will be on the implementation and control of projects. Particular focus will be placed on project scheduling, resource allocation, and the application of project management software. Prerequisite: MQM 426.16.

Marketing

MKT 431: Advanced Consumer Behavior

Marketing begins and ends with the consumer - from determining consumer needs to providing consumer satisfaction. Thus, an understanding of consumer behavior is critical in successfully managing the marketing function. The purpose of this course is to introduce you to the study of consumer behavior. We will explore psychological, sociological, social psychological, and cultural perspectives and examine their usefulness for developing marketing strategies. Prerequisite: MKT 430.

MKT 432: Marketing Research

As the name suggests, this seminar focuses on research in marketing. Coverage includes the design of a research plan and data collection methodology, with an emphasis on survey research. The analysis and interpretation of results, using SPSS, is a major aspect of the course. Students work in groups as consultants for area business firms to gain experience in initiating, designing, and completing a marketing research project. Please note: Where appropriate in a student's overall academic objectives and Plan of Study, it may be permissible for an MBA student to substitute MKT 432 for MQM 497. Prerequisite: MKT 430.

MKT 433: Advanced Integrated Marketing Communication

Rigorous evaluation of elements for the effective development, implementation, and management of advertising and integrated promotion campaigns. Prerequisite: MKT 430.

MKT 438: International Marketing

MKT 439.05: Seminar in Selling and Sales Management

Both salespeople and sales managers are experiencing a fundamental shift from their traditional focus on the single exchange-transaction to a longer-term relationship focus. In the guise of such aphorisms as "total quality" and "relationship marketing," customer satisfaction and value-added selling have become the preferred means for creating a sustainable competitive advantage and achieving superior performance. Today, a firm's success is highly dependent upon that firm's ability to adjust its marketing strategies to fit the contingencies inherent to each customer interaction. As these relationship-building strategies are implemented at the sales force level, this shift to customer oriented business strategies underscores the importance of developing, understanding, and applying an updated and more contemporary set of selling and sales management principles and skills.

This course takes an active learning approach emphasizing a decision making perspective as it focuses on five interrelated and sequential processes, each of which influences sales force performance: (1) interpersonal communication and behavior; (2) the process of relationship oriented, consultative selling; (3) strategic sales program formulation; (4) sales program implementation; and (5) sales performance evaluation and control.

These course objectives are accomplished first through tracing the evolution and implications of the new paradigm of "Relationship Marketing." Using this understanding as a foundation, we compare and contrast various fashions of personal selling and build the participant's skill in applying the consultative technique of selling. Having sharpened our understanding of "what" a salesperson does, we transition to the concepts inherent in coaching and managing salespeople. Prerequisite: MKT 430.

MKT 439.06: Product Development Management

This course investigates the development and management of products and services. Topics in new product development include idea generation and screening, design, planning, and prototyping, and new product roll-out, as well as the development of marketing strategies and implementation plans for new products and services. Management of existing products and services is also covered with an emphasis on integration of new products and services into the product line. Additional topics include, but are not limited to quality management, management of innovation, and new product design and development team management. Prerequisite: MKT 430 or consent of instructor.

Project Management

MQM 426.16: Project Management Fundamentals

MQM 426.17: Advanced Project Management

Additional Electives

INDEPENDENT STUDY ACC 400, FIL 400. MQM 400, MKT 400

All four departments in the College offer Independent Study, which can involve any topic. You must, however, have prior approval and a permit from the MBA Director to register for Independent Study credit. You and the professor with whom you are studying will be asked to demonstrate that your study program is worthy of graduate credit and is also of benefit to the Professor's research or pedagogical objectives. MBA students participating in the College of Business Study Abroad programs can earn 3 hours of elective credit by preparing a directed study proposal and registering as independent study.

