Department of Entrepreneurship, International Business and Strategy

ENT 110. Entrepreneurship and Innovative Responses to the Coronavirus.3 Credits.

This course introduces students to how entrepreneurs and organizations are responding to the coronavirus. In this most unprecedented moment, we examine how entrepreneurs and organizations are coming up with creative and innovative solutions to combat the effect of the virus on individuals, communities and our economy. The course helps students develop an understanding of entrepreneurial and innovative thinking and how they can use this perspective to solve important problems.

Prerequisites: None
Offered: As needed

ENT 210. Introduction to Entrepreneurial Thinking and Practice.3 Credits.

Entrepreneurship is much more than the process of starting a company. Entrepreneurship is a habit of mind and an attitude. It is a skill set applicable to pursuing innovation in organizations, personal and career contexts, and an approach to life built around innovative thinking, calculated daring and proactive behavior. This course introduces students to the entrepreneurial mindset, the context of entrepreneurship, and skills necessary to use the entrepreneurial mindset in the workplace, in starting a new venture and in one's personal life.

Prerequisites: None
Offered: Every year, All
UC: Breadth Elective

ENT 220. The Business of Music.3 Credits.

The business of music is an introductory course for students interested in the performing or non-performing aspects of the music industry especially the knowledge of business necessary for success. Topics include copyright law, music publishing, music licensing, record operations, and music marketing.

Prerequisites: None
Offered: As needed

ENT 250. Idea Validation and Business Model Development.3 Credits.

In this class, students work through a series of engagement exercises that represent the pre-launch activities of a growth-oriented startup. This class shows you how to thoughtfully take your idea from business concept through initial launch and culminates with the development of crowdfunding pitch or some other type of event like an Entrepreneurs Fair. This course applies to both domestic and global businesses.

Prerequisites: None
Offered: Every year, Fall and Spring

ENT 290. Creating Digital Businesses.3 Credits.

Students form their own teams to develop a digital business idea into a viable business and assisted to launch their business.Students learn about content creation, businessconcepts and presentation skills in preparation for a successful launch.

Prerequisites: None
Offered: As needed

ENT 299. Special Topics in Entrepreneurship.3 Credits.

Topics vary. Permission of department chair required.

Prerequisites: None
Offered: As needed

ENT 310. Creativity and Innovation Management.3 Credits.

This course enables students to gain an understanding of the theory and process of creative thinking as related to the entrepreneurial mindset for creative problem solving and develop skills in problem identification and solution. Topics include the creative process, exploring new ways of looking at problems, and developing novel yet feasible solutions. Students will learn the differences between innovation in startups and existing organizations. The creative process will be applied to both new ventures and to corporate innovation in both domestic and global businesses.

Prerequisites: None
Offered: Every year, Fall

ENT 320. Small Business Marketing.3 Credits.

This course applies the principles of marketing to the process of developing a marketing plan and strategy for the small business. Students explore how the marketing plan integrates into the overall business plan and how it applies to small business operations and strategy implementation. By reviewing case studies of successful contemporary entrepreneurs, participants develop a further understanding of what personal characteristics and insights the entrepreneur and small business owner must cultivate to be successful in marketing.

Prerequisites: Take ENT 210.
Offered: Every year, Fall

ENT 330. Entrepreneurial Finance.3 Credits.

This course addresses the myriad financial problems faced by the entrepreneur and by new and emerging businesses. The sources of capital--bootstrap, debt and equity--each have their merits and caveats for ownership and management of the new company. Other topics include: crowdfunding, financial forecasting and developing key performance metrics.

Prerequisites: None
Offered: Every year, Spring

ENT 331. Family or Small Business Financing.3 Credits.

This course addresses the financial aspects of small business and family business companies. The core financial aspects of business problems encountered by those running a small or family business are covered through the discussion of financial topics including working capital management, forecasting, budgeting, financial statements, small business administration programs, succession planning, and alternative solutions to commonly encountered financial problems.

Prerequisites: None
Offered: As needed

ENT 340. Opportunity Recognition and Negotiation.3 Credits.

This course builds students' skills in negotiation using relevant theory and practical applications in the course. These skills may be applied to acquisition of resources for a business, for personal resources such as salary and benefits, and for any situation in which working with one or more individuals requires reaching agreement.

Prerequisites: None
Offered: Every year, Spring

ENT 350. Social Entrepreneurship.3 Credits.

Social entrepreneurship examines the practice of identifying, starting, and growing successful mission-driven for-profit and nonprofit ventures, that is, organizations that strive to advance social or environmental change through innovative solutions. This course provides a socially relevant academic experience that enables students to gain in-depth insights into economic, social, and environmental value creation across a number of sectors/areas including but not limited to poverty alleviation, energy, health, food security, environmental issues and education.

