Business Concentration Courses
Health Care Administration New
The concentration focuses on the critical role of health care administration in one of the nation’s fastest growing and most challenging industries, health care. Students will develop foundational knowledge, skills, and abilities related to leadership and management roles in the American health care industry. Course options include:
American Health Care System | 3 credits
This course is a comprehensive overview of one of the largest industries in the United States: health care. Students explore the effects of social, political, organizational, cultural, economic and historical forces on this industry. Features and contours of this evolving and highly complex system are explored including levels of care, technology, and health outcomes. Current trends related to regulation, cost, quality and access are analyzed, with particular emphasis on the complexities and inherent counter purposes of commerce and ethical obligations manifest in health care.
Fundamentals of Health Care Administration | 3 credits
Students analyze organizational dynamics and complex operational and regulatory factors that must be aligned to ensure the highest quality care, greatest efficiency and cost effectiveness. Operational divisions, functions, and groups including professional providers, care givers, and support services such as finance management, information services, human resources, plant services, and marketing are explored in relation to their integral value, purpose and function, and their unique perspectives. Emphasis on the creation of an environment of continuous improvement and organizational adaptability and success are explored. Measures and benchmarks of success are integrated throughout the course.
Health Care Policy and Politics | 3 credits
In this course students examine current public, health profession, and organizational policy at macro and micro levels, as well as trends for the future related to or affecting health care organizations and its consumers. Health industry manager/leader responsibility for organizational assessment, application, and operational change related to policy and politics is explored. Relevant public, professional, and organizational politics are examined within various types of health organization and support industry contexts. Distinction between policy and politics are elucidated throughout.
Health Care Ethics | 3 credits
Students explore the ethical components, dilemmas and obligations in American health care organizations and systems. Specifically, ethical issues related to care giving and bioethics, demographic trends, relationships among organizational professionals and staff, delivery models, securing and allocating scarce resources, and technology are examined. Health care organizational ethics and obligations are analyzed, emphasizing the role of manager/leader in creating an ethical culture of care delivery and cost effectiveness. Various ethical decision-making models are compared and applied to case scenarios.
Information Systems for Health Care Management | 3 credits
Students focus on the increasing presence and reliance on information technology and information systems in health care organizations and systems of all sizes and purposes. Today’s health care manager/leader must understand the use, types, benefits and limitations of information technology on structure, processes and work design. Infrastructure requirements and cost, security, and related regulation and law are reviewed. Selection and alignment of information management with organizational strategic planning to achieve high levels of performance are emphasized throughout.
Conflict Management & Dispute Resolution New
Courses held on Overland Park campus.
The concentration provides foundational knowledge, skills and abilities related to analyzing conflict management and dispute resolution. Coursework builds foundational knowledge that will enhance the careers of students or graduates who work in business, education, health, law, management, public administration, psychological services, religion and related occupations.
Fundamentals of Conflict Management and Dispute Resolution | 3 credits
An introduction to the field of dispute resolution, this course provides the solid foundation necessary for further inquiry and application. You will study academic thinking about conflict analysis and resolution and learn to think systematically and analytically about conflict and conflict resolution.
Communication and Negotiation | 3 credits
This course explores the communication process used to put deals together and to resolve conflicts. Students study negotiation as the core element in resolving disputes and managing conflict in a voluntary process where the parties involved control the outcome. The course extrapolates the benefits and weighs the shortcomings of distributive and integrative bargaining.
Principles of Mediation | 3 credits
Students explore the theory and practical skills necessary to be a mediator. Students learn about mediation skills and techniques such as how to initiate discussions with mediation participants, how to plan mediations, how to make the best use of mediation in various personal and professional situations, and how to apply ethical standards and accountability in mediation.
Ethics and Impartiality | 3 credits
Students gain a thorough understanding in ethical principles. The course focuses on core concepts and case studies as well as applications of ethics to conflict management and dispute resolution with a special emphasis on maintaining third-party neutrality and impartiality.
