Course Descriptions and prerequisites for School of Management courses can be found below and in the Boston University Undergraduate Bulletin. Click here to search course descriptions for all Boston University courses. Please see the University Class Schedule and the SMG Electives Chart to determine when courses are offered.
Table of ContentsAccounting (AC)Career Planning (SM108, SM411) Finance (FE) Foundational Management Courses (SM121-122, SM131, SM151, SM299) International Management (IM) | Management Information Systems (IS) Marketing (MK) Markets, Public Policy & Law (LA) Operations & Technology Management (OM) Organizational Behavior (OB) Quantitative Methods (QM, SM221, SM222) Strategy & Innovation (SI) |
Accounting
SMG AC221: Financial Accounting
Prereq: SM121/122 or SM299; Sophomore standing; CAS MA120, MA121 or MA123 previous or concurrent. Sophomore requirement. Basic concepts underlying financial statements and accounting procedures used in preparing statements of financial position, income statements, and statements of cash flow. Stresses the interpretation, analysis, and evaluation of published financial statements. 4 cr.
SMG AC222: Managerial Accounting
Prereq: SMG AC 221, SMG SM 221 (previous or concurrent) highly recommended, sophomore standing. Sophomore requirement. Introduces the basic principles, methods, and challenges of modern managerial accounting. Covers traditional topics such as job-order costing, cost-volume-profit analysis, budgeting and variance analysis, profitability analysis, relevant costs for decision making, and cost-plus pricing, as well as emerging topics such as Activity-Based Cost (ABC) accounting. The material is examined from the perspective of students preparing to use management accounting information as managers, to support decision making (such as pricing, product mix, sourcing, and technology decisions) and short- and long-term planning, and to measure, evaluate, and reward performance. Emphasizes the relationships between accounting techniques and other organizational activities (such as strategy and motivation). 4 cr.
SMG AC347: Intermediate Accounting I
Prereq: SMG AC 222. Required for Accounting concentrators. Provides foundation for solving financial reporting issues through the study of the conceptual framework of accounting, recognition and measurement of current and non-current assets, revenue recognition, and the development of the income statement and balance sheet. 4 cr.
SMG AC348: Intermediate Accounting II
Prereq: SMG AC 347. Required for Accounting concentrators. Continues with providing a foundation for solving financial reporting issues through the study of liabilities (including pensions, bonds, and leases), interperiod tax allocation, stockholder’s equity, and the statement of cash flows. 4 cr.
SMG AC414: Financial Statement Analysis
Prereq or coreq: SMG AC 348. Senior Standing. Analysis of corporate financial statements. Includes profitability analysis, liquidity and solvency analysis, the incentives of management in corporate reporting, and the use of accounting information in efficient capital markets. 4 cr.
SMG AC430: Accounting Research
Prereq or coreq: SMG AC 348. Senior Standing. Develops and practices research skills required of an accounting professional. Use accounting-related resources to research and understand accounting reporting issues and authoritative guidance for application of GAAP. 2 cr.
SMG AC445: Advanced Managerial Accounting
Prereq: SMG AC 347 and senior standing. Integrates knowledge from the fields of accounting, economics, and finance to investigate current issues related to management control, financial analysis and valuation, corporate governance, and strategic cost analysis. 4 cr.
SMG AC469: Principles of Income Taxation I
Prereq: SMG AC 347, taken previously or concurrently. Federal income tax law common to all taxpayers: individuals, partnerships, and corporations. Tax returns for individuals. Topics include tax accounting, income to be included and excluded in returns, tax deductions, ordinary and capital gains and losses, inventories, installment sales, depreciation, bad debts, and other losses. 4 cr.
SMG AC541: Advanced Accounting I
Prereq: SMG AC 348. Examines accounting issues relating to business combinations and foreign operations (accounting for mergers and acquisitions, constructing consolidated financial statements, recording foreign-currency transactions and hedging exchange risk, translating foreign subsidiaries’ local currency financial statements), business segments, reporting for local governments, and the impact of the SEC and international standards on financial reporting. 4 cr.
SMG AC544: International Accounting
Prereq: SMG AC 348. Current international accounting regulations and practices are discussed. Focuses on the impact of international accounting regulations and practices upon multinational corporations’ financial planning, their economic consequences, and international financial statement analysis. Additional discussions deal with joint ventures, foreign currency transactions and translation of foreign financial statements, international taxation, and international standards and organizations. 2 cr.
SMG AC555: Not for Profit Accounting
Prereq: SMG AC 348. Principles of accounting and reporting for nonprofit organizations and local government. 2 cr.
SMG AC565: Auditing
Prereq: SMG AC 348. Introduces the basic concepts underlying auditing and assurance services (including materiality, audit risk, and evidence) and demonstrates how to apply those concepts to audit and assurance services through financial statement audits. 4 cr.
SMG AC579: Principles of Income Taxation II
Prereq: SMG AC 469. Certain common and special Federal tax laws for individuals, partnerships, corporations, estates, trusts, and miscellaneous entities. Topics include income tax returns for partnerships, business corporations, special corporations, decedents, estates, and trusts. Survey coverage of corporate liquidations, pension and profit-sharing plans, IRS audits, and estate and gift taxes. 4 cr.
Career Planning
SMG SM108: Career Management Seminar I
SMG freshmen only. Required for all SMG freshmen. Provides an overview of individual career management. It is the first course in a School of Management yearly progression designed to equip students with the necessary knowledge, tools, and skills needed to build a foundation of career management capabilities.
This course will be offered beginning in Fall 2013
SMG SM411: Charting Your Career Path
SMG students only; must take concurrently with SMG OB 221. Equips students with tools to become self-aware and market-ready when joining the work force, with a focus on résumé and cover letter development, research techniques, networking tips, and interviewing skills. 0.5 cr.
