BA - Bachelor of Arts in Digital Business, Design & Innovation

• certified copy of high school diploma and transcripts; or equivalent.
• Proof of English level: TOEFL score 80 (internet-based), 213 (computer-based); IELTS 6.0; CAE B2 with a minimum score of 169; PTE 57; English native; or equivalent.

The Bachelor of Digital Business, Design & Innovation is a seven-semester, three-year program with the structure indicated below. Students who have completed this program have the option to take an additional eighth semester and earn a Diploma of Advanced Studies (DAS).

The first-year core courses provide students with a solid base in all fundamental business areas. Specialization subjects are incorporated into the curriculum in the second and third years. In the third year, students will focus on how modern technological advances are changing the way business is conducted and develop the qualities needed to be successful in the digital age

YEAR 1

SEMESTER 1
(22 CH | 30 ECTS)

Foundations of Business Management

This introduces the principles of business management within a modern organizational environment. Students will explore the major theories of management and critically examine the various management functions, including planning, organizing, human resource management, leading and controlling as well as the various environment frameworks under which organizations operate. Students are also given insights into in-depth, specialist areas which are the basis of subsequent courses.

3 CH | 4 ECTS

Marketing Management

This prepares the student to become an effective manager, overseeing marketing activities in an increasingly competitive environment. Students will enrich their understanding of how the various functional areas of marketing interface with the company. Students are encouraged to examine different cases critically. They also receive insight into areas of more depth, specialist areas which are the basis of subsequent courses. Emphasis is placed on the complex role marketing plays within an organization as well as the impact on the stakeholders of the company.

3 CH | 4 ECTS

Written Communication Skills

The focus of this course is divided between written communication in the business world and academic writing for university studies. It introduces the communication skills required by those preparing for a business or management position, as well as developing skills for academic purposes. The course will deal with the theory of business communication while at the same time providing practical examples and assignments to improve the effectiveness of written communication skills. Additionally, students will gain an understanding of university writing standards, research and citation skills and standard academic writing practices.

3 CH | 4 ECTS

Accounting I

The objective of the course is to give an overview of financial accounting and external reporting, including the basic accounting concepts and principles. Students will be shown how to prepare the basic financial accounting statements - the income statement, balance sheet, and cash flow statement - as well as their interpretation. This is the first of a two-part course, and covers the accounting cycle, the journal, basic ledger accounts, balance sheet, income statement, statement of retained earnings, accruals and deferrals and reporting financial results.

3 CH | 4 ECTS

Microeconomics

Students are introduced to the fundamentals of microeconomics within a participative environment. The different microeconomic concepts are explained, including supply and demand analysis, the concept of elasticity, welfare economics, the theory of the firm, competitive markets and market failures. Within these frameworks the behavior of different market players, namely individuals, households and businesses, are studied. Students are introduced to these aspects of microeconomics and their applications to address current economic policy problems through case studies and class exercises.

3 CH | 4 ECTS

Elementary Calculus

This course is designed to introduce the principles of calculus and to familiarize students with mathematical thinking. The course focuses on calculus topics that are relevant to students in the managerial and business sciences. Students will develop technical skills and tools to formulate, analyze and implement a simple quantitative model to support a business analysis and decision-making. Students must have a good understanding of algebra and arithmetic, as well as mathematical functions and their applications to practical problems.

2 CH | 3 ECTS

IT Software for Business

Students will learn about the array of software generally used in contemporary business environments, including new trends in data management and emerging future developments in IT software. These include business-specific applications for word processing, text-editing/design, spread sheet software, presentation software, internet OSS and trending mobile application software for assisting business and data management control. Additionally, new and innovative business IT structures are introduced in order to prepare students for advanced courses related to IT.

2 CH | 3 ECTS

Environmental Sustainability

The primary objective of the course is for students to understand (and be able to describe) the environmental risks and uncertainties that the world is facing today and in the coming decades. Climate change, the increasing population, decreasing fossil fuels, food and water insecurity, the loss of biodiversity and the acidification of the oceans will all have a significant impact on the way people live and work. The course explores these challenges and examines the role of business in ensuring a sustainable future for the planet.