Contemporary Issues and Trends | 3 credits
Students will complete a conflict management proposal addressing contemporary conflicts and projected trends for a specific organization. They will apply appropriate information learned about conflict management and integrate it into a proposed conflict management systems design. The system will include a continuum process for resolving conflicts, training and continuing education awareness of changing cultural, racial and economic issues and trends.
Marketing
The concentration offers a competitive market analysis that successfully influences customer and consumer behavior. Students will create a brand for themselves, evaluate strategies for start-up companies, and research partnerships with advertising agencies using practical application and field studies.
In addition to BBA/BBL/BBIS 482 Principles of Marketing/BSM 481 Sales Management Strategies or MBA 553 Marketing Management and Strategy/MSM 560 Consumer Behavior and Decision Making course options include:
Advertising Strategies and Campaigns | 3 credits
In this course, students will design an advertising campaign. Students will focus on marketing communication including targeting, branding, promotion, media and the purchase decision process. Agency management will be included along with insights from contemporary industry perspectives.
Consumer Behavior in American Society | 3 credits
Students will analyze the consumer decision process in the current marketplace. Consumer perceptions and attitudes, the role of group influence, and the essential nature of customer satisfaction are key components of this course.
Creative Branding: Emotional Connection | 3 credits
In this course, students will develop awareness and appreciation for the strategies successful brands utilize to distinguish their positionings. Students will apply creative branding principles to conceive their own personal brand. This process requires distinguishing unique individual attributes, tangible and intangible, to build higher level emotional connections with the key professional influences they interact with everyday.
Community Based Marketing | 3 credits
Students will compare how marketing tactics are customized to successfully connect with individual customers in local markets. Leveraging unique differences requires examination of key demographics, ethnic diversity, generational influence and specific interests.
Changing Face of Marketing | 3 credits
Students explore the marketing revolution that is currently underway including the evolution of customer targets such as ethnic, gender, media, resource allocation, and migration from national marketing to grassroots marketing strategies and tactics. Students will analyze emerging marketing tools such as the Internet, event and key influences, and advocacy.
Entrepreneurial Start-Up Marketing | 3 credits
In this course, students will focus on successful marketing entrepreneurship that could be applied to small businesses in the early stages of growth. An analysis of marketing solutions will engage students in the strategies, execution, and return-on-investment challenges unique to a start-up enterprise.
Growing Market Share in Diverse Cultures | 3 credits
In this course, students will appraise the planning and processes of entry into diverse cultural and economic environments. They will investigate the challenges of product adaptation, export pricing, international distribution, and international communication.
Human Resources
The concentration offers a deep exploration of issues related to effective management of human resources in an increasingly competitive business environment. Students will examine the role of the manager through staffing, employee development and retention, employee relations, and global HR management courses.
In addition to BSM/BBL/BBIS 440 Managing Human Resources or MBA/MSM 535 Human Resource Management course options include:
Employment Law | 3 credits
In this course students will investigate the legal and regulatory backdrop for the management of organizational Human Resources. Students will analyze legislation and legal precedents that guide employers' actions and decisions and affect their relationships with their employees.
Staffing | 3 credits
In this course, students will examine strategies and procedures for the lawful selection of employees. Students will explore effective selection techniques and the organization's legal responsibilities in recruiting, interviewing, selecting, and hiring employees.
Employee Development and Retention | 3 credits
In this course, students explore the employer's role and responsibility in developing and retaining a highly motivated workforce in a competitive employment environment. Students will also analyze employees' roles in managing their own career growth.
Global Human Resources | 3 credits
Students will examine the challenges of international business and the role of Human Resources in a worldwide organizations. Students will differentiate between domestic and international policies, procedures, and strategies for effectively managing human resources in the global environment.
Employee Relations | 3 credits
Students will explore strategies for effectively managing the ongoing relationship between employers and employees. Students will focus upon Human Resource's role in fostering organizational ethics, justice, and the fair treatment of employees.
International Business
The concentration offers an immersion into the challenging environment of economic, political, geographical, and governmental forces. Students will probe into international communities, assess risks, and develop potential strategies for gaining advantage in the international marketplace.
