University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill · Courses
BUSI
187 courses with the subject BUSI, each shown exactly as we captured it from the college's catalog, with every element we hold. Where the wording looks broken, that is our reading of the catalog, not the college's text.
BUSI 100Introduction to Business: People, Profits, Planet1.5
This course will cover five major themes: people, customers, firms, markets and society. In doing so, it will allow students to learn about the world of business, the major disciplines and how those disciplines fit together as well as how business can drive positive change in a rapidly changing world. Lastly, the course will highlight different career paths, and will introduce the skillsets and mindsets that are relevant to each.
BUSI 120Exploring the Intersection of Business and Society1
This is a professional, academic, and personal development course for undergraduate Luther Hodges Scholars in their first semester of the program. The main purpose is to support incoming scholars' transition by providing a roadmap to their active participation in the program, including: grounding scholars in the program's three core competencies (leadership, research, and cross-sector collaboration), connecting them to Kenan Institute resources, enhancing networking skills opportunities, and building community among fellow scholars. Luther Hodges Scholars only.
BUSI 188Foundations of Leadership: Discovering Your Strengths1.5
This course introduces the concepts of strengths-based leadership development to help uncover strengths and maximize potential for overall success. Students will learn how to connect these strengths to all areas of life, including, but not limited to, their academic journey as well as their future career path. Restricted to first-year students who are offered Assured Enrollment into the Kenan-Flagler Business School.
This course gives students an overview of the career options in business. This overview provides an understanding of the foundations of business and allows students to reflect on what specific business areas they might want to pursue. Restricted to first-year students who are offered Assured Enrollment into the Kenan-Flagler Business School.
BUSI 191Gateway into Capital Markets and Investments1.5
This course introduces students to the often complex world of finance, focusing on capital markets and investments. By combining principles from ''Design Your Life'' and ''The 2-Hour Job Search,'' students explore financial markets through lectures, case studies, and guest speakers. They'll learn to understand key concepts, speak the language of finance, and apply these ideas to their job search. Through self-exploration and aligning personal goals with finance opportunities, students gain practical knowledge in capital markets and investments, while also developing essential life skills to help them succeed in the future.
Structured around the business school's core values of inclusion, innovation, integrity, and impact, this course empowers you to take charge of your own leadership journey through a dynamic cycle of action, reflection, experimentation, and application. As your first step in the business school, it aligns your personal strengths with the vast opportunities of the Undergraduate Business Program and potential career paths.
Permission of the School required. This faculty-led immersion to South East Asia examines developed and developing parts of the region. Coursework in Chapel Hill focuses on economy, political life, and culture. In South East Asia, thru company visits you develop an understanding of the different pathways to economic growth and critically analyze why there is variation in the speed of development. Application and department permission required. Additional fees apply.
This class will emphasize research methods appropriate for projects that are designed to identify an important business-related problem and to evaluate potential solutions based on systematic empirical evidence. Even though the focus is on using empirical evidence, students may need to explore additional resources or skills not covered in the class as part of their research, such as data analytics, data visualization. Luther Hodges Scholars only.
In this course, students delve into cross-sector collaboration and the private sector's societal role. Through readings, guided discussions, and guest presentations, students will examine key attributes of effective leaders. They'll analyze leadership attributes, interact with leaders from various sectors, plan a campus debate on a pressing business topic, and explore the Kenan Institute's Grand Challenge. Luther Hodges Scholars only.
Introduces fundamental tools of finance including time value of money, risk/return, and asset pricing. Increase a student's understanding of the process of building and protecting wealth by learning how to identify and analyze risk/return, understand complexities of budgeting, and using tools to make sound financial decisions. Also covers areas such as taxes, financial services, asset purchases, investments, and retirement. Open to all campus students. While a KFBS course, no KFBS elective credit is provided.
In this experiential class, junior and senior students, guided by the professor, serve as consultants for affordable housing organizations and developers. They collaborate with Housing Partners, including developers, financing institutions, government agencies, and not-for-profit organizations, to address business challenges tied to affordable housing initiatives. Students gain expertise in creating and delivering professional work while grasping the intricacies and significance of affordable housing.
Expand your global business knowledge and gain project-based experience through an immersion in Europe. Coursework begins in Chapel Hill. The European portion will be highly experiential, where possible, working to connect students with local young people. Application and permission of department required. Additional fees apply. Course previously offered as BUSI 201.
Expand your global business knowledge and gain project-based experience through an immersion in Asia. Coursework begins in Chapel Hill. The Asian portion will be highly experiential, where possible, working to connect students with local young people. Application and permission of department required. Additional fees apply. Course previously offered as BUSI 202.
Expand your global business knowledge and gain project-based experience through an immersion in the Middle East. Coursework begins in Chapel Hill. The Middle Eastern portion will be highly experiential, where possible, working to connect students with local young people. Application and permission of department required. Additional fees apply. Course previously offered as BUSI 205.
Expand your global business knowledge and gain project-based experience through an immersion in Latin America. Coursework begins in Chapel Hill. The In-country portion will be highly experiential, where possible, working to connect students with local young people. Application and permission of department required. Additional fees apply. Course previously offered as BUSI 204.
GERM 304 recommended but not required. As a continuation of GERM 304 the course offers a more advanced treatment of the current German economic and business debates and events while further strengthening relevant German language skills. Course conducted in German.
The South Africa immersion focuses on: Inclusive business and leadership. Chapel Hill classes cover the economy, political life, and regional culture. The focus on inclusive business explores topics like inclusive business models, social entrepreneurship, grassroots business, social innovation, and mobile technology. Within these topics, leadership is a recurring theme. Additionally, students visit multi-nationals, local companies, small business entrepreneurs and non-profit organizations. Application and permission required. Additional fees apply. Course previously offered as BUSI 206. Permission of the School required.
Expand your global business knowledge and gain project-based experience through an immersion in Oceania. Coursework begins in Chapel Hill. The in-country portion will be highly experiential, where possible, working to connect students with local young people. Application and permission of department required. Additional fees apply. Course previously offered as BUSI 207.