Finance
SMG FE101: Introduction to Finance
Required of all SMG freshmen. Pre-req or co-req: SMG SM 131. This course offers a rigorous overview of principles of finance, such as time value of money, interest rates, basic valuation of cash flow streams, and basic stock and bond valuation. It uses a combination of teaching materials including online problem solving and case writing that will help the student through the intensive syllabus. FE 101 and the redesigned FE 323 offer a comprehensive overview of finance to SMG students. 2 cr.
SMG FE323: Financial Management
Prereq: SMG SM 121/122 or SMG SM 299, SMG AC 221, SMG AC 222, SMG OB 221, SMG SM 221, and SMG SM 222. Junior requirement; component of SMG SM 323, The Cross Functional Core. Introduces students to the themes of financial decision making: valuation and risk management. The focus is on the problems of forecasting, capital budgeting, working capital management, project risk management, and financing in a cross-functional context. A semester-long business-plan project explores the interaction between marketing, operations, management information systems, and finance decisions. The course compares the financial objectives of the manager and the investor. Introduction to the time value of money, securities valuation, portfolio diversification and the cost of capital. 4 cr.
SMG FE427: International Financial Management
Prereq: SMG FE 323. Required for International Management concentrators. Managing financial risk in the global environment. Introduction to foreign exchange markets, spot, forward, futures, options and swaps, and to the international bond and money markets. Discussion of market structure and participants, and main financial instruments. Analyzes and discusses tools of currency risk management. 4 cr.
SMG FE429: Futures, Options, and Financial Risk Management
Prereq: SMG FE 323. Covers the theory of futures pricing and option pricing, and applies the theory to develop a framework for analyzing hedging and investment decisions using futures and options. Attention is paid to practical considerations in the use of these instruments, especially in financial risk management. 4 cr.
SMG FE442: Money, Financial Markets, and Economic Activity
Prereq: SMG FE 323. Required for Finance concentrators. The financial system and its functions. The role of money and the importance of interest rates in determining economic activity; determinants of level of interest rates. Operation of central banks; the goals and instruments of monetary policy. The roles, activities, and risk management of financial institutions. Instruments traded in money and capital markets, and their valuation. Role of derivative securities; systemic risk and other contemporary issues in the financial system. 4 cr.
SMG FE445: Investment Analysis and Portfolio Management
Prereq: SMG FE 323. Required for Finance concentrators. Introduction to the investment management process. Defining investment objectives and constraints. Introduction to Modern Portfolio Theory, CAPM, APT, Efficient Markets, stock and bond valuation models. Immunizing interest-rate risk. Active vs. passive investment strategies, fundamental vs. technical analysis, trading practices, and performance evaluation. Introduction to the role of futures and options in hedging and speculation. Students are expected to become familiar with current events in the financial news. 4 cr.
SMG FE449: Corporate Financial Management
Prereq: SMG FE 323. Required for Finance concentrators. Covers the financial manager’s role in obtaining and allocating funds. Includes topics such as cash budgeting, working capital analysis, dividend policy, capital investment analysis and debt policy as well as their associated risks. Valuation of companies, mergers and acquisitions, and bankruptcy are covered. The course requires using financial models and spreadsheets. Applications are made to current events and everyday business finance problems. 4 cr.
SMG FE450: Private Equity: Leveraged Buyouts
Prereq: SMG FE 449; (meets with GSM FE 850). Exposes students to, and demystifies, the world of Private Equity (PE). The focus is centered on LBOs and their position in the “alternative asset” class. Students learn about the activities of a PE firm including formation, fund-raising, investing (including deal structure, terms, due diligence, and governance), and exiting. Also discussed are what other industry sectors serve or are affected by PE and who the players are. Case study and class participation will be the primary modes of learning. 4 cr.
SMG FE 454 Investment Banking
Prereq: SMG FE 449. Provides an overview of the economic functions provided by investment banks including a history of the industry, current events, public policy issues and the difference between large, full service investment banks and smaller, boutique firms. Topics include: What do investment bankers do? What are the different types of analyses performed by investment bankers? What are the various types of financial securities? What is the underwriting process and how are securities priced? Focuses on the issuing process and pricing for equity, fixed income, and equity-linked securities. Also focuses on the role of investment banks in mergers, acquisitions, divestitures, and other restructuring. Additional topics include equity research, capital markets, institutional sales, trading, asset management, securitization, industry regulations, as well as typical career paths and opportunities. 4 cr.
SMG FE 455 Financing New Ventures
Pilot course for Fall 2011
Prereq: SMG FE323. Students will be expected to have mastered key finance concepts including cash flow analysis, NPV, IRR and basic option pricing theory prior to entering the course. Introduction to raising Angel funding and Venture Capital financing for start-up firms. Focus on capital structure analysis, capitalization tables, payoff diagrams, term sheets, equity incentives and negotiating with investors. Students are expected to prepare case studies for class discussion and become familiar with current events in the financial news about start-up company financings. 4 cr.
SMG FE469: Real Estate Finance
Prereq: SMG FE 323. Provides an introduction to and an understanding of real estate finance. Draws together and considers major functional areas including: structuring, ownership, finance, taxation, property valuation and analysis. The course provides a framework for decision making in the real estate investment and finance fields. The course is specifically designed to offer students interested in real estate careers a foundation from which to build. 4 cr.
Foundational Management Courses:
SMG SM121: Management as a System
Required of all SMG freshmen. Introduces students to management through a cross-disciplinary curriculum, emphasizing the interdependencies within organizational systems. Includes weekly lectures that provide background information and theory and twice-weekly discussion sections that offer a close examination of assigned material in small classroom environments, inviting students to participate actively in the learning process. Required computer and professional skills laboratories provide students with essential computer, communication, and analytical skills. 6 cr.
