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2015 - 2016 Academic Catalog

Professional MBA

The Professional MBA program at Lasell College explores aspects of leadership in a changing world, including on the study of marketing, economics and entrepreneurship. The MBA program consists of 36 credits that can be completed in 16 months. Lasell offers rolling admission for starts in September and January.

Professional MBA Curriculum
The program is delivered 100 percent online and is taught in four, 15-week modules. 

PMBA 701 Organizational Competencies (9 credits)
Organizational Development and Theory
Leading for Organization Success
Organizational Responsibility and Social Justice

PMBA 702 Quantitative Skills (9 credits)
Quantitative Analysis and Decision-Making
Managerial Economics
Statistics for Managerial Decision-Making

PMBA 703 Financial Skills (9 credits)
Accounting for Managers
Financial Analysis for Managers
Global Finance

PMBA 704 Strategic Skills (9 credits)
Supply Chain Management Strategies
Strategic Management
Entrepreneurial Strategy and Value Creation

 

 

 


Course Code Course Title Credits
PMBA705 Organizational Theory and Leadership 3
PMBA706 Leadership’s Role in the 21st Century Organization 3
PMBA707 The Organization’s Role in Ethics and Social Justice 3
PMBA708 Quantitative Analysis for Managerial Decision-Making 3
PMBA709 Statistical Techniques and Analysis for Managerial Decision-Making 3
PMBA710 Managerial Economics 3
PMBA711 Accounting for Managers 3
PMBA712 Financial Analysis for Managers 3
PMBA713 Strategic IT Alignment 3
PMBA714 Entrepreneurial Strategy: New Venture Creation, Management and Harvesting Strategies 3
PMBA715 Global Marketing Strategies and Dynamic Supply Chain Management 3
PMBA716 Global Strategy for Continual Success 3

ECON101 - Principles of Econ-Micro

This course is an introduction to the principles of the economic behavior of individuals, firms, and industries in the mixed economic system. Topics include consumer demand; elasticity; supply and costs of production; the allocation of economic resources; international trade; and the role of government in promoting economic welfare.

ECON103 - Economics of Social Issues

This course examines a broad range of social issues from an economics perspective. Designed for non-business majors, the course provides an introduction to economic reasoning and to some basic economic concepts which are then used to analyze a variety of social problems. Possible topics include poverty, unemployment, agriculture, discrimination, crime, pollution, education, health care, social security, and third world development.

ED109 - Invitation to Teaching

This course explores careers in teaching beginning with the unifying question: Why should I become a teacher? Students examine their motivations to become teachers while they learn about college and state requirements and expectations.

ED110 - Teaching & Learning in American Schools

This course provides students pursuing or considering initial teacher licensure with an overview of the teaching profession. Students study and discuss history and philosophies of education systems, as well as current trends and issues. Massachusetts professional standards and requirements for licensure are explored. This course is a prerequisite for all other ED courses. Twenty-five hours of observation and tutoring in varied school settings are required. This is a presentation-intensive course.

ED210 - Reading & Writing Across the Curriculum

This course emphasizes the processes of reading and the critical nature of reading to learn in the content areas. Focus will be on literacy strategies to support teaching in content areas, the influences of diversity, the current methods of instruction, and assessments used to inform instruction. In addition, the current research on reading to learn will be read, discussed, and integrated in all course activities. Requires a pre-practicum of 25 hours minimum. Prerequisite: ED 219.