Prerequisites: None
Offered: Every year, Spring
UC: Breadth Elective, Intercultural Understand

ENT 360. Small and Family Business.3 Credits.

This course helps students understand how to successfully operate an existing family or small business. The course further covers the unique characteristics that distinguish a family or small business from other businesses including estate planning and succession planning.

Prerequisites: None
Offered: As needed

ENT 361. Managing the Family or Small Business.3 Credits.

This class is focused on leadership, hiring, growing/improving, motivating, and firing employees, and working with higher ups in an organization. It specifically addresses the challenges when those individuals have long tenure with the business or are family members.

Prerequisites: None
Offered: As needed

ENT 371. Business Plan Competition.3 Credits.

This course prepares students to compete in business competitions with their business ideas. These competitions might include the QU business model competition, the CT state competition, and other state and national competitions. Students work with a faculty mentor and also work as a group to refine, improve and deliver a successful pitch or business model presentation.

Prerequisites: None
Offered: Every year, Spring

ENT 410. Creating New Business Models.3 Credits.

Students ideate and explore the development of business models for a digital, product or service business.

Prerequisites: Take ENT 210.
Offered: As needed

ENT 420. Business Launch.3 Credits.

In this course, students learn and apply the fundamentals of implementing a successful business. Any type of business may be implemented and may include technology, service, product, arts, social, etc. This course provides students with the knowledge and skills necessary to select the businesses that are right for them and to executive on their business plans and successfully launch their business. Students will systematically learn and do what is required for the successful launch of a new venture. In this course students may launch a real business or a practice business.

Prerequisites: Take ENT 210 ENT 250;
Offered: Every year, Fall

ENT 430. Practicum in Entrepreneurship.3 Credits.

This course is specifically designed for students with the passion to create a new entrepreneurial venture. This course is for students who are ready to take their idea to an actual launch or to further grow an existing business. Students who take the course are given the unique opportunity to present a business plan and pitch to a panel of distinguished alumni including angel investors and venture capitalists. Registration by permission only.

Prerequisites: None
Offered: As needed

ENT 440. Fundamentals of Venture Investment: Methods and Tools.3 Credits.

This course covers key elements for investments in innovative and high-risk ventures. Students will be provided with the mechanism for underpinning the financing of a new venture from its conception through its growth and maturity path. Topics include, (1) general characteristics of ventures and startups, (2) sources of capital, (3) valuation, (4) due diligence, (5) elements of term sheet, (6) negotiation, and (7) exit strategies. The course covers several case studies of companies and funds from diverse sectors, such as technology, software, biotech, AI, and manufacturing. It also includes individual- and group-based projects for assessing various funds, technologies, and due diligence.

Prerequisites: None
Offered: Every year, Summer

ENT 488. Entrepreneurship Internship.3 Credits.

Students gain work experience under the joint supervision of a faculty member and practicing manager or business owner. Students must meet School of Business internship requirements. This course is graded on a pass/fail basis.

Prerequisites: Take ENT 210.
Offered: Every year, All

ENT 490. Field Projects.3 Credits.

Students work independently or as part of a team on a project or topic of their choice under the supervision of a faculty member. The project may involve researching a special entrepreneurship topic, working on an aspect of a new business startup or working with a business or organization.

Prerequisites: None
Offered: As needed

ENT 499. Independent Research in Entrepreneurship.1-6 Credits.

Approval of a sponsoring faculty, the department chair and the dean is required.

Prerequisites: None
Offered: As needed

ENT 610. Entrepreneurship and Franchising.3 Credits.

Franchising is a $1 trillion direct sales business. To some financial analysts, franchising is the purest form of capitalism and entrepreneurship. This course looks at how entrepreneurs can expand their business model by adapting the franchise model. Students examine the benefits of franchising, and the hurdles and pitfalls to avoid. Participants use actual cases of entrepreneurs, develop a franchise model and make a final presentation to a panel of entrepreneurs and successful franchisors.

Prerequisites: None
Offered: As needed

ENT 620. Corporate Entrepreneurship.3 Credits.

This course is designed for intrapreneurs who want to apply their entrepreneurial spirit to innovate within established organizations, as well as for managers whose goal is to build and manage innovation processes in the organization. Students learn techniques and best practices that combine innovation strategies, start-up thinking and entrepreneurial methods to accomplish organizational innovation in its many forms, from product/service innovation and business model innovation, to innovation for social and environmental purposes. The course uses case studies, readings and projects.

