Course Descriptions

GBUS 701, 702 - (5) (Y)
Management Communication
Through a series of written and oral exercises, this course challenges students to think imaginatively and analytically about business situations, to write clearly and persuasively, and to become effective extemporaneous speakers. The course teaches students the fundamental uses and abuses of language and ends by challenging them to become persuasive and stylish business communicators. As the course progresses, students learn that good communication involves sound analysis and polished presentation.

GBUS 703, 704 - (5) (Y)
Business and the Political Economy
A course in analysis, appraisal, and prediction of the international environment of business, using social science concepts and techniques. A comparative approach is used to understand the macro and industrial policies of nation-states at various junctures in history, as well as the global strategies of corporation. The course provides a foundation in price theory and market structure as a basis for understanding the competitive forces affecting global business.

GBUS 705, 706 - (5) (Y)
Finance
Provides insights into the challenges senior managers face in creating value for shareholders and other stakeholders in the firm. Students must master tools and concepts in structure of capital markets, cost of capital, financial analysis and forecasting, working-capital management, capital budgeting, resource allocation, dividend policy, long-term debt policy, selection of specific financing tactics, and corporate restructuring.

GBUS 707, 708 - (5) (Y)
Accounting
Concerned with financial-statement literacy in regard to both external and internal financial statements. The course’s management perspective fosters understanding of the nature of business transactions; identification of relevant economic events for reporting; and determination of the most appropriate financial measures for those events. An underlying theme of the course is that accounting is not divorced from the world it is supposed to portray or from the behavior it measures and influences.

GBUS 709, 710 - (5) (Y)
Marketing
Develops the skills and insights required to build integrated marketing programs. Focuses student attention on the major forces bearing on marketing decision making (e.g., consumer, trade, competitive, and regulatory behavior). These decision-making areas include product policy, channels of distribution, pricing, direct selling, advertising, and sales promotion, with an emphasis on shaping these marketing elements into an effective, efficient, and responsible marketing program.

GBUS 711, 712 - (5) (Y)
Operations
Develops student skills in analysis and decision-making in a variety of operating situations. Focuses on what the general manager needs to know about managing in an operating environment. Specific objectives include providing decision-making skills; increasing skills through in-depth analysis and discussion of operations-management problems in a variety of industry and business settings, providing managerial decision-making skills, and providing an understanding of the role of effective systems for operations planning and control.

GBUS 713, 714 - (5) (Y)
Organizational Behavior
Focuses on the challenges of managing and leading enterprises of today and the future. Builds strong foundations in understanding individuals, building effective working relationships, creating effective teams and groups, and developing the critical skills and perspectives needed to grasp the broader organizational contexts of structures and systems in which these activities occur. The challenges and opportunities presented by diversity and globalization are addressed throughout.

GBUS 715, 716 - (5) (Y)
Quantitative Analysis
Develops the skill and perspective of artfully using quantitative techniques to gain insight into the resolution of practical business problems. Emphasis is not on the mastery of sophisticated mathematical techniques but on designing analyses to fit circumstances and interpreting results in the context of making action choices. The most widely applicable methodologies of decision and risk analysis, probability and statistics, competitive analysis, and management science are studied and integrated with personal judgment and intuition in realistic business situations.

GBUS 718 - (2.5) (Y)
Ethics
Enables students to reason about the role of ethics in business administration in a complex, dynamic, global environment. Specific course objectives are to apply several important frameworks for moral reasoning to complex business issues; to appreciate the role of ethics as central in business decision making; to develop a general-management perspective that includes an ability to formulate, analyze, and defend decisions in ethical terms; to analyze the ethical issues that appear in other Darden courses; and to examine critically one’s own ethics and test them in conversation with one’s peers.

GBUS 720 - (2.5) (Y)
Strategy
This course entails analyzing and understanding the firm’s industry and its positions within the industry, as well as crafting strategies that will create economic value in the future. This course takes a multilevel perspective; at the single-business, single-industry level, it examines industry structure and sources of competitive advantage, as well as the role of the functional strategies in guiding and sustaining that advantage. At the corporate level, it examines such issues as diversification and internal corporate venturing.

GBUS 802 - (1.5) (Y)
Corporate Communication
Corporate repositioning and the high profile of corporate image, identity, and advocacy have become increasingly sophisticated in attempts to align multiple constituencies in a crowded marketplace. The mounting presence of "crisis (or issues) management" is more and more apparent as channels of media and information grow exponentially. While the corporate-communication function varies from company to company, it is for many organizations a virtually centralized presence on the internet.

GBUS 803 - (1.5) (Y)
Health Care Management
This course examines the health industry from the standpoint of the manager or entrepreneur who seeks to understand the fundamental challenges now occurring in the health industry. The course examines the industry from the perspective of the large hospital and health system, the pharmaceutical or biotechnology company, and health care related capital ventures. It reviews how often conflicting perspectives have led to the changing financial and organizational expectations that are now faced by today’s manager.

GBUS 804 - (1.5) (Y)
Introduction to Real Estate Finance and Development
Introduces the analytical techniques and terminology specific to the real estate industry. Students will consider such topics as an historical overview of the industry, techniques of financial analysis, commercial and residential development, financing alternatives, property management, and current concepts of real estate development.

GBUS 805 - (1.5) (Y)
Entrepreneurship: An Introduction
This course is designed to build on concepts and ideas explored in the FY segment on entrepreneurship. It is a survey course and, as such, will familiarize you with the processes by which entrepreneurial ideas are generated and translated into successful enterprises. The course addresses, in broad terms, both entrepreneurs and their environments.

GBUS 806 - (1.5) (Y)
Sustainable Innovation and Entrepreneurship
This course introduces students to sustainable business strategies and practices as a dynamic and emerging frontier of innovation and entrepreneurial activity in the economy. Ecological and environmental and related public health issues are growing in importance for firms worldwide due to increasing demands imposed by customers, investors, communities, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), insurance companies, and regulators.

GBUS 807 - (1.5) (Y)
Sustainability In-Depth: Studies on Schumpeterian Innovation
Inspired by Joseph Schumpeter (the economist who studied entrepreneurship in the early part of the twentieth century and who coined the phrase "creative destruction"), this course encourages detailed exploration of technology and product-design changes and other innovations that result in the introduction of products and processes that assume zero pollution or that move market and industries in the direction of zero pollution. The course affords students an opportunity to explore various aspects of the history, technologies, new products, business strategies and practices of business.

GBUS 808 - (1.5) (Y)
Managing Digital Convergence
This course examines the economics behind knowledge-intensive industries and how the nature of competition shapes industry structure and government policy internationally. Through an in-depth analysis of the electronics industry and its role in the evolution of the Internet around the world, the course examines the management of the Knowledge Chain and highlights lessons for firms and economic-policy makers in terms of pursuing growth in a turbulent environment. Designed to deepen students’ understanding of the systems of innovation around the globe and provide insight into the value-adding features of technology.

GBUS 809 - (1.5) (Y)
Corporate Governance
This course covers the topics with which boards of directors and CEOs most commonly deal. The course begins with coverage of the legal obligations which directors must fulfill. The general topic of management compensation will be covered, including management contracts, parachutes, non-compete agreements, salary systems, various incentive systems, and the roles and merits of stock options and restricted stock. Processes must be in place to review the performance of individual directors, the board and the CEO.

GBUS 810 - (1.5) (Y)
Management Planning and Control Systems
This course examines the design and use of planning and control systems for implementing organizational strategy and achieving growth and profit goals. The primary focus is on accounting-based controls–that is, controls that involve the use of financial measures and tools for allocating resources, measuring performance and regulating inter-unit activity.