This course will no longer be offered after Fall 2012
SMG SM122: Management as a System
Required of all SMG freshmen. Continuation of SMG SM121. Continues to introduce students to management through a cross-disciplinary curriculum, emphasizing the interdependencies within organizational systems. Includes weekly lectures that provide background information and theory and twice-weekly discussion sections that offer a close examination of assigned material in small classroom environments, inviting students to participate actively in the learning process. Required computer and professional skills laboratories provide students with essential computer, communication, and analytical skills. 6 cr.
This course will no longer be offered after Spring 2013
SMG SM131: Business, Society, and Ethics
Required of all SMG freshmen. Students will explore the ethical problems facing global management. Through identification and discussion of the substantive disciplines relevant to business, students will uncover a complicated analysis necessary to make appropriate decisions and will highlight their interdependencies. This course stresses written and oral communication skills and logical reasoning as an ingredient for sound analysis and rational business planning. The course stresses teamwork because at the heart of modern management is the need to collaborate with others and to organize, motivate, and monitor teams of diverse people to accomplish shared goals. 4 cr.
This course will be offered beginning in Fall 2013
SMG SM151: Creating Value in the Global Economy
Required of all SMG freshmen. Designed to provide deep immersion into the forces shaping the new global economy while providing students with a platform from which to practice the critical business skills of writing, oral presentation and persuasion. Using the World Economic Forum as a backdrop, student will engage in independent inquiry, writing and debate focused on the digital technology, social enterprise and sustainability and health and life sciences sectors of the new economy. Through in-class discussion, lecture and small group work students will become familiar with the concepts of value creation and stakeholder theory and develop integrative, critical thinking and persuasion skills. 2 cr.
This course will be offered beginning in Spring 2014
SMG SM299: Management as a System (Intensive)
Required of all students who did not enter as September freshmen and complete SMG SM 121/122. Prepares transfer students, from both inside and outside the Boston University community, for downstream coursework with the same level of skills and experience as those who matriculated at SMG from the beginning. Focuses on managerial functions and the relationships between those functions. The integration of perspectives is necessary to ensure that the individual student understands the complexity, challenge, and excitement of modern management in the global organization. Emphasis is placed on analytical skills, written analysis, oral presentation, and teamwork. 6 cr.
This course will no longer be offered after Summer 2013
International Management
SMG IM345: International Management Environment
Prereq: CAS EC 101, EC 102, junior standing. Required for International Management concentrators. Deals with international economic theories and explores the intersection between theory and practice. Determinants of international trade and payments: international trade theory and policy and balance-of-payments accounting. Explores the implications of trade-promoting and trade-inhibiting institutions and practices: WTO, NAFTA, European Union, etc. Introduces cultural, political, and demographic issues for international managers. 4 cr.
SMG IM445: International Management Policy
Prereq: CAS EC 101, EC 102, SMG FE 427 or CAS EC 392 or CAS IR 292 or equivalent for non-SMG students (may be taken concurrently), senior standing. Analysis of the strategic and operational issues that arise from the international nature of multinational corporations’ activities. Issues covered include alternative internationalization strategies, interaction between firms and governments, dealing with global competitors, and staffing and organizational implications of cross-border operations. 4 cr.
Management Information Systems
CAS CS108: Introduction to Applications Programming
As a society, we have become dependent on computer applications in our personal and professional lives –from email programs and database software to the programs that drive the websites where we shop online. But what is computer software, and how is it developed? CS108 is an introduction to object-oriented and procedural programming that covers the fundamental constructs and patterns present in all programming languages, with a focus on developing applications for users. While learning to program, students also develop problem-solving skills and ways of thinking that can be applied to a variety of disciplines. (Cannot be taken for credit in addition to CAS CS 111.) For more information, please refer to the CS 108 information page.
CAS CS111: Introduction to Computer Science I
This is the first course for computer science, mathematics, and physical science concentrators, and others wishing a more technical approach than CAS CS 101 through CAS CAS 108. Students develop basic skills in object-oriented computer programming using the Java programming language. For more information, please refer to the CS 111 information page.
SMG IS323: Introduction to Information Systems
Prereq: SMG SM 121/122 or SMG SM 299, SMG AC 221, SMG AC 222, SMG OB 221, SMG SM 221, and SMG SM 222. Junior requirement—component of SMG SM 323, The Cross Functional Core. An introduction to computer-based information systems. Surveys the hardware, software, and systems used to solve business-related problems. Overviews the role of information systems in new product development, innovation, and competitive performance in a global environment. Develops skills for managerial use of decision support systems and systems development. Team project. 4 cr.
SMG IS428: Managing Information Security
Prereq: Junior standing; IS323; CAS CS108 or CAS CS111. Combines technical and business approaches to the management of information. It will address technical issues such as cryptography, intrusion detection, and firewalls along with managerial ideas such as overall security policies, managing uncertainty and risk, and organization factors. We will examine different aspects of computer security such as password, virus protection, and managing computer security in dynamic environments. Topics will also include network security and how to secure wireless application and services. These technical details will be placed in a business context. The class will have a practical focus as we examine current “best practices” in area. There will be several guest speakers in the security area. This will be a project-oriented class and students will present their research projects during the last several classes. 4 cr.
SMG IS465: Managing Data Resources
Prereq: CAS CS 108 or CAS CS 111, SMG IS 323, and junior standing. Required for Management Information Systems concentrators. Provides a practical and theoretical introduction to data management focusing on the use of relational database technology and SQL to manage an organization’s data and information. Introduces recent topics such as data warehouses and Web databases. Includes a project to design and implement a relational database to manage an organization’s data. 4 cr.
SMG IS467: Networking and Data Communications
Prereq: CAS CS 108 or CAS CS 111, SMG IS 323, and senior standing. Required for Management Information Systems concentrators. Introduces technologies, policies, and management and organizational concepts critical to understanding the role of data communications in a rapidly changing business and social environment. The materials focus on: the data communications industry; core technologies including mobile technology and the wireless Internet; management and use of communications technologies; policies; and organizational issues. 4 cr.