Expand your global business knowledge and gain project-based experience through an immersion in North America. Coursework begins in Chapel Hill. The in-country portion will be highly experiential, where possible, working to connect students with local young people. Application and permission of department required. Additional fees apply.
Service on the B.S.B.A. Symposium Core Committee to plan, execute, and evaluate the annual event. Previously offered as BUSI 650. Permission of the instructor.
This practicum prepares Undergraduate Learning Assistants (ULAs) to support large introductory and core Kenan-Flagler courses such as BUSI 100 and BUSI 200. BUSI 391 provides a structured, high-impact experience that develops pedagogical skills, strengthens understanding of business and leadership concepts, and fosters reflective practice. Through hands-on facilitation, weekly mentorship, orientation, and engagement with teaching and learning scholarship, ULAs gain meaningful experience supporting peers and contributing to a positive academic environment. As facilitators and culture builders, they refine their communication and leadership abilities while modeling the collaborative learning culture central to the Kenan-Flagler community. GPA above 3.0 required.
This course provides students with a format for reflection while performing a professional internship that enhances their ability to achieve career objectives. Application and permission required. Permission of the department.
Open to business majors. Writing- and speaking-intensive course that emphasizes professional communication. Provides opportunities to learn and apply the conventions and expectations for standard business documents and presentations. Features strategies for addressing informative, persuasive, and bad-news messages using a variety of media (print documents, electronic messages, and oral presentations).
The course emphasizes the application of economic analysis to solve a range of practical business problems that fall into one of these broad categories. The course makes regular use of mathematics (elements of algebra, geometry, and calculus), and includes a solution of optimization problems using Excel. Students may not receive credit for both BUSI 402 and ECON 410.
This course introduces students to the foundations of operations management in both service and manufacturing contexts, examining operations from strategic and operational perspectives. Students will learn how effective operations can create competitive advantage for organizations. The course covers key production and operations systems, exploring tradeoffs, management tasks, and their impact on firm strategy. Students will also analyze strategic issues in operations and their integration with other business functions. Throughout the course, students will gain competence in essential tools and techniques used by operations professionals and begin developing the analytical skills necessary for effective operations management.
This multi-disciplinary course explores business ethics through both philosophical and psychological perspectives. Students will build frameworks for identifying and analyzing ethical issues in business, engaging with diverse viewpoints to develop critical thinking skills rather than prescribing what is right or good. The course also examines psychological factors that influence ethical decision-making, focusing on scientifically-grounded strategies to overcome blind spots and act in alignment with personal values. Through active, experiential activities and custom-designed case studies, students will learn practical approaches to ethical challenges, aiming to foster personal growth, fulfillment, and a deeper understanding of ethical behavior in business contexts.
BUSI 405Leading and Managing: An Introduction to Organizational Behavior3
An introduction to leading and managing in organizations. Examines the impact of individual, group, and organizational factors on organizational performance and employee attitudes. Topics include leadership, perceptions, attitudes, motivation, group development, norms and cohesiveness, empowerment, conflict, negotiations, culture, structure, stress, innovation, and change.
Introduction to marketing with emphasis on the social and economic aspects of distribution, consumer problems, marketing functions and institutions, marketing methods and policies.
Students will acquire the tools to understand and analyze information presented in corporate financial statements. Financial accounting results and projected results are utilized in virtually every segment of the business world. Knowledge of financial accounting and analysis is necessary for managers, investors, bankers, financial analysts, and professional accountants.
This course provides an introduction to corporate finance for undergraduate students. Its primary goal is to develop an understanding of the economic principles underlying firms' investment and financing decisions, as well as the institutional context in which these decisions are made. We will examine how companies make financing and capital structure choices, how these decisions affect financial markets, and how theoretical frameworks can be applied - while recognizing their limitations - in addressing real-world corporate finance problems. Topics covered include financial statement analysis, capital budgeting, bond and stock valuation, financing of investment, firm valuation, and optimal capital structure.
A follow-up course to BUSI 408 that goes more deeply into the theory and application of financial management. Emphasis is placed on investment, financing, and dividend decisions. Honors version available.
While witnessing an explosion of data, most organizations tend to be awash with data but short on information. This course exposes students to techniques that will help them impact on an organization's strategy, planning, and operations, working on applications spanning a number of fields, including operations management, finance, and marketing.
Students analyze sources of competitive advantage in business organizations using case analysis and written reports to develop analytical reasoning skills for assessing forward looking opportunities for the company. The emphasis is on industry analysis and organizational analysis and the development and management of firm specific competencies for successful growth.
Taught through the case method from a general manager's perspective, students learn to manage a corporation, focusing on the firm's scope of operations. The course emphasizes corporate expansion strategies, including horizontal, vertical, and global diversification, along with execution modes such as internal development, alliances, and mergers and acquisitions.
BUSI 425Global Leadership: Leading Across Cultures3
This course examines the psychology of business across cultures, preparing students to lead international teams and global organizations. Drawing from psychology, neuroscience, sociology, and related fields, students explore how culture influences leadership, communication, and organizational behavior. Through conceptual and experiential learning, participants develop cultural intelligence, adaptability, and practical leadership skills. Students learn to navigate cross-cultural differences, build trust, and lead effectively in diverse global contexts. Reserved for students in the TREBLE PROGRAM, this course equips future leaders for success in an evolving international business landscape.
This course examines the culture and leadership of teams. The focus is on the interpersonal processes and culture that influence the effectiveness of teams. The purpose of this course is to understand the theory and processes of group and team behavior so that leaders can successfully understand, inspire, and influence others. As you advance in your athletic and professional career, you will likely find that your time is increasingly focused on leading and harnessing the efforts of others rather than relying on your own talent or technical skills.
This engaged, experiential course focuses on how to facilitate your and others' flourishing. Effective coaching and leadership requires you to be self-aware and able to understand, motivate, and influence others. This course focuses on understanding and developing your mindset and skills, increasing your self-awareness and growth as a coach and leader, and influencing others. Students may not receive credit for both BUSI 444 and BUSI 555. Course is designated for student athletes.
