Flexible Option Programs

Microeconomic Market Analysis I
Prereq: None. Freq: Yearly. 
Analyzes both consumption and production sides of markets; identifies factors involved in changes in the equilibrium prices and production levels.

Course Competencies:

• Apply economic terms and concepts in business contexts.
• Apply microeconomic models of supply and demand to analyze the impact of economic factors on product markets.

Microeconomic Market Analysis II
Prereq: BAEF 100X. Freq: Yearly. 
Introduces the process of creating a market analysis.  Includes instruction related to writing a proposal, research paper, and creating a video presentation of research results.

Course Competencies:

• Analyze how demand and supply function in resource markets.
• Analyze the impact of government regulations on business and consumers.
• Analyze the consumer behavior and how it determines demand.
• Analyze the producer behavior and how it determines supply.
• Analyze the effect of competition on market price, output, and consumer welfare.

Government Budget Process
Prereq: None. Freq: Yearly. 
Exposes students to the dynamic process of balancing government budgets.  Covers topics such as the national debt, budget deficits, spending cuts, and the difficulties of balancing budgets.

Course Competencies:

• Analyze the effectiveness of monetary and fiscal policies on the economy.
• Apply economic models of gross domestic product, business cycles, unemployment and consumer price index at the Macro level.

Business Cycle Analysis
Prereq: BAEF 110X. Freq: Yearly.
Explores the topic of economic recessions within a capitalist framework.  Invites a deep understanding of fiscal and monetary policies that could be used to remedy the problem.

Course Competencies:

• Explain how changes in aggregate supply and aggregate demand affect business cycles.
• Illustrate the significant relationships between employment, unemployment, inflation, and output in the short and long terms.
• Analyze global trade policies and the impact of currency markets on exports and imports.

Financial Accounting: The Language of Business
Prereq: None. Freq: Yearly.
Introduces basic accounting concepts including debts, credits, accounts, as well as the principles and constraints of accounting.

Course Competencies:

• Analyze transactions to record and summarize financial information based on accepted accounting theory.
• Analyze the strengths and limitations of accounting information in applied scenarios.
• Prepare, analyze, interpret and communicate financial statement information.
• Analyze and interpret financial information using calculated ratios in applied scenarios.

Financial Accounting: Ethics and Internal Controls
Prereq: BAEF 200X. Freq: Yearly. 
Examines an organization’s system of internal controls focusing on ethics and improvements geared to enhance efficient operations and accurate accounting information.

Course Competencies:

• Evaluate ethical considerations in an organization’s financial reporting environment.
• Apply internal control activities to reduce opportunities for fraud in the accounting process and ensure compliance with stated operational procedures.

Cost Accounting Fundamentals and Applications
Prereq: BAEF 201X. Freq: Yearly.
Focuses on methods of cost accounting fundamentals including cost classification, overhead rate development and application, and various costing methods.  Includes direct/indirect costs, product/period costs, direct materials/labor costs, and manufacturing overhead.

Course Competencies:

• Classify cost components into appropriate categories to aid in making decisions.
• Apply appropriate overhead rates and determine the resulting impact on income.
• Evaluate the effect product costing methods have on inventory valuation, product pricing, and profit measurement.

Master Budget and Variance Analysis
Prereq: BAEF 210X. Freq: Yearly.
Highlights the process of preparing a master budget and completing an overall performance evaluation through a variance analysis.  Includes a variety of budgets and topics such as sales, schedule of cash collections, production, direct materials, schedule of case disbursements, direct labor, manufacturing overhead, finished goods inventory, and selling and administrative expenses. 

Course Competencies:

• Generate a master budget, including management of cash flow, to effectively plan for an accounting cycle.
• Calculate and compare variances to determine appropriate recommendations to improve quality, efficiency, and/or costs.
• Make informed and ethical business recommendations based on relevant operating, investing, and financing information.

Using Managerial Accounting Information for Decision Making
Prereq: BAEF 210X. Freq: Yearly.
Correlates accounting information with business decision-making by exploring the relationships between cost, volume, and profit as well as complete calculations related to contribution margin, target profit, break-even analysis, margin of safety, and operating levels.