In addition to BSM 462 Multinational Management or MBA 531 Business in a Global Environment/MSM 532 International Management course options include:
Global Business | 3 credits
Students will examine international practices and the influence of the World Trade Organization. Students will investigate global economic development through study of free trade and international restrictions, regionalization, and international policies.
Political Environments | 3 credits
In this course, students will discern the effect of international relations on American business - analyzing foreign policies, human rights and nonprofit organizations, terrorism, and the development of nations.
Growing Market Share in Diverse Cultures | 3 credits
In this course, students will appraise the planning and processes of entry into diverse cultural and economic environments. They will investigate the challenges of product adaptation, export pricing, international distribution, and international communication.
Cross-cultural Risk Analysis | 3 credits
Students will differentiate marketplace influences of legal, historic, economic, and cultural issues to maximize international productivity and minimize risk. The course will focus on identifying and characterizing domestic and international cultures.
International Finance | 3 credits
This course introduces students to the financial complexities of operating a multinational firm. Students will examine the international financial environment, specifically the risks and opportunities created by changes in exchange rates and the use of the global markets as sources of financing. Students will debate taxation and current issues in international finance.
Global Human Resources | 3 credits
Students will examine the challenges of international business and the role of Human Resources in worldwide organizations. Students will differentiate between domestic and international policies, procedures, and strategies for effectively managing human resources in the global environment.
North America/European Union: London, England | 3 credits
This course provides the learner with an interdisciplinary perspective focusing upon the concept of the European Union (EU). Students examine the infinite complexities of the EU to gain an understanding of the historical, economic, international relations, political, educational, and legal implications. The course includes travel to a European country and cultural immersion to more fully facilitate development of conceptual knowledge. Travel course.
Finance
The concentration offers an enhancement of financial decision-making skills in organizational systems thinking. Students will examine corporate finance, investment decision making, the role of financial institutions, and complexities of international financial markets through practical application.
In addition to BBA 484 Finance, Capital and Management/BSM/BBIS/BBL 381 Principles of Finance or MBA 554 Managerial Finance/MSM 515 Finance for Managers course options include:
Investments | 3 credits
In this course students will discriminate the complexities of investments, portfolio management and security analysis. Students will manage an investment portfolio, distinguishing risk and return, diversification, and the impact of economic and market variables.
International Finance | 3 credits
This course introduces students to the financial complexities of operating a multinational firm. Students will examine the international financial environment, specifically the risks and opportunities created by changes in exchange rates and the use of the global markets as sources of financing. Students will debate taxation and current issues in international finance.
Financial Institutions | 3 credits
In this course, students will appraise the world of financial institutions including money and banking. Valuing stocks, bonds, derivatives, and other capital assets are central topics in this course. Students will analyze how technology shapes emerging trends in cash management and investing.
Corporate Finance | 3 credits
In corporate finance students examine the financial operations of a business, focusing on capital budgeting and cash flow. Trend analysis and the ethical management of financial documents are included in the study.
Advanced Financial Planning | 3 credits
In this course, students create a financial plan that addresses the entire spectrum of personal finance from credit and insurance needs to estate and retirement planning. Students assess the impact of government requirements related to estate planning issues and the tax advantages of certain investments.
Government Finance | 3 credits
Students in Government Finance examine the revenues and expenditures of Federal and State government. Students review government budgeting practices and policies, taxation, spending and their impact on society.
North America/European Union: London, England | 3 credits
This course provides the learner with an interdisciplinary perspective focusing upon the concept of the European Union (EU). Students examine the infinite complexities of the EU to gain an understanding of the historical, economic, international relations, political, educational, and legal implications. The course includes travel to a European country and cultural immersion to more fully facilitate development of conceptual knowledge. Travel course.
Information Systems
The concentration offers an integration of hard and soft IT skills focusing on emerging trends, leveraging and managing resources, and realizing the implications of information technology decisions. Students will build bridges between technical knowledge and managerial and strategic analytical skills through best practices and case studies.
