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PLU 2008-2009 Course Catalog

Business, School of

Business, School of

253.535.7244
www.plu.edu/busa
business@plu.edu

Faculty: Brock,  Dean;  Pratt,  Associate Dean;  Albers,  Barnowe,  Berniker,  Boeh,  Finnie,  Gibson,  Harmon,  Lee,  MacDonald,  Mobus,  Myers,  Pham,  Ptak,  Simpson,  Tuzovic,  Van Wyhe,  Wolf,  Zabriskie. 

Click here to view School of Business (BUSA) courses

Mission 

The mission of the PLU School of Business is to be a bridge connecting students with the future by integrating competency-based business education, engaging a diverse, globalized society, using technologies that improve learning, exemplifying lives of service, and fostering faculty development and intellectual contribution.

See Graduate Studies for information on the Master of Business Administration program or visit the School of Business M.B.A. website at www.plu.edu/mba.

Affiliations 

The PLU School of Business is a member of AACSB International -The Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business. The B.B.A., M.B.A. and professional accounting programs are nationally accredited by AACSB International. The school is privileged to have a student chapter of Beta Gamma Sigma, the national business honor society recognized by AACSB. 

Objectives of the Undergraduate Business Program 

• To prepare students for positions in commercial and not for-profit organizations by providing them the basic knowledge of how these organizations function and equipping them with the necessary competencies to work effectively. These competencies include (1) leadership, (2) critical/creative thinking, (3) effective communication, (4) team effectiveness, and (5) taking initiative and managing change.
• To help students see the interconnections among the many aspects of their world by integrating the liberal arts with professional business education.
• To identify and challenge students to adopt high standards for ethical practice and professional conduct.
• To prepare students for lives of service to the community.
• To prepare students to use contemporary technologies and to embrace the changes caused by technological innovation.
• To inculcate a global perspective in students.

Admission Criteria 

The professional Bachelor of Business Administration degree program is composed of an upper-division business curriculum with a strong base in the liberal arts.

To be admitted to the School of Business, a student must:

• Be officially admitted to the university, and
• Have completed at least 32 semester credit hours, and
• Have successfully completed BUSA 201, CSCE 120, ECON 101, MATH 128, STAT 231, or their equivalents with a minimum grade of C- .
• Have a minimum cumulative grade point average of 2.50, and
• Submit an application to the School of Business

Upper-Division business course access is limited to students who have been admitted to the School of Business with a cumulative grade point average of 2.50 or above, and who have met the required prerequisites.

Students with majors outside of the School of Business may gain access to specific business courses that support their major studies by permission of the School of Business.

Bachelor of Business Administration Degree Overall Requirements 

• A minimum of 128 semester hours.
• An overall minimum grade point average of 2.50.
• A minimum 2.50 grade point average separately in business courses.
• C- minimum grade in all business courses.
• At least one-half of the minimum total degree requirements are taken in fields outside the School of Business.
• At least 49 semester hours in required and elective business-related subjects: 34 credits from B.B.A. core and 15 credits of business electives.
• A minimum of 20 semester hours in business must be taken in residence at PLU.
• All BBA students are required to produce a portfolio by graduation demonstrating attainment of critical competencies. The concepts and process of the portfolio are integrated into the curriculum.

Business Degree and Concentration requirements are established at time of major declaration 

Pass/Fail of Foundation Classes 

Bachelor of Business Administration Major 

Foundation and Other Course Requirements

Foundation courses may also satisfy General University Requirements (GURs), as indicated by the identifiers listed (MR, NS, S2, PH, SR).

Required Foundation Courses to Declare the Major
20 semester hours

• BUSA 201: Value Creation in the Global Environment (4)
• CSCE 120: Computerized Information Systems – NS (4)
• ECON 101: Principles of Microeconomics – S2 (4)
• MATH 128: Linear Models and Calculus, An Introduction – MR, NS (4)
• STAT 231: Introductory Statistics – MR (4)

Required Lower-Division Business Courses to be Eligible for Upper-Division
Six semester hours

• BUSA 202: Financial Accounting (3)
• BUSA 203: Managerial Accounting (3)

Required Upper-Division Business Courses
21 semester hours

• BUSA 302: Finance for Managers (3)
• BUSA 303: Business Law and Ethics (3) or
• BUSA 304: Business Law and Ethics for Financial Professionals (3)
  (Professional Accounting and Finance Concentrations must take BUSA 304)
• BUSA 305: Human Dimensions of Effective Organizations (3)
• BUSA 308: Principles of Marketing (3)
• BUSA 309: Creating Value in Goods and Services Operations (3)
• BUSA 310: Information Systems (3)
• BUSA 499: Capstone: Strategic Management (SR, 3)

Required Elective Examining Global, Ethical or Vocational Issues Relevant to Enterprise Management
Three to four semester hours

Courses must be upper-division. Students may statisfy this requirement by taking one three- or four-credit course OR by two two-credit courses. Courses appropriate to fulfilling this requirement include:

• BUSA 337: International Finance (3)
• BUSA 340: Non-profit Management (3)
• BUSA 352: Global Management (3)
• BUSA 358: Entrepreneurship (3)
• BUSA 408: International Business Law and Ethics (3)
• BUSA 442: Leading Organizational Improvement (3)
• BUSA 460: International Marketing (3)
• COMA 302: Media Ethics (2)
• ECON 331: International Economics (4)
• ECON 333: Economic Development: Comparative Third World Strategies (4)
• HIST 347: American Business and Economics History (4)
• POLS 380: Politics of Global Development (4)
• RELI 365: Christian Moral Issues (4)

Other upper-division global, vocational, or ethics course by prior permission of the School of Business dean or his/her designate.