The sports industry is a fast-moving, constantly evolving business environment where traditional strategies must adapt to shifting fan behaviors, emerging technologies, and new competitive pressures. While some challenges can be addressed with standard business tools, true success requires innovative thinking about fan engagement, revenue generation, and brand building. Unlike other industries, sports operate through unique emotional, cultural, and economic dynamics that demand specialized strategic frameworks and creative problem-solving. This course draws on marketing, strategic management, and sports industry best practices to help students understand these complexities and develop effective strategies for competing--and innovating--in the modern sports marketplace.
This course explores the intersection of business/economic growth and the major sustainability issues affecting the environment and societal well-being and raises questions about business ethics and the moral responsibility of business leaders, consumers, and citizens. Previously offered as ENEC 306. Honors version available.
Whether communicating to a single person, a small team, a company, or the world, stories help you cut through information clutter to explain your brand, articulate your vision, inspire buy-in, offer hope, and sell ideas. Considering that, this course - through lecture, discussion, readings, workshops, thinking time, and practice - gives you the tools you need to be a confident storyteller in the workplace and thus influence and inspire most everyone in your professional sphere.
BUSI 472Artificial Intelligence and Business Writing1.5
This course explores how artificial intelligence transforms business communication. Students will learn to evaluate AI tools, craft effective prompts, and integrate AI-generated content into professional writing. Emphasis is placed on ethical considerations, accuracy, and audience targeting. Through hands-on projects, including advisory work for a real client, students will develop strategies for using AI in messaging, design impactful documents and visuals, and refine their communication skills for modern business environments.
BUSI 475Nonprofit Leadership: Strategies and Practices3
This course equips students with essential nonprofit leadership skills through hands-on, community-based projects. Students will explore leadership theories, develop project management skills, and partner with local nonprofits to tackle real-world challenges. The course emphasizes ethical decision-making, team inspiration, and reflective practice, preparing students to lead in the nonprofit sector.
BUSI 487Creating Data-Driven Business Insights: Databases and Visualization1.5
This course teaches students to transform real-time business data into actionable insights using descriptive analytics. Students will first learn the basics of relational databases and the ETL process using Alteryx, followed by SQL code for database interactions. In the final section, students apply descriptive analytics and create compelling visualizations using Tableau. Real-world case studies reinforce practical skills in querying, analyzing, and visualizing data to answer business questions. Emphasis is placed on self-teaching through AI tools like ChatGPT and Bard. The course is fast-paced, covering Alteryx, SQL, and Tableau to prepare students for data-driven decision-making.
Business and Computer Science students join forces in this course to create data-driven business insights. We transgress the data science pipeline using cloud computing, artificial intelligence, and real-world datasets. Students acquire hands-on skills in acquiring data, wrangling vast unstructured data, building advanced models, and telling compelling stories with data that managers can understand.
This course provides students with a format for reflection while performing a professional internship that enhances their ability to achieve career objectives. Previously offered as BUSI 593. Permission of the department.
Students gain an understanding of entrepreneurship and the tools and skills necessary to conceive, plan, execute, and scale a successful new venture. Students develop business ventures in teams through an experiential pedagogy. Honors version available.
BUSI 501Professional Selling Strategies and Skills1.5
Critical concepts and skills for selling B2B products and services, and influencing others in business. Applicable to people considering sales or consulting as a career; to those thinking of starting an entrepreneurial company; or for those who want to understand how to influence peers, subordinates, and management.
In this course students use financial tools and concepts in a real-world entrepreneurial setting. Working in assigned teams, students prepare a pitch book with financial projections for a company they wish to start or buy.
BUSI 503Family Business I: Introduction to Family Enterprise1.5
Addresses stages of a family enterprise and challenges/opportunities of each stage. Coursework synthesizes learning from core business subjects with practices common to successful family businesses. Focus is on developing management, governance, and family business leadership skills, with an emphasis on the importance of communication in the family; the creation of shared vision for the business; and alignment of family and business goals. The course includes live cases and student research on a family business.
This is a cross-campus course for exceptional students, staff, and faculty, designed to help launch UNC-Chapel Hill start-ups. Only for students serious about launching in the next nine to 12 months. Admission by online application. More information at www.launch.unc.edu.
Subject
BUSI
Credits (min)
1.5
Credits (max)
1.5
Credit unit
Credits
Type
course
Repeatable
May be repeated for credit; may be repeated in the same term for different topics; 6 total credits.
Student teams engage in consulting projects to help a wide range of small business owners, early stage start-ups, and not-for-profit ventures tackle typical entrepreneurial challenges. Data is gathered through extensive fieldwork, such as client meetings, customer surveys, interviews with thought leaders, site visits, and product tests. Due to the heavy workload, students should not enroll in BUSI 505 and BUSI 554 concurrently.
Venture capital plays a vital role in facilitating innovation and growth in our economy by providing funding and strategic guidance to promising startups. In this course, students will take a deep dive into the fascinating world of venture capitalists to learn what, where, when and how they do their jobs.
BUSI 507Sustainable Business and Social Enterprise3
This course concentrates on sustainability in existing businesses of all sizes, rather than starting new entrepreneurial ventures. Students will learn how to apply full triple bottom line sustainability in many industries/businesses and will explore how business fits into the sustainability landscape. Students develop skills using important innovation and sustainability frameworks (SASB, GRI, SDGs and more) that help identify profitable opportunities to simultaneously improve impact on society and the environment. Honors version available.
BUSI 507HSustainable Business and Social Enterprise3
One course from each of the Pillars of Sustainability, plus one 12-15 3 additional course at the 300-level or above in any pillar (4 courses 3 total): 3 Equity
BUSI 508Sustainable Business and Impact Entrepreneurship1.5
Students develop skills to evaluate interactions between business and today's social, environmental, and economic challenges using the full triple bottom line. This course teaches sustainability frameworks (SASB, GRI, Circular Economy, U.N. Sustainable Development Goals, etc.) and strategies to go beyond reducing negative impacts and mitigating risk to identifying market opportunities for innovative solutions with positive impact. It focuses on simultaneously improving social and environmental impact, while driving profitability. Students can explore existing entrepreneurial ventures.
