This is an archived copy of the 2022-23 catalog. To access the most recent version of the catalog, please visit http://catalog.utexas.edu/.

Business Administration Courses

Business Administration: B A

Lower-Division Courses

B A 001F. First-Year Interest Group Seminar.

Restricted to students in the First-Year Interest Group Program. Basic issues in various McCombs School of Business disciplines. One lecture hour a week for one semester.

B A 101H. Professional Development and Career Planning: Honors.

Restricted to students admitted to the McCombs School of Business Honors Program. Professional development issues including self-assessment, identification of personal life goals, identification of business majors and exploration of potential career fields for each major, and analysis and discussion of the academic planning process and how it relates to professional development and career planning. One-and-one-half lecture hours a week for one semester. Only one of the following may be counted: Business Administration 101H, 101S, 101T. Offered on the letter-grade basis only.

B A 101S. Professional Development and Career Planning.

Restricted to freshmen students in the McCombs School of Business. Discussion of issues surrounding career planning, implementation, and evaluation in order to establish career goals. Strategies for executing a successful job search, including interviewing techniques, resumes, networking, and job search ethics. Focus on career management as a lifelong process. One-and-one-half lecture hours a week for one semester. Only one of the following may be counted: Business Administration 101H, 101S, 101T. Offered on the letter-grade basis only.

B A 101T. Professional Development and Career Planning.

Restricted to transfer students in the McCombs School of Business. Discussion of issues surrounding career planning, implementation, and evaluation. One-and-one-half lecture hours a week for one semester. Only one of the following may be counted: Business Administration 101H, 101S, 101T. Offered on the letter-grade basis only.

B A 105, 205, 305. Topics in Business Administration Leadership.

Restricted to students in the McCombs School of Business. Explores current theory and research related to peer mentoring and leadership with higher education and business. For each semester hour of credit earned, the equivalent of one lecture hour a week for one semester. May be repeated for credit when the topics vary. Prerequisite: Varies with the topic.

B A 018H. Business Honors Program Seminar.

Restricted to students admitted to the McCombs School of Business Honors Program. Basic issues in various interdisciplinary and business fields of study. One lecture hour a week for one semester. Fulfills the criteria for a 360 Connection. May not be counted toward the Bachelor of Business Administration degree. May be repeated for credit.

B A 119, 219, 319, 419, 519, 619. International Learning Seminar.

Discussion of various issues related to the academic, cultural, and personal aspects of completing academic work in international locations. For each semester hour of credit earned, one lecture hour a week for one semester. Business Administration 119, 219, 319, 419, 519, 619 and Undergraduate Studies 119 may not both be counted unless the topics vary. May be repeated for credit when the topics vary.

B A 119S, 219S, 319S, 419S, 519S, 619S, 719S, 819S, 919S. Topics in Business Administration.

This course is used to record credit the student earns while enrolled at another institution in a program administered by the University's Study Abroad Office or the school's BBA Exchange Programs. Credit is recorded as assigned by the Bachelor of Business Administration's study abroad director in the McCombs School of Business. University credit is awarded for work in an exchange program; it may be counted as coursework taken in residence. Transfer credit is awarded for work in an affiliated studies program. May be repeated for credit when the topics vary.

Upper-Division Courses

B A 320F. Foundations of Entrepreneurship.

Restricted to non-McCombs School of Business majors. Introduction to the mechanics and strategies for starting a business. Three lecture hours a week for one semester. Prerequisite: Forty-five semester hours of college coursework.

B A 321L. Contemporary Leadership Issues.

Focuses on leadership topics such as ethics, diversity, and sustainability. Three lecture hours a week for one semester. Prerequisite: Upper-division standing.

B A 324. Business Communication: Oral and Written.

