Strategy (STRT)
STRT 2101 Ethical Values of Business 3 Credits
Each section of Ethical Values of Business asks and answers the following questions: What makes business practices good or bad? How does business and how do business people serve society and others? Why do normal people of good will sometimes act badly, and what can we do to improve their (and our own) behavior? While all Ethical Values of Business courses share this common core, specific classes will explore a particular theme in depth.
Level: Undergraduate
Grading: Main Campus (UGrad, Grad)
Course registration restrictions:
Students cannot enroll who have a program in Business Administration, Business Administration, Business Administration or Business Administration.
STRT 2220 The Business of Global Sports 3 Credits
The sports industry has become the second largest export product in the United States with over $700 billion in worldwide revenues. Coupled with its global economic significance, the excitement and competitiveness of the business are unmatched. The focus of this course is three-fold: (i) to provide students with a framework for understanding the unique dynamics, structure, delivery systems and business and marketing strategies that shape the sports industry; (ii) to examine how non-sports organizations leverage sports and entertainment properties to achieve separate and distinct business and marketing objectives; and (iii) to gain a practical appreciation for how different functional areas interact with sports and thus provide a foundational learning for how those functional areas may intact with other industries. Through understanding the unique elements of the sports industry, students will have an appreciation for the unique business dynamics of an industry that evokes so much passion, as well as have a point of reference for understanding the core structure of other industries.
Level: Undergraduate
Grading: Main Campus (UGrad, Grad)
STRT 2265 Business-Govt Relations 3 Credits
The "Business and Government Relations" is an alternative to Business Law in satisfying the "legal and political environment of business" requirement. The course is designed to prepare you for the time when you, as a senior manager of a business firm, will find your business activities being partly determined by government policies. Over the course of the semester, you will learn the Skills: to analyze normative arguments about what government and corporate policies ought to be; to analyze positive arguments regarding claims made about the effects of government policies on business; to understand the how and why of government policy-making; and to learn to "forecast" changes in government policy. You will develop Substantive Knowledge: of political institutions, here and abroad; of the effects of differing government policies on national industrial organization; and of the effects of business on government, in the United States and abroad. You will Reflect: on the appropriate role of corporations in the democratic political process; and on how your civic obligations should affect you in your role as a manager. The course readings will compare American political and business institutions with those of other democratic capitalist countries. Formerly offered as MGMT 265.
Level: Undergraduate
Grading: Main Campus (UGrad, Grad)
Course registration restrictions:
Enrollment is limited to students with a major in Accounting, Accounting, Accounting, Accounting, Business Administration, Business Administration, Business Administration, Business Administration, Finance, Finance, Finance, Finance, Int'l Business Regional Stds, Int'l Business Regional Stds, Int'l Business Regional Stds, Int'l Business Regional Stds, International Business, International Business, International Business, International Business, Int'l Political Eco Business, Int'l Political Eco Business, Int'l Political Eco Business, Int'l Political Eco Business, Marketing, Marketing, Marketing, Marketing, Management, Management, Management, Management, Operations Information Mgmt, Operations Information Mgmt, Operations Information Mgmt, Operations Information Mgmt, Undeclared Business, Undeclared Business, Undeclared Business or Undeclared Business.
Enrollment limited to students in the McDonough School of Business college.
STRT 3101 Strategic Management 3 Credits
Strategic management deals fundamentally with the ways in which firms build and sustain superior competitive positions and profitability. Successful strategy design and implementation requires a holistic understanding of the firm’s external environment and its internal resources and capabilities. Although we will draw on your prior studies in finance, marketing, accounting, and operations for insights to analysis of firms and their environments, strategy is a stage-setting activity that should drive—rather than be driven by—functional area decisions and actions.
The primary objectives of the course are to improve your ability to:
• Evaluate strategic opportunities in a firm’s external environment and assess the resources and capabilities that a firm can bring to taking advantage of opportunities.
• Develop superior strategies that will promote sustainable profitability.
Determine the appropriate scope of a firm’s activities for expansion and growth.
Level: Undergraduate
Grading: Main Campus (UGrad, Grad)
Course registration restrictions:
Enrollment is limited to students with a major in Accounting, Accounting, Accounting, Accounting, Business Administration, Business Administration, Business Administration, Business Administration, Finance, Finance, Finance, Finance, Int'l Business Regional Stds, Int'l Business Regional Stds, Int'l Business Regional Stds, Int'l Business Regional Stds, International Business, International Business, International Business, International Business, Int'l Political Eco Business, Int'l Political Eco Business, Int'l Political Eco Business, Int'l Political Eco Business, Marketing, Marketing, Marketing, Marketing, Management, Management, Management, Management, Operations Information Mgmt, Operations Information Mgmt, Operations Information Mgmt, Operations Information Mgmt, Undeclared Business, Undeclared Business, Undeclared Business or Undeclared Business.
Enrollment limited to students in the McDonough School of Business college.
STRT 3235 Business of Sports Ethics 1.5 Credits
This class is designed to engage students in the disciplines of sports and business with a focus upon business law, leadership, ethics and executive decision-making. The course materials are designed to lay the groundwork of the relevant law and principles, while the emphasis will be on an engaged class discussion and debate to test the underlying philosophical issues that are present in every aspect of the business of sport. Students will be expected to enter the discussion with an understanding of the basic principles from the reading and utilize the classroom as the “testing ground” to understand, evaluate and critique the sports legal, economic and social landscape.
