BSAD - Business Administration

This course covers the historical development of management, universal functions of management, strategic management, organizational theory, managerial communication and control of operations.

This course is designed to introduce students to the interdisciplinary nature and scope of the International Business major. Students are introduced to various career opportunities in International Business and to various topics central to understanding trends and developments in international business including: globalization and how it affects business, economics, and politics around the world, how to understand and use international business negotiation techniques when negotiating between countries, international entrepreneurship trends and how to identify business opportunities around the world, and other topics related to current issues in international business. Required for all International Business majors/minors, Asian Business Studies minors.

Introduction to each of the functional areas of an entrepreneurial business, including marketing, accounting, finance, operations, human resources management, and business operations. The course is designed to help students appreciate the interrelationship of these business functions and, understand how they operate in an entrepreneurial start-up business. It covers such topics as the challenges of entrepreneurship, building your brand, forms of ownership and pricing.

This course is designed to introduce, research, and discuss important international business. Topics will vary each semester and will focus on current international Business topics. Open to all students.

This course introduces students to the basics of international business management. Students will learn about how and why management styles vary from country to country and will gain general knowledge and understanding about how to manage in different countries.

How culture affects management styles and how the basic management principles of planning, organizing, leading, and controlling differ when managing international operations will be emphasized. Required for all International Business majors/minors and is open to all students.

This course provides an introduction to law affecting businesses and individual, with a focus on contracts (legality, formality and interpretation, nature and transfer, discharge, breach and remedies) and negotiable instruments (their use and significance).

Students explore extensive practical application of diverse forms of written and oral business communication with the aid of technology. Topics include writing effective messages and analytical business reports; presenting effectively using multimedia slides in presentations; creating resumes and successful interviewing; handling the challenges of international and cross-cultural communication; examining crisis communication; evaluating emotional and artificial intelligence in the workplace.

This course is an introduction to the concepts, principles, problems, and practices of operations management. Operations management is directly involved in the creation and delivery of an organization's goods and/or services. Emphasis is on managerial processes for effective operations in both goods-producing and service-rendering organization. Topics include operations strategy, process design, capacity planning, facilities location and design, forecasting, production scheduling, inventory control, quality assurance, and project management. The topics are integrated using a systems model of the operations of an organization.

The course introduces students to the historical development, structure, operation, as well as the current and future directions of the major components of the American health care delivery system. It examines the ways in which health care services are organized and delivered, the influences that impact health care public policy decisions, factors that determine the allocation of health care resources and the establishment of priorities, and the relationship of health care costs to measurable benefits. Issues concerning health insurance, health care facilities, various health care services, and medical products will be analyzed to help students become wise health care consumers.

This course will cover procurement to include the purchase of materials, work-in-process, finished goods, and services by the procurement function of an organization. The importance of procurement in providing a sustainable competitive advantage through lower costs, higher quality, and better service for both internal and external customers will also be covered.

This course covers managing a value-added service business; customer expectations of service and quality; use of the Internet and related technology to transform businesses; interplay among managerial, personnel and technology issues that will shape the future of business; identification of emerging forms of business models observable on the Web; and analysis of management practices using case studies. Entrepreneurship and franchising are also covered in this course.

Topics covered include personnel recruiting, selection, orientation, placement, training, and development; performance evaluation, wage and salary administration; employee benefits; and safety and health issues.

Students explore human behavior in the organization and how it affects and is affected by management; organizational psychology; corporate culture; and individual, group and intergroup relationships.

This skill-building course stresses supervisory competencies: self assessment, time and stress management, creative problem solving, motivation and performance, conflict management, power and influence and team building. Emphasis is on in-class group exercises.

Business Administration Special Topics courses are offered periodically, in various terms, to students who want to expand their knowledge on a particular management related topics. These courses are offered in various teaching formats and require significant student participation.

An introduction to entrepreneurship, this seminar will focus on developing entrepreneurial thinking skills. The application of critical thinking skills and the identification of viable entrepreneurial concepts will be explored. We will then focus on developing entrepreneurial venture strategies. This involves learning how to identify a new venture's market niche, defining a business strategy, and determining when to launch the venture. Venture capital and financing issues will be explored. Identification and evaluation of various types of entrepreneurial opportunities including e-commerce will be addressed. A final project is required for academic credit.

This is an introductory seminar in the area of business ethics clarifying the purpose of codes of conduct: be it ethical, moral or civil. This seminar will address the challenges facing organizations and businesses to educate employees on the proper behaviors in the workplace. Through the use of films, group discussions and presentations, this seminar will prove to be an exciting learning experience in a very practical and important dimension of business.