GBUS 811 - (1.5) (Y)
Decisions in Financial Reporting
This course examines significant financial accounting and reporting issues in the context of the management decisions those issues require. Students study such topics as revenue recognition, accounting for loss contingencies, capitalization and recognition of expenses–the very issues that have been the subject of so much recent press and that are now hot issues within many companies. Students should see themselves as members of their firm’s executive committee–people who know the business intimately and who have a legitimate interest in how the results of the business will be reported.

GBUS 812 - (3) (Y)
Corporate Financial Reporting
The objective of this course is to help students develop a rich, conceptual understanding of our society’s accounting and financial reporting system. The course explores contemporary issues (corporate governance, the role of the auditors, mergers and acquisitions, intangible assets, derivatives and stock options) and classic issues (revenue recognition and valuation reserves), working to understand the issues and consider the implications for the numerous constituencies served by the financial reporting system. It examines the impact that the recent accounting and related business scandals have had on investor confidence and the capital markets, analyzes some specific examples of the fraudulent financial reporting, and addressed the progress that has been made toward establishing international accounting standards.

GBUS 813 - (1.5) (Y)
Creating New Products and Services
This class covers the basic steps in developing a new product or service. Students learn how firms convert such "cool ideas" into actual products or services, and actually do so themselves via a hands-on team project. Students identify an unmet need, develop alternative product or service concepts to meet that need, flesh out these concepts via a powerful communicative process of iterative prototyping, and examine product economics and architectural issues for product line or platform development. Final working prototypes are presented at a design fair attended by a panel of product development practitioners and members of the University community.

GBUS 814 - (1.5) (Y)
E-Strategy
This course explores fundamental strategy issues that arise in e-business, including the role and deficiencies of traditional-strategy concepts in the Web-based economy; business models, pricing models, and valuation models appropriate to the new economy; alternative strategies for entry and transformation of old-economy business in the Web-enabled world; and strategic implications of intellectual property in a knowledge-based competitive environment.

GBUS 815 - (1.5) (Y)
Post-Merger Integration
This course addresses two issues in strategy: the role of acquisitions and diversification in corporate strategy; and the achievement of merger objectives (usually, synergies) after the deal is done. The purpose of the course is to give students experience in corporate-level strategic thinking, and to tackle the challenges and problems most businesses encounter in integrating acquisitions. The course will consist of cases, exercises, and a variety of readings from business and history.

GBUS 816 - (1.5) (Y)
Taxation of Mergers and Acquisitions
Course will survey and analyze Federal income tax issues encountered in structuring mergers and acquisitions and other corporate-shareholder transactions in both taxable and tax-free formats. Topics include comparison from both buyer and seller perspectives of advantages and disadvantages of sales (purchase) of assets vs. sale (purchase) of stock in taxable transactions, techniques in structuring tax-free reorganizations, distributions of corporate divisions and subsidiaries, and introduction to the tax aspects of business valuation and limiting the impact of the Federal estate tax.

GBUS 818 - (1.5) (Y)
International Financial Reporting
Prerequisites: GBUS 811, 812.
Explores the financial reporting practices of companies in other countries. Because reporting standards and the content of financial statements reflect national and cultural characteristics of a country, the course emphasizes looking at the key environmental factors conditioning the financial reporting practices in the focal country. Some specific aspects examined are societal expectations of business; forms of business organization; sources of capital; legal and tax structures; treatment of inflation; political and cultural environments; and the role of labor. The effect of these characteristics are examined when studying indigenous reporting practices and considering how a global enterprise might develop its own reporting and control systems.

GBUS 819 - (1.5) (Y)
Taxation and Management Decisions
This course explores how taxes affect a variety of fundamental business issues such as forming a company, compensating employees and attracting investors. This course provides students with a framework for evaluating the priority taxes have in business decisions, and for becoming more effective entrepreneurs, managers and business advisors. This course creates an awareness of how taxes affect the financial returns of organizational decisions and provides tools with which to evaluate the tax consequences of those decisions.

GBUS 820 - (1.5) (Y)
Business Ethics through Literature
This course seeks to broaden and deepen understanding of management and, in particular, the role of ethics in management. It builds on the conversations in GBUS 718, and addresses several key themes for today’s manager. Among the issues the course discusses are: the definition of success in business, race, gender, the role of culture, the privileged place of the executive, and new understandings or models of human beings. The course has fiction, both novels and short stories as its texts.

GBUS 821 - (1.5) (Y)
Starting New Ventures
This course examines the key issues involved in starting up an all-new venture. Cases, guest lecturers and a field project address the managerial, financial, legal, and personal challenges likely to be encountered by the "independent" entrepreneur. Recommended for those interested in initiating a personal venture, working with an early stage entrepreneurial team, or seeking entry into Darden’s Progressive Incubator.

GBUS 822 - (1.5) (Y)
Acquisition of Closely-Held Enterprises
The primary objective of this course is to expose the student to entrepreneurial career options. In addition, this course introduces participants to personal acquisition as an entry mechanism for an entrepreneurial career and alternative ways of acquiring a business of their own. The course is taught by a practicing entrepreneur who has been involved in both start-ups and acquisitions, as well as having been CEO of a large public corporation.

GBUS 823 - (1.5) (Y)
Management of Smaller Enterprises
Increasingly, successful M.B.A.’s are deciding that they would rather lead in a smaller business than follow in a large one. Managing a smaller enterprise is an art related to, but substantially different from, managing a large corporation; the issues, challenges, and perspectives differ as much as the numbers in the financials. This course provides participants a hands-on opportunity to understand business opportunities and challenges from the perspective of the owner-general manager of a smaller enterprise. It addresses what happens after the start-up or acquisition of a firm. Syllabus and content varies by year and instructor.

GBUS 824, 825 - (1.5) (Y)
Reading Seminar in Management I, II
The purpose of these courses is to expose students to a wide range of ideas about the practices of management from a variety of points of view--ancient and modern. Students are responsible for reading one book a week chosen from the areas of management classics, classics of civilization, or current management thought. By practicing critical evaluation of and reflection on the works and by engaging each other and faculty in intense, small-group (12-15) discussions of the concepts, students will be able to draw on a wide base of ideas as they face the complex and volatile work environment.

GBUS 826 - (3) (Y)
Corporate Strategy
This course covers the strategic interface between parent corporations and operating divisions with a strong emphasis on the analytical and financial relationships. Corporate strategies primarily revolve around the appropriateness of various divisions (and potential acquisitions) for inclusion in the corporate portfolio of businesses. Divisional strategies in turn require extensive understanding of competitors and realistic product, marketing, and pricing strategies, based on the division’s role in the corporate portfolio.

GBUS 827 - (1.5) (Y)
Thomas Jefferson Reading Seminar
This seminar on leadership and management is built around Dumas Malone’s six-volume biography on Thomas Jefferson, Undaunted Courage by Stephen Ambrose, Founding Brothers by Joseph Ellis, John Adams by David McCullough, and the two prize-winning films on Jefferson by Ken Burns. Participants will include students and faculty from the Darden School, along with interested UVa alumni involved in various capacities at the University. The format is of a group of people interested in a subject, who research the subject individually and then come together to share their insights with the group in written and oral form.

GBUS 828 - (1.5) (Y)|
Introduction to Business Law
A general introduction to areas of business law (excluding tax law) of particular relevance to general managers and their financial advisers. The course includes an overview of the foundations of the American legal system–the law of contracts, property, and torts, as well as substantive areas that managers routinely encounter, such as corporate governance, antitrust, and bankruptcy. This course provides the opportunity to develop a familiarity with the principles and vocabulary of law, and strives in particular to help students develop the analytical techniques characteristic of legal reasoning.