Many professional and “amateur” sports derive revenue from a dedicated fan base, however beneath that simplistic surface are complex sets of legislative, state/local statutes, evolving jurisprudence and an equally complex set of ethical judgments that operate on a perpetual basis. Many of these factors operate without the appreciation, acknowledgement or perhaps even the understanding of most of the sports stakeholders–Owners, Coaches, Players, the Press, Media, Fans, Agents, Commercial Partners and Union leaders. This problem is worsened by the fact that most major sports systems are completely unregulated. They are not subject to “traditional” corporate or governmental regulations, there are no public filings, no public boards of directors, no transparency of operations and rarely, if ever, are there legal consequences for systemic misconduct. Worse, the average player/worker is typically: the youngest participant (and sometimes a minor), stays in the business the least amount of the time when compared to owners or leagues or other workers, are exposed to the most potential physical harm, and are often persons who may least understand the pervasive paradigm of these sports organizations. These issues are compounded by that fact that athletes have only a limited amount of agency given their short careers, and in some cases with respect to college, international and high school athletes, their status as minors.
The seminar will consider and analyze the legal and ethical relationships among professional and amateur athletes, teams, leagues, governing bodies, and other actors. In particular, the course will provide a legal, factual, and historical analysis of how sports institutions have operated and engage students in an analysis of how they should operate with respect to accountability, oversight, and fairness and the forces and stakeholders which influence those decisions. The class is designed to be adversarial and to force students to develop the necessary skills of critical analysis, logical thought and presenting and defending arguments. In short, this is not a class for sports fans as much it is committed to building the skills that are necessary for leaders to evaluate social, political, and business constructs and to appreciate the inherent philosophical and ethical dilemmas. Students will be required to make and defend positions.
Well-prepared and thoughtful student participation is mandatory.
Many professional and “amateur” sports derive revenue from a dedicated fan base, however beneath that simplistic surface are complex sets of legislative, state/local statutes, evolving jurisprudence and an equally complex set of ethical judgments that operate on a perpetual basis. Many of these factors operate without the appreciation, acknowledgement or perhaps even the understanding of most of the sports stakeholders–Owners, Coaches, Players, the Press, Media, Fans, Agents, Commercial Partners and Union leaders. This problem is worsened by the fact that most major sports systems are completely unregulated. They are not subject to “traditional” corporate or governmental regulations, there are no public filings, no public boards of directors, no transparency of operations and rarely, if ever, are there legal consequences for systemic misconduct. Worse, the average player/worker is typically: the youngest participant (and sometimes a minor), stays in the business the least amount of the time when compared to owners or leagues or other workers, are exposed to the most potential physical harm, and are often persons who may least understand the pervasive paradigm of these sports organizations. These issues are compounded by that fact that athletes have only a limited amount of agency given their short careers, and in some cases with respect to college, international and high school athletes, their status as minors.
The seminar will consider and analyze the legal and ethical relationships among professional and amateur athletes, teams, leagues, governing bodies, and other actors. In particular, the course will provide a legal, factual, and historical analysis of how sports institutions have operated and engage students in an analysis of how they should operate with respect to accountability, oversight, and fairness and the forces and stakeholders which influence those decisions. The class is designed to be adversarial and to force students to develop the necessary skills of critical analysis, logical thought and presenting and defending arguments. In short, this is not a class for sports fans as much it is committed to building the skills that are necessary for leaders to evaluate social, political, and business constructs and to appreciate the inherent philosophical and ethical dilemmas. Students will be required to make and defend positions.
Well-prepared and thoughtful student participation is mandatory.
Level: Undergraduate
Grading: Main Campus (UGrad, Grad)
Course registration restrictions:
Enrollment is limited to Undergraduate level students.
Enrollment limited to students in the McDonough School of Business college.
STRT 3255 Moral Fndations of Market Soc 3 Credits
Are markets good or bad? How free should markets be? What good are economic and commercial liberties, and how strong should those liberties be? Is capitalism an impediment to social justice, or could capitalism be a way of achieving social justice? Is it possible for a society to be free, prosperous, and fair? Is market society cooperative and peaceful or competitive and exploitative? Do markets promote or undermine community and virtue?
This course is meant to introduce you to moral and political philosophy by focusing on a particular set of questions about capitalism, market institutions, and the ethics of wealth creation. We will start by asking what moral reasoning is, examine some common moral and political theories, and ask what counts as a sound ethical reasoning and what it takes to justify moral beliefs.
We will evaluate the institutions of the market using the tools of ethics, political philosophy, economics, history, and political science. We will investigate issues concerning the nature of money and prices, the role of the division of labor, business ethics, commerce and entrepreneurship, overconsumption and overpopulation, exploitation and alienation, the relationship between wealth and happiness, the motivations of market actors, the rule of law, liberty and market society, rent-seeking and corporate welfare, and more. We will read and discuss evaluations of markets from multiple ideological perspectives: socialist, communitarian, left-liberal, classical liberal, libertarian, and conservative.
Level: Undergraduate
Grading: Main Campus (UGrad, Grad)
Course registration restrictions:
Enrollment is limited to students with a major in Accounting, Accounting, Accounting, Accounting, Business Administration, Business Administration, Business Administration, Business Administration, Finance, Finance, Finance, Finance, International Business, International Business, International Business, International Business, Marketing, Marketing, Marketing, Marketing, Management, Management, Management, Management, Operations Information Mgmt, Operations Information Mgmt, Operations Information Mgmt, Operations Information Mgmt, Undeclared Business, Undeclared Business, Undeclared Business or Undeclared Business.
STRT 3260 International Business 3 Credits
A first course in the theory and practice of international business. After building a foundation of international trade, foreign direct investment, exchange rates, and government policy, the course emphasis is on the application of concepts to the solution of international business problems. It focuses on areas such as international market entry, the internationalization of the marketing, finance and management functions within the firm, and the development of global business strategies.