2 CH | 3 ECTS

Crafting Your Future: Your Time at EU

This course takes individuals on a journey of exploration and learning. Each session involves diverse methods of learning, from theoretical information to experiential learning, self-assessment tools, self-awareness techniques, role-playing, peer-interviewing, journaling, meditation, goal setting, and many more. Students will be setting off on a journey of exploration and conscious choice-making, through gaining awareness on where they are, why they are there, and where the path they have chosen will be taking them.

1 CH | 1 ECTS

SEMESTER 2
(22 CH | 30 ECTS)

Ethics in Business

This course discusses the role of ethics in business and the foundations of business ethics. It considers how to integrate ethics into business practice and management theory, and the role of virtues in leading organizations. Ethical behavior contributes to personal development and to human excellence in business. Business ethics enhance corporate reputation and minimize the risk of the souring of relations between society and the company. Society, which gives businesses license to operate, increasingly demands ethical and responsible conduct from firms. This course discusses ethical dilemmas and practical difficulties that can arise in decision-making as companies try to harmonize profits with social, sustainable and ethical responsibilities.

3 CH | 4 ECTS

Oral Communication Skills

This course provides the skills for successful communication within the workplace, which is essential for business leaders to be effective. These skills include listening, identifying and interpreting verbal and nonverbal cues as well as the foundations of intercultural communication, of analyzing rhetorical situations, preparing oral presentations, and developing personal poise and confidence when delivering presentations. Students learn to analyze how, when and in which format to send messages, how to speak at meetings and how to handle question and answer sessions or complaints from interlocutors. These skills are combined with theoretical approaches to communication in the business environment.

3 CH | 4 ECTS

Accounting II

The primary objective of this course is to understand the measurements and the presentation of the assets, liabilities and owner’s equity in a public company’s balance sheet. The students will also learn how to prepare and interpret the statement of cash flows. This, the second part of a two-part course, covers the statement of cash flows, including explaining the purpose of operating cash flows and their potential impact on a business’ survival.

3 CH | 4 ECTS

Macroeconomics

The course provides an overview of major macroeconomic issues and studies the economy through its main performance indicators: national income/output, employment, unemployment and inflation. Fiscal and monetary policy, including fiscal stimulus, taxation, the interest rate and the money supply, are also discussed to understand government interests and decision-making. The course aims at using students’ own experiences and observations to enrich their understanding of the various external environments including macroeconomic decisions and economic growth.

3 CH | 4 ECTS

Business Law

The course introduces students to the core concepts of business law vis-à-vis the main legal issues facing entrepreneurs, organizations and business managers when running a business. Topics include key aspects/fields of business laws, including the law of contracts, company law, insurance law, taxation law and the law of intellectual property. Students will learn about the formation of a company, the rights and responsibilities of its directors and shareholders, as well as dispute settlement mechanisms. In addition, the changing face of global business and the ethical issues surrounding it will also be addressed.

3 CH | 4 ECTS

Mathematics of Finance

Mathematical finance is a field within applied mathematics, concerned with mathematical modeling of financial markets. This course reviews the basic theory of financial mathematics, covering the rate of return, interest rates and their use in discounting future cash flows. Other concepts that are studied in detail are the effects of compounding interest, the pricing and evaluation of bonds and perpetuities and annuities. The course concludes with the concept of future value and the effects of regular savings and pricing of pension plans and other future cash flows.

2 CH | 3 ECTS

Applied Management Statistics

Statistics are at the base of most business sciences. The ability to present, analyze and interpret data is crucial in the modern business world, and to be able to use Excel is paramount. This course on applied statistics provides a working knowledge of skills and tools in three main areas: data analysis, data production and statistical interference. The course introduces the science of learning from data. Information, in the form of numerical data, is analyzed and applied within a context of business operations to support managerial decision making. Data analysis concerns methods and strategies for exploring, organizing and describing data using graphs and numerical summaries.

2 CH | 3 ECTS

Advertising, Media & Branding

The increasing diversity and complexity of media turns advertising into a versatile art. This course introduces students to the key concepts and practices that underpin successful advertising and brand communications. Students learn how to select appropriate media for these communications and develop an understanding of trends, visual thinking, advertising brief development, marketing principles, brand communications, media relations and client/agency work.