Restricted to students in the McCombs School of Business. Theory and practice of effective communication, using models from business situations. Students practice what they learn with a variety of in-class activities, written assignments, and oral presentations. Teamwork and use of interpersonal skills are included. Three lecture hours a week for one semester. Only one of the following may be counted: Communication 324M, Communication 324C, Communication 324H, Business Administration 324, and Business Administration 324H. Offered on the letter-grade basis only. Prerequisite: English 303C or 603A, or Rhetoric and Writing 306 or 306Q or 309K, or Tutorial Course 303C or 603A; and credit or registration for Business Administration 101H or 101S or 101T.

B A 324H. Business Communication: Oral and Written: Honors.

Restricted to students admitted to the McCombs School of Business Honors Program. Theory and practice of effective communication, using models from business situations. Students practice what they learn with a variety of in-class activities, written assignments, and oral presentations. Teamwork and use of interpersonal skills are included. Three lecture hours a week for one semester. Only one of the following may be counted: Communication 324M, 324C, 324H, Business Administration 324, 324H. Offered on the letter-grade basis only. Prerequisite: English 303C or 603A, Rhetoric and Writing 306, 306Q, 309K, or Tutorial Course 303C or 603A; and Business Administration 101H or 101S, or credit or registration for Business Administration 101T.

B A 140S, 240S, 340S, 440S, 540S, 640S, 740S, 840S, 940S. Topics in Business Administration.

This course is used to record credit the student earns while enrolled at another institution in a program administered by the University's Study Abroad Office. Credit is recorded as assigned by the Bachelor of Business Administration's study abroad director in the McCombs School of Business. University credit is awarded for work in an exchange program; it may be counted as coursework taken in residence. Transfer credit is awarded for work in an affiliated studies program. May be repeated for credit when the topics vary.

B A 149, 249, 349, 449, 549, 649. International Learning Seminar.

Discussion of various issues related to the academic, cultural, and personal aspects of completing academic work in international locations. For each semester hour of credit earned, the equivalent of one lecture hour a week for one semester. Business Administration 149, 249, 349, 449, 549, 649 and Undergraduate Studies 119 may not both be counted unless the topics vary. May be repeated for credit when the topics vary.

B A 151H. Honors Lyceum in Business Administration.

Restricted to students admitted to the McCombs School of Business Honors Program. Presentations by professionals from various fields of business. One lecture hour a week for one semester. May be repeated for credit. Prerequisite: Business Administration 101H or 101S, or credit or registration for Business Administration 101T.

B A 352F. Internship in Foundations of Business Administration.

Restricted to non-McCombs School of Business majors. Focuses on students' career goals through academic discussion and evaluations, while students are working in professional internships with public and private enterprises. Internship to be arranged by the student and approved by the director of the Business Foundations Program. Internship and discussion hours to be arranged. Offered on the pass/fail basis only. Prerequisite: Completion of at least forty-five semester hours of coursework, Accounting 310F with a grade of at least C, and consent of the director of the Business Foundations Program.

B A 153, 253, 353, 653. Internship in Business Administration.

Restricted to students in the McCombs School of Business. Provides a format for reflection during a professional internship, resulting in improved ability to both articulate preferences and skills, and to match them with appropriate career-related choices. Internship and discussion hours to be arranged. Only one of the following may be counted toward the Bachelor of Business Administration: Accounting 353J, Business Administration 153, 253, 353, 653, 353H, Finance 353, Management 353, Management Information Systems 353, Marketing 353, Operations Management 353. May not be counted toward the student's major requirement. Offered on the pass/fail basis only. Prerequisite: Completion of forty-five semester hours of college coursework; Business Administration 324 or 324H; and consent of the BBA Internship Director.

B A 366F. Foundations of Business Administration Practicum.

Restricted to non-McCombs School of Business majors. Students apply skills related to the Business Foundations certificate program curriculum and focus on additional project management skills through group projects conducted in a professional setting. Students may work with a private or a public enterprise. The equivalent of three lecture hours a week for one semester. Prerequisite: Upper-division standing and completion of at least forty-five semester hours of coursework.

B A 366P. Business Administration Practicum.