Level: Undergraduate
Grading: Main Campus (UGrad, Grad)
STRT 3925 Internship in Business 0.5 Credits
This course enables Global Business Fellows to translate academic knowledge into professional practice through short, high-impact internship projects. The Internship in Business course is offered as a pass/ fail course over 7 weeks, and is worth 0.5 credits. The course is open to all Global Business Fellows students in MSB or SFS in good academic standing (minimum GPA of 3.0, aligned with the program’s standards). It does not count towards any major but it does count towards the 120 credits required for graduation. Students must complete at least 40 hours for the internship and fulfill all course requirements. The course is offered remotely with required sponsor meetings and faculty check-ins.
Level: Undergraduate
Grading: Main Campus (Pass/Fail)
Course registration restrictions:
Enrollment limited to students in the McDonough School of Business or School of Foreign Service colleges.
STRT 4270 Adv International Business 3 Credits
This course analyzes the international business environment (IBE), defined as the economic, political, and social factors that shape firms’ global strategies. We seek to explain the ways in which—and the reasons why—countries differ in macroeconomic and regulatory policies relevant to the firm. The course places special emphasis on the political economy of the IBE, which means that we study how international and domestic political forces influence continuity and change in the rules governing international economic
transactions.
Level: Graduate, Undergraduate
Prerequisites: (STRT 261 or STRT 3260)
Grading: Main Campus (UGrad, Grad)
Course registration restrictions:
Enrollment is limited to students with a major in Accounting, Accounting, Accounting, Accounting, Business Administration, Business Administration, Business Administration, Business Administration, Finance, Finance, Finance, Finance, Int'l Business Regional Stds, Int'l Business Regional Stds, Int'l Business Regional Stds, Int'l Business Regional Stds, International Business, International Business, International Business, International Business, Int'l Political Eco Business, Int'l Political Eco Business, Int'l Political Eco Business, Int'l Political Eco Business, Marketing, Marketing, Marketing, Marketing, Management, Management, Management, Management, Operations Information Mgmt, Operations Information Mgmt, Operations Information Mgmt, Operations Information Mgmt, Undeclared Business, Undeclared Business, Undeclared Business or Undeclared Business.
STRT 4949 Tutorial 3-6 Credits
Level: Undergraduate
Grading: Main Campus (UGrad, Grad)
STRT 5630 Global Economics for Managers 1.5 Credits
Global Economics for Managers equips you to make better strategic decisions in a world where supply chains, capital, and policy shocks routinely reshape competition. The course builds a practical toolkit for analyzing how global industries are organized and why production, investment, and innovation locate where they do. We connect economic fundamentals to managerial choices: where to place operations, when to offshore or integrate, how to assess foreign investment opportunities, and how to anticipate the impact of trade policy, macro conditions, and exchange-rate movements on costs, demand, and risk. Across lectures and case discussions, you will apply frameworks from international trade, foreign direct investment, and macroeconomic policy to real business environments. By the end of the course, you should be able to diagnose how global economic forces shape industry structure—and translate that diagnosis into clearer decisions about strategy, resilience, and growth.
Level: Graduate
Grading: Main Campus (UGrad, Grad)
Equivalent to BADM 5500
Course registration restrictions:
Enrollment is limited to Graduate level students.
Enrollment limited to students in a Master of Business Admin. degree.
STRT 5720 Managerial Economics 1.5 Credits
Managerial Economics introduces the fundamental concepts of economics—the “mother tongue” of all business. It provides the foundation for understanding a wide range of other business disciplines, including finance, strategy, and operations management. The course equips students with tools to make economically sound business decisions and to understand the conditions that shape profitability across industries. It begins with core economic concepts such as supply and demand, costs, and market equilibrium. Then it examines how firms behave under different market structures—from perfect competition to monopoly and oligopoly. It explores how firms set prices, decide when to enter or exit markets, and respond to competitors. The course then introduces game-theoretic reasoning to analyze interactions among firms and concludes by examining relationships along firms’ value chains, as well as sources of market failure and approaches to addressing them. Throughout, students develop the ability to apply economic reasoning to think analytically about real-world business problems and to build a foundation for future coursework in strategic management and related fields.
Level: Graduate
Grading: Main Campus (UGrad, Grad)
Course registration restrictions:
Enrollment limited to students in the MBA-BADM, MBA-NMBA or MBA-NMBA-O programs.
Enrollment is limited to Graduate level students.
STRT 6100 Business Strategy 1.5 Credits
Why do some firms dramatically outperform others, even in the same industry? The answer lies in strategy—the choices firms make about where to compete, how to create and capture value, and how to sustain competitive advantage over time. Business Strategy is a course that develops the conceptual toolkit you need to make and evaluate those choices, drawing on the latest academic research from the field of Strategy and applied to real business decisions. We will explore strategic considerations associated with the attractiveness of various markets and industries; how firms utilize resources and capabilities and develop unique activities for competitive advantage; how firms position themselves in markets relative to rivals; how firms expand their vertical, horizontal, and geographic scope. We also delve into topics at the intersection of current events and strategy, such as innovation, digitization, technological change, and nonmarket strategy. Throughout the course, students are placed in the position of decision makers (or their advisors) and are expected to address various challenges germane to the firm’s competitive advantage. Reading materials provide contextual familiarity and teach the tools and skills required for meeting these challenges.
Level: Graduate
Grading: Main Campus (UGrad, Grad)
Course registration restrictions:
Enrollment is limited to Graduate level students.
Enrollment limited to students in a Master of Business Admin. degree.
STRT 6105 Geopolitics and Geostrategy 1.5 Credits
Global business is being reorganized by geopolitics. The liberal world order built on open markets and multilateral rules has fractured into a system defined by state competition. The United States, China, Europe, and a more assertive Global South are competing for control over critical technologies, supply chains, and markets. Firms must now navigate an environment of geopolitical risk that can reshape markets and disrupt operations overnight. Competitive advantage increasingly depends on the ability to anticipate and respond to that risk.
