Business Systems Management, Bachelor of Science (B.S.)

Program Outline and Course Descriptions

The Bachelor of Science degree in Business Systems Management prepares students for a career in business, whether in a corporation, startup, or to follow their own entrepreneurial ambitions.  The goal of the program is to provide students with an opportunity to develop skills in critical and creative thinking, problem-solving, social responsibility, human relationships, and technological savvy.  Students will interact with faculty and peers in a career-oriented business education that emphasizes personal and professional integrityManagerial courses emphasize human values and techniques for establishing a sense of responsibility to employers, employees, and other stakeholders while building strong relationships; marketing and social entrepreneurship courses demonstrate the role of marketing in business and provide students with adaptive skills and tools to think creatively and develop innovative business ideas and solutions; and, finance and accounting courses equip business students with the primary concepts and skills necessary to understand budgeting and funding and to evaluate the cash flow within an enterprise. 

Course Number  Course Titles  Quarter Credits 
BIO 200  Life Science* 
BSM 100  Introduction to Business 
BSM 110  Introduction to Word Processing 
BSM 120  Financial Accounting 
BSM 140  Introduction to Spreadsheets 
BSM 150  Business Start-Up Strategies 
BSM 160  Digital Presentations 
BSM 210  Principles of Management 
BSM 220  Principles of Marketing 
BSM 230  Human Relationships 
BSM 240  Business Law 
BSM 255  Project Management 
BSM 260  Personal Finance 
BSM 300  International Business 
BSM 305  Personal Selling and Branding 
BSM 315  Consumer Behavior 
BSM 320  E-Commerce 
BSM 330  Business in the 21st Century 
BSM 360  Technology and Marketing 
BSM 400  Small Business Management 
BSM 410  New Ventures in Business 
BSM 420  Social Media Management 
BSM 430  Organizational Leadership 
BSM 465  Ethics & Law in Media Communications 
CSC 100  Student Success Fundamentals 
ENG 100  English Composition I* 
ENG 200  English Composition II* 
ENG 305  Speech and Rhetoric* 
HUM 120  Intro to Sociology* 
HUM 140  Intro to Psychology* 
HUM 200  World History* 
MTH 101  Introductory Algebra* 
MTH 240  Statistics* 
PHY 200  Physical Science* 
PRO 200  Professional Communications in the Workplace* 
WDD 101  Internet Fundamentals 
WDD 110  Digital Graphics 
WDD 310  Digital Advertising 
Totals:  190 
*General Education course    
  • Communication: Demonstrate effective oral and written communication skills; communicate concisely, professionally, and accurately in various professional modes, including emails and presentations.

  • Critical Thinking: Demonstrate critical thinking skills by formulating problems and developing achievable solutions; create, analyze and evaluate appropriate solutions, including those for ambiguous problems; streamline information for relevancy; effectively articulate their thinking processes throughout the problem-solving process.

  • Management: Demonstrate an understanding of sound management skills, including the effective management of groups and processes, the ability to appraise and evaluate both people and situations, and formulate solutions to common workplace problems; demonstrate knowledge and application of common leadership skills.

  • Marketing: Exhibit a strong understanding of personal branding, selling, and promotional techniques and the ability to create compelling advertisements and pitches for goods and services, including product, price, place, and promotional strategy; demonstrate an understanding of the legalities of marketing and intellectual property and the effective use of technology for marketing purposes, and to generate presence, connectivity, and relationships.

  • Financial Knowledge: Demonstrate mathematical and problem-solving skills in relation to financial management, including economics, personal finance, math, statistics, and accounting; use financial tools to collect and analyze data and to keep track of monetary trends.

  • Business Tools: Effectively use a variety of business and accounting tools, including Microsoft Word, Excel, Access, PowerPoint, Publisher, QuickBooks, and available online platforms, to more efficiently and effectively run the day-to-day business operations of an enterprise or organization.

The Business Systems Management Bachelor of Science Degree is 190 quarter credits and can be completed in four (4) years by attending all terms full time and consecutively.  

BIO 200: Life Science 
The study of life processes ecological factors and the plant and animal kingdoms; biological systems and their control; Human anatomy and physiology; Human Diseases, genetics, inheritance and evolution; the cell as the basic unit of life.