ED219 - Supporting Learner Variability

This course introduces students to characteristics of learners with special needs in classroom and community settings. It focuses on principles of Universal Design for Learning in developing appropriate learning environments to meet the variability of all students in Pre-K through high school settings. A required minimum 25-hour pre-practicum provides opportunities to teach and observe in area classrooms. Prerequisite: ED 110

ED308 - Responsive Teaching in Secondary Schools

Students will develop strategies and tools necessary to be responsive secondary. Participants in this course will observe secondary teachers, develop lesson plans, reflect on their teaching philosophy, apply leadership theory to classroom practice, explore current trends and issues that impact secondary classrooms, increase their cultural competence, and expand their toolkit of strategies for differentiating instruction to address the variability of secondary students. A minimum of 25 hours of classroom observation, reflection and teaching is required. Pre-requisite: ED 219

ED309 - Sheltered English Immersion

This course provides a grounding in current theory and practice related to teaching English Language Learners. In particular, students learn to effectively shelter their content instruction, so that ELL students can access curriculum, achieve academic success, and contribute their multilingual and multicultural resources as participants and future leaders in the 21st century global economy. This course meets Massachusetts DESE standards for the required SEI endorsement. Course includes a minimum 25-hour pre-practicum in license-appropriate classrooms. Prerequisite: ED 206 or Department permission

ED435 - Pre-practicum: Secondary History

Through a minimum of 150 hours of observation and reflection in public schools, and regular meetings with school and Lasell faculty, students in this course become familiar with the curriculum and organization of middle and/or high schools and history classrooms in preparation for the practicum. Prerequisite: Senior standing; passing scores on all required MTEL; permission of Department Chair. Co-requisite: ED421

ED484 - Practicum: Secondary History

In this course, students complete a minimum of 300 field hours observing and teaching in a secondary history classroom and meet regularly with both Lasell and school supervisors. Assignments incorporate all Massachusetts requirements for licensure and include topics such as the ethics of teaching, legal and moral responsibilities, student confidentiality, and working parents and community members. Permission of the Department Chair required. Prerequisite: ED 435; passing scores on all required sections of the MTEL

ENG212 - Literature for Young Adults

This course surveys current literature for adolescent and teen readers. It prepares students to evaluate young adult books in terms of literary quality, reader interest, and social and political perspectives. Strategies for use in the classroom are explored; various genres are examined. Prerequisite: ENG 102.

ENV220 - World Geography (KP)

This course surveys the earth's social, cultural and economic patterns and their relationship to the physical geography of the earth. A regional approach is taken to provide a foundation for more intensive systematic studies of important environmental/political issues.

HIST103 - World Civilization I

Beginning with prehistory, this course explores early civilizations and then follows developments in a global context, showing interconnections between Asia, Africa, and Europe. Emphasis is placed on cultural, social, economic, religious, and political developments.

HIST104 - World Civilization II (KP)

This Knowledge Perspective course will provide students with the opportunity to interpret and analyze the complex interrelationships and inequities in human societies in a global historical context. Emphasizing the interrelatedness and mutuality of influence between East and West, we examine questions of exclusiveness, intolerance, and cooperation. Prerequisite: ENG101.

HIST123 - American Civilization I

This course examines the chief political, social, and cultural features of American society as they have developed through the period of Reconstruction. Emphasis is on Colonial America, the War of Independence, the Constitution, and the emergence of the Republic through the Civil War.

HIST124 - American Civilization II

This course is a continuation of HIST 123 from the period of Reconstruction to the present. Emphasis is on reconstruction, industrialization, immigration, constitutional issues, and the emergence of American foreign policy. There is some examination of American political life in the nuclear age.

HIST207 - African American History

This course explores the history of African Americans in the United States from their African beginnings to the present. It traces the lives and status of African Americans, enslaved and emancipated, as they confronted the barriers of legal, institutional, and cultural prejudices; it examines the socioeconomic and political experiences of blacks in America and investigates strategies of accommodation, resistance, and protest in the struggle of African Americans to gain human and first-class citizenship rights. This is a writing-intensive course. Prerequisite: a 100-level history course or ENG 102.