This course is organized around three key themes. We begin with geopolitical shocks: events such as political instability, conflict, and global crises that disrupt the business environment. We then examine geopolitical policy choices, focusing on how states use tools like industrial policy, trade restrictions, and sanctions to influence economic outcomes. Finally, we explore geostrategy, analyzing how firms adapt their market and nonmarket strategies to manage risk and capture opportunity in a geopolitically complex world.
Throughout the course, students apply analytical frameworks, including PESTLES analysis,
scenario planning, and IA 3, to real-world cases and simulations, developing the tools to assess geopolitical risk, anticipate policy shifts, and design strategies that are robust in the face of political and economic change.
Level: Graduate
Grading: Main Campus (UGrad, Grad)
Course registration restrictions:
Enrollment is limited to Graduate level students.
Enrollment limited to students in a Master of Business Admin. degree.
STRT 6500 Ethical Leadership 1.5 Credits
Ethical Leadership is designed to deepen your understanding of the ethical and social dimensions of business in general and corporate leadership in particular. At its conclusion, you should have the know how to evaluate and lead the ethical performance of organizations—from teams to enterprises and from the top to the trenches. You should have an acute awareness of the heightened social demands on firms and how leaders are anticipating and managing this expanding responsibility. Finally, you will have the opportunity to examine and reflect on your profile as an ethical leader and to formulate strategies for making the most of your upcoming leadership opportunities.
Level: Graduate, Juris Doctor
Grading: Main Campus (UGrad, Grad)
Mutual exclusion: BADM 590
Course registration restrictions:
Enrollment is limited to Graduate level students.
Enrollment limited to students in the McDonough School of Business college.
STRT 6505 Bus Policy in Global Economy 1.5 Credits
The global business policy environment is central to firms’ performance, as measured by shareholder value and in accordance with firms’ broader responsibilities to society. Our focus is on the economic policies and issues that shape firms’ global trade and investment strategies, as well as those that heighten foreign competition and promulgate risk. Our approach is managerial: in contrast to a public policy perspective, we take the perspective of firms and managers—not of the government or the public. We analyze and evaluate firms’ strategies for dealing with uncertain policy environments around the world.
Level: Graduate
Grading: Main Campus (UGrad, Grad)
Mutual exclusion: BADM 600
Course registration restrictions:
Enrollment is limited to Graduate level students.
Enrollment limited to students in the McDonough School of Business college.
STRT 6525 The Business of Healthcare 1.5 Credits
This course is designed to familiarize you with the structure and function of the U.S. health care system. We consider healthcare from a business perspective, the companies that compose it (public, private, and non-profit), and how the interests of different sectors align or conflict with one another. As a highly regulated industry where federal and state governments often serve as gatekeepers to success or dominant purchasers, government decisions often drive business outcomes. Healthcare in the US is also characterized by inefficiency and complexity. And while it is ripe for disruption, change has often come more slowly than anticipated or desired by stakeholders. The course begins with an introduction to the primary commercial segments in the health care system: medical technology (pharmaceutical/biotech, medical device), provider (hospital, physician, post-acute), distribution (pharmacies, tradition and on-line distributors), health plans, and services (e.g., health IT, contract research organizations). We also review major government organizations and programs involved in healthcare, and how key policy issues such as reductions to Medicaid mandated under the OBBA, newly implemented negotiation policy for Medicare drugs, state efforts to collaboratively take control of public health decisions, affect operating businesses and way that executives think about strategy. The business of healthcare is presently being disrupted by a range of forces which merit special focus – as these changes are creating major commercial opportunity for entrepreneurs and established businesses. AI and advanced analytics hold great potential to leverage knowledge for reduced costs and increased quality - much the effects of the technologies remain unknown at this time. Large scale mergers and acquisitions are back on the table after a period of more intensive regulatory scrutiny. Payment reform and scaling of value-based design hold great potential to drive change. With that, humility is always useful in healthcare, and it's important to understand why the larger technology companies (e.g., Amazon, Google, IBM, Oracle) and many healthcare incumbents made significant mis-steps over time.
Level: Graduate
Grading: Main Campus (UGrad, Grad)
Course registration restrictions:
Enrollment is limited to Graduate level students.
Students in a Master of Business Admin. degree may not enroll.
STRT 6531 Antitrust Business Strategy 1.5 Credits
The antitrust laws of the United States, European Union, China and more than 100 other nations create powerful regulatory constraints on business activity. These laws have been enforced against many of the leading global companies – Microsoft, Intel, Google, Apple, Facebook, AT&T, IBM, and numerous others – challenging a wide array of business conduct, ranging from mergers to pricing strategies to allegations of abuse of dominance. This course provides the tools business leaders need to understand competition regulation and factor it into their business decisions. Students will gain an understanding of the fundamentals of antitrust law, economics and policy, including the broader political and economic factors that influence how these laws are applied around the world. We will then explore case studies that focus on key issues in greater depth. For each case, students will examine the nature of the challenged business conduct or strategy; the basis for the regulatory challenge; the outcome of the case and the regulatory risks the case illustrates; and strategies businesses can deploy to mitigate those risks while still advancing their business goals. We will also discuss current policy issues, including how competition policy has factored into the domestic political debate surrounding the 2020 U.S. presidential campaign, and its role in international relationships such as those among the United States, European Union and China. The course is taught by an antitrust lawyer who previously served as antitrust counsel for a global company and who is also a former antitrust enforcer at the U.S. Federal Trade Commission.
Level: Graduate, Juris Doctor
Grading: Main Campus (UGrad, Grad)
Course registration restrictions:
Enrollment is limited to Graduate level students.
Enrollment limited to students in a Master of Business Admin. degree.
