Master of Science in Administrative Studies concentration in Economic Development & Tourism Management

Introduction to the concepts, methods and problems of accounting and financial analysis. Includes accounting principles, measurement and disclosure issues, financial statement analysis, time value of money, cash flow projection and analysis, capital budgeting and project evaluation, bond and equity valuation, cost of capital and capital structure. 4 cr.   [ 4 cr. ]

The course examines the concepts and applied techniques for cost effective management of both long-term development programs and projects. Project management principles and methodology are provided with special focus on planning, controlling, and coordinating individual and group efforts. Key topics of focus include overview of modern project management, organization strategy and project selection, defining a project and developing a project plan and scheduling resources, project risk analysis, work breakdown structures, and project networks. MS Project will be introduced in this course to provide hands-on practical skills with the above topics. Mastery of key tools and concepts introduced in this course provides a significant competitive advantage in the marketplace.   [ 4 cr. ]

Provides a detailed examination of how businesses can successfully use Internet and Web technology. Students are introduced to the concepts and issues of electronic commerce. Topics include comparison of e-commerce procedures, payment mechanisms, applications in different industry sectors, security, the challenges of starting and maintaining an electronic business site, as well as a comparison with traditional business practices.   [ 4 cr. ]

This course considers macroeconomic factors of relevance to the firm: aggregate economic activity, cyclical movements, and fiscal and monetary policies. The course reviews the problems of decision-making relating to demand, production, costs, market structure, and price, and provides an analysis of the interplay between governments, economic systems, labor, and multinational corporations (MNCs). Topics include: the basis for the existence, organization, and growth of MNCs; a comparison of major economic and government systems; areas include the impact on the firm's business transactions and trade due to taxation, regulation, legal environments and labor influences. This course additionally investigates the relationship between the interaction of national culture and development. Topics range from developing nations' rain forest and species management to pollution generated by developed nations. Culture, policy, and development are also discussed in relation to the impact of the business interactions (agriculture, fishing, technology transfer, etc.) among developing and developed nations.  [ 4 cr. ]

Addresses the specifics of new product and service development and fostering innovation and technology to increase performance. Topics include generating and screening initial ideas; assessing user needs and interests; forecasting results; launching, and improving products and programs; bringing innovation to commercial reality.   [ 4 cr. ]

Provides a market oriented, strategic planning framework to address a broad range of tourism and regional economic and development issues that relate to tourism industry development and growth. The interplay of private, public and government organizations is discuss as they relate to the development of a comprehensive tourism plan. The combination of theory and practice will prepare students to analyze tourism markets, assess area, regional and national weakness and strengths as well as the security, infrastructure/logistics, marketing and costs associated tourism. Topics include: importance of tourism to the economy, developing the tourism strategy, ecotourism, research and analysis, positioning and marketing, funding tourism and developing new attractions.   [ 4 cr. ]

Cultural tourism in the 21st century is more than the traditional passive activities of visiting a museum, hearing a concert or strolling down an historic street. It has become an active, dynamic branch of tourism in which half of all tourists have stated that they want some cultural activities during their vacation. In this course we will introduce various themes of cultural tourism including the relationship between the Tourist Industry and the Cultural Heritage Manager, conservation and preservation vs. utilization of a cultural asset, authenticity vs. commoditization, stakeholders and what should be their rights and obligations, tangible and intangible tourist assets, the role of government, private industry and the non-profit sectors in tourism planning and sustainable economic development. We will examine these themes in different areas of cultural tourism including the art industry, historical sites, cultural landmarks, special events and festivals, theme parks and gastronomy.   [ 4 cr. ]

Topics include, the shift toward international service economies, the increasingly large service component in "non-service" industries, integrating service in the development of products and the critical role employees play in delivering service quality.   [ 4 cr. ]

The course examines the emerging area of eco-tourism in both developing and developed nations. The issues discussed involve the purpose of eco-tourism, importance to GDP, infrastructure demands, return on investment, and the possible financial strains and returns to local areas. The course provides a thorough examination of potential benefits as well as liabilities of eco-tourism to the region, indigenous population, and nation as well as who can gain and who can lose from such undertakings.  [ 4 cr. ]

This overview course examines the management issues involved with assessing the security and risk environments in both the private and public sectors in order to assure continuous system-wide operations. The course studies the elements of risk assessment and operational continuity using the project management framework of planning, organizing, and control. Students are exposed to the role of the firm in crisis response and management as well as the terms, systems, and interactions necessary to assure continuous operations. Topics include: the role and need for comprehensive assurance strategy and planning; the security aspects of the firm; an overview of the system-wide structure?as well as the organizations within that structure?designed to plan for and respond to local or national crisis; the social and emotional impact on the workforce as well as its effect on productivity; and the organizational infrastructure relating to national, regional, and international compliance. 4 cr  [ 4 cr. ]

Many branches of the tourism industry have become incorporated into the increasingly important economic paradigm of sustainable economic development (economic development while minimizing the negative environmental, social and cultural impact of such development) in both the developed and developing world. In this course students will visit a developing country and learn how the tourist industry has developed in that country, determine how sustainable that development has been and what are potential directions for future growth in the tourist industry.  [ 4 cr. ]

