Description
Detailed elucidation in regard to suliman s. olayan school of business.
Suliman S. Olayan
School of Business
(OSB)
286 Suliman S. Olayan School of Business (OSB)
Suliman S. Olayan School
of Business (OSB)
Of?cers of the School
Peter F. Dorman President of the University
Ahmad Dallal Provost, ex-of?cio
George K. Najjar Dean
Khalil Hindi Associate Dean
Hanin Abdallah Assistant Dean for Student Services
Mohamad Zeidan Assistant Dean for Corporate Programs
Moueen Salameh Registrar, ex-of?cio
Salim Kanaan Director of Admissions, ex-of?cio
Lokman Meho University Librarian, ex-of?cio
Faculty Administrative Support
Soughit Abdelnour Internship and Placement Of?cer
Hala Azar Assistant to the Dean
Antoine Feghali Director of Corporate Relations
Carla Sayegh Hilton Director of Continuous Improvement
Rula Karam EMBA Of?cer
Elias Khater Institutional Research Of?cer
Antoine Sabbagh Senior Financial Analyst
Rima El Zein Saghieh Student Services Of?cer
Maya El Helou Shaib IT Of?cer
Program Directors
Salim Chahine Director of the MBA Program
Riad Dimechkie Director of the Executive MBA Program
International Board of Overseers
HE Sheikh Salem Al Subah Governor, Central Bank of Kuwait/Kuwait
Ali Fekrat Professor Emeritus, McDonough School of Business,
Georgetown University/Washington, DC, USA
John Fernandes President and CEO, AACSB International/Tampa, Florida,
USA
Yash Gupta Dean, John Hopkins Carey Business School/Baltimore, USA
Gabriel Hawawini Former Dean, INSEAD/France
Samuel Hayes Jacob H. Schiff Professor of Investment Banking, Emeritus,
Harvard Business School/Boston, Massachusetts, USA
287 Suliman S. Olayan School of Business (OSB)
Erik Hoffmeyer Former Governor, National Bank of Denmark/Copenhagen,
Denmark
Abdallah Jumah Former CEO and President, Saudi Arabian Oil Company/
Dhahran, Saudi Arabia
HE Najib Mikati Trustee and Former Prime Minister/Lebanon
Jacques Nasser Managing Director, Equity One Partners/New York, USA
Khaled Olayan CEO, The Olayan Group/Al Khobar, Saudi Arabia
Sir Geoffrey Owen Former Editor, Financial Times, Lecturer, LSE/London, UK
Richard Schmalensee Howard W. Johnson Professor of Management, Sloan School
of Management, MIT/Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
Peter Wodtke Businessman/Washington Connecticut, USA
Middle East Advisory Board
Yousef Abu Khadra Former Member, Invest Corporation International Ltd./
London, UK
Diraar Alghanim President, Alghanim International Corporation/Kuwait
H.E. Badr Al-Humaidhi Former Minister of Finance/Al Safat, Kuwait
Rachid Al Miraj Governor, Central Bank of Bahrain/Bahrain
Sabah Almoayyed General Manager, The Housing Bank/Manama, Bahrain
Faysal Al Mutawa Vice President/Managing Director, Abdel Wahab Sons/
Kuwait
Saad Azhari Chairman and General Manager, BLOM Bank/Beirut,
Lebanon
Fawzi Farah CEO, Corporate Finance House/Beirut, Lebanon
Nehmat Frem General Manager, INDEVCO/Beirut, Lebanon
Fadi Ghandour President/CEO, ARAMEX/Amman, Jordan
Abdel Hamid Hallab Special Adviser to the President, AUB/Beirut, Lebanon
Marwan Kheireddine General Manager, Al-Mawarid Bank/Beirut, Lebanon
Usama Mikdashi Former Managing Director, Citigroup Risk Management/
London, UK
Murad A. Murad Chairman of the Board, Bank of Bahrain and Kuwait/
Manama, Bahrain
Hisham Abdelrazzaq Al Razouki Chief Executive Of?cer and General Manager, Gulf
Investment Corporation/Kuwait
Nehmeh Sabbagh Executive General Manager, BANKMED/Beirut, Lebanon
Constantin Salameh COO, Private Investment/Al Nahyan Family/Abu Dhabi, UAE
Elia Samaha General Manager/Head of Regional Expansion, Audi-Saradar
Group/Beirut, Lebanon
Talal Shair Chairman/CEO, Dar Al Handasah/Shair and Partners/
Amman, Jordan
Antoine Wakim Chairman/CEO, Société Nationale d’Assurance/Beirut,
Lebanon
288 Suliman S. Olayan School of Business (OSB)
The Finance, Accounting, and Managerial Economics Track
Convenor: Sa?eddine, Assem
Professor Sa?eddine, Assem
Associate Professor: Chahine, Salim
Assistant Professors: Dbouk, Wassim; Ghanem, Abdel Jalil ; Jamali, Ibrahim;
Khalil, Samer; McNamara, Steven; Manassian, Armond;
Rkein, Ali; Saade, Samer; Safar, Walid
Visiting Assistant Professor Termos, Ali
Senior Lecturer: Abdallah, Hanin
Instructors: El-Hajj, Sana; Hout, Bassima; Tannir-Fawaz, Lina;
Uwaydah-Mardini, Rania
Executive-in-Residence: Malouf, Fawzi
The Management, Marketing, and Entrepreneurship Track
Convenor: Sidani, Yusuf
Professor: Najjar, George K.
Associate Professors: Jamali, Dima; Rebeiz, Karim; Sidani, Yusuf
Assistant Professors: A?ouni, Fida; Daouk, Lina; Farah, Maya; Kamel, Yehia;
Karam, Charlotte; Khakhar, Priyan; Koksal, Mehmet Haluk;
Khoury, Haitham; Leigh, Laurence; Showail, Sammy;
Zbib, Imad; Zeidan, Mohamad-Jamal
Senior Lecturers: Dimechkie, Riad; Kettaneh, Tarek ; Zgheib, Philip
Lecturers Thornberry, Jon
Instructors: Kfouri, Michael; Khauli-Hanna, Leila; Standen, David
Business Information and Decision Systems Track
Convenor: Osman, Ibrahim
Professors: Hindi, Khalil; Osman, Ibrahim
Assistant Professors: Arakji, Reina; Araman, Victor; Azad, Bijan;
Fayyad, Rima; Fleszar, Krzysztof; King, Nelson;
Moussawi, Lama; Nasr, Walid; Yorke-Smith, Neil
Lecturers: Feghali, Antoine; Majdalani, Elias
Instructors: Geutcherian, Rita; Salamoun Siou?, Randa
History and Overview
Business education at AUB started in 1900 and was provided either by a department or a semi-
autonomous school under the University’s Faculty of Arts and Sciences for approximately one hundred
years. In celebration of the hundred-year anniversary of offering business programs, AUB established
in September 2000 an independent School of Business (later named the Suliman S. Olayan School of
Business, “OSB”) as the sixth faculty of the University.
289 Suliman S. Olayan School of Business (OSB)
To date, AUB has graduated over 6,500 students from its undergraduate business programs and over
1,300 from its graduate business programs. Since its formal establishment as a distinct school, OSB
has grown its full-time faculty complement from 13 in the academic year 2000-01 to 56 today. It
now graduates approximately 350 students from its undergraduate program and 60 students from its
graduate programs every year.
OSB currently offers four degree programs: an Executive Master of Business Administration (herein
referred to as the “Executive MBA”), a Corporate Executive Master of Business Administration (herein
referred to as the “CEMBA”), a Master of Business Administration (herein referred to as the “MBA”)
and a Bachelor of Business Administration (herein referred to as the “BBA”).
The First AUB Faculty to Be Named
In June 2003, the AUB School of Business was named the Suliman S. Olayan School of Business, in
honor of the late international Saudi businessman and AUB trustee whose family has always been a
major supporter of AUB.
This watershed event triggered a series of major developments intended to broaden and deepen the
delivery of quality undergraduate and graduate business programs at AUB. An entirely new curriculum
was introduced for the BBA and MBA degrees in the fall of 2001. Both degrees were redesigned to
follow leading trends in international business education. In the spring of 2004, OSB launched
the Executive MBA program in response to the professional development needs of senior corporate
leaders in the region. In 2009, a corporate version of the Executive MBA program was introduced.
Accreditation
The degree programs of OSB are accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of
Business (AACSB International). Requiring rigorous quality audits and adherence to best academic
practices, AACSB accreditation, which is attained by less than 5% of business schools worldwide, is
the international quality-assurance standard for business education programs.
Vision
The vision of OSB is to become universally and unequivocally globally recognized as the foremost
business school between Europe and South Asia, equally excelling in teaching, research and
professional service.
Mission
Building on over a century of prominence in business education, the Suliman S. Olayan School of
Business is committed to providing quality undergraduate and graduate programs aimed at developing
and enhancing global managerial leadership in the Middle East region and beyond. The school’s
undergraduate program accentuates a liberal arts-based operational focus, whereas the Executive
MBA has a distinct strategy orientation. The MBA program is designed to provide a dynamic balance
290 Suliman S. Olayan School of Business (OSB)
between the two. OSB’s role in knowledge dissemination and service is reinforced by the school’s
intellectual contributions that emphasize applied research, supplemented by instructional and basic
research. OSB upholds and promotes the highest ethical standards and a continuous improvement
ethos in all that it imparts to its students.
Ethics and Integrity
OSB is committed to the highest standards of academic integrity and expects its faculty and students
to exhibit exemplary behavior in this regard. All business students are responsible for familiarizing
themselves with and always abiding by the AUB policies, rules, and regulations that de?ne standards
for academic integrity.
Organization and Governance
The school is run by the dean and guided by two independent boards: an International Board of
Overseers (the “IBO”) comprising international leaders in business and education and a Middle East
Advisory Board (the “MEAB”) composed of accomplished regional thought leaders and trend setters
in business. The IBO and MEAB advise the dean and the dean’s Advisory Committee on major strategic
initiatives and act as a preliminary screening authority prior to the approval of the university
provost, the university president and the university Board of Trustees (BOT). The dean’s Advisory
Committee is an elected body as per AUB’s faculty bylaws.
The school is organized into the functional equivalent of multi-disciplinary departments, referred
to as “tracks.” While each track has its distinct identity and designated faculty members, a track is
markedly different from a department; it allows for multiple faculty membership, offers fertile soil
for cross-disciplinary synergy and facilitates faculty cooperation.
The school has three tracks, each encompassing a cluster of distinct academic business disciplines
(or “concentrations”) and headed by a track convenor (a highly-quali?ed OSB faculty member). The
tracks (with their respective concentrations) are:
1. Finance, Accounting and Managerial Economics (FAME)
Concentrations (2): Finance and Accounting
2. Management, Marketing and Entrepreneurship (MM&E)
Concentrations (3): Management, Marketing and Entrepreneurship
3. Business Information and Decision Systems (BIDS)
Concentration (1): Information and Decision Systems
Track convenors report directly to the dean of the school. The school is managed by the dean, the
associate dean, the assistant dean for Student Services, the assistant dean for corporate programs,
the track convenors, the program directors, the administrative of?cers of the school, and ten
standing committees, and operates under a set of school bylaws available at:
http://pnp.aub.edu.lb/by-laws/business/index.html.
291 Suliman S. Olayan School of Business (OSB)
Undergraduate Program
OSB currently offers a bachelor’s degree in business administration (the “BBA”).
The BBA Program
Philosophy
The BBA program is for university entrants focused on translating their thinking and interests into
career opportunities in business. The program combines business and arts and sciences in a rigorous
learning environment to help students gain a holistic understanding of the social, cultural and
economic environment in which they operate. The curriculum’s liberal arts-based operational focus is
deeply grounded in analytics, while emphasizing soft skill areas such as leadership, decision-making
and ethical reasoning.
Admission to the Program
Normally, there are two admission deadlines a year; in May, for enrollment in the following fall, and
in November, for enrollment in the following spring.
Criteria for Admission to the BBA Program
Students are admitted as sophomores to the BBA program either through direct admission, through
transfer from other Faculties at AUB or through transfer from other universities. Students may also
be admitted as junior transfers from other Faculties at AUB or from outside AUB.
Direct Admission
These students are normally admitted directly from secondary school into the sophomore class
at OSB. For complete and detailed information regarding admission to the University, see the
Admissions section of this catalogue. All direct admissions are decided by the University Uni?ed
Admissions Committee.
Transfer into OSB
As per OSB’s bylaws, all transfer decisions are made by the school’s Admissions Committee.
292 Suliman S. Olayan School of Business (OSB)
Transfer from the Freshman Class of the Faculty of
Arts and Sciences
Eligibility conditions are:
• successful completion of at least 24 credits
• a minimum cumulative average of 77 in the freshman year
• a minimum grade of 70 in MATH 101, MATH 102 or MATH 203
All ?nal admissions decisions depend on the overall quality of the eligible applicant pool and the
number of available places for the term in question.
Transfer from other Faculties at AUB
Non-OSB students at AUB, other than those from the freshman class of the Faculty of Arts and
Sciences, may apply for a transfer to OSB in order to pursue a BBA degree. To be eligible for an
internal transfer, the applicant must:
• have completed at least 24 sophomore credits (or 54 credits including freshman credits)
• not be on probation
• have achieved a minimum overall cumulative average of 77
All ?nal admissions decisions depend on the overall quality of the eligible applicant pool and the
number of available places for the term in question.
It is important to note that for transfer purposes, late freshman students who have taken more than
30 credits but less than or equal to 45 credits are treated as freshman students (i.e., they must meet
freshman transfer requirements).
Transfer from Outside AUB (Other Universities)
Students currently pursuing an undergraduate degree at another university in Lebanon or abroad may
apply for transfer to the OSB sophomore or junior class. To be eligible for admission to AUB and to
OSB’s business program, the applicant must:
• be transferring from an appropriately accredited university or institution of higher education
recognized by AUB
• have completed at least 30 sophomore credits (or 60 credits inclusive of the freshman year)
• have achieved a minimum overall cumulative average equivalent to the AUB average of 77
All ?nal admissions decisions depend on the overall quality of the eligible applicant pool and the
number of available places for the term in question.
It is important to note that:
• transfer of credit is considered only for courses completed in the fve-year period preceding the
proposed date of joining the BBA program
• the student must have achieved a grade equivalent to 77 or higher at AUB in each of the courses
for which transfer of credit is sought
293 Suliman S. Olayan School of Business (OSB)
• the Administrative Committee reserves the right to require the student to sit for an exemption test
prior to the approval of transferred courses. Exemption tests are available for a non-refundable fee
of $100 per test. An exemption test may be taken only once
Business as a Second Degree
The OSB Admissions Committee evaluates all applications for the BBA as a second degree and makes
recommendations to the Dean. To be eligible for admission, the student must have a ?rst degree from
an appropriately accredited institution of higher education recognized by AUB with a cumulative
average of no less than 75 (or its equivalent).
All ?nal admissions decisions depend on the overall quality of the eligible applicant pool and the
number of available places for the term in question.
Dual Degree
Students may, upon approval of the Faculty concerned, complete the requirements for a second
degree while registered in another Faculty at AUB. In such a case, a student will be granted two
degrees at the same time upon graduation. If tuition differs, students will pay the higher of the
tuitions. To be eligible for a dual degree with OSB, the applicant must:
• have completed at least 24 sophomore credits (or 54 credits including freshman credits)
• not be on probation
• have achieved a minimum overall cumulative average of 77
All ?nal admissions decisions depend on the overall quality of the eligible applicant pool and the
number of available places for the term in question.
Information about deadlines and applications are available on the following link:
http://www.aub.edu.lb/registrar/Documents/pdfdoc/dualdegree.pdf
Business as a Minor Field of Study
Students who wish to obtain a minor in business are required to complete 18 credit hours in the
following business courses: ACCT 210 (Financial Accounting, 3 cr.), DCSN 200 (Operations Management,
3 cr.), FINA 210 (Business Finance, 3 cr.), INFO 200 (Foundations of Information Systems, 3 cr.), MKTG
210 (Principles of Marketing, 3 cr.) and MNGT 215 (Fundamentals of Management and Organizational
Behavior, 3 cr.). In addition, they must attain a cumulative grade average of at least 77 across these
courses.
It is important to note that:
• no business courses required by the Faculty in which the student is pursuing his/her major feld of
study (the “major Faculty”) may be counted toward the business minor. In cases where a student
has taken business courses as a requirement by the student’s major Faculty, the student must take
additional business electives to achieve the total 18 credits required for the minor. In all cases,
course prerequisites, as stipulated in OSB’s curriculum, apply and are strictly enforced.
294 Suliman S. Olayan School of Business (OSB)
• computer science and engineering students must obtain approval from the Business Information
and Decision Systems (“BIDS”) track convenor prior to registering for DCSN 200 or INFO 200. If
these students have taken comparable courses as part of their major Faculty degree requirements,
equivalency may be granted, subject to the approval of the OSB Admissions Committee. In such
cases, the student must take additional business electives to achieve the total 18 credits required
for the minor.
Academic Policies
For more information on registration requirements, categories of students, class attendance, correct
use of language, cross registration, course (and credit) loads, dean’s honor list, directed study,
disclosure of student records, English pro?ciency, grading system, graduation with distinction
and high distinction, and policy on transfer within the University, refer to the General University
Academic Information section of this catalogue.
Other OSB-speci?c academic rules and regulations follow.
Academic Advisers
Each BBA student is assigned an academic adviser who plays the role of a mentor. The adviser
communicates the culture of the institution, mainly as it relates to “life-long learning, personal
integrity and civic responsibility and leadership” (AUB Mission Statement), and plays an important
role in guiding students through a curriculum that balances broad liberal arts exposure with deep
knowledge of business fundamentals. In addition, the adviser helps the students in assessing future
graduate studies opportunities and career choices.
Classi?cation of Students
A BBA student shall be considered to have completed a class level (i.e. freshman, sophomore, junior
or senior) when s/he has successfully completed 30 or more credits beyond the requirements for the
previous class. A student may be granted a certi?cate stating that s/he has completed a class only
when s/he has completed the speci?ed courses in the regular program for that class and has acquired
the requisite number of credits.
