Course Descriptions

Degrees and Programs Index


Business Administration

Admittance to 300 and 400 level School of Management courses will be granted only to students with upper division standing. Others will be admitted only with the written permission of the appropriate department head. Students enrolling in School of Management courses are expected to have completed the necessary prerequisites for each course.

A $25 per semester student computing facility user fee will be assessed for any student taking one or more AIS, ACCT, BA and ECON courses except ECON 100X). This fee is in addition to any lab/material fees.


BA 151 (3 Credits) Fall, Spring
Introduction to Business (3+0) s

Business organization, nature of major business functions such as management, finance, accounting, marketing, personnel administration. Opportunities and requirements for professional business careers. Materials fee: $10.00-$25.00.


BA 253 (1 - 3 Credits) Fall, Spring, Summer, As Demand Warrants
Internship in Business (0+1 - 3)

Supervised work experience in an approved position related to the student's career interests or objectives. Number of credits depends on type of position time worked. No student can count more than eight internship credits towards a degree. (Prerequisite: Approval of program or department head.)


BA 303 (4 Credits) Spring
Application of Advanced Leadership Techniques (3+2)
(Cross-listed with MILS 303)

Interdisciplinary study of effective leadership techniques and preparation for attendance to MILS 350. Laboratory sessions offer practical application of concepts taught in classroom sessions. Laboratory fee: $15.00. (Prerequisite: Junior standing in MILS and permission of instructor.)


BA 307 (3 Credits) Fall or Spring
Personnel Management (3+0)

Introduction to management principles and personnel practice in industry, analysis of labor-management problems, methods and administration of recruiting, selecting, training, and compensating employees, and labor laws and their applications. Materials fee: $10.00. (Prerequisite: Upper division standing.)


BA 317W (3 Credits) Fall or Spring
Employment Law (3+0)

Basic personnel and human resource management law, including the major federal laws affecting personnel management and state employment laws including Alaska. (Prerequisites: BA 307 or concurrent enrollment in BA 307, upper division standing.)


BA 325 (3 Credits) Fall, Spring
Financial Management (3+0)

Time value of money, bond and stock valuation, capital budgeting, risk-return trade-off, and option pricing. (Prerequisites: Upper division standing, ECON 200, STAT 200, MATH 262X. Suggested ECON 227.)


BA 326O (3 Credits) Alternate Year
Principles of Advertising (3+0)
(Cross-listed with JB 326O)

Advertising including strategy, media use, creation and production of advertisements, and measurement of advertising effectiveness. Also available via independent learning. (Prerequisite: Upper division standing.)


BA 327 (3 Credits) Fall or Spring
Collective Bargaining and Labor Relations (3+0)

Labor law and current management practices in administering collective bargaining agreements, emphasizing recent problems, developments and trends in union management relations, negotiating, arbitration and unfair labor practices. (Prerequisites: BA 307, upper division standing.)


BA 330 (4 Credits) Fall, Spring
The Legal Environment of Business (4+0)

The judicial system, legal processes, administrative procedures, law of torts, contract and agency government regulation of business, business ethics, corporate social responsibility and the uniform commercial code. (Prerequisite: Upper division standing or permission of the Business Administration Department Head.)


BA 343 (3 Credits) Fall, Spring
Principles of Marketing (3+0)

Management of a firm's marketing effort focusing on products, distribution, pricing, and promotion to targeted consumers. Practices appropriate to domestic or international, small or large, goods or services, and for-profit or nonprofit organizations included. (Prerequisite: Upper division standing.)


BA 360 (3 Credits) Fall, Spring
Production/Operations Management (3+0)

Production management field with an emphasis on the design and management of efficient manufacturing and operating systems including the process of converting, or manufacturing resources into goods, and activities associated with the production of goods and services. Topics include productivity and quality, product design and development, resource-requirements planning, facility and distribution issues, process technology, automation and job design, materials and inventory management, scheduling and production-activity control, project planning. (Prerequisites: AIS 101, ACCT 262, ECON 200, 227, MATH 262X or equivalents, upper division standing.)


BA 371 (3 Credits) Fall or Spring
Principles of Tourism (3+0)

Overview of the tourism industry. Explores major concept unique to the growing industry. Topics include history and organization of the industry, travel motivations, elements of tourism supply and demand, planning and development principles, marketing and the future of the tourism industry.


BA 372 (3 Credits) Fall or Spring
Management of Hospitality and Tourism Industry (3+0)

Practices and concepts for successful hotel operation in Alaska including but not limited to management systems, financing of hotels, budgeting and food costing, housekeeping and front office management. (Prerequisite: BA 371 and upper division standing.)


BA 373 (3 Credits) Fall or Spring
Community Tourism Development (3+0)

A community-based perspective of the organizational, planning, development, funding, and operational need for a successful tourism economy at the local level. (Prerequisite: BA 371, upper division standing.)


BA 390 (3 Credits) Fall, Spring
Organizational Theory and Behavior (3+0)

Behavior of individuals and small groups within organizations, including motivation, leadership, communications, group dynamics, organizational development, and conflict management. (Prerequisite: Upper division standing.)