In addition to BBA 311 Technology in the Workplace/BSM 358 Information Systems or MBA/MSM 570 Information Systems Decisions in Management course options include:
Telecommunications and Networking | 3 credits
Students will examine trends, issues and assessment of voice/data convergence, communication tools, data transmission, content delivery methods, networking options and interconnectivity, and networking security and ethics.
Assessment of Hardware and Software Solutions | 3 credits
This course provides students an opportunity to actively learn about the processes, issues and tools used in assessing operating systems and platforms, open source, peripherals and novel devices, off the shelf vs. custom applications, and thin clients. Students will focus on evaluation of resources, benchmarking analysis, data conversion issues and testing, and performance evaluations of hardware and software solutions.
Leveraging Business Data | 3 credits
In this course, students will gain advanced skills in how successful business organizations leverage their data in order to gain competitive advantages in the marketplace. The course will cover data mining, third party data, legacy data conversion, data storage, business intelligence, data visualization and retrieval, and knowledge management.
Enterprise Information Technology | 3 credits
Students will enter the complex world of enterprise IT. Topics include customer relationship management, enterprise resource management, supply chain management, integration solutions, success and failure analysis of enterprise IT systems, middleware and process re-engineering and implementation.
Ethics and Security | 3 credits
In this course, students will decompress IT security issues that create ethical dilemmas in the current business environment. Topics include privacy, copyright, intellectual property, piracy, virus, spam, phishing protection, acceptance of IT changes and ethics of outsourcing.
Managing Information Technology | 3 credits
Students will integrate the decision making processes of both the management and information technology areas of successful business organizations. Students will gain a broad perspective of the following strategic IT management issues: Aligning Business and Information Technology Strategies, Outsourcing, Vendor Evaluations, Succession Planning, Analytic Studies for IT Planning, Valuation of Information Technology, Technology Audits, and Project Management.
Students must complete 12 hours in addition to coursework required for the MBA and MSM degree completion.
Accounting
The concentration is a comprehensive exploration of accounting for organizational decision making. Students will delve into financial and managerial accounting, reporting, the audit function, accounting for information systems, research and taxation, and accounting in nonprofit and governmental environments.
In addition to BBA/BBL 373 Accounting for Business/MBA 556 Accounting Applications for Management course options include:
Financial Accounting Theory and Reporting | 3 credits
Students focus on in-depth aspects of Financial Accounting theory, including concepts such as revenue and expense recognition, capitalization, asset valuation, and earnings per share. Students examine GAAP and IFRS and explore regulatory requirements and key components of financial reporting.
Auditing | 3 credits
Students study a general overview of the auditing function and the audit cycle. Through real-world examples, students gain knowledge of how auditing influences company policy and behavior, including risk assessment, internal controls and Sarbanes-Oxley regulations.
Managerial and Cost Accounting | 3 credits
Students analyze managerial accounting concepts, including cost systems, profit analysis, budgeting, control of manufacturing and distribution costs, performance evaluation, and product pricing. Emphasis is placed on managerial planning and analyzing internal company information to make decisions that influence company directions and successes.
Accounting Information Systems | 3 credits
To explore the continuing need for automated financial data and transaction processing, students in this course investigate needs analysis, systems development and operation, technology evaluation, system requirements, security, planning, and training as they relate to accounting and auditing principles. Emphasis is placed on analyzing business operations and management decision-making based on information systems controls, communications, and reporting. Students evaluate current databases and other systems and determine if new systems design is required for optimum performance..
Accounting Research and Taxation | 3 credits
Students implement various research techniques to understand accounting regulations and taxation. Students gain an advanced knowledge of the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) and other governing entities, including how to apply the standards put forth by such organizations. Further, through an overview of corporate taxation, students obtain an understanding of the effects of taxation on the strategic decision-making process.
Nonprofit and Governmental Accounting | 3 credits
Students learn the concepts, principles, and unique needs of non-profit and governmental accounting. Students examine fund accounting rather than financial accounting, focusing on resource allocation rather than profitability. Baker University reserves the right to make revisions to course descriptions as necessary and to do so without incurring obligation.