Foundation Courses Required to Graduate
Eight to ten semester hours

• PHIL 225: Business Ethics - PH (4)
• Professional Communication courses from the following list (4)
  • One from the following:
    • COMA 211: Debate (2)
    • COMA 212: Public Speaking (2)
    • COMA 214: Group Communication (2)
  • AND, one of the following:
    • COMA 213: Communication Writing (2)
    • COMA 230: Writing for Journalism (2)
    • COMA 270: Professional Writing (2)
    • COMA 311: Research Writing (2)
    • ENGL 221: Research and Writing (2 or 4)
    • ENGL 323: Writing in Professional Settings (4)

B.B.A. Elective Requirement

Any 15 semester hours of upper-division business electives, and any non-Business elective courses identified in the concentration options. At least nine semester hours elective in Business required.

Concentrations 

By taking an approved set of electives (see concentration listings) beyond the 34 credit core, a student earns a concentration designation in one of the following:

• Accounting
• Finance
• Management and Human Resources
• Marketing
• Individualized

Concentration requirements:

• Multiple concentrations are allowed
• 3.00 GPA required in the concentration area courses
• C- is the minimum acceptable grade in any concentration course
• A minimum of nine semester hours of the total concentration requirements must be taken in residency at PLU
• All B.B.A. degree overall requirements

By taking an appropriate set of electives, a student may earn a concentration designation in either Accounting, Finance, Management and Human Resources or Marketing.

• Professional Accounting
  18 semester hours

• BUSA 320: Accounting Information Systems (3)
• BUSA 321: Intermediate Accounting I (3)
• BUSA 322: Intermediate Accounting II (3)
• BUSA 422: Consolidations and Equity Issues (3)
• BUSA 424: Auditing (3)
• BUSA 427: Tax Accounting (3)
• OTHER: BUSA 304: Law and Ethics for Financial Professionals required as BBA core law option.

Note: Students are encouraged to also take electives in:

• BUSA 323: Cost Accounting and Control Systems (3)
• BUSA 418: Accounting Database Management and Control (3)
• BUSA 423: Accounting for Non-Profits and Governmental Entities (3)

The mission of the accounting faculty is to offer a quality baccalaureate accounting program designed to provide students with a solid foundation for developing a wide range of professional careers.

• Finance
  15 semester hours

• BUSA 335: Financial Investments (3)
• BUSA 437: Financial Analysis & Strategy (3)
• ECON 344: Econometrics (4)
• At least six semester hours from the following
  (three semester hours must be from BUSA):
  • BUSA 321: Intermediate Accounting I (3)
  • BUSA 337: International Finance (3)
  • BUSA 438: Financial Research and Analysis (3)
  • BUSA 495: Internship (1 to 4)
  • ECON 302: Intermediate Macroeconomic Analysis (4) or ECON 322: Money and Banking (4)
• OTHER: BUSA 304: Law and Ethics for Financial Professionals required as BBA core law option. Math 151 and 152 are highly recommended for Finance students.

• Marketing
  15 semester hours
  

• BUSA 363: Consumer Behavior (3)
• BUSA 467: Marketing Research (3)
• BUSA 468: Marketing Management (3)
• At least six semester hours from the following
  (three semester hours must be from BUSA):
  • BUSA 364: Services Marketing (3)
  • BUSA 365: Sales & Sales Management (3)
  • BUSA 378: Electronic Commerce (3)
  • BUSA 440: Knowledge Management (3)
  • BUSA 460: International Marketing (3)
  • BUSA 495: Internship (1 to 4)
  • COMA 361: Public Relations: Principles and Practices (4)
  • ECON 341: Strategic Behavior (4)
  • PSYC 385: Consumer Psychology (4)

• Management and Human Resources
  15 semester hours

• BUSA 342: Managing Human Resources (3)
• And 12 semester hours from the following (at least six semester hours from BUSA):
  • BUSA 340: Non-Profit Management (3)
  • BUSA 343: Managing Reward Systems (3)
  • BUSA 352: Global Management (3)
  • BUSA 358: Entrepreneurship (3)
  • BUSA 440: Knowledge Management (3)
  • BUSA 442: Leading Organizational Improvement (3)
  • BUSA 449: Strategic Human Resource Management (3)
  • BUSA 495: Internship (1 to 4)
  • ECON 321: Labor Economics (4)
  • PSYC 380: Psychology of Work (4)

• Individualized Concentration
  

15 semester hours of upper division electives in purposeful selection. Proposal must be made in advance and not later than second semester of the junior year, to include statement of objectives, rationale, program of study, and endorsement of a Business faculty sponsor. Requires approval of the dean or his/her designate. At least 12 semester hours are to be taken from Business courses. Only three semester hours of independent study or internship (but not both) may apply to the concentration. Variations on existing concentrations are not acceptable.

Minor Overall Requirements
19 semester hours minimum

All courses must be completed with a grade of C- or higher, a cumulative grade point average of 2.50 for all courses in the minor is required; and at least nine semester hours must be completed in residence.

Minors 

19 semester hours minimum

• Minor in Business Administration
  

  A minimum of 19 semester hours in business courses, including: 

• BUSA 201: Value Creation in the Global Environment (4)
  (Also as BUSA 190 for first-year students)
• BUSA 202: Financial Accounting (3)
• BUSA 305: Human Dimensions of Effective Organizations (3)
• BUSA 308: Principles of Marketing (3)
• And any six credits from Accounting courses or upper-division Business courses in addition to those listed above. See Business Minor Rules above.

• Specialized Minor in Business Administration

A minimum of 19 semester hours in business courses, including BUSA 201.

Specific business courses shall be designated by the School of Business Faculty in consultation with the chair or dean of the discipline in which the student is majoring. See Business Minor Rules above.

Master of Business Administration
See Graduate Studies, page 133.

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