Prerequisites: None
Offered: As needed

ENT 625. Entrepreneurship.3 Credits.

The course deals with the creation and management of new businesses and the institutionalization of innovation in existing businesses. Students are introduced to a body of knowledge on the successful planning, implementation, and management of entrepreneurial ventures. The objective of the course is to provide the knowledge and the ability to identify and assess business opportunity and estimate the resource requirements necessary to success. Production of a business plan is required.

Prerequisites: None
Offered: As needed

ENT 640. Venture Capital & Private Equity.3 Credits.

This course covers key elements around private investments, including Angels, Venture Capital (VC), and Private Equity (PE). Over the course, students will be provided with a deep understanding of the mechanism underpinning various steps involved in private investments, from concept to real-world practice. Topics include, (1) general characteristics of investment modalities, (2) sources of capital, (3) valuation, (4) due diligence and market assessment, (5) elements of term sheet, (6) negotiation, and (7) exit strategies. The course covers several case studies of VC and PE funds from diverse sectors, including tech, software, biotech, AI, and manufacturing. It also includes individual- and group-based projects for assessing various funds, technologies, and due diligence.

Prerequisites: None
Offered: Every year, Fall

ENT 688. Entrepreneurship Independent Study.3 Credits.

Prerequisites: None

IB 105. International Business Environment.3 Credits.

This course provides an introduction to the worldwide business environment in which we live and work. The course reviews the cultural, social, political, geographical and economic factors that shape economic institutions and activities in the U.S. and other countries. Global business interactions also are studied. This course is geared primarily toward non-business majors.

Prerequisites: None
Offered: Every year, Fall and Spring
UC: Social Sciences, Intercultural Understand

IB 120. Introduction to Doing Business in the European Union.3 Credits.

This course focuses on the fundamentals of business practice and business culture in Europe. Poland is used as a case study. The course introduces European business practices and principles in the context of the modern global economy. It includes topics of the European financial market, European regulation, Polish industrial structure, Polish political and economic systems, and history with a focus on the economic transformation and Poland's growing position of economic powerhouse in Europe today. The overarching objective of this course is to provide students with the basic but comprehensive skills and knowledge they need to get involved in international business with focus on EU/Poland. IB 120 is one of the courses that enable students to work toward the Global Business Affairs Polish Certificate or may be taken as a stand alone course.

Prerequisites: None
Offered: As needed

IB 201. Globalization and International Business.3 Credits.

This course introduces students to issues concerning globalization and international business. Students examine the critical role of international trade and investment as well as the impact of multinational corporations on the globalization process. The challenges and opportunities of international business are covered in detail. Global issues such as poverty, economic development and education, and the formulation of sustainable, environmentally-friendly development strategies are addressed. Insights are drawn from social sciences disciplines such as economics, political science, sociology and cultural geography

Prerequisites: None
Offered: Every year, All
UC: Social Sciences, Intercultural Understand

IB 201H. Honors International Business.3 Credits.

This course advances students' understanding of international business interactions and the global marketplace. Topics include: theories of international trade; theories of foreign direct investment and multinational corporations; globalization and the nature of international business; international organizations, international monetary systems and global financial market; foreign business environments; and management of international business opportunities and operations. The insights are drawn from economics, political science, psychology and other sources.

Prerequisites: Take FYS 101 or FYS 150.
Offered: As needed

IB 300. Special Topics in International Business.3 Credits.

Prerequisites: Take IB 201.
Offered: As needed

IB 311. International Marketing.3 Credits.

The course addresses environmental components of international marketing that affect business. Students learn about product, price, place and promotion in a global context. Additional topics include regional integration, emerging markets, global marketing strategies and research methods.

Prerequisites: Take IB 201 or IB 105
Offered: Every year, All

IB 313. International Marketing Research.3 Credits.

Students learn to understand and satisfy marketing managers' information needs: demand potential, competition, regulations and accepted procedures in relevant business/geographic areas. Research design, quantitative and qualitative data collection, questionnaire design, data analysis, implications of results and written/oral reports are included. This methodological course assumes basic understanding of marketing in a global/multi-cultural environment. MA 170 prerequisite waived with Math Placement score of 4.0 or higher.

Prerequisites: Take IB 201; and MA 170 or MA 206 or equivalent.
Offered: Every year, Spring

IB 320. Introduction to Global Entrepreneurship.3 Credits.

This course introduces students to the major topics in global entrepreneurship, including: 1) the critical roles of national governments, multilateral institutions and international agreements in shaping the rules and conditions that shaped global opportunities and challenges; 2) the role of international entrepreneurship in this complex global environment; and 3) issues concerning how to identify opportunities, build a start-up, manage its growth and resources in a global environment. The course introduces some important skills, such as country risk analysis, business model building and valuation of an international business opportunity. The course is taught by lecture, case analysis and experiential projects.