HIST209 - China from 1600 to Present

This course is a survey of modern Chinese history from the founding of the Qing Dynasty in the seventeenth century to Deng Xiaoping's economic reforms of the 1990s. Special attention will be paid to modernization, Western and Japanese imperialism in China, and the rise of Communism under Mao Zedong. In addition to learning about important milestones in Chinese history, students will be introduced to aspects of Chinese art, culture, and women's issues through primary sources translated into English. This is a writing-intensive course. Prerequisite: a 100-level history course or ENG 102.

HIST210 - Latin Amer Colonial Period to Present

This survey looks at Latin American history from pre-Colombian to contemporary times. Emphasis is on native cultures, the “discovery” of the New World, European presence, colonialism, imperialism, the creation of the peasantry, wars of independence, the formation of nation-states, the role of the military, slavery and racism, development and underdevelopment, the Catholic Church, liberation theology, poverty, and revolution. Major emphasis in South America is on Argentina, Colombia, Peru, Chile, Venezuela, and the Portuguese-speaking nation of Brazil. The course also examines foreign intervention and inner instability in Mexico, including struggles for democracy, economic rights, and social justice. In the Hispanic Caribbean and Central America, especially with regard to Cuba, Puerto Rico, Dominican Republic, Guatemala, Belize, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, and Panama, land and labor systems, gender relations, race and ethnicity, and varied forms of rule are discussed. This is a writing-intensive course. Prerequisite: a 100-level history course or ENG 102.

HIST211 - Middle East & Islamic World Since 1800

This course looks at the Middle East and its relations with the wider world, from the appearance of Napoleon to the present. Topics include attempts at reform and modernization in the Ottoman Empire; the impact of Western imperialism on the region as a whole; and twentieth-century developments in the area, including nationalism, pan-Arabism, pan-Islamism, the cult of the personality, coup, revolution, Zionism, and the Palestinian-Israeli confrontation. The economic and social impact of oil, the influence of fundamentalism, and the Great Power rivalry down through the position of the United States toward the area are investigated. The efforts of Iran to gain acceptance in/by the contemporary world are examined, as is the shifting attitude of Egypt toward modernity. Finally, connections between the region and the rest of the Islamic world are explored. This is a writing-intensive course. Prerequisite: a 100-level history course or ENG 102.

HIST212 - Mod Japan: Culture & History

This course is a survey of Japan's modernization from the fall of the warring states period to the economic bubble of the 1980s. Special attention will be paid to the contributions of the early modern Tokugawa Shogunate, the Meiji period of cultural borrowing from the West, and the cultural nationalism of the Japanese empire until 1945. In addition to learning about important milestones in Japanese history, students will be introduced to aspects of Japanese art and culture through a variety of primary and secondary sources and film clips. This is a presentation-intensive course. Prerequisite: a 100-level history course or ENG 102.

HIST352 - Nature & Meaning of History

The first half of this course examines selective theories of history from Herodotus through Braudel. The second part investigates the historiography of a single topic according to student interest. Readings are selected to introduce the student to interpretive issues surrounding the selected topic. The perspectives of several practicing historians are considered. Students write a research paper. This course is intended for history majors and as a capstone course for history minors; it is open to others who have successfully completed at least three history courses and have the permission of the instructor. This is a writing-intensive course. Prerequisite: a 200-level history course and permission of instructor.

HIST400 - Individual Seminar in Reading & Research

This course will serve as the first semester of a two-semester individualized history capstone sequence. Students will work closely on an individual basis with a full-time faculty member, meeting weekly to define a topic for in-depth examination through reading, research, and writing. Reading and research will begin during HIST 400 and will continue during the following semester in HIST 401. Students must complete HIST 400 before enrolling in HIST 401. Prerequisite: Junior or Senior standing and HIST 352 (can be taken concurrently).

HIST401 - Tutorial in History

This capstone course focuses on research methodology and practice in history. The student must gain the written agreement of the faculty member who oversees the project. Each student defines a topic by the end of the first week of the semester. Subsequent weekly meetings address progress and problems encountered in research of the topic. The finished product is a substantial paper (ca. 30 pages) with full scholarly apparatus. Prerequisite: Junior or Senior standing, HIST 352, and HIST 400.

