Business Administration (BUS)
Professors Baleja, Cameron and Jacques; Associate Professor Ealey; Assistant Professor Lemmon.
Alma's Business Administration faculty prepare students to enter post-graduate academic programs and to successfully embark on business careers. These objectives are accomplished by incorporating the following emphases into the business curriculum:
- Analytical and critical thinking skills
- Conceptual skills
- Communication skills
- Interpersonal skills
- Entrepreneur skills
- Global perspective
- Student interaction with business professionals
- International travel opportunities
Graduates are well prepared for careers in accounting, industry, and not-for-profit and government organizations. Alma Business graduates' career fields include accounting, banking, consulting, finance, insurance, international business, management, marketing, public relations, research and retailing.
The Business Administration Department also serves students interested in the role of business within society in such fields as science, law, exercise and health science, communication and education.
Major Requirements
Thirty-six credits including 121, 221, 222, 309, 323, 333 and 440; and eight elective credits in Business Administration.
Minor Requirements
Twenty-eight credits including 121, 221, 222, 309, 323, 333, and 440.
Secondary Teaching Major Requirements
Thirty-six credits including 121, 221, 222, 309, 323, 327, 333, 440 and one of the following; 401 or 410.
Prerequisite Requirements
ECN 201, 202 and MTH 116 for upper-level Business Administration courses.
Certified Public Accounting Preparation
It is possible for students to meet the five year academic requirement for CPA certification within four years at Alma College. In order to accomplish this, students must complete 168 Alma College credit hours in four years — 18 credits per term plus two additional Spring Terms (for a total of four) and one summer internship or independent study.
| BUS 121. | Introduction to Business | |
|---|---|---|
| 4 credits | ||
| General survey course that introduces the students to the various business disciplines. Students will briefly investigate the disciplines of accounting, finance, international business, law, management and marketing and how all of these disciplines are interrelated. The areas of business ethics and social responsibility will also be examined. | ||
| BUS 150. | SIFE | |
| 1 credit | ||
| Preparation to present strategic business initiatives at regional and national Student in Free Enterprise (SIFE) competitions by examining non-profit and for-profit business structures and assisting individuals and businesses in adapting successful strategies for future success. Course may be repeated for credit. Only four credits in total of BUS 150 and BUS 350 will count toward the Business Administration major. | ||
| BUS 221. | Financial Accounting | |
| 4 credits | ||
| BUS 121 or taken concurrently, MTH 101 or its equivalent, Sophomore Standing | ||
| General survey course that introduces the study and application of the basic concepts and methods used in developing and reporting financial information about an economic entity. Emphasis on developing the ability to interpret and apply accounting information to the decision-making process. | ||
| BUS 222. | Managerial Accounting | |
| 4 credits | ||
| BUS 221 | ||
| Study of accounting in the manufacturing and service sector, cost allocation and analysis, development of cash flow statements and analysis of financial statements. Emphasis on how cost and managerial accounting concepts and methods apply to the decision-making process. | ||
| BUS 226/*446. | Cross-Cultural Studies | |
 |
4 credits | |
| Study of selected aspects of world business and economics, politics, religion, communication and the exploration of cultural relations across national boundaries. Special focus on the importance of effective cross-cultural relations for global managers and corporations. Locations vary. | ||
| BUS *301. | Business Communications | |
| 4 credits | ||
| ENG 101 and BUS 121 | ||
| Preparation for effective communication in the business realm. Emphasis on business writing, presentation skills, and obtaining solid listening skills in business forums. Students will improve professionalism regarding communication that is oral, written and electronic. Other topics include: the report process, business research methods and business etiquette. | ||
| BUS *309. | Finance | |
| 4 credits | ||
| BUS 222; ECN 201 and 202; MTH 116 | ||
| Introduction to the principles of managerial financial policies, leading to maximizing the value of a firm. Major emphasis on financial decisions facing a firm, management of current assets, capital budgeting, cash flow management, optimal capital structure, time value of money and financial/ratio analysis. | ||
| BUS *315. | Personal Finance | |
| 4 credits | ||
| BUS 121, 222, and 309 | ||
| Designed to provide the skills and knowledge in all areas of financial planning including investment management, income taxation, insurance/risk management, employee benefits, housing costs, retirement and estate planning. | ||
| BUS *321. | Intermediate Accounting I | |
| 4 credits | ||
| BUS 222 | ||
| In-depth study of theoretical framework, concepts and methods relating to financial accounting, with special attention given to asset measurement and income determination. Emphasis on developing analytical and problem-solving skills. | ||
| BUS *322. | Intermediate Accounting II | |
| 4 credits | ||
| BUS 321 | ||
