GSM Course Descriptions

Prerequisites

GSM 5100  Finance
Students learn how to obtain and use money to maximize the value of a business. Areas covered include: planning and managing equity financing, control of short term assets and liabilities, and measuring risk and value.  

GSM 5101  Financial and Managerial Accounting
An introduction focusing on accounting information used in decision-making (from a management perspective). Students study corporate reporting using the balance sheet, income statement, statement of cash flows, and ratios used in evaluating financial performance. The course includes: problem solving, written analysis, actual company cases and addresses ethical issues.  

GSM 5102  Research Methods and Statistical Analysis for Managers
The course provides a basic understanding of what research can, and cannot accomplish and how to effectively use research tools in management decision-making. Students learn how managers design a research project, when to commission one, and how to interpret research results. 

GSM 5103  Principles of Economics
Examines forces and factors that impact overall performance on an economic system, including government policy and business decisions. Major topics include: GNP, full employment, unemployment, inflation, stagflation, aggregate demand and supply, and multiplier effects.  

Core Courses

 
GSM 5112  Foundations of Business Communications
This optional seven week course is designed as a refresher course for students whose mother language is not English. The course focuses on the fundamentals of sound grammar, structure, and written presentation of thought.  

GSM 5113  Business Communications I
Focusing on written communication, this course helps the student to develop sound business writing skills. Concepts emphasized include: information packaging, the strategic planning of communication, writing for the reader, visual appeal in writing, and the effective use of "headlines."  

GSM 5114  Business Communications II
Focusing on business presentations, this course helps students to hone their presentations skills. Concepts emphasized include: the effective use of voice, stage presence, using media in presentations, presentations styles and types, presenting for the audience, and strategically planning a presentation.  

GSM 5117  International Marketing Management
This course facilitates a thorough investigation of the management of marketing functions. Instruction focuses on the most current techniques and theory in marketing research, forecasting, and distribution management. Special attention is paid to the increasing importance of marketing professions including services marketing, electronic marketing. The course also covers trending, regression analysis, sampling, forecasting, and consumer behavior.  

GSM 5118  Global Operations and Supply Chain Management
This course focuses on the managerial challenges arising in the operations of both manufacturing and service industries and provides an understanding of the functional and strategic role of production and distribution. Distribution strategies are evaluated in terms of costs, service to customers, and competitive impact. The costs and benefits of cooperation and coordination between different firms in the supply chain are also investigated.  

GSM 5120  Global Information Management and E-Business
This course teaches students to prepare and train current and future managers to effectively operate in a globally connected economy. Students are provided an introduction to, and overview of, the principles of the connected economy and the roles that information technology and e-commerce play in it. Materials presented in this course enables students to develop effective strategies, utilize information technology/e-commerce to achieve their global business objectives.  

GSM 5121  International Financial and Managerial Accounting
This course focuses on the financial and managerial accounting issues of international business. Topics include: fluctuating currency levels, accounting for transactions in foreign currencies, restatement of foreign subsidiary financial statements, transfer pricing, and income taxes. Attention is given to consolidation and disclosure problems as well as managerial control and organization.  

GSM 5122  Managerial Economics
This course concerns the application of micro and macro economic concepts to decision-making within a firm. Using techniques and concepts from microeconomics, the course applies economic optimization, demand estimation, forecasting, production and cost estimation, and pricing. Using concepts from macroeconomics, the student analyzes the determinates of important aggregate economic variables: levels of real and nominal output, employment, inflation, and economic growth to decision-making in business operations.  

GSM 5123  Strategic Management
The central theme of this course is achieved, sustained success through dynamic strategic planning. The course will stress the importance of design of an organization's strategy through establishing a clear mission and goals; identifying the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats of an organization; and relating strategic thought to the greater global environment. The formulation and implementation of a comprehensive strategic plan (integrating all business disciplines) are reviewed.  

GSM 5126  International Human Resource Management
This course examines organizations' superior performance from a human resource based perspective. Key features of high-performance employee development systems are examined including, recruitment, selection, evaluation, and continuous learning/training. Current topics include: using the internet for recruiting, creating knowledge management and performance support systems, and achieving employee loyalty through non-compensation based strategies. Special emphasis is places on reciting and retaining international employees.  

GSM 5140  International Finance
This course explores the traditional areas of corporate finance such as working capital management, capital budgeting, cost of capital, and financial structure from the perspective of a multinational company - concentrating on those decision elements that are rarely, if ever, encountered by purely domestic firms. These elements include multiple currencies, frequent exchange rate changes and varying rates of inflation, differing tax systems, multiple moneylenders, and political risks such as nationalization or expropriation.  