BA 418 (3 Credits) As Demand Warrants
Simulation Modeling for Decision Making (3+0)

Concepts of computer simulation, probability distributions, modeling principles and the language STELLA from basics to modeling a reasonably complex operating system and making conclusions about the system. (Prerequisites: AIS 101 or equivalent, ECON 227, MATH 262X, ACCT 262; BA 360 is recommended, upper division standing.)


BA 436 (3 Credits) Fall or Spring
Consumer Behavior (3+0) s
(Cross-listed with PSY 436)

Effects of nationality, culture, social class, family, personality, symbolism, and persuasion on consumptive behavior. Qualitative methodologies such as focus groups covered. (Prerequisites: Upper division standing.)


BA 441 (3 Credits) Fall or Spring
Promotion Management (3+0)

Advertising, publicity, sales management, sales promotion, direct marketing, and the interrelationships necessary for effective promotions in domestic or international, small or large, goods or services, and for-profit or nonprofit organizations included. (Prerequisite: BA 343 highly recommended, upper division standing.)


BA 445W (3 Credits) Fall or Spring
Marketing Research (3+0)

Basic processes and tools of marketing research with emphasis on utilization of research findings as an integral part of the managerial decision-making process. Techniques of quantitative data-gathering and analysis to solve a marketing problem. Practices appropriate to domestic or international, small or large, goods or services, and for-profit or nonprofit organizations included. (Prerequisites: BA 343, STAT 200 or equivalent, upper division standing.)


BA 447W,O (3 Credits) Fall or Spring
Compensation Management (3+0)

Theory and practice of wage and salary, benefits and risk management. Planning, administration, auditing, adjusting and budgeting for compensation and risk. (Prerequisite: BA 307, upper division standing.)


BA 453 (3 Credits) As Demand Warrants
Internship in Business Administration (0+Variable)

A supervised practical work experience to enable students to apply their coursework in a business environment. Admission dependent upon approved sponsorship arrangements. (Prerequisites: Upper division standing and permission of instructor.)


BA 454O (3 Credits) Fall, Spring
Student Investment Fund (3+0)

"Hands-on" experience in portfolio management. Students will be making investment and diversification decisions affecting the $500,000 Student Investment Fund. Materials fee: $20.00. (Prerequisite: BA 325, or equivalent and permission of instructor.)


BA 455 (3 Credits) Fall, Spring
Portfolio Management (3+0)

The second course involved with the "hands-on" management of the $500,000 Student Investment Fund. Students will carry out the duties of the officers of the fund and will be responsible for the portfolio diversification and management decisions affecting the fund. Materials fee: $20.00. (Prerequisite: BA 454, upper division standing and permission of instructor.)


BA 456W (3 Credits) Fall or Spring
Small Business Management (3+0)

Operations and special problems of the small business with emphasis on both existing firms and new ventures. Starting new businesses, buying going concerns, acquiring and operating franchises, establishing lines of credit, management, legal matters, profit planning, pricing, inventory levels, record systems, tax regulations, and employee supervision. Materials fee: $20.00. (Prerequisites: Completion of all 300 level business administration, accounting and economics common body of knowledge requirements and upper division standing in the School of Management.)


BA 457 (3 Credits) Fall or Spring
Training and Management Development (3+0)

Theory and practice of employee training programs, needs assessments, learning theories, instructional design, training techniques and evaluation, management development and career development techniques and practices. (Prerequisites: BA 307, 317, upper division standing.)


BA 460O (3 Credits) Fall or Spring
International Business (3+0)

Relationships among nations with particular emphasis on the business, economic, and sociocultural institutions that influence the performance of managers. Formulation of objectives, strategies, and organizational structures within the context of international diversity. (Prerequisites: Upper division standing and all 300 level requirements completed.)


BA 462O (3 Credits) Fall, Spring
Corporate Strategy (3+0)

An integrative approach to strategy formation and implementation to achieve organization goals. Students will be introduced to theoretical perspectives and associated methodologies directed toward resolving the unstructured problems and opportunities which confront general managers at the highest levels of an organization. (Prerequisites: Completion of all 300 level business administration, accounting and economics common body of knowledge requirements and upper division standing.)


BA 471W (3 Credits) Fall or Spring
Tourism Seminar (3+0)

A senior seminar examining all areas of the travel-tourism industry. Lecture, guest industry speakers and the case study method are utilized. (Prerequisites: BA 371 and upper division standing.)


BA 475 (3 Credits) As Demand Warrants
Transportation and Logistics (3+0)

Transportation systems components, systems planning, multimode systems, interactions among components and between the transportation system and its environment. Special consideration is given to Alaskan transportation problems by experienced specialists. (Prerequisites: STAT 200, BA 343, upper division standing.)


BA 490 (3 Credits) Fall or Spring
Services Marketing (3+0)

Marketing principles in the service sector with special emphasis on such service industries as financial, retailing and tourism. Includes practices appropriate to domestic or international, small or large, and for-profit organizations. (Prerequisite: BA 343 highly recommended, upper division standing.)