SMG IS469: Designing Information Systems
Prereq: CAS CS 108 or CAS CS 111, SMG IS 323, and junior standing. Required for Management Information Systems concentrators. Studies the process of designing and implementing management information systems. Students will learn to analyze organizational information requirements, develop specifications for information systems, manage systems development projects, and understand implementation issues. Design support tools will be used to support the design process. Includes a project to design an information system. 4 cr.
SMG IS472: Electronic Commerce
Prereq: SMG IS 323 and senior standing. The Internet has brought about significant change in the way business is conducted. The rules and business models, however, for the new economy are still in their infancy. This course provides a grounding in the concepts of electronic commerce, and then moves to an examination of the emergent and emerging business models. The IT/IS infrastructure that supports these various business models is addressed, particularly architecting systems including privacy and security issues. 4 cr.
SMG IS479: Innovating with Information Technology
Prereq: SMG IS 323, junior standing. Surveys the organizational implementation, uses, and impacts of advanced information technology including decision support systems, management support systems, and expert systems. Includes a group project to design and develop a decision support system. 4 cr.
Marketing
SMG MK323: Marketing Management
Prereq: SMG SM 121/122 or SMG SM 299, SMG AC 221, SMG AC 222, SMG OB 221, SMG SM 221, and SMG SM 222. Junior requirement—component of SMG SM 323, The Cross Functional Core. Introduces students to the field of marketing management: analysis, planning and implementation of marketing strategies as the means for achieving an organization’s objectives. Students analyze cases and participate in workshops that focus on key marketing management tasks: marketing research, consumer behavior, segmentation and targeting, sales forecasting, product and brand management, distribution channels, pricing, and promotion and advertising strategies. A semester-long business plan project explores the interactions and the cross functional integrations between marketing, operations, information systems, and finance. 4 cr.
SMG MK445: Consumer Behavior
Prereq: SMG MK 323. Required for Marketing concentrators. Provides insight into the motivations, influences, and processes underlying consumption behavior. Considers relevant behavioral science theories/frameworks and their usefulness in formulating and evaluating marketing strategies (i.e., segmentation, positioning, product development, pricing, communications). 4 cr.
SMG MK447: Marketing Research
Prereq: SMG MK 323. Required for Marketing concentrators. Introduces tools and techniques of marketing research as an aid to marketing decision making. Definition of research problems, selection of research methodologies, design of research projects, interpretation of research results, and translation of research results into action. 4 cr.
SMG MK449: Business Marketing
Prereq: SMG MK 323. Explores in-depth the unique aspects of marketing to business and institutional customers in an increasingly complex, competitive and global marketplace. The course exposes students to a wide range of industrial products and services, and the technology, demand, competition, and requirements for success that characterize each of them. Topics include marketing strategy, organizational buyer behavior, business market segmentation, market development, product development, B -to-B e-commerce, pricing, marketing channels, and business marketing communications, in the context of the U.S. as well as global markets. The course is taught through lectures, case discussions, and presentations and is designed to develop the analytical, decision-making, and communication skills of the students. 4 cr.
SMG MK463: Services Marketing and Management
Prereq: SMG MK 323. Covers topics relating to managing services and focuses on the role of marketing in managing services. More than 75% of U.S. G.D.P. is service-related. Also covered are human resource, information management, operational, and financial overlaps with marketing throughout the course. Included is examination of how services support product marketing as well. Course includes an applied service marketing team project for a real company (for an organization which has requested a student team to address its service marketing issues). The final deliverable for this project is a team consulting report for the organization and presentations of the report’s recommendations to the class and to the organization. 4 cr.
SMG MK465: Retailing Management
Prereq: SMG MK 323. Provides insights into all phases of retail and the inter-dynamics of today’s retail organizations. It emphasizes the importance of retail strategy, careful planning, analysis and outstanding the execution in the retail environment. Focus will be on the tools that good managers use to insure success in the highly competitive retail marketplace. Students will increase their knowledge of how consumers make purchasing decisions and how retailers try to influence those decisions. 4 cr.
SMG MK467: International Marketing Management
Prereq: SMG MK 323 (also offered in London in the Spring semester). Develops a critical appreciation of both the opportunities and challenges associated with the increasing globalization of markets. Students will learn about the key environmental forces shaping the needs and preferences of the global consumer and the impact of foreign, political, and economic factors on the marketing mix. 4 cr.
SMG MK468: Advanced Marketing Strategy
Prereq: SMG MK 323. Provides the insight and skills necessary to formulate and implement sound marketing strategies. The process of strategy formulation is divided into three stages: strategic analysis, strategic decision making, and implementation of strategies. Specific topics include strategic planning, customer decision making, life cycle, segmentation, product positioning, market response, competitive behavior, new product development, product line management, and the marketing plan. Includes both lecture and case analysis. 4 cr.
SMG MK469: Advertising and Promotional Strategy
Prereq: SMG MK 323. Marketing communication strategy has moved beyond advertising to include interactive marketing, sales promotions, direct marketing, public relations, the more. This course focuses on developing marketing communication strategy that integrates these tools for more efficient and effective communication. Topics include the establishment of objectives based on a situation analysis, developing subsequent messages, creative and media strategies, effectiveness testing, and client/agency relationships. 4 cr.
SMG MK470: Pricing Strategy and Tactics
Prereq: SMG MK 323. Focuses on the practical needs of the marketing manager when making pricing decisions. Students learn the techniques of strategic analysis necessary to price more profitably by evaluating the price sensitivity of buyers, determining relevant costs, anticipating and influencing competitors’ pricing, and formulating an appropriate pricing strategy. 4 cr.
SMG MK486: Digital Marketing Strategy
Prereq: SMG MK 323. This course is a strategic look at internet marketing. Topics include an investigation of current e-business models, website analysis, customer acquisition and retention strategies, and consumer behavior on the Internet. Students explore internet marketing through lectures, class discussion, guest speakers, text readings, and cases. 4 cr.