PROFESSIONAL PRACTICE: INTERNSHIPS ACC 498, FIL 498, MQM 498, and MKT 498

Professional Practice--Internship Internship credit is offered in four departments (ACC, FIL, MQM, MKT). You must plan ahead if you wish to receive such credit. Internship credit is not given for a job in which you are already employed, except in some circumstances where you are assigned full-time to a different, special project for a period of at least 12 weeks. To request internship credit you should submit an application and a resume to the MBA Program Office early in the semester prior to that in which credit is requested. Opportunities will be available mostly during the summer, and there can be no guarantee of availability. A total of three (3) hours of Professional Practice credit from all departments may be used as elective credit for the MBA. To be eligible to apply for Professional Practice, a student must have completed 12 hours of core courses including the core course in the area of the internship and have a graduate cumulative GPA of at least 3.25.

Agribusiness

AGR 422: International Trade of Agricultural Products

Examination of the gains from trade and the impact of agricultural trade policies on the welfare of trading nations. Prerequisites: ECO 240 (Intermediate Microeconomic Theory) and 241(Intermediate Macroeconomic Theory) or consent of instructor.

AGR 424: Agribusiness Strategy and Analysis

Advanced application of quantitative and qualitative analysis in the development and implementation of Agribusiness firm strategy and policy. Prerequisite: Admission to Agribusiness graduate program or consent of instructor.

Information Technology

ITK 432: Systems Analysis and Design

Study of systems development life-cycle emphasizing current techniques for documenting users' requirements and producing maintainable, cost effective systems. Prerequisites: A two-semester sequence in a high-level programming language, and ACC 261 or ACS 261 (Systems). Not for credit if ACS 364 (Systems Development Tools and Issues) has already been taken.

ITK 440: Artificial Intelligence and Expert Systems

Study of artificial intelligence principles, software, and major areas of application. Emphasis on expert systems. Prerequisites: 2 semester sequence in a high-level programming language. ACS 467: Human Factors In Information Systems Human factors issues in developing information systems: design guidelines, psychological principles, incorporation into a systems development life cycle. Prerequisites: ACS 432 (Systems Analysis and Design) or ACS 460 (Software Development Practices).

ITK 475: Advanced Data Communications and Networks

Study of network design, standards, and protocols; hardware and software; layered network architecture; telecommunications access methods; terminals and data streams. Prerequisites: ACS 375 (Introduction to Data Communication) or ACS 376 (Introduction to Online Systems). ACS 478: Advanced Database Management Theory, design, and implementation of application systems using database technology. Data modeling, database administration, database implementation, performance issues, current trends. Prerequisite: ACS 378 (Database Processing).

Arts Management

THE 481: Introduction to Arts Administration

This seminar provides an overview of the world of arts management and leadership. It is intended to serve the needs of future executives and middle managers in not-for-profit arts organizations. The seminar is built around units including (a) the role of management and leadership, (b) an overview of the not-for-profit sector, (c) board roles and responsibilities, (d) marketing the arts, (e) labor unions in the arts, and (f) legal issues.

THE 482: Fundraising and Grantwriting for Non Profit Arts

This seminar provides an overview of fundraising and grant writing, supplemented by extensive "hands-on" activities. The seminar is built around units including (a) an overview of public and private funding structures for non-profit arts organizations, (b) the current and future state of American philanthropy, (c) writing a project-based grant proposal that will be reviewed and critiqued by field professionals, (d) organizing and conducting capital/comprehensive campaigns, including assessment of institutional readiness, and (e) integrating fundraising into mission and staffing. Further the seminar studies historic legislation (e.g., various tax reform acts) that has effected giving to the arts and other not-for-profits.

THE 483: Public Policy and the Arts

This seminar explores the relationship in America between arts and government-a "partnership" that has almost always been ambiguous, tense, and highly susceptible to politics at the national, state, and local levels. Government now has the power to encourage the arts through direct grants, supportive policies, and indirect subsidies. The relationship between government and culture is articulated through explicit or implicit "cultural policies" by which governments make decisions about whether the arts can be defined legitimately as a public good worthy of support. But if government provides support, what are the implications for artistic freedom? If governments support arts or artists, does it also have the "right" to control subsidized artistic expression? In times of scarce resources, can support of the arts and cultural organizations rationally be justified over increased expenditures for social or medical services? Seminar participants explore these issues and the controversies that have surrounded the arts and public funding.