& Student Handbook - Saint Mary's University of Minnesota

Bachelor Degree Programs 61
Prior Learning Assessment (PLA)
The Saint Mary’s University community recognizes that many students
come to the university with college-level competencies that have been
developed outside the traditional college classroom. Students may
obtain college credit for such competencies by participating in the Prior
Learning Assessment (PLA) process.
Students seeking credit through the PLA process must first discuss this
option with their academic advisor to determine if this is an appropriate
choice for them. Students that are recommended by their advisor to
participate in the PLA process are required to take a three-credit
course in which they create a portfolio with evidence of their learning.
The PLA portfolio is assessed by a PLA review board for credit.
Students may be granted up to 45 credits for their PLA portfolios.
Communication Core Courses
CM309 Professional Writing................................................................3 cr.
CM310 Oral Communications .............................................................3 cr.
CM409 Technical Writing.....................................................................3 cr.
Communication Course Descriptions
CM309
Professional Writing (3 cr.)
This course provides strategies for developing a clear, concise
professional writing style. A variety of writing formats are addressed.
Research for professional documents, writing in an electronic
environment, and collaborative writing are considered. Voice, style,
audience, purpose, the writing process, and strategies for editing and
revision are examined in the context of interpersonal and ethical
dimensions.
CM310
Oral Communications (3 cr.)
Communication skills pertinent to organizational settings form the
foundation of this course. Effective methods for design and delivery of
oral communications are examined. Other topics include communication
styles, effective listening, interpersonal communication skills, dynamics
of small group communication, and persuasive speaking, all in the
context of professional workplace communications.
CM409
Technical Writing (3 cr.)
This course focuses on the formal demands, as well as the underlying logic,
necessary to meet many complex technical writing situations. Students
examine the technical writing process with an emphasis on revision and
editing skills. Students explore how style, format and the use of visuals can
affect the quality of communication. Techniques to strategically adapt
technical documents to fit a specific audience and purpose are practiced.
Topics include forms of technical writing, such as definitions, descriptions,
manuals, reports, and formal documentation.
Management Core Courses
BU300 Accounting Principles..............................................................3 cr.
BU400 Business Law ..........................................................................3 cr.
BU403 Applied Statistics .....................................................................3 cr.
BU407 Financial Management ............................................................3 cr.
HR340 Human Resource Management ................................................3 cr.
HR440 Employee and Labor Relations ...............................................3 cr.
HR455 Performance Improvement Through Training ..........................3 cr.
MG300 Spanish Language and Culture for Business .........................3 cr.
MG305 Managerial Ethics...................................................................3 cr.
MG306 Information Ethics...................................................................3 cr.
MG307 Principles of Leadership .........................................................3 cr.
MG311 Economics for Managers........................................................3 cr.
MG335 Critical Thinking for Managers ................................................3 cr.
MG401 Principles of Management .....................................................3 cr.
MG405 Organizational Culture and Change .......................................3 cr.
MG408 Project Management ..............................................................3 cr.
MG415 Total Quality and Team Development .....................................3 cr.
MG418 Strategic Management ...........................................................3 cr.
MG420 The Future of Organizations...................................................3 cr.
MG445 Entrepreneurship ....................................................................3 cr.
MG450 Product and Operations Management....................................3 cr.
Management Course Descriptions
BU300
Accounting Principles (3 cr.)
This course is designed to give students the foundations of financial
accounting and reporting practices used by decision makers in today’s
business environments. Financial accounting methods, the accounting
cycle, internal controls, and accounting practices for different types of
business entities are examined. Also examined are accounting for
international operations, and the preparation of both domestic and
international-based financial statements.
BU400
Business Law (3 cr.)
This introductory course examines the legal context for business,
including the legal and regulatory system, the law of contracts, property
laws and torts, and forms of business organization, including partnerships
and corporations. The course also introduces areas of law and regulation
which affect business activities, including employment law, securities,
antitrust, bankruptcy, consumer protections, and environmental laws.
BU407
Financial Management (3 cr.)
This course is an introduction to the theory and practice of financial
management of organizations. Topics covered include the assessment of
types of business entities and capital acquisition sources, basic financial
statement analysis, the assessment of how income taxes impact the
financial decision-making process, the evaluation of capital projects
using the time value of money concepts, management of an entity’s
current assets and current liabilities, and the maximization of
shareholder wealth.