SMG MK487: Branding
Prereq: SMG MK 323. This is a course about the art and science of branding, and the strategies through which companies can create, capture, and sustain shareholder value through brands. Through a mixture of theory and real-world cases, the course examines brands from the perspectives of the cultures and consumers who help create them, and the companies who manage them over time. Basic branding disciplines including positioning and repositioning, brand equity measurement, brand leverage, integrated brand communications, brand stewardship, and brand architecture are considered, as are more contemporary topics such as brand parodies, brand community, and branded entertainment. Particular attention is paid to branding challenges associated with today’s interconnected, consumer-empowered, and transparent web-enabled world. 4 cr.
Markets, Public Policy and Law
SMG LA245: Introduction to Law
Prereq: sophomore standing. Sophomore requirement. Provides a broad overview of the American judicial system and fundamental legal issues. Examines dispute resolution, torts, contracts, criminal law, business organizations, employment law, intellectual property, and international law. The goal is to understand not only the basic rules of law but also the underlying social policies and ethical dilemmas. 4 cr.
SMG LA346: Law and Ethics
Prereq: SMG LA 245 or consent of instructor and junior standing. Explores ideas of right and wrong, and how the law interacts with our morality. Examines contemporary social problems, such as whistle-blowing, business liability for crime, same-sex marriage, affirmative action, and capital punishment, from the perspective of the law. Also focuses on ethical issues facing businesses, such as leadership in a crisis, prosecution of corporations, and current events. Students read Supreme Court decisions, nonfiction accounts of litigation, and case studies, as well as watches films, in an effort to understand the law and analyze our ethical response to contemporary social issues. 4 cr.
SMG LA349: Intellectual Property, the Internet, and Public Policy
Prereq: SMG LA 245 and junior standing. Intellectual Property, the Internet, and Public Policy explores the complex relationship between law and the Internet. Course readings introduce students to modes of Internet regulation, the legal framework erected in the U.S. to shield websites from liability for third-party content and conduct, and issues arising from extraterritorial application of geographic-based law. The course then uses legal disputes over intellectual property—primarily copyright, but also trademarks and patents—to illustrate how various stakeholders use lawsuits, legislation, and other modes of regulation to shape public policy and govern human behavior. Through research of specific online companies student teams will study how law affects business decisions, how public policy influences legal doctrines, and how changes in public policy might alter their target business’s prospects. The course culminates in team papers and presentations that tie each team’s analysis of their target company to the course’s major themes. 4 cr.
SMG LA355: Employment Law and Public Policy
Prereq: SMG LA 245. An in-depth look at the legal issues involved in the employer/employee relationship. Such topics include: discrimination, affirmative action, harassment, the hiring process, employee testing, and terminating employees (for cause, layoffs). Discussions will focus on the duties and rights of both parties through the stages of employment, from hiring and managing your workforce, to benefits, conditions of employment, and downsizing. 4 cr.
SMG LA360: Real Estate Law
Prereq: SMG LA 245. The recent recession underscored real estate’s importance to the American economy. Real estate can generate spectacular wealth and contribute to unprecedented financial losses. Real estate is an essential component of every business that requires a physical location to operate. Real estate is where we sleep, where we attend school, where we work, where we play, where we go when we are sick—it quite literally is beneath everything we do. Every real estate transaction begins and ends with legal principles. Mastering the basics of property law puts one in a superior position. Knowledge of real estate law is imperative for those who plan to invest in or manage property on a larger scale. This course provides an overview of real estate law for tenants, present and future property owners, developers, investors, and public policy advocates. We examine the nature of real property and property ownership, residential and commercial real estate transactions, and selected issues of real estate development. 4 cr.
SMG LA430: Entertainment Law
Offered in Los Angeles
(Prerequisite for BU Students: SMG LA 245.)
(Prerequisite for Non-Boston University Students: Introduction to Business Law.)
Covers the basics of entertainment law, including constitutional, contracts, labor, and employment law and intellectual property rights. Students develop a clear understanding of the applicable laws and how these laws have been applied in the past, how they are applied today, and how they might be amended and applied in the future. Students learn applicable legal concepts, practical insights, and an appreciation of how to deal with lawyers and the law in their entertainment business futures. It is intended to provide a good conceptual understanding of the law and demonstrate its relevance through case study, reading, guest speakers, field trips, and intense discussion. The application of the law to the digital now, the digital future and the Internet now crucial, indeed central, to any discussion of entertainment will be included throughout and be the subject of an entire class toward the end of the course. The law to be explored will be constitutional, copyright, trademark, contracts, labor, employment, and remedies and their application to and use within the entertainment business. 4 cr.
SMG LA450: Advanced Business Law
Prereq: SMG LA 245. Takes a closer look at the legal issues surrounding businesses, from purchasing contracts, rights and responsibilities for breaches of those contracts, commercial financing, the Uniform Commercial Code, bankruptcy, products liability, real estate and more. The emphasis is on understanding legal issues as a component of good business planning. Group work to draft contracts and leases and negotiate terms. 4 cr.
SMG PL420: Mistakes We Make: Applications to Financial Decision Making
Pilot course: Fall 2012. Prereq: FE323, IS323, MK323 and OM323. Provides an introduction to how individuals make decisions. Students will learn to identify predictable and systematic mistakes and errors of judgment that people make, including procrastination, status quo bias, and misperception. The course will focus on understanding how these biases affect decisions of individuals and firms, such as financial /investment decisions and project management. Students will learn to improve their own decision-making, identify business opportunities, and understand how law and regulation responds to limited decision-making ability. The course will consist of case discussions and lectures, and includes a project applying insights from the course to students’ topics of choice. 4 cr.
