School of Business Innovation (SBIZ)

This course introduces students to basic accounting systems, concepts and principles. It provides the foundational framework for financial and managerial accounting through an introduction to terms, concepts and the language of accounting. Students gain experience with basic accounting — demonstrating the ability to record, summarize, report and interpret financial information — as well as with construction and interpretation of financial statements.

Students from a variety of disciplines within the School of Business Innovation work as a team to research, conceptualize, and develop creative solutions for current design challenges. Specific projects vary from quarter to quarter. [This course may be taken up to three times for credit.]

The mindset of an innovator is one of constant exploration, learning, and a willingness to challenge the status quo in pursuit of meaningful change and improvement. In this course, students design comprehensive conditioning programs employing diverse creative thinking techniques to foster innovation in themselves, teams, and organizations. Students apply these techniques to address business challenges and seize market opportunities through creative methodologies. They master persuasive storytelling to articulate the pivotal role of creative thinking in driving innovation and gaining competitive advantage. Embracing calculated risk and learning from obstacles, students foster growth at all levels. Effective communication and collaboration across diverse domains prepare them to engage stakeholders effectively.

Financial management is a core function critical to the success of an art and design business. It is the foundation upon which the resources (human, physical and financial) of any company or organization are maintained and monitored. This course guides students through the conceptual areas critical to building and sustaining financially successful creative ventures.

In this course, students study the role of financial analysis in enterprise budgeting and revenue generation, gaining insights into developing effective financial monitoring and control systems to proficiently navigate financial activities. Through real-world case studies and risk analyses, students apply their knowledge to solve accounting and financial management challenges. They master the art of conducting comprehensive cost-benefit analyses, considering direct and indirect financial elements, including staff time and resource utilization. Furthermore, students identify industry best practices for astute asset management, employing appropriate budgeting models. Lastly, they craft comprehensive financial statements and forecasts, including balance sheets, activity/operating statements, and cash flow statements, tailored to creative or cultural enterprises.

Effective leaders use persuasion, influence, and negotiation to inspire and motivate, rallying teams behind a shared vision and strategic goals. Through the study of various persuasive techniques, from the strategic use of verbal-visual rhetoric to the fusion of logic and emotion, students cultivate the skills to construct compelling arguments that resonate with diverse audiences. By blending creative thinking with refined persuasive strategies, students learn to identify common ground, negotiate mutually beneficial agreements, and inspire trust through communication. The course offers a comprehensive exploration of how to leverage language and strategic tactics to effectively persuade, influence, and create a lasting impact.

This course equips students to formulate strategies for global organizations, driving sustainable growth and competitiveness. Mastery of analytical decision-making and development processes empowers students to identify distinctive advantages in the dynamic business landscape. Through solving authentic case studies across diverse markets, students refine global problem-solving skills. Proficient use of communication skills enables effective navigation of diverse groups in international contexts, fostering understanding and collaboration.

Successfully analyzing driving forces and variable scenarios across time horizons to identify future implications provides an organization with strategic foresight. Students investigate the nature of driving forces as well as their verifiable causes and consequences to postulate strategic responses to multiple future scenarios. Through applying scenario creation and planning methods, students develop skills to identify and frame potential future directions for enabling organizations to anticipate and take an active role toward those futures.

This course addresses developing an innovative strategy grounded in contextual research, future casting, and systems thinking to transform a complex challenge into a valuable opportunity. Students learn to define winning goals that result in a holistic strategy embodying design-thinking tools and capital resources necessary for sustained business growth and innovation success. Students acquire a sense of confidence and authority as a result of successfully developing a holistic strategy to execute an opportunity.

This course empowers students to articulate design needs through comprehensive project proposals, including design briefs, marketing plans, and forecasting models. They skillfully gather and organize data crucial for planning, tracking, and executing design projects. Students master design planning methods, phased deliverables, and audience implications, showcasing advanced skills. Through proposing innovative ideas, they demonstrate master's-level leadership and entrepreneurial qualities. The course hones persuasive presentation skills, ensuring clear, concise, and engaging communication of groundbreaking concepts. Additionally, students seamlessly integrate conceptualization, implementation, and management of rapid-paced projects, meticulously documenting and interpreting each phase.

This advanced course provides students with practical knowledge and skills in conducting research and gaining valuable insights to foster innovation in a business environment. This course combines theoretical frameworks with hands-on experiential learning to develop a comprehensive understanding of the research process and its application to driving innovation. Students explore various research methodologies, techniques, and tools used to gather, analyze, and interpret data. They identify key research questions, develop research designs, and implement data collection methods and analyses to generate actionable insights for business innovation. The Business Innovation Lab component of the course provides students with a collaborative and interdisciplinary environment to work on real-world business challenges. Through the development of feasible, high-value projects, students applying research skills and insights to propose innovative solutions and develop viable business strategies. Students emerge as proficient researchers and innovative thinkers and problem solvers, shaping sustainable business practices that are not only innovative but also ethically sound in any business environment.

The masters in business innovation program focuses on strategy formulation and its profound impact on organizations. Students apply cutting-edge approaches to identify, develop, and implement innovative business models, disruptive technologies, and market-driven strategies in delivering a high-value final project. Using a combination of frameworks, case studies, and hands-on projects, participants enhance critical thinking and problem-solving skills. They evaluate the strategic and ethical implications of innovation on organizational growth, sustainability, revenue streams, and societal impact. By the culmination of the program, students possess the mindset, knowledge, skills, and expertise necessary to drive innovation, enhance competitiveness, and effectively manage change within diverse business environments. Prerequisite(s) SBIZ 757.