Restricted to students in a business major. Apply business skills through group projects conducted in a professional setting. Work with a private or a public enterprise. The equivalent of three lecture hours a week for one semester. Prerequisite: Forty-five semester hours of college coursework.

B A 176C, 276C, 376C. Advanced Topics in Finance and Accounting.

Restricted to students admitted to courses offered through Texas Executive Education. Rigorous introduction into the topics and processes of accounting and finance in business. Focus on how to apply analytical skills to make better business decisions. Taught by faculty from the McCombs School of Business. For each semester hour of credit earned, the equivalent of one lecture hour a week for one semester. May not be counted toward the Bachelor of Business Administration degree. May be repeated for credit when the topics vary.

B A 176D, 276D, 376D. Advanced Topics in Marketing.

Restricted to students admitted to courses offered through Texas Executive Education. Explores marketing strategies and practices that are applicable to multiple departments across organizations. Discussion of marketing tactics and the impact of marketing on business operations. For each semester hour of credit earned, the equivalent of one lecture hour a week for one semester. May not be counted toward the Bachelor of Business Administration degree. May be repeated for credit when the topics vary.

B A 176E, 276E, 376E. Advanced Topics in Leadership and Management.

Restricted to students admitted to courses offered through Texas Executive Education. Discussion of strategies to foster highly effective communication and collaboration in order to become more successful and valuable as a leader. For each semester hour of credit earned, the equivalent of one lecture hour a week for one semester. May not be counted toward the Bachelor of Business Administration degree. May be repeated for credit when the topics vary.

B A 176F, 276F, 376F. Advanced Topics in Business Analytics.

Restricted to students admitted to courses offered through Texas Executive Education. Introduction to the leading edge of big data and data analytics. For each semester hour of credit earned, the equivalent of one lecture hour a week for one semester. May not be counted toward the Bachelor of Business Administration degree. May be repeated for credit when the topics vary.

B A 176G, 276G, 376G. Advanced Topics in Supply Chain.

Restricted to students admitted to courses offered through Texas Executive Education. Explores the tools and ideas that help shape and define the various components of value creation. Dive into the process and strategies behind acquiring, producing and delivering goods and services, whether domestically or globally. For each semester hour of credit earned, the equivalent of one lecture hour a week for one semester. May not be counted toward the Bachelor of Business Administration degree. May be repeated for credit when the topics vary.

B A 176J, 276J, 376J. Advanced Topics in Energy.

Restricted to students admitted to courses offered through Texas Executive Education. Focus on the economics, strategy, business valuation and finance specific to the energy industry. For each semester hour of credit earned, the equivalent of one lecture hour a week for one semester. May not be counted toward the Bachelor of Business Administration degree. May be repeated for credit when the topics vary.

B A 176K, 276K, 376K. Advanced Topics in Strategy.

Restricted to students admitted to courses offered through Texas Executive Education. Focus on developing the knowledge and thought processes necessary to make high-impact decisions within an organization. For each semester hour of credit earned, the equivalent of one lecture hour a week for one semester. May not be counted toward the Bachelor of Business Administration degree. May be repeated for credit when the topics vary.

B A 176L, 276L, 376L. Advanced Topics in Strategic Decision Making and Risk Management.

Restricted to students admitted to courses offered through Texas Executive Education. Explores techniques to recognize risks from stakeholders' perspectives. Discussion of how to frame strategic choices, generate alternatives, and create models that answer executives' questions, produce compelling analyses, and ultimately gain commitment. For each semester hour of credit earned, the equivalent of one lecture hour a week for one semester. May not be counted toward the Bachelor of Business Administration degree. May be repeated for credit when the topics vary.

B A 176N, 276N, 376N. Advanced Topics in Business.

Restricted to students admitted to courses offered through Texas Executive Education. Explores the skill set needed to move from a functional area to a cross functional management role. For each semester hour of credit earned, the equivalent of one lecture hour a week for one semester. May not be counted toward the Bachelor of Business Administration degree. May be repeated for credit when the topics vary.