POLS101 - American Government

This is an examination of the basic principles that form the foundation for the structure and practice of American government. The impact of the political system on the citizen is explored along with the central assumptions and concepts that serve as the basis for the field of political science.

PSYC101 - Psychological Perspectives (KP)

In this course, students learn to think like psychologists as they study classic and contemporary topics in human behavior, feeling, and thought. Students learn to apply psychological perspectives of thought, including biological, cognitive, sociocultural, humanistic, psychodynamic, and behaviorist, to better understand the human experience. Students will learn to use these perspectives to explore how individual behavior is influenced by and influences one’s biology, family, community and society. Topics may include human development, personality, psychopathology, human relationships, language, memory, perceptual processes, and intelligence, among others.

PSYC223 - Adolescent Psychology

This course provides a survey of contemporary knowledge of the human brain, examining normal developmental brain processes and common brain functions. The course also covers common disorders and emphasizes understanding the impact of atypical brain development and the consequences of brain trauma. Intervention strategies and treatment are included. Prerequisite: PSYC101

SOC101 - Sociological Imagination (KP)

This course is designed to help students develop their ability to think critically about the world around them using the framework of sociology. Students explore the relationship between individual and society – how personal experience is shaped by social forces, but also how society is created and changed through individual interaction. The focus is on the interrelationships of groups, social organization, and social institutions such as education, religion, family, and the economic and political order.

Cristina Haverty

Associate Vice President of Workforce Development and Global Engagement/ Professor, Athletic Training

Office: Alexander STC

Lori Rosenthal

Assistant Provost; Professor of Psychology

Office: Plummer

Janice Barrett

Professor of Communication; Chair, Graduate Communication Program

Office: Donahue 108

Keith Belmore

Associate Professor of Athletic Training and Graduate Chair of Athletic Training

Office: Alexander STC 104N

Linda Bucci

Professor & Program Chair of Justice Studies, Graduate Chair of Criminal Justice

Office: Plummer

Sarah Giasullo

Assistant Professor of Athletic Training; Graduate Chair of Health Sciences

Office: Alexander STC 104T

Elizabeth Hartmann

Professor of Education

Office: Brennan Library

Janet Huetteman

Graduate Chair of Management and Marketing; Associate Professor of Marketing

Office: 23 Maple Street, Office #5

Young-Tae Kim

Associate Professor of Sport Management; Graduate Interim Chair of Sport Management

Office: Alexandar STC

Ron Laham

Assistant Professor of Athletic Training/ Exercise Science

Office: Alexander STC

Luis Lopez-Preciado

Associate Professor of Communication

Office: Donahue

Amy Maynard

Professor of Education

Office: Brennan Library

Meryl Perlson

Chair of Communication; Professor of Communication

Office: Donahue 107

Matthew Reilly

Chair of Business and Interim Chair of Sport Management; Assistant Professor of Business

Office: DeArment

Claudia Rinaldi

The Joan Weiler Arnow ’49 Professor/Professor of Education, Chair of Education

Office: Brennan Library

Daniel Sargeant

Associate Professor of Sport Management

Office: Alexander STC

Nancy Waldron

Assistant Provost; Professor of Entrepreneurship and Management

Office: DeArment

Martin Walsh

Professor of Marketing and Management

Office: DeArment

Brian Wardyga

Professor of Communication; General Manager, 109.2FM WLAS & LCTV

Office: Brennan Library, G04F

Edward Weeks

Associate Professor of Justice Studies

Office: Winslow

Catherine Zeek

Professor Emerita

PMBA705 - Organizational Theory and Leadership

Organizational Development is a field of research, theory, and practice dedicated to expanding the knowledge and effectiveness of people to accomplish more successful leadership practices, organizational change efforts and improve performance. OD is a process of continuous diagnosis, action planning, implementation and evaluation, with the goal of transferring knowledge and skills to organizations to improve their capacity for solving problems and managing future change. Organizational Development is a conscious, planned process of developing an organization’s capabilities so that it can attain and sustain an optimum level of performance as measured by efficiency, effectiveness, and health. To achieve a competitive advantage in a global marketplace, contemporary organizations are in a continuous state of change. Within such a complex system as an organization, change has a rippling effect. Effective leadership is essential to achieving a high level of performance of individuals, groups and teams. This course emphasizes application of behavioral science knowledge to major organizational issues such as performance, decision making, communication, conflict, and leadership.