GBUS 829 - (1.5) (Y)
Venture Capital
This course focuses on the venture capitalists’ professional world and how VCs work with entrepreneurs to create substantial, enduring ventures. The course addresses how venture capital firms are formed, funded and managed, how firms manage their relationships with the Limited Partners who provide their investment capital, how entrepreneurs seek funding and assistance from venture capitalists, and how the parties work together to build successful major companies.

GBUS 830 - (1.5) (Y)
Management of International Business
Most industries today are operating in a global competitive environment. Even though many business organizations are not directly involved in international business transactions, they are, nevertheless, exposed to and affected by the competitive thrusts of international players. Thus, unavoidable threats and substantial opportunities exist in the global marketplace. Successful business managers in the future will need to have international competence.

GBUS 833 - (1.5) (Y)
Business-Government Relations
Today’s complex environment favors managers who understand government processes, are politically aware, are mindful of the interaction between media and government and business, and appreciate how business can gain strategic advantage by monitoring and working with government at all levels. The purpose of this course is to prepare students to meet these managerial requirements, and to participate in complex decisions when changing laws, regulations, and other governmental factors have major long-term implications.

GBUS 840 - (1.5) (Y)
Valuation in Financial Markets
This course focuses on key valuation concepts in finance. Building on the valuation principles in first year Finance, it explores in more depth the ways in which financial market participants value financial assets. The implications of these financial market valuations for corporate management are also explored.

GBUS 841 - (1.5) (Y)
Financial Management
The course will deal with the tools, concepts, and decisions that managers use in making investment and financing decisions, and is designed for students who want to extend their knowledge of operating finance beyond what was achieved in the first-year course. Not open to students in GBUS 840.

GBUS 842 - (1.5) (Y)
Corporate Financial Policies
The course takes the viewpoint of a CFO of a publicly held corporation who makes decisions and formulates policies on several issues, including Corporate borrowing and relationships with capital providers, risk management, dividends and share repurchases, and performance measurement such as EVA and other metrics. The class applies basic valuation techniques (discounted cash flow and options pricing) and general logic to arrive at reasonable decisions on often difficult financial issues.

GBUS 843 - (1.5) (Y)
Derivative Securities: Options and Futures
Prerequisite: GBUS 840.
The objective of this course is to provide an in-depth understanding of option and futures pricing theory and the application of these types of securities. The course deals with broad array of different options and futures contracts.

GBUS 844 - (1.5) (Y)
Entrepreneurial Finance and Private Equity
Prerequisite: GBUS 840.
This course explores a comprehensive set of financial situations that arise in high growth and high risk enterprises, beginning with firms at an early stage of development, progressing to middle stage firms, and then finishing with late stage investments. Discussions cover some key financial considerations, such as how to measure returns, value the enterprise at different stages of development, and structure the deal using various forms of financing. The private equity market is also becoming increasingly institutionalized and this course critically explores some of the latest valuation methods to assess their usefulness.

GBUS 845 - (1.5) (Y)
Small Enterprise Finance
The purpose of the course is to provide participants with experience in the analysis and resolution of financial issues in the context of the small enterprise that has no or, at best, limited access to the public-equity market. In addition to consideration of typical issues of asset management, the course considers topics such as structuring bank loans, financing with leases, benefit plans, and transfer of the business to the next generation or selling it. There are no prerequisites, but student wishing to refresh their first-year finance material are encouraged to take the Financial Management course first.

GBUS 846 - (1.5) (Y)
Portfolio
Prerequisite: GBUS 840.
This course covers the classical Portfolio Theory (i.e., Markowitz optimal portfolio) and asset pricing models (i.e., CAPM, multifactor models). It also addresses asset allocation, performance evaluation and market efficiency issues. Particular emphasis is placed on the international dimension of portfolio theory (i.e., international diversification, optimal global portfolio selection and emerging markets). Also, alternative portfolio strategies are explored, such as growth versus value strategies, as well as hedge fund strategies.

GBUS 847 - (1.5) (Y)
Corporate Financing
Prerequisite: GBUS 840.
The course covers traditional forms of capital raising such as IPOs, bank loan syndication, and fixed-rate convertible bonds as well as innovative financing arrangements such as Asset Backed Securities, PIPEs, ADRs and Project Finance. The emphasis is on understanding the issuer’s needs, the terms and features which can be included in financial arrangements, the potential buyers of the security, the appropriate target markets for the issue, and how these factors work to lower a firm’s capital costs. The goal is to develop greater understanding of the capital acquisition process and the appropriate use of a wide variety of financing arrangements. The course is roughly split in half between equity and debt type financing arrangements.

GBUS 848 - (1.5) (Y)
Advanced Corporate Finance and Financial Strategy
Prerequisite: GBUS 840.
Covers a variety of complex and interesting aspects of corporate finance, including restructurings, mergers, LBOs, project financing, and IPOs. On a general level, the course focuses on value creation, risk reduction, the formulation of corporate financial strategy, and the relationship between financial and corporate strategy. Designed for students pursuing careers in corporations, investment banking, or consulting firms, and those who want to learn more about finance.

GBUS 849 - (1.5) (Y)
Capital Market Flows and Institutions
Prerequisite: GBUS 840.
This course looks at the factors influencing the flows of funds in the economy. It begins with the role of the government and its influence on capital markets as the largest net borrower and as the primary regulator. Other participants such as depository institutions, pension funds, investment banks and quasi-governmental agencies are examined, and their roles in the funds-intermediation process are analyzed. An important aspect is to understand the process of innovation in financial markets for arbitrage or risk management purposes and the increasing globalization of the markets. Modules for the course include credit creation, money markets, depository institutions, Euromarkets and mortgage finance.

GBUS 850 - (1.5) (Y)
Strategic Management of Financial Service Organizations
After an introduction to the types of institutions that compose the industry, the following broad topics are covered: (1) the new entrants; the growth and profitability of segments of the FSO arena have attracted new players, (2) transformations of existing FSOs to meet new market demands; investment banks, thrifts, insurance companies, commercial banks, and mutual funds have all had to move quickly to adjust to changes in their environments, and (3) new products and new delivery systems.

GBUS 851 - (1.5) (Y)
Managing Turnarounds and Workouts
This course covers the restructuring (turnaround) and resuscitation (workouts) of troubled and bankrupt companies. Perspectives include the turnaround manager as well as the creditors, primarily long-term, who are often the major decision makers in these circumstances. Guest speakers will discuss legal, accounting, investment banking, lending, and management aspects to augment the case content. A workout negotiation is also included.

GBUS 853 - (1.5) (Y)
Global Financial Management
Prerequisite: GBUS 840.
Covers topics related to the treasury function of a global business. Emphasizes an understanding of foreign exchange and its impact on firm decisions. Such specific issues as transfer pricing, performance evaluation, capital structure, working capital management, and valuation are covered. Each of those treasury functions is materially affected by foreign exchange variation. Develops a framework for understanding the exchange-rate impact and either mitigating it or managing in the face of it.

GBUS 855 - (1.5) (Y)
Financial Trading
Prerequisite: GBUS 840.
This course examines the nature and influence of trading in financial markets. Particular attention is directed to the role of noise in financial markets; cognitive illusions and pitfalls in decision-making by market participants; the identification of potentially profitable trades; the development of sound money management skills, arbitrage and quasi-arbitrage transactions; positive feedback trading, back office processing of trades; the management of the trading function; and the development of various expert trading systems. Two mock pit-trading sessions give firsthand experience in simulated pit trading environments and illustrate necessary trading skills. A simulated trading game runs for most of the course.

