Courses
Students must earn a total of 120 college credit hours to receive this degree. Of these credit hours, 60 credits are core courses, 42 general education credits, and 18 elective credits. Students must meet their core requirements as well as their general education requirements.
In addition, students must meet the following criteria:
- Students enrolled in the undergraduate program must maintain a Cumulative Grade Point Average (CGPA) of at least 2.0 out of 4.0 to qualify for the BA degree, to remain in good standing, and to graduate.
- The Maximum Time Frame (MTF) for completion of the BA program is 180 credits.
- An undergraduate student may transfer up to 60 credit hours earned at accredited institutions.
- No degree credit is received by an undergraduate for any failing grade (a grade less than D, or 1.00 out of 4.00 grade points).
ECONOMICS & FINANCE CORE REQUIREMENTS (20 Courses)
ACCT 112
Financial Accounting
3 Credits
The most important sources of information for analyzing an organization’s financial health are the balance sheet, the income statement, and the statement of cash flows. This course examines each of these documents in order to determine the operational, financial, and investment decisions that the firm has made and evaluates their outcomes.
ACCT 114
Managerial Accounting
3 Credits
Managers need data in order to make critical cost, profit, and pricing decisions for their businesses. This course examines the type and sources of data that managers utilize, and how the pieces of data are analyzed to transform them into information that can be used as the basis for decision making that improves profitability.
The purpose of this course is to open awareness to the complexity of ethical decision-making and prepare students to make choices from a standpoint of ethical consciousness. Students will learn to identify ethical problems in their program of study, assess the obligations of stakeholders, formulate arguments for those obligations, and propose feasible solutions to ethical problems. Diversity competence will also be stressed. Assignments, activities, and exams will cultivate reflection, analysis, creativity, and empowerment.
ECON 101
Introduction to Microeconomics
3 Credits
Microeconomics deals with the behavior of companies and individuals that determines the choices they make in the allocation of resources. This course examines the concepts of supply, demand, market equilibrium, and competition and the impact that external forces such as taxation, government policy, and globalization have on them.
ECON 111
Introduction to Macroeconomics
3 Credits
Macroeconomics deals with the total of all economic activity within a nation. This course examines such issues as economic growth, inflation, unemployment, savings, and investment to understand how these factors interact to impact the business cycle and overall national income.
ECON 221
Intermediate Microeconomics
3 Credits
Building on the material covered in ECON 101, this course examines consumer behavior, production costs, and price and output analysis in both competitive and monopolistic market situations.
ECON 222
Intermediate Macroeconomics
3 Credits
Using the material from ECON 111 as a basis, this course examines the impact of monetary, fiscal, and economic policy on a variety of economic parameters such as GDP growth, international trade, business cycles, unemployment, and inflation.
ECON 251
International Economics
3 Credits
Traditionally the economic relationship between nations was based on trade, but today the situation is complicated by financial (exchange rates, monetary and fiscal policies), political (protectionism, tariffs), and social (unemployment, migration) issues associated with trade. This course examines the economic impact of those factors on the economies of various nations.
ECON 437
Econometrics I
3 Credits
Alfred Marshall (1842-1924) was a pioneer in applying mathematical rigor to economics; Econometrics applies statistical methods to empirical data with the goal of determining relationships and trends. Using linear regression and other statistical tools, this course compares theoretical forecasts of economic parameters with the real-world data to determine the predictive value of the models.
ECON 479
Health Care Economics
3 Credits
Health policy is examined from an economic perspective. Basic economic theories and their relationships to the structure and function of the US health care system are explored. Alternative health care systems and health care reforms are also evaluated.
ECON 481
Education and Economic Development
3 Credits
This course is an introduction to the economics of education. The central aim of the course is to assist students in viewing the education “industry” and its educational processes through the perspective of economics. Several tools of economic analysis are used to address the links between education and economic growth, consumption, investment, employment, and equity. Students are afforded an opportunity to examine an important issue related to the economics of education, which helps them to become more knowledgeable about the economics of education literature and learn how to apply the tools of economic analysis to an important policy issue.
ENGL 324
Technical Writing and Presentation Skills for Economics and Finance
3 Credits
Economists and finance managers communicate a great deal. Many are called upon to make presentations to conferences, to write opinion pieces for newspapers, and appear on television to analyze current events. In addition, they compose internal memos and reports that influence the direction of their organizations. This course is designed to familiarize students with the current communication trends in all of those areas. Students will have the opportunity to develop their communication skills by learning the jargon of the discipline, focusing on real-world topics, videoing their presentations, and having their work product reviewed by peers.