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.

BSM 300: International Business 
Students in this course study international business markets and through the analysis of case studies learn how trade, investments, law, politics, and culture drive the global financial market and open opportunity for emerging markets.

BSM 305: Personal Selling and Branding 
This course covers both personal selling and branding. Participants will learn how to create their personal brand, define their target audience and use role playing and video presentations to master sales techniques and enhance interpersonal communication skills.

BSM 315: Consumer Behavior 
This course examines the psychology of the consumer decision-making process and the influence of social media in the purchase of goods and services.

BSM 320: E-Commerce 
This course examines the evolution of electronic transaction processing technologies in the buying and selling of goods. Topics include the basic understanding of the ecommerce system, the advent of ecommerce in the consumer’s daily life, the underlying economic structure of the ecommerce system, transactional models with little or no human interaction and navigational technologies in the ecommerce cycle.

BSM 330: Business in the 21st century 
This course is comprehensive survey of the functional areas of business: management and organization, human resource management, marketing, information systems and accounting, and finance and investment. Core topics include ethics and social responsibility, small business concerns and entrepreneurship, and global issues. This Course will also examine topics like the impact of social media on business, the economic crisis, green and socially responsible business, and sustainability.

BSM 360: Technology and Marketing 
This course examines the impact of new information technologies in marketing and the industries undergoing high levels of change. Topics include database marketing, business-to-business marketing, customer contact management systems and the innovative development of new technologies to keep up with changes in innovative industry settings.

BSM 400: Small Business Management 
Students in this course study the responsibilities for managing a small 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 small business. This course introduces students to the foundations of small business management, and how to apply those foundations to open a new business or to improve upon an already existing business.

BSM 410: New Ventures in Business 
Students in this class will learn the process of new product development from the inception of brainstorming and ideation to building a prototype and launching a product or service into the marketplace. New product development also includes screening, concept development, and commercialization.

BSM 420: Social Media Management 
Social media is a cornerstone of the modern workplace and increasingly more companies need social media managers to monitor and promote their brand, while managing public commentary and customer experience. This course utilizes popular online social media tools and platforms to master engagement and lessen disruptive public response.

BSM 430: Organizational Leadership 
In this course, students will explore the various styles and functions of leadership. Topics studied in this course include, effective communication, and effective leadership skills needed to engage with others across all industries. Students will learn how to motivate and influence individuals and groups in a diverse workforce.

BSM 465: Ethics and Law in Media Communications 
Ethics and Law in Media Communications: In this course, students will explore the legal issues surrounding mass media. Topics covered in this class include, copyright laws, contracts, distribution agreements, music licensing, and other business media communication laws. This class focuses on the ethical decisions that people in mass media face each day. Students study the fundamental principles of ethics and how to apply them to their daily lives.

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.

ENG 305: Speech and Rhetoric 
This course builds on the foundation of ENG100 (English Composition I) and ENG 200 (English Composition II) by introducing students to effective rhetorical concepts—both classical and modern—and to apply relevant analysis. Understanding classical rhetorical devices—logos, pathos, and ethos—and how writer’s effectively use them to sway opinion provides students with a methodology of being able to appropriately judge the information they encounter in both the academic and professional arena. Additionally, this course will help students hone their skills in argumentation and presentation.

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.

HUM 200: World History 
Students will explore common challenges and experiences that unite the human past and identify key global patterns over time. This overview of world history covers political, economic, social, religious, intellectual, cultural, and military history in a chronological story that will help students gain an appreciation and understanding of the distinctive character and development of individual cultures in society.

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.

MTH 240: Statistics 
This course covers descriptive statistics and inferential statistics with relevant applications to solving real-world problems, hypothesis testing and decision-making.  Important statistical models and distributions will be discussed.

PHY 200: Physical Science 
This course introduces students to physical science. Students will learn about physics, chemistry, astronomy, meteorology, and geology. This will give students the ability to understand and interact with their physical environment in a more engaging way. Some of the knowledge students gain includes Newton’s Laws, chemical elements, the universe, and geologic concepts.
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.

