Scheller College of Business Electives Offered in Summer 2013

• To see how each of these electives fits into a Scheller College of Business concentration or certificate, check out concentration and certificate requirements at http://scheller.gatech.edu/programs/under/current/index.html.
• For information about assigned course professors, days/times and classroom locations, go to www.oscar.gatech.edu. Titles for Special Topics courses (4803) are listed on the second line of course title in OSCAR.
• The electives listed below are not offered every term. The list may change slightly during registration. Some courses have pre-requisites, so please check Oscar before you register.

MGT 3076 - Investments

The course is divided into three sections. The first begins with an overview of the institutional setting, including an introduction to the process of investment planning for both short- and long-term needs; a description of the essential characteristics of various investment vehicles; the organization and operation of the securities markets; a critical survey of the more important sources of investment information (with emphasis on those available in the Georgia Tech Library as well as on the Internet); an examination of the concepts of return and risk, the ways in which they can be measured, and their significance in terms of investor objectives; and closes with an introduction to the principles of optimal portfolio formation and administration. The second section is devoted in its entirety to an analysis of the major types of securities available to investors. It begins with an examination of common stock, moves to a consideration of fixed return securities, and concludes with a look at preferred stock and convertible securities. The principal emphasis throughout is on fundamental security analysis with its stress on principles and techniques of security valuation; however the student is also introduced to the nature and essentials of technical security analysis. The concept of efficient markets is also examined in this section. Three specialized topics are included in the final section of the course. They consist of a study of techniques designed to monitor the performance of a portfolio, an examination of mutual funds and the role they can play in an investment program, and finally an introduction to options, including rights, warrants, puts and calls. This later topic is intended to serve as an introduction to the elective course in Derivative Securities (MGT 3084) which those students particularly interested in this subject may choose to take.

MGT 3084 - Derivative Securities

Motivation and Rewards presents both the theories underlying direct compensation and reward systems in organizations, and the administrative practices used to implement such systems. Theories and models relevant to employee compensation from economics, organizational behavior, psychology, and sociology will be examined, particularly as they relate to human capital practices and outcomes including labor force attraction and retention and individual motivation, satisfaction, and performance. Compensation management practices, including the analysis and evaluation of jobs, criteria and procedures for determining wage levels, individual wage determination, forms of pay, and benefits will be covered.

MGT 3310 - Marketing Research

The course covers the fundamentals of the qualitative and quantitative aspects of marketing research. The course has an applied orientation with application to contemporary issues in marketing. Course learning objective: Upon completion of the course students should be familiar with the following market research concepts:
• Definition of marketing research
• Career opportunities in marketing research
• Understanding a research problem
• Steps involved in the research process
• Secondary research
• Primary research
• Qualitative research
• Quantitative research
• Sampling plans
• Questionnaire development
• Measurement scales
• Basic data analysis techniques
• Research reporting

MGT 4041 - Auditing & Financial Control

The course is designed to provide the student with insight into auditing: what it is, why it’s important, what it entails, and why users of financial statements should care about it. The course is designed for students interested in various aspects of accounting and finance. Topics covered in the course include the demand for audits, management fraud, litigation against public accounting firms, and an overview of the audit process.

MGT 4052 - System Analysis & Design

The intent of this course is to provide you with a strong foundation in the methods and practice of systems analysis and design. In this course, you will learn to identify areas of problems or opportunities for information systems development. You will learn to identify opportunities for information systems, evaluate the feasibility of a proposed information systems project, and then proceed to determine the best development approach for the project. You will learn to define user problems, isolate user requirements, model information objects, identify use cases, and design the user interface for an internet-based system. Today, many information systems are developed for the Web; thus, you will learn about the particular analysis and design issues relevant to developing internet-based information systems. We will also talk about current and emerging trends and opportunities in information systems development. A number of homework exercises and a class project will give you the opportunity to apply what you are learning in the course. The goals of this course are to enable you to:

• understand the requirements determination process in general and for object oriented systems development, in particular
• understand fundamental object oriented concepts and see how they are similar to and different from other approaches
• gain experience in using CASE tools such as Visio to design a system
• be aware of the organizational, political, social and technical issues in systems development
• work in teams on systems analysis and design tasks
• understand the analysis and design issues relevant to Internet based information systems and how these issues can be addressed
• determine the various alternatives for systems development and understand when each is appropriate apply what you have learned in a realistic systems development situation

MGT 4102 - Management Consulting (Previously taught as Special Topics MGT 4803 (Consulting). No credit allowed for both MGT 4102 and MGT 4803 (Consulting).