FINC 221
Introduction to Financial Management
3 Credits
In order to maximize future profits, firms need to make a number of interrelated strategic financial decisions. This course examines the impact of decisions in corporate capitalization (debt vs. equity), operations (fixed-asset investments vs. outsourcing), budgeting of financial resources, and monitoring of assets and liabilities on the profitability of the firm.
FINC 224
Corporate Finance I
3 Credits
This is the first course of two consecutive corporate finance courses in the second year which aims to provide the student with the basic tools for making financial decisions. This course will introduce the student to basic financial theory and concepts of corporate finance. This course will also ensure an understanding of relationship between financial theory and its practices. It will cover some of the theory and practice of decision-making within the corporation. More of the emphasis will be on financial valuation, capital budgeting and cash flow analysis.
FINC 225
Corporate Finance II
3 Credits
The purpose of this course is to introduce basic concepts of financial management with special attention to corporate financial decisions. The course will focus on (1) the capital budgeting process, (2) dividend and capital structure policies of the firm, (3) the basics of risk management, (4) how derivatives can be used to hedge financial risks, (5) the rationale for mergers, different types of mergers, and merger analysis, (6) the pros and cons of the hybrids from the standpoints of both issuers and investors, how to determine when to use them, and the factors that affect their values.
FINC 331
Financial Analysis
3 Credits
An analysis of a firm’s financial documents (Balance Sheet, Income Statement, and Statement of Cash Flows) can provide detailed insight into its financial health. Using this data as a platform, the course explores the use of trend analysis and financial models for financial planning to achieve greater stability, growth, and profitability.
MATH 110
Introduction to Statistics
3 Credits
This is an introductory course that assumes no prior knowledge of statistics but does assume some knowledge of high school algebra. Basic statistical concepts and methods are presented in a manner that emphasizes understanding the principles of data collection and analysis rather than theory. Much of the course will be devoted to discussions of how statistics is commonly used in the real world.
MATH 225
Spreadsheet Applications for Business, Accounting, and Economics
3 Credits
Spreadsheets are a valuable tool for business, economic, and financial analysis. This course covers a wide range of spreadsheet operations from basic data manipulation, to the use of formulas and functions, table and graphical representation of data, regression, and data analysis.
MATH 335
Business Analytics
3 Credits
Business Analytics uses data from past performance and statistical methods to inform data-driven decision making. This course explores how big data analysis and predictive modeling can drive strategic decision making for enterprise optimization and government policy decisions.
ECONOMICS & FINANCE ELECTIVES (6 Courses)
ECON 315
Political Economy
3 Credits
This course presents the theories and methodologies of studying the political economy alongside descriptions of relevant institutions. This course helps students understand and analyze the characteristics of domestic and global businesses, government policies, and inter-state relations and their effects on individuals, societies, and environments. The course will focus on the contemporary structure of the political economy and will discuss controversial topics, including different theories about optimal economic and social development in both mature and emerging economies.
ECON 336
Game Theory
3 Credits
The application of game theory to economics provides an insight into the decisions and choices that people make. This course will explore concepts such as Pareto Optimums and Nash Equilibriums that systematize the analysis of economic decision making. Basic theorems, selection strategy, rectangular games and solution techniques will be provided.
ECON 353
Globalization & The World Economy
3 Credits
Globalization - the interconnection of national economies - is a major force in the 21st century. This course examines the impact of globalization on various nations and the economic, social, and political dislocations. With an understanding of the mechanisms of globalization, the course will explore policies put forward to deal with those dislocations and evaluate the probability of their successes.
ECON 371
The Development of Economic Thought
3 Credits
The systematic analysis of the economy and the factors that affect it only dates back 250 years. This course explores the beginnings of that analysis, and the social, political, and technological factors that have shaped the thinking of economists over the past two centuries and have resulted in our current understanding of economics.
ECON 432
Money and Markets
3 Credits
Monetary policy drives the allocation of funds to the various financial markets for bonds, stocks, and commodities; this allocation, in turn, has a determining effect on many economic parameters. This course examines how monetary policy (money supply, interest rate targets, Federal Reserve regulations) impacts GDP growth, interest rates, and inflation, and the role that monetary policy has played in recent asset price bubbles and financial crises.