The credit requirements are as follows:
For the completion of the freshman class: 30 credits
For the completion of the sophomore class: 60 credits (cumulative)
For the completion of the junior class: 90 credits (cumulative)
295 Suliman S. Olayan School of Business (OSB)
Credit Load
Students may register for up to 17 credit hours in a regular academic semester (e.g. fall or spring)
and 10 credit hours in the summer term. Junior and senior, but not sophomore, students who wish to
increase their credit load to 18 credit hours in a semester must have completed ENGL 203 and ENGL
204 and then petition the OSB Administrative Committee for permission to do so. Normally, junior
and senior students with an overall average of at least 80 or an average of at least 80 in the last two
semesters are given such permission.
The credit load of a student who is in his/her ?rst semester on probation (P1) shall not be fewer
than 12 credit hours and shall not exceed 17 credit hours. The load of a student who continues to
be placed on probation (P2) shall not be fewer than 12 credit hours and shall not exceed 13 credit
hours.
Students who are registered in the BUSS 245 course (the internship) may register for no more than
3 other credit hours, provided that the other course(s) taken do not con?ict with the working hours
of the summer internship. Honor students may petition to be allowed to register for a maximum of 7
credit hours, including the internship.
Internship Requirements
All BBA students must successfully complete the internship requirement (BUSS 245). Normally, the
internship takes place in the summer term directly following the completion of the junior year.
Students must apply for the summer internship (through an on-line application) by March 31, and
provide the school with an employer’s acceptance by May 1. All students applying for the internship
program must be juniors and must have completed at least 38 credit hours if they were admitted to
the University as sophomores, or at least 68 credit hours if they were admitted to the University as
freshmen. Students must complete FINA 210, MNGT 215, MKTG 210, and INFO 200 prior to starting
their internship program.
Normally, internships are assigned and/or allocated by the internship and placement of?cer. However,
students may solicit their own internships.
Other internship requirements are as follows:
• The internship is normally two months in duration and takes place during the summer term (i.e.,
any two months between June 15 and August 31)
• The student must comply with the policy of the host company regarding working hours
• The work week must not be less than 5 working days
• The student will be supervised by a faculty member throughout the internship period
• The internship is graded. The grade is based on the evaluations of both the direct work supervisor
and the OSB faculty supervisor
• The internship grade is included in the computation of the student’s overall average
296 Suliman S. Olayan School of Business (OSB)
Academic Probation
Placement on Academic Probation
University regulations apply; refer to the General University Academic Information section of this
catalogue.
In addition, note that:
• Students who are attending 4 courses including BUSS 211 i.e. with a load of 11 credits are subject
to probation regulations
• If a student on probation drops the whole semester, then that semester is not counted for
continued probation purposes.
Removal of Probation
University regulations apply; refer to the General University Academic Information section of this
catalogue.
Dismissal
University regulations apply; refer to the General University Academic Information section of this
catalogue.
Readmission
University regulations apply; refer to the General University Academic Information section of this
catalogue.
Transfer credits are considered after evaluation of a student’s coursework. The student must have
achieved a grade equivalent to the AUB average of 77 in each of the courses for which transfer of
credits may be granted.
Regulations on readmission also apply to students who are dropped from other AUB Faculties and
apply for admission to OSB.
Readmission of students dropped from the school by the Administrative Committee requires the
approval of that Committee, whereas readmission of students dropped from other AUB Faculties
requires the approval of the OSB Admissions Committee.
Failing and Repeating Courses
University regulations apply; refer to the General University Academic Information section of this
catalogue.
A student who at the end of the senior year fails to ful?ll the graduation requirements pertaining to
cumulative grade averages and is not dismissed must repeat the courses with low grades, in order to
raise the overall averages to the required minimums.
297 Suliman S. Olayan School of Business (OSB)
Incompletes
A student who, at the end of a term, receives an incomplete grade for missing a major requirement of
a course (e.g., ?nal examination, term project or paper) must present a valid excuse in order for him/
her to apply for permission to complete that course. Medical reports and/or quali?ed professional
opinions issued by an AUB employee, AUBMC doctor or by the University Health Services are normally
accepted. Should there be a question about the validity of an excuse, the OSB Administrative
Committee may not allow the student to sit for a makeup.
In order to receive permission to complete a course, the student must, within two weeks of the
end of term, submit to the OSB Administrative Committee a makeup request (form available at the
OSB Student Services Of?ce) approved by the instructor, along with evidence of a valid excuse. If
granted permission, the makeup must be completed within one month of the start of the next regular
semester. In rare and exceptional circumstances, the OSB Administrative Committee may grant the
student additional time. A student who has already sat for a ?nal examination may not re-take that
examination.
Incomplete course work is reported as an “I” followed by a numerical grade re?ecting the evaluation
of the student, based on available information. The evaluation is based on a grade of zero on all
missed work and is reported in units of ?ve. If the work is not completed within the period speci?ed,
the “I” is dropped and the numerical grade becomes the ?nal grade.
Examinations and Quizzes
Undergraduate business courses, other than tutorial and seminar courses, have ?nal examinations,
unless otherwise authorized by the OSB Academic Committee. In all courses in which ?nal examinations
are given, a student would not receive a passing grade without taking a ?nal examination. Even
though ?nal examinations are not required in tutorial and seminar courses, the instructor may
choose to give a ?nal examination.
At the beginning of each semester, the instructor announces the examinations and quizzes policy that
s/he intends to follow. The instructor assumes ?nal responsibility for dealing with students missing
an examination or a quiz during the term. Normally, students who miss an announced examination or
quiz during the term must present an excuse considered valid by the instructor. Only then may the
instructor allow the student to take a makeup.
Cross-Registration
A business student who wants to register for a course at another recognized institution must meet
all requirements for cross-registration as stipulated in the General University Academic Information
section of this catalogue.
Study Abroad
A business student who started his/her undergraduate program at AUB and wishes to study abroad
may seek prior approval from the OSB Academic Committee to spend up to one year and earn up to
30 credits at another university. However, the student must spend his/her last semester at AUB. The
student must achieve a grade equivalent to the AUB average of 77 in each of the courses for which
transfer credits may be granted.
298 Suliman S. Olayan School of Business (OSB)
Graduation Requirements
Graduation requirements for the Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) are as follows:
• A minimum of six semesters beginning with the sophomore class is required.
• A maximum of six calendar years is allowed for graduation of students who begin with the
sophomore class, four calendar years for juniors and two calendar years for seniors. A student
who fails to complete his/her degree program within these speci?ed times must petition the OSB
Administrative Committee for an extension.
• A student transferring to AUB from another recognized institution of higher learning must register
in the ?nal three regular semesters and must complete at least 45 credits at AUB, of which a
minimum of 24 credits must be in business before s/he is allowed to graduate with a BBA. For
purposes of this requirement, two summer sessions shall be considered equivalent to one semester.
• A transfer student from within AUB must meet the residency requirement before s/he graduates with
a BBA degree. The residency requirement stipulates that a student must spend a minimum of one
regular semester (i.e. fall or spring) and one summer session in the school, during which s/he must
complete a minimum of 24 credits, 12 of which are business credits. During this period, the student
must meet all minimum academic standards set forth by the school.
• Completion of a minimum of 90 credits for students who enter as sophomores. With the approval
of the OSB Academic Committee, tracks may establish programs that exceed these minimum credit
requirements.
• Completion of 48 credits in business courses comprising 39 credits of core courses and 9 credits
of business electives in a concentration area. Students must achieve a cumulative average of at
least 70 in these 48 credits as well as a cumulative average of at least 70 in the 39 credits of core
business courses.
• For students to graduate with a concentration, the 9 credits in the concentration area must be
completed with a cumulative grade average of at least 70. Normally a maximum of one course
completed outside OSB may count toward the concentration upon the approval of the track
convenor.
• Completion of three required zero-credit business workshops.
• Successful completion of the Assurance of Learning Requirements
• When a student repeats a course, the highest grade obtained in the course is used in computing the
student’s average for graduation purposes. The student may repeat any course s/he chooses.
• Grades of 70 or more in at least 50 credits numbered 200 or above
• All Arabic-speaking business students (except those offcially exempted) must satisfy the Arabic
language requirements and all students entering at the sophomore, junior or senior level must take
one Arabic course.
• All business students must take English communication skills courses as determined by placement
upon matriculation, and these required courses may be taken immediately on matriculation and
must be continued without interruption until completed through ENGL 208. For example, a student
entering at the lowest level may take ?ve semesters of English (Intensive ENGL 100A or 100B if
required 102, 203, 204, and 208); a student entering at the third level must take 3 semesters (203,
204, and 208; i.e., nine credits). A student who enters at ENGL 204 must take, in addition to this
course, ENGL 208 and any other elective course from the offerings of other AUB faculties.
• All business students must take MATH 203, MATH 204, and CMPS 209. A student who is exempted
from MATH 203 must take, in addition to MATH 204 and CMPS 209, any other non-business elective
course from offerings at other AUB faculties.
• All business students must take ECON 211 and 212.
• All business students must take one of CVSP 201, 202, 205, or 207, and one of CVSP 203, 204, 206,
or 208. Students who elect CVSP 205 for credit may not enroll in CVSP 201 or 202 and vice versa.
299 Suliman S. Olayan School of Business (OSB)
Likewise, students who elect to take CVSP 203 or CVSP 204 for credit may not enroll in CVSP 206
or vice versa. In addition, apart from BUSS 215 which is designated as a humanities course for the
General Education requirements, a student must take three credits from the humanities series listed
by the Faculty of Arts and Sciences Civilization Sequence Program, and as explained in Program
Delivery section below. ENGL 102 or its equivalent is a prerequisite to all CVSP 201-208 courses.
• All business students must take two free science electives.
• Students already holding a bachelor’s degree outside business and wishing to obtain a BBA must
complete, after admission, 48 business credit hours. However, students who have completed a
minor in business or have taken 18 or more business credit hours prior to applying for the BBA as a
second degree must take no fewer than 30 business credit hours. All second-degree students must
also ful?ll other non-business graduation requirements.
• All senior-level BBA students must complete an online survey (through the OSB website) in order to
be cleared for graduation.
Program Outline
The undergraduate program, leading to a BBA degree, requires students to complete 120 credit
hours for those beginning at the freshman level and 90 credit hours for those joining the University
as sophomores. Of the total required credit hours, the BBA program requires that 48 credit hours,
including a one credit internship program, be satisfactorily completed in business courses, with
the remainder allocated to liberal arts/non-business courses. In addition and as a condition for
graduation, all students are required to complete successfully three zero-credit pass/fail workshops
designed to enhance their soft skills.
Assurance of Learning Requirements
To comply with AACSB Assurance of Learning guidelines and standards, all students are required, as
a condition for graduation, to complete successfully during their last semester work assigned by the
school for this purpose.
Business Requirements
Of the total required credit hours, 48 must be satisfactorily completed in business courses. Of
these 48, a general business core comprising 39 credit hours is common to all business students. In
addition to this general business core (which includes the three zero-credit workshops mentioned
above), the student must complete 9 additional credit hours of business electives in one of the
following concentration areas: accounting, ?nance, management, marketing, entrepreneurship and
business information and decision systems. All courses qualifying as business electives must be
offered by OSB. Students who do not opt for a concentration must complete the 39 core credit hours
in addition to at least 9 credit hours in free business electives.
A student may also choose a second concentration by taking an additional 9 credit hours. Thus
a business student who chooses to pursue two concentrations must complete 9 credits in each
concentration. A BBA student is allowed to graduate with a maximum of two concentrations, and the
student must declare concentration(s) (or lack thereof) no later than the end of the junior year.
300 Suliman S. Olayan School of Business (OSB)
Required Core Business Courses (39 credits)
Code Course Title Credits
ACCT 210 Financial Accounting 3
ACCT 215 Management Accounting 3
BUSS 200 Business Data Analysis 3
BUSS 211 Business Law 2
BUSS 215 Business Ethics 3
BUSS 230 Managerial Economics 3
BUSS 239 Business Communication
Skills Workshop
0
BUSS 240 Strategic Career Planning
Workshop
0
BUSS 245 Internship/Practicum 1
BUSS 248 Developing Business Plans
Workshop
0
BUSS 249 Strategic Management 3
DCSN 200 Operations Management 3
DCSN 205 Managerial Decision Making 3
FINA 210 Business Finance 3
INFO 200 Foundations of Information
Systems
3
MNGT 215 Fundamentals of
Management and
Organizational Behavior
3
MKTG 210 Principles of Marketing 3
Required Electives Business Courses 9
Total Business Credits 48
Non-Business, Liberal Arts Requirements
Starting at the sophomore level, of the required 90 credit hours of the BBA program, 42 credit hours
must be satisfactorily completed in non-business courses. These include 9 credit hours of English, 6
credit hours of economics, 12 credit hours of civilization sequence and humanities including BUSS
215, 6 credit hours of mathematics, 3 credit hours of computer science, 3 credit hours of Arabic and
6 credit hours of free science electives. For a list of speci?c required non-business courses, refer to
the next section.
Students who have taken required non-business courses in their freshman year are exempted from
them in the sophomore year. These students must, however, take additional free non-business
electives to ful?ll the non-business credit hour minimum of 42 required for graduation.
301 Suliman S. Olayan School of Business (OSB)
Program Delivery
A proposed study plan for the BBA program is presented next.
Year I
Freshman Year Total Credits 30
Refer to the Admissions section of this catalogue.
Year II
All the below courses are required of every student unless otherwise indicated.
Semester 1 (Fall) Credits
ENGL 203 Academic English 3
MATH 203 Mathematics for Social Sciences I 3
ACCT 210 Financial Accounting 3
Two of the following three courses:
ECON 211 Elementary Microeconomic Theory 3
ECON 212 Elementary Macroeconomic Theory 3
CMPS 209 Computers and Programming for the
Sciences
3
Total 15
Semester 2 (Spring) Credits
ENGL 204 Advanced Academic English 3
BUSS 239 Business Communication Skills Workshop 0
MATH 204 Mathematics for Social Sciences II 3
DCSN 200 Operations Management 3
FINA 210 Business Finance 3
One of the following three courses:
ECON 211 Elementary Microeconomic Theory 3
ECON 212 Elementary Macroeconomic Theory 3
CMPS 209 Computers and Programming for the
Sciences
3
Total 15
302 Suliman S. Olayan School of Business (OSB)
Year III
Semester 3 (Fall) Credits
INFO 200 Information Systems Design
and Development
3
MNGT 215 Fundamentals of Management
and Organizational Behavior
3
DCSN
or
ACCT
205
215
Managerial Decision Making
or
Management Accounting
3
MKTG 210 Principles of Marketing 3
CVSP 201, 202, 205
or 207
Civilization Sequence 3
Total 15
Semester 4 (Spring) Credits
BUSS 200 Business Data Analysis 3
BUSS 215 Business Ethics 3
DCSN
or
ACCT
205
215
Managerial Decision Making
or
Management Accounting
3
Science Elective Any Science Elective 3
ENGL 208 English for International Business 3
Total 15
Year III Summer Session Credits
BUSS 245 Internship/Practicum 1
Year IV
Semester 5 (Fall) Credits
ARAB Basic Arabic Grammar and Syntax, or
Readings in Arabic Literature or any
higher level Arabic course based on
the Arabic placement test
3
BUSS 211 Business Law 2
BUSS 230 Managerial Economics 3
BUSS 240 Strategic Career Planning Workshop 0
Business Elective For Concentration Students:
Business Elective from the area of
concentration For Generic Students:
Any Business Elective
3
Humanities
or
Science Elective
Humanities
or
Any Science Elective
3
Total 14
303 Suliman S. Olayan School of Business (OSB)
Semester 6 (Spring) Credits
BUSS 248 Developing Business Plans Workshop 0
BUSS 249 Strategic Management 3
Business Elective For Concentration Students:
Business Elective from the area of
concentration. For Generic Students:
Any Business Elective
3
Business Elective For Concentration Students:
Business Elective from the area of
concentration. For Generic Students:
Any Business Elective
3
Humanities
or
Science Elective
Humanities
or
Any Science Elective
3
CVSP 203, 204,
206 or 208
Civilization Sequence 3
Total 15
It is important to note the following:
• Philosophy and Economics BACC II majors must take MATH 203 and MATH 204. Math and Science
BACC II majors must take only MATH 204 and an additional non-business elective to substitute
for MATH 203 as per the minimum non-business credit hour requirements for degree completion.
International Baccalaureate Diploma holders who have completed either a) the Math Higher Level
examination with a grade of 6 or above or b) the Further Math Subsidiary Level examination with
a grade of 6 or above or c) the Math Methods Subsidiary Level with Further Calculus examination
with a grade of 6 or above, are also exempted from MATH 203. They must take only MATH 204 and
an additional non-business elective to substitute for MATH 203 as per the minimum non-business
credit hour requirements for degree completion.
• In order to complete the CVSP (Civilization Sequence Program) requirement, students must take two
CVSP courses, one from Sequence I and one from Sequence II. For Sequence I, students who elect
to take CVSP 201 or CVSP 202 for credit may not enroll in CVSP 205. For Sequence II, students who
elect to take CVSP 203 or CVSP 204 for credit may not enroll in CVSP 206. For more information on
CVSP courses, refer to the FAS section of this catalogue.
• The 3 credits in Humanities, other than BUSS 215, must be taken from the list of humanities
courses adopted by the Faculty of Arts and Sciences. For more information, refer to the Academic
Rules and Regulations in the FAS section of this catalogue.
• The Business Communication Skills workshop, the Strategic Career Planning workshop and the
Developing Business Plans workshop are graded on a P/F basis.
• ECON 213, EDUC 219, EDUC 227, ENMG 500, AGSC 212, STAT 201, STAT 210, as well as any other
course that signi?cantly overlaps with OSB core courses cannot be given equivalence to OSB
required courses. These courses cannot be counted for credit as business or non-business free
electives.
• Courses that may signifcantly overlap with business elective courses, such as SOAN 231, SOAN
234, SOAN 235, and SOAN 243, may be taken as free non business electives. However, students will
304 Suliman S. Olayan School of Business (OSB)
not receive credit for any of these courses if they have taken the respective equivalent business
elective.