STRT 6534 Strategic Pricing 1.5 Credits
This is an advanced course in the economics of pricing, strategy and policy of pricing by firms. It is intended to provide a keener analytical basis for managers to understand and make pricing decisions than is possible from the tools provided either in other core classes or electives. As an advanced course, this class will be based on highly interactive lectures in which students and the professor jointly explore topic areas. Second, each class will have a “caselet” discussion of 5-15 minutes in which students discuss a “real” pricing case/issue. Third, students will participate in teams to develop and present a substantive research paper that provides insight into a pricing issue in a specific industry. Finally, each team will participate in a competitive pricing game that will require substantive preparation and contributions to pricing decisions in a simulation exercise.
Level: Graduate, Juris Doctor
Grading: Main Campus (UGrad, Grad)
Course registration restrictions:
Enrollment is limited to Graduate or Juris Doctor level students.
Enrollment limited to students in a Master of Business Admin. degree.
STRT 6535 Game Theory 1.5 Credits
The objective of this class is to give you the tools to develop your own game theoretic models. Students will learn about important game theoretic ideas such as rationality, rational expectations, asymmetric information, credibility of threats and promises, signaling and commitment. These ideas will be illustrated using mini-cases that cover a wide array of issues and situations such as inter-personal conflict, market entry, perjury, trust in the workplace, employee promotion and firm commitments, and competition over markets.
Level: Graduate, Juris Doctor
Prerequisites: STRT 570
Grading: Main Campus (UGrad, Grad)
Course registration restrictions:
Enrollment is limited to Graduate level students.
Enrollment limited to students in a Master of Business Admin. degree.
STRT 6537 IntellectualProperty Valuation 1.5 Credits
Intangible assets comprise over 80% of the enterprise value of publicly traded companies and are increasingly important to the value and success of most businesses. Among the most important intangible assets are a company’s intellectual property (IP) assets. In this course, you will learn what IP covers, how different forms of IP can be used to enhance a firm’s competitive position in the marketplace, and how to assess and measure the value of IP assets using several tools that are used by real-world companies and outside economists.
This course will involve classroom instruction, academic and practitioner articles, case studies, group projects, and a final exam. Classroom discussion will be a key element of this course.
Level: Graduate
Grading: Main Campus (UGrad, Grad)
Course registration restrictions:
Enrollment is limited to Graduate level students.
Enrollment limited to students in a Master of Business Admin. degree.
STRT 6540 Global Strategy 1.5 Credits
The emergence of the global economy and the multinational enterprise is one of the most significant developments of the past three decades. This course is designed to offer future leaders an overview of the changing character of com¬pet¬ing on a worldwide scale.
The course builds upon the concepts and theories covered in the core courses in Strategic Management, International Business and International Macroeco¬nomics (as well as drawing upon the core courses in Marketing, Operations Management and Accounting and Finance). A distinguishing feature of this course is that it addresses the management of highly complex situations—integrating different cultural, geopolitical and economic issues. As a result, Global Strategy will force us to address issues that are at the cutting edge of managerial practice.
Level: Graduate, Juris Doctor
Grading: Main Campus (UGrad, Grad)
Course registration restrictions:
Enrollment is limited to Graduate level students.
Enrollment limited to students in a Master of Business Admin. degree.
STRT 6542 Technology Strategy 1.5 Credits
This course examines a variety of problems in the strategic management of innovation and technology. It asks how and why innovation occurs in an industry, why some innovations rise to dominate others, and how firms develop and implement strategies for innovation and technology. Among the key topics to be explored are how the same technical innovation can either sustain or disrupt existing businesses. We will highlight the specific opportunities and challenges disruptive innovation brings to all aspects of a business, from the strategy making process to organizational structure and from marketing to finance. Case studies from a variety of “new economy” and “old economy” industries serve as the basis for much of the course.
Level: Graduate, Juris Doctor
Grading: Main Campus (UGrad, Grad)
Course registration restrictions:
Enrollment is limited to Graduate or Juris Doctor level students.
Enrollment limited to students in a Master of Business Admin. degree.
STRT 6545 Economics of Strategic Behavio 1.5 Credits
Key topics of This course will focus on the dynamics of entry and the impact of global competition, the strategic dynamics of competitive markets, the primary sources of competitive advantage (local and global), managing competitive interactions through cooperation and preemption, bargaining situations, the impact of information distribution, financial implications of strategic economics. \ The emphasis of the course is on the ability to apply a small number of principles effectively and creatively, not on the mastery of detailed aspects of theory. The course is particularly relevant to those pursuing careers in strategy consulting, equity and investment research, asset management, investment banking, mergers and acquisitions, private equity and venture capital, entrepreneurship, marketing and brand management, international business development, public sector management and non-profit management.
Level: Graduate, Juris Doctor
Grading: Main Campus (UGrad, Grad)
Mutual exclusion: EMBA 6880, EMBA 591
Course registration restrictions:
Enrollment is limited to Graduate level students.
Enrollment limited to students in a Master of Business Admin. degree.
STRT 6546 Organizational Design Strategy 1.5 Credits
It has been observed that the effectiveness of a firm’s strategy is often influenced by the limitations of the organization that is empowered to carry it out. However well-designed a company strategy is, such a strategy will fail if it is not well-aligned with the organization and its people. This course will provide students a set of frameworks that will enable the appropriate design of an organization that is aligned with and fits well with a given strategy. In addition, direction will be provided for creating structures and accountability systems that influence how people do their work, where they focus their attention and how their activities can be aligned to contribute to overall strategic goals. The course is well-suited for those who wish to engage in general management roles, strategy consulting, human resource management, not for profit and public sector management and entrepreneurship.
Level: Graduate
Grading: Main Campus (UGrad, Grad)
Course registration restrictions:
Enrollment is limited to Graduate level students.