ECON 435
Public Finance and the Economy
3 Credits
Although they may disagree about appropriate government policies, all economists would agree that those policies have an immense influence on the economy. This course examines how the methods that governments use to finance themselves (taxes, tariffs, debt) and the expenditures that they make (social spending, capital investment, and subsidies) can impact and distort a totally free-market economy.
ECON 438
Econometrics II
3 Credits
The course deals with econometric methods and applications designed for the analysis of cross-section and panel data models. It can be viewed as a course in microeconometrics, since we cover methods that are most often used in empirical microeconomic research. The main topics covered are maximum likelihood & GMM methods, panel data models, semiparametric and nonparametric methods, limited dependent variable models, and qualitative response models. Single as well as simultaneous equations models will be treated. Important topical applications will be treated.
ECON 440
Economics of International Development
3 Credits
Developing countries have followed various paths to achieve a modern economy; some efforts (e.g. Singapore) have been extremely successful, while others (e.g. Zimbabwe) have been abject failures. This course examines those pathways to discover the institutions, policies, and practices that have determined the particular economic outcomes in various developing countries.
ECON 456
International Financial Crises
3 Credits
For the past 25 years, the world seems to have lurched from one financial crisis to the next without respite. This course examines the causes and effects of some of the most dramatic past and current international financial crises: the Asian economic crisis of 1997, the Mexican economic crisis of 1982, Japan's Lost Decade, the collapse of the Russian ruble, the Great Recession, the Eurozone crisis, the Italian bank crisis, and Brexit.
ECON 473
Keynes vs. Friedman
3 Credits
The last 100 years have seen a grand historical debate between two schools of economic thought represented by John Maynard Keynes and Milton Friedman. This course examines the origin of both schools and the cyclic ebb and flow between them: at first one side dominates but then fails to explain unprecedented economic circumstances; as a consequence, the other side becomes dominant, only to suffer the same fate.
ECON 480
Labor Economics
3 Credits
This course is about the study of labor markets, business-employment relations, and the different experiences of various workers on the basis of gender, race, ethnicity, etc. Theories of labor supply, labor demand and wage determination are presented and empirical evidence on them is examined. Further topics include the determinants of wage differentials, the role of unions in wage determination, the impact of minimum wage legislation, human capital effects on employment and salaries, the economics of immigration, and how labor market discrimination affects wages and employment opportunities.
FINC 222
Financial Markets and Institutions
3 Credits
This course introduces financial institutions and dynamics between the public and private sectors. It begins with an overview of the role of financial intermediation. Student learn of inherent risks and fragilities of international financial institutions, along with the safeguards that have been established to mitigate them, both nationally and internationally. It reviews the development of and interaction between international and domestic financial markets, as well as the evolving relationship between the public and private sectors.
FINC 373
Monetary Theory and Policy
3 Credits
The objective of this course is giving students the understanding and the intuition regarding the possible monetary policy designs.
FINC 421
Investment Strategies
3 Credits
The course is divided into two parts. The first part is an introduction to organization and properties of international and national security markets such as NYSE, SEC, OTC and ISE (Istanbul Stock Exchange). The first part also covers short sales and margin transactions in ISE, capital increase and basic information about stock splits. The second part of the course begins with fundamental analysis, effective use of financial ratios, then puts emphasis on CAPM, APT, portfolio theory and firm valuation models. The main objective of this course is to study fundamental concepts of investment theory in financial markets and to analyze the financial statements of firms.
FINC 431
Derivative Markets
3 Credits
The main objective of this course is to provide students a basic understanding of derivative-related financial instruments (forwards, futures and options) and their use in investment and corporate financial management.
FINC 432
Financial Markets
3 Credits
This course focuses on the role that financial markets play in business and in the economy It also provides an understanding of the underlying institutions that either help financial markets work well or that interfere with the efficient performance of these markets. This course applies principles from finance and economics to explore portfolio theory and asset diversification, equilibrium asset pricing models; the CAPM, efficient and inefficient markets, performance evaluation, and an introduction to basic derivative markets (futures, forward, options.
FINC 455
International Finance
3 Credits
In the age of globalization, an in-depth understanding of the international financial arena is critical to the operations of multinational corporations. This course explores various risk factors associated with foreign direct investment (FDI) activities: foreign exchange risk, political risk, and operational risk. In addition, the course examines how international capital markets, foreign government FDI regulations, international central bank policies, purchasing power parity (PPP), and Islamic banking impact FDI decisions.
