Courses - Business & Economics
- BA 605 - Green Development
- ECON 435 - Financial Economics
- ECON 574 - Forecasting and Modeling
- STRATEGY 564 - Competitive Environmental Strategy
- STRATEGY 565 - Strategies for Sustainable Development
- STRATEGY 566- Systems Thinking for Sutainable Development & Enterprise
- STRATEGY 735/736 - Topics in Global Sustainable Enterprise
BA 605 - Green Development
Winter 2007
The built environment is a major source of society's environment impact; and is a major opportunity to find solutions. This course explores green development from a variety of perspectives: energy, heating, water use, construction processes, architectural design, site planning, brownfield development and others.
ECON 435 - Financial Economics
Fall 2007
This course introduces the economic analysis of financial markets and financial decision-making. Topics covered include asset pricing theory (the valuation of stocks, bonds and options), net present value analysis, portfolio management, and financial market organization and behavior. The course develops the capacity to analyze investment strategies and policy issues from the standpoint of economic theory (as often opposed to conventional wisdom). Our main objectives are to understand why the financial markets work the way they do, to develop useful tools for the analysis of investment opportunities, and to use economic methods to think critically about policy issues such as government regulation of financial markets and the taxation of investment returns.
Instructor: Benjamin Chabot
ECON 574 - Forecasting and Modeling
This course investigates various economic forecasting techniques, with a primary focus on econometric modeling. A sequence of modeling topics is addressed, including model specification, data issues, model estimation and evaluation, simulation of model systems and policy simulation experiments. Special attention is given to preparing, generating, and adjusting forecasts. Alternative forecasting techniques (e.g., leading indicators, time series models, and judgment) are also briefly considered. Other topics include comparative forecasting performance, forecast services, and the current outlook. This course requires individual projects which emphasize on-line experience with modeling and forecasting techniques.
STRATEGY 564 - Competitive Environmental Strategy
Fall 2007
This course deals with environmental issues from a strategic perspective. It focuses on how environmental pressures (e.g. sustainable development) and environmental problems (e.g. global warming, air pollution, waste-disposal), impact corporate mission, competitive strategy, technology choices, product development decisions, and production processes. Basic concepts of ecology and environmental science are discussed and contrasted to those associated with the traditional economic paradigm.
STRATEGY 565 - Strategies for Sustainable Development
Fall 2007
The pressure for sustainable development has significant implications for firms, particularly large multinational corporations. With free trade on the rise, long-term opportunities exist for firms able to identify, develop, and deploy technologies, products, and services that contribute to sustainable practices and resource use in the developing world. This course examines how long-term competitive positioning can be secured through strategies such as positioning can be secured through strategies such a environmental partnerships, technology cooperation, and collaborative planning.
STRATEGY 566- Systems Thinking for Sutainable Development & Enterprise
Fall 2007
Challenges to a sustainable human future such as climate change, population growth, biodiversity loss and persistent poverty are characterized by extraordinary detail and dynamic complexity. This course fosters the skills of systems thinking and systems dynamics modeling necessary for understanding global environmental and social change. This holistic and dynamic understanding is employed to chart pathways for sustainable human development and business.
STRATEGY 735/736 - Topics in Global Sustainable Enterprise
Winter/Fall 2007
This seminar will be taught by a visting practitioner from the corporate, non-profit or government sector. It will address subject matter related to Global Sustainable Enterprise, drawing on the instructor's specialized area of expertise.