Management Consulting has become and will continue to be a significant career option for many students, regardless of whether a student’s academic foundation is in business, engineering, or the basic sciences. Careers in Management Consulting often provide individuals an opportunity for challenging work, continued self-development, access to important social and professional networks, and, over time, significant financial rewards. The Management Consulting Industry has grown in size and complexity particularly since the early 1990’s. Although there are many very small firms, the industry is dominated by a relatively few very large global organizations that practice in a variety of business settings and business disciplines. In addition many businesses have developed internal consulting organizations to provide consulting related services within the organization and often in conjunction with consulting services offered by third party firms. In this course, we explore what it means to be a Management Consultant, and will introduce students to consulting frameworks and methods; simulate consulting project activities and situations using business cases; and network students with practicing consulting professionals from a variety of global and local firms. Within the context of this course, consulting is view broadly and is inclusive of a number of practice areas including Strategy Consulting, IT Consulting, Marketing Consulting, Human Resource Consulting, Operational/Process Consulting, Organizational Consulting, and consulting for non-profits. Course participants will be organized into consulting teams and will have the opportunity to identify and complete two simulated consulting “engagements” using case materials from the Harvard Business School.

MGT 4311 - Digital Marketing (Previously taught as Special Topics MGT 4803 (Digital Marketing). No credit allowed for both MGT 4311 and MGT 4803 (Digital Marketing).

Digital Marketing has evolved from radio and television to include the online/Internet channel and has grown significantly over the past 10 years. The pace of new technology development and the ways consumers are interacting with various technologies has also been growing rapidly. Marketing executives are faced with new challenges to determine creative, cost effective ways to create brand awareness, engage their audience, and establish strong brand reputations. Social media and mobile have established new positions in the marketing arsenal alongside more mature online components such as email and search. Assembling the right mix of tactics to support an organization’s overarching marketing strategy while also maximizing efforts through integrated marketing communications poses great opportunities and challenges for large and small businesses alike. Understanding the various components of the online marketing channel at a high level is a necessary prerequisite for leveraging these tactics effectively in an applied environment. This course will explore elements including:
• Websites, micro-sites, and portals
• Mobile marketing
• Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
• Social media marketing
• Pay-Per-Click advertising (PPC)
• Email marketing

In addition to providing exposure to the tactical components of the online marketing channel, this course will also impart practical knowledge through real-world case examples and presentations from industry practitioners. Much like the field of online marketing, this course is intended to be interactive with a healthy level of class participation and Q&A.

MGT 4366 - Service Operations Management

This case course explores the dimensions of successful service firms. It prepares students for enlightened management and suggests creative entrepreneurial opportunities. Outstanding service organizations are managed differently than their "merely good" competitors. Actions are based on totally different assumptions about the way success is achieved. The results show not only in terms of conventional measures of performance but also in the enthusiasm of the employees and quality of customer satisfaction. Beginning with the service encounter, service managers must blend marketing, technology, people, and information to achieve a distinctive competitive advantage. This course will study service management from an integrated viewpoint with a focus on customer satisfaction where the material will integrate operations, marketing, strategy, information technology and organizational issues. Finally, because the service sector is the fastest-growing sector of the economy, this course is intended to help students discover entrepreneurial opportunities.

MGT 4803 - Leadership: Managing Work Relationships (Previously taught as Special Topics MGT 4803 (Fairness and Leadership: Building High Trust Cultures). No credit allowed for both MGT 4803 (Leadership: Managing Work Relationships) and MGT 4803 (Fairness and Leadership: Building High Trust Cultures).

This course is designed to provide students with a comprehensive understanding of leadership as a phenomenon, emphasizing the importance of building high-quality work relationships. Using case-based methodology, students will learn to think critically about the leadership. It is important to note that leadership develops over time, through repetition, feedback, and self-reflection. Ultimately this course will provide you with the tools you will need to continue to mature and evolve as a leader.