MGMT 325
Operations Management
3 Credits
Operations Management involves those aspects of your firm that provide the goods or services in your firm’s value proposition to your targeted market. As such, operations will be decisive in determining the long-term viability of your firm’s business model. This fact has become even clearer in recent years as competition has increased with more globalization and improved information technology. By integrating operations successfully into their business models, firms such as Dell, Toyota, and Wal-Mart have shown that good operations make good business sense. The objective of this course is to provide you with an understanding of Operations Management and the role that it plays within an organization. By the end of the course, you should have developed an appreciation for the challenges in providing world-class products and services and the ability to use some analytical tools and conceptual frameworks to guide your thinking about operations.
GENERAL ELECTIVES: HUMANITIES
ENGL 121
English Composition I
3 Credits
This course is required for students with moderate scores on the BAU English composition test. ENGL 121 develops the student’s ability to organize ideas and use critical thinking skills. The course will also review English grammar and writing mechanics. Students will learn to construct persuasive arguments and critical essays. They will practice personal reflection; analyze literature, film, and journalism; participate in the peer-review and editing processes; and learn about proper use of citations. Course materials may vary by professor.
ENGL 122
English Composition 2
3 Credits
This course is open to students with high scores on the BAU English composition test. ENGL 122 develops the student’s ability to organize ideas and use critical thinking skills. The course will also review English grammar and writing mechanics. Students will learn to construct persuasive arguments and critical essays. They will practice personal reflection; analyze literature, film, and journalism; participate in the peerreview and editing processes; and learn about proper use of citations. Course materials may vary by professor.
ENGL 123
Academic Writing
3 Credits
This course is open to students with high scores on the BAU English composition test, or students who have completed ENGL 121. Academic writing and research abilities are essential for college students and professionals. During this course, students will hone their research skills and complete a short research paper on a subject of their own choice. Throughout the course, students will participate in peer-review, learn to create research paper outlines and drafts, learn to use citations properly, and learn about research and writing resources at BAU and around D.C.
FREN 101
Elementary French 1
3 Credits
An introduction to the French language for students with no prior experience. Students will practice reading, writing, listening, and speaking French. Cultural instruction on the Francophone world will also prove a foundational aspect of this course.
FREN 121
Elementary French 2
3 Credits
(Prerequisite FREN 101) A continuation of the reading, writing, listening, and speaking abilities introduced in FREN 101. Students will learn more about Francophone cultures. By the end of this course, students will be able to carry a conversation in French.
SPAN 101
Elementary Spanish 1
3 Credits
An introduction to the Spanish language for students with no prior experience. Students will practice reading, writing, listening, and speaking Spanish. Cultural instruction on Spain and Latin America will also prove a foundational aspect of this course.
SPAN 121
Elementary Spanish 2
3 Credits
(Prerequisite SPAN 101) A continuation of the reading, writing, listening, and speaking abilities introduced in SPAN 101. Students will learn more about Spanish and Latin American cultures. By the end of this course, students will be able to carry a conversation in Spanish.
TURK 101
Elementary Turkish 1
3 Credits
TURK 101: ELEMENTARY TURKISH I (3 CREDITS) An introduction to the Turkish language for students with no prior experience. Students will practice reading, writing, listening, and speaking Turkish. Instruction on Turkish culture will also prove a foundational aspect of this course.
TURK 121
Elementary Turkish 2
3 Credits
(Prerequisite TURK 101) A continuation of the reading, writing, listening, and speaking abilities introduced in TURK101. Students will learn more about Turkish culture. By the end of this course, students will be able to carry a basic conversation in Turkish.
GENERAL ELECTIVES: MATHEMATICS & THE SCIENCES
CMPS 110
Introduction to Computer Science
3 Credits
An introduction to computer programming, the concepts involved in the use of higher-level language, and the program development process. The goal of this course is sufficiency in the design and implementation of programs of significant size of complexity. It will cover topics such as algorithms, file I/O, and basic data structures. This course is quite demanding, because of the length of programming exercises assigned.
ENVS 105
Introduction to Environmental Science
3 Credits
According to the US National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Agency, 2016 was the warmest year on record. According to NASA, it was the warmest year for the last 125,000 years. How has human activity affected the climate so dramatically? This and other vital questions about pollution, how the environmental system operates, and the interaction between the oceans, the atmosphere, and the land will be addressed in this course.