2 CH | 3 ECTS

Crafting Your Future: Your Time at EU

This course takes individuals on a journey of exploration and learning. Each session involves diverse methods of learning, from theoretical information to experiential learning, self-assessment tools, self-awareness techniques, role-playing, peer-interviewing, journaling, meditation, goal setting, and many more. Students will be setting off on a journey of exploration and conscious choice-making, through gaining awareness on where they are, why they are there, and where the path they have chosen will be taking them.

1 CH | 1 ECTS

SEMESTER 3
(21 CH | 30 ECTS)

Strategic Marketing

Strategic marketing is the process of creating satisfied customers through the integration of all business functions and the continuous search for a sustainable competitive advantage. Students learn the importance of strategic marketing planning in the overall business plan. The course looks at strategic marketing from the customer and brand perspective and examines marketing strategy: targeting, achieving a sustainable competitive advantage and brand positioning.

3 CH | 4 ECTS

Business Finance I

This provides an introduction to the fundamentals of business finance and their application to the usual financial issues and decision-making of business enterprises. This will familiarize students with the role of financial management in maximizing the value of the firm.

3 CH | 4 ECTS

Human Resources Management

Students will analyze the key functions of human resource management and explores the strategic importance of attracting, developing, motivating and retaining employees. The course covers topics such as recruitment and talent acquisition; training; employee development, mentoring and promotion; appraisals; fair compensation; conflict resolution and legal issues. It looks at the role of HR in creating innovative business practices and sustainable sources of competitive advantage, as well as the standard administrative functions of HR. It will also examine HR practices and regulatory labor issues in various national markets.

2 CH | 3 ECTS

Production Management

Production and operations management are introduced in this course, which focuses on productivity analysis for improving business process orientation and creating a competitive edge. Key issues examined and discussed include inventory control systems, the planning of materials requirements and manufacturing resources and quality controls. Students undertake a production project throughout the semester in order to put the theory they learn into practice.

2 CH | 3 ECTS

Entrepreneurship & New Venture Creation

This course explores the complexities of starting and developing a new business, including an assessment of personal strengths and weaknesses and analysis of existing opportunities and threats. It covers the following areas: opportunity analysis; basic requirements of a feasibility study; entrepreneurial management; and preparing a feasibility plan. The course is delivered through a mix of theory, case analysis, written assignments, readings and group and class discussion.

2 CH | 3 ECTS

Management Information Systems

Students are introduced to the principals of technology and information systems in today’s business environment. The course provides insight into how contemporary businesses leverage information technologies and systems to achieve corporate objectives. It provides an up-to-date and comprehensive overview of information systems used by businesses today, including real-world cases and discussion of significant contemporary topics, from big data and artificial intelligence, to data security and internet governance.

2 CH | 3 ECTS

Digital Business

The digital economy has unlocked new opportunities for businesses, while simultaneously creating new areas of competition in both traditional and new sectors of the economy. Companies are increasingly digitalizing in order to capture value from innovations, cut costs, enhance performance and deliver new services. This course provides insight into the emergence of digital business, key concepts, technologies, applications and strategic organization.

2 CH | 3 ECTS

Boosting Creativity

In the current technological era of AI and big data management, human creativity enhances business performance because the generation of innovative ideas leads to competitive advantage. In this course, students will learn how to boost their creativity within organizations, thus driving them towards innovation.

2 CH | 3 ECTS

Digital Skills Development

Digital thinking is transformative and is changing business models. Digital thinking and technology now impact almost every area of business. They have enabled consumers to become more informed and make their definitive purchase with greater care. Organizations must adapt to this digital growth if they want to achieve lasting customer success and be as profitable as possible. On this course, students will explore how a successful career can be built up in the digital age and examine how digital thinking has changed the way organizations and firms work. They will learn the key digital skills for enabling an organization to nurture customer relationships, establish itself as an industry thought-leader and convert more buyers throughout the customer journey.

