Business

Introduces students to major theories and concepts in international politics and examines the evolution of the international system during the modern era. Principal topics include: the causes of war and peace, the dynamics of imperialism and post-colonialism, the emergence of global environmental issues, the nature and functioning of international institutions, the legal and ethical obligations of states, and the international sources of wealth and poverty. International Relations. 

Accounting is the measurement system used to evaluate the financial status of any business venture. As such, accounting constitutes the common language for anyone who is running a business (for-profit or not-for-profit), and understanding financial statements generated by an accounting system is a key skill that you must have.

An introduction to the issues, methods, and concepts of economic anthropology. This course places economic features such as markets, commodities, and money into a larger cross-cultural context by exploring relations of power, kinship, gender, exchange and social transformation.

A study of Greek and Roman oratory based on the reading and rhetorical analysis of speeches delivered in the law courts and assemblies of 5th and 4th century Athens, and the late period of the Roman Republic (80-45 BC) where the focus will be on the law court speeches of Cicero. The course involves both an introduction to the legal procedures of the Athenian and Roman courts and assemblies, and careful analysis of the literary style and forms of legal argument in selected speeches.

Economics is the study of the allocation of scarce resources among competing uses. Microeconomics investigates how households and firms make individual and social decisions concerning the allocation of resources through their interactions in markets. Macroeconomics studies national level economic issues such as growth, inflation, unemployment, interest rates, exchange rates, technological progress, and government budgets. This course introduces the central topics of both microeconomics and macroeconomics in one semester. The purpose of the course is to provide a basic understanding of economics for students who are not economics majors.

An introductory course in the study of the varied forms and techniques of fiction and non-fiction. Emphasis is on the intensive reading and writing of various prose forms. Lectures on form, language and finding material for inspiration. Class size limited to 12 students.

Examines the major political, economic, social and cultural forces that contributed to the modernizing of America. Special emphasis on: industrialization and Empire; the impact of racial, gender, class and ethnic struggles for justice within a democratic republic; “Americanism”; the expanding role of the government in the lives of its citizens; labor and capitalism; popular and consumer culture; war and home front. 

Capitalism in Context will introduce students to the intellectual foundations and principles of capitalism, detailing how these intersect with ideas about individual liberty, social responsibility and human flourishing.  Capitalism itself is a contested term, and we will explore some of the many “capitalisms” that have arisen, always with an eye to normative questions about which accord best with the demands of morality and justice.  Additional topics to be addressed may include, but are not limited to: debates about regulation and the proper relationship between the state and the market; theories of corporate social responsibility and the evolution of corporate governance; the challenges posed by the increasing focus on finance rather than industrial production as the main source of profit making; and the social, political and technological changes that have accompanied this shift.

This course presents the basic concepts of statistics and data analysis in a non-technical way. Topics include graphical methods of summarizing data, descriptive statistics, and methods of statistical inference. STAT 120 is a terminal, introductory course intended for students who are not interested in pursuing mathematics, economics, biology, psychology, sociology, or the health professions. 

Explores the world of music business from both a contemporary and historical perspective. Students will examine the economic structure that surrounds the core relationship between the artist and the fan. Topics include: copyright, music, publishing, recording contracts, music production, marketing, royalties and concert promotion

The course explores the question of whether highly organized collectives (corporations, governments, colleges, etc.) qualify as moral agents.  If they do, then they have moral obligations and it is wrong when they lie, cheat, or steal. If they don’t, then they don’t have moral obligations and it isn’t wrong when they lie, cheat, or steal.  That’s an unattractive result, but holists claiming that such collectives are moral agents face a difficult challenge. The holist has to demonstrate that (1) the collective entity exists, that it cannot be “reduced” to its members; (2) the entity qualifies as an “agent”, with beliefs, desires, and the ability to act on them; and (3) the entity has the additional capacities necessary for “moral agency” (including free will).  That is the path we will trace in this course, drawing on contemporary analytic work in metaphysics, philosophy of mind, agency, and ethics to see whether collectives can meet the standards established there. Throughout, we will consideration the implications for either the Enron scandal, NASA’s failures with the Challenger and Columbia shuttles, the Penn State/Jerry Sandusky scandal, or the Countrywide mortgage scandal – student choice.  By the end, students should be able to (1) adopt a position on each of these core questions, supporting their position with reference to the contemporary literature and responding to criticisms, and (2) draw a conclusion about the situations involving the contemporary issue we choose to explore.