Course Competencies:

• Recommend strategic decisions utilizing appropriate managerial accounting information.
• Communicate how changes in activity affect cost, sales, and profitability.

Capital Budgeting Techniques
Prereq: BAEF 201X, BAMA 102X. Freq: Yearly.
Provides an opportunity to create a business report which includes various mathematical computations to determine a project’s after-tax cash flow, net present value, internal rate of return, profitability index, and the minimum required rate of return.

Course Competencies:

• Differentiate between different capital budgeting techniques and decision criteria based on them.
• Evaluate potential sources of capital using cost of capital concepts.

Stock Market Performance
Prereq: BAEF 101X, 111X. Freq: Yearly.
Offers the experience of preparing a stock market performance report, which includes analysis of the Dow Jones Industrial Average, S&P 500, and the NASDAQ composite indexes.

Course Competencies:

• Distinguish between different types of financial markets and financial institutions.
• Articulate the concept of diversification, different risk measures, and the relationship between risk and return.

Business Financial Ratio Analysis
Prereq: BAEF 300X, 301X. Freq: Yearly.
Provides an opportunity to create an executive report, which will determine the valuation of a selected firm.  Focuses on detailed analysis by use of four different financial calculators.

Course Competencies:

• Apply financial ratio analysis as a tool for business decision making.
• Use financial calculators to analyze financial scenarios.
• Describe methods for determining the valuation of a firm.

Analysis of a Selected Organization’s Navigation of Law and Ethics
Prereq: None. Freq: Yearly.
Examines negotiation, conciliation court rules and complaints, as well as the paperwork to form a limited liability company. Culminates in an interview with a business owner covering how the business owner plans for potential disputes, uses contracts, has selected a legal entity for the business, deals with government regulations, and the role ethics plays in the business operation.

Course Competencies:

• Analyze dispute resolution processes.
• Analyze contracts in transaction of business.
• Distinguish between legal forms of organizations.
• Analyze government regulation of business.
• Analyze business ethics.
• Analyze a specific organization’s application of legal and ethical principles.

Introduction to the HRM Function
Prereq: None. Freq: Yearly.
Explores the function of human resource management (HRM) within organizations, including how it contributes to organizational strategy, the difference between strategic and transactional HRM, and how HRM supports other business areas. Covers basic skills in the areas of job analysis, recruitment, selection, training, development, compensation, employee relations, employment/labor law, ethics, and performance management.

Course Competencies:

• Describe the role of human resource management within organizations.
• Evaluate practices and procedures in HR functional areas to meet organizational goals.
• Apply different types of performance management techniques based on situational context.
• Analyze and interpret human resource metrics across HR functional areas.
• Describe the implications of employment and labor law.
• Apply ethical practices related to human resource management.

Introduction to the HRM Function
Prereq: ENGL 101. Freq: Yearly.
Explores effective behavior in organizations covering the individual in the workplace, teams and team dynamics, and applying the knowledge in an organizational setting. Includes evaluating, assessing, and recommending appropriate communication styles and strategies related to specific business scenarios.

Course Competencies:

• Evaluate the individual in interpersonal and team settings based on behavioral theories.
• Apply the theories of team dynamics to improve organizational performance.
• Assess the organizational culture and structure.
• Recommend the best leadership style for a variety of organizational settings.
• Create a strategic plan for organizational change.
• Evaluate and assess communication situations.

Project Planning, Requirements, and Stakeholder Management
Prereq: BAMA 102X, BAOS 300X. Freq: Yearly. 
Provides an opportunity for the creation of a comprehensive project plan.  Requires completion of a project charter, project scope statement, cost benefit analysis, work breakdown structure, and other components using Microsoft Project.

Course Competencies:

• Create a comprehensive project plan.
• Apply techniques and tools designed to manage team members and interact with stakeholders.

Project Budget, Schedule, Quality and Risk Management
Prereq: BALM 320X. Freq: Yearly.
Applies critical path analysis, earned value analysis, risk analysis, probability impact matrix, project quality management tools, and project management process groups and knowledge areas to a given project scenario. Explains how the five process groups and ten knowledge areas interact with each other.

Course Competencies:

• Explain the interrelationship among project management processes, process groups, and knowledge areas.
• Plan and monitor project budget and schedule.
• Evaluate project quality and risk using the basic tools of project risk and quality management.