• Students who are exempted from any required courses such as MATH 203, ENGL 203 and Arabic have
to meet the 90 credit-hour graduation requirement by taking additional free non-business electives
from other AUB faculties.
Undergraduate Business Courses
Undergraduate Business Course Pre?xes
BBA courses all have a pre?x labeled after the discipline name: ACCT (accounting), DCSN (Business
Decision Systems), ENTM (Entrepreneurship), FINA (Finance), INFO (Business Information Systems),
MKTG (Marketing), and MNGT (Management). A detailed description of courses under each discipline
is available in its respective track section. Interdisciplinary and integrative courses that do not
belong to a particular discipline are labeled by the pre?x BUSS.
BUSS Courses
BUSS 200 Business Data Analysis 3 cr.
This course covers basic statistical concepts and introduces some advanced concepts and tools that
are useful for decision-makers in business and management. Topics include descriptive statistics,
probability distributions, statistical inference (hypothesis testing and analysis of variance) from
small and large samples of data, correlation and regression, forecasting and time series. An emphasis
will be given to the understanding and applicability of statistical analysis, and interpretation of
the output of analyses using Excel spreadsheet tools and short real-life cases. Business majors only;
Prerequisites: MATH 204, CMPS 209.
BUSS 211 Business Law 2 cr.
The main objective of the course is to help business students understand the Lebanese and American
legal aspect of common business activities and the formation and functioning of commercial
companies along with the related ethical principles. Business majors only; Prerequisite: MNGT 215.
BUSS 215 Business Ethics 3 cr.
This is an introductory course that provides students with an overview of business ethics at
the individual, organizational, and societal level. Issues such as corruption, sexual harassment,
fair trade, fraud, whistle-blowing, corporate social responsibility, ethical norms, ethical values,
environmental responsibility and many more will be examined both in the international as well as
local Lebanese context. Ultimately, the course is designed to not only introduce students to a wide
array of current ethical issues in business but to also foster skills related to critically analyzing the
ethical and social dimensions of business-related problems in order to build more ethically-informed
rationales for decision making. Business majors only; Prerequisite: MNGT 215.
BUSS 230 Managerial Economics 3 cr.
Managerial Economics is the use of economic theory and mathematical and statistical techniques in
order to examine how a ?rm can make optimal managerial decisions given the constraints it faces.
The main objective of this course is to equip students with the necessary theory and techniques and
the ability to apply them in order to inform and enhance managerial decision making. Topics covered
include: goals of the ?rm, optimization techniques, demand theory and estimation, forecasting and
measurement, theory of production and estimation, cost theory and estimation, pricing and output
determination under different market structures, game theory, and pricing in practice. Business
majors only; Prerequisites: ECON 211, BUSS 200.
305 Suliman S. Olayan School of Business (OSB)
BUSS 235 Macro Business Analysis 3 cr.
A course that combines theory with cases that require group work and discussions. The theoretical
part of this course covers monetary, ?scal, and exchange rate policy, and an overview of economic
development strategies. Cases are used to train students in developing rigorous arguments to
analyze interactions between ?rms in domestic as well as global economic scenarios. Business majors
only; Prerequisite: ECON 212.
BUSS 239 Business Communication Skills Workshop 0 cr.
A ten-hour workshop designed to introduce students to the various communication skills needed in
a typical work environment. Mastering these skills plays a profound role in shaping and advancing
professional careers in all types of industries and work scopes. The workshop introduces speci?c
guidelines for the effective use of a variety of communication skills in the workplace, in an interactive
manner simulating the work environment. Business majors only.
BUSS 240 Strategic Career Planning Workshop 0 cr.
A ten-hour workshop designed to build awareness of changing career patterns and major personal
and professional in?uences that impact future careers. Issues such as preparing for joining the
labor market, basic career guidance, understanding career stages, and practicing self-assessment are
emphasized. Business majors only; Co-requisite: BUSS 245
BUSS 245 Internship/Practicum 1 cr.
A summer period of guided work experience under faculty supervision by a mentor, and corporate
guidance by a preceptor, designed to acquaint students with the world of work and help them acquire
core values and basic skills necessary for an understanding of the global economy. Business majors
only; Prerequisites: FINA 210, MNGT 215, MKTG 210, INFO 200 and business junior standing.
BUSS 246 Honors Seminar in Business 3 cr.
A tutorial research course that can be counted for any undergraduate concentration. This course
involves directed readings and emphasizes individual original and independent research in any
business-related area. This course requires, among other things, that the student prepare an honors
research paper under the supervision of one or more faculty members in the particular area of
concentration. The honors paper is normally presented at a school seminar. Prerequisite: approval of
track convenor.
BUSS 247 Project 3 cr.
A practicum course that can be counted for any undergraduate concentration. This course focuses
on analysis of contemporary business issues and problems. The project requires, among other things,
that the student works on a problem faced by one of the local or regional businesses, and recommends
a set of possible solutions under the supervision of one or more faculty members in the particular
area of concentration. The results of the project are normally presented in a meeting in the presence
of representatives from the business subject to the consulting assignment. Prerequisite: approval of
track convenor.
BUSS 248 Developing Business Plans Workshop 0 cr.
A ten-hour workshop focusing on starting your own business from inception to IPOing, passing
through the stages of feasibility study, VC ?nancing, launching, and operating. Business majors only;
Prerequisites: ACCT 215, FINA 210, MNGT 215, MKTG 210, BUSS 200, BUSS 215, INFO 200, DCSN 200.
BUSS 249 Strategic Management 3 cr.
A course that exposes students to the strategic management process of local, regional, and
multinational corporations. Emphasis is placed on identifying the tools needed for strategic analysis
of the ?rm and the industry, and on comprehending the key strategic issues that managers face in
managing corporations. Business majors only; Prerequisites: ACCT 215, FINA 210, MNGT 215, MKTG 210,
BUSS 200, BUSS 215, INFO 200, DCSN 200.
306 Suliman S. Olayan School of Business (OSB)
FAME Track Courses
In addition to the 42 credit general undergraduate requirements from outside the school (listed
earlier) and the 39 credits required in the business core (ACCT 210, ACCT 215, BUSS 200, BUSS 211,
BUSS 215, BUSS 230, BUSS 239, BUSS 240, BUSS 245, BUSS 248, BUSS 249, DCSN 200, DCSN 205, FINA
210, INFO 200, MKTG 210, MNGT 215), the track requires students wishing to follow one of its general
concentrations, either Accounting or Finance to take 9 credits of any course in the concentration
area.
Accounting Courses
ACCT 210 Financial Accounting 3 cr.
An introduction to ?nancial accounting that covers the use, interpretation, and analysis of the
principal ?nancial statements and other sources of ?nancial information from a national and
international perspective.
ACCT 215 Management Accounting 3 cr.
A course that covers the use, interpretation, and analysis of management accounting information for
management decision-making, planning, and control of operations. The focus is on cost behavior,
cost measurement, budgeting, performance measurement and evaluation, responsibility accounting,
and product costing. Business majors only; Prerequisite: ACCT 210.
ACCT 217 Strategic Managerial Accounting 3 cr.
In-depth coverage of topics such as value chain analysis, activity-based costing, JIT systems,
analysis of ?rm’s cost structures, and the provision and use of information for strategic decisions.
A rigorous analysis of some widely-used ?nancial and non-?nancial measures, such as Return on
Investment, EVA, and the balanced scorecard is also undertaken. Business majors only; Prerequisite:
ACCT 215.
ACCT 221 Intermediate Financial Accounting I 3 cr.
This is the ?rst of two professional courses in this area. This course covers concepts and standards
of external ?nancial reporting, systems to record and prepare ?nancial accounting information,
contents and presentation of basic ?nancial statements, and ?nancial reporting issues of assets.
Business majors only; Prerequisite: ACCT 210.
ACCT 222 Cost Accounting 3 cr.
A course on accounting in manufacturing operations; cost concepts and classi?cations; cost
accounting cycle; accounting for materials, labor, and burden; process cost accounting; budgeting;
standard costs; cost reports; direct costing and differential cost analysis; cost-volume-pro?t analysis
and gross pro?t analysis. Business majors only; Prerequisite: ACCT 215.
ACCT 223 Intermediate Financial Accounting II 3 cr.
Continuation of ACCT 221. This course covers ?nancial reporting issues relating to liabilities,
ownership equity, selected ?nancial reporting issues, and ?nancial reporting disclosure. Business
majors only; Prerequisite: ACCT 221.
ACCT 230 Introduction to External Auditing 3 cr.
An introduction to auditing and the professional responsibilities of a career in accounting. Topics
include the legal and ethical responsibilities of accountants; professional auditing standards;
international auditing standards; the acquisition, evaluation, and documentation of audit evidence;
reports on the results of the engagement, evaluation in internal control, compliance testing,
substantive testing, and statistical sampling and auditing EDP. Business majors only; Prerequisite:
ACCT 221.
307 Suliman S. Olayan School of Business (OSB)
ACCT 231 Fraud Examination and Internal Audit 3 cr.
A course on fraud examination and internal audit. This course covers concepts and topics of fraud
detection, deterrence, and prevention; types of ?nancial statement and occupational fraud;
and investigation and interviewing techniques. It also covers functions of internal audit, audit
committees and corporate governance, planning and performing the internal auditing engagement,
and coordination of internal auditing and external auditing. Business majors only; Prerequisite:
ACCT 215.
ACCT 232 Accounting Information Systems 3 cr.
A course that explores in detail several typical Accounting Information System (AIS) application
subsystems, such as order entry/sales, billing/receivables/cash receipts, inventory, purchasing/
accounts payable/cash disbursements, payroll, and materials planning/production. This course
includes understanding, documenting, designing, using, and auditing these application subsystems.
Business majors only; Prerequisites: ACCT 210, INFO 200.
ACCT 235 Taxation 3 cr.
A study of the Lebanese Tax Code and its application as it relates to individuals and business
entities. This course includes the laws governing direct taxation (income tax), indirect taxation
(stamp duty and VAT), and the basic principles of the National Social Security Fund (NSSF). Business
majors only; Prerequisite: ACCT 210.
ACCT 240 Fund Accounting 3 cr.
A course that provides an alternative perspective of accounting that meets the needs of not-for-
pro?t and governmental organizations. This course involves the interpretation and use of fund
accounting as a means of reporting and controlling activities. Business majors only; Prerequisite:
ACCT 215.
ACCT 241 Pro?t Planning and Budgeting Control 3 cr.
A broad view of pro?t planning and control. Topics covered include sales planning and control,
planning production, materials purchase and usage, planning and controlling direct labor costs and
overhead, planning expenses, planning and controlling capital expenditures, and completion and
application of the pro?t plan. Business majors only; Prerequisite: ACCT 215.
ACCT 246 International Accounting 3 cr.
A course on selected topics faced by professional accountants in international business, including
?nancial reporting standards, foreign currency, budgeting, management control, and performance
evaluation. Business majors only; Prerequisite: ACCT 215.
ACCT 250 Special Topics 1, 2, or 3 cr.
A course that deals with special issues and concerns in accounting not included in regular courses.
This course may be repeated for credit when the topics vary. Prerequisites vary with the topic and
are noted in the course schedule. Credits depend on the course offered. Prerequisite: approval of track
convenor.
ACCT 251 Accounting Tutorial 0.5-3 cr.
Tutorials provide opportunities for students to pursue directed study readings and preliminary
research relevant to their concentration where existing courses do not offer the required subject
matter. Tutorials include a presentation of a report on the work. Prerequisite: Approval of track
convenor.
308 Suliman S. Olayan School of Business (OSB)
Finance Courses
FINA 210 Business Finance 3 cr.
This course teaches the tools that determine and analyze the major decisions a ?nancial manager has
to make, including identi?cation of the ?rm’s goals, time value of money, use of discount cash ?ow
models, capital budgeting under certainty, capital structure as it relates to cost of capital, dividend
policy, and ethics in ?nance. Prerequisite: ACCT 210.
FINA 215 Financial Markets and Institutions 3 cr.
A study of the functions and operations of ?nancial institutions. This course covers analysis of
existing ?nancial systems, money and capital markets, banks and non-bank ?nancial intermediaries,
term structure of interest rates, and securities markets including the stock and bond exchanges.
Business majors only; Prerequisite: FINA 210.
FINA 218 Risk Management in Financial Institutions 3 cr.
This course covers the role of risk management in the ?nancial institutions industry, use of insurance
in risk management, quantitative and qualitative measures of risk, management of interest rate
?uctuations, credit risks and policies, gap analysis, management of market risks and foreign exchange
risk, management of operational and sovereign risks, portfolio analysis, the role of asset and liability
management, and risk control processes. Business majors only; Prerequisite: FINA 210.
FINA 220 Investment Management 3 cr.
A study of the operations of securities markets, investment policies, valuation of individual
securities, and techniques of investing in securities. This course also introduces students to analysis
of investment information, evaluation of risks and returns, and principles of portfolio selection in
investment decisions. Business majors only; Prerequisite: FINA 210.
FINA 222 Valuation Methods 3 cr.
This course covers techniques used by investment bankers and analysts for enterprise valuation.
The techniques used are divided into intrinsic valuation and relative valuation. Intrinsic valuation
includes dividend discount models, free cash ?ow to equity, free cash ?ow to ?rm. Relative valuation
measures are price-to-earnings, price-to-sales, price-to-book, price-to-cash ?ow. The focus is on
applications and insights as to when and why we use one measure versus another. Business majors
only; Prerequisite: FINA 210.
FINA 225 Commercial Bank Management 3 cr.
De?nes functions, operations, and objectives of commercial banks as compared to other ?nancial
institutions. The course studies the management aspects of commercial banks, ?nancial analysis
of bank statements, liquidity management, assets and liability management, pro?tability, capital
adequacy, credit analysis, trade ?nance, and banking regulations. Business majors only; Prerequisite:
FINA 210.
FINA 227 Insurance 3 cr.
An operational approach to risk management in business and personal affairs. The major thrust of
this course is to introduce students to the various types of insurance contracts including life, health,
property, and liability insurance, and how to measure and manage risk. This course also covers
reinsurance and the know-how to make the best use of insurance contracts and coverage. Business
majors only; Prerequisite: FINA 210.
309 Suliman S. Olayan School of Business (OSB)
FINA 228 Credit and Risk Analysis 3 cr.
The goal of this course is to learn to focus on “Risk” as a basic income-generating product of banks and
?nancial institutions. The aim is to have the student acquire the tools used by ?nancial institutions
to identify, review, analyze and measure risk. The student will learn to establish adequate pricing
and structuring of bank credit facilities and of third party ?nancing. The course will introduce risk
concepts, risk ratings, and risk review procedures. It will concentrate on ?nancial spread sheet and
ratio analysis and will allow the assessment of various risk aspects of corporations. Business majors
only; Prerequisite: FINA 210.
FINA 230 International Financial Management 3 cr.
An analysis of the opportunities, problems, and ?nancial decisions confronting multinational
companies. The focus of this course is on understanding international regulatory and environment
differences, access to money and capital markets, use of derivatives to hedge exchange rate risk,
exposure to political risk and other types of risk, and international diversi?cation. Business majors
only; Prerequisite: FINA 210.
FINA 232/ Real Estate Management 3 cr.
ENTM 232
This course is designed to give the student a general overview of the real estate space. Topics include
an introduction to real estate markets (sources of demand), real estate ?nance, project evaluation,
elements of real estate law, appraisals, property development and property management. Business
majors only; Prerequisite: FINA 210.
FINA 234 Real Estate Finance and Investment 3 cr.
This course examines selected issues in real estate ?nance and investment: Techniques for
analyzing ?nancial decisions in property development and investment; property income streams,
pro forma analysis, equity valuation, taxes, risk types, and sensitivity analysis. It also introduces
the fundamentals of mortgage securitization and public markets in real estate securities. Business
majors only; Prerequisite: FINA 210.
FINA 235 Personal Financial Planning 3 cr.
A course that deals with planning and managing personal ?nance. This course focuses on topics
such as the ?nancial planner’s role and environment, cash ?ow budgeting, consumer credit, debt
management, insurance, taxation and ?nancial planning, retirement planning, estate planning and
wills, personal bankruptcy and insolvency, and preparation of ?nancial plans. Business majors only;
Prerequisite: FINA 210.
FINA 240/ Financial Simulation Modeling 3 cr.
DCSN 220
This course introduces elements of computerized simulation, including modeling deterministic and
stochastic systems, generation of random numbers and variables, and probability and statistics
related to modeling, validating, running, and interpreting computer simulations. Simulation projects
on corporate ?nance issues, and investment and portfolio analysis form an integral part of the
course. Prerequisite: BUSS 200 or equivalent.
FINA 241/ Venture Capital Management 3 cr.
ENTM 241
This course provides students with an understanding of the approaches and techniques used by
Venture Capitalists to: assess the prospects of success of a venture; develop and negotiate investment
terms including valuation; monitor the investee and understand exit routes such as trade sale and
IPO. It also provides the student with conceptual and practical knowledge about key operating and
strategic aspects of an entrepreneurial business, from the pre-commercial stage to IPO. Business
majors only; Prerequisite: FINA 210.
310 Suliman S. Olayan School of Business (OSB)
FINA 242/ Advanced Venture Capital and Private Equity 3 cr.
ENTM 242
This course covers special types of ?nancing for capital investment proposals. The course will use
the case approach to assess the organization and strategies of the private equity industry, the use
of ?nancial and economic tools in Leveraged Buyout and venture capital investing, types of private
equity transactions, study of transactions with options and hybrid ?nancing structures, ?nancing of
IPOs, incubators, and corporate venture capital. Business majors only; Prerequisite: FINA 210.
FINA 243 Private Banking 3 cr.
This course offers students the opportunity to learn how to manage high net worth client
relationships. It tackles client approach techniques as well as the ?nancial know-how, knowledge of
markets’ functioning, products, and services. Business majors only; Prerequisite: FINA 210.
FINA 247 Case Studies in Finance 3 cr.
This course provides a deep understanding of the ?nancing issues that ?rms must deal with, using
the case approach. The topics covered include cost of capital for a multidivisional ?rm, capital
structure and estimation of debt bene?ts, pricing Initial Public Offerings (IPOs), Leveraged Buyout
(LBO), mergers and acquisitions, warrants and convertibles, and ?nancial distress. Business majors
only; Prerequisite: FINA 210.