B A 178F, 378F. Independent Research in Foundations of Business Administration.

Restricted to non-McCombs School of Business majors. Conference course. Prerequisite: Upper-division standing, Accounting 310F with a grade of at least C, consent of instructor, and written approval before the first meeting of the course on a form provided for that purpose from the director of the Business Foundations Program.

Graduate Courses

B A 180C, 280C, 380C. Information Technology Management.

Restricted to students in the MBA program. A discussion of technical architecture, including hardware/software platforms, operating systems, networking and the Internet; development strategies; and management issues for the introduction of new technology. For each semester hour of credit earned, one lecture hour a week for one semester. Offered on the letter-grade basis only. Prerequisite: Graduate standing and admission to the McCombs School of Business.

B A 380F. Accounting Information for Managerial Decision Making.

Restricted to second-year students in the MBA program. Financial information regarding revenue, cost, and assets, with an emphasis on the interpretation of numbers to derive well-informed management decisions. Covers the role of taxes in business strategy. Three lecture hours a week for one semester. Prerequisite: Graduate standing.

B A 180G. Executive Seminar.

Restricted to students in the Executive MBA Program. Examine the integration of business executive and real-world problem solving, career preparation, and professional growth. One lecture hour a week for one semester. Offered on the letter-grade basis only. Prerequisite: Graduate standing.

B A 380M. Management Science.

Introduction to the structure and use of mathematical models and methods for analyzing managerial decision problems. Development and application of modeling concepts and skills underlying the analytical techniques used to solve such problems. Introduction to a range of computers, and use of the latest in computer-based decision support systems. Three lecture hours a week for one semester. Prerequisite: Admission to the McCombs School of Business.

B A 180N, 280N, 380N. Operations Management.

An introduction to the issues and decisions involved in the production of goods and services. Focuses on designing, operating, controlling, and improving the systems that accomplish production. For 180N, one lecture hour a week for one semester; for 280N, four lecture hours a week for half a semester; for 380N, three lecture hours a week for one semester. Offered on the letter-grade basis only. Prerequisite: Graduate standing and admission to the McCombs School of Business.

B A 180P. Project Management.

An introduction to the techniques used in managing complex projects, with a central theme of managing risk and variability. Examine the progressive elaboration of cost and schedule estimates in the presence of significant uncertainty. One lecture hour a week for one semester. Offered on the letter-grade basis only. Prerequisite: Graduate standing.

B A 180S, 280S, 380S. Managerial Economics.

Microeconomic and macroeconomic forces that influence an organization's decisions: interest rates, business cycles, financial systems, input demand and supply, industry factors, market structure, and externalities. For each semester hour of credit earned, one lecture hour a week for one semester. Offered on the letter-grade basis only. Prerequisite: Graduate standing and admission to the McCombs School of Business.

B A 181C. Strategic Career Planning.

Restricted to first-year students in the MBA program. Issues surrounding career planning, including exploration and implementation. Professional development issues, including self-assessment. One and one-half lecture hours a week for one semester. Offered on the credit/no credit basis only. Prerequisite: Graduate standing.

B A 281M. Marketing Management for Executives.

Restricted to students in the Executive MBA Program. Study the marketing function in modern organizations, focusing on understanding consumer behavior, development of an organization's value proposition, competitive positioning, and the major tactical decisions regarding product planning, marketing communications, pricing, and distribution. Two lecture hours a week for one semester. Offered on the letter-grade basis only. Prerequisite: Graduate standing.

B A 181T, 281T, 381T. Marketing Management.

An introduction to the marketing perspective on strategy development and to the elements of marketing analysis. Includes the functional decision areas of the marketing manager, such as products and product lines, pricing policies, branding, promotion and advertising, and channels of distribution, and how organizations use these components to create, capture, and sustain value for the firm. For 181T, one lecture hour a week for one semester; for 281T, four lecture hours a week for half a semester; for 381T, three lecture hours a week for one semester. Offered on the letter-grade basis only. Prerequisite: Graduate standing and admission to the McCombs School of Business.