Strategic Management
Prereq: BAEF 302X; BAOS 300X, 321X; BAMS 301X; BALM 310X. Freq: Yearly.
Introduces strategic management, the different levels of planning in an organization, and the organizational structure as it pertains to planning. Includes the process of conducting a SWOT analysis of a local organization and its setting, seek out opportunities and risks, and provide a set of recommendations that will lead to a competitive advantage.

Course Competencies:

• Recognize the hierarchy of planning within an organization.
• Apply strategic management tools and principles to measure and achieve organizational objectives.
• Develop a strategic plan for an organization.
• Prepare an implementation strategy for a strategic plan.
• Perform a full strategic analysis of an organization and recommend new strategies.

Designing Solutions for Business Challenges
Prereq: BALM 300X, 400X. Freq: Yearly.
Identifies an organization and its business challenges, designs solutions, identifies one best possible solution, and formulates the solution. Includes design of a mechanism to monitor and evaluate the effectiveness of the solution on a regular basis.

Course Competencies:

• Prioritize business challenges using qualitative and quantitative criteria.
• Develop solution approaches for a business challenge from a multifunctional perspective.
• Select and justify an appropriate approach to a business challenge.
• Propose the solution and develop a plan to measure and monitor its effectiveness.

Business Analytics I
Prereq: BAOS 300X, BAMA 102X. Freq: Yearly.
Performs data analysis, applying techniques such as probability, normal distributions, and applications of chi-Square. Analyzes a business scenario based on statistical results.

Course Competencies:

• Demonstrate knowledge of probability terminology and concepts, and compute probabilities.
• Apply concepts of distributions to solve business problems.
• Construct confidence intervals & conduct hypothesis testing for means.
• Apply appropriate Chi-square technique and interpret test results.

Business Analytics II
Prereq: BAMA 300X. Freq: Yearly.
Continues to perform data analysis, applying various Regression and ANOVA techniques. Analyzes a given situation based on statistical results.

Course Competencies:

• Identify and apply appropriate ANOVA test for business decision making.
• Develop regression model and predict dependent variable.

Marketing Foundations Concepts and Application
Prereq: BAEF 101X. Freq: Yearly.
Examines integration of the marketing function into the operation of a successful organization, including the role of marketing, the impact of the external environment on marketing strategies, market segmentation analysis, the concepts of the marketing mix, and conducting marketing research.

Course Competencies:

• Articulate the role of marketing in the successful operation of an organization.
• Evaluate the impact of the external environment on marketing strategies.
• Perform a market segmentation analysis and select an appropriate target market.
• Apply the concepts of the marketing mix.
• Conduct marketing research to market products and services.

Marketing Plan
Prereq: BAMS 300X, ENGL 101. Freq: Yearly.
Develops and presents a comprehensive marketing plan for an organization’s products and/or services.

Course Competencies:

• Develop marketing plans for organizations’ products and services.
• Present marketing plans to key stakeholders.
• Deliver effective formal presentations in organizational contexts.

Sales Concepts and Application
Prereq: BAMS 301X. Freq: Yearly.
Examines the integration of the sales function into the operation of a successful organization, including the role of professional selling in meeting organizational objectives, the sales process, and the effectiveness of sales calls in the context of major sales models, buyer type, and buying situations.

Course Competencies:

• Explain the role of Professional Selling in meeting organizational objectives.
• Explain the sales process from prospecting to customer care.
• Analyze the effectiveness of sales calls in the context of major sales models, buyer type, and buying situations.

Sales and Sales Territory Management Practicum
Prereq: BAMS 310X. Freq: Yearly.
Provides an opportunity to execute a professional sales call, plan and organize sales activities, and evaluate the student’s own strengths and weakness related to sales functions.

Course Competencies:

• Successfully gain a commitment from the buyer in a mock training environment.
• Create a territory management plan.
• Describe the various organizational structures for sales teams and the roles of each team member.

Sales Data Analysis and Communication Using Spreadsheets and Statistics
Prereq: None. Freq: Yearly.
Delves into statistical concepts and how to compute them with spreadsheet formulas and other features.