This course allows the student to understand and learn how to develop and manage tourism destinations that have the capability to perform effectively in an increasingly competitive international marketplace in ways that are environmentally, socially, and culturally sustainable. Topics include: the evolving nature of competition and sustainability, dimensions of competitive destination and sustainable destination, the global macro-environment for tourism, the competitive micro-environment, core resources and attractors, supporting facilities, and destination policy, planning, and development.  [ 4 cr. ]

The course provides an in depth examination of the role of infrastructure and logistics in economic and tourism development. Students are exposed to national and international examples of infrastructure and logistics models as they related to the successful, or unsuccessful, attempts to initiate economic/tourism development, growth and/or maintenance. The problems and challenges facing private firms and governments as they attempt to integrate economic development and growth into an existing culture and environment are presented. The role of national, regional and local infrastructures is discussed as they relate to an intergraded economic development plan. The use, types and importance of infrastructure is presented, as are methods to develop models to assess needs and resource allocation.  [ 4 cr. ]

Explores decision making and policy formulation in organizations. Includes goal setting and the planning process, rational models of decision making, evaluation of alternatives, prediction of outcomes, cost-benefit analysis, decision trees, uncertainty and risk assessment, and procedures for evaluation of outcomes.   [ 4 cr. ]

A communications skills course designed to better understand the nature of conflict and its resolution through persuasion, collaboration, and negotiation. Students will learn theories of interpersonal and organizational conflict and its resolution as applied to personal, corporate, historical, and political contexts. Students will assess their own styles, skills, and values, and develop techniques to better resolve disputes, achieve objectives, and exert influence.   [ 4 cr. ]

This course will examine the special characteristics of heritage tourism: how it differs from other forms of tourism in terms of product definition, development, audience, management, ethics, and relation to the local, national, and international communities. Topics will include historic preservation, product presentation and interpretation, and issues of sustainability and place-making.   [ 4 cr. ]

Marketing approaches have been significantly altered with the advent of the Internet. This course provides a view of marketing for the twenty-first century. Special emphasis is provided on the impact of new Internet marketing techniques, research using data mining and metrics, search engine optimization, reaching consumer markets through the new business models associated with social communities, blogs, and other Web 2.0 structures. 4cr.  [ 4 cr. ]

Includes opportunity assessment and feasibility analysis, concept development, budgeting and financial operations, financial and human resource management, legal and organizational issues, role of boards and external advisors that lead to the writing of a business plan.  [ 4 cr. ]

Examines legal issues that affect high technology firms. Topics include copyright, reverse engineering, trade secrets, patents, international legal differences, the Uniform Commercial Code, and product liability. Cases drawn from high tech industries are used to emphasize current and future developments.   [ 4 cr. ]

This course involves the study of the foundations of the trade theory as well as modern international economics issues. It utilizes a self-directed approach through computer testing, electronic interaction with the instructor, video-tape series, and a comprehensive research project. 4cr.  [ 4 cr. ]

Introduces the student to the contemporary word of international business through an examination of the social, cultural, economic, ecological and commercial aspects that impact global operations. Emphasis is on both the thorough understanding of the effect that international business has on the different functional aspects of the enterprise as well as the manner in which firms organize, operate and formulate strategies in order to maximize their chances of successful operations.  [ 4 cr. ]

Today the tourist industry is global in respect to the tourists wishes and destinations, i.e., tourists travel to other countries in part to learn about their peoples and cultures. To meet this large and expanding market many tourist companies have become either multinational or have formed working alliances with companies in other countries. This necessitates the need of people working in the tourist industry to have an understanding of cultures beyond their own. In this course we will examine different cultures and see how culture has affected economic, social, political and artistic development and its relationship to multi-national commerce and the tourist industry. Among the cultures to be examined will be: Western Europe, America, Middle East, and Sub-Saharan Africa.  [ 4 cr. ]

Festivals and events are found in all societies. They are increasingly seen as unique tourist attractions and as destination image makers. Ranging from mega events such as the Olympics to small community festivals, they constitute one of the most exciting and fastest growing forms of sustainable cultural tourism. In this course students will learn how to plan, develop, and market festivals and events as tourism attractions. 4cr.  [ 4 cr. ]

The course is designed to prepare the student to undertake a comprehensive survey of the regional or national economic, social, logistical/infrastructure and attraction market to determine the most appropriate allocation of resources and strategic positioning. Students are exposed to the development of tourism and regional development plan, the basis for segmentation and target markets. The methods and tools of market and economic research are presented and the role/interplay of private, local, national and international intuitions are discussed as they relate to data gathering and plan assessment and implementation.  [ 4 cr. ]

Concepts, theories and practice of international, multinational and global advertising. A thorough and contemporary study of the impact of globalization on marketing communications and particularly advertising. The environment of worldwide advertising, the advertising mix and worldwide management.  [ 4 cr. ]