2 CH | 3 ECTS

Research Methods I

This mandatory course, entitled Research Methods I, is designed specifically for all bachelor’s students in their second year of studies. The course is delivered as a skill-based seminar over a period of two semesters and is intended to enhance and improve their academic and research skills. The course acts as a guide and a practical stepping-stone to conducting real world business and management research. Students could utilize the array of academic and transfer skills acquired in this course in their coursework; independent research; cases; business plans; and in their dissertations. The current course deals primarily with academic writing; authorship; referencing and bibliography; and contains a brief introduction to the EU Business School’s dissertation process.

Crafting Your Future: Personal Development

It is important to start with self-identification when embarking on a path of growth and development, whether personal or professional. This provides the basis for effective goal setting, planning, management and self-regulation, which take individuals to goal-directed behavior and achievement. This course takes students on a journey of exploration through which they will understand themselves better, including their characteristics, skills, competences, strengths and areas to develop. Each session involves diverse methods of learning, from theoretical information to experiential learning, self-assessment tools, self-awareness techniques, role-playing, peer-interviewing, journaling, goal setting, and many more.

1 CH | 1 ECTS

YEAR 2

SEMESTER 4
(21 CH | 30 ECTS)

Global Economics

As a result of globalization, the public and private sectors, input and output markets, businesses, households and individuals are all linked, with the consequence that individual decisions have a far-reaching impact. The course introduces students to the main concepts of international economics, the economic principal through a multidisciplinary approach. Globalization and international trade and finances (which are the two main building blocks of the global economy) are introduced through the analysis of basic theories, an overview of the role of international organizations such as the World Trade Organization and the International Monetary Fund, as well as a discussion of current global challenges.

3 CH | 4 ECTS

Business Finance II

Making sound financial decisions requires an understanding of modern finance theory. Throughout this course, a theoretical framework will be developed and applied to a wide range of practical problems. Specific objectives include the calculation of free cash flows, understanding of investment in long-term assets with heavy emphasis on the capital budgeting techniques. The course also includes financial forecasting and the importance of managing a firm’s liquidity and the understanding of the effective cost of short-term borrowing. Capital structure and dividend policy will also be explored.

3 CH | 4 ECTS

Social Media Marketing

Social media is an integral component in almost all successful marketing strategies, and marketing professionals and organizations require end‐to‐end social media expertise. In this course, students will learn best practices and develop the skills to connect business objectives with social media strategy, platforms and tactics. Social media has disrupted communication channels and created challenges for marketing in the digital age. Control of the brand has shifted from the company to the consumer. In this course, students will learn how to manage their brand (either personal or business) on social media and how to create a social media strategy.

2 CH | 3 ECTS

Financial Markets

This course will study the major financial intermediaries and the instruments that are traded in financial markets. This includes examining the effects of financial markets, such as bond and stock markets, which are crucial to promoting greater economic efficiency by channeling funds from people that do not have a productive use for them to those who do. Activities in financial markets have direct effects on personal wealth, the behavior of business and consumers, and the critical performance of the economy. This course strives to offer understanding on how interest rates, foreign exchange rates and the stock market play a prominent role in our financial and economic lives.

2 CH | 3 ECTS

Consumer Behavior

Can we capture tomorrow’s consumer behavior? Understanding consumers enables marketers to more effectively meet the needs of buyers in the market. This course investigates the processes that individuals, groups and organizations use to select, secure, use, and dispose of products, services and experiences. It also covers the process of generating ideas to satisfy needs and the impacts that these processes have on the consumer and society. It introduces students to the influence that consumer behavior has on marketing activities. Topics covered includes the consumer profiles behind the PLC, classical and non-classical segmentation, ethological behavioral analysis, psychological typologies, impulsive and compulsive behaviors, consumer profiling, typologies and consumer profiles fitting the trends of the future.

2 CH | 3 ECTS

Sales & Purchasing Management

This course introduces the exciting world of sales and purchasing management. Effective management of salespeople and purchasing functions is critical to business success because of the pressure on cost optimization, globalization and resource efficiency. The course focuses on Business-to-Business (B2B) relationships. The new salespeople are engaged in consultative relationships with their customers. They are expected to solve customer problems, not just to sell products. Today’s customers demand higher quality and greater levels of service. This course provides students with an understanding of personal selling. The course discusses the important relationships between personal selling and organizational strategies. The course focuses on supervisory and leadership roles necessary for successful sales management. The course also focuses on some of the best purchasing practices and its role in the companies as a new edge to gain a competitive advantage.