| Thorough and balanced study of theory, concepts, methods and applications relating to financial accounting with special attention to debt and owner equity measurement and disclosure. Emphasis on earnings per share calculation and accounting for leases and pensions. | ||
| BUS *323. | Management | |
| 4 credits | ||
| BUS 222; ECN 201 and 202, MTH 116 or Permission | ||
| Exploration of the four primary functions of management: planning, organizing, leading and controlling. Emphasis on understanding functions and role that managers play within organizational structure and within society. | ||
| BUS *324. | Human Resource Management | |
| 4 credits | ||
| BUS 323 or Permission | ||
| Emphasis on employment issues of organizations such as: recruiting, selecting, training, compensating and managing human resources. Other critical topics such as appraisal, discipline, safety, benefits and collective bargaining are discussed. Insight is also provided into the legal issues involved with human resource management and the framework for equal opportunity employment. | ||
| BUS *325. | Business Law I | |
| 4 credits | ||
| Junior Standing | ||
| Explores the legal environment in which business actually operates. Topics include introduction to the court system, contracts, sales, commercial instruments, personal property and various other legal concepts impacting business. | ||
| BUS *326. | Business Law II | |
| 4 credits | ||
| Junior Standing | ||
| Explores the legal environment in which business actually operates. Topics include the law of agency, partnerships, corporations, bankruptcy, and estates and trusts. | ||
| BUS *327. | Law for Educators | |
| 4 credits | ||
| Junior Standing | ||
| Designed for educators to explore the legal environment in which business operates. Topics include: an introduction to the court system, employment law, environmental law, contracts, remedies, ethics, sales, commercial instruments, bailments; and real and personal property, agency law, partnerships, corporations, bankruptcy, estates and trusts. | ||
| BUS *328. | Health Law | |
| 4 credits | ||
| BUS 222, ECN 201 and 202, MTH 116 or Permission | ||
| Provides a legal framework for students interested in health care administration and managing the legal issues they will face in a health care organization. Students learn the basic legal principles including: contract law, tort liability and malpractice, employment law, fraud and abuse, health planning and advocacy, HIPAA/privacy, public health laws and other related topics. | ||
| BUS *331. | Cost Accounting | |
| 4 credits | ||
| BUS 222 | ||
| For service and manufacturing sectors, study of cost accounting systems and cost information including objectives, data accumulation, presentation and communication. Emphasis on cash flow, cost behavior and allocation, management planning and control, breakeven analysis and variance analysis useful in decision making. | ||
| BUS *333. | Marketing | |
| 4 credits | ||
| BUS 222, ECN 201 and 202, MTH 116 or Permission | ||
| General survey course acquainting students with the business and economic principles underlying the transfer of goods and services from producer to consumers. Investigation of the institutions, systems of distribution, and the functions and policies of the marketing discipline. | ||
| BUS *334. | Health Care Marketing | |
| 4 credits | ||
| BUS 222, ECN 201 and 202, MTH 116 or Permission | ||
| General survey course acquainting students with the marketing discipline from the perspective of Health Care Administration. Topics covered include target markets, marketing segmentation, marketing research and the marketing mix. Note: Students cannot earn credit for both BUS 333 and BUS 334. | ||
| BUS *336. | Direct Response Marketing | |
| 2 credits | ||
| BUS 333 or Permission | ||
| Investigate the role that direct response marketing plays in the overall marketing plan for an organization. Topics covered include: customer relationship marketing, data base marketing, user characteristics, lead generation and ethical considerations. | ||
| BUS *337. | E-Commerce | |
| 2 credits | ||
| BUS 333 or Permission | ||
| Investigate the importance of the rapidly growing field of e-commerce within a firm's overall strategic marketing plan. Topics covered include: user characteristics, privacy and security issues, and ethical and legal considerations. This course WILL NOT be a course in Web site development. | ||
| BUS *338. | Entrepreneurial Marketing | |
| 2 credits | ||
| BUS 333 or Permission | ||
| Examines the marketing discipline from the perspective of the entrepreneur (small business). Topics covered include: marketing research, selection of target markets, marketing mix (product, price, place and promotion). | ||
| BUS *350. | Advanced SIFE | |
| 2 credits | ||
| Junior Standing | ||
| A thorough examination of business strategy and key functions of business operations including; business planning, strategic initiatives and the role of free enterprise in the business world. Also focuses on examining the role of business in society, leadership initiatives, motivation and entrepreneurs. Course may be repeated for credit. Only four credits in total of BUS 150 and BUS 350 will count toward the Business Administration major. | ||
| BUS *385/*386. | Practicum | |
| 4 credits each | ||
| Junior Standing and Permission | ||
| Only four credits will count in the major. | ||
| BUS *401. | Advertising | |
| 4 credits | ||
| BUS 333 or Permission | ||