PMBA706 - Leadership’s Role in the 21st Century Organization

Examines the role of managers as ethical and responsible thought leaders, problem solvers and change agents. The complexities of, and challenges associated with, managing and leading change in a rapidly changing, international, diverse and information-based environment are emphasized. Through discussion, case analysis, role playing, decision-making simulations, and experiential exercises, students explore the responsibilities of contemporary business and the complex issues of leading and guiding organizations in a turbulent environment. Students have the opportunity to apply and develop a range of skills - analytical, problem solving, ethical decision making, interpersonal, communication, influencing, negotiation, conflict management, and change-related implementation - in a variety of leadership situations.

PMBA707 - The Organization’s Role in Ethics and Social Justice

This course deals with the roles and responsibilities of business in a global society; teaches models of ethical decision-making that incorporate multiple points of view, including diverse cultural worldviews and legal perspectives; and addresses those factors that contribute to and constrain ethical behavior in and by organizations. Students will then apply these concepts to current business problems, such as anti-trust, accounting fraud, deceptive advertising, and environmental dumping. All social human activity raises complex issues of ethics, values and social responsibility and the world of business and its complex commercial activity is no exception. Indeed, the subject of corporate social responsibility and business ethics has now fully entered into its own in this new world order of global markets and transnational decision-making where both domestic and international regulatory standards of commercial practice provide insufficient guidance to ensure fair and socially responsible economic activity. Throughout this course, you will emphasize the dissimilar perspectives of, and responses to, these dilemmas in a dynamic global economy.

PMBA708 - Quantitative Analysis for Managerial Decision-Making

This course develops knowledge and abilities necessary for making effective business decisions. Quantitative and statistical skills provide managers with more confidence in dealing with uncertainty in spite of the flood of available data. These skills enable managers to more quickly make smarter decisions and provide more stable leadership to staff relying on them. It presents tools and procedures that can be used to effectively analyze, interpret and communicate information. The course encourages students to think analytically and to reason logically using available information and appropriate technology in order to solve problems and make decisions. Course topics include decision making under uncertainty, time series forecasting, linear programming and the transportation method.

PMBA709 - Statistical Techniques and Analysis for Managerial Decision-Making

This course covers basic statistical techniques in a managerial setting featuring case studies and conceptual exercises. Statistical topics include effective use of numerical and graphical summaries, estimation and confidence intervals, hypothesis testing and regression. A few more advanced topics such as data mining, the Bayesian paradigm and principles of model building may be encountered during projects.

PMBA710 - Managerial Economics

This course examines managerial decision making from an economic standpoint. The first half (microeconomics) explores how prices, wages, and profits are determined in market economies; the advantages and disadvantages of unfettered competition; and the impact of government intervention on market outcomes. The second half (macroeconomics) investigates the factors influencing Gross Domestic Product, interest rates, unemployment, inflation, and growth; the causes of the business cycle; the role of the federal government and the Federal Reserve in stabilizing the economy; the impact of technology on productivity and growth; and the influence of international trade and finance on economic activity. Prerequisites: PMBA 708 and PMBA 709