2 CH | 3 ECTS

Digital Economy

This course offers an up-to-date, critical synthesis that links together the various aspects of the digital or cyber economy from the perspective of real firms. Throughout this course, students will discover how key business areas (sales, marketing, operations, finance, etc.) are changing in today’s digital economy. It is designed to equip students with the mind-set and skills that will prepare them for the future economy.

2 CH | 3 ECTS

Innovation and Design Thinking

Design thinking is a method of applying creativity to come up with novel solutions to tough problems. The process involves being immersed in a problem space, thinking creatively around pain points and opportunity areas, then iteratively prototyping totally new solutions focused on listening, user empathy, whole-brain thinking, collaboration and experimentation. Design thinking can be applied within any team and in any field - from architecture and design to healthcare and product development. Everything is a result of design thinking, and its techniques and tools can also be applied to problems in the non-profit and public sectors.

2 CH | 3 ECTS

Digital Leadership

This course will provide students with a clear and practical set of theories and recommendations to meet the challenges of digital transformation and ensure long-term success as a leader in a primarily digital business world. This course describes the fundamental principles of digitization and its economic opportunities and risks, integrating them into a framework of classic and new management methods. This course explores how increasing digitization - not only of communication, but of complete value chains - has led to a need to establish a digital business leadership.

2 CH | 3 ECTS

Research Methods II

This mandatory course is designed specifically for all bachelor’s students in their second year of studies who have successfully completed Research Methods I. The course focuses on research designs; research philosophies; methodologies; ethical consideration; and research findings. The course focuses on how to design a real-world business research project. The module will provide students with the essential theory and practice of research – namely quantitative and qualitative research; how to conduct qualitative and quantitative research; and how to present the research findings.

Crafting Your Future: Personal Development

It is important to start with self-identification when embarking on a path of growth and development, whether personal or professional. This provides the basis for effective goal setting, planning, management and self-regulation, which take individuals to goal-directed behavior and achievement. This course takes students on a journey of exploration through which they will understand themselves better, including their characteristics, skills, competences, strengths and areas to develop. Each session involves diverse methods of learning, from theoretical information to experiential learning, self-assessment tools, self-awareness techniques, role-playing, peer-interviewing, journaling, goal setting, and many more.

1 CH | 1 ECTS

SEMESTER 5
(21 CH | 30 ECTS)

Global Business

This course introduces students to the world of international business and management and examines contextual factors, administrative mechanisms, organizational processes, cultural influences, government, and business structures in our global economy. Students explore the challenges facing modern corporations when organizing cross-border activities that span multiple stages of the value chain. Topics include trade relations and missions, international finance, legal and labor agreements, information needs, production systems, marketing and promotion. Theory is complemented by the Capsim® Global DNA computer simulation as part of the class. Through a realistic, hands-on learning experience, students explore why companies choose to compete internationally.

3 CH | 4 ECTS

Financial Statement Analysis

In this course, a broad framework for using financial statement analysis to evaluate a firm’s current business operations and to predict its future condition is presented. Students learn to compare companies financially and grasp basic profitability issues. To achieve these objectives, important tools and skills are taught throughout the course with cases based on actual companies’ financial statements. Topics include profitability analysis, analysis of the statement of cash flows, ratio and trend analysis. The course is delivered through a mix of theory, class exercises, problems and cases.

3 CH | 4 ECTS

Negotiation

How often will you negotiate in your career, in business and in life? The need for negotiation skills arises wherever joint decision-making is necessary. The aim of effective negotiation is to create maximum value in the deal-making process. Differences are the basis for negotiation; without them there is no need for negotiation. This practical and experiential course looks at theory and research on negotiation in different scenarios and then puts learning into practice which is later reflected upon.