BUSI 509Entrepreneurs Lab: Advanced Entrepreneurial Insight and Leadership3
This course explores the key issues associated with the entrepreneurial career and the lessons of success and failure with a goal to reinforce a high-performance entrepreneurial mindset. Students will engage with thought leaders to learn the lessons of entrepreneurship and design a plan for their future as an entrepreneurial leader. The course is designed for students who are committed and currently engaged actively in pursuing an entrepreneurial career path as a founder or as part an entrepreneurial venture or private growth company, either during their program, immediately after graduation, or over the course of their early career. Honors version available.
BUSI 510The Challenge of Healthcare: A System Overview1.5
This course provides an overview of health care in the US from a business perspective. Students will be introduced to the structure and component parts of the health care system and will study basic economic issues, public policies, and market developments as they impact the industry and the delivery of care/services. The course covers the P's of healthcare- providers, payers, producers, and patients. Includes a mix of cases, articles and guest speakers.
Application-based course. This course gives a selected group of undergraduate students the opportunity to study venture capital by traveling to two different entrepreneurial regions of the United States, Europe, and/or Asia, with the goal of understanding how this subclass of private equity plays an integral role in the commercialization of disruptive technologies.
BUSI 512Family Business II: Governance and Ownership1.5
This course is a continuation of BUSI 503 and will delve more deeply into specific governance and ownership considerations for family-owned firms. The purpose of this course is to prepare students to be more effective in their own family enterprise as a non-family executive in a family business, or as an advisor to a family business. This course outlines the specific ownership, stewardship, tax, and transition issues that affect family enterprises.
This course is a combination of lectures, guest speakers and an extended experiential learning exercise in which students play the role of associates in a venture capital firm evaluating startups as investment opportunities. Real startups will be our live case studies, and founders will pitch to students and answer their questions. Venture capitalists will come to class to share their approach to investing.
Student Teams Achieving Results (STAR) is a live management consulting project that leverages and integrates UNC Kenan-Flagler course curricula. Teams of five to seven M.B.A. and undergraduate students and one faculty member work with major corporations or not-for-profit entities to address a business challenge in strategy, marketing, operations etc. Offers deep exposure to an industry and company culture. Encourages skill development in teamwork, analysis, research, and executive presentations. Honors version available.
The objective of this course is to examine the changing world of private equity investments today. This is a survey course and will help prepare you to work for private equity and venture capital funds or to work for investment banks.
Permission of the instructor. Explores, at a very advanced level, all stages of the management of a venture capital and private equity fund, from capital formation, deal sourcing, due diligence, monitoring and adding value, and exiting of a portfolio company. Honors version available.
BUSI 520Advanced Spreadsheet Modeling for Business3
Primarily online class. Students will use advanced features of Microsoft Excel to create efficient, flexible spreadsheet models of common and complex business problems. This is an extremely practical class in which skills learned can be put to immediate use in other classes, the workplace, and elsewhere. Topics: spreadsheet best practices, shortcuts and time-savers, flexible design, problem-solving, statistical analysis, charting, logic, reference functions, financial analysis, organizing data for complex analysis, what-if analysis, enhanced decision-making, and VBA.
BUSI 521Design Thinking: The Innovation Process for Complex Problems3
The class teaches real world innovation -- creativity, improvisation, and design thinking -- through experiential learning and iterative project-based learning. Students will develop fluency in 21st century skills. These include storytelling, logo development, website design, video editing, audio and podcast editing, budgeting, postcard and flyer design, etc. In addition, students will discuss key innovations that will likely change their careers and lives: artificial intelligence, gene editing, autonomous vehicles, etc.
BUSI 522Personal Branding and Professional Relationships1.5
In this course, students will develop authentic personal brands, learn how to communicate their brands in service of building professional relationships, and create sustainable plans for managing and enjoying the relationships they build. By the end of the course, students should possess a growing list of promising professional contacts and feel confident when discussing themselves and their accomplishments with others.
Diversity and inclusion (D&I) is one of the most important topics of our time. Yet, increasing workplace diversity (and, most important, creating inclusion, belonging, and equity) is incredibly complex and challenging. In this class, you'll learn to: know what D&I programs work and don't; build inclusion, belonging, and equity (and not just diversity); implement D&I initiatives that make a difference; handle difficult conversations and conflict about and across difference; and generate open and honest dialogue.
BUSI 524Applied Improvisation for Business Communication3
Focuses on improving students' soft skills, such as presenting, expressiveness, and interviewing, by applying the principles and techniques of improvisational theater. Participants explore creativity, adaptation, awareness, self-confidence, risk taking, physicality, intuition, and teamwork. Students can stretch their abilities and discover things about themselves and others that are crucial to success.
This course is grounded in argument, persuasion, and visual rhetoric to give students skills needed to develop winning presentations. Students learn strategies to help their messages "stick" with their audiences and to develop slide decks for the boardroom and advanced media devices. The course emphasizes efficiency in presentation preparation. r Rules & Requirements Grading Status: Letter grade.
Permission of the department. Provides student leaders with practical leadership frameworks and tools; creates opportunities to apply these on the job as leaders; and provides individualized coaching, feedback, and mentoring. This is an applied learning course taught by a seasoned practitioner designed to accelerate each student's development and growth.
Taylor Swift's sexual assault lawsuit, workplace harassment (#MeToo), a CEO and employee losing their jobs after being caught snuggling on a Coldplay Concert Kiss Cam, paid paternity leave (Mark Zuckerberg took off 4 weeks!): Tricky and timely topics that affect employees, teams, organizations, and industry mark our era. You'll explore current topics to better understand gender facts and data, mentorship and sponsorship, myths, perceptions, stereotypes, recruiting, hiring, pay gaps, problems, and solutions.