SMG PL430: U.S. Health Reform in the 21st Century
Prereq: SMG SM 299 or SMG SM131 and FE101, SMG LA 245 and junior standing. Open to non-SMG students with junior standing and a minor in business with consent of the instructor. The U.S. healthcare system is undergoing sweeping change as a result of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010. Knowledge of how the reform law is affecting healthcare organizations, health professionals, consumers, and American businesses is essential for everyone, especially those planning careers in management or business. This rigorous Law and Public Policy seminar provides an in-depth look at the economic, political and organizational challenges facing the nation as major reforms are implemented, including the creation of state health insurance marketplaces, the formation of accountable care organizations, and new methods of paying hospitals and physicians. Students read and analyze articles, business cases, issue briefs, and legal opinions from diverse perspectives to learn how the U.S. healthcare system came to be and how it will change in the future. 4 cr.
Operations and Technology Management
SMG OM323: Operations and Technology Management
Prereq: SMG SM 121/122 or SMG SM 299, SMG AC 221, SMG AC 222, SMG OB 221, SMG SM 221, and SMG SM 222. Junior requirement component of SMG SM 323, The Cross Functional Core. Focuses on the elements of operations management that are of particular importance in the context of new product development. These include: product and process design, process analysis, supply chain configuration, inventory management, and capacity and production planning. A semester-long business plan explores the interaction between operations management and marketing, information systems, and finance decisions. 4 cr.
SMG OM440: Operations Strategy
Prereq: SMG OM 323. Explores the ability of an organization’s operations to satisfy its strategic requirements by investigating the influence of decisions made about the structure capacities, facilities, technology, and vertical integration and infrastructure workforces, quality, production planning and control, and organization of an organization’s operations and its capabilities. These decisions are considered in the context of different types of performance improvement plans organizations use: quality management, lean, reengineering, supply chain management, strategic alliances, and performance management. 4 cr.
SMG OM441: Operations Analysis
Prereq: SMG OM 323. Presents tools and modeling frameworks that are relevant to solving today’s supply chain problems. The class is a mixture of case discussions, lectures, games, and outside speakers. Case discussions cover subjects including designing new-product supply chains, optimizing inventory levels, quick response, and capacity management. Lectures provide the theoretical foundation for the course; the major subjects are inventory theory and forecasting. Although the course is not overly focused on mathematics, enough detail will be provided so that students can apply the material in practice. Games including the distribution game, the OPT game, and the Beer Game reinforce the concepts in a constructive way. Finally, outside speakers present real-world examples of how supply chain models are being developed in practice. This course is designed for students that will be working in consulting or supply chain management after graduation. For students majoring in areas like Finance or Marketing, it is a solid exposure to an area that is integral to any product-focused company. 4 cr.
SMG OM443: Supply Chain Modeling Practicum
Prereq: SMG OM 441 or OM 465; and instructor’s consent.
Provides hands-on exposure to modeling a real-world multi-echelon supply chain problem. Students work in teams and are assigned to solve a supply chain problem presented by a local company. The projects focus on determining the optimal solution as well as near-optimal solutions that can be more easily implemented in practice. 4 cr.
SMG OM447: Operations Management in Service Sector
Prereq: SMG OM 323. Introduces students to the special challenges of managing service organizations. Structured around the service quality gap model, the course demonstrates that a service manager must combine operations, marketing, and human resource skills into an integrated “service system general manager” approach. The course incorporates the following topics: service strategy, service system design, service quality, multisite services and technology in service. 4 cr.
SMG OM453: Project Management
Prereq: SMG OM323. Focuses on project management from two perspectives. First, the course explores management of projects on a day-to-day basis at the functional, operational level, dealing with the management of tasks, resources, risks and timelines within an individual project. The course also covers project management on a more strategic level, program management, which identifies linkages between and among a portfolio of projects at the business unit or firm level. The course covers the tools, techniques, roles, and responsibilities that are critical in managing programs effectively and managing projects to completion. 4 cr.
SMG OM465: Improving Quality: Six Sigma Certification
Prereq: SMG OM 323. Six Sigma quality programs help companies deliver near-perfect products and services. People trained as Six Sigma experts are highly sought after on the job market. This course makes students proficient in Six Sigma including its underlying philosophies, tools (for example, statistical process control), and implementation. This course certifies students as Six Sigma Green Belts and is also designed to prepare students so that when they complete one or more quality improvement projects in a post-BU career, they will be ready to test for a “Black Belt.” 4 cr.
SMG OM467: Global Supply Management
Prereq: SMG OM 323. Develops an understanding of the nature of international problems associated with the supply, distribution, and sourcing of products. Issues such as the operational support of market development in foreign countries, international sourcing, country analysis, and the management of supply and distribution activities are covered. A team project is required. 4 cr.
Organizational Behavior
SMG OB221: Dynamics of Leading Organizations
Prereq: SMG SM 121/122 or SMG SM 299, sophomore standing. Sophomore requirement. This is an experiential learning-based course that studies what people think, feel and do in organizational settings, focusing on individual, interpersonal, group and organizational processes. The primary objective is to help students understand and manage organizational dynamics as effectively as possible. This is done through: analysis of readings; reflecting on hands-on, real-time experiences in organizations and in teamwork here; practice opportunities in class sessions, creative applications and team exercises; and papers written by students and teams. The readings, discussions and lectures provide students with abstract knowledge about organizational behavior processes and structures; the semester-long “OB Team” experiences, working together as an intact team to address real-world problems, will provide skill-building opportunities to help manage one’s own and others’ behavior in teams and organizations in the future. Major topics include personality, motivation, team dynamics, leadership and organizational change. SMG students must take concurrently with SM411. 4 cr.