GBUS 856 - (3) (Y)
Corporate Financial Transactions
Prerequisite: GBUS 840.
Engages students in a number of business simulations in which they must execute specific corporate transactions (e.g., a takeover, a bankruptcy); exposes students to the importance of legal considerations in such transactions; and teaches business students to work with legal professionals as background for future collaboration. Includes talks on relevant topics (tax provisions, securities laws, bankruptcy law, merger agreements, etc.) plus business simulations. In the simulations, teams of law and business students work together to value and negotiate deals with counterpart teams, and submit various written materials (merger agreements, SEC filings, pre releases).

GBUS 857 - (1.5) Y
Mergers and Acquisitions
Prerequisite: GBUS 840.
This course guides students to develop a concept, design a deal, and present a proposal for an M&A transaction. All transactions begin with the spark of an idea; translating that idea into a concrete proposal takes hard work. The course surveys a number of analytic tools, and then exercises them and presentation skills in a "pitch book" exercise. It also surveys some strategic frameworks useful in M&A, and the steps necessary to translate a concept into a solid proposal.

GBUS 860 - (1.5) (Y)
Marketing Strategy
An objective of the course is to develop the ability to "think strategically". To this end, this course examines a series of books that discuss strategy generalizations developed by marketing practitioners or address recent topics (buzz, emotion marketing, and permission marketing) that may require rethinking of existing strategy generalizations.

GBUS 861 - (1.5) (Y)
Business-to-Business Marketing
The purpose of this course is to provide students with an overview of marketing strategy concepts and tools that are most relevant to business-to-business marketers with an emphasis on marketing strategy formulation and implementation. Emphasis is placed on marketing strategy’s role as part of the business strategy development process and addresses marketing issues at the nexus of other functional areas. Modules include: organizing the marketing function, managing complex marketing problems in channels of distribution, sales force management, new product development, customer relationship management and developing/implementing the marketing planning process. Attention is given as well to the role of e-commerce and how it impacts the traditional model of B2B marketing.

GBUS 862 - (1.5) (Y)
Consumer Marketing
This course has as its objective to add to the analytical and conceptual frameworks introduced in the first-year marketing courses the skills and knowledge needed to perform successfully as an executive involved in designing and directing marketing strategies. The sub-objectives are to hone skills with first year frameworks as regards the consumer, channels and competition; provide exposure to major issues facing marketers; deepen understanding the marketing mix and its elements.

GBUS 863 - (1.5) (Y)
Marketing Research
This course focuses on marketing research as an aid to management decision-making. Three broad sets of issues are dealt with: planning, design, and analysis. Both quantitative and qualitative techniques will be discussed, including focus groups, surveys, and choice models. The planning phase of a marketing research project involves the setting of goals and objectives, and then refining these until a clear set of research questions is identified. In the design phase, managers must understand the differences between qualitative and quantitative techniques, select appropriate research collection methods, and identify relevant sample groups. Once market research information has been collected, it must be transformed through analysis into answers to the research questions identified in the first phase of the process.

GBUS 864 - (1.5) (Y)
New Product Management
Focuses on the issues faced by managers and organizations in developing and managing new products and services. Specifically, the course provides an understanding of the steps, decisions, and issues associated with the development of new products, with emphasis on the role of market and customer information in new product development; familiarizes students with the concepts and techniques that are currently used for making new product decisions; and provides the opportunity for students to apply selected concepts to the actual development or analysis of a new product or service. The course also compares and contrasts the process of new product development in different industries, including financial services, consumer packaged goods, consumer durables, and high technology industries. At the firm level, this course discusses organizational issues related to new product development and organizational learning (emphasizing market learning).

GBUS 865 - (1.5) (Y)
International Marketing
Focuses on the strategic implications of international marketing–whether one studies a U.S. firm deciding to market abroad or whether one determines how to defend against foreign competition at home. Case studies concentrate on building marketing plans spanning two or more countries; both industrial and consumer markets are covered. In addition, the organizational problems of managing markets at great distances are studied. Major attention is devoted to understanding culture and its implications for the analysis of consumer motivations.

GBUS 869 - (3) (Y)
Interactive Marketing
Examines the concepts, strategies, and applications involved in interactive marketing. Interactive marketing is characterized by activities that address the customer directly (usually through some form of response advertising) for the purposes of initiating an exchange as well as developing, managing, and exploiting a customer list. Deals more with the managerial aspects of direct marketing rather than the details of designing response advertising campaigns. The integration of direct marketing programs into the total marketing efforts of the firm is covered.

GBUS 873 - (3) (Y)
Managing Teams
This course prepares students to successfully meet the challenges posed by the increased use of teams in the workplace. The course will explore both theoretical and practical dimensions of managing teams in the work environment. Although the course uses some traditional cases and readings, the primary "case" is a first-year learning team and the relationship that each student establishes with that team. Weekly team observations and write-ups, as well as just-in-time concepts and frameworks help students learn first hand about team evolution and internal team dynamics. Class members act as mentors, helping the learning team or individual members better understand their team or FY experiences.

GBUS 874 - (3) (Y)
Personal Assessment and Career Strategy
Personal Assessment and Career Strategy (PACS) is an opportunity for students to take a rigorous look at what they want to do with their first jobs–and their careers and lives. Students analyze their talents, preferences, and personality and compare them to various job opportunities. The course also develops inductive decision-making, a key managerial skill.

GBUS 875 - (3) (Y)
Managerial Psychology
This course focuses on the major psychological issues that underlie and contribute to the effective and at times ineffective performance of people in managerial roles. The course begins with the development of a model of personality. Issues such as gender, race, meaning, habits of excellence, relationships, creativity and life long development (growth) will be examined. The course is designed to consider those issues that although not visible at first glance prove to be at the heart of why things are the way they are. . . not what they seem.

GBUS 876 - (1.5) (Y)
Creating Value through Relationships
This course expands students’ portfolio of interpersonal skills and enhances their ability to use those skills effectively. Primary learning in the course comes from experiential learning about oneself and one’s impact on others, case discussion, network and best practice analysis, and speakers discussing how relationships drive their success. Topics include listening, feedback and appraisal, making tough calls, emotional intelligence, building trust, dealing with conflict, working with diverse others, and repairing relationships. With emphasis on future management contexts, students begin to understand how skill in building relationships impacts the whole enterprise.

GBUS 879 - (1.5) (Y)
Strategic Human Resource Management
In many major organizations, the human resource function is expanding beyond traditional personnel issues (e.g., benefits administration, selection, training, labor/management negotiations) to an emphasis on the role of human assets in the strategic direction of the firm. This new way of thinking about human-resource management requires managers to develop new sets of concepts, tools, and techniques. Examines human resource management from a strategic perspective, emphasizing how decisions regarding the selection, development, and mobilization of human assets can significantly influence the success and survival of the firm.

GBUS 880 - (1.5) (Y)
Operations Strategy
This integrative course focuses broadly on strategic management principles of the operations function in both manufacturing and service industries. Key objectives are improved understanding of some of the generic concepts and methodology of manufacturing and operations strategy and learning how the operations function can be used as a significant source of potential competitive advantage. Examples of successful global competitors in several industries are used throughout the course. Topics covered include quality, technology, time-based competition, marketing-based manufacturing, global sourcing, focused manufacturing and capacity and facilities planning.

GBUS 881 - (1.5) (Y)
Manufacturing Planning and Control
This course, we survey the very latest thinking from around the world on how manufacturing companies are seeking to achieve this combination of low cost and customization, concentrating on the specific analytical techniques companies are finding useful in the implementation of these ideas. Many of these techniques, such as materials requirements planning (MRP), just-in-time, total quality management (TQM), total productive maintenance (TPM), cost accounting, forecasting, and even the recently popular theory of constraints, have actually been around for awhile but are being adapted for the new competitive environment.