PRO 200: Professional Communications in the Workplace 
This course focuses on professional communication in the 21st workplace. Students in this course will hone their communication skills by working on various assignments and projects, including: face-to-face conversations, collaborative work groups, presentations, and interviews. Lectures include topics in nonverbal communication, cultural differences, organizational fit, and networking within specific industries through face-to-face interactions and via social networking sites, such as Facebook and LinkedIn.  By the end of the course, students will have prepared industry specific portfolios and taken part in mock interviews specific to their field of study.

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.

WDD 310: Digital Advertising 
This course teaches common traditional and modern marketing theories. It focuses on consumer behavior, sales management, and basic marketing principles and research. This course also examines marketing strategies for specific audiences. In addition, this course focuses on email marketing, growing an email list, and the in and out of managing email mailers. It also focuses on creation and management of pay per click ads and other types of online advertising as well as the creation, execution, and maintenance of an online ad campaign.

Program Outline
Course Number  Course Titles  Quarter Credits 
BIO 200  Life Science* 
BSM 100  Introduction to Business 
BSM 110  Introduction to Word Processing 
BSM 120  Financial Accounting 
BSM 140  Introduction to Spreadsheets 
BSM 150  Business Start-Up Strategies 
BSM 160  Digital Presentations 
BSM 210  Principles of Management 
BSM 220  Principles of Marketing 
BSM 230  Human Relationships 
BSM 240  Business Law 
BSM 255  Project Management 
BSM 260  Personal Finance 
BSM 300  International Business 
BSM 305  Personal Selling and Branding 
BSM 315  Consumer Behavior 
BSM 320  E-Commerce 
BSM 330  Business in the 21st Century 
BSM 360  Technology and Marketing 
BSM 400  Small Business Management 
BSM 410  New Ventures in Business 
BSM 420  Social Media Management 
BSM 430  Organizational Leadership 
BSM 465  Ethics & Law in Media Communications 
CSC 100  Student Success Fundamentals 
ENG 100  English Composition I* 
ENG 200  English Composition II* 
ENG 305  Speech and Rhetoric* 
HUM 120  Intro to Sociology* 
HUM 140  Intro to Psychology* 
HUM 200  World History* 
MTH 101  Introductory Algebra* 
MTH 240  Statistics* 
PHY 200  Physical Science* 
PRO 200  Professional Communications in the Workplace* 
WDD 101  Internet Fundamentals 
WDD 110  Digital Graphics 
WDD 310  Digital Advertising 
Totals:  190 
*General Education course    
Program Outcomes
  • Communication: Demonstrate effective oral and written communication skills; communicate concisely, professionally, and accurately in various professional modes, including emails and presentations.

  • Critical Thinking: Demonstrate critical thinking skills by formulating problems and developing achievable solutions; create, analyze and evaluate appropriate solutions, including those for ambiguous problems; streamline information for relevancy; effectively articulate their thinking processes throughout the problem-solving process.

  • Management: Demonstrate an understanding of sound management skills, including the effective management of groups and processes, the ability to appraise and evaluate both people and situations, and formulate solutions to common workplace problems; demonstrate knowledge and application of common leadership skills.

  • Marketing: Exhibit a strong understanding of personal branding, selling, and promotional techniques and the ability to create compelling advertisements and pitches for goods and services, including product, price, place, and promotional strategy; demonstrate an understanding of the legalities of marketing and intellectual property and the effective use of technology for marketing purposes, and to generate presence, connectivity, and relationships.

  • Financial Knowledge: Demonstrate mathematical and problem-solving skills in relation to financial management, including economics, personal finance, math, statistics, and accounting; use financial tools to collect and analyze data and to keep track of monetary trends.

  • Business Tools: Effectively use a variety of business and accounting tools, including Microsoft Word, Excel, Access, PowerPoint, Publisher, QuickBooks, and available online platforms, to more efficiently and effectively run the day-to-day business operations of an enterprise or organization.

Program Length

The Business Systems Management Bachelor of Science Degree is 190 quarter credits and can be completed in four (4) years by attending all terms full time and consecutively.  

Course Descriptions

BIO 200: Life Science 
The study of life processes ecological factors and the plant and animal kingdoms; biological systems and their control; Human anatomy and physiology; Human Diseases, genetics, inheritance and evolution; the cell as the