SMG OB441: Human Resource Management
Prereq: SMG OB 221. Required for Organizational Behavior concentrators. Introduces students to the field of human resource management (HRM). Emphasizes the strategic importance of effective human resource management to the success of any organization. Specific topics covered include: job design and workforce planning, recruiting and selection, training and development, performance management and rewards, employee and labor relations, and retention. Particular attention is paid to the ways in which organizations’ strategies and practices around these issues contribute to the strategic objectives of the organization. Individual and group projects enable students to develop skills in making decisions from both the human resource manager’s and the general manager’s perspectives. 4 cr.
SMG OB442: Leading High Performance Teams and Project Groups
Prereq: SMG OB 221, junior or senior standing. Provides an opportunity for students to develop an in-depth understanding of creating, leading and maintaining high performance teams—and in particular, project groups that have clearly defined goals and deliverables. Students will learn to structure and organize high performance teams, develop and practice team interventions, and use teams effectively in organizational contexts. 4 cr.
SMG OB444: International Management
Prereq: SMG OB 221. Examines the many dimensions of managing people in the global organization. Topics include understanding and valuing cultural differences, cross-cultural communication, managing cross-cultural teams, and career management in global organizations. 4 cr.
SMG OB448: Negotiations
Prereq: SMG OB 221. Focuses on the problems and possibilities of effective negotiations, conflict management, and power and influence at work and in other settings. Emphasizes developing both intellectual knowledge of approaches to negotiation, conflict and organizational influences and practical skills in applying that knowledge to various situations. 4 cr.
SMG OB456: Leadership and Management of Nonprofit Organizations
Prereqs: SMG AC 222 and SMG OB 221. A well-managed social enterprise can translate idealism into action. It can help create a world that is more sustainable, more compassionate, and more just. This course will explore the distinctive aspects of launching, leading, and growing an enterprise — nonprofit or for-profit — whose primary goal is social impact. We will study mission, strategy, cause marketing, social entrepreneurship, and scaling. We will learn that success for social enterprise is driven less by a compelling story or a charismatic advocate than by diligent management and insightful leadership. The course will use a variety of lively in-class learning activities and assignments, including debates, role plays, case studies, site visits, and guest experts. All students will conduct a research project on a social enterprise of their choice, culminating in a paper and presentation. 4 cr.
SMG OB460: The Leadership Challenge
Prereq: SMG OB 221. Required for Organizational Behavior concentrators. Explores the nature of leadership in theory and practice. Emphasizes the perspective that leaders are needed at all levels in organizations. In addition to studying leaders, this course uses self-assessment as an initial step in creating a plan for personal leadership development. Students practice leadership by designing and executing a team community service project. 4 cr.
Quantitative Methods
SMG QM450: Business Analytics
Prereq: SMG FE 323, SMG IS 323, SMG MK 323 and SMG OM 323. Improves students’ ability to think logically about and to structure complex managerial problems; and to develop Excel-based spreadsheet models that can be used to significantly improve managerial decision-making. The course is taught almost entirely by example, using problems from the main functional areas of business: Finance, Operations, and Marketing. Students learn about the two main types of modeling approaches: optimization models which can help find the “best” solution, and simulation models which allow explicit consideration of risk trade-offs associated with alternatives. 4 cr.
SMG SM221: Probabilistic and Statistical Decision-Making for Management
Prereq: CAS MA121 or MA123 previous or concurrent; SMG SM 121/122 or SMG SM 299, and sophomore standing. Sophomore requirement. Exposes students to the fundamentals of probability, decision analysis, and statistics, and their application to business. Topics include probability, decision analysis, distributions, sampling, estimation, hypothesis testing, and chi-square. Emphasis is placed on using Excel throughout the course. Please note: Students may not receive credit for both SMG SM 221 and CAS EC 305. 6 cr.
SMG SM222: Modeling Business Decisions and Market Outcomes
Prereq: CAS EC 101, SMG SM 221, and sophomore standing. Sophomore requirement. Examines the use of economic and statistical tools for making business decisions. Topics include optimization (including linear programming), multiple regression, demand modeling, cost modeling, industry analysis (including models of perfect competition, monopoly, and oligopoly), and game theory. The course emphasizes modeling with spreadsheets. (There is also an Honors Program section for this course offered each Spring, numbered SMG SM 224). 6 cr.
Strategy & Innovation
SMG SI286: Field Project in Urban Business Consulting
Pilot course for Summer 2013
Pre-req: SMG SM122, SMG SM299 or equivalent introductory management course. Designed for undergraduate students to allow them to apply the principles and techniques taught in the business school curriculum to real business problems faced by participating urban companies and/or organizations. To accomplish this objective, teams of 3 – 4 students will spend the semester working on a business challenge and/or opportunity presented by one of the client organizations. Students will interact with their client company as if they were part of a professional management consulting team. This process will allow each team to apply specific technical and/or functional expertise in a real business situation while concurrently developing competence in critical consultative skills including interpersonal communications, team dynamics, problem solving and giving & receiving advice. It is expected that the field work (outside classroom effort) for each member of the student consulting team will total approximately 140 – 180 hours. 6 cr.
SMG SI422: Strategy and Policy
Prereq: SMG FE 323, SMG IS 323, SMG MK 323, SMG OM 323, senior standing. Provides students with a powerful set of tools which will prepare them to analyze, formulate, and implement business firm strategy with the aim of attaining sustainable competitive advantage. Adopts the perspective of the general manager, challenging student knowledge in each functional area in the effort to create integrative strategies that serve the needs of shareholders, as well as other stakeholders inside and outside the company. The course includes conceptual readings, which elucidate the fundamental concepts and frameworks of strategic management, as well as case analyses, which enable students to apply their knowledge to real-world situations and managerial decisions. The course culminates with a final project, which requires student teams to perform a complete strategic analysis on a public company, considering its industry environment and dynamics, its strategic positioning and internal resources, and proposing a course of action for the firm to respond to its strategic challenges. 4 cr.
SMG SI435: Entertainment Management
Offered in Los Angeles
(Prerequisite for BU Students: SMG FE 323, SMG MK 323, SMG IS 323 and SMG OM 323.)
