BSM 100: Introduction to Business
This course is designed as a survey course that explores the functions of modern business, including an overview of marketing, management, ethics, social responsibility, and human resources management. The course introduces common terminology, concepts, topical readings and current issues in business, while fostering critical and analytical thinking skills.
BSM 110: Introduction to Word Processing
In this course students gain an understanding of the word processing software Microsoft Word. Students in this course create numerous Microsoft Word documents, and apply various techniques such as editing and proofing, formatting text, cutting and pasting, saving and deleting. Students use tables, styles, and graphics to build documents such as business letters, letterhead, envelopes, and flyers. Students also learn how to perform a mail merge using Word’s powerful Mail Merge feature. This course gives students the foundation to work effectively with this software and to market their acquired skills to potential employers.
BSM 120: Financial Accounting
This course covers the fundamentals of financial accounting, including double-entry accounting and the accounting cycle. Other topics include cash, receivables, inventories, plant assets, liabilities, partnerships, corporation, investments, statement of cash flows, and interpretation of financial statements.
BSM 140: Introduction to Spreadsheets
This course covers basic Microsoft Excel skills that include creating, modifying, and formatting a worksheet, and turning the data into highly functional charts. Students begin to experiment with basic functions and formulas and learn to automate spreadsheet tasks. Students build and edit worksheets, work with cells and cell ranges, format cell contents and values, and manage workbooks.
BSM 150: Business Start-up Strategies
Students in this course are exposed to basic issues in starting a business. Topics may include capitalization, staffing, subcontracting, permits, facilities, and basic business planning. The course offers students practical exercises to begin strategic development of a business and offers practical problems and issues in the startup phase of building a successful organization.
BSM 160: Digital Presentations
Students in this course gain an understanding for creating electronic presentations using Microsoft PowerPoint. Topics in this course may include working with template slides, formatting slides, working with layouts, working with graphics, creating charts, and adding animation. Students also study methods and techniques for giving presentations using this exciting software.
BSM 210: Principles of Management
Students in this course study the responsibilities for managing a business. Topics studied in this course may include making a business plan, cost planning and budgeting, development of the business and the business accounts, and the basics of buying and selling a business. This course introduces students to the foundations of business management, and how to apply those foundations to open a new business or to improve upon an already existing business.
BSM 220: Principles of Marketing
In this course, students study the nuances of promotion, advertising, and consumer spending, and how those concepts can be applied to getting the word out about a company, product or service. Students learn about planning effective advertising campaigns by analyzing public demand for a particular product or service, and the products offered by the competition. Students also learn about the different methods of marketing, and how technology has impacted the way marketing is handled for both big and small companies.
BSM 230: Human Relationships
In this course, students study the nature of Human Relationships. This includes group and individual behaviors, improving productivity and quality through correct motivation, developing employees, correctly rewarding employees, and dealing with a variety of job related conflicts. Students learn about the human element related to the work environment and methods to achieve an effective fit between people and the organizational systems.
BSM 240: Business Law
In this course, students study the nuances of the legal environments including law, business strategy, and business ethics. Topics covered in this course include administrative law, international law, business crime, torts, contracts, and business-related legal issues. Students also learn about antitrust law, intellectual property, agency law, employee regulations, business associations, and securities law that apply to small and big business alike.
BSM 255: Project Management
This course prepares students to develop and implement project plans when working to complete assigned projects. Topics in this course may include defining project goals and objectives, specifying tasks or how goals will be achieved, establishing needed resources for project completion, and associating budgets and completion timelines. Students study the major phases of project management including project feasibility, planning, implementation, evaluation, and support. Project management software will be used by students to gain an understanding of how to best organize and delegate their project. Students gain an understanding of how to manage projects and how these skills may be applied to an individual project or a group project.
BSM 260: Personal Finance
This course focuses on the management of personal finance. Broad coverage of personal financial decisions, including basic financial planning, use of credit, purchasing an automobile and home, insurance, tax issues, investing, retirement, and estate planning.
CSC 100: Student Success Fundamentals
This course serves as an introduction to the necessary core skills needed to be successful at an academic, professional, and personal level. Students will identify core skills, values, and interests to assist in their path to success. Topics covered in this course may include time management, effective study skills, written and oral communication, improving critical thinking to enhance problem-solving skills. Other topics may include job search techniques and job etiquette, and on-the-job behavior. Students will work towards building their professional development through various assignments and topics throughout the course. Students will explore Laurus College resources for success inside and outside the classroom.
ENG 100: English Composition I
English provides students with the basic rhetorical foundations to prepare them for the demands of academic and professional writing. Students in this course will learn and practice the strategies and processes that successful writers employ when communicating information. These strategies include reading analytically and strategically, improving reading comprehension, writing persuasively, writing for investigative purposes, problem-resolution, evaluation, explanation, and refutation.
ENG 200: English Composition II
English provides students with the basic research foundations and skills to prepare them for the demands of academic and professional writing. Students in this course will learn and practice the strategies and processes that successful writers employ when researching topics and information to prepare reports and arguments. The course will culminate with a written research paper and the presentation of the student’s research for peer response.
HUM 120: Introduction to Sociology
This course introduces tools used by sociologists to explore and understand society. Social relationships, social structures and processes are explored.
HUM 140: Introduction to Psychology
Psychology is the science of behavior and mental processes. In this class, students will dive into what makes themselves and others behave the way they do. Topics covered in this class include Neuroscience, Sensation and Perception, Learning, Memory, Thinking and Intelligence, Developmental Psychology, Personality Theories and Assessment, Social Psychology, Abnormal Psychology, and Workplace Psychology. This class will be focused more on behavior as it pertains to the workplace rather than the clinical side of Psychology.
MTH 101: Introductory Algebra
This course provides students with a conceptual understanding of algebra by using problem solving applications in context to real-world application. Students will integrate meaningful applications with relevant data, graphs, tables, charts, colors, and diagrams.
WDD 101: Internet Fundamentals
This course introduces students to the World Wide Web. Students examine the history of the web and how its development has shaped the ways people do business and advertise. Students gain an understanding for the complexity of the web and how servers, users, and databases all work, search, access information, and download simultaneously. Topics in this course may include the basics of HTTP, FTP, HTML language and tags, coding styles, links, image placement, and image maps. Students learn the importance of web page appearance and navigation. Students are introduced to the basics of initial web page planning and production, and learn key terminology applied to web page creation and implementation.
WDD 110: Digital Graphics
This course introduces students to Adobe Photoshop, the fundamental graphics application and image editing software used in the computer graphics industry. Students learn the fundamentals of this software, and will study topics including selections, layers, masking, filters, image manipulation and correction, composition, painting, and optimization for the web. Students examine techniques for efficient editing, processing, and file handling. Topics in photo editing may be studied, including color enhancement, lighting correction, and overall retouching.