FINA 250 Special Topics 1, 2, or 3 cr.
A course that deals with special issues and concerns in ?nance not included in regular courses. This
course may be repeated for credit when the topics vary. Prerequisites vary with the topic and are
noted in the course schedule. Credits depend on the course offered. Prerequisite: approval of track
convenor.
FINA 251 Finance Tutorial 0.5-3 cr.
Tutorials provide opportunities for students to pursue directed study readings and preliminary
research relevant to their concentration when existing courses do not offer the required subject
matter. Tutorials include a presentation of a report on the work. Prerequisite: approval of track
convenor.
MM&E Track Courses
In addition to the 42 credit general undergraduate requirements from outside the school (listed
earlier) and the 39 credits required in the business core (ACCT 210, ACCT 215, BUSS 200, BUSS
211, BUSS215, BUSS 230, BUSS 239, BUSS 240, BUSS 245, BUSS 248, BUSS 249, DCSN 200, DCSN
205, FINA 210, INFO 200, MKTG 210, MNGT 215), the track requires students following one of its
concentrations, either Management, Marketing or Entrepreneurship, to take 9 credits of any course
in the concentration area. Students may choose to pursue an HR focus within management by taking
MNGT 220 and two of the following: MNGT 218, MNGT 225, MNGT 229, and any HR-designated MNGT
250 course. MKTG 222 is a required course for all marketing concentration students.
Entrepreneurship Courses
ENTM 220 Managing a Small Business for Growth 3 cr.
An identi?cation of the management, organization, and operational issues critical to the growth of
small business enterprises. This course emphasizes the resolution of managerial problems from the
perspective of small business focusing mainly on marketing, ?nance and HR areas. It is targeted at
junior and senior students who expect to hold senior management positions in SMEs. Prerequisite:
MNGT 215.
311 Suliman S. Olayan School of Business (OSB)
ENTM 225 Business Environment of the Firm 3 cr.
A course that focuses on how to analyze the impact of the environment on small ?rms, the growing
role of NGOs and stakeholders in shaping strategies, with special emphasis on the role of government
policy. Prerequisite: MNGT 215.
ENTM 230 Decision making Skills for Entrepreneurs 3 cr.
This course will introduce the theories, processes, skills, and techniques relating to effective
decision-making at the individual and group level. Good decision makers know how to recognize
decision situations, how to represent the essential structure of the situations, and how to analyze
them. This course will move back and forth between formal models and behavioral, descriptive
models to help students understand and improve their native decision making abilities. Prerequisite:
MNGT 215.
ENTM 232/ Real Estate Management 3 cr.
FINA 232
This course is designed to give the student a general overview of the real estate space. Topics include
an introduction to real estate markets (sources of demand), real estate ?nance, project evaluation,
elements of real estate law, appraisals, property development and property management. Business
majors only; Prerequisite: FINA 210.
ENTM 235 Family Business: Issues and Solutions 3 cr.
A course that focuses on family businesses: their importance, structure, governance, management,
challenges; issues of succession, inheritance, family versus non-family management, and rivalry
between siblings, cousins, or across generations. Prerequisite: MNGT 215.
ENTM 241/ Venture Capital Management 3 cr.
FINA 241
This course provides students with an understanding of the approaches and techniques used by
Venture Capitalists to: assess the prospects of success of a venture; develop and negotiate investment
terms including valuation; monitor the investee and understand exit routes such as trade sale and
IPO. It also provides the student with conceptual and practical knowledge about key operating and
strategic aspects of an entrepreneurial business, from the pre-commercial stage to IPO. Business
majors only; Prerequisite: FINA 210.
ENTM 250 Special Topics 1, 2, or 3 cr.
A course that deals with special issues and concerns in entrepreneurship not included in regular
courses. This course may be repeated for credit when the topics vary. Prerequisites vary with the
topic and are noted in the course schedule. Credits depend on the course offered. Prerequisite:
approval of track convenor.
ENTM 251 Entrepreneurship Tutorial 0.5-3 cr.
Tutorials provide opportunities for students to pursue directed study readings and preliminary
research relevant to their concentration where existing courses do not offer the required subject
matter. Tutorials include a presentation of a report on the work. Prerequisite: approval of track
convenor.
ENTM 270 Launching a New Venture 3 cr.
This course focuses on the founding and development of new business organizations. It identi?es
the prerequisites for successful new ventures, the threats to their survival, and the practical
actions entrepreneurs may take to overcome them and successfully grow their venture. Prerequisites:
MNGT 215 and FINA 210.
312 Suliman S. Olayan School of Business (OSB)
Management Courses
MNGT 215 Fundamentals of Management and Organizational Behavior 3 cr.
A course that focuses on the management of the modern organization and the employees within,
preparing students for their role as future managers and leaders. It explores essential management
concepts, processes and techniques from an organizational behavior perspective. Main topics covered
include management history and evolution, motivation, decision-making, leadership, power and
politics, learning and perception, communication, managing groups and teams, and human resource
management. Prerequisite: ENGL 204.
MNGT 218 Advanced Topics in Organizational Behavior 3 cr.
This course provides an advanced perspective of the ?eld of organizational behavior including social
learning theory/organizational behavior models, managerial activities/behaviors, cross-cultural/
international research, and leadership. It introduces the research methodology in organizational
behavior and provides an exposure to contemporary practices of select organizational behavior
topics. Prerequisite: MNGT 215.
MNGT 220 Human Resource Management 3 cr.
This course introduces the principles of human resource management. It helps students acquire
the basic HRM concepts and equips them with the tools necessary for the effective management of
people in organizations. Main topics covered include strategic HRM, planning and staf?ng, training
and development, performance management, compensation, career management and global HRM.
Prerequisite: MNGT 215.
MNGT 225 Employee Development 3 cr.
This is a senior level, seminar style course that is designed to expose students to employee training
and development within an organization. Speci?cally, it is designed to help students develop skills
that will enable them to effectively design, implement, and evaluate training systems from an
applied perspective. The course also sheds light on career planning and development as essential
functions in maintaining competency, motivation, and commitment. Prerequisites: MNGT 215, MNGT
220.
MNGT 229 Contemporary Issues in Human Capital Management 3 cr.
This course addresses contemporary issues in human resource management theories and practices
in terms of their ability to have a positive impact on organizational results and to encourage
desired employee attitudes and behaviors. Main topics examined pertain to organizational culture,
international HRM, diversity and work life balance, downsizing, employee participation, knowledge
management, employment ethics, emotions at work, ?exibility and workplace bullying. Prerequisite:
MNGT 215.
MNGT 230 International Management 3 cr.
A course on the management function in a global economy. Topics covered include substantive and
stylistic challenges for senior and middle management in international cross continent corporations
and conglomerates, standardization and diffusion of authority and operations, mobility and self
reinvention, and integration and differentiation. Prerequisite: MNGT 215.
MNGT 250 Special Topics 1, 2, or 3 cr.
A course that deals with special issues and concerns in management not included in regular courses.
This course may be repeated for credit when the topics vary. Prerequisites vary with the topic and
are noted in the course schedule. Credits depend on the course offered. Prerequisite: approval of track
convenor.
MNGT 251 Management Tutorial 0.5-3 cr.
Tutorials provide opportunities for students to pursue directed study readings and preliminary
research relevant to their concentration where existing courses do not offer the required subject
matter. Tutorials include a presentation of a report on the work. Prerequisite: approval of track
convenor.
313 Suliman S. Olayan School of Business (OSB)
Marketing Courses
MKTG 210 Principles of Marketing 3 cr.
An overview of marketing activities including marketing inputs in strategic planning, global
marketing, marketing research, analysis of buyer behavior, market segmentation and positioning,
and development of the marketing mix elements. Prerequisite: ENGL 204.
MKTG 215 Services Marketing 3 cr.
An overview of the process of marketing services. This course includes a study of the characteristics
of services and their marketing implications, developing marketing strategies, creating value, pricing
and promoting the service performance, and ensuring a positive customer experience. Business
majors only; Prerequisite: MKTG 210.
MKTG 220/ E-Commerce/ Electronic Marketing 3 cr.
INFO 220
An overview of electronic marketing development and its impact on marketing transactions and
management of organizations. Topics covered include e-marketing as an economic and strategic
approach; business to business and business to consumer e-commerce and e-marketing; management
of an e-marketing project; and ?nancial, legal, and security issues Business majors only; Prerequisites:
MKTG 210, INFO 200.
MKTG 222 Marketing Research 3 cr.
A course that provides thorough coverage of various marketing research tools along an applied
orientation, including a systematic analysis of the steps comprising the marketing research process,
starting with research problem de?nition and terminating with data collection, analysis, and
presentation. Business majors only; Prerequisites: MKTG 210, BUSS 200.
MKTG 225 Marketing Communications 3 cr.
An overview of promotion management and integrated marketing communications. Topics covered
include behavioral foundations of marketing communications, environmental in?uences on marketing
communications, and the promotion management process and its execution. Business majors only;
Prerequisite: MKTG 210. Students cannot receive credit for both SOAN 231 and MKTG 225 or for both SOAN
235 and MKTG 225.
MKTG 230 Sales Management 3 cr.
An overview of selling and sales management. Topics covered include sales management functions
and strategies, developing the selling function, sales goals and structure, building a sales program,
and leading and motivating the sales force. Business majors only; Prerequisite: MKTG 210.
MKTG 235 Retailing and Merchandising 3 cr.
This course examines the opportunities and problems faced by marketers in contemporary retail
formats. The principle issues involved in retailing are explored, including store location and
layout, merchandise planning, buying and selling, category management, and coordination of
store activities. Overall the course allows students to develop appropriate skills and knowledge for
effective and ef?cient decision making in the contemporary retail environment. Business majors
only; Prerequisite: MKTG 210.
MKTG 238 Public Relations 3 cr.
This course focuses on the communication between an individual or organization and the public to
promote stakeholder acceptance and approval. Students explore traditional and emerging components
of the public relations process through mass media, as well as the needs of different types of
businesses, such as corporations, non-pro?t organizations, and government of?ces. Business majors
only; Prerequisite: MKTG 210. Students cannot receive credit for both SOAN 234 and MKTG 238.
314 Suliman S. Olayan School of Business (OSB)
MKTG 240 Consumer Behavior 3 cr.
A course that focuses on the customer as the key to market success. Topics covered include the
roles of a customer, market values a customer seeks, determinants of customer behavior, the
customer’s mindset, customer decision-making, and customer-focused marketing. Business majors
only; Prerequisite: MKTG 210.
MKTG 245 International Marketing 3 cr.
An overview of the scope and challenge of international marketing. Topics covered include the
cultural environment of global markets, assessing global market opportunities, and developing and
implementing global marketing strategies. Business majors only Prerequisite: MKTG 210.
MKTG 250 Special Topics 1, 2, or 3 cr.
A course that deals with special issues and concerns in marketing not included in regular courses. It
may be repeated for credit when the topics vary. Prerequisites vary with the topic and are noted in
the course schedule. Credits depend on the course offered. Prerequisite: approval of track convenor.
MKTG 251 Marketing Tutorial 0.5-3 cr.
Tutorials provide opportunities for students to pursue directed study readings and preliminary
research relevant to their concentration when existing courses do not offer the required subject
matter. Tutorials include a presentation of a report on the work. Prerequisite: approval of track
convenor.
BIDS Track Courses
In addition to the 42 credits of general undergraduate requirements from outside the school (listed
earlier) and the 39 credits required in the business core (ACCT 210, ACCT 215, BUSS 200, BUSS
211, BUSS 215, BUSS 230, BUSS 239, BUSS 240, BUSS 245, BUSS 248, BUSS 249, DCSN 200, DCSN
205, FINA 210, INFO 200, MKTG 210, MNGT 215), the track requires all students concentrating in
Business Information and Decision Systems to take INFO 205, and any combination of elective
courses totaling 6 credits from the Decision Systems courses (denoted by DCSN) and the Information
Systems courses (denoted by INFO).
Decision Systems Courses
DCSN 200 Operations Management 3 cr.
This course offers an overview of how operations managers make strategic decisions in operating a
production or service system, thereby giving their ?rms a sustainable competitive advantage in a
global marketplace. It focuses on the systematic planning, design, and operations analysis of the
main processes required for the production of goods and the delivery of services. Speci?c topics
include operations strategy framework; product and service design; customer order management;
process design and management; capacity and material planning; statistical quality control and
management; inventory and supply chain. Co-requisite: CMPS 209.
DCSN 205 Managerial Decision Making 3 cr.
This course is a spreadsheet-based introduction to the tools and techniques of modern managerial
decision making. It addresses formulation of models that can be used to analyze complex problems
taken from various functional areas of management, including ?nance, marketing, operations, and
human resources. The goal is to understand how business decisions are reached, what tradeoffs are
made, and how outcomes depend on the underlying data. A broad range of analytical methods is
covered to address decision making: under certainty (linear, integer and non-linear programming;
network ?ows; project management; and multi-objectives); under uncertainty (decision analysis
and decision trees) and under risk (simulation). Decision making software tools like MS Excel, Tree
Plan, Crystal Ball, @Risk and MS Project will be used for hands-on experiences. Business majors only;
Prerequisites: Math 204 and CMPS 209.
315 Suliman S. Olayan School of Business (OSB)
DCSN 210 Business Logistics 3 cr.
This course addresses the planning, organizing, and controlling of such activities as transportation,
inventory maintenance, facility location, order processing, purchasing, warehousing, materials
handling, packaging, customer service standards, and product scheduling. It is speci?cally designed
to help managers analyze and resolve challenges encountered in the real business world and a
competitive environment.
DCSN 215 Advanced Managerial Decision Making Models 3 cr.
This course addresses advanced models from functional areas of management, including ?nance,
marketing, operations, and human resources, through case studies and use of applications software.
Prerequisite: DCSN 205.
DCSN 220/ Financial Simulation Modeling 3 cr.
FINA 240
This course introduces elements of computerized simulation, including modeling deterministic and
stochastic systems, generation of random numbers and variables, and probability and statistics
related to modeling, validating, running, and interpreting computer simulations. Simulation projects
on corporate ?nance issues, and investment and portfolio analysis form an integral part of the
course. Prerequisite: BUSS 200 or equivalent.
DCSN 225 Enterprise Systems Design and Implementation 3 cr.
This course introduces the problems of coordination in business caused by low/no integration of
systems and processes. It offers solutions through a combination of enterprise systems (enterprise
resource planning) and enterprise application/data integration. A semester-long project requires
students working in teams to develop a business integration solution through the application of
systems integration principles based on use of software. Prerequisites: INFO 205, DCSN 205.
DCSN 250 Special Topics 1, 2, or 3 cr.
This course deals with special issues and concerns in business decision systems not included in
regular courses. This course may be repeated for credit when the topics vary. Prerequisites vary with
the topic and are noted in the course schedule. Credits depend on the course offered. Prerequisite:
approval of track convenor.
DCSN 251 Decision Systems Tutorial 0.5-3 cr.
Tutorials provide opportunities for students to pursue directed study readings and preliminary
research relevant to their concentration where existing courses do not offer the required subject
matter. Tutorials include a presentation of a report on the work.
Management Information Systems Courses
INFO 200 Foundations of Information Systems 3 cr.
This course introduces information systems that raise productivity, create customer value and sustain
competitive advantage. It shows how the integration of information technology and information
systems in the organization’s work processes adds value for the business and its customers. It
focuses on the following topical areas: competitiveness, functional information systems, e-commerce
and supply chain systems, business intelligence systems, and systems development. Co-requisite:
CMPS 209.
316 Suliman S. Olayan School of Business (OSB)
INFO 205 Information Systems Design and Development 3 cr.
This course emphasizes the issues facing business and management in the design and development
of information systems: properly formulating business problems; targeting the appropriate processes
and functions; delineating the planned data needs and user groups; estimating the value of the
solution; and the requisite design and implementation processes, phases, and timeframe. Cases will
underscore these issues and problems in the context of practical design and development projects.
Prerequisite: INFO 200.
INFO 210 Business Database Systems 3 cr.
This course introduces the central role of database management systems (DBMS) and their applications
in the business IT/IS environment, including an overview of database design, implementation, query
and use based on using features of a commercial structured query language-based (SQL) DBMS. The
course includes a case study that requires a basic information model (conceptual/physical design)
and the development of a multiple table database satisfying a real business need. Prerequisite:
INFO 200.
INFO 215 Managing Information Technology Resources 3 cr.
This course introduces the management of IT/IS as a critical business resource. It examines
information economics and business strategy; IS strategies; data resources; IS support provided to
business processes and decisions; technical (hardware/network/telecommunication) infrastructure
of IS; IS maintenance policies and procedures; staf?ng and funding approaches for IS services; and
IS security measures. Prerequisite: INFO 200.
INFO 220/ E-Commerce/ Electronic Marketing 3 cr.
MKTG 220
An overview of electronic marketing development and its impact on marketing transactions and
management of organizations. Topics covered include e-marketing as an economic and strategic
approach; business to business and business to consumer e-commerce and e-marketing; management
of an e-marketing project; and ?nancial, legal, and security issues. Prerequisites: MKTG 210,
INFO 200.
INFO 230 Knowledge Management 3 cr.
This course addresses capturing, transferring, sharing, and managing knowledge. Topics include
understanding knowledge; knowledge management systems life cycle; knowledge creation; capturing
knowledge; knowledge transfer and knowledge sharing; learning from data; data mining; and ethical
and legal issues. Prerequisite: INFO 200.
INFO 250 Special Topics 1, 2, or 3 cr.
This course deals with special issues and concerns in business information systems not included in
regular courses. This course may be repeated for credit when the topics vary. Prerequisites vary with
the topic and are noted in the course schedule. Credits depend on the course offered. Prerequisite:
approval of track convenor.
INFO 251 Information Systems Tutorial 0.5-3 cr.
Tutorials provide opportunities for students to pursue directed study readings and preliminary
research relevant to their concentration where existing courses do not offer the required subject
matter. Tutorials include a presentation of a report on the work. Prerequisite: approval of track
convenor.
doc_800731848.pdf
Detailed elucidation in regard to suliman s. olayan school of business.