B A 182T, 282T, 382T. Managerial Accounting.

An investigation of the conceptual and operational relationship of planning and control with management and accounting information systems. Topics include data collection and analysis for short-range and long-range organizational decisions. For each semester hour of credit earned, one lecture hour a week for one semester. Only one of the following may be counted: Accounting 329, 359, 287 (Topic 1), 287 (Topic 5), 387 (Topic 1), 387 (Topic 5) Business Administration 182T, 282T, 382T. Offered on the letter-grade basis only. Prerequisite: Graduate standing and admission to the McCombs School of Business.

B A 284F. Financial Reporting for Executives.

Restricted to students in the Executive MBA Program. Examine the strengths and weaknesses of the information produced in financial reports, the pressures faced by management and auditors as they prepare financial statements, the difficulties involved in evaluating decisions after outcomes are known, and the impact of accounting information on strategic decisions. Two lecture hours a week for one semester. Offered on the letter-grade basis only. Prerequisite: Graduate standing.

B A 184S, 284S, 384S. Economics for Business.

Restricted to students in the McCombs School of Business. Microeconomic and macroeconomic forces that influence an organization's decisions, such as interest rates, business cycles, financial systems, input demand and supply, industry factors, market structure, and externalities. For each semester hour of credit earned, the equivalent of one lecture hour a week for one semester. May be repeated for credit when the topics vary. Offered on the letter-grade basis only. Prerequisite: Graduate standing.

Topic 1: Managerial Microeconomics. Microeconomic forces that influence an organization's decisions, including input supply and demand, industry factors, market structure, and externalities. For each semester hour of credit earned, one lecture hour a week for one semester. Offered on the letter-grade basis only.
Topic 2: Managerial Macroeconomics. Macroeconomic forces that influence an organization's decisions, including interest rates, business cycles, and financial systems. For each semester hour of credit earned, the equivalent of one lecture hour a week for one semester. Offered on the letter-grade basis only.
Topic 3: Global Economics for Executives. Restricted to students in the Executive MBA Program. Explore both microeconomics and macroeconomics, with a special emphasis on global macro phenomena. Offered on the letter-grade basis only.

B A 184T, 284T, 384T. Financial Accounting.

An examination of the information needs of capital market participants in a dynamic and complex socioeconomic system; emphasis on interpretation, measurement, and disclosure of economic events. For 184T, one lecture hour a week for one semester; for 284T, four lecture hours a week for half a semester; for 384T, three lecture hours a week for one semester. Accounting 381 and Business Administration 184T, 284T, 384T may not both be counted. Offered on the letter-grade basis only. Prerequisite: Graduate standing and admission to the McCombs School of Business.

B A 285F. Financial Management Concepts and Applications for Executives.

Restricted to students in the Executive MBA Program. Examine the core concepts underlying financial management. Explore organizational forms of business, the time value of money, debt and equity markets, agency theory, risk and return, value creation, capital budgeting, firm valuation, and the fundamentals of risk-management. Two lecture hours a week for one semester. Offered on the letter-grade basis only. Prerequisite: Graduate standing.

B A 185T, 285T, 385T. Financial Management.

An exploration of concepts and techniques employed in investment decision making, working capital management, and financing the activities of a business. For 185T, one lecture hour a week for one semester; for 285T, four lecture hours a week for half a semester; for 385T, three lecture hours a week for one semester. Offered on the letter-grade basis only. Prerequisite: Graduate standing and admission to the McCombs School of Business.

B A 286S. Statistics for Executives.

Restricted to students in the Executive MBA Program. Explore regression as a universal model for linking data to outcomes. Discuss how to set up and run a regression model, evaluate when the model is correct, and interpret the results. Examine illustrative case studies that use regression models to forecast a firm's future sales, determine if apartments and homes are overpriced, evaluate the relative riskiness of owning shares of a stock, develop an optimal bidding strategy, estimate the value of a physical asset, and value a contingent contract offer in a negotiation. Two lecture hours a week for one semester. Offered on the letter-grade basis only. Prerequisite: Graduate standing.