STRT 6547 Cities in Business 1.5 Credits
Should your new headquarter be in Washington or New York? Should your next real estate investment be in Dallas or San Francisco? Many business decisions, directly or indirectly, require the ability to understand the evolution of local economies, from neighborhoods to metropolitan areas. This course provides a hands-on approach to understanding these dynamics and formulate expectations about their evolution. Groups of students are assigned two U.S. cities and are required to identify, with faculty’s help, a relevant business problem that involves a choice between them. The group provides an empirical analysis of primary data informed by the classes’ content, presents the solution of this business problem to the class, and discusses the solution of another group’s business problem.
Level: Graduate
Prerequisites: BADM 6500 or OPAN 6500
Grading: Main Campus (UGrad, Grad)
STRT 6548 Emerging Markets: Biz Inv 1.5 Credits
Emerging markets and developing economies are a diverse set of countries that account for around 85 percent of the world’s population and 45 percent of global GDP. Over the last 20 years they have grown 2 – 3 times faster than advanced economies (US, Western Europe, Japan, South Korea, Singapore, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand), albeit from much lower income levels, and current projections from the IMF suggests this trend will continue in the years ahead.
Companies around the world and across industries have taken notice of the potential of emerging markets as major new consumer markets, potential sites for production of goods and services, and places to source critical inputs. These countries have rapidly expanding middle class consumers and home to major companies. Asset managers, pension funds, and institutional and retail investors have grown their portfolios of financial investments in emerging markets.
Level: Graduate
Grading: Main Campus (UGrad, Grad)
Course registration restrictions:
Enrollment is limited to Graduate level students.
Enrollment limited to students in a Master of Business Admin. degree.
STRT 6555 Washington Business the World 0-1.5 Credits
This course seeks to broaden and reinforce students’ understanding of the theory and practice of the nonmarket environment. It does so by focusing on the application of nonmarket strategy.
The course blends classroom instruction with attendance at events in Washington, DC, home to key players and places in the nonmarket environment – government agencies, policymakers, government officials, international bodies, global business leaders, industry associations, and nongovernmental organizations. Students are exposed to the nation’s capital, which offers unmatched opportunities to explore and experience firsthand the nonmarket environment from the perspective of the firm and its managers. Through attendance at “business and public policy” events, students observe up close the interactions among, and themselves may interact directly with, business leaders, government officials, members of Congress and other policymakers, members of interest groups and industry alliances, and the media.
Classroom sessions feature lectures, case studies, and prominent guest speakers with substantial nonmarket experience and leadership roles. In addition, students select among a number of rich and varied events held on and off campus sponsored by the MSB centers and programs, other Georgetown schools and programs, federal agencies and Congressional committees, think tanks (e.g., Brookings, CSIS), and industry associations, among others.
Students will learn (1) to recognize nonmarket issues and dynamics; to identify nonmarket interests and players; to understand how institutions establish rules and interests and compete to influence the rules; and to appreciate what informs nonmarket issues; (2) to gain a deeper understanding of the complexity of the nonmarket environment to inform business decision making and leadership; (3) to gain a broader sense of applications of the study of business, policy, and global affairs drawing on the DC advantage; and (4) to hone writing skills – brief, cogent prose – through reflection and response assignments.
The course blends classroom instruction with attendance at events in Washington, DC, home to key players and places in the nonmarket environment – government agencies, policymakers, government officials, international bodies, global business leaders, industry associations, and nongovernmental organizations. Students are exposed to the nation’s capital, which offers unmatched opportunities to explore and experience firsthand the nonmarket environment from the perspective of the firm and its managers. Through attendance at “business and public policy” events, students observe up close the interactions among, and themselves may interact directly with, business leaders, government officials, members of Congress and other policymakers, members of interest groups and industry alliances, and the media.
Classroom sessions feature lectures, case studies, and prominent guest speakers with substantial nonmarket experience and leadership roles. In addition, students select among a number of rich and varied events held on and off campus sponsored by the MSB centers and programs, other Georgetown schools and programs, federal agencies and Congressional committees, think tanks (e.g., Brookings, CSIS), and industry associations, among others.
Students will learn (1) to recognize nonmarket issues and dynamics; to identify nonmarket interests and players; to understand how institutions establish rules and interests and compete to influence the rules; and to appreciate what informs nonmarket issues; (2) to gain a deeper understanding of the complexity of the nonmarket environment to inform business decision making and leadership; (3) to gain a broader sense of applications of the study of business, policy, and global affairs drawing on the DC advantage; and (4) to hone writing skills – brief, cogent prose – through reflection and response assignments.
Level: Graduate
Grading: Pass/Fail Default
Course registration restrictions:
Enrollment is limited to Graduate level students.
STRT 6556 The Miracle of Markets? 1.5 Credits
This course focuses on the potential for and perils of markets as a mechanism to allocate society's resources. Among the myriad critical questions to be addressed are the following: Are markets the "miracle" to push economic well-being forward or are they sowing the seeds of society's demise? Under what conditions do markets work well, and under what conditions might they fail? When they fail, what mechanisms exist either within markets or externally to correct resource distortions of markets? How do external control mechanisms such as governmental and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) seek to correct market failures? What role to public interest and private interests play in motivating governmental and non-governmental actors? This course will integrate several pedagogical methods including reading formal and informal literature, structured lectures, cases and caselets, and external speakers to tease out insights into these questions.
Level: Graduate
Grading: Main Campus (UGrad, Grad)
Course registration restrictions:
Enrollment is limited to Graduate level students.
Enrollment limited to students in a Master of Business Admin. degree.
STRT 6557 Strategies Beyond the Market 1.5 Credits
This course focuses on firms' strategies to compete successfully in imperfect markets. It takes the perspective of the firm and its managers and emphasizes that even companies that exemplify market success can fail when confronted by forces in the nonmarket environment. This course will teach students to recognize market imperfections and the resulting opportunities and challenges for strategic success, predict how governments and social groups will respond to market imperfections, and learn how to formulate strategies that build on these responses to improve your company's financial performance.