This course provides students opportunities to practice and develop communication skills that will help them make an impact on the job and further their careers. Students will work to improve interpersonal and presentation skills related to navigating difficult interpersonal challenges, resolving conflicts, tackling difficult discussion topics, giving and receiving feedback, communicating with respect in diverse environments, listening, and networking.
BUSI 529Intercultural Communication in the Global Workplace1.5
Developing patterns of respectful intercultural communication is an increasingly important goal for the growth of business across the globe. This class will examine interesting and problematic issues surrounding cross-cultural communication, help students understand the complexity and variety of cultures, and teach communication strategies for success in conducting business across diverse cultures.
BUSI 530Corporate Communication: Social Advocacy and Activism1.5
This course examines concepts of civility, virtue signaling, and corporate legitimacy. Throughout the course, students are presented with cases, concepts, and ideas of why a corporation may choose to participate in social good as an advocate/activist for a social and/or political cause. Similarly, students learn applied strategies to become communicators of corporate change in their fields and organizations.
BUSI 532Service and Platforms Operations Management1.5
This course explores service operations management and the growing online platform economy. Services dominate the U.S. economy, yet productivity lags due to poor process design and customer involvement challenges. We examine key sectors like financial services, e-commerce, hospitality, and consulting, analyzing operational improvements and competitive strategies. Students will learn to evaluate service delivery systems, apply quantitative tools for process improvement, and use predictive analytics to optimize performance. Ideal for those pursuing careers in service industries, consulting, or digital platforms, this course provides essential frameworks for enhancing service efficiency and identifying growth opportunities in evolving online markets. Honors version available.
Analyzes the key drivers of supply chain performance including inventories, transportation, information technology, and sourcing. Studies strategies for supply chain coordination, and challenges and opportunities in global supply chains. A supply chain simulation is used. Honors version available.
Permission of the department. This course prepares students to take part in and lead projects effectively. The goal is to equip individuals across any career concentration rather than extend the expertise of project-management specialists. Students may not receive credit for both BUSI 536 and MBA 710.
Permission of the department. Examines developments in retailing and operations management principles applicable to these developments. Topics: consumer behavior, demand forecasting, logistics and distribution, store execution, international retailing, internet-based retailing, performance assessment, and impact on financial performance. Students may not receive credit for both BUSI 537 and MBA 708.
This course explores the link between sustainability and the operations function of a firm. The course focuses on the following activities: product and process design; manufacturing; transportation; logistics and distribution; closed-loop/after-sales operations such as recycling, remanufacturing, and reuse; supply chain management.
Permission of the department. Students apply principles and tools of operations management to explore improvement opportunities in the design, delivery, and management of the health care value chain. The course examines the health care operation from the perspective of operations metrics such as cost, quality, time (access), and variety/customization.
This course tackles global "wicked problems" such as inequality, climate change, and political polarization. Students will learn leadership theory, meet leaders, and analyze their successes and failures. The course focuses on problem-solving, teaching students how to approach issues from multiple perspectives, think holistically, and address the ethical dimensions of business decisions. Through case studies and interdisciplinary thinking, students will refine their leadership identity, cultivate adaptability, and develop the skills to make a meaningful impact on complex, evolving challenges.
This course enables students to develop their expertise in managing negotiations. It integrates existing theory and research with personal experiences and ideas. Using hands-on exercises, readings, and lively discussions, students build and hone their ability to understand, adapt to, and evaluate the personal, social, and situational dynamics of negotiations.
This course provides an in-depth analysis of the effect of marketing and media on the sport industry. Key issues include the increasing growth of television and technological advances, changing consumer demographics and behaviors, and sponsorship relations. The course will be divided into three key areas: rights holders, media, and corporate sponsorship (brands).
Behavioral economics provides an understanding of how people's decisions deviate from "optimal" choices and consequences of such deviations. This course will not only discuss when individuals make decisions that deviate from the predictions of economics, but also focus on the implications of these systematic decision biases for managers and policy makers.
Housing affordability is a pressing issue with widespread implications. This course delves into the history and dynamics of U.S. housing markets, exploring the factors behind declining affordability. Students also study the affordable housing sector's evolution, with a focus on financing rental and for-sale properties. Topics encompass financial analysis, rent and income limits, project capitalization, low-income housing tax credits (LIHTC), equity sources, gap funding, and strategies for bolstering affordable housing supply.
This course introduces students to major topics in People Analytics and how using a data-driven human capital strategy can improve organizational performance (e.g., revenue, stock price, customer satisfaction, retention, etc.) and sustain competitive advantage. In this course students will exercise critical thinking skills by analyzing how managers apply human capital strategies in practice. Development of skills in problem solving, creative thinking, written and oral communication, are the main objectives of this course.
This course is designed for undergraduate business students interested in innovation and entrepreneurship inside established firms. It focuses on the art of bringing novel ideas and products to market while working inside a company. This course will help you understand the barriers to innovation inside existing firms, learn the tools and techniques for overcoming these, and develop an entrepreneurial mindset.
Permission of the instructor. The course is dedicated to teaching the core skills for success in consulting and business in general: teamwork, analysis, and presentations. Honors version available.
Examines the design, management, and leadership of teams in organizational settings. Focus is on the interpersonal processes and structural characteristics that influence the effectiveness of teams, individual behavior in face-to-face interactions, and the dynamics of interpersonal relationships.
BUSI 556Thinking Creatively: Cognitive Tools for Individuals and Teams1.5
This course blends insights from cognitive and organizational psychology to nurture creativity as a process and develop applied skills. Students will learn to recognize the need for creativity, change their own thinking, and foster creativity in teams and organizations. It operates on the assumptions that creative thinking is essential across professions, creativity is a learnable skill, and it complements domain expertise and analytical skills. The course emphasizes experiential learning through exercises, simulations, and discussions.