GBUS 882 - (1.5) (Y)
Management of Service Operations
The strategic and tactical problems of managing the operations function in the service environment are examined, including businesses in the service sector of manufacturing firms. Topics include the impact of product definition and target market on the operations function, development of operating strategy, and the design and implementation of service delivery systems. More traditional operations topics (e.g., productivity, quality, and capacity) are also investigated to determine their roles in the management of services. Because the functional areas of business have high levels of interdependence in the service environment, the course also examines the interface between operations and other functional areas.

GBUS 883 - (1.5) (Y)
Supply Chain Management
The increasing globalization of business and heightened use of suppliers in most industries has led to great interest among senior management of most companies in supply chain management issues. In many cases, supply chain design and coordination has become an important source of competitive advantage. This course is designed to provide an understanding of the functional and strategic role of supply chains in both manufacturing and service industries, with emphasis on global supply chains originating and ending in North America.

GBUS 884 - (1.5) (Y)
Innovation
Innovation plays an essential role in the development and achievement of long-term competitive advantage. This course has three main themes: creating and realizing value, prioritizing opportunities, and managing the innovation process. This course deals with both small and large corporations, and usually encompasses a range of technologies.

GBUS 885 - (1.5) (Y)
E-Business Seminar
The pace of Internet business evolution has proven to be as rapid during the extinction phase as it was in the evolutionary phase for new companies and their business models. Nevertheless, there will be winners and survivors; old-economy companies and pure-plays with successful business models will emerge after the current "nuclear winter" for dot.com and technology companies. Even more importantly, the web will be used by established firms to create an effective on-line channel, support internal process improvement, enhance their automation exploiting peer-to-peer computing, and tighten their virtual integration with customers and suppliers. The course examines the business models and strategies of both pure-play survivors and established firms to attempt to understand the keys to successfully exploiting the Internet and related technologies.

GBUS 886 - (3) (Y)
System Dynamics
System Dynamics provides an accelerated introduction to a body of skills and techniques that complements students’ business training with an expanded, methodological approach to understanding and addressing business complexities. Students will learn to use "systems thinking" tools and techniques to address sub-optimal performance in a variety of situations spanning multiple industries, and how to formulate, communicate, and test logical, effective business strategies based on a deeper understanding of the factors giving rise to a particular business issue.

GBUS 887 - (1BD) (Y)
Seminar in Strategy
This course allows students to become competently conversant with relevant current issues in strategic thinking and the practice of strategy, to treat ideas in greater depth and rigor than possible in a traditional case course, and to sharpen strategic thinking abilities and instincts. The course consists of a variety of readings from books, management journals, and academic journals and working papers.

GBUS 890 - (1.5) (Y)
Management Decision Models
This course will be treated as a workshop in decision consulting and modeling. Applications receiving special attention are strategy analysis and modeling (options thinking, hybrid strategies, and contingent strategy under uncertainty), dynamic models (such as random walk, brand-switching dynamics), and financial modeling (correlation, exposure, hedging, and simulation of real options). New methodology will treat risk preference, tornado diagram sensitivity and risk management, correlated variables and scenarios, dynamic uncertainty models, multi-attribute values and decisions, and the decision quality process used in decision consulting. The course is about creating models and model-building skills, not simply appreciating what others can do with models.

GBUS 891 - (1.5) (Y)
Managerial Quantitative Analysis
The course is designed to deepen students’ understanding of the basic tools, concepts, and methodologies of quantitative business analysis; enhance students’ skills at using the basic tools of quantitative business analysis, including decision trees, influence diagrams, spreadsheets, and simulation; strengthen students’ ability to recognize situations for which quantitative analysis is appropriate and useful; and develop students’ ability to integrate the results of quantitative analysis into their personal decision-making processes.

GBUS 892 - (1.5) (Y)
Optimization Models for Management
In many real-world situations, decision making is made difficult by the sheer number of possible alternative actions and the complexity of the tradeoffs involved in choosing one action over the others. For situations of this type, a special class of models and analytical approaches has been developed, grouped under the general heading optimization models. It is this methodology that drives the tools included in Excel’s Solver. The objective of this course is to explore this general class of models and analytical approaches, developing the judgment to know when to apply these tools, when not to apply them, and when applying them might get one into trouble.

GBUS 893 - (1.5) (Y)
Bargaining and Negotiating
Focuses on negotiating and bargaining in a wide variety of settings, ranging from simple buyer-seller negotiations to multiple-issue labor-management negotiations. Most class sessions revolve around the results of negotiations conducted between class members as part of their preparation for the session. Discussions review the wide variety of experiences in the specific negotiation, develop hypotheses regarding the effectiveness of certain behaviors, and suggest means for improving negotiating effectiveness.

GBUS 894 - (1.5) (Y)
Managing the Politics of Strategy
Deals with the politics of strategy formation. It has two missions: to address the political questions of how to implement rationally derived business and corporate strategies and to instill an understanding of how strategy actually emerges in a firm. Accomplishing these two missions should enable students to anticipate and understand the dynamics of strategy formation in an organization, and should sensitize them to the potential difficulties that power and politics pose in accomplishing organizational purpose. The course should also sensitize future consultants and middle managers to the political, behavioral, and structural realities facing both CEOs and the middle managers responsible for carrying out strategic change.

GBUS 895A-F - (variable) (Y)
Business Projects: Consulting, Venturing, Case Writing
The Business Projects courses are designed to provide students with the opportunity to refine and stretch, in cooperation with faculty, the business skills and imagination they are developing at Darden. The aim is to conduct the work in a manner that satisfies and exceeds the professional standards of the outside world. Special arrangements, to be approved by the course head, may be made for joint-degree students whose schedules do not allow them to participate in one of the three standard alternatives. Students with field-based project ideas that do not readily fit into one of the three standard alternatives are encouraged to present such ideas to the course head. Students may not submit for work that has been done for compensation. At most, 7.5 credits of combined Business Projects and Research Elective courses can be applied toward graduation.

GBUS 896 - (1.5) (Y)
Cross-Border Negotiation Seminar
Prerequisite: GBUS 893.
This seminar addresses a wide variety of considerations and challenges that arise in and characterize cross-border negotiations, be they international, cross-functional, or cross-cultural. The seminar will enable students to develop an appreciation of the complexity of negotiating across widely differing perspectives, expectations, and values; become familiar with current thinking in cross-cultural and international negotiations; and formulate conceptual frameworks to aid in the preparation, organization, and execution of cross-border negotiations that are coherent, satisfying, sustainable, and structurally complete.

GBUS 897 - (1.5) (Y)
Investigations into the Nature of Strategy
Intended for those who would like to understand and practice strategy as an art. It is based on the logic (to be established in class) that developing strategy cannot be a deterministic, linear process, because strategy is uniquely distinguished by interaction with an intelligent opponent.

GBUS 899 - (1.5-3) (Y)
Research Elective
Faculty-supervised study for students with special interests that are not included in the normal course offerings. Research electives are approved jointly by the supervising faculty member and by the second-year coordinator. The student must secure the agreement of a resident faculty member, under whom the research is to be done, to be the supervisor and be responsible for assigning the final grade; and secured the approval of a written proposal by the second-year coordinator. A 1.5-credit research elective should represent approximately 60 hours of work; a 3-credit research elective should represent approximately 120 hours of work. At most, 3 credits of research elective can be applied toward graduation. Students may not take more than 7.5 credits of combined business project courses and research elective

GBUS 8000 - (1.5) Y
Global Business Experience
This course focuses on current business issues. Each section offered will have a central theme and involve structured classes, practitioner presentations, and company visits. The primary objective is to provide students with an opportunity to explore and examine important issues in a location outside the Darden School. Cultural exposure is a key element and integral part of the concept underlying the course. The course is intended to examine current business issues, provide students with cultural experience, and provide location-specific learning opportunities.

