Individual and independent reading, research, and writing under the guidance of a School of Business faculty member. Refer to the academic policy section for independent study policy. A written learning contract must be on file in the Office of the Registrar by the end of the first week of classes in the semester in which the course is taken. The contract must provide details of the topic, learning objectives, methods to be used, works to be completed, completion dates, grading criteria, and a prospective bibliography.

Enterprises of all sizes, as well as business units within enterprises, need to continually improve to be sustainable. This often entails leading and managing strategic projects within the organization. Incorporating process improvement techniques such as Lean and Six Sigma into the project management approach can assist in making projects less costly, timelier, and evidence-based. In this course, students will be introduced to strategic project management and process improvement by developing a Lean project and completing the White Belt Certification in Lean Six Sigma.

This course will introduce learners to the marketing concept, the marketing mix, consumer behavior, and market segmentation. An ethical approach to marketing principles will be embedded.

In this application-based course, students investigate the role of research in the marketing decision making process. Topics include designing, conducting, and evaluating primary and secondary research using quantitative and qualitative methodologies. Prerequisite: 351.

In a project-based environment, students will learn how to leverage social media platforms to connect with target audiences to build brand awareness, create and distribute valuable, relevant, and consistent content to attract and retain a clearly defined audience - and ultimately to drive profitable customer action. Prerequisite: 351.

This course introduces the principles of professional selling and the roles and responsibilities of the professional salesperson. Using a skills-based approach to selling and relationship building, the course emphasizes effective interpersonal communication skills, including written proposals and oral presentations, throughout the sales process. The skills developed in this course are keys to success for students pursuing any major or career.

This course analyzes operating decisions commonly encountered in the production process. This course is a study of quantitative scientific management techniques, including decision tree analysis and linear programming, with a strong orientation towards application. Topics include forecasting, inventory planning, aggregate planning and scheduling, plant layout, quality improvement, waste reduction, methods analysis, and work measurement. Case studies and projects are employed to provide practical applications of the topics discussed. Prerequisite: MATH 270.

An integrative course stressing the holistic view of organization leadership and management. A study and application of the techniques used to complete strategic audits of industries and companies to assess complex business problems and opportunities and to develop, implement, and control strategies to achieve organizational objectives. Prerequisite: FINA 331 or HMGT 340 or SPML 330. Restricted to students with senior standing.

Courses on topics of interest to business students offered on the basis of need, interest, or timeliness. Prerequisites as determined by instructor. Restricted to students with junior standing or higher. May be repeated for credit. For specific section description, click on the Section Details in VitNet.

Experiential Learning: Internship (12 Credits) Non-classroom experiences in the field of business. Placements are generally off-campus, and may be full-or part-time, and with or without pay. Credit for experiences must be sought prior to occurrence, and learning contracts must be submitted before the end of the first week of the semester. A maximum of 15 credits of 287/487 can be used to meet graduation requirements. See the experiential learning: internship section of this catalog for details. Restricted to students with junior standing or higher. May be repeated for credit. Graded CR/NC.