Courses

The listing of a course description here does not guarantee a course’s being offered in a particular term. Please refer to the published schedule of classes on the MyBU Student Portal for confirmation a class is actually being taught and for specific course meeting dates and times.

• QST MK 867: Purpose-Led Marketing
  Graduate Prerequisites: (QSTMK723 OR QSTMK724) - Globalization, increasing transparency in business operations and the prevalence of social media have forever changed the way stakeholders view and interact with organizations. Societal and business imperatives are not only often considered compatible; they can be increasingly viewed as one and the same. People today often communicate, organize and engage based on mutual interests, and, generally, place greater trust in organizations and individuals that work for a better world. Marketing has often been referred to as the "science of sales." Whether you are selling a product, an intervention or an idea, it can be a powerful tool for advancing social change in today's dynamic environment. The strategic integration of a relevant social purpose into a product, business or nonprofit organization through brand-building citizenship activities can drive consumer and donor recall, consideration, acquisition, retention and propensity to recommend. However, these efforts do not usually constitute a "silver bullet" and may not be the best solution to a business problem or societal need at all. In the worst cases, ill-conceived citizenship marketing strategies can result in damaging consequences. Practitioners must be pragmatic when engaging in marketing social change. Understanding how to apply best practice, identify opportunities, address challenges, engage stakeholders and innovate strategically are essential skills in this rapidly evolving sector. The purpose of this course is to provide students with an in-depth understanding of how marketing principles can be applied to create both short-term and lasting social change. Students will explore dimensions of the modern landscapes of brand, corporate and nonprofit "citizenship" and how they relate to marketing. Areas of study include: cause-related marketing and cause branding; nonprofit branding and social movements, as well as corporate social responsibility and shared value creation.
• QST MK 870: Luxury Marketing
  Graduate Prerequisites: (QSTMK723 OR QSTMK724) - Introduction to the marketing of luxury goods and services. It explores the origin, the history, and the evolution of luxury and gives an overview of the global luxury industry. It highlights the specificities of marketing in the luxury sector. Luxury brands must manage a number of inherent paradoxes and tensions. Differences in a mass versus luxury marketing approach are discussed. Finally, the course focuses on examining the main challenges with which luxury brands are currently confronted. As markets are becoming increasingly polarized, the course is relevant to a wide range of marketing and business professionals who may have to "premiumize" their offerings or revitalize their brands through an upscale positioning. Through a combination of interactive discussions, cases, practical examples, and individual assignments, the course enables participants to take both a theoretical and practical approach to the luxury industry and its marketing practices.
• QST MK 876: Digital Marketing Analytics
  Graduate Prerequisites: (QSTMK723 OR QSTMK724) - This is an introductory course on digital marketing analytics that inform digital marketing tactics, including online display ads, search listings, on-site e-commerce marketing and social media marketing. The course introduces methods that can be used to assess how specific tactics are moving consumers along the path to purchase.
• QST MK 878: Customer Analytics
  Graduate Prerequisites: QST MK723 or MK724, QST QM716 or QM717, QST MK852 or IS833 - The course will focus on managing marketing spend from the perspective of a marketing manager. The first module of the course is on customer analytics and will cover the fundamental frameworks needed for customer-centric marketing with topics such as customer lifetime value, customer acquisition and retention, and customer equity. The second module of the course focuses on assessing marketing performance and will cover decision support tools that can help brand and product managers make decisions with regard to marketing spending including advertising, pricing, and promotions. The course will require quantitative skills and will use a combination of cases, lectures, and a hands-on project.
• QST MK 898: Directed Study: Marketing
  Graduate Prerequisites: Consent of instructor and the department chair - Graduate-level directed study in Marketing. 1, 2, or 3 cr. Application available on the Graduate Center website.
• QST MK 899: Directed Study: Marketing
  Graduate Prerequisites: Consent of instructor and the department chair - Graduate-level directed study in Marketing. 1, 2, or 3 cr. Application available on the Graduate Center website.