Suliman S. Olayan
School of Business
(OSB)
286 Suliman S. Olayan School of Business (OSB)
Suliman S. Olayan School
of Business (OSB)
Of?cers of the School
Peter F. Dorman President of the University
Ahmad Dallal Provost, ex-of?cio
George K. Najjar Dean
Khalil Hindi Associate Dean
Hanin Abdallah Assistant Dean for Student Services
Mohamad Zeidan Assistant Dean for Corporate Programs
Moueen Salameh Registrar, ex-of?cio
Salim Kanaan Director of Admissions, ex-of?cio
Lokman Meho University Librarian, ex-of?cio
Faculty Administrative Support
Soughit Abdelnour Internship and Placement Of?cer
Hala Azar Assistant to the Dean
Antoine Feghali Director of Corporate Relations
Carla Sayegh Hilton Director of Continuous Improvement
Rula Karam EMBA Of?cer
Elias Khater Institutional Research Of?cer
Antoine Sabbagh Senior Financial Analyst
Rima El Zein Saghieh Student Services Of?cer
Maya El Helou Shaib IT Of?cer
Program Directors
Salim Chahine Director of the MBA Program
Riad Dimechkie Director of the Executive MBA Program
International Board of Overseers
HE Sheikh Salem Al Subah Governor, Central Bank of Kuwait/Kuwait
Ali Fekrat Professor Emeritus, McDonough School of Business,
Georgetown University/Washington, DC, USA
John Fernandes President and CEO, AACSB International/Tampa, Florida,
USA
Yash Gupta Dean, John Hopkins Carey Business School/Baltimore, USA
Gabriel Hawawini Former Dean, INSEAD/France
Samuel Hayes Jacob H. Schiff Professor of Investment Banking, Emeritus,
Harvard Business School/Boston, Massachusetts, USA
287 Suliman S. Olayan School of Business (OSB)
Erik Hoffmeyer Former Governor, National Bank of Denmark/Copenhagen,
Denmark
Abdallah Jumah Former CEO and President, Saudi Arabian Oil Company/
Dhahran, Saudi Arabia
HE Najib Mikati Trustee and Former Prime Minister/Lebanon
Jacques Nasser Managing Director, Equity One Partners/New York, USA
Khaled Olayan CEO, The Olayan Group/Al Khobar, Saudi Arabia
Sir Geoffrey Owen Former Editor, Financial Times, Lecturer, LSE/London, UK
Richard Schmalensee Howard W. Johnson Professor of Management, Sloan School
of Management, MIT/Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
Peter Wodtke Businessman/Washington Connecticut, USA
Middle East Advisory Board
Yousef Abu Khadra Former Member, Invest Corporation International Ltd./
London, UK
Diraar Alghanim President, Alghanim International Corporation/Kuwait
H.E. Badr Al-Humaidhi Former Minister of Finance/Al Safat, Kuwait
Rachid Al Miraj Governor, Central Bank of Bahrain/Bahrain
Sabah Almoayyed General Manager, The Housing Bank/Manama, Bahrain
Faysal Al Mutawa Vice President/Managing Director, Abdel Wahab Sons/
Kuwait
Saad Azhari Chairman and General Manager, BLOM Bank/Beirut,
Lebanon
Fawzi Farah CEO, Corporate Finance House/Beirut, Lebanon
Nehmat Frem General Manager, INDEVCO/Beirut, Lebanon
Fadi Ghandour President/CEO, ARAMEX/Amman, Jordan
Abdel Hamid Hallab Special Adviser to the President, AUB/Beirut, Lebanon
Marwan Kheireddine General Manager, Al-Mawarid Bank/Beirut, Lebanon
Usama Mikdashi Former Managing Director, Citigroup Risk Management/
London, UK
Murad A. Murad Chairman of the Board, Bank of Bahrain and Kuwait/
Manama, Bahrain
Hisham Abdelrazzaq Al Razouki Chief Executive Of?cer and General Manager, Gulf
Investment Corporation/Kuwait
Nehmeh Sabbagh Executive General Manager, BANKMED/Beirut, Lebanon
Constantin Salameh COO, Private Investment/Al Nahyan Family/Abu Dhabi, UAE
Elia Samaha General Manager/Head of Regional Expansion, Audi-Saradar
Group/Beirut, Lebanon
Talal Shair Chairman/CEO, Dar Al Handasah/Shair and Partners/
Amman, Jordan
Antoine Wakim Chairman/CEO, Société Nationale d’Assurance/Beirut,
Lebanon
288 Suliman S. Olayan School of Business (OSB)
The Finance, Accounting, and Managerial Economics Track
Convenor: Sa?eddine, Assem
Professor Sa?eddine, Assem
Associate Professor: Chahine, Salim
Assistant Professors: Dbouk, Wassim; Ghanem, Abdel Jalil ; Jamali, Ibrahim;
Khalil, Samer; McNamara, Steven; Manassian, Armond;
Rkein, Ali; Saade, Samer; Safar, Walid
Visiting Assistant Professor Termos, Ali
Senior Lecturer: Abdallah, Hanin
Instructors: El-Hajj, Sana; Hout, Bassima; Tannir-Fawaz, Lina;
Uwaydah-Mardini, Rania
Executive-in-Residence: Malouf, Fawzi
The Management, Marketing, and Entrepreneurship Track
Convenor: Sidani, Yusuf
Professor: Najjar, George K.
Associate Professors: Jamali, Dima; Rebeiz, Karim; Sidani, Yusuf
Assistant Professors: A?ouni, Fida; Daouk, Lina; Farah, Maya; Kamel, Yehia;
Karam, Charlotte; Khakhar, Priyan; Koksal, Mehmet Haluk;
Khoury, Haitham; Leigh, Laurence; Showail, Sammy;
Zbib, Imad; Zeidan, Mohamad-Jamal
Senior Lecturers: Dimechkie, Riad; Kettaneh, Tarek ; Zgheib, Philip
Lecturers Thornberry, Jon
Instructors: Kfouri, Michael; Khauli-Hanna, Leila; Standen, David
Business Information and Decision Systems Track
Convenor: Osman, Ibrahim
Professors: Hindi, Khalil; Osman, Ibrahim
Assistant Professors: Arakji, Reina; Araman, Victor; Azad, Bijan;
Fayyad, Rima; Fleszar, Krzysztof; King, Nelson;
Moussawi, Lama; Nasr, Walid; Yorke-Smith, Neil
Lecturers: Feghali, Antoine; Majdalani, Elias
Instructors: Geutcherian, Rita; Salamoun Siou?, Randa
History and Overview
Business education at AUB started in 1900 and was provided either by a department or a semi-
autonomous school under the University’s Faculty of Arts and Sciences for approximately one hundred
years. In celebration of the hundred-year anniversary of offering business programs, AUB established
in September 2000 an independent School of Business (later named the Suliman S. Olayan School of
Business, “OSB”) as the sixth faculty of the University.
289 Suliman S. Olayan School of Business (OSB)
To date, AUB has graduated over 6,500 students from its undergraduate business programs and over
1,300 from its graduate business programs. Since its formal establishment as a distinct school, OSB
has grown its full-time faculty complement from 13 in the academic year 2000-01 to 56 today. It
now graduates approximately 350 students from its undergraduate program and 60 students from its
graduate programs every year.
OSB currently offers four degree programs: an Executive Master of Business Administration (herein
referred to as the “Executive MBA”), a Corporate Executive Master of Business Administration (herein
referred to as the “CEMBA”), a Master of Business Administration (herein referred to as the “MBA”)
and a Bachelor of Business Administration (herein referred to as the “BBA”).
The First AUB Faculty to Be Named
In June 2003, the AUB School of Business was named the Suliman S. Olayan School of Business, in
honor of the late international Saudi businessman and AUB trustee whose family has always been a
major supporter of AUB.
This watershed event triggered a series of major developments intended to broaden and deepen the
delivery of quality undergraduate and graduate business programs at AUB. An entirely new curriculum
was introduced for the BBA and MBA degrees in the fall of 2001. Both degrees were redesigned to
follow leading trends in international business education. In the spring of 2004, OSB launched
the Executive MBA program in response to the professional development needs of senior corporate
leaders in the region. In 2009, a corporate version of the Executive MBA program was introduced.
Accreditation
The degree programs of OSB are accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of
Business (AACSB International). Requiring rigorous quality audits and adherence to best academic
practices, AACSB accreditation, which is attained by less than 5% of business schools worldwide, is
the international quality-assurance standard for business education programs.
Vision
The vision of OSB is to become universally and unequivocally globally recognized as the foremost
business school between Europe and South Asia, equally excelling in teaching, research and
professional service.
Mission
Building on over a century of prominence in business education, the Suliman S. Olayan School of
Business is committed to providing quality undergraduate and graduate programs aimed at developing
and enhancing global managerial leadership in the Middle East region and beyond. The school’s
undergraduate program accentuates a liberal arts-based operational focus, whereas the Executive
MBA has a distinct strategy orientation. The MBA program is designed to provide a dynamic balance
290 Suliman S. Olayan School of Business (OSB)
between the two. OSB’s role in knowledge dissemination and service is reinforced by the school’s
intellectual contributions that emphasize applied research, supplemented by instructional and basic
research. OSB upholds and promotes the highest ethical standards and a continuous improvement
ethos in all that it imparts to its students.
Ethics and Integrity
OSB is committed to the highest standards of academic integrity and expects its faculty and students
to exhibit exemplary behavior in this regard. All business students are responsible for familiarizing
themselves with and always abiding by the AUB policies, rules, and regulations that de?ne standards
for academic integrity.
Organization and Governance
The school is run by the dean and guided by two independent boards: an International Board of
Overseers (the “IBO”) comprising international leaders in business and education and a Middle East
Advisory Board (the “MEAB”) composed of accomplished regional thought leaders and trend setters
in business. The IBO and MEAB advise the dean and the dean’s Advisory Committee on major strategic
initiatives and act as a preliminary screening authority prior to the approval of the university
provost, the university president and the university Board of Trustees (BOT). The dean’s Advisory
Committee is an elected body as per AUB’s faculty bylaws.
The school is organized into the functional equivalent of multi-disciplinary departments, referred
to as “tracks.” While each track has its distinct identity and designated faculty members, a track is
markedly different from a department; it allows for multiple faculty membership, offers fertile soil
for cross-disciplinary synergy and facilitates faculty cooperation.
The school has three tracks, each encompassing a cluster of distinct academic business disciplines
(or “concentrations”) and headed by a track convenor (a highly-quali?ed OSB faculty member). The
tracks (with their respective concentrations) are:
1. Finance, Accounting and Managerial Economics (FAME)
Concentrations (2): Finance and Accounting
2. Management, Marketing and Entrepreneurship (MM&E)
Concentrations (3): Management, Marketing and Entrepreneurship
3. Business Information and Decision Systems (BIDS)
Concentration (1): Information and Decision Systems
Track convenors report directly to the dean of the school. The school is managed by the dean, the
associate dean, the assistant dean for Student Services, the assistant dean for corporate programs,
the track convenors, the program directors, the administrative of?cers of the school, and ten
standing committees, and operates under a set of school bylaws available at:
http://pnp.aub.edu.lb/by-laws/business/index.html.
291 Suliman S. Olayan School of Business (OSB)
Undergraduate Program
OSB currently offers a bachelor’s degree in business administration (the “BBA”).
The BBA Program
Philosophy
The BBA program is for university entrants focused on translating their thinking and interests into
career opportunities in business. The program combines business and arts and sciences in a rigorous
learning environment to help students gain a holistic understanding of the social, cultural and
economic environment in which they operate. The curriculum’s liberal arts-based operational focus is
deeply grounded in analytics, while emphasizing soft skill areas such as leadership, decision-making
and ethical reasoning.
Admission to the Program
Normally, there are two admission deadlines a year; in May, for enrollment in the following fall, and
in November, for enrollment in the following spring.
Criteria for Admission to the BBA Program
Students are admitted as sophomores to the BBA program either through direct admission, through
transfer from other Faculties at AUB or through transfer from other universities. Students may also
be admitted as junior transfers from other Faculties at AUB or from outside AUB.
Direct Admission
These students are normally admitted directly from secondary school into the sophomore class
at OSB. For complete and detailed information regarding admission to the University, see the
Admissions section of this catalogue. All direct admissions are decided by the University Uni?ed
Admissions Committee.
Transfer into OSB
As per OSB’s bylaws, all transfer decisions are made by the school’s Admissions Committee.
292 Suliman S. Olayan School of Business (OSB)
Transfer from the Freshman Class of the Faculty of
Arts and Sciences
Eligibility conditions are:
• successful completion of at least 24 credits
• a minimum cumulative average of 77 in the freshman year
• a minimum grade of 70 in MATH 101, MATH 102 or MATH 203
All ?nal admissions decisions depend on the overall quality of the eligible applicant pool and the
number of available places for the term in question.
Transfer from other Faculties at AUB
Non-OSB students at AUB, other than those from the freshman class of the Faculty of Arts and
Sciences, may apply for a transfer to OSB in order to pursue a BBA degree. To be eligible for an
internal transfer, the applicant must:
• have completed at least 24 sophomore credits (or 54 credits including freshman credits)
• not be on probation
• have achieved a minimum overall cumulative average of 77
All ?nal admissions decisions depend on the overall quality of the eligible applicant pool and the
number of available places for the term in question.
It is important to note that for transfer purposes, late freshman students who have taken more than
30 credits but less than or equal to 45 credits are treated as freshman students (i.e., they must meet
freshman transfer requirements).
Transfer from Outside AUB (Other Universities)
Students currently pursuing an undergraduate degree at another university in Lebanon or abroad may
apply for transfer to the OSB sophomore or junior class. To be eligible for admission to AUB and to
OSB’s business program, the applicant must:
• be transferring from an appropriately accredited university or institution of higher education
recognized by AUB
• have completed at least 30 sophomore credits (or 60 credits inclusive of the freshman year)
• have achieved a minimum overall cumulative average equivalent to the AUB average of 77
All ?nal admissions decisions depend on the overall quality of the eligible applicant pool and the
number of available places for the term in question.
It is important to note that:
• transfer of credit is considered only for courses completed in the fve-year period preceding the
proposed date of joining the BBA program
• the student must have achieved a grade equivalent to 77 or higher at AUB in each of the courses
for which transfer of credit is sought
293 Suliman S. Olayan School of Business (OSB)
• the Administrative Committee reserves the right to require the student to sit for an exemption test
prior to the approval of transferred courses. Exemption tests are available for a non-refundable fee
of $100 per test. An exemption test may be taken only once
Business as a Second Degree
The OSB Admissions Committee evaluates all applications for the BBA as a second degree and makes
recommendations to the Dean. To be eligible for admission, the student must have a ?rst degree from
an appropriately accredited institution of higher education recognized by AUB with a cumulative
average of no less than 75 (or its equivalent).
All ?nal admissions decisions depend on the overall quality of the eligible applicant pool and the
number of available places for the term in question.
Dual Degree
Students may, upon approval of the Faculty concerned, complete the requirements for a second
degree while registered in another Faculty at AUB. In such a case, a student will be granted two
degrees at the same time upon graduation. If tuition differs, students will pay the higher of the
tuitions. To be eligible for a dual degree with OSB, the applicant must:
• have completed at least 24 sophomore credits (or 54 credits including freshman credits)
• not be on probation
• have achieved a minimum overall cumulative average of 77
All ?nal admissions decisions depend on the overall quality of the eligible applicant pool and the
number of available places for the term in question.
Information about deadlines and applications are available on the following link:
http://www.aub.edu.lb/registrar/Documents/pdfdoc/dualdegree.pdf
Business as a Minor Field of Study
Students who wish to obtain a minor in business are required to complete 18 credit hours in the
following business courses: ACCT 210 (Financial Accounting, 3 cr.), DCSN 200 (Operations Management,
3 cr.), FINA 210 (Business Finance, 3 cr.), INFO 200 (Foundations of Information Systems, 3 cr.), MKTG
210 (Principles of Marketing, 3 cr.) and MNGT 215 (Fundamentals of Management and Organizational
Behavior, 3 cr.). In addition, they must attain a cumulative grade average of at least 77 across these
courses.
It is important to note that:
• no business courses required by the Faculty in which the student is pursuing his/her major feld of
study (the “major Faculty”) may be counted toward the business minor. In cases where a student
has taken business courses as a requirement by the student’s major Faculty, the student must take
additional business electives to achieve the total 18 credits required for the minor. In all cases,
course prerequisites, as stipulated in OSB’s curriculum, apply and are strictly enforced.
294 Suliman S. Olayan School of Business (OSB)
• computer science and engineering students must obtain approval from the Business Information
and Decision Systems (“BIDS”) track convenor prior to registering for DCSN 200 or INFO 200. If
these students have taken comparable courses as part of their major Faculty degree requirements,
equivalency may be granted, subject to the approval of the OSB Admissions Committee. In such
cases, the student must take additional business electives to achieve the total 18 credits required
for the minor.
Academic Policies
For more information on registration requirements, categories of students, class attendance, correct
use of language, cross registration, course (and credit) loads, dean’s honor list, directed study,
disclosure of student records, English pro?ciency, grading system, graduation with distinction
and high distinction, and policy on transfer within the University, refer to the General University
Academic Information section of this catalogue.
Other OSB-speci?c academic rules and regulations follow.
Academic Advisers
Each BBA student is assigned an academic adviser who plays the role of a mentor. The adviser
communicates the culture of the institution, mainly as it relates to “life-long learning, personal
integrity and civic responsibility and leadership” (AUB Mission Statement), and plays an important
role in guiding students through a curriculum that balances broad liberal arts exposure with deep
knowledge of business fundamentals. In addition, the adviser helps the students in assessing future
graduate studies opportunities and career choices.
Classi?cation of Students
A BBA student shall be considered to have completed a class level (i.e. freshman, sophomore, junior
or senior) when s/he has successfully completed 30 or more credits beyond the requirements for the
previous class. A student may be granted a certi?cate stating that s/he has completed a class only
when s/he has completed the speci?ed courses in the regular program for that class and has acquired
the requisite number of credits.