GBUS 8036 - (1.5) (Y)
Managing in Emerging Economies
The course is designed with the purpose of acquiring the analytical capabilities and skills to manage in countries outside the triad with their distinctive business environments. The course covers typical strategic and operational issues facing companies and entrepreneurs, doing business in emerging economies and in economies in transition from a general management perspective. The prime objectives are to develop foundation skills and competencies for a "global" perspective and vision; to improve the understanding of the economic, social, political and cultural context of emerging economies and economies in transition; to explore the strategic alternatives of international firms with respect to emerging economies and to evaluate the results of globalization concepts; to deal efficiently with the typical issues of managing in the distinctly different environment of developing countries and to develop guidelines to avoid operational pitfalls; to create the awareness and skills to manage effectively in cross-cultural situations; and to assist participants to assess the opportunities and challenges of an international career in emerging economies.

GBUS 8037 - (1.5) (Y)
Multiparty Negotiations
Prerequisite: GBUS 893.
Extends the lessons of GBUS 893 to the more-complex world of multiparty negotiations and explores many of the classic multiparty structures to see how they effect the fundamental lessons gleaned from the two-party context. These structures range from many parties at the table: to team negotiations where the teams comprise different perspectives; to internal (within one organization)/external (with another organization) negotiations; to third-party interventions (e.g., mediation); and to crisis interventions (e.g., hostage negotiations). Draws from a broad array of negotiating situations, spanning not only business-to-business negotiations, but also diplomatic, legal, political, environmental, and crisis negotiations.

GBUS 8038 - (1.5) (Y)
Equities
Prerequisite: GBUS 840.
Using traditional, fundamental, and technical analysis, this course focuses on equity valuation. In addition, it looks at valuation in a variety of markets around the world and in different market conditions. Intended for individuals who are interested in the valuation of corporate equity and in a career in investment or corporate management. Those interested in investment management would be anticipating careers in security analysis or portfolio management. Those interested in corporate finance would be anticipating careers in acquisitions or treasury functions of corporations or their intermediaries.

GBUS 8042 - (1.5) (Y)
The Spirit of the New Workplace
This dynamic and highly experiential one week offering is an invitation to engage in real conversation, ask important questions, and explore the greatest possibilities of human organization. It is designed to prompt a lifelong quest for learning about who we are, how we can best perform, and the role that we as future leaders can play in leading others to success in an ever-changing business climate.

GBUS 8044 - (1.5) (Y)
The Consulting Process
This course is aimed at introducing students to the consulting process and identifying and refining the skill sets necessary for successful consultation. The course is designed specifically for students interested in pursuing consulting careers who do not have significant consulting experience prior to Darden. The course will include the use of cases, exercises, and the completion of a final project presentation. Students will be assigned to a consulting team to work together throughout the week. Grading will be based on class participation, group feedback, and a final presentation.

GBUS 8106 - (1.5) (Y)
Acquisition of Closely-Held Enterprises
Any second year M.B.A. candidate who thinks they may personally aspire to own, and in most cases, manage a closely held business enterprise. The purchases of both privately owned and subsidiaries or divisions of publicly owned companies will be analyzed and discussed. Because of the many ancillary topics that will be considered during the course, such as valuation techniques, due diligence, deal structure, tax and legal matters, financing alternatives, etc., the course may also be of interest to those M.B.A. candidates who are interested in leveraged buyouts.

GBUS 8107 - (1.5) (Y)
Fixed-Income Instruments
Prerequisites: GBUS 840; GBUS 849.
The focus of this three-week course is the valuation of fixed-income securities and the investment techniques used to manage fixed-income portfolios. Concepts such as duration and convexity are developed in detail, as are the roles of options and futures as they pertain to fixed-income securities. The valuation of fixed-income securities involves an understanding of yield-curve concepts and the identification and measurement of risk for different classes of securities. The course emphasizes the factors that influence the relative value of financial instruments as well as the strategies and hedging tools used to manage credit spreads and fixed-income portfolios.

GBUS 8200A - (1.5) (Y)
Tayloe Murphy Global Seminar: Latin American Financial Markets
This course is specifically focused on examining all aspects of Latin American Financial markets with a particular emphasis on markets in Brazil and Argentina. The course is taught from the perspective of how these markets operate and what are the unique challenges that firms face when operating in these markets. It is intended to provide an overview and develop a strategic perspective for decision making in this environment.

GBUS 8200B - (1.5) (Y)
Tayloe Murphy Global Seminar: Venture Capital and Strategic Entry in the Asia Pacific
This course is specifically focused on the practical aspects of investing and other entry strategies in Asia Pacific. All of the case studies are taken from the Asia Pacific Region. While the course is taught from the perspective of management strategy and decision-making, it is intended to sharpen the participant’s capabilities in deal structuring, financing, negotiating and dealing with regulatory and legal issues.

GBUS 8300 - (1.5) (Y)
Corporate Diversification and the Role of Mergers And Acquisitions
This course explores the determinants of successful corporate-diversification strategy and the role that acquisitions play in it. The fundamental premise is that the successful corporate strategy is rooted in competitive advantage arising from capabilities residing at the business-unit level. The course develops frameworks of successful diversification based on the concepts of core competencies and leveraging of resources. Finally, the course develops the concepts that are useful in acquisitions. These concepts will address individual acquisitions, acquisition programs, and issues regarding post-merger integration.

GBUS 8301 - (1.5) (Y)
Emerging Information Technologies Seminar
Today’s emerging information technologies will be the enablers of one’s career’s business strategies. The course is based upon an introduction to and discussion of these emerging information technologies and the companies that are bringing them to market. The seminar is offered to students interested in actively participating in research and discussion about a set of current emerging information technology topics.

GBUS 8302 - (1.5) (Y)
Competition and Regulatory Transformation in the New Economy
Shows how emerging technologies, exogenous events, changing societal values, and other environmental forces shape the markets in which we compete as well as the institutions that define the nature of competition. It develops an understanding of market failures due to natural monopolies and information asymmetries, and discusses how regulatory changes have altered the nature of competition in industries characterized by these conditions. A major theme is that "failures"–and attempts to correct them–give rise to significant opportunities, and that strategy and tactics can be shaped not only to react to these changes, but also to alter the evolution of regulatory institutions and practices and thus gain competitive advantage.

GBUS 8303 - (1.5) (Y)
Emerging-Markets Finance
Prerequisite: GBUS 840.
Explores investment and valuation issues that are unique to emerging economies. This course introduces a set of tools and models that help future financial managers make better investment decisions in emerging markets, and covers both theoretical and practical sides of direct and portfolio investments in emerging markets through cases, articles, and homework exercises. While portfolio investments in emerging markets will be analyzed, the main focus is on direct investment and valuation (corporate finance) issues there.

GBUS 8304 - (1.5) (Y)
Consumer Psychology
All marketing begins with an understanding of how individuals make decisions. Because people are not rational economic machines, customer-focused marketers must understand how physiological, psychological, and social factors shape consumer perceptions and behavior.

GBUS 8305 - (1.5) (Y)
Strategic Thinking: Integrating East and West
As economies and businesses become more global, companies worldwide will increasingly need to examine their economic practices and beliefs. The purpose of this seminar is to help participants develop a deep understanding of the strategic concepts and business models underlying foreign (in this case, Chinese) business, based on a thorough knowledge of cultural and institutional differences, and comprehend the implications of these differences for enterprise management in general; use this understanding to think broadly about global enterprise and future enterprise development; and develop a globally-integrative perspective that enables them to conduct business in any part of the world.

GBUS 8306 - (1.5) (Y)
Social Entrepreneurship
This course will explore the multiple ways that an individual/company/corporation can participate in ventures that impact social and/or environmental issues while simultaneously focusing on financial goals. Some of the various questions and issues that arise from the decision to pursue more than strictly financial goals will be addressed.