• QST MK 914: Seminar in Consumer Behavior
  This course is designed to familiarize students with the current major theoretical streams of research in consumer behavior. It is meant to instill in the student not only a knowledge of the current "state of the art" in consumer behavior research, but also an ability to apply behavioral science theory to consumer behavior research issues. It is expected that students will develop and refine the ability both to critically evaluate the theoretical contribution of articles in consumer behavior and to formulate theory-based hypotheses capable of advancing the discipline's understanding of consumer behavior.
• QST MK 915: Consumer Behavior II
  Because firms that excel in developing deep insight into consumer behavior create and capture more value in the marketplace, it is critical for researchers to establish a strong foundation in consumer research. The present course serves as a companion to the MK914: Seminar in Consumer Behavior I, and considers what some have called "The Cultural Interpretivist Turn" in Marketing. This perspective calls for a broader conceptualization of the discipline, with greater attention to - phenomena and dynamics at the socio-cultural level, under-leveraged theoretical perspectives beyond psychology and economics, and grounded methodologies capable of situating consumer behavior in the context of people's lives. Topics include but are not limited to: Myth and Cultural Narratives; Semiotics; Materialism; Consumer-Brand Relationships; Consumer Socialization; Sub-Cultures of Gender, Lifestyle, Ethnicity, and Social Class; Communities and Tribes; Illicit Pleasures, Addictions, and High Risk Consumption; Politics of Consumption; and Consumer Well-Being.
• QST MK 927: Marketing Management and the Customer-Focused Firm
  This course will familiarize doctoral students with various areas of investigation for problem-oriented academic marketing research pertinent to the research mission of the department: advancing the customer-focused firm. Discussion topics include but are not limited to the following strategies for gaining strategic advantage through the cultivation of marketing relationships: branding and brand equity, pricing, sales, customer relationship management and CRM, consumer-company identification, corporate social responsibility, consumer-to-consumer relationships and brand communities, retailing and customer service, product innovation, and product launch strategy. Through exposure to a strategic marketing perspective for the identification of research problem areas, this course will further socialize students into the process of developing research ideas and undertaking research, while stimulating the development of ideas for summer projects, qualifying papers, and dissertations.
• QST MK 928: Mathematical Modeling in Marketing
  There are many decision problems in marketing that require mathematical modeling, using operations research/ management science approaches. This type of modeling is distinct from "statistical modeling;" this latter type of modeling is very worthy of study, and is heavily covered in various other courses you will take or have taken (e.g., QM915: Multivariate Analysis). The course consists mainly of discussing a variety of assigned journal articles in the various area of management, with the plurality illustrating marketing applications. The articles focus on optimization models. There are also lectures on the major optimization techniques (e.g., calculus, linear programming, decision analysis) emphasized in the course. The grading is based half on class participation and half on a required paper. Open to MBA students with instructor's permission. Must meet with faculty member to discuss course content and goals.
• QST MK 929: Marketing Management and the Customer-Focused Firm II
  This course builds on material presented in MK927 to familiarize doctoral students with various areas of investigation for problem-oriented academic marketing research pertinent to the research mission of the department: advancing the customer-focused firm. Discussion topics concern strategies for gaining competitive advantage and include: establishing a market orientation, product strategy, product innovation and new product development, brand design and product aesthetics, co-creation and mass customization, pricing strategy, sales promotions, corporate social responsibility, cause marketing, stakeholder marketing, and the measurement of firm and marketing performance. Through exposure to a strategic marketing perspective for the identification of research problem areas, this course will further socialize students into the process of developing research ideas and undertaking research, while stimulating the development of ideas for summer projects, qualifying papers, and dissertations.
• QST MK 990: Current Topics Seminar
  For PhD students in the Marketing department. Registered by permission only.
• QST MK 998: Directed Study: Marketing
  Graduate Prerequisites: Consent of instructor and the department chair - PhD-level directed study in Marketing. 1, 2, or 3 cr. Application available on the Graduate Program Office website.
• QST MK 999: Directed Study: Marketing
  Graduate Prerequisites: consent of instructor and the department chair - PhD-level directed study in Marketing. 1, 2, or 3 cr. Application available on the Graduate Center website.