The credit requirements are as follows:
For the completion of the freshman class: 30 credits
For the completion of the sophomore class: 60 credits (cumulative)
For the completion of the junior class: 90 credits (cumulative)
295 Suliman S. Olayan School of Business (OSB)
Credit Load
Students may register for up to 17 credit hours in a regular academic semester (e.g. fall or spring)
and 10 credit hours in the summer term. Junior and senior, but not sophomore, students who wish to
increase their credit load to 18 credit hours in a semester must have completed ENGL 203 and ENGL
204 and then petition the OSB Administrative Committee for permission to do so. Normally, junior
and senior students with an overall average of at least 80 or an average of at least 80 in the last two
semesters are given such permission.
The credit load of a student who is in his/her ?rst semester on probation (P1) shall not be fewer
than 12 credit hours and shall not exceed 17 credit hours. The load of a student who continues to
be placed on probation (P2) shall not be fewer than 12 credit hours and shall not exceed 13 credit
hours.
Students who are registered in the BUSS 245 course (the internship) may register for no more than
3 other credit hours, provided that the other course(s) taken do not con?ict with the working hours
of the summer internship. Honor students may petition to be allowed to register for a maximum of 7
credit hours, including the internship.
Internship Requirements
All BBA students must successfully complete the internship requirement (BUSS 245). Normally, the
internship takes place in the summer term directly following the completion of the junior year.
Students must apply for the summer internship (through an on-line application) by March 31, and
provide the school with an employer’s acceptance by May 1. All students applying for the internship
program must be juniors and must have completed at least 38 credit hours if they were admitted to
the University as sophomores, or at least 68 credit hours if they were admitted to the University as
freshmen. Students must complete FINA 210, MNGT 215, MKTG 210, and INFO 200 prior to starting
their internship program.
Normally, internships are assigned and/or allocated by the internship and placement of?cer. However,
students may solicit their own internships.
Other internship requirements are as follows:
• The internship is normally two months in duration and takes place during the summer term (i.e.,
any two months between June 15 and August 31)
• The student must comply with the policy of the host company regarding working hours
• The work week must not be less than 5 working days
• The student will be supervised by a faculty member throughout the internship period
• The internship is graded. The grade is based on the evaluations of both the direct work supervisor
and the OSB faculty supervisor
• The internship grade is included in the computation of the student’s overall average
296 Suliman S. Olayan School of Business (OSB)
Academic Probation
Placement on Academic Probation
University regulations apply; refer to the General University Academic Information section of this
catalogue.
In addition, note that:
• Students who are attending 4 courses including BUSS 211 i.e. with a load of 11 credits are subject
to probation regulations
• If a student on probation drops the whole semester, then that semester is not counted for
continued probation purposes.
Removal of Probation
University regulations apply; refer to the General University Academic Information section of this
catalogue.
Dismissal
University regulations apply; refer to the General University Academic Information section of this
catalogue.
Readmission
University regulations apply; refer to the General University Academic Information section of this
catalogue.
Transfer credits are considered after evaluation of a student’s coursework. The student must have
achieved a grade equivalent to the AUB average of 77 in each of the courses for which transfer of
credits may be granted.
Regulations on readmission also apply to students who are dropped from other AUB Faculties and
apply for admission to OSB.
Readmission of students dropped from the school by the Administrative Committee requires the
approval of that Committee, whereas readmission of students dropped from other AUB Faculties
requires the approval of the OSB Admissions Committee.
Failing and Repeating Courses
University regulations apply; refer to the General University Academic Information section of this
catalogue.
A student who at the end of the senior year fails to ful?ll the graduation requirements pertaining to
cumulative grade averages and is not dismissed must repeat the courses with low grades, in order to
raise the overall averages to the required minimums.
297 Suliman S. Olayan School of Business (OSB)
Incompletes
A student who, at the end of a term, receives an incomplete grade for missing a major requirement of
a course (e.g., ?nal examination, term project or paper) must present a valid excuse in order for him/
her to apply for permission to complete that course. Medical reports and/or quali?ed professional
opinions issued by an AUB employee, AUBMC doctor or by the University Health Services are normally
accepted. Should there be a question about the validity of an excuse, the OSB Administrative
Committee may not allow the student to sit for a makeup.
In order to receive permission to complete a course, the student must, within two weeks of the
end of term, submit to the OSB Administrative Committee a makeup request (form available at the
OSB Student Services Of?ce) approved by the instructor, along with evidence of a valid excuse. If
granted permission, the makeup must be completed within one month of the start of the next regular
semester. In rare and exceptional circumstances, the OSB Administrative Committee may grant the
student additional time. A student who has already sat for a ?nal examination may not re-take that
examination.
Incomplete course work is reported as an “I” followed by a numerical grade re?ecting the evaluation
of the student, based on available information. The evaluation is based on a grade of zero on all
missed work and is reported in units of ?ve. If the work is not completed within the period speci?ed,
the “I” is dropped and the numerical grade becomes the ?nal grade.
Examinations and Quizzes
Undergraduate business courses, other than tutorial and seminar courses, have ?nal examinations,
unless otherwise authorized by the OSB Academic Committee. In all courses in which ?nal examinations
are given, a student would not receive a passing grade without taking a ?nal examination. Even
though ?nal examinations are not required in tutorial and seminar courses, the instructor may
choose to give a ?nal examination.
At the beginning of each semester, the instructor announces the examinations and quizzes policy that
s/he intends to follow. The instructor assumes ?nal responsibility for dealing with students missing
an examination or a quiz during the term. Normally, students who miss an announced examination or
quiz during the term must present an excuse considered valid by the instructor. Only then may the
instructor allow the student to take a makeup.
Cross-Registration
A business student who wants to register for a course at another recognized institution must meet
all requirements for cross-registration as stipulated in the General University Academic Information
section of this catalogue.
Study Abroad
A business student who started his/her undergraduate program at AUB and wishes to study abroad
may seek prior approval from the OSB Academic Committee to spend up to one year and earn up to
30 credits at another university. However, the student must spend his/her last semester at AUB. The
student must achieve a grade equivalent to the AUB average of 77 in each of the courses for which
transfer credits may be granted.
298 Suliman S. Olayan School of Business (OSB)
Graduation Requirements
Graduation requirements for the Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) are as follows:
• A minimum of six semesters beginning with the sophomore class is required.
• A maximum of six calendar years is allowed for graduation of students who begin with the
sophomore class, four calendar years for juniors and two calendar years for seniors. A student
who fails to complete his/her degree program within these speci?ed times must petition the OSB
Administrative Committee for an extension.
• A student transferring to AUB from another recognized institution of higher learning must register
in the ?nal three regular semesters and must complete at least 45 credits at AUB, of which a
minimum of 24 credits must be in business before s/he is allowed to graduate with a BBA. For
purposes of this requirement, two summer sessions shall be considered equivalent to one semester.
• A transfer student from within AUB must meet the residency requirement before s/he graduates with
a BBA degree. The residency requirement stipulates that a student must spend a minimum of one
regular semester (i.e. fall or spring) and one summer session in the school, during which s/he must
complete a minimum of 24 credits, 12 of which are business credits. During this period, the student
must meet all minimum academic standards set forth by the school.
• Completion of a minimum of 90 credits for students who enter as sophomores. With the approval
of the OSB Academic Committee, tracks may establish programs that exceed these minimum credit
requirements.
• Completion of 48 credits in business courses comprising 39 credits of core courses and 9 credits
of business electives in a concentration area. Students must achieve a cumulative average of at
least 70 in these 48 credits as well as a cumulative average of at least 70 in the 39 credits of core
business courses.
• For students to graduate with a concentration, the 9 credits in the concentration area must be
completed with a cumulative grade average of at least 70. Normally a maximum of one course
completed outside OSB may count toward the concentration upon the approval of the track
convenor.
• Completion of three required zero-credit business workshops.
• Successful completion of the Assurance of Learning Requirements
• When a student repeats a course, the highest grade obtained in the course is used in computing the
student’s average for graduation purposes. The student may repeat any course s/he chooses.
• Grades of 70 or more in at least 50 credits numbered 200 or above
• All Arabic-speaking business students (except those offcially exempted) must satisfy the Arabic
language requirements and all students entering at the sophomore, junior or senior level must take
one Arabic course.
• All business students must take English communication skills courses as determined by placement
upon matriculation, and these required courses may be taken immediately on matriculation and
must be continued without interruption until completed through ENGL 208. For example, a student
entering at the lowest level may take ?ve semesters of English (Intensive ENGL 100A or 100B if
required 102, 203, 204, and 208); a student entering at the third level must take 3 semesters (203,
204, and 208; i.e., nine credits). A student who enters at ENGL 204 must take, in addition to this
course, ENGL 208 and any other elective course from the offerings of other AUB faculties.
• All business students must take MATH 203, MATH 204, and CMPS 209. A student who is exempted
from MATH 203 must take, in addition to MATH 204 and CMPS 209, any other non-business elective
course from offerings at other AUB faculties.
• All business students must take ECON 211 and 212.
• All business students must take one of CVSP 201, 202, 205, or 207, and one of CVSP 203, 204, 206,
or 208. Students who elect CVSP 205 for credit may not enroll in CVSP 201 or 202 and vice versa.
299 Suliman S. Olayan School of Business (OSB)
Likewise, students who elect to take CVSP 203 or CVSP 204 for credit may not enroll in CVSP 206
or vice versa. In addition, apart from BUSS 215 which is designated as a humanities course for the
General Education requirements, a student must take three credits from the humanities series listed
by the Faculty of Arts and Sciences Civilization Sequence Program, and as explained in Program
Delivery section below. ENGL 102 or its equivalent is a prerequisite to all CVSP 201-208 courses.
• All business students must take two free science electives.
• Students already holding a bachelor’s degree outside business and wishing to obtain a BBA must
complete, after admission, 48 business credit hours. However, students who have completed a
minor in business or have taken 18 or more business credit hours prior to applying for the BBA as a
second degree must take no fewer than 30 business credit hours. All second-degree students must
also ful?ll other non-business graduation requirements.
• All senior-level BBA students must complete an online survey (through the OSB website) in order to
be cleared for graduation.
Program Outline
The undergraduate program, leading to a BBA degree, requires students to complete 120 credit
hours for those beginning at the freshman level and 90 credit hours for those joining the University
as sophomores. Of the total required credit hours, the BBA program requires that 48 credit hours,
including a one credit internship program, be satisfactorily completed in business courses, with
the remainder allocated to liberal arts/non-business courses. In addition and as a condition for
graduation, all students are required to complete successfully three zero-credit pass/fail workshops
designed to enhance their soft skills.
Assurance of Learning Requirements
To comply with AACSB Assurance of Learning guidelines and standards, all students are required, as
a condition for graduation, to complete successfully during their last semester work assigned by the
school for this purpose.
Business Requirements
Of the total required credit hours, 48 must be satisfactorily completed in business courses. Of
these 48, a general business core comprising 39 credit hours is common to all business students. In
addition to this general business core (which includes the three zero-credit workshops mentioned
above), the student must complete 9 additional credit hours of business electives in one of the
following concentration areas: accounting, ?nance, management, marketing, entrepreneurship and
business information and decision systems. All courses qualifying as business electives must be
offered by OSB. Students who do not opt for a concentration must complete the 39 core credit hours
in addition to at least 9 credit hours in free business electives.
A student may also choose a second concentration by taking an additional 9 credit hours. Thus
a business student who chooses to pursue two concentrations must complete 9 credits in each
concentration. A BBA student is allowed to graduate with a maximum of two concentrations, and the
student must declare concentration(s) (or lack thereof) no later than the end of the junior year.
300 Suliman S. Olayan School of Business (OSB)
Required Core Business Courses (39 credits)
Code Course Title Credits
ACCT 210 Financial Accounting 3
ACCT 215 Management Accounting 3
BUSS 200 Business Data Analysis 3
BUSS 211 Business Law 2
BUSS 215 Business Ethics 3
BUSS 230 Managerial Economics 3
BUSS 239 Business Communication
Skills Workshop
0
BUSS 240 Strategic Career Planning
Workshop
0
BUSS 245 Internship/Practicum 1
BUSS 248 Developing Business Plans
Workshop
0
BUSS 249 Strategic Management 3
DCSN 200 Operations Management 3
DCSN 205 Managerial Decision Making 3
FINA 210 Business Finance 3
INFO 200 Foundations of Information
Systems
3
MNGT 215 Fundamentals of
Management and
Organizational Behavior
3
MKTG 210 Principles of Marketing 3
Required Electives Business Courses 9
Total Business Credits 48
Non-Business, Liberal Arts Requirements
Starting at the sophomore level, of the required 90 credit hours of the BBA program, 42 credit hours
must be satisfactorily completed in non-business courses. These include 9 credit hours of English, 6
credit hours of economics, 12 credit hours of civilization sequence and humanities including BUSS
215, 6 credit hours of mathematics, 3 credit hours of computer science, 3 credit hours of Arabic and
6 credit hours of free science electives. For a list of speci?c required non-business courses, refer to
the next section.
Students who have taken required non-business courses in their freshman year are exempted from
them in the sophomore year. These students must, however, take additional free non-business
electives to ful?ll the non-business credit hour minimum of 42 required for graduation.
301 Suliman S. Olayan School of Business (OSB)
Program Delivery
A proposed study plan for the BBA program is presented next.
Year I
Freshman Year Total Credits 30
Refer to the Admissions section of this catalogue.
Year II
All the below courses are required of every student unless otherwise indicated.
Semester 1 (Fall) Credits
ENGL 203 Academic English 3
MATH 203 Mathematics for Social Sciences I 3
ACCT 210 Financial Accounting 3
Two of the following three courses:
ECON 211 Elementary Microeconomic Theory 3
ECON 212 Elementary Macroeconomic Theory 3
CMPS 209 Computers and Programming for the
Sciences
3
Total 15
Semester 2 (Spring) Credits
ENGL 204 Advanced Academic English 3
BUSS 239 Business Communication Skills Workshop 0
MATH 204 Mathematics for Social Sciences II 3
DCSN 200 Operations Management 3
FINA 210 Business Finance 3
One of the following three courses:
ECON 211 Elementary Microeconomic Theory 3
ECON 212 Elementary Macroeconomic Theory 3
CMPS 209 Computers and Programming for the
Sciences
3
Total 15
302 Suliman S. Olayan School of Business (OSB)
Year III
Semester 3 (Fall) Credits
INFO 200 Information Systems Design
and Development
3
MNGT 215 Fundamentals of Management
and Organizational Behavior
3
DCSN
or
ACCT
205
215
Managerial Decision Making
or
Management Accounting
3
MKTG 210 Principles of Marketing 3
CVSP 201, 202, 205
or 207
Civilization Sequence 3
Total 15
Semester 4 (Spring) Credits
BUSS 200 Business Data Analysis 3
BUSS 215 Business Ethics 3
DCSN
or
ACCT
205
215
Managerial Decision Making
or
Management Accounting
3
Science Elective Any Science Elective 3
ENGL 208 English for International Business 3
Total 15
Year III Summer Session Credits
BUSS 245 Internship/Practicum 1
Year IV
Semester 5 (Fall) Credits
ARAB Basic Arabic Grammar and Syntax, or
Readings in Arabic Literature or any
higher level Arabic course based on
the Arabic placement test
3
BUSS 211 Business Law 2
BUSS 230 Managerial Economics 3
BUSS 240 Strategic Career Planning Workshop 0
Business Elective For Concentration Students:
Business Elective from the area of
concentration For Generic Students:
Any Business Elective
3
Humanities
or
Science Elective
Humanities
or
Any Science Elective
3
Total 14
303 Suliman S. Olayan School of Business (OSB)
Semester 6 (Spring) Credits
BUSS 248 Developing Business Plans Workshop 0
BUSS 249 Strategic Management 3
Business Elective For Concentration Students:
Business Elective from the area of
concentration. For Generic Students:
Any Business Elective
3
Business Elective For Concentration Students:
Business Elective from the area of
concentration. For Generic Students:
Any Business Elective
3
Humanities
or
Science Elective
Humanities
or
Any Science Elective
3
CVSP 203, 204,
206 or 208
Civilization Sequence 3
Total 15
It is important to note the following:
• Philosophy and Economics BACC II majors must take MATH 203 and MATH 204. Math and Science
BACC II majors must take only MATH 204 and an additional non-business elective to substitute
for MATH 203 as per the minimum non-business credit hour requirements for degree completion.
International Baccalaureate Diploma holders who have completed either a) the Math Higher Level
examination with a grade of 6 or above or b) the Further Math Subsidiary Level examination with
a grade of 6 or above or c) the Math Methods Subsidiary Level with Further Calculus examination
with a grade of 6 or above, are also exempted from MATH 203. They must take only MATH 204 and
an additional non-business elective to substitute for MATH 203 as per the minimum non-business
credit hour requirements for degree completion.
• In order to complete the CVSP (Civilization Sequence Program) requirement, students must take two
CVSP courses, one from Sequence I and one from Sequence II. For Sequence I, students who elect
to take CVSP 201 or CVSP 202 for credit may not enroll in CVSP 205. For Sequence II, students who
elect to take CVSP 203 or CVSP 204 for credit may not enroll in CVSP 206. For more information on
CVSP courses, refer to the FAS section of this catalogue.
• The 3 credits in Humanities, other than BUSS 215, must be taken from the list of humanities
courses adopted by the Faculty of Arts and Sciences. For more information, refer to the Academic
Rules and Regulations in the FAS section of this catalogue.
• The Business Communication Skills workshop, the Strategic Career Planning workshop and the
Developing Business Plans workshop are graded on a P/F basis.
• ECON 213, EDUC 219, EDUC 227, ENMG 500, AGSC 212, STAT 201, STAT 210, as well as any other
course that signi?cantly overlaps with OSB core courses cannot be given equivalence to OSB
required courses. These courses cannot be counted for credit as business or non-business free
electives.
• Courses that may signifcantly overlap with business elective courses, such as SOAN 231, SOAN
234, SOAN 235, and SOAN 243, may be taken as free non business electives. However, students will
304 Suliman S. Olayan School of Business (OSB)
not receive credit for any of these courses if they have taken the respective equivalent business
elective.