The main concepts of marketing are identifying market opportunity (3C analysis), setting the target strategy (STP analysis) and implementation via 4P strategies. This course will discuss online consumer behavior; internet marketing strategy; online and digital advertising; social media. It will focus on strategic perspective, rather than on technical details.
Product managers oversee innovation, development, and profit generation. Their roles, previously dispersed, now integrate various functions for better coordination. This course equips you with analytical and creative skills essential for modern product management. Professors with research expertise cover topics including customer insights, product-market fit, and growth strategies. Emphasis is on practical frameworks.
A business's success relies on fulfilling its consumers' wants and needs, but how does a business effectively do this? This course blends theory with practice to explore how consumers' information processing, decision making, and purchase decisions are influenced by such factors as their values, psychological motivations, and social and cultural forces. In doing so, a deeper understanding of how to target and reach consumers, as well as how to influence their behavior is learned.
Retail is ever-evolving as consumer finances, preferences, and tastes shift. Retailers innovate to attract and retain customers, while management competence influences success. This course explores how retailers drive foot traffic, convert shoppers into customers, and enhance competitiveness. We examine the retailer's role as the link between the channel and consumers, analyze internal and external environments, and assess key management practices, including finances, inventory, location, and personnel. Through these topics, students will gain insights into effective retail strategies and operations in a dynamic market.
Traditional marketing research (focus groups, surveys) is being complemented by design thinking and Web 2.0 approaches. This course will introduce several tools and techniques that are used in the design thinking process (empathy, define, ideate, prototype, test). A sampling of topics includes: creativity and brainstorming, empathy maps, personas, journey mapping, mind mapping, prototyping, storyboarding, intellectual property basics, and open innovation (crowdsourcing/crowdfunding). Key concepts will be learned via several in and out of class hands-on exercises.
An introduction to research methodology with emphasis on the compilation, analysis, and interpretation of data used in the planning and control of marketing operations.
BUSI 566Marketing Strategy: Sustainable Competitive Advantage in Dynamic Environments3
This course addresses all aspects of a firm's overall strategy, from market selection to prioritization to marketing tactics. The flow of the course mirrors the strategic and tactical development processes that are used in practice with companies today: Choice of Markets; Choice of Customers and Discovery of Deep-Seated Customer Needs; and, on the Ground Strategic Execution. Course material will be reinforced through a course-long group project that requires integration and application of course principles.
This course covers state-of-art tactics, concepts, and tools of customer lifecycle marketing, which is the business process of (1) selecting customers that a firm can most profitably serve, and (2) shaping interactions between a company and these customers. This customer journeys framework consists of the design, implementation, and analysis of strategic initiatives including identifying and undertaking profitable customer acquisition; understanding the drivers of attrition and retention; and data-driven attribution of marketing actions and product decisions.
Over the last 20-30 years, the way information and data have been collected and analyzed has undergone a substantial transformation. Firms have adopted marketing methods that are grounded in economic theory and utilize detailed data on customer transactions to generate insights into how customers behave. This course will provide students with a basic understanding of how to use data to understand customer behavior, and how these insights can be used to make managerially relevant decisions.
BUSI 571Strategic Cost Analysis and Performance Management1.5
The objective of the course is to develop an understanding of the powerful role of strategic cost analysis and performance measurement in supporting decision-making, performance management and incentive alignment in a timely, efficient and effective manner. The course is intended as an introduction for individuals who will make business decisions, evaluate business units, and evaluate others through the use of cost and performance measurement systems.
This course covers high-level topics related to tax planning that are relevant to future CEOs, CFOs, investment bankers, equity analysts, and marketing consultants. In this course, students will understand how taxes interact with other fields such as finance, accounting, law, marketing, human resources and compensation, operation management, risk management, etc.
BUSI 575Financial Statement Analysis and Valuation1.5
This course teaches students how to analyze financial statements so they will better understand firms' business decisions and strategies, sensibly forecast firms' financial statements, and sensibly value firms' equity. Using practical and interactive cases, plus mini-lectures, the goals are to teach students to: appreciate accruals and deferrals in accrual accounting vs. cash accounting; analyze earnings management, firm financial performance, revenues, expenses, assets, liabilities and equity.
Applied Impact Investing introduces students to early-stage venture capital and angel investing with a focus on generating both financial returns and measurable social or environmental impact. The course covers core investment processes - sourcing, screening, valuation, due diligence, deal execution, and exit strategies - while integrating impact frameworks such as the UN SDGs and Global Impact Investing Network standards. Students will learn to evaluate startups for commercial viability and impact outcomes, apply sustainability metrics, and make real-world investment decisions alongside a syndicate of investors, gaining practical experience in impact-driven venture capital.
BUSI 577Projects for Investment Management Experiential-Learning3
This course offers experiential learning in investment management through action-based projects with partner firms and weekly seminars. It focuses on preparing students for summer internships and full-time opportunities, tailored to individual career goals. Students will engage in peer learning, project discussions, and interact with guest speakers to connect theory with practice. The instructor will mentor students in both group and individual sessions, offering career guidance and connecting them with field experts. The course structure will evolve with student input, ensuring relevant and personalized content. Application required.
A survey of investment principles and practices. Emphasis is given to the problems of security analysis and portfolio management with special attention to the investment problems of the individual investor. Honors version available.
BUSI 581Financial Modeling for Leveraged Buyout Transactions1.5
This course teaches students how to weave their forecasts into coherent spreadsheet-based, pro-forma financials. The main goal of this course is to illustrate how a practitioner would analyze a leveraged buyout. Students will construct their own LBO model in Excel and, by the end of the course, should feel comfortable assessing a company and determining if it is a viable LBO candidate.
Through lectures, case studies, and guest speakers, this course will cover all aspects of mergers and acquisitions from strategy to post-merger integration with an emphasis on valuation. Related activities such as hostile takeovers, private equity deals, and international acquisitions will also be discussed. Honors version available.
Permission of the department. Year-long course. A live, student-managed investment fund with real dollars and fiduciary responsibility to the UNC Foundation. Emphasis is on the decisions that must be made by and/or for the ultimate investor and the analytic tools and empirical evidence that can help inform such decisions. Honors version available.