2 CH | 3 ECTS

Small Business Management

The course provides students with a clear vision of small business management today. The goal of the companies discussed is to provide personal independence and financial security, rather than market dominance and extreme wealth. We will focus on the small businesses that students are planning to start, and consider the challenges facing entrepreneurs and small business owners. A business plan is one of the keys to successfully managing and growing a small business, particularly if outside capital is required. The development of a specific business plan for small businesses is covered in the course, as well as organizational structures, important legal issues, sources of capital and managing and growing the venture.

2 CH | 3 ECTS

Corporate Finance

This course looks at the big picture issues related to corporate finance including capital structure, dividend policy and the cost of financing. The course also examines how corporations issue securities, leasing, mergers and acquisitions and the concept of financial distress. Students also discuss the most important goal of the firm: maximize shareholder’s value.

2 CH | 3 ECTS

Industrial Marketing

The course introduces the key elements of business-to-business (B2B) marketing and analyses the differences between industrial and consumer markets. Topics include (i) business buyer behavior, (ii) steps in business-buying decisions, (iii) B2B marketing strategies, and (iv) B2B marketing campaigns.

2 CH | 3 ECTS

Introduction to Data Science

This course introduces the fundamental principles of data science and walks the student through the 'data-analytic thinking' necessary for extracting useful knowledge and business value from data. This course also helps the student understand the many data-mining techniques in use today and provides examples of real-world business problems to illustrate these principles. Students will learn how to improve communication between business stakeholders and data scientists, and how to participate intelligently in a company’s data science projects.

2 CH | 3 ECTS

Digital Transformation

Is digitalization a value-added approach? This course reveals how to digitally transform business models and compete in today’s economy. Students will explore the role of digitalization as the main business driver of the 21st century, focusing on getting started with digitalization and managing digital transformation and its new strategic framework. They will employ analyses and practical case studies to demonstrate how to unleash the potential offered by the digital transformation, and how to achieve the most critical success factors in the new digital marketplace.

2 CH | 3 ECTS

Entrepreneurship in Digitalization

Digital entrepreneurship is a relevant socio-economic and technological phenomenon which can be considered as the joining of traditional entrepreneurship with an emphasis on leveraging new digital technologies in novel ways, such as social, mobile, analytics, cloud and cyber-solutions. All of this shifts the traditional way of creating and doing business in the digital era. Digital entrepreneurship can be defined as embracing new ventures and the transformation of existing business by creating and using novel digital technologies. In this course, the students will learn that digital enterprises are characterized by a high intensity of utilization of new digital technologies (particularly social, mobile, analytics and cloud solutions) to improve business operations, invent new (digital) business models, sharpen business intelligence, and engage with customers and stakeholders through new (digital) channels”

2 CH | 3 ECTS

Crafting Your Future: Professional Development

This course prepares students for their professional lives by exploring career types and callings. It is an experiential learning process from job application to employment. Students are familiarized with responsible business practice and learn about branding their personal identity for employability. Each session involves diverse methods of learning, from theoretical information to experiential learning, self-assessment tools, self-awareness techniques, role-playing, peer-interviewing, journaling, meditation, goal setting, and many more. Students will be practicing and mastering today’s pivotal skills, such as empathy, compassion, ethical behavior, reading the phenomena within personal and social contexts.1 CH | 1 ECTS

YEAR 3

SEMESTER 6
(30 ECTS)

Global Business & Strategy

This module studies global business using a combined strategic and economic approach. The recent major global economic shifts are explored, and current international business events are analyzed. Students will study the key theoretical underpinnings, trends and challenges of international trade and foreign direct investment. They will analyze the importance of government and institutions in controlling/regulating international business behavior. The long-term sustainability of businesses in the ever-changing, and often hostile, global business environment is considered, in order to understand the critical role played by strategic management.

10 ECTS

The Business Consultancy Project Part I

Improvements to processes, services, products, people, and systems are core to the strategy of organizations. Improvements bridge the gap between current and required performance to add value and achieve and sustain a competitive advantage in the long-term. Effective consultation and project management using appropriate business improvement and research methodologies is key to the successful implementation of change. In this two-part module students will explore how to plan, organize, motivate, and control resources to achieve defined goals, on time and to agreed cost and quality criteria. Using a consultative approach, students will be challenged to make decisions based on their own research to provide practical advice and solutions to real-life scenarios taking into consideration the organization’s constraints. They will liaise with employers, establish agreed objectives and present their findings in a clear, business-focused report and presentation.