Course Competencies:

• Construct and utilize spreadsheets effectively.
• Compute measures of central tendency, location, and variability and demonstrate understanding of its implications.
• Write clearly for target audiences, purposes, and contexts. 

Database Design and Development
Prereq: BAOS 300X. Freq: Yearly. 
Appraises data needs of a business scenario, developing database design, constructing database, designing and running queries and reports needed for business decisions.

Course Competencies:

• Develop information systems for decision making.

Building Competitive Advantage Using Information Systems
Prereq: BAOS 300X. Freq: Yearly.
Constructs information system based on processes of hypothetical business scenario; identifies security vulnerabilities of that information system and articulates its competitive advantages.

Course Competencies:

• Create information system management plans.
• Analyze the role of information systems as a management resource.

Enterprise Systems and E-Commerce
Prereq: BAOS 301X, 302X; ENGL 101. Freq: Yearly.
Analyzes and articulates usefulness of E-Commerce system; presents preliminary design; documents requirements of E-Commerce system, including different infrastructure components needed. Presents plan in framework of communication to key stakeholders; explains measurement and monitoring of effectiveness of design.

Course Competencies:

• Develop and communicate a plan for an E-Commerce System.
• Distinguish between enterprise-wide information systems used in organizations.
• Design appropriate and effective communication strategies that meet professional and business communication purposes.

Reshoring Product Manufacturing
Prereq: BAEF 101X, 111X; BALM200X; BAOS 300X. Freq: Yearly.
Performs analysis of imported product; identifies reasons for outsourcing; calculates Total Cost of Ownership (TCO); estimates TCO components into future years; recommends whether to continue manufacturing abroad or to shift to domestic manufacturing.

Course Competencies:

• Explain the strategic reasons for doing business globally.
• Describe the benefits and challenges in global business.
• Describe current trends in global business.

Issues in Doing Business Globally
Prereq: BAOS 310X, ENGL 101. Freq: Yearly.
Examines economic, technological and cultural dimensions of doing business in a selected country for a hypothetical company; reports recommendations for expansion into market as a new sales territory.

Course Competencies:

• Examine major global political and economic systems.
• Articulate the role of cultural differences to manage interactions in global organizations.
• Design effective documents and data displays.

Evaluating Competitive Priorities in Operations Management
Prereq: BAMA 301X. Freq: Yearly.
Evaluates gap between expected and actual performance levels to improve efficiency of business management, using gap analysis technique; identifies resources needed to solve problems; recommends how to approach operations issues under resource constraints.

Course Competencies:

• Outline tools and techniques to improve organizational efficiency and effectiveness.
• Assess the effectiveness of an improvement plan.
• Prioritize improvement needs with the goal of maximizing customer value.

Improving Productivity in Operations
Prereq: BAOS 320X. Freq: Yearly.
Identifies areas for improvement in operations productivity; develops plan for business performance improvement; describes expected results; discusses key competitive priorities defined by operations; evaluates extent of organizational support for these priorities.

Course Competencies:

• Articulate strategic role of operations in the business context.
• Formulate an operations improvement plan.

Foundational Concepts in Supply Chain Management
Prereq: BAOS 321X. Freq: Yearly.
Identifies different types of products, supply chain characteristics, and corresponding strategies for managing operations; evaluates gaps and alignments between competitive and supply chain strategies. Applies techniques to improve customer service; provides recommendations for customized service and omnichannel experience to customers; evaluates the role of technology in managing supply chains.

Course Competencies:

• Analyze alignment and gaps between competitive strategy and supply chain strategy.
• Recognize the importance of managing customer relationships.
• Examine the role of information technology in the context of supply chains.

Sourcing and Supplier Management Strategies in Supply Chains
Prereq: BAOS 400X. Freq: Yearly.
Analyzes sourcing strategies; applies purchasing portfolio model and strategic cost management to make sourcing decisions. Evaluates performance of suppliers; provides feedback to suppliers.

Course Competencies:

• Evaluate strategic sourcing decisions.
• Demonstrate how to develop and maintain relationships with suppliers.

Inventory Management and Distribution Strategies in Supply Chains
Prereq: BAOS 401X. Freq: Yearly.
Formulates and applies various inventory models; calculate different types of costs associated with given inventory and distribution strategy; evaluates and selects potential for a new facility.