| Study of advertising and its use in marketing programs. Emphasis on the role of advertising in the world of business, developing advertising strategies, selecting media, managing advertising activities and budgeting for profitability. Special emphasis on the social and ethical aspects of the advertising program. | ||
| BUS *410. | Investments | |
| 4 credits | ||
| BUS 309 or Permission | ||
| Principles of investments, types of investments including common and preferred stocks, bonds, options, mutual funds and derivatives, analysis of risk and return, portfolio structure, operation of markets, analysis of investment requirements, and market timing strategies. | ||
| BUS *415. | Advanced Finance | |
| 4 credits | ||
| BUS 221, 222 and 309 | ||
| Application of principles of finance to solving selected business case problems and analyzing current financial topics. Coverage includes capital structure decisions, working capital policy, current liability management, optimal capital budgets, dividend policy, and lease financing aimed at maximizing the value of a firm. | ||
| BUS *422. | Advanced Accounting | |
| 4 credits | ||
| BUS 322 and Senior Standing | ||
| Accounting for partnerships, governmental units, not-for-profit organizations, corporate consolidations, foreign currency transactions and translation of foreign financial statements. | ||
| BUS *423. | Small Business Management | |
| 4 credits | ||
| BUS 221, 222, 309, 323 and 333 | ||
| Examines the principles and practices pertaining to the operation of small business enterprises. Students are required to apply skills learned in the core business courses, with a special emphasis on management. Opportunities and risks inherent in starting small businesses are analyzed and the skills needed to successfully run a small business are discussed. | ||
| BUS *425. | Federal Individual Income Taxation | |
| 4 credits | ||
| BUS 222 | ||
| This course covers the federal income tax laws and regulations impacting individuals. Topics covered include: personal and dependency exemptions, gross income, deductions, losses, tax credits property transactions and federal gifts taxes. Students gain analytical and problem-solving skills for dealing with individual income tax issues. | ||
| BUS *426. | Federal Business Taxation | |
| 4 credits | ||
| BUS 222 | ||
| Explore corporate operating rules, capital structure, distributions, reorganization, partnerships, S-Corporations, exempt entities, tax administration and practice, and multi-state and international transactions. Gain analytical and problem-solving skills for dealing with business tax issues. | ||
| BUS *427. | Transnational Management | |
|
4 credits | |
| BUS 323 | ||
| Study of labor forces, competitive practices, decision making, planning and control, and human resource management in international business. Exploration of other topics influencing global managers and corporations. | ||
| BUS *428. | Global Marketing Management | |
|
4 credits | |
| BUS 333 or Permission | ||
| Exploration of the environment of international markets and institutions. Analysis of the impact of cultural, social, financial, legal, political and technical problems in the marketing plan with particular emphasis on current international developments. | ||
| BUS *429. | Multinational Finance | |
|
4 credits | |
| BUS 309 | ||
| Analysis of foreign exchange issues and risk management, international investment and capital budgeting, global securities and capital markets. | ||
| BUS *435. | Marketing Research | |
| 4 credits | ||
| BUS 333 and MTH 116 | ||
| Study of the formal research techniques applicable to marketing. Methodical considerations include sample selection, questionnaire design, data collection, processing and analysis of data, and the preparation of managerial reports. | ||
| BUS *440. | Global Strategic Management | |
 |
4 credits | |
| BUS 309, 323 and 333 | ||
| Coverage of all aspects of strategy with a focus on industry and corporate analysis, especially in the global environment. Emphasis on individual written and group oral presentations of case analyses. Students apply the concepts learned to actual business situations. The capstone course for Business Administration and International Business Administration majors. | ||
| BUS *442. | Accounting Information Systems | |
| 4 credits | ||
| BUS 322 and Senior Standing | ||
| Study of accounting information systems, including systems analysis, design and implementation. Emphasis on design and documentation tools and internal controls. Focuses on the needs and responsibilities of accountants as end users of systems, system designers and auditors. | ||
| BUS *449. | Auditing | |
| 4 credits | ||
| BUS 322 and Senior Standing | ||
| Study and evaluation of the nature, objectives, scope and theory of the audit process as applied to accounting and internal control systems. Emphasis and balance placed on standards, ethics, current developments and legal requirements as well as special topics including statistical sampling and audit of electronic data processing systems. | ||
| BUS *480. | Topics in Business Administration | |
| 2-4 credits | ||
| Permission | ||
| Current topics in Business Administration including: Business Leadership and Society, Commercial Banking, Government and Not for Profit Accounting, Personal Finances, Physical Distribution Management, Real Estate Management, Sales Management and other topics as the need arises. | ||
| BUS *499. | Independent Study | |
|
1-4 credits | |
| Permission | ||
| BUS *500. | Senior Thesis | |
|
4 credits | |
| Permission | ||