Level: Graduate, Juris Doctor, Undergraduate
Grading: Main Campus (UGrad, Grad)
Course registration restrictions:
Enrollment is limited to Graduate level students.
STRT 6560 Corp Social Responsibility 1.5 Credits
This course provides an overview and examination of the rationale, role and practices of corporations in building on business objectives and strategically applying core competencies to do well (improve financial performance and build wealth for shareholders) and at the same time to do good (improve society and create social value for multiple stakeholders).
The purpose of this course is to increase students’ understanding of the principles, concepts and strategies of sustainable value and to learn how to create successful CSR programs. The course will enhance students’ abilities to succeed as business professionals and make major contributions in addressing and solving social and environmental problems. For students headed for government and nonprofit careers, this course will provide a perspective on how to influence, partner with and benefit from companies’ plans and activities. Partnerships within and across these sectors are becoming increasingly important.
While the primary focus of this course is corporate practices, all sectors – business, government and civil society - must collaborate at a greater level for both economic and social progress to occur, and for large-scale, long-term social change.
Level: Graduate
Grading: Main Campus (UGrad, Grad)
Course registration restrictions:
Enrollment is limited to Graduate or Juris Doctor level students.
Enrollment limited to students in a Master of Business Admin. degree.
STRT 6573 Tech DisruptionFuture of Work 1.5 Credits
This class will explore three related issues. Technology disruption and its implication for industries and for jobs and society. Technology has been disrupting companies, industries, and societies for centuries. Big changes began during the industrial revolution of the late 1700’s - the agricultural revolution, the manufacturing revolution, and the electronic revolution have all changed enterprises, industries, jobs, and society. Now we are in the early stages of the Fourth Industrial Revolution; a digital world with automated vehicles, robotics, the metaverse, AI, quantum computing, and many other technology advancements some of which we can predict and others that will be developed. These looming technologies will disrupt individual enterprises. Some enterprises will adopt, some will adapt, and many will falter. Whole industries will be created as in the mobile phone industry which began its significant rise in the early 1980’s and then was transformed when phones (and other mobile devices) were linked to the internet via fast telecom networks in the mid-2000’s. As current and future managers, MBA students can benefit from understanding these technology trends and developments – how they come about and what their impact is. Several tools will be introduced that can be used to better predict and understand the implications - timing and magnitude - of future technology disruption. And students can benefit from understanding the implications for how work is organized and what jobs are likely to be in demand and whether they will be high-paying or not (job quantity and job quality.) The implications for employers and employees as well as for governments and public policy (for society) and finally for personal careers will be explored.
Level: Graduate, Juris Doctor
Grading: Main Campus (UGrad, Grad)
Course registration restrictions:
Enrollment limited to students in the MBA-BADM program.
Enrollment is limited to Graduate level students.
Enrollment limited to students in a Master of Business Admin. degree.
STRT 6574 Law,MoneyFinancl Macrodynamcs 1.5 Credits
This course is about unpacking the implications of the Federal Reserve’s actions in a classroom setting. It will straddle theoretical teachings and practical applications. Through market-oriented readings, class discussions, real-life situations, and guest speakers who are market participants, we are going to break down this nexus between law, money, and financial macrodynamics.
I believe it is more important than ever to understand the actions of the Federal Reserve as we enter an era forcing a rethink of the frameworks that have governed our society and economy over the last 40 years.
When stocks boomed early in the pandemic, the Reddit crowd and meme-stock phenomenon captured the mania of the moment. Later, the spectacular fall in the markets against the specter of war and inflation gripped the national consciousness. What underpinned these extreme moves in the markets and economy? It is the actions of the Federal Reserve.
Ultimately, this course will teach you about the real-time relationship – the dance – between the Federal Reserve’s actions and Wall Street.
Level: Graduate
Grading: Main Campus (UGrad, Grad)
Course registration restrictions:
Enrollment is limited to Graduate level students.
Enrollment limited to students in a Master of Business Admin. degree.
STRT 6575 Peer to Peer Economics 1.5 Credits
Americans have witnessed a dramatic increase of interest, investment and participation in the “shared economy.” From transportation, to housing, to financial services, the rise of businesses and online platforms to facilitate peer-to-peer exchange is significant. In terms of supply, the market is no longer comprised of just marginalized startups; the shared economy includes major players like BMW and AVIS. In terms of demand, collaborative consumption has moved beyond early adopters to millions of participants per day.
The significance of this economy is not purely driven by consumption patterns. Rather the movement is being fueled by the interest in the commons, an emerging type of civilization and economic system. The new economy relies upon the three major sectors of society – the state, market and civil society – but with different roles and in a revitalized equilibrium. It allows for the disintermediation of big business and empowers marginalized groups to be important constituents and stakeholders in the new economy. As this emerging concept transforms financial transactions, community trust and government regulation, the class will explore the key aspects of peer-to-peer economies.
The course will engage students in understanding the core principles of the shared economy including, but not limited to, business models, regulations, marketing, distribution along with customer acquisition and retention. The P2P models will include US and international based organizations and review the financial and social impact the entities are having in their respective communities.
Level: Graduate
Grading: Main Campus (UGrad, Grad)
Course registration restrictions:
Enrollment is limited to Graduate level students.
Enrollment limited to students in a Master of Business Admin. degree.