10 ECTS

Marketing Across Cultures

Students will gain a thorough understanding of the added complexities involved in global marketing and how these impact on the formulation of marketing plans and strategies through this module. It builds on the knowledge and concepts acquired earlier in the program. This model familiarizes students with a range of issues and concepts encountered by international marketers and provides the theoretical framework for analyzing and implementing them in a real-life business situation. Assessment is coursework-based, designed to enable students to demonstrate their ability to approach a business challenge as a marketer and business manager. The assessment methods used on this module will also help develop key skills desired by employers, such as critical analysis, business report-writing and presentation skills.

10 ECTS

Qualities needed to be successful in the digital age.

SEMESTER 7
(30 ECTS)

Developing Leadership & Management

This module examines the concepts of leadership and management. It explores the similarities and differences in the roles and responsibilities of leaders and managers in the workplace and the development of leadership theoretical approaches as well as the practical application of these within organizations. Students will analyze the skills and competencies of effective organizational leaders and examine alternative methods of leadership development to enhance these.

10 ECTS

The Business Consultancy Project Part II

Improvements to processes, services, products, people, and systems are core to the strategy of organizations. Improvements bridge the gap between current and required performance to add value and achieve and sustain a competitive advantage in the long-term. Effective consultation and project management using appropriate business improvement and research methodologies is key to the successful implementation of change. In this two-part module students will explore how to plan, organize, motivate, and control resources to achieve defined goals, on time and to agreed cost and quality criteria. Using a consultative approach, students will be challenged to make decisions based on their own research to provide practical advice and solutions to real-life scenarios taking into consideration the organization’s constraints. They will liaise with employers, establish agreed objectives and present their findings in a clear, business-focused report and presentation.

10 ECTS

International Entrepreneurship

This module seeks to develop an understanding of the emerging area of international entrepreneurship, and how that knowledge can be applied to a real-life situation. In recent years, international business and entrepreneurship have been coalescing into a single cognate area. Trading blocs such as the EU highlight entrepreneurship as an engine of economic growth and SMEs are becoming more international thanks to technological advances. At the same time globalization has prompted the re-emergence of local cultures which influence the growth of entrepreneurship in diverse ways. Creating an in-depth appreciation of these issues will enable students to apply theory to inform, evaluate and enhance potential international entrepreneurial ventures.

10 ECTS

GRADUATION (Requirements)

To graduate, in addition to the listed courses, students will also have to successfully complete the following for a total of 22 CH | 30 ECTS:

Research Methods

Students must complete a two-part course (Research Methods I and Research Methods II) designed to enhance a students’ academic writing and research skills. Students learn how to best address their research problem, adequately design their research, formulate their research plan, and choose appropriate methodologies and methods.

Dissertation Seminars

These seminars provide support and information for students during the dissertation process, including the documentation and administrative requirements, and assistance with topic selection, research focus and dissertation proposals.

Final Cases: Marketing/Specialization

All students must prepare two final cases and successfully defend them before a panel of judges. One of these cases is in the field of marketing and the second is in the student’s specialization subject.

Dissertation

The dissertation component marks the culminating academic requirement for students at all levels and allows them to identify and investigate real world challenges, and to produce an independent piece of academic work reflecting their knowledge, research and analysis.

DIPLOMA OF ADVANCED STUDIES

SEMESTER 8
(21 CH | 30 ECTS)

Strategic Management

This explores the problems faced by the senior management of an organization. It considers the nature and complexity of strategic management, develops a suitable framework for problem analysis, deals with the concept of strategy and addresses the challenges of external and internal constraints. Emphasis is placed on the complex role people play within an organization as well as the impact of the external environment on business activities.