Course Competencies:

• Apply different techniques and models to plan and manage inventories across supply chains.
• Apply logistics and distribution techniques in supply chain management.

Business Algebra Fundamentals
Prereq: None. Freq: Yearly.
Models business scenarios using algebraic techniques and analysis to help solve business problems and make predictions.

Course Competencies:

• Use functions, their properties, and their graphs.
• Apply polynomial functions and their graphs to business scenarios.

Money in the Bank: Application of Exponential and Logarithmic Functions
Prereq: BAMA 100X. Freq: Yearly.
Covers evaluation of investment options, including factors such as interest rate, compounding period, and length of contract. Applies exponential and logarithmic functions to determine the best investment options.

Course Competencies:

• Apply exponential and logarithmic functions to solve business problems and process models of exponential growth and decay.

Application of Algebraic Methods to Model and Solve Business Problems
Prereq: BAMA 101X. Freq: Yearly.
Models business scenarios using algebraic methods. Identifies and applies the best method to solve the business problems.

Course Competencies:

• Apply algebraic and geometric methods to model business problems and solve business problems using systems of equations.

Basics of Project Management
Prereq: None. Freq: Yearly.
Covers Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBoK) specified by Project Management Institute (PMI) in detail. Project management topics include lifecycle, processes, integration, scope, time, cost, human resources, communication, risk and procurement.

Course Competencies:

• Analyze the fundamental concepts of project management in an organizational context.
• Analyze the full project life cycle, and appropriate project management processes, process groups, and knowledge areas.
• Create a comprehensive project plan.
• Demonstrate the ability to work in team, manage team members, and interact with stakeholders.
• Plan and monitor project budget and schedule.
• Evaluate project quality and risk using the basic tools of project risk and quality management.
• Identify, develop, and manage project resources.
• Describe and apply processes related to project procurement management.

Essential Personal Skills for Project Management
Prereq: None. Freq: Yearly.
Provides students with a background in personal skills essential for effective project management, including general intelligence, emotional intelligence, groups and teams, project leadership, stress, ethics, and communication.

Course Competencies:

• Analyze the fundamental concepts of project management in an organizational context.
• Demonstrate the ability to work in team, manage team members, and interact with stakeholders.
• Identify, develop, and manage project resources.
• Articulate the importance of ethical considerations in every aspect of a project’s operations.

Advanced Project Management Tools and Techniques
Prereq: PMGT 341X. Freq: Yearly.
Covers advanced tools and technologies of project management, including Microsoft Project and Microsoft Excel, Work Breakdown Structure (WBS), budgeting a project, scheduling a project using PERT/CPM, allocating scarce resources, critical chain and critical path, resource leveling, monitoring the project costs, evaluating and terminating a project.

Course Competencies:

• Analyze the fundamental concepts of project management in an organizational context.
• Create a comprehensive project plan.
• Demonstrate the ability to work in team, manage team members, and interact with stakeholders.
• Plan and monitor project budget and schedule.
• Evaluate project quality and risk using the basic tools of project risk and quality management.
• Navigate a project’s scope, resource and scheduling constraints.
• Analyze the technical and interpersonal aspects of project execution and control.
• Describe essentials of project auditing and project termination/closing.

Project Management Simulation
Prereq: PMGT 341X, 342X. Freq: Yearly.
Topics include project scheduling, risk analysis, earned value, and teamwork. Students apply project management skills to a simulated or live project, develop project justification and project plan, and execute the project plan and track performance.

Course Competencies:

• Navigate a project’s scope, resource and scheduling constraints.
• Create a comprehensive project plan.
• Analyze the fundamental concepts of project management in an organizational context.
• Analyze the full project life cycle and appropriate project management processes, process groups, and knowledge areas.
• Evaluate project quality and risk using the basic tools of project risk and quality management.
• Define stakeholder expectations and initiate a project successfully.
• Demonstrate the ability to work in team, manage team members, and interact with stakeholders.
• Plan and monitor project budget and schedule.
• Describe the contextual relationship between the project and the organization that hosts the project.
• Articulate the importance of ethical considerations in every aspect of a project’s operations.
• Describe essentials of project auditing and project termination/closing.