GSM 5141  Organization and Leadership
This course examines leadership styles within the business framework of power and authority, which contributes to an individual's identity as a leader. Reviewed are the ethical responsibilities of leadership, strategies for team development and leading, as well as conflict resolution and group decision-making. Particular emphasis is placed on the strategic significance of the organization's structure and ways in which this impacts both the leader, members of the organization, and both internal and external relationships.  

GSM 5146  World Culture and International Business
Business is reviewed as a form of cultural diffusion and creator of consumerism that can lead to modernization and cultural clashes (such as religious fundamentalism) creating barriers to international business. In this course students will be exposed to cultural patterns and relationships between culturally distinct groups. These boundaries and challenges determine how members of a group practice economic activities, organize settlements, and set rules for men and women. The course is organized around the five concepts: cultural region, cultural integration, cultural landscape, and cultural diffusion.  

International Domains

The international domains create the opportunity for the student to select courses from multiple domains (global regions) or to specialize in a specific region of interest. Included in the domains is the opportunity to complete all, or part, of the domain coursework in international settings/locations.  

The globalization debate has captured every aspect of business.  Many argue that the increasing integration of the world due to economic and technological developments have created an unstable world with the constant need to restructure and reconfigure.  This course will focus on understanding the process of globalization and its impact on different economies. The different modules will focus on conceptualizing globalization, reconfiguration of power, and impact of globalization on different industries and countries.

Topic Domain - Asia Pacific

GSM 5130  Government/Corporate Partnership in Asia Pacific
This course deals with the methods and strategies by which businesses in Asia Pacific attempt to influence public policies. Topics include role of the Japanese government in the economy, business government relations in Japan, regulation of business, corporate political activity, and corporate governance. A combination of scholarly articles, current periodicals, and case studies explores the processes of Asia Pacific governments' decision-making And policy implementation and how they affect and are affected by business interests.  

GSM 5131  Diversity, Growth, and Development in Asia Pacific
This course reviews the economic potential of the Asia Pacific region where the traditional modes of production, culture, social and political relations have been undergoing dramatic changes. Focusing on technological changes, economic linkages, and political alliances, the course studies the interrelationships between the natural environment and economic, political and cultural activities.  

GSM 5133  The Business Culture of Asia Pacific
This course focuses on cross cultural communications and negotiations in an Asia Pacific setting. A basic premise of this course is that although managers need analytical skills to discover optimal solutions to problems, a broad array of negotiation skills is needed to get these solutions accepted and implemented. The development of the student's skills is achieved through experiential learning.  

GSM 5142  Special topics A - Z
This course deals with contemporary business issues relevant to Asia Pacific from an interdisciplinary and entrepreneurial perspective. Topics vary from year to year in an effort to capitalize on current trends and their impact on future business models and practices. 

GSM 5143  Asia Pacific Business Lecture Series
This lecture series is designed to provide opportunities for MBS-GSM students to explore contemporary business issues in Asia Pacific with leading experts from the public and private sectors.

Topic Domain - European Union

GMS 5136  Labor Unions and Corporate Governance in Europe
The affects of corporate governance and labor union power on business in Europe is reviewed. The various methods used by firms to adjust to the constraints imposed by rigid labor markets are investigated and optimal solutions discussed.  

GSM 5137  European Business Practices - Impact of Culture and Language
This course reviews varying business practices among European countries and focuses on the role of language and culture on both internal and external commerce. Three critical skill areas are reviewed (negotiation, practical research and case analysis) in the context of this varied and dynamic region of the world.  

GSM 5138  European Economic Union and the World Economy
This course examines the theory, principles, and practices underlying international trade and economic relations within the European Union and between the region and the rest of the world. Topics Include comparative advantage, protectionism versus free sustainable economies, foreign direct investment, balance of payment analysis, and dynamic trade policy.  

GSM 5144  European Business Lecture Series
This lecture series is designed to provide opportunities for MBS-GSM students to explore contemporary business issues in Europe with leading experts from the public and private sectors.  

Study Abroad

Semester Study Abroad
Students spend a full semester studying at one of our exchange partner universities. Usually completed during the second year of study, the semester study abroad program is designed to allow students to complete the international domain requirements in a truly international setting.

GSM 5200  Executive Study Abroad (ESA) 3units
Designed for the professional who cannot spend a full semester abroad, ESA is an intense 9-10 day program that exposes the participant to multiple cultures and global business topics. Students may participate in up to three (3) ESA trips, earning up to nine (9) credit hours (substitutes for the international domain courses). Sample trip combinations already completed or in design include: Zurich, Lausanne and Geneva, Switzerland; Istanbul, Turkey and Cairo, Egypt; and London, England and Dublin, Ireland.

Capstone