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Special Studies in Administration and Management

Special Studies in Administration and Management courses are listed below.

These courses are designed to provide students with practical techniques for decision making within businesses and other organizations, such as not-for-profit entities. The emphasis is on mastering skills immediately useful to successful business operations. At the same time, these courses also apply evolving technological, managerial, and practical insights to improve business practices over the long term.

All courses share a particular emphasis on the practical application of the topics covered, yet each course is designed to draw from its respective intellectual foundation: international economics, information technology, finance, industrial organization, and political economy.

The joint emphases on applicable skills and intellectual foundations mean that these courses have direct relevance to both those seeking specific technical capability in the topic area and also those studying to build a foundation of knowledge in preparation for further formal programs of study, such as MBA and MPA degrees.

Courselist

SSAM S-133 Business Ethics: Principles and (Mal)Practices (31833)
(Syllabus) (Print View)
Lal C. Chugh and John Paul Rollert
(4 units: UN, GR, NC) M-Th 6-8:30 pm. Required sections to be arranged. Tuition $2,125.
This course meets during Short Session II : July 25-August 19. Harvard College students see additional information.

This course introduces students to a series of ethical challenges currently facing the corporate world by taking a historical look at the proponents and critics of capitalism as well as the role of business (and the businessperson) in civil society. The first two-thirds of the course builds a vocabulary for talking about business ethics by examining the work of a wide variety of authors, including Adam Smith, Benjamin Franklin, Karl Marx, Andrew Carnegie, George Orwell, and F. A. Hayek. In the final third of the course, we draw on this vocabulary to discuss and debate recent business crises and other disquieting trends in the corporate world. Implications for developing ethics policies are considered. The readings drawn on in this part of the course are generally more topical and include works such as Bryan Burrough's and John Helyar's Barbarians at the Gate and Thomas L. Friedman's The Lexus and the Olive Tree.
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SSAM S-137 International Business: Context and Strategies (31835)
(Syllabus) (Print View)
Joseph W. Meador
(4 units: UN, GR, NC) M-Th 6-8:30 pm. Optional sections F 1-3:30 pm. Tuition $2,125.
This course meets during Short Session I : June 27-July 22. Harvard College students see additional information.

This course focuses on the environment of international business. It considers the activities of multinational firms and government policies toward them, drawing policy implications for the management of these enterprises. The course surveys theories of international trade, foreign direct investment, international financial institutions, differences in political economy and culture, barriers to trade, foreign exchange, business-government relations, and the strategic alternatives available to companies operating in the global economy. It goes on to consider strategic options for the major functions of marketing, manufacturing, materials management, research and development, human resources, and finance, relating them to the firm's overall global strategy. Prerequisite: ECON S-10ab or consent of instructor.
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SSAM S-196 Electronic Commerce Strategies (31820)
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Janis Lee Gogan
(4 units: UN, GR, NC) T,Th 6-8:30 pm. Optional sections to be arranged. Tuition $2,125.
Harvard College students see additional information.

This course examines the strategic opportunities and challenges of exchanging goods and services over networks. Students learn how companies plan electronic commerce initiatives and harness networked hardware and software capabilities to improve their relationships with customers, suppliers, and other business partners. Case studies and exercises help students learn how to analyze e-commerce opportunities and risks, and to plan and implement effective e-commerce strategies for both established firms and startups in a variety of industries. Consideration is given to regulatory, ethical, and societal implications of specific strategic choices.
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SSAM S-308 Business Analysis and Valuation (31762)
(Syllabus) (Print View)
Jacob Cohen
(4 units: UN, GR, NC) M,W 6-8:30 pm. Optional sections to be arranged. Tuition $2,125. Limited enrollment.
Harvard College students see additional information.

Knowing how to value a company is important for analysts in a range of fields, including banking, investments, mergers and acquisitions, management communications, and venture capital. This course covers the four key components of effective business analysis: business strategy analysis, accounting analysis, financial analysis, and prospective analysis. The valuation techniques examined include traditional discounted cash flow and multiple earnings models as well as the latest techniques that link value directly to accounting numbers. Prerequisites: Introductory accounting and managerial finance courses.
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SSAM S-309 Creating Value through Corporate Restructuring and Mergers and Acquisitions (31763)
(Syllabus) (Print View)
Jacob Cohen
(4 units: UN, GR, NC) M,W 3:30-6 pm. Optional sections to be arranged. Tuition $2,125. Limited enrollment.
Harvard College students see additional information.

This course focuses on the design, analysis, and implementation of financial strategies aimed at repositioning and revitalizing companies faced with major competitive or environmental challenges, problems, and opportunities. The course helps students learn how to create corporate value by restructuring a company or by undergoing a business combination. Discussions focus on corporate bankruptcy reorganization and debt restructuring, leveraged buyouts and recapitalizations, cost cutting and corporate downsizing programs, mergers and acquisitions, corporate spinoffs, divestitures, and tracking stock. Prerequisites: Financial accounting principles and managerial finance. SSAM S-308 is helpful but not required.
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SSAM S-325 International Business and Global Economic Systems (31836)
(Syllabus) (Print View)
Lal C. Chugh
(4 units: UN, GR, NC) M-Th 1-3:30 pm. Optional sections to be arranged. Tuition $2,125.
This course meets during Short Session II : July 25-August 19. Harvard College students see additional information.

The course focuses on the changing international trading and financial systems, and their impact on the conduct of international business. The course includes analyses of countries, integration of regions, the World Trade Organization, currency systems and crises, and international financial markets. Effects of changes in the international financial and trading systems on the strategies and available resources for international business are also discussed. The course emphasizes case analyses and active class discussion. Prerequisite: ECON S-10ab or consent of instructor.
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SSAM S-409 Financial Modeling: Computer-Based Techniques and Applications (31834)
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Miranda Lam
(4 units: UN, GR, NC) M-Th 1-3:30 pm. Tuition $2,125. Limited enrollment.
This course meets during Short Session I: June 27-July 27. Harvard College students see additional information.

Introduces fundamental financial theories through building financial models. Topics covered include time value of money, portfolio theory, security valuation, cost of capital, and capital budgeting. Integrates financial, accounting, and statistical concepts and techniques to construct financial models and to perform analyses using spreadsheets. Emphasizes the application of financial modeling techniques in identifying and implementing business solutions. The course is of special interest to students seeking hands-on experience in constructing financial models.
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