GBUS 8307 - (1.5) (Y)
Advertising and Promotion
Prerequisite: GBUS 862.
This course has as its objective to deepen the student’s understanding and skills in creating and evaluating communication strategies, with the emphasis on advertising. Objectives include developing expertise in creating positioning and copy strategies that build brand equity; understanding media alternatives, terminology and creation of a media strategy; gaining knowledge on marketing budgeting, including techniques used to set the overall marketing spending level; obtaining exposure to the research techniques used in copy and media evaluation; and developing expertise in creating and presenting advertising plans.

GBUS 8308 - (1.5) (Y)
Leadership Learning Lab
A forum for student leaders to talk about the challenges and rewards of leadership at Darden. Enrolling students should have a clear commitment to a practical leadership experience during their second year. Selected readings in the leadership and social psychology literature serve as frameworks for examining one’s personal leadership style.

GBUS 8310 - (1.5) (Y)
Competitive Dynamics Seminar
This advanced strategy seminar provides class participants with an integrative framework and specific analytical tools for understanding how firms interact in the marketplace–within an industry, across industries, and beyond national borders. When a company initiates a competitive move (a new product introduction, expansion into a new market, an acquisition bid, or a simple price cut), it should be prepared to meet potential counteractions from rivals. Understanding the relative nature of this dynamic process is the key to building and sustaining competitive advantage.

GBUS 8400 - (1.5) (Y)
General Managers Taking Action
This course will focus on general managers and their requirement to "take action" regarding a variety of situations that may be presented to them. General managers are defined as those that possess profit and loss responsibility at any level of the organization, from first-level product line managers to Chief Executive Officers. Situations requiring action will vary in complexity and scope; the goal is for students to develop a plan for action and to think through the actions needed to implement their plans. Students will use current management tools, tried and true management philosophies, and various multi-disciplinary tools when deciding how to "take action."

GBUS 8401 - (1) (Y)
Cross-Cultural Internship
The objective of this course is to enable students to use their summer-employment experience to increase their knowledge of a foreign culture and to address the challenges of working in a culture other than their own. The course will involve the following activities: a program of readings and discussions, supervised by a faculty member, and a personal statement of learning expectations from the summer activity; summer-job experience and a midsummer report; and a written report reviewing the experience and the extent to which the learning expectations were achieved. The course is open to students who have accepted summer employment in a country other than that of their permanent residence.

GBUS 8402 - (1.5) (Y)
Survey of the Health Care Sector
This course analyzes economic, financial and ethical issues in some of the major sectors of the health care industry, developing a framework for understanding and evaluating the trade-offs that are inherent in the health care sector, and examining how those tradeoffs affect strategic thinking. Economic, financial and ethical issues cannot be treated separately in analyzing health care markets, nor can the various sectors of the health care industry be examined separately. Students will participate in a field trip to Washington to meet with health care executives and public policy advocates as part of the program of the course.

GBUS 8403 - (1.5) (Y)
Leadership, Ethics and Theatre
The purpose of this course is to build leadership skills and ethical analysis skills by reading, discussing, and performing dramatic scenes from great plays. The course is built around the conceptual apparatus in Dunham and Freeman (2000) that the task of the theatre director is akin to the task of the CEO. In particular we will examine how directors draw vision from particulars, emphasize good casting or "getting the right people on the bus", get the best out of their team, and approach work collaboratively. Examines theater companies as high performance teams, and attempts to construct such teams through the course, working with the Charlottesville artistic community to provide several technical workshops on acting/directing.

GBUS 8404 - (1.5) (Y)
Integration and Innovation in Services: The ‘New’ Economy
This features a diverse and highly experienced faculty in a unique, cross-discipline, innovative format. The faculty consist of experienced practitioners across many global services industries who also have depth in the fields of marketing, strategy, and innovation, combined with functional expertise in operations, organizational behavior, and leadership. Additionally, materials for the course and intended discussions have been selected for their current relevance in this fast changing, global environment.

GBUS 8405 - (1.5) (Y)
Crisis Leadership
The objective of this course is to introduce students to various difficult situations facing organizations, and to challenge them to critically think through prevention of, leadership during, and learning from crises. It explores how business leaders can plan for a crisis; recognize the various stakeholders affected by the crisis; know what, when, how, and to whom to communicate regarding the crisis; and adopt a learning strategy for crisis prevention. Individual or teams of students will be asked to recreate a business crisis situation and develop a crisis management strategy.

GBUS 8406 - (1.5) (Y)
Advanced Topics in Business Ethics
The purpose of this course is to continue to explore issues in business ethics raised in the first year course. The course consists of readings, cases, and books that are relevant to the topic at hand. Example topics include "Business Science and Ethics," "Background Theories of Business Ethics", and "Topics in Ethics and Accounting and Finance" exploring issues around corporate governance.

GBUS 8407 - (1.5) (Y)
Consulting Cooperative course (1.5) (Y)
This course, which includes 20 students each from Berkeley, Michigan, and Darden, is aimed at introducing students to the consulting process and identifying and refining the skill sets necessary for successful consultation. The course is designed specifically for students interested in pursuing consulting careers who do not have significant consulting experience prior to Business School. The course will include the use of cases based on actual consulting engagements, exercises, guest speakers, and the completion of a final project presentation. Students will be assigned to a "virtual" consulting team, comprised of 2 students each from the three schools, to work together throughout the course.

GBUS 8410 - (1.5) (Y)
Financial Statement Analysis and Corporate Valuation
Through this courses students will develop an understanding of screening, forecasting, and valuation tools that aid in the analysis and exploitation of information contained in financial statements. The course includes but is not limited to topics related to the use of ratio analysis, the theory and development of cash-flow and earnings-based valuation models, identification of financial statement management, and the impact of accounting principles and assumptions on valuation.

GBUS 8411 - (1.5) (Y)
What Do You Want? A Transition Guide to the Real World
This course will explore the pros and cons and the ins and outs of the various answers to the fundamental question, what do you want?, and how NOT to become professional anecdotes for books like Career Success, Personal Failure, and Must Success Cost So Much? Given the fourth quarter offering of this course, the readings, film clips, and cases will tend to be shorter, but focused on related questions that examine the meaning of life and career and the nature of "success." This course is one last chance before graduation to put business education in the context of managing a career over a lifetime.

GBUS 8413 - (1.5) (Y)
Financial Securities
This course is intended for individuals who are interested in a career in investment management. The purpose of the course is to expose students to how valuation tools are used by equity and fixed-income analysts, and brings together practitioners (equity and fixed income analysts) and students to discuss how particular companies and securities are evaluated.

GBUS 8414 - (1.5) (Y)
Advanced Managerial Communication
This course is structured as a transition from the academic to the corporate environment and provides an opportunity for students to explore in more depth the strategies of communication framed in First-Year Management Communication. The course asks students to examine their personal communication styles including both their nonverbal behavior as well as how they express themselves in writing and in public presentations to both small and large groups. Students will study communication networks and organizational channels and examine the common barriers that lead to communication disruptions, the challenges of dealing with troubled and troubling constituencies, and specific communication frameworks that contribute to a vibrant corporate culture.

GBUS 8415 - (1.5) (Y)
Strategic Alliances
This course examines the set of issues, challenges and opportunities facing managers as they develop alliance strategies to achieve a competitive advantage. But most alliances don’t achieve such levels of success. While selecting a good partner and crafting a solid agreement are a beginning, they are simply not enough to forge a strong alliance and sustain a competitive advantage. To turn an alliance into an advantage, businesses need to be more alliance competent. People, processes and structures must adapt to reflect the different paradigm that alliances require, or else the traditional command and control mentality will lead to disaster.