MATH 103
College Mathematics
3 Credits
Mathematical calculations underlie the development of theories, the evaluation of trends, and the assessment of progress in all aspects of society. It will cover linear, quadratic, and simultaneous equations and the graphing of lines, circles, exponential functions, and polynomial functions.
MATH104
College Algebra
3 Credits
(Prerequisite MATH 103) This course covers matrix theory and linear algebra, emphasizing topics useful in other disciplines. Linear algebra is a branch of mathematics that studies systems of linear equations and the properties of matrices. The concepts of linear algebra are extremely useful in physics, economics and social sciences, natural sciences, and engineering. Due to its broad range of applications, linear algebra is one of the most widely taught subjects in college-level mathematics (and increasingly in high school).
GENERAL ELECTIVES: SOCIAL SCIENCES
HIST 166
Atlantic History
3 Credits
The accidental encounter of Christopher Columbus and the Taíno in 1492 initiated profound changes for the societies surrounding the Atlantic basin--those of the Americas, Europe, and Africa. This course explores those changes from 1492 through the Age of Revolutions. Students will examine major themes BAU ACADEMIC CATALOG 80 in Atlantic history, including the process of European colonization of the Americas; Amerindian-European interactions; the global political, economic, and socio- cultural effects of the Atlantic slave trade and plantation slavery; and the development of revolutionary movements in Haiti, France, and the future United States.
HIST 168
History of Civilizations
3 Credits
This course develops a basic understanding of the history of major world cultures. The course provides a broad picture that deals with the nature and spread of the earliest civilizations in the Ancient Near East and the development of civilization in classical and medieval Europe, concerning their political, social, economic and religious life; focuses on the globalization process of the civilization. The course, therefore, provides an important overview of cultures and meetings between cultures and how these cultures constantly move towards an integrated society.
HIST 170
U.S. History
3 Credits
This course will explore the history of the United States from its origins in the eighteenth century to 9/11. The course will explore topics such as indigenous cultures, colonialism, slavery, and immigration; the Enlightenment and early American democracy; capitalism, plantation labor, and industrialization; abolitionism, the Civil War, and Reconstruction; the World Wars, the Civil Rights Movement, and the Cold War; and, finally, the effects of 9/11 on American society. Overall, students will leave the course with a firm understanding of the complex dynamics of race, gender, migration, politics, and economics in American society. Students will learn to think critically about primary and secondary sources, including works of writing, art, music, and literature, and will conduct independent research. They will also improve their written and oral communication abilities.
The purpose of this course is to open awareness to the complexity of ethical decision-making and prepare students to make choices from a standpoint of ethical consciousness. Students will learn to identify ethical problems in their program of study, assess the obligations of stakeholders, formulate arguments for those obligations, and propose feasible solutions to ethical problems. Diversity competence will also be stressed. Assignments, activities, and exams will cultivate reflection, analysis, creativity, and empowerment.
POLS 250
Media Literacy in the Age of Fake News
3 Credits
Media Literacy is the ability to access, analyze, evaluate and create media in a variety of forms, from print to video to the Internet. This course aims at building an understanding of the role of media in society as well as essential skills of inquiry and self-expression necessary for citizens of a democracy. Upon completion of the course, students are expected to become competent, critical and literate in all media forms so that they control the interpretation of what they see or hear rather than letting the interpretation control them.
PSYC 101
Introduction to Psychology
3 Credits
This course will provide students with an introduction to the key theories of psychology. The course will discuss topics such as neuroscience and cognition; the processes of learning, perception, and memory; language and social behavior; intelligence, personality, and development; and psychopathology.
SOCI 101
Introduction to Sociology
3 Credits
In this introductory course, students will learn about the field of Sociology and how it helps us understand our world. We will discuss key themes of sociological study, including inequality, racism and ethnicity, gender and sexuality, age stratification, and culture. Students will also learn about a variety of research methodologies.
UNIV 100
First Year Seminar
1 Credit
UNIV 100 helps new students make a successful transition to a university campus, both academically and personally. The course aims to foster a sense of belonging, promote engagement in the curricular and co-curricular life of the university, develop critical thinking skills and help clarify purpose, meaning and direction.
UNIV 400
Senior Seminar
2 Credits
Senior Seminar provides an opportunity to reflect on undergraduate experiences and to explore specific post-graduation plans. This course is to help students prepare for job searches, interviews, employment, or graduate studies. Students will create a portfolio of works from their undergraduate studies and create documents for real-life scenarios.