STRT 6591 China: Econ, PoliticsBusiness 1.5 Credits
How to achieve corporate success in contemporary China? The Chinese business environment is undergoing rapid change, as the country shifts from an economy driven by export and investment to one based on domestic consumption and technological innovation. In this highly dynamic environment, what are the opportunities and challenges for entrepreneurs? In particular, how do foreign entrepreneurs succeed in today's China? In this course, we will examine topics including how Chinese political institutions shape the market, how state-owned enterprises evolve into modern corporations, how private firms operate in domestic and global markets, and how digitization reshapes and reboots the Chinese economy. In the process, we will discuss how foreign entrepreneurs can maneuver the complex economic, political, and social landscapes of China, how they can benefit from the expansion of the China's service and technological sectors, and how they can navigate globalization and de-globalization. This course is designed for students who are generally interested in emerging economies, market reforms, business-government relations, international business, and the rise of technology in developing countries. No prior knowledge about China's business environment is required.
Level: Graduate
Grading: Main Campus (UGrad, Grad)
Course registration restrictions:
Enrollment is limited to Graduate level students.
Enrollment limited to students in a Master of Business Admin. degree.
STRT 6592 EU: Trade, Labor the Market 1.5 Credits
The purpose of the course is to enable students to become more knowledgeable about the European Union as a place to do business – whether as a firm based in an EU country or as a firm based outside the EU. Examples of specific topics covered in the course include: competition policy, including several high-profile cases involving US-based firms; common external trade policies, shared responsibilities of the EU and national governments for policies concerning financial services and investment; the euro zone and its relationship to the Danish, Swedish and UK currencies, and energy industry issues. The course uses case studies and lectures. Depending on availability and scheduling constraints, there are guest lecturers. Student teams present cases analyses in class, and each student prepares an in-depth study of a topic of his/her choosing.
Level: Graduate, Juris Doctor
Grading: Main Campus (UGrad, Grad)
Course registration restrictions:
Enrollment is limited to Graduate level students.
Enrollment limited to students in a Master of Business Admin. degree.
STRT 6601 Causal Inference for Business 1.5 Credits
Correlation is not causation. Or is it? This course focuses on how managers can apply statistical methods to learn about causal empirical relationships, leveraging pre-existing knowledge about market conditions. The methods include randomized controlled trials, regression discontinuity design, differences-in-differences regression, and instrumental variables. Students learn the theoretical rationale for these methods and apply them in a series of business and economic applications. The ultimate goal is to provide a better understanding of when data support actionable business recommendations.
Level: Graduate
Grading: Main Campus (UGrad, Grad)
Course registration restrictions:
Enrollment limited to students in the MS-BSAN-O program.
Enrollment is limited to Graduate level students.
STRT 6602 Data Ethics Responsible AI 1.5 Credits
The proliferation of data, cheap storage capacity, and powerful tools for extracting information from data cannot only enhance a firm’s bottom line but also benefit society at large. However, as with all advanced technologies, this comes with the potential of misuse. Adequate controls regarding the collection, storage, and use of data are needed to ensure that firms do not only achieve business success and comply with the law but also adhere to ethical norms. This course starts with providing a basic understanding of how domestic and international rules and regulations shape the legal framework within which firms use data analytics, and discusses why it is important for firms to go beyond these minimum requirements and adhere to their ethical obligations. Subsequently, the course discusses how firms can implement data governance practices that help them make value-based data-driven decisions. Regarding the latter, the course discusses various techniques that help firms make data-driven decisions that are not only robust and explainable but also free of human bias.
Level: Graduate, Undergraduate
Grading: Main Campus (UGrad, Grad)
Course registration restrictions:
Enrollment limited to students in the MS-BSAN-O program.
Enrollment is limited to Graduate level students.
STRT 6605 Economics of Climate Change 1.5 Credits
This course focuses on the economic characteristics and policy context of climate change. Students learn economic tools to evaluate different climate change policies at an organizational, local, or global level. The course also discusses a variety of domestic and international policy designs, implementation issues, and the strengths and weaknesses of different policies and carbon pricing models, such as emissions trading systems (ETS) and carbon taxes. Students will be equipped to understand the cost and benefits of different mitigation, adaptation, and reduction strategies, as well as learn about the current regulatory and policy landscape. Students are prepared to become informed and critical practitioners of climate policy for their organization.
Level: Graduate
Grading: Main Campus (UGrad, Grad)
Course registration restrictions:
Enrollment is limited to Graduate level students.
STRT 6610 ESG Foundations in Real Assets 1.5 Credits
In board rooms, c-suites, and corporate compliance, ESG is now a dominant topic in financial success, public policy, and strategic mission. As part of their mandates, corporate officers and entrepreneurs must understand the broad nuances of ESG and integrate its aspects into their planning and core work. According to International Energy Agency, buildings and building construction sectors combined are responsible for 30% of total global energy consumption and 27% of total energy sector emissions. With investors setting ambitious net zero goals, regulators developing ESG reporting standards, governments passing laws around greenhouse gas emissions, ESG is climbing to the top of the agenda of real asset corporations and their investors, lenders, and insurers.
This course investigates what ESG means for real assets, dives into applicable Environmental “E”, Social “S” and Governance “G” concepts, factors, and metrics. Under each pillar, topics material to real assets will be discussed in detail with examples of how each key topic applies to real asset sectors and regions around the world. Investor perspectives in each topic will also be explored.
This course investigates what ESG means for real assets, dives into applicable Environmental “E”, Social “S” and Governance “G” concepts, factors, and metrics. Under each pillar, topics material to real assets will be discussed in detail with examples of how each key topic applies to real asset sectors and regions around the world. Investor perspectives in each topic will also be explored.
Level: Graduate
Grading: Main Campus (UGrad, Grad)
Course registration restrictions:
Enrollment limited to students in the MS-GLRA program.
Enrollment is limited to Graduate level students.
STRT 7949 Tutorial: Strategy 0.5-1.5 Credits
Level: Graduate, Juris Doctor
Grading: Main Campus (UGrad, Grad)
Course registration restrictions:
Enrollment is limited to Graduate level students.