• Students who are exempted from any required courses such as MATH 203, ENGL 203 and Arabic have
to meet the 90 credit-hour graduation requirement by taking additional free non-business electives
from other AUB faculties.
Undergraduate Business Courses
Undergraduate Business Course Pre?xes
BBA courses all have a pre?x labeled after the discipline name: ACCT (accounting), DCSN (Business
Decision Systems), ENTM (Entrepreneurship), FINA (Finance), INFO (Business Information Systems),
MKTG (Marketing), and MNGT (Management). A detailed description of courses under each discipline
is available in its respective track section. Interdisciplinary and integrative courses that do not
belong to a particular discipline are labeled by the pre?x BUSS.
BUSS Courses
BUSS 200 Business Data Analysis 3 cr.
This course covers basic statistical concepts and introduces some advanced concepts and tools that
are useful for decision-makers in business and management. Topics include descriptive statistics,
probability distributions, statistical inference (hypothesis testing and analysis of variance) from
small and large samples of data, correlation and regression, forecasting and time series. An emphasis
will be given to the understanding and applicability of statistical analysis, and interpretation of
the output of analyses using Excel spreadsheet tools and short real-life cases. Business majors only;
Prerequisites: MATH 204, CMPS 209.
BUSS 211 Business Law 2 cr.
The main objective of the course is to help business students understand the Lebanese and American
legal aspect of common business activities and the formation and functioning of commercial
companies along with the related ethical principles. Business majors only; Prerequisite: MNGT 215.
BUSS 215 Business Ethics 3 cr.
This is an introductory course that provides students with an overview of business ethics at
the individual, organizational, and societal level. Issues such as corruption, sexual harassment,
fair trade, fraud, whistle-blowing, corporate social responsibility, ethical norms, ethical values,
environmental responsibility and many more will be examined both in the international as well as
local Lebanese context. Ultimately, the course is designed to not only introduce students to a wide
array of current ethical issues in business but to also foster skills related to critically analyzing the
ethical and social dimensions of business-related problems in order to build more ethically-informed
rationales for decision making. Business majors only; Prerequisite: MNGT 215.
BUSS 230 Managerial Economics 3 cr.
Managerial Economics is the use of economic theory and mathematical and statistical techniques in
order to examine how a ?rm can make optimal managerial decisions given the constraints it faces.
The main objective of this course is to equip students with the necessary theory and techniques and
the ability to apply them in order to inform and enhance managerial decision making. Topics covered
include: goals of the ?rm, optimization techniques, demand theory and estimation, forecasting and
measurement, theory of production and estimation, cost theory and estimation, pricing and output
determination under different market structures, game theory, and pricing in practice. Business
majors only; Prerequisites: ECON 211, BUSS 200.
305 Suliman S. Olayan School of Business (OSB)
BUSS 235 Macro Business Analysis 3 cr.
A course that combines theory with cases that require group work and discussions. The theoretical
part of this course covers monetary, ?scal, and exchange rate policy, and an overview of economic
development strategies. Cases are used to train students in developing rigorous arguments to
analyze interactions between ?rms in domestic as well as global economic scenarios. Business majors
only; Prerequisite: ECON 212.
BUSS 239 Business Communication Skills Workshop 0 cr.
A ten-hour workshop designed to introduce students to the various communication skills needed in
a typical work environment. Mastering these skills plays a profound role in shaping and advancing
professional careers in all types of industries and work scopes. The workshop introduces speci?c
guidelines for the effective use of a variety of communication skills in the workplace, in an interactive
manner simulating the work environment. Business majors only.
BUSS 240 Strategic Career Planning Workshop 0 cr.
A ten-hour workshop designed to build awareness of changing career patterns and major personal
and professional in?uences that impact future careers. Issues such as preparing for joining the
labor market, basic career guidance, understanding career stages, and practicing self-assessment are
emphasized. Business majors only; Co-requisite: BUSS 245
BUSS 245 Internship/Practicum 1 cr.
A summer period of guided work experience under faculty supervision by a mentor, and corporate
guidance by a preceptor, designed to acquaint students with the world of work and help them acquire
core values and basic skills necessary for an understanding of the global economy. Business majors
only; Prerequisites: FINA 210, MNGT 215, MKTG 210, INFO 200 and business junior standing.
BUSS 246 Honors Seminar in Business 3 cr.
A tutorial research course that can be counted for any undergraduate concentration. This course
involves directed readings and emphasizes individual original and independent research in any
business-related area. This course requires, among other things, that the student prepare an honors
research paper under the supervision of one or more faculty members in the particular area of
concentration. The honors paper is normally presented at a school seminar. Prerequisite: approval of
track convenor.
BUSS 247 Project 3 cr.
A practicum course that can be counted for any undergraduate concentration. This course focuses
on analysis of contemporary business issues and problems. The project requires, among other things,
that the student works on a problem faced by one of the local or regional businesses, and recommends
a set of possible solutions under the supervision of one or more faculty members in the particular
area of concentration. The results of the project are normally presented in a meeting in the presence
of representatives from the business subject to the consulting assignment. Prerequisite: approval of
track convenor.
BUSS 248 Developing Business Plans Workshop 0 cr.
A ten-hour workshop focusing on starting your own business from inception to IPOing, passing
through the stages of feasibility study, VC ?nancing, launching, and operating. Business majors only;
Prerequisites: ACCT 215, FINA 210, MNGT 215, MKTG 210, BUSS 200, BUSS 215, INFO 200, DCSN 200.
BUSS 249 Strategic Management 3 cr.
A course that exposes students to the strategic management process of local, regional, and
multinational corporations. Emphasis is placed on identifying the tools needed for strategic analysis
of the ?rm and the industry, and on comprehending the key strategic issues that managers face in
managing corporations. Business majors only; Prerequisites: ACCT 215, FINA 210, MNGT 215, MKTG 210,
BUSS 200, BUSS 215, INFO 200, DCSN 200.
306 Suliman S. Olayan School of Business (OSB)
FAME Track Courses
In addition to the 42 credit general undergraduate requirements from outside the school (listed
earlier) and the 39 credits required in the business core (ACCT 210, ACCT 215, BUSS 200, BUSS 211,
BUSS 215, BUSS 230, BUSS 239, BUSS 240, BUSS 245, BUSS 248, BUSS 249, DCSN 200, DCSN 205, FINA
210, INFO 200, MKTG 210, MNGT 215), the track requires students wishing to follow one of its general
concentrations, either Accounting or Finance to take 9 credits of any course in the concentration
area.
Accounting Courses
ACCT 210 Financial Accounting 3 cr.
An introduction to ?nancial accounting that covers the use, interpretation, and analysis of the
principal ?nancial statements and other sources of ?nancial information from a national and
international perspective.
ACCT 215 Management Accounting 3 cr.
A course that covers the use, interpretation, and analysis of management accounting information for
management decision-making, planning, and control of operations. The focus is on cost behavior,
cost measurement, budgeting, performance measurement and evaluation, responsibility accounting,
and product costing. Business majors only; Prerequisite: ACCT 210.
ACCT 217 Strategic Managerial Accounting 3 cr.
In-depth coverage of topics such as value chain analysis, activity-based costing, JIT systems,
analysis of ?rm’s cost structures, and the provision and use of information for strategic decisions.
A rigorous analysis of some widely-used ?nancial and non-?nancial measures, such as Return on
Investment, EVA, and the balanced scorecard is also undertaken. Business majors only; Prerequisite:
ACCT 215.
ACCT 221 Intermediate Financial Accounting I 3 cr.
This is the ?rst of two professional courses in this area. This course covers concepts and standards
of external ?nancial reporting, systems to record and prepare ?nancial accounting information,
contents and presentation of basic ?nancial statements, and ?nancial reporting issues of assets.
Business majors only; Prerequisite: ACCT 210.
ACCT 222 Cost Accounting 3 cr.
A course on accounting in manufacturing operations; cost concepts and classi?cations; cost
accounting cycle; accounting for materials, labor, and burden; process cost accounting; budgeting;
standard costs; cost reports; direct costing and differential cost analysis; cost-volume-pro?t analysis
and gross pro?t analysis. Business majors only; Prerequisite: ACCT 215.
ACCT 223 Intermediate Financial Accounting II 3 cr.
Continuation of ACCT 221. This course covers ?nancial reporting issues relating to liabilities,
ownership equity, selected ?nancial reporting issues, and ?nancial reporting disclosure. Business
majors only; Prerequisite: ACCT 221.
ACCT 230 Introduction to External Auditing 3 cr.
An introduction to auditing and the professional responsibilities of a career in accounting. Topics
include the legal and ethical responsibilities of accountants; professional auditing standards;
international auditing standards; the acquisition, evaluation, and documentation of audit evidence;
reports on the results of the engagement, evaluation in internal control, compliance testing,
substantive testing, and statistical sampling and auditing EDP. Business majors only; Prerequisite:
ACCT 221.
307 Suliman S. Olayan School of Business (OSB)
ACCT 231 Fraud Examination and Internal Audit 3 cr.
A course on fraud examination and internal audit. This course covers concepts and topics of fraud
detection, deterrence, and prevention; types of ?nancial statement and occupational fraud;
and investigation and interviewing techniques. It also covers functions of internal audit, audit
committees and corporate governance, planning and performing the internal auditing engagement,
and coordination of internal auditing and external auditing. Business majors only; Prerequisite:
ACCT 215.
ACCT 232 Accounting Information Systems 3 cr.
A course that explores in detail several typical Accounting Information System (AIS) application
subsystems, such as order entry/sales, billing/receivables/cash receipts, inventory, purchasing/
accounts payable/cash disbursements, payroll, and materials planning/production. This course
includes understanding, documenting, designing, using, and auditing these application subsystems.
Business majors only; Prerequisites: ACCT 210, INFO 200.
ACCT 235 Taxation 3 cr.
A study of the Lebanese Tax Code and its application as it relates to individuals and business
entities. This course includes the laws governing direct taxation (income tax), indirect taxation
(stamp duty and VAT), and the basic principles of the National Social Security Fund (NSSF). Business
majors only; Prerequisite: ACCT 210.
ACCT 240 Fund Accounting 3 cr.
A course that provides an alternative perspective of accounting that meets the needs of not-for-
pro?t and governmental organizations. This course involves the interpretation and use of fund
accounting as a means of reporting and controlling activities. Business majors only; Prerequisite:
ACCT 215.
ACCT 241 Pro?t Planning and Budgeting Control 3 cr.
A broad view of pro?t planning and control. Topics covered include sales planning and control,
planning production, materials purchase and usage, planning and controlling direct labor costs and
overhead, planning expenses, planning and controlling capital expenditures, and completion and
application of the pro?t plan. Business majors only; Prerequisite: ACCT 215.
ACCT 246 International Accounting 3 cr.
A course on selected topics faced by professional accountants in international business, including
?nancial reporting standards, foreign currency, budgeting, management control, and performance
evaluation. Business majors only; Prerequisite: ACCT 215.
ACCT 250 Special Topics 1, 2, or 3 cr.
A course that deals with special issues and concerns in accounting not included in regular courses.
This course may be repeated for credit when the topics vary. Prerequisites vary with the topic and
are noted in the course schedule. Credits depend on the course offered. Prerequisite: approval of track
convenor.
ACCT 251 Accounting Tutorial 0.5-3 cr.
Tutorials provide opportunities for students to pursue directed study readings and preliminary
research relevant to their concentration where existing courses do not offer the required subject
matter. Tutorials include a presentation of a report on the work. Prerequisite: Approval of track
convenor.
308 Suliman S. Olayan School of Business (OSB)
Finance Courses
FINA 210 Business Finance 3 cr.
This course teaches the tools that determine and analyze the major decisions a ?nancial manager has
to make, including identi?cation of the ?rm’s goals, time value of money, use of discount cash ?ow
models, capital budgeting under certainty, capital structure as it relates to cost of capital, dividend
policy, and ethics in ?nance. Prerequisite: ACCT 210.
FINA 215 Financial Markets and Institutions 3 cr.
A study of the functions and operations of ?nancial institutions. This course covers analysis of
existing ?nancial systems, money and capital markets, banks and non-bank ?nancial intermediaries,
term structure of interest rates, and securities markets including the stock and bond exchanges.
Business majors only; Prerequisite: FINA 210.
FINA 218 Risk Management in Financial Institutions 3 cr.
This course covers the role of risk management in the ?nancial institutions industry, use of insurance
in risk management, quantitative and qualitative measures of risk, management of interest rate
?uctuations, credit risks and policies, gap analysis, management of market risks and foreign exchange
risk, management of operational and sovereign risks, portfolio analysis, the role of asset and liability
management, and risk control processes. Business majors only; Prerequisite: FINA 210.
FINA 220 Investment Management 3 cr.
A study of the operations of securities markets, investment policies, valuation of individual
securities, and techniques of investing in securities. This course also introduces students to analysis
of investment information, evaluation of risks and returns, and principles of portfolio selection in
investment decisions. Business majors only; Prerequisite: FINA 210.
FINA 222 Valuation Methods 3 cr.
This course covers techniques used by investment bankers and analysts for enterprise valuation.
The techniques used are divided into intrinsic valuation and relative valuation. Intrinsic valuation
includes dividend discount models, free cash ?ow to equity, free cash ?ow to ?rm. Relative valuation
measures are price-to-earnings, price-to-sales, price-to-book, price-to-cash ?ow. The focus is on
applications and insights as to when and why we use one measure versus another. Business majors
only; Prerequisite: FINA 210.
FINA 225 Commercial Bank Management 3 cr.
De?nes functions, operations, and objectives of commercial banks as compared to other ?nancial
institutions. The course studies the management aspects of commercial banks, ?nancial analysis
of bank statements, liquidity management, assets and liability management, pro?tability, capital
adequacy, credit analysis, trade ?nance, and banking regulations. Business majors only; Prerequisite:
FINA 210.
FINA 227 Insurance 3 cr.
An operational approach to risk management in business and personal affairs. The major thrust of
this course is to introduce students to the various types of insurance contracts including life, health,
property, and liability insurance, and how to measure and manage risk. This course also covers
reinsurance and the know-how to make the best use of insurance contracts and coverage. Business
majors only; Prerequisite: FINA 210.
309 Suliman S. Olayan School of Business (OSB)
FINA 228 Credit and Risk Analysis 3 cr.
The goal of this course is to learn to focus on “Risk” as a basic income-generating product of banks and
?nancial institutions. The aim is to have the student acquire the tools used by ?nancial institutions
to identify, review, analyze and measure risk. The student will learn to establish adequate pricing
and structuring of bank credit facilities and of third party ?nancing. The course will introduce risk
concepts, risk ratings, and risk review procedures. It will concentrate on ?nancial spread sheet and
ratio analysis and will allow the assessment of various risk aspects of corporations. Business majors
only; Prerequisite: FINA 210.
FINA 230 International Financial Management 3 cr.
An analysis of the opportunities, problems, and ?nancial decisions confronting multinational
companies. The focus of this course is on understanding international regulatory and environment
differences, access to money and capital markets, use of derivatives to hedge exchange rate risk,
exposure to political risk and other types of risk, and international diversi?cation. Business majors
only; Prerequisite: FINA 210.
FINA 232/ Real Estate Management 3 cr.
ENTM 232
This course is designed to give the student a general overview of the real estate space. Topics include
an introduction to real estate markets (sources of demand), real estate ?nance, project evaluation,
elements of real estate law, appraisals, property development and property management. Business
majors only; Prerequisite: FINA 210.
FINA 234 Real Estate Finance and Investment 3 cr.
This course examines selected issues in real estate ?nance and investment: Techniques for
analyzing ?nancial decisions in property development and investment; property income streams,
pro forma analysis, equity valuation, taxes, risk types, and sensitivity analysis. It also introduces
the fundamentals of mortgage securitization and public markets in real estate securities. Business
majors only; Prerequisite: FINA 210.
FINA 235 Personal Financial Planning 3 cr.
A course that deals with planning and managing personal ?nance. This course focuses on topics
such as the ?nancial planner’s role and environment, cash ?ow budgeting, consumer credit, debt
management, insurance, taxation and ?nancial planning, retirement planning, estate planning and
wills, personal bankruptcy and insolvency, and preparation of ?nancial plans. Business majors only;
Prerequisite: FINA 210.
FINA 240/ Financial Simulation Modeling 3 cr.
DCSN 220
This course introduces elements of computerized simulation, including modeling deterministic and
stochastic systems, generation of random numbers and variables, and probability and statistics
related to modeling, validating, running, and interpreting computer simulations. Simulation projects
on corporate ?nance issues, and investment and portfolio analysis form an integral part of the
course. Prerequisite: BUSS 200 or equivalent.
FINA 241/ Venture Capital Management 3 cr.
ENTM 241
This course provides students with an understanding of the approaches and techniques used by
Venture Capitalists to: assess the prospects of success of a venture; develop and negotiate investment
terms including valuation; monitor the investee and understand exit routes such as trade sale and
IPO. It also provides the student with conceptual and practical knowledge about key operating and
strategic aspects of an entrepreneurial business, from the pre-commercial stage to IPO. Business
majors only; Prerequisite: FINA 210.
310 Suliman S. Olayan School of Business (OSB)
FINA 242/ Advanced Venture Capital and Private Equity 3 cr.
ENTM 242
This course covers special types of ?nancing for capital investment proposals. The course will use
the case approach to assess the organization and strategies of the private equity industry, the use
of ?nancial and economic tools in Leveraged Buyout and venture capital investing, types of private
equity transactions, study of transactions with options and hybrid ?nancing structures, ?nancing of
IPOs, incubators, and corporate venture capital. Business majors only; Prerequisite: FINA 210.
FINA 243 Private Banking 3 cr.
This course offers students the opportunity to learn how to manage high net worth client
relationships. It tackles client approach techniques as well as the ?nancial know-how, knowledge of
markets’ functioning, products, and services. Business majors only; Prerequisite: FINA 210.
FINA 247 Case Studies in Finance 3 cr.
This course provides a deep understanding of the ?nancing issues that ?rms must deal with, using
the case approach. The topics covered include cost of capital for a multidivisional ?rm, capital
structure and estimation of debt bene?ts, pricing Initial Public Offerings (IPOs), Leveraged Buyout
(LBO), mergers and acquisitions, warrants and convertibles, and ?nancial distress. Business majors
only; Prerequisite: FINA 210.