Skill development in constructing financial models for analyzing problems with decisions faced by financial professionals. Analyzing historical performance, forecasting free cash flows, estimating discount rates, determining terminal value, identifying other sources of value, and interpreting results in a dynamic setting.
An overview of residential and commercial real estate. This survey course examines 1) buying a house and constructing a portfolio of single-family rental houses, 2) commercial real estate product types, 3) amortization, cash flows, capital expenditures, cap rates, debt and equity, hurdle rates and taxes, 4) investment analysis, 5) acquisition, development, operation, and disposition, 6) real estate and contract law, and 7) the partnership negotiation process.
Introduces and broadens the concept of personal finance and increases understanding of the process of accumulating and protecting personal wealth. Students learn to identify and analyze risk and return relationships, understand investment alternatives and how strategies develop as life situations mature, and gain understanding of retirement planning and effectively transferring wealth.
This course prepares students for investment banking positions and internships. The focus of the class is on financial modeling, general knowledge of banking, and what it takes to succeed in the industry. Permission of the instructor and confirmed offer of investment banking analyst internship or full-time job. Honors version available.
BUSI 588Introduction to Derivative Securities and Risk Management1.5
Introduction to derivative securities instruments (options and futures) and applications in investments and corporate finance. Honors version available.
The course covers traditional bonds and term structure concepts as well as fixed income derivatives and interest rate modeling. Honors version available.
Selected topics in business administration presented in seminar format with students engaged in individual and team study under the supervision of a member of the faculty. Honors version available.
Subject
BUSI
Credits (min)
3
Credits (max)
3
Credit unit
Credits
Type
course
Repeatable
May be repeated for credit; may be repeated in the same term for different topics; 9 total credits.
Permission of the instructor. This course explores, at a very advanced level, all stages of the management of a real estate private equity fund: from capital formation, deal sourcing, due diligence, monitoring and adding value, and exiting of the fund's real estate holdings.
The transition toward a sustainable and inclusive economy faces multiple challenges with economic, environmental, and social implications. This introductory course explores how finance interacts with sustainability issues and its leading role in such transition. We will cover key economic and financial concepts and develop relevant knowledge and critical thinking on topics such as: Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) investing; the financing of sustainable projects; real and financial implications of climate risk.
Permission of the instructor. Open to seniors only. Exposes students to the benefits, opportunities, and risks of incorporating alternative investments into managed institutional investment portfolios, including pension funds, endowments, and foundations.
Develops methods for applied analysis of financial and operational risk. The course covers statistical methods of risk measurement such as value-at-risk. In addition, the course covers methods for designing and evaluating risk management procedures at both financial and non-financial companies. The course includes several guest lectures from senior managers.
This course will focus on the different ways to finance real property, and how different financing techniques impact the feasibility and investment benefits for equity investors. Honors version available.
This course focuses on decision making in the presence of strategic interaction. Students will apply game theory to yield insights into business decisions. Topics covered include pricing, entry, product market competition, first-mover advantage, capital budgeting, antitrust law, corporate governance, auctions, and mergers.
This course is designed to introduce undergraduate students to the financial and economic analysis of real estate development. The course will focus on both the physical and financial dimensions of the real estate development process. The course considers multiple asset classes, and students learn to complete financial analysis of real estate development projects.
Introduces students to the capital markets for financing real estate assets. Topics include an overview of real estate as an asset class in the US economy, risk and return in real estate markets, the economics of discount and capitalization rates, the market for mortgage-backed securities (with a peek into the role that these instruments played in the recent financial crisis), and the valuation/analysis of Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs). Honors version available.
Case-based course covering a broad range of real estate issues. The cases studied focus on investment decisions made by practitioners in the industry, and will include investment feasibility and valuation, financing projects, leasing, development, individual and private equity structures, etc. This course is designed to allow students to utilize all prior real estate coursework in a practical manner. Offered to seniors completing the real estate minor or BSBA area of emphasis.
It improves students' understanding of how private equity firms evaluate risk/reward, create value in LBO transactions, and explores the role of private equity in the financial markets and corporate boardroom. Students will develop a better understanding of the decisions private equity firms face; covering challenges in going-private and private-to-private transactions, use of leveraged finance for LBOs and dividend recapitalizations.
BUSI 607Inside the Capital Markets - Institutions, Players and Regulators1.5
This course provides a broad overview of the U.S. and global capital markets. It explores how the markets work, market participants (e.g. mutual funds, hedge funds, investment banks, and venture capital funds), and the infrastructure that supports the industry. Students will follow a "day in the life" of a trade and gain an understanding of the various systems and investment roles and responsibilities. The course will also provide an overview of investing in foreign markets.
BUSI 608Introduction to FinTech - Blockchain Technologies and Cryptocurrencies1.5
This course is an introduction to FinTech, helping students to understand recent advances in blockchain technologies and cryptocurrencies. Topics include: Bitcoin and blockchain, Ethereum and smart contracts, fork, initial coin offerings (ICOs), cryptocurrency trading, blockchain industries, issues in the cryptocurrency market (e.g. market manipulation and regulations), and decentralized finance and the future of finance. Recommended preparation, BUSI 408.
Issues in operating overseas, including analyses of differences in country settings, legal and economic systems, and governmental policies affecting foreign operations. Studies trade theory, country groupings, and financial issues; managing operations in foreign lands; exporting.
This course explores the pivotal role of businesses in tackling Global development challenges. Through four thematic modules - business and government, human development, market development, and the environment - students examine how firms interact with institutions, people, markets, and resources to foster growth. Integrating regional perspectives and current events, the course develops students' ability to analyze business strategies in emerging economies, apply theoretical frameworks to real cases, and evaluate the impact of trade, innovation, and sustainability on global development outcomes. Students actively engage in case studies and discussions for practical learning.
Develops the foundation for financial decisions in a global economic environment. Extends the analytical concepts and tools learned in introductory investment and corporate finance courses to multicountry/multicurrency settings. Covers three major areas: the economics of exchange rates, international money and capital markets, and international corporate finance.