B A 186T, 286T, 386T. Statistics.

A unified approach to basic concepts in collection, analysis, and interpretation of data, emphasizing capabilities of different statistical methods and business applications. Students use statistical software packages. For 186T, one lecture hour a week for one semester; for 286T, four lecture hours a week for half a semester; for 386T, three lecture hours a week for one semester. Offered on the letter-grade basis only. Prerequisite: Graduate standing and admission to the McCombs School of Business.

B A 287T. Legal and Regulatory Environment of Business.

Examination of relationships between public and private institutions, with emphasis on the legal constraints on managerial decision making. Two lecture hours a week for one semester. Prerequisite: Admission to the McCombs School of Business.

B A 288F. Foundations of Strategy for Executives.

Restricted to students in the Executive MBA Program. Explore the foundations of strategy at the top management level, specifically, the antecedents, formulations, and effects of firm strategies. Two lecture hours a week for one semester. Offered on the letter-grade basis only. Prerequisite: Graduate standing.

B A 188T, 288T, 388T. Strategic Management.

Designed to help students develop a general management orientation. Subjects include the role of the general manager, formulating business and corporate-level strategy, managing strategic change, strategy implementation, and developing general managers. For each semester hour of credit earned, one lecture hour a week for one semester. Business Administration 188T, 288T, 388T and Management 385 (Topic 49: Strategic Management) may not both be counted. Offered on the letter-grade basis only. Prerequisite: Graduate standing and admission to the McCombs School of Business.

B A 389T. Managing People and Organizations.

Development of the general areas of theory most central to dealing with the varieties of social/psychological behavior of direct import to the administrator and manager. Three lecture hours a week for one semester. Prerequisite: Admission to the McCombs School of Business.

B A 390C. Hardware, Software, and Telecommunications.

Provides a broad familiarity with the latest advances in the fundamental concepts and terminology of computer architecture and software. Three lecture hours a week for one semester. Prerequisite: Admission to the McCombs School of Business and to the concentration in information systems management.

B A 190D, 290D, 390D. Management Information Systems.

The use of decision support systems and database management concepts in an organization for information management and processing by mainframe and personal computer. For each semester hour of credit earned, one lecture hour a week for one semester. Offered on the letter-grade basis only. Prerequisite: Graduate standing and admission to the McCombs School of Business.

B A 390F. Information Systems Design and Implementation.

Specification, design, implementation, and testing of information systems. Three lecture hours a week for one semester. Prerequisite: Admission to the McCombs School of Business.

B A 390H. Managing Information.

Management and use of information in organizations, including database management, analytical approaches for effective information management, and organizational issues. Three lecture hours a week for one semester. Prerequisite: Graduate standing and admission to the McCombs School of Business.

B A 390J. Data Communications, Networks, and Distributed Processing.

Functional aspects of data communications, computer networks, and distributed information systems, using campus computers and the network systems available in the classroom. Three lecture hours a week for one semester. Prerequisite: Admission to the McCombs School of Business.

B A 191, 291, 391, 691. Special Studies in Business Administration.

Conference course. May be repeated for credit when the topics vary. Prerequisite: Graduate standing and consent of instructor.

Topic 1: Finance.
Topic 2: Management.
Topic 3: Real Estate.
Topic 4: Risk Management.
Topic 5: Accounting.
Topic 6: Marketing.
Topic 8: Business, Government, and Society.

B A 192C, 292C, 392C, 692C. Special Studies in Business, Government, and Society.

Restricted to McCombs graduate students. For each semester hour of credit earned, the equivalent of one lecture hour a week for one semester. Conference course. May be repeated for credit. Offered on the letter-grade basis only. Prerequisite: Graduate standing and consent of instructor.