(Prerequisite for Non-Boston University Students: Introduction to Finance, Introduction to Marketing, Introduction to Information Systems or Introduction to Operations Technology Management.)
(Offered in Los Angeles) Surveys the application of management concepts and principles to the film, television, video, new media and music industry. This course examines administration and finance, development, production, and distribution, and introduces students to the organizations and people (such as studios, independent production companies, talent managers, and agents) who manage, invest, and eventually profit in this creative industry. Much of the class time is spent in discussion of current entertainment industry trends. Students gain the skills to achieve their own entertainment goals. 4 cr.
SMG SI438: Talent Representation and Management
(Offered in Los Angeles) Using case studies and business models, students examine the manner in which critical players interact and attempt to work together in behalf of clients in an effort to make their “professional dreams” come to fruition. Participants will gain an understanding of the different areas of talent representation, how each one functions in the scope of a talent’s career and what the responsibilities are for each position in each area of representation. Participants will also gain a clear view of what the business of Entertainment Representation has to offer as a chosen career. 4 cr.
SMG SI443: The Art of the Start
Prereq: SMG FE 323, SMG IS 323, SMG MK 323, SMG OM 323. Focuses on sales strategy and execution, critical factors in building a successful business. The entrepreneur, having successfully created a novel offering, must create and keep a customer. This course provides students with effective sales skills to create traction with customers and maximize revenue growth. In addition, students learn new frameworks to evaluate the various market channels, trade-offs in strategic partnerships, and approaches to managing a field sales force. The course also addresses identifying early adopters, pricing strategies, and the selling process. Students engage in a field project assisting an entrepreneur with the go-to-market strategy. 4 cr.
SMG SI444: Entrepreneurship
Prereq: SMG FE 323, SMG IS 323, SMG MK 323, SMG OM 323. Addresses the specifics of planning a business startup or expanding and altering an existing small business, including the feasibility of ideas, market definition, management, and operations and financing requirements. This is a hands-on, experiential learning course requiring integration of previous coursework into a coherent, realistic business plan. Helps students assess and develop their own particular idea and to consider the appropriateness for them of entrepreneurship as a career choice. 4 cr.
SMG SI445: Small Business Management
Prereq: SMG FE 323, SMG IS 323, SMG MK 323, SMG OM 323. Designed to help students understand the intricacies of running a small company. The course addresses the major problem areas in smaller companies, including valuation, negotiation, deal structure, personnel and compensation, and marketing and financing. Exposes students to a wide range of business activities, emphasizing significant differences between large and small enterprises. The course uses a competitive computer simulation to provide students with the opportunity to “run” their own business. 4 cr.
SMG SI451: Organizing for Design and Innovation
Prereq: SMG FE323, SMG IS323, SMG MK323, and SMG OM323; or SMG SI480. This course examines how managers and leaders can create the conditions for innovation at the individual, team and organizational levels – and how those conditions differ for startup and mature organizations. Managing innovation includes the generation of ideas; the integration of those ideas into new product concepts; and the commercialization of those ideas. While core strategy courses address the questions of what innovations to pursue and whether and when those innovations will bring value, this course addresses the question of how managers can create organizations to deliver sustainable innovations of value. 4 cr.
SMG SI453: Strategies for Environmental Sustainability
Prerequisites: SMG SI 422 previous or concurrent. This course focuses on understanding the impact of regulations, customer preferences, and changing industry dynamics that increase the pressure for environmental sustainability in order to evaluate and craft recommendations for firm strategy. This course also helps prepare managers to better understand how to engage these issues with stakeholders, including investors, regulators, and nongovernmental organizations, as well as customers and suppliers. 4 cr.
SMG SI468: Strategy in High-Technology Environments
Prereq: SMG FE 323, SMG IS 323, SMG MK 323, SMG OM 323. This class builds upon the core course in strategic management by considering the special strategic implications of competing in high-technology environments. The course examines winner-take-all industries in which firms compete fiercely to have their product chosen as the dominant standard, and industries where success is determined not only by a product’s features and price, but also by the availability of complementary products and well-chosen alliances. 4 cr.
SMG SI469: Real Estate Development
Prereqs: SMG FE 323, SMG IS 323, SMG MK 323, SMG OM 323. Real estate development is a process rather than a product. Too often, assumptions about occupancy, market absorption, rental income growth, valuation and competition are based on guesswork and interest in specific product types. The course reviews the underlying demographic market data that drives demand; utilizing data such as population and job growth, market and marketability analysis. The focus then shifts to site selection and feasibility analysis, the available methods of gaining site control and the process of assembling the professional team. Later, the course reviews the regulatory control process, along with budgeting and contract award and review of the construction control processes. The course is introductory in nature and assumes students have little or no knowledge about the development process. 4 cr.
SMG SI471: International Entrepreneurship
Prereq: SMG FE 323, SMG IS 323, SMG MK 323, SMG OM 323. Designed for students who may at some point be interested in pursuing managerial careers in the international entrepreneurial sector, and covers the development of skills to identify, evaluate, start, and manage ventures that are international in scope. Over the course of the semester, the class “travels” to more than fifteen countries on five continents, and analyze operations at each stage of the entrepreneurial process. The course covers market entry, forming alliances, negotiations, managing growth, and cross-border financing. Support from local governments, and the cultural, ethical, legal, and human resource issues facing the entrepreneur is also covered. 4 cr.
SMG SI480 The Business of Technology Innovation
Prereq: Junior standing. Open only to seniors and juniors in the College of Engineering. SMG students cannot take this course for degree credit. Provides an introduction to entrepreneurship and business for the engineer. Topics include finding business ideas; recognizing good from bad; understanding the importance of business model; turning technology into a business, including what to sell and how to sell it; the role of engineering within a business; business financial statements; and startups and venture capital, including starting a company or joining a startup. 4 cr.
