Business Administration Course Descriptions

BU 420 Introduction to Entrepreneurship
Topics include: opportunity analysis and feasibility; venture financing; writing a business plan; writing a marketing plan; and identifying the resources available to the new business venture including the Small Business Administration, SCORE, regional economic development bodies, banks and venture capitalists. An emphasis on ethics is included. Prerequisites: BU 340 (Principles of Finance) and BU 410 (Principles of Management).

BU 410 Principles of Management (R.I.)
Includes discussion of principles of planning, organizing, leading, and controlling an organization in the context of its environment. Emphasis is on human resource management and the development of management skills in this area. An emphasis on ethics is included.

BU 415 Human Resources Management
An overview of human resource management terms, concepts and techniques including staffing, recruitment, training and developing employees, compensation, labor relations, conflict resolution, compensation and employee benefits. Ethics will be incorporated throughout the course. The role and importance of the HR function in an organization will also be discussed in detail.

BU 340 Principles of Finance
Introduces the financial concepts necessary to conduct business. Financial performance evaluations; financial
forecasting; and investment, financing, valuation of securities, and dividend decisions are discussed in a risk/return
context. An emphasis on ethics is included.Prerequisite: BU 210-211

BU 341 Personal Finance
An overview of personal financial planning with an emphasis on money management principles taught by Dave Ramsey, consumer financial decisions, budgeting, insurance, and investing from an individual perspective.

BU 345 Fundamentals of Marketing
Designed to acquaint the student with the basic concepts and principles of marketing. Includes application of these concepts and principles to typical marketing problems and development of effective communication skills to persuasively present solutions.

BU 355 Advertising and Promotion
This course provides students the opportunity to gain a more in depth understanding of the different promotional theories, techniques and tools utilized to market and promote companies in today’s complex business world. Students will get a better understanding of what promotion is, the different elements of the promotional mix which include advertising, sales promotion, public relations/publicity, personal selling and direct marketing and how all of these are incorporated together to form an integrated marketing communication strategy. Students will be provided the opportunity to develop an integrated marketing communication plan for a local business. An emphasis on ethical decisions will also be incorporated to the course as well.

BU 357 Principles of Sales
Designed to provide students an opportunity to understand all aspects of selling in the world of business. Emphasis will be on terms and concepts associated with selling, negotiation skills, analysis of the psychological basis of sellingin consumer markets and sales management. Case studies, role-playing and group projects that focus on the development of effective selling techniques for building long term relationships will be utilized to gain a thorough understanding of sales.