PMBA711 - Accounting for Managers

As the language of business and the cornerstone of our capital markets, accounting provides terminology, frameworks, and concepts with which to analyze and understand the financial consequences of business activities. This course explains the basics of accounting, links accounting to financial statements, analyzes financial statements and works through economic analysis of investments. As these activities have become increasingly complex and global, the task of presenting timely, relevant, and reliable financial information to interested internal and external users has become more challenging. The course highlights how managers use cost, cash flow and financial reporting information in their decisions. It will introduce the student to (a) purpose of accounting and its role in making business decisions, (b) accounting principles, procedures and judgments underlying corporate financial statements, (c) use, interpretation and limitations of financial statements, (d) use and interpretation of cost accounting data in managerial decision-making, and (e) approaches to identify problems, analyze their financial and managerial implications, and evaluate alternative solutions. Prerequisites: PMBA708, PMBA709 and PMBA710 with grades of B- or better.

PMBA712 - Financial Analysis for Managers

Financial information is used by almost everyone and any manager hoping to effectively communicate and understand a business must be able to analyze financial information. The primary purpose of this course is to help you develop a high degree of financial statement, financial analysis, and financial management expertise in order to enhance your capabilities as an informed manager and decision maker. In addition, this course has a global perspective which examines the operation of the foreign exchange markets, foreign exchange risk management, sources and instruments of international financing, foreign direct investment and the management of political risk, multinational capital budgeting, and financing control systems for the multinational firm. The objective of this course is to provide an applied understanding of the finance concepts and tools of analysis used in measuring firm performance and in making investment decisions that create value. This will be achieved through instructor conferences and the use of cases. The main concepts we will cover are financial statements, ratio analysis, financial planning, the time value of money, capital budgeting, capital structure, the cost of capital and asset valuation. Prerequisite: PMBA 711 with a grade of B- or better.

PMBA713 - Strategic IT Alignment

This course provides an enterprise-wide perspective on IT management, focusing on how IT professionals, non-technical managers, and external service providers work together to ensure that applications, data, and knowledge align with organizational strategy and business processes (i.e., Strategic IT Alignment). Cases and readings examine how companies in various industries use IT to serve customers well, manage operations efficiently, coordinate with business partners, and make better business decisions. We consider how to maximize the strategic benefits of investments in hardware and software, while minimizing risks. The course places equal weight on technical and managerial skills. Our primary objective is to help students prepare to be effective contributors to IT initiatives in partnership with IT professionals, including external service providers here and abroad.

PMBA714 - Entrepreneurial Strategy: New Venture Creation, Management and Harvesting Strategies

Entrepreneurship is the process of creating and growing new businesses and is fundamentally concerned with the identification and exploitation of opportunities for wealth creation (profit). Successful entrepreneurs generate wealth by identifying opportunities for value creation and then develop competitive advantages to exploit them. The broad objective of this course will be to apply insights from the fields of strategic management and economics to the process of entrepreneurship in order to understand what differentiates successful from unsuccessful entrepreneurial firms. In this course, we will focus our attention on three areas: (1) methods for identifying opportunities for value creation, (2) strategies for appropriating the returns from these opportunities, and (3) modes of organizing to support these strategies.

PMBA715 - Global Marketing Strategies and Dynamic Supply Chain Management

This course covers the processes involved in the creation, distribution and sale of products and services, and explores the tasks and decisions facing marketing managers. It focuses on market and competitive analysis, customer behavior, and the design and implementation of marketing strategies in domestic, international and global markets, including product, price, promotion, distribution and customer service decisions. It also focuses on the successful navigation of multinational free trade agreements the knowledge of which is required for success within the global business sphere.

PMBA716 - Global Strategy for Continual Success

This course focuses on how multinational companies and other firms create and sustain competitive advantage in a highly competitive, networked economy. Students learn about models of competition such as Porter's Five Forces model and D'Aveni's Hyper-Competition. Strategic innovation, the resource-based view of the firm, and new business models are other important topics. Emphasis is placed on formulating strategy at the corporate and business levels and on implementing strategy at all levels of the firm. The macro global environment, ethics, risk management and government regulation are covered.