As people move up the organizational ladder they are often thrown into situations for which they are not prepared.  Social skills and etiquette are requirements for leaders of today.  This seminar will provide an opportunity to learn about wine and formal dining etiquette with an Illinois sommelier at a local restaurant, how to handle challenging etiquette conversations and situations, as well as additional topical etiquette issues.

The fundamental activity of a startup is to turn ideas into products or services, measure how customers respond, and then learn whether to change or grow. In this workshop, attendees will be introduced to the Lean Startup management concepts and techniques. They will also experience and apply these concepts on hands-on exercises and simulation games. In short, you will walk out with a thorough understanding and working experience with how to start your business or develop a new product or service in a lean and productive way.

This workshop is designed as a first step for those thinking of setting up a new business, but don't know how to take it further. The workshop will go through a host of activities to assist in the concepts of thinking critically and creatively, to develop a business idea. It will also discuss business formation and other preliminary steps to business ownership.

A prototype is an unfinished and physical test version of a product, a service, or a process and prototypes may be used in order to develop, test and communicate ideas and concepts. This workshop will demonstrate how to operate a basic 3D Design Software package. Participants in this workshop will use this software to design a customized keychain that can be printed in our lab. The skills learned this workshop can be easily applied to create a wide variety of fun and useful 3D printable objects.

This workshop provides students, early in their college career, an introduction to the soft skills that make or break a business career - business etiquette, professionalism, and business ethics. Students become familiar, and experience all the educational and support resources available at Lewis University to build their portfolio of professional skills, such as basic computer skills and resume writing. This workshop is a prerequisite for 3 additional workshops dedicated to preparing students for a successful career in any field of business.

Through a series of Executive Briefings and visits to local, regional and national company sites, students are exposed to a myriad of business environments where they can compare, contrast, and witness the authentic world of business. With executive guidance, students will develop strong resumes and engage in opportunities to further develop professional networking and communication skills.

In this workshop, students will apply their newly acquired leadership and project management skills to solve a real and genuine problem faced by many business organizations. A powerful result of these activities will be advanced development of their interviewing and presentation skills.

Students will develop both online and offline portfolios that showcase their background, skills and experience as they relate to the needs of a potential employer in their job and career search. Students will engage in a variety of real-world opportunities that will allow students to showcase their business expertise.

This course integrates all aspects of the learning experience for International Business majors and other majors interested in identifying, analyzing, and developing international business plans or solving international business problems for companies interested in expanding internationally. Since students work to solve "real life" international business problems, this course offers first hand experiential learning and the opportunity to develop advanced analytical skills and practical application of knowledge acquired in the classroom. Should be one of the final courses taken, normally in the senior year.

This course integrates all aspects of the learning experience for those students taking the International Business Concentration, and should be one of the final courses taken, normally in the senior year. The course offers advance analysis and application of knowledge, evaluation and implementation. This is a writing intensive/advanced course.

This class provides an introduction to the challenges and opportunities of managing a business internationally (human resource management, marketing, accounting, finance, among others) within the context of a changing global environment (political, economic, cultural, technological, competitive, financial forces), as well as the different types of international and marketing entry strategies. In addition to cases and research projects, the course emphasizes student participation and the integration of knowledge and skills learned in other courses.

Students study current management issues using various techniques in a seminar setting. Emphasis is on student participation and integrating knowledge gained from previous management courses. This course should be completed as one of the student's final business courses.

This course explores the strategic management process; analysis, implementation and evaluation; qualitative and quantitative analysis of financial ratios for management decision making; and strategic thinking and strategic change. The case method is used. This capstone course should be completed as one of the student's final business courses.

This internship is designed to provide students with controlled, on-the-job experience with participating businesses, industries and governmental organizations. Students may be eligible for an internship with jobs they currently have. This is a variable credit hour course.

This internship is designed to provide students with on-the-job international business experience by participating in business, government, or non-government organizations with an international component or emphasis. Students may be eligible for an internship with their current position. A limited number of internships/jobs are also available through the Internship Coordinator and the Career Services Center.

Students participating in a Lewis approved semester study abroad, travel study, or international internship program can design a Study Abroad Project that integrates their practical study abroad experience with academic research and analysis. This course provides the student the opportunity to expand knowledge and understanding of important international business issues not normally covered in the classroom and builds upon the study abroad experience gained from studying, living and/or working in a foreign country to meet their unique career, personal, or academic goals.

Students design their project in consultation with their advisor and/or the Director of the International Business Program. Projects are available in International business, international marketing, international accounting, international economics, and international finance.
For more information, contact the Director of the International Business program.

Students complete independent readings and conduct research in Business Administration.