• QST MO 221: The Dynamics of Leading Organizations
  Undergraduate Prerequisites: (QSTSM131) - This course is about understanding, analyzing, and navigating the complexities of contemporary organizational life. After taking this course, you will be able to: (1) Understand yourself, including your personal tendencies, and sharpen your ability to interact and communicate with others in ways that make you more effective at work; (2) Formulate strategies for collaborating, building effective teams, and carving out your role within them; (3) Analyze, predict, and influence others' behaviors, organizational hierarchies, power structures, and cultures; and (4) Apply the principles of organizational behavior to craft feedback, manage conflict, and lead in your work environments. This is done through in-class simulations, individual self-reflection, active participation in class, team exercises, exams, readings, and group projects and presentations. Effective Fall 2020, this course fulfills a single unit in the following BU Hub area: Teamwork/Collaboration.
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  • Teamwork/Collaboration
• QST MO 356: Leadership and Management of Social Enterprises
  Undergraduate Prerequisites: QST SM131 or QST SI250 or QST SI480 or COM FT591 or SHA HF231; Sophomo re standing - A well-managed social enterprise can translate idealism into action. It can help create a world that is more sustainable, more compassionate, and more just. This course will explore the distinctive aspects of launching, leading, and growing an enterprise -- nonprofit or for-profit -- whose primary goal is social impact. We will study mission, strategy, marketing, ethics, entrepreneurship, and scaling. We will learn that success for social enterprise is driven less by a compelling story or a charismatic advocate than by diligent management and insightful, ethical leadership. Effective Fall 2021, this course fulfills a single unit in the following BU Hub area: Ethical Reasoning.
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  • Ethical Reasoning
• QST MO 420: People Analytics
  Undergraduate Prerequisites: QST BA222, or QST QM222 - This course focuses on developments in People Analytics, an evolving data-driven approach to employee decisions and practices. Managers must decide how to lead people in the context of new technologies, management practices, empirical methods, and increased collaboration with external stakeholders (e.g. software vendors, consultants, academic researchers). The goal of the course is 1) to provide an overview of the people analytics field, 2) to develop skills in research design, and 3) to understand how to implement people analytics projects in an effective and responsible manner. The course covers theory, practice, and methods that are critical for addressing people- related challenges at companies, such as hiring, retaining, evaluating, rewarding performance, and managing teams and social networks, to name a few. 4 cr.
• QST MO 441: Human Resource Management
  Undergraduate Prerequisites: (QSTMO221) - Introduces students to the field of human resource management (HRM). Emphasizes the strategic importance of effective human resource management to the success of any organization. Using readings, case studies and outside speakers, specific topics covered include: recruiting and selection, talent, diversity & inclusion, training and development, performance management and rewards and employee and labor relations. Particular attention is paid to the ways in which organizations' strategies and practices around these issues contribute to the strategic objectives of the organization. Individual and group projects enable students to develop skills in making decisions from both the human resource manager's and the general manager's perspective.
• QST MO 448: Negotiations
  Undergraduate Prerequisites: Junior or senior standing. Pre-req for SHA students: SHA HF231 - Negotiations are part of daily life inside of organizations and out; yet, effective strategies for negotiation are elusive. Across a variety of negotiation contexts, you will learn different frameworks for thinking about negotiations and best practices. Intellectually, there is an emphasis on the tensions and strategies around claiming and creating value. Practically, there is an emphasis on skill-building through hands-on exercises entailing both individual and team-based negotiations. Students are expected to gain confidence as negotiators through experiential learning.
• QST MO 460: The Leadership Challenge
  Undergraduate Prerequisites: Junior or senior standing - Required for Organizational Behavior concentrators. Do you want to develop your leadership skills? Are you interested in learning more about what makes an effective leader? Would you like to lead an initiative that has direct, real-world impact in the community? Then take on the Leadership Challenge! This course dives into the theory and practice of leadership, emphasizing the perspective that leaders are needed at all levels in organizations and society. In addition to studying the practices of effective leaders, the course focuses on developing your leadership competencies through active experimentation and reflection, designing and leading a team community service project, and building leadership, communication, and collaboration skills. Effective Fall 2020, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Oral and/or Signed Communication, The Individual in Community. Effective Fall 2021, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Oral and/or Signed Communication, The Individual in Community, Teamwork/Collaboration.
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  • Oral and/or Signed Communication
  • Teamwork/Collaboration