BA 491 (3 Credits) Fall or Spring
Current Topics in Marketing (3+0)

Examines current marketing trends with regard to production, distribution, promotion, pricing, and target markets. Focus on trends in Alaska, the U.S., and worldwide. (Prerequisite: BA 343 highly recommended, upper division standing.)


BA 604 (3 Credits) Fall or Spring
The Legal Environment of Business (3+0)

An introduction to the legal environment of business. Topics include the judicial system, legal processes, business law, product safety and advertising, labor-management relations, business ethics, and corporate social responsibility. (Prerequisites: Graduate standing.)


BA 607 (3 Credits) Fall or Spring
Human Resources Management (3+0)

The study of the effective management of human resources in organizations to include employee planning and recruiting, selection and orientation, training and career development, performance evaluation, compensation, EEO, occupational safety and health, and labor relations. (Prerequisites: Graduate standing.)


BA 610 (3 Credits) Fall or Spring
Production/Operations Management (3+0)

Introduction to the field of production management with an emphasis on the design and management of efficient manufacturing and service systems. Topics include operations strategy, allocation of scarce resources, productivity, quality, product design and development, facility and distribution issues, automation, job design, materials and inventory management, scheduling, and project planning. (Prerequisites: Graduate standing.)


BA 617 (3 Credits) Fall or Spring
Organizational Theory and Behavior (3+0)

A general approach to understanding behavior at individual, group, and organizational levels. Various methods are used to examine leadership, communication, group dynamics, and the structure and design of organizations. (Prerequisite: Graduate standing.)


BA 625 (3 Credits) Fall or Spring
Principles of Finance (3+0)

A broad based introduction to the theories and techniques of corporate financial management and investments. Topics covered include capital budgeting, cost of capital, leverage and valuation. (Prerequisites: Graduate standing.)


BA 630 (3 Credits) Spring
Derivative Securities (3+0)

Derivative securities including options strategies, binomial and Black-Scholes pricing models, commodity and interest-rate futures, hedging strategies using options and futures, and risk management. (Prerequisite: BA 625 or equivalent.)


BA 643 (3 Credits) Fall or Spring
Marketing Management (3+0)

An introductory graduate level course in marketing, including the study of product and product planning, research, distribution channels, logistics, consumer behavior, pricing, sales promotion and management, and the institutional structure of markets. (Prerequisites: Graduate standing.)


BA 660 (3 Credits) Fall or Spring
Seminar in Production Management (3+0)

An advanced seminar that explores classic and current issues and topics associated with production activities in manufacturing and services. Cases, readings, and projects are used to explore how companies worldwide have achieved advances in productivity, quality and flexibility. (Prerequisite: BA 610.)


BA 670 (3 Credits) As Demand Warrants
Seminar in Multinational Business Management (3+0)

An advanced seminar expanding management education from the domestic to the international arena. Concentration is given to the strategy and structure of the multinational enterprise; the industrial developing and command economies in transition; the movement of capital, people, product and technology across national borders; and the sociocultural influences on international trade and investment.


BA 675 (3 Credits) Fall or Spring
Practical Quantitative Methods for Business Decision Making (3+0)

The objective of this course is to provide the student with an in-depth treatment of quantitative research methods in an applied context. Hence the focus of the course is not the mathematical derivations and properties of statistical techniques, but rather the usefulness of those techniques to the managerial decision making process. Research skills are presented as a set of tools that enable managers to make better decisions. (Prerequisites: Completion of foundation classes and graduate standing.)


BA 680 (3 Credits) Fall or Spring
Seminar in Finance (3+0)

An advanced seminar covering the principles of investing in marketable securities from the individual's perspective, the determination of value, analysis of growth, technical analysis, CAPM, and portfolio management. (Prerequisite: BA 625.)


BA 681 (3 Credits) Fall
Fixed Income Securities and Markets (3+0)

Fixed income securities and markets including treasury securities, agency securities, mortgage backed securities, corporate securities, municipal bonds and derivatives. Introduces technical issues relating to duration, convexity, and bond-portfolio management. (Prerequisite: BA 625 or equivalent.)


BA 683 (3 Credits) Fall or Spring
Seminar in Marketing (3+0)

An advanced seminar covering marketing institutions, systems, policies, and practices. Review of marketing constituents in economic development, marketing theory, and current problems. (Prerequisites: BA 643.)


BA 685 (3 Credits) As Demand Warrants
International Finance (3+0)

Advanced examination of exchange rate behavior, risk analysis and control, and direct and indirect foreign investment. (Prerequisites: BA 625 and BA 680.)


BA 690 (3 Credits) Fall or Spring
Corporate Strategy (3+0)

An integrative approach to strategy formation and implementation (decision-making) to achieve organization goals. Students will be introduced to theoretical perspectives and associated methodologies directed towards resolving the unstructured problems and opportunities which confront general managers at the highest levels of an organization. BA 690 is an advanced seminar taken during the student's last spring semester.


BA 691 (3 Credits) Fall or Spring
Advanced Topics in Business (3+0)

An advanced course providing necessary training in developing managers' ability to excel in specialized areas of business such as entrepreneurship and risk management. (Prerequisite: Graduate standing.)