3 CH | 4 ECTS

Budgeting & Control

Students will study management accounting systems, the basic concepts of cost accounting systems and the creation and use of budgets. The course provides an understanding of management accounting with emphasis on cost-volume-profit analysis operational budget. Students will attain a clear understanding of cost-volume-profit relationships and how they can be useful for business decisions. Students will develop an understanding and working knowledge of real-world budget issues including variances in input, labor and other prices and costs of finance. Students will be equipped to create production, inventory and cash-flow budgets for manufacturing companies and identify constraints and the difference between in and out of control budget elements. Finally, students will be equipped to analyze and discuss variances from budgeted performance.

3 CH | 4 ECTS

Organizational Communication

The course develops the fundamental skills of communicating within the workplace: students will learn about the functions of the communications director / department, the communications audit, the design and implementation of a corporate communications plan, the purpose of internal communication campaigns for PR and HR and related topics such as organizational culture, ethics, communication flows as well as dealing with challenging situations and contexts. There will be a significant practical element to the course that will require full student participation and will include the preparation and/or analysis of a corporate communications audit, plan, manual and internal communication campaigns.

2 CH | 3 ECTS

Cases in Marketing

The course is designed to prepare the student to clearly evaluate different marketing cases, its problems, and questions, based on specific case studies. The course is meant to enhance the logical and analytical skills of the students. Students are encouraged to examine different cases critically and come up with viable solutions. They also will have to write their own marketing case, including an overview of the problem to be solved, the background of the case and an overall in-depth description of the problem. The case will be solved in a separate document and the solutions presented in front of a 2-member committee. Emphasis is placed on the complex role marketing plays within an organization. The course will help students review and integrate the material they have studied in the business major. The course is delivered through a mix of theory, case analysis, written assignments, and group and class discussion as well as the writing of the individual case.

2 CH | 3 ECTS

Cases in Digital Entrepreneurship: Start-up Incubator

This unique course brings together the skills and knowledge that students will have acquired in the area of digital entrepreneurship. The goal of this course is for students to apply the methods and strategies learned previously to successfully launch an innovative venture business, from start to finish.

2 CH | 3 ECTS

Web Design & Web Analytics

This course unpacks modern web analytics and the latest web design trends that allow users to enhance their corporate image. It will provide a broad overview of web design that includes an introduction to web graphic design; interface design; authoring, including standardized code and proprietary software; user experience design; and search engine optimization. The main tools used for assessing web traffic will also be examined, focusing on how they can be used to improve the effectiveness of a corporate website.

2 CH | 3 ECTS

Fintech: Digitalization in Finance

What does the financial services sector look like and how will it develop in the 21st century? This course looks at the foundations of new technologies and innovations for the financial services and the outlook for future innovation. An overview will be provided of technological innovation in the financial sector, including innovations in financial literacy and education, retail banking, investment and even cryptocurrencies like bitcoin.

2 CH | 3 ECTS

Digital Graphic Design & Management

Providing a broad overview of graphic design, this course will explain how visual communication is achieved through typography, text and imagery and how its use affects corporate identity. Common examples of graphic design, such as corporate logos, advertising and web design will be discussed.

2 CH | 3 ECTS

Digital Reputation & Intellectual Property Rights

This course will enable students to successfully manage a company’s digital image and learn how to apply international IP law in day-to-day digital business. The development and management of corporate- and personal digital image will be discussed and explored. Key questions surrounding intellectual property rights will be analyzed, focusing on copyright and ideas related to copyright as well as industrial property.

2 CH | 3 ECTS

Crafting Your Future: Professional Development

This course prepares students for their professional lives by exploring career types and callings. It is an experiential learning process from job application to employment. Students are familiarized with responsible business practice and learn about branding their personal identity for employability. Each session involves diverse methods of learning, from theoretical information to experiential learning, self-assessment tools, self-awareness techniques, role-playing, peer-interviewing, journaling, meditation, goal setting, and many more. Students will be practicing and mastering today’s pivotal skills, such as empathy, compassion, ethical behavior, reading the phenomena within personal and social contexts.

1 CH | 1 ECTS

• SIX OR SEVEN SEMESTERS/THREE YEARS Fees per semester €6450
• OPTIONAL: DIPLOMA OF ADVANCED STUDIES (DAS) One extra semester €6450