GBUS 8416 - (1.5) (Y)
Hedge Fund Styles and Strategies
An in-depth look at hedge funds–their history; market, regulatory and structural issues; and some notorious debacles, scandals and fraud.

GBUS 8418 - (1.5) (Y)
Global Macroeconomics and Financial Markets
The global economy has been affected in recent decades by powerful trends and powerful shocks. The global financial system has evolved in response to the structural changes in the world economy, the risks associated with the shocks and the responses by policymakers. This course provides an opportunity to gain the most up-to-date view of these forces available, and prepare students to assume responsibilities for operating in global markets immediately after graduation.

GBUS 8419 - (1.5) (Y)
International Deal Making: Legal & Business Aspects
Offered by the UVa School of Law, this course is focused on the application of legal and business knowledge to real world transactions in the international context. The course is directed to both the UVa law students and the Darden business students who are interested in applying their knowledge to deal structuring, legal and business concerns, negotiations, documentation, and deal closing.

GBUS 8421 - (1.5) (Y)
Comparative Studies in New Product Development
This course is a team-based field study of product development in one of three industry settings (e.g., consumer products, defense/aerospace and an industry of choice such as software development, medical/pharmaceutical, computers/electronics or industrial components). Industry differences will be examined along dimensions including integration of customer input into the product concept, evaluating new R & D and engineering design practices, product portfolio management, effective use of the supply base, project personnel and leadership selection, performance management and incentives, integration between functional areas and NPD project organizations, complying with government regulatory requirements, and managing product roll-out in global markets.

GBUS 8422 - (1.5) (Y)
Interactive and Data-Based Marketing I
This course examines the concepts involved in interactive and data-based marketing. Interactive marketing is characterized by activities that address customers directly (usually through some form of response advertising) for the purposes of initiating an exchange as well as developing, managing, and exploiting a customer relationship. Interactive marketing encompasses aspects of direct mail, customer relationship management, and Internet marketing. Data-based marketing refers to the use of data to inform marketing decisions.

GBUS 8423 - (1.5) (Y)
Interactive and Data-Based Marketing II
This course is a continuation of Interactive and Data-Based Marketing I designed to add depth to the student’s understanding of the concepts involved in interactive and data-based marketing. In addition to customer databases, the course will examine the use of web traffic data (log files) and scanner data as bases for informing marketing decisions. The course also includes a hands-on data-modeling exercise, a large project, and an opportunity to explore new developments in the area.

GBUS 8424 - (1.5) (Y)
Games and Auctions
The outcomes of many corporate activities depend on the interactions between a multiplicity of decision makers, including customers, suppliers, competitors, employees, managers, investors, and regulators. The course develops a tool set for analyzing and optimizing such interactions in a diverse range of corporate activities. Most of these tools have first been developed in economic game theory and draw on a matrix of the decision makers’ evaluations for different outcomes. Using such concepts, the course explores the design of organizational mechanisms (e.g., auctions and incentive schedules) that channel the interactions of individuals toward the promotion of corporate goals.

GBUS 8425 - (1.5) (Y)
Field Studies in Operations Management
The purpose of the course is to provide the opportunity for students interested in the area of Operations Management to explore in detail an operations-type problem or issue facing an organization or individual. The course offers the opportunity to work both more closely with practicing managers and a faculty member. The instructor, in conjunction with students and other members of the area faculty, will assist in the identification of possible projects. Projects may be individual or group-based and supervised either by the instructor or other area faculty.

GBUS 8426 - (1.5) (Y)
Entrepreneurship through Relationships
Why do some communities foster economic action and grow rapidly while others do not? Why do some communities appear to build on past advantage, while others fall further behind? Why are some entrepreneurs able to create value for entire communities, while others act in ways that largely benefit themselves? This course examines the entrepreneur as change agent in three contexts: within the firm; in the evolving economy; and within the social structure. Although critical factor inputs–human capital, natural resources, infrastructure, technology, financial capital markets–foster widespread economic growth, they are insufficient without the interaction of entrepreneurial change agents. We examine how enterprising individuals leverage these factors to create value for themselves and others, across regional, industry and social boundaries.

GBUS 8504A - (1.5) (Y)
Range: Venture Assessment
This course addresses venture assessment and feasibility testing prior to business-plan development or start-up. It is a companion to GBUS 895B/C, Venturing Business Project, and a precursor to (but not a specific prerequisite for) GBUS 8504B, Range in Business Plans and Planning. The objectives of the course are to develop a practical understanding of venture-assessment and "due-diligence" issues and processes as they relate to new-venture creation and essential insights into the viability and attractiveness of a specific "candidate" venture. Topics and activities address a variety of issues of interest to potential venturers, especially those interested in science- or technology-based businesses.

GBUS 8504B - (1.5) (Y)
Range: Business Plans and Planning
A sequel to GBUS 8504A, this course is intended to attract and support Darden students and others in the University community interested in starting a commercial venture in the near term. The main learning objective is to develop a practical, in-depth understanding of so-called business plans. Topics and activities address a variety of issues of interest to potential venturers, especially those interested in science- or technology-based businesses. In addition to guest lecturers, sessions address alternative business-plan applications and structures, "due-diligence" processes, liability documents, and other legal and intellectual-property concerns. Some sessions are workshops and problem-solving discussions supporting specific Venturing Business Projects or Incubator-resident ventures.

GBUS 8701 - (1.5) (Y)
Leading Strategic Change
This course focuses on the leadership issues necessary to successfully design and implement strategic change. The leadership focus will be on leadership as an active engagement process that requires individuals to be willing to define and declare themselves in strategic ways. The emphasis will be on thinking at a personal, professional, and enterprise level, and applying this thinking to the critical issues of leading (and managing) individual and organizational change.

GBUS 8702 - (1.5) (Y)
Personal Leadership: Possibility Thinking & Committed Action
This course is designed to create a reflective workshop environment for each student to craft an engaging vision for leading a "life by design"; to exercise new muscles of possibility thinking to transcend self-imposed limits of what’s possible in personal and professional life; and to create powerful coaching relationships among members of the class to support one another in translating their dreams into action during the final months of the Darden experience.

GBUS 8703 - (1.5) (Y)
Level Three Leadership
This course will attempt to answer the questions: What are the interpersonal skills of influence? How can one be influential in relationships? What skills and tools of communication will help? The focus will be a decidedly "micro," as opposed to "macro" view of large-scale organizational change. The course covers skills that help individuals in all relationships, including student-teacher, superior-subordinate, leader-follower, peer, friendship, and marital.

GBUS 8704 - (1.5) (Y)
Leadership, Values, and Ethics
The premise of this course is that students can learn a great deal about leadership by studying the leadership of others. Specifically, the course provides students with examples and models of ways that leaders have incorporated ethics and values into a multiplicity of definitions of leadership. It offers the students the opportunity to reflect on their own values and ethics as well as examine and build upon their own definition of leadership. Each session uses the insights from leaders, and an array of readings on leadership, to foster reflection on what makes a great leader.

GBUS 8705 - (1.5) (Y)
Leadership and Diversity through Literature
This course integrates diversity and leadership themes while simultaneously broadening our students’ literary exposure. While the "classics" are used, this selection of excerpts has culturally diverse protagonists who confront leadership challenges we encounter today. Moreover, these writings continue to influence our thinking and assumptions about how we manage people.

900 Courses

The Darden School offers, on a selected basis, courses approved by the faculty that are pertinent to the students enrolled in its doctoral program. Courses differ each term, depending on the doctoral students in residence and their fields of concentration. Doctoral students, and other students for whom these offerings might be appropriate, should contact the director of the doctoral program for current course descriptions at (434) 924-7247.