This course will provide students with an overview of numerous global healthcare topics. Students will learn about macro global healthcare issues, country-specific healthcare systems, healthcare interdependencies between regions and countries, global healthcare business strategies and solutions. The course will examine innovative global business models focused on analyzing the cost, access, and quality of healthcare around the globe.
An overview of the dynamics of leading/managing a modern-day hospital/health system and of the US healthcare system including its characteristics/dynamics, structure and operation, how it has evolved over time, and how it may further evolve. It engages students in examining the major economic, political, technological, and social trends driving the US healthcare system, and the implications of those trends in the strategic leadership and operational management of hospitals/health systems.
This course will provide students with the skills and ability to effectively create and evaluate a brand plan in the healthcare industry. Students will learn the components of a brand plan and what is unique to a brand plan in healthcare. The course examines best practices from the pharma industry, how to evaluate and assess brand plans, and the difference between a launch plan and an existing brand plan. It will conclude with the development and presentation of a brand plan for an actual brand in the healthcare space. Sponsored company executives actively participate in the final brand plan presentations.
This capstone course for Business of Health Minors, integrates knowledge from business, public health, organizational behavior, and ethics to address a pressing real-world challenge: the adoption of artificial intelligence in healthcare. Students apply interdisciplinary frameworks to assess risks, benefits, governance, and stakeholder impacts of emerging AI technologies in large health systems. Students identify AI solutions, evaluate unintended consequences, and develop actionable business cases. The course culminates in final team presentations, where students pitch their recommendations to leaders at UNC Health, bridging academic insight with real-world healthcare innovation.
Permission of the department. This course is by invitation only to students who previously served on the Undergraduate Business Symposium core committee. As senior advisors, students practice the leadership, organization, delegation, communication, and teamwork skills that they learn about in their other courses.
This seminar style course develops a set of financial tools useful for trading primary and derivative securities with the goal of obtaining specific exposures in equity, fixed income, and commodity markets. The course examines methods for managing financial price risk of positions and how hedge funds use derivatives in practice. Honors version available.
Permission of the department. Open to senior business administration majors with a minimum 3.5 grade point average in business courses. Students learn business research techniques and develop individual proposals for business research. Successful proposals may advance to honors thesis research and writing (BUSI 692H).
Permission of the department. Open to senior business majors with a minimum 3.5 grade point average in business courses. Original investigation of a topic in business and preparation of a substantive research project under the direction of a faculty advisor. Written essay and oral presentation are required.
BUSI 702Introduction to Social Entrepreneurship1-3
An overview of how entrepreneurship is transforming students' fields and disciplines and how the application of principles of entrepreneurship may be used to advance their professional objectives.
BUSI 703Introduction to Commercial Entrepreneurship1-3
A cross-disciplinary curriculum that brings together the core field with the wide-ranging literature in entrepreneurship to seek new approaches to traditional problems.
This Graduate Certificate in Entrepreneurship capstone project is self-paced, and overseen by the faculty director of each track (life sciences, public health, and artistic).
Independent study intends to extend a student's learning beyond the classroom or allows a student the opportunity to explore a topic not offered in a traditional format.
Addresses fundamentals of empirical social science research. Topics include framing a research question, comparing research designs, instrumentation, reliability, validity, and exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis. Emphasizes application and analysis.
Required preparation, working knowledge of probability, statistics, and regression. The course prepares students to perform academic research, and it will be conducted in a manner that simulates an academic research conference. The course will focus on empirical research approaches used in solving many classical problems in operations management.
Analysis of individual behavior, adjustment, and effectiveness. Examination of attitudes, stress, problem solving, decision making, motivation, and personality. Applications to management of human resources.
BUSI 852Interpersonal and Intergroup Behavior in Business Organizations1-3
Intensive critical examination of interpersonal and intergroup behavior, including decision processes, communication, conflict, and conflict resolution in large organizations.
Graduate standing in business administration required. Intensive study of theory and research in organizational structure, coordinating and control mechanisms, design parameters, and environments.
The development of understanding and skills in changing and evolving organizational design, interpersonal relationships, and people to achieve organizational goals.
Review the research literature on how firms are made more effective through their people. Coverage includes topics like recruitment, hiring, compensation, socialization, culture, and performance management.
BUSI 858Special Topics in Organizational Behavior3
BUSI 858 is a second doctoral course in organizational behavior, meant to be taken after completing BUSI 851: Individual Behavior in Organizations. While BUSI 851 gave an overview of many important topics in organizational behavior, the field is too broad to be covered, in depth, with a single class. The goal of this course is to introduce developing scholars to the history and current status of important topics in organizational behavior. This course is intended for developing scholars who intend to pursue academic careers.
Permission of the instructor. Overview of current paradigms and research in marketing. Topics include philosophy of science, differing views of what marketing is, strengths and weaknesses of various research approaches, and career socialization issues.
Intensive study of the empirical and analytical literature involving problems in pricing, product development and management, advertising and promotion, distribution, and strategy.
Permission of the instructor. Advanced research in marketing. A seminar to discuss current research of doctoral candidates, faculty, and invited guests.
BUSI 867Issues in the Design and Analysis of Research in Marketing3
Graduate standing in business administration required. A review of major issues in marketing, including philosophy of science, measurement, and experimental and quasi-experimental design.
BUSI 868Seminar in Marketing Research Methodology3
Permission of the instructor. An introduction to multivariate data analysis methods including factor analysis, cluster analysis, logic, discriminant analysis and multidimensional scaling.
Permission of the instructor. Advanced research in business finance and investment. An informal seminar to discuss current research of doctoral candidates, faculty, and others.
This course provides an introduction to the quantitative methods used in empirical asset pricing. Model specification and estimation issues are discussed at length. The course emphasizes both theoretical and practical research.
This seminar focuses on strategy implementation, with particular emphasis devoted to the process, systems, and structures required for effective implementation.