FINA 250 Special Topics 1, 2, or 3 cr.
A course that deals with special issues and concerns in ?nance not included in regular courses. This
course may be repeated for credit when the topics vary. Prerequisites vary with the topic and are
noted in the course schedule. Credits depend on the course offered. Prerequisite: approval of track
convenor.
FINA 251 Finance Tutorial 0.5-3 cr.
Tutorials provide opportunities for students to pursue directed study readings and preliminary
research relevant to their concentration when existing courses do not offer the required subject
matter. Tutorials include a presentation of a report on the work. Prerequisite: approval of track
convenor.
MM&E Track Courses
In addition to the 42 credit general undergraduate requirements from outside the school (listed
earlier) and the 39 credits required in the business core (ACCT 210, ACCT 215, BUSS 200, BUSS
211, BUSS215, BUSS 230, BUSS 239, BUSS 240, BUSS 245, BUSS 248, BUSS 249, DCSN 200, DCSN
205, FINA 210, INFO 200, MKTG 210, MNGT 215), the track requires students following one of its
concentrations, either Management, Marketing or Entrepreneurship, to take 9 credits of any course
in the concentration area. Students may choose to pursue an HR focus within management by taking
MNGT 220 and two of the following: MNGT 218, MNGT 225, MNGT 229, and any HR-designated MNGT
250 course. MKTG 222 is a required course for all marketing concentration students.
Entrepreneurship Courses
ENTM 220 Managing a Small Business for Growth 3 cr.
An identi?cation of the management, organization, and operational issues critical to the growth of
small business enterprises. This course emphasizes the resolution of managerial problems from the
perspective of small business focusing mainly on marketing, ?nance and HR areas. It is targeted at
junior and senior students who expect to hold senior management positions in SMEs. Prerequisite:
MNGT 215.
311 Suliman S. Olayan School of Business (OSB)
ENTM 225 Business Environment of the Firm 3 cr.
A course that focuses on how to analyze the impact of the environment on small ?rms, the growing
role of NGOs and stakeholders in shaping strategies, with special emphasis on the role of government
policy. Prerequisite: MNGT 215.
ENTM 230 Decision making Skills for Entrepreneurs 3 cr.
This course will introduce the theories, processes, skills, and techniques relating to effective
decision-making at the individual and group level. Good decision makers know how to recognize
decision situations, how to represent the essential structure of the situations, and how to analyze
them. This course will move back and forth between formal models and behavioral, descriptive
models to help students understand and improve their native decision making abilities. Prerequisite:
MNGT 215.
ENTM 232/ Real Estate Management 3 cr.
FINA 232
This course is designed to give the student a general overview of the real estate space. Topics include
an introduction to real estate markets (sources of demand), real estate ?nance, project evaluation,
elements of real estate law, appraisals, property development and property management. Business
majors only; Prerequisite: FINA 210.
ENTM 235 Family Business: Issues and Solutions 3 cr.
A course that focuses on family businesses: their importance, structure, governance, management,
challenges; issues of succession, inheritance, family versus non-family management, and rivalry
between siblings, cousins, or across generations. Prerequisite: MNGT 215.
ENTM 241/ Venture Capital Management 3 cr.
FINA 241
This course provides students with an understanding of the approaches and techniques used by
Venture Capitalists to: assess the prospects of success of a venture; develop and negotiate investment
terms including valuation; monitor the investee and understand exit routes such as trade sale and
IPO. It also provides the student with conceptual and practical knowledge about key operating and
strategic aspects of an entrepreneurial business, from the pre-commercial stage to IPO. Business
majors only; Prerequisite: FINA 210.
ENTM 250 Special Topics 1, 2, or 3 cr.
A course that deals with special issues and concerns in entrepreneurship not included in regular
courses. This course may be repeated for credit when the topics vary. Prerequisites vary with the
topic and are noted in the course schedule. Credits depend on the course offered. Prerequisite:
approval of track convenor.
ENTM 251 Entrepreneurship Tutorial 0.5-3 cr.
Tutorials provide opportunities for students to pursue directed study readings and preliminary
research relevant to their concentration where existing courses do not offer the required subject
matter. Tutorials include a presentation of a report on the work. Prerequisite: approval of track
convenor.
ENTM 270 Launching a New Venture 3 cr.
This course focuses on the founding and development of new business organizations. It identi?es
the prerequisites for successful new ventures, the threats to their survival, and the practical
actions entrepreneurs may take to overcome them and successfully grow their venture. Prerequisites:
MNGT 215 and FINA 210.
312 Suliman S. Olayan School of Business (OSB)
Management Courses
MNGT 215 Fundamentals of Management and Organizational Behavior 3 cr.
A course that focuses on the management of the modern organization and the employees within,
preparing students for their role as future managers and leaders. It explores essential management
concepts, processes and techniques from an organizational behavior perspective. Main topics covered
include management history and evolution, motivation, decision-making, leadership, power and
politics, learning and perception, communication, managing groups and teams, and human resource
management. Prerequisite: ENGL 204.
MNGT 218 Advanced Topics in Organizational Behavior 3 cr.
This course provides an advanced perspective of the ?eld of organizational behavior including social
learning theory/organizational behavior models, managerial activities/behaviors, cross-cultural/
international research, and leadership. It introduces the research methodology in organizational
behavior and provides an exposure to contemporary practices of select organizational behavior
topics. Prerequisite: MNGT 215.
MNGT 220 Human Resource Management 3 cr.
This course introduces the principles of human resource management. It helps students acquire
the basic HRM concepts and equips them with the tools necessary for the effective management of
people in organizations. Main topics covered include strategic HRM, planning and staf?ng, training
and development, performance management, compensation, career management and global HRM.
Prerequisite: MNGT 215.
MNGT 225 Employee Development 3 cr.
This is a senior level, seminar style course that is designed to expose students to employee training
and development within an organization. Speci?cally, it is designed to help students develop skills
that will enable them to effectively design, implement, and evaluate training systems from an
applied perspective. The course also sheds light on career planning and development as essential
functions in maintaining competency, motivation, and commitment. Prerequisites: MNGT 215, MNGT
220.
MNGT 229 Contemporary Issues in Human Capital Management 3 cr.
This course addresses contemporary issues in human resource management theories and practices
in terms of their ability to have a positive impact on organizational results and to encourage
desired employee attitudes and behaviors. Main topics examined pertain to organizational culture,
international HRM, diversity and work life balance, downsizing, employee participation, knowledge
management, employment ethics, emotions at work, ?exibility and workplace bullying. Prerequisite:
MNGT 215.
MNGT 230 International Management 3 cr.
A course on the management function in a global economy. Topics covered include substantive and
stylistic challenges for senior and middle management in international cross continent corporations
and conglomerates, standardization and diffusion of authority and operations, mobility and self
reinvention, and integration and differentiation. Prerequisite: MNGT 215.
MNGT 250 Special Topics 1, 2, or 3 cr.
A course that deals with special issues and concerns in management not included in regular courses.
This course may be repeated for credit when the topics vary. Prerequisites vary with the topic and
are noted in the course schedule. Credits depend on the course offered. Prerequisite: approval of track
convenor.
MNGT 251 Management Tutorial 0.5-3 cr.
Tutorials provide opportunities for students to pursue directed study readings and preliminary
research relevant to their concentration where existing courses do not offer the required subject
matter. Tutorials include a presentation of a report on the work. Prerequisite: approval of track
convenor.
313 Suliman S. Olayan School of Business (OSB)
Marketing Courses
MKTG 210 Principles of Marketing 3 cr.
An overview of marketing activities including marketing inputs in strategic planning, global
marketing, marketing research, analysis of buyer behavior, market segmentation and positioning,
and development of the marketing mix elements. Prerequisite: ENGL 204.
MKTG 215 Services Marketing 3 cr.
An overview of the process of marketing services. This course includes a study of the characteristics
of services and their marketing implications, developing marketing strategies, creating value, pricing
and promoting the service performance, and ensuring a positive customer experience. Business
majors only; Prerequisite: MKTG 210.
MKTG 220/ E-Commerce/ Electronic Marketing 3 cr.
INFO 220
An overview of electronic marketing development and its impact on marketing transactions and
management of organizations. Topics covered include e-marketing as an economic and strategic
approach; business to business and business to consumer e-commerce and e-marketing; management
of an e-marketing project; and ?nancial, legal, and security issues Business majors only; Prerequisites:
MKTG 210, INFO 200.
MKTG 222 Marketing Research 3 cr.
A course that provides thorough coverage of various marketing research tools along an applied
orientation, including a systematic analysis of the steps comprising the marketing research process,
starting with research problem de?nition and terminating with data collection, analysis, and
presentation. Business majors only; Prerequisites: MKTG 210, BUSS 200.
MKTG 225 Marketing Communications 3 cr.
An overview of promotion management and integrated marketing communications. Topics covered
include behavioral foundations of marketing communications, environmental in?uences on marketing
communications, and the promotion management process and its execution. Business majors only;
Prerequisite: MKTG 210. Students cannot receive credit for both SOAN 231 and MKTG 225 or for both SOAN
235 and MKTG 225.
MKTG 230 Sales Management 3 cr.
An overview of selling and sales management. Topics covered include sales management functions
and strategies, developing the selling function, sales goals and structure, building a sales program,
and leading and motivating the sales force. Business majors only; Prerequisite: MKTG 210.
MKTG 235 Retailing and Merchandising 3 cr.
This course examines the opportunities and problems faced by marketers in contemporary retail
formats. The principle issues involved in retailing are explored, including store location and
layout, merchandise planning, buying and selling, category management, and coordination of
store activities. Overall the course allows students to develop appropriate skills and knowledge for
effective and ef?cient decision making in the contemporary retail environment. Business majors
only; Prerequisite: MKTG 210.
MKTG 238 Public Relations 3 cr.
This course focuses on the communication between an individual or organization and the public to
promote stakeholder acceptance and approval. Students explore traditional and emerging components
of the public relations process through mass media, as well as the needs of different types of
businesses, such as corporations, non-pro?t organizations, and government of?ces. Business majors
only; Prerequisite: MKTG 210. Students cannot receive credit for both SOAN 234 and MKTG 238.
314 Suliman S. Olayan School of Business (OSB)
MKTG 240 Consumer Behavior 3 cr.
A course that focuses on the customer as the key to market success. Topics covered include the
roles of a customer, market values a customer seeks, determinants of customer behavior, the
customer’s mindset, customer decision-making, and customer-focused marketing. Business majors
only; Prerequisite: MKTG 210.
MKTG 245 International Marketing 3 cr.
An overview of the scope and challenge of international marketing. Topics covered include the
cultural environment of global markets, assessing global market opportunities, and developing and
implementing global marketing strategies. Business majors only Prerequisite: MKTG 210.
MKTG 250 Special Topics 1, 2, or 3 cr.
A course that deals with special issues and concerns in marketing not included in regular courses. It
may be repeated for credit when the topics vary. Prerequisites vary with the topic and are noted in
the course schedule. Credits depend on the course offered. Prerequisite: approval of track convenor.
MKTG 251 Marketing Tutorial 0.5-3 cr.
Tutorials provide opportunities for students to pursue directed study readings and preliminary
research relevant to their concentration when existing courses do not offer the required subject
matter. Tutorials include a presentation of a report on the work. Prerequisite: approval of track
convenor.
BIDS Track Courses
In addition to the 42 credits of general undergraduate requirements from outside the school (listed
earlier) and the 39 credits required in the business core (ACCT 210, ACCT 215, BUSS 200, BUSS
211, BUSS 215, BUSS 230, BUSS 239, BUSS 240, BUSS 245, BUSS 248, BUSS 249, DCSN 200, DCSN
205, FINA 210, INFO 200, MKTG 210, MNGT 215), the track requires all students concentrating in
Business Information and Decision Systems to take INFO 205, and any combination of elective
courses totaling 6 credits from the Decision Systems courses (denoted by DCSN) and the Information
Systems courses (denoted by INFO).
Decision Systems Courses
DCSN 200 Operations Management 3 cr.
This course offers an overview of how operations managers make strategic decisions in operating a
production or service system, thereby giving their ?rms a sustainable competitive advantage in a
global marketplace. It focuses on the systematic planning, design, and operations analysis of the
main processes required for the production of goods and the delivery of services. Speci?c topics
include operations strategy framework; product and service design; customer order management;
process design and management; capacity and material planning; statistical quality control and
management; inventory and supply chain. Co-requisite: CMPS 209.
DCSN 205 Managerial Decision Making 3 cr.
This course is a spreadsheet-based introduction to the tools and techniques of modern managerial
decision making. It addresses formulation of models that can be used to analyze complex problems
taken from various functional areas of management, including ?nance, marketing, operations, and
human resources. The goal is to understand how business decisions are reached, what tradeoffs are
made, and how outcomes depend on the underlying data. A broad range of analytical methods is
covered to address decision making: under certainty (linear, integer and non-linear programming;
network ?ows; project management; and multi-objectives); under uncertainty (decision analysis
and decision trees) and under risk (simulation). Decision making software tools like MS Excel, Tree
Plan, Crystal Ball, @Risk and MS Project will be used for hands-on experiences. Business majors only;
Prerequisites: Math 204 and CMPS 209.
315 Suliman S. Olayan School of Business (OSB)
DCSN 210 Business Logistics 3 cr.
This course addresses the planning, organizing, and controlling of such activities as transportation,
inventory maintenance, facility location, order processing, purchasing, warehousing, materials
handling, packaging, customer service standards, and product scheduling. It is speci?cally designed
to help managers analyze and resolve challenges encountered in the real business world and a
competitive environment.
DCSN 215 Advanced Managerial Decision Making Models 3 cr.
This course addresses advanced models from functional areas of management, including ?nance,
marketing, operations, and human resources, through case studies and use of applications software.
Prerequisite: DCSN 205.
DCSN 220/ Financial Simulation Modeling 3 cr.
FINA 240
This course introduces elements of computerized simulation, including modeling deterministic and
stochastic systems, generation of random numbers and variables, and probability and statistics
related to modeling, validating, running, and interpreting computer simulations. Simulation projects
on corporate ?nance issues, and investment and portfolio analysis form an integral part of the
course. Prerequisite: BUSS 200 or equivalent.
DCSN 225 Enterprise Systems Design and Implementation 3 cr.
This course introduces the problems of coordination in business caused by low/no integration of
systems and processes. It offers solutions through a combination of enterprise systems (enterprise
resource planning) and enterprise application/data integration. A semester-long project requires
students working in teams to develop a business integration solution through the application of
systems integration principles based on use of software. Prerequisites: INFO 205, DCSN 205.
DCSN 250 Special Topics 1, 2, or 3 cr.
This course deals with special issues and concerns in business decision systems not included in
regular courses. This course may be repeated for credit when the topics vary. Prerequisites vary with
the topic and are noted in the course schedule. Credits depend on the course offered. Prerequisite:
approval of track convenor.
DCSN 251 Decision Systems Tutorial 0.5-3 cr.
Tutorials provide opportunities for students to pursue directed study readings and preliminary
research relevant to their concentration where existing courses do not offer the required subject
matter. Tutorials include a presentation of a report on the work.
Management Information Systems Courses
INFO 200 Foundations of Information Systems 3 cr.
This course introduces information systems that raise productivity, create customer value and sustain
competitive advantage. It shows how the integration of information technology and information
systems in the organization’s work processes adds value for the business and its customers. It
focuses on the following topical areas: competitiveness, functional information systems, e-commerce
and supply chain systems, business intelligence systems, and systems development. Co-requisite:
CMPS 209.
316 Suliman S. Olayan School of Business (OSB)
INFO 205 Information Systems Design and Development 3 cr.
This course emphasizes the issues facing business and management in the design and development
of information systems: properly formulating business problems; targeting the appropriate processes
and functions; delineating the planned data needs and user groups; estimating the value of the
solution; and the requisite design and implementation processes, phases, and timeframe. Cases will
underscore these issues and problems in the context of practical design and development projects.
Prerequisite: INFO 200.
INFO 210 Business Database Systems 3 cr.
This course introduces the central role of database management systems (DBMS) and their applications
in the business IT/IS environment, including an overview of database design, implementation, query
and use based on using features of a commercial structured query language-based (SQL) DBMS. The
course includes a case study that requires a basic information model (conceptual/physical design)
and the development of a multiple table database satisfying a real business need. Prerequisite:
INFO 200.
INFO 215 Managing Information Technology Resources 3 cr.
This course introduces the management of IT/IS as a critical business resource. It examines
information economics and business strategy; IS strategies; data resources; IS support provided to
business processes and decisions; technical (hardware/network/telecommunication) infrastructure
of IS; IS maintenance policies and procedures; staf?ng and funding approaches for IS services; and
IS security measures. Prerequisite: INFO 200.
INFO 220/ E-Commerce/ Electronic Marketing 3 cr.
MKTG 220
An overview of electronic marketing development and its impact on marketing transactions and
management of organizations. Topics covered include e-marketing as an economic and strategic
approach; business to business and business to consumer e-commerce and e-marketing; management
of an e-marketing project; and ?nancial, legal, and security issues. Prerequisites: MKTG 210,
INFO 200.
INFO 230 Knowledge Management 3 cr.
This course addresses capturing, transferring, sharing, and managing knowledge. Topics include
understanding knowledge; knowledge management systems life cycle; knowledge creation; capturing
knowledge; knowledge transfer and knowledge sharing; learning from data; data mining; and ethical
and legal issues. Prerequisite: INFO 200.
INFO 250 Special Topics 1, 2, or 3 cr.
This course deals with special issues and concerns in business information systems not included in
regular courses. This course may be repeated for credit when the topics vary. Prerequisites vary with
the topic and are noted in the course schedule. Credits depend on the course offered. Prerequisite:
approval of track convenor.
INFO 251 Information Systems Tutorial 0.5-3 cr.
Tutorials provide opportunities for students to pursue directed study readings and preliminary
research relevant to their concentration where existing courses do not offer the required subject
matter. Tutorials include a presentation of a report on the work. Prerequisite: approval of track
convenor.
doc_800731848.pdf