Prerequisites: Take IB 201.
Offered: Every year, Spring

IB 324. Negotiating Internationally.3 Credits.

The course focuses on analyzing the international context of different dimensions of negotiations and related topics, such as communication, conflict, conflict resolution, group, power, influence, persuasion and mediation. Special emphasis is placed on understanding how culture influences the processes as well as styles of negotiation behavior of different nationalities.

Prerequisites: Take IB 201 or LE 225 or LE 370.
Offered: Every year, Fall

IB 335. International Finance.3 Credits.

This course focuses on the financial management of multinational corporations. It includes topics of the global financial market, foreign exchange risk management, financing decisions, investment decisions and funds remittance/transfer decisions when firms operate in a competitive global economy and face currency risks, political and regulatory risks.

Prerequisites: Take IB 201, FIN 201.
Offered: Every year, Fall and Spring

IB 345. Global Supply Chain.3 Credits.

This course covers issues related to the global procurement decision-making process from multiple perspectives, including strategy, tactical and operational. Topics may include, but are not limited to: order processing, quality control, value analysis, warehousing, inventory control, reverse logistics, green supply chain, offshoring and outsourcing, and international transportation, financing, risk, customs and incoterms.

Prerequisites: Take IB 201.
Offered: Every year, Spring

IB 352. International Management.3 Credits.

This course addresses the theory and practice of strategic management and organizational behavior in a global environment with a specific emphasis on international human resource management. Additional topics include: cross-cultural communication, selection and management of expatriates, and global leadership skills. Students read and interpret international management research articles.

Prerequisites: Take IB 105 or IB 201.
Offered: Every year, Fall

IB 362. Cross-Cultural Business Research Part 1.3 Credits.

This is the first of a two-part sequence (the second being IB 363). The objective of the IB 362- IB 363 series is to produce a hypotheses driven academic research poster which empirically addresses a cross-cultural/international business issue. Due to the high intensity of interaction with the instructor, these courses allow limited enrollment and require an instructor interview and permission to register. IB 352 is recommended as a prerequisite.

Prerequisites: Take IB 201.
Offered: As needed

IB 363. Cross-Cultural Business Research Part 2.3 Credits.

This course is the second of a two-part sequence. Building directly on IB 362, this course aims to complete an academic research paper that could be submitted to an international academic research conference. Working closely with the instructor, the student completes appropriate statistical analyses of the data collected and develop and write a literature review leading to research hypotheses, and methodology, a description of results, as well as a discussion section interpreting these results and including research limitations and suggestions for future research.

Prerequisites: Take IB 362.
Offered: As needed

IB 399. International Business Independent Study.1-6 Credits.

Prerequisites: None
Offered: As needed

IB 401. International Strategy and Business Plan.3 Credits.

Students develop a comprehensive business model for a country market-entry project. This macro-environmental/country assessment includes current events, industry analysis, marketing strategy, management strategy, corporate social responsibility decisions, global supply chain strategy, financial considerations, and critical success factors for implementation.

Prerequisites: Take IB 313 or MK 320, and IB 335, IB 352, IB 345.
Offered: Every year, Spring

IB 488. International Business Internship.3 Credits.

This internship in international business must be approved by the department chair and the dean in accordance with school regulations. This course is graded on a pass/fail basis.

Prerequisites: Take IB 201.
Offered: Every year, All

IB 611. International Corporate Finance.3 Credits.

Students gain an understanding and appreciation of the additional risks and opportunities that occur once a firm goes international. They develop a working knowledge of tools used by international firms to deal with those risks and opportunities. The topics include international financial markets, foreign exchange risk measurement and management, political risk, financial engineering, investment project evaluation, managing short-term funds, etc.

Prerequisites: Take MBA 640, MBA 660.
Offered: As needed

IB 623. International Business Negotiation.3 Credits.

This course analyzes different forms of negotiations and related themes in an international context. Topics include the negotiation process, communication, conflict resolution, value creation, value claiming, influence strategies, closing and renegotiation. Special emphasis is placed on examining how culture affects negotiation. Negotiation behavior and styles of a few selected nationalities also are discussed.

Prerequisites: None
Offered: As needed

IB 688. Independent Study-International Business.3 Credits.

Permission of the MBA director and School of Business Associate Dean is required.

Prerequisites: None
Offered: As needed

IB 689. Independent Study-International Business.3 Credits.

Permission of the MBA director and School of Business Associate Dean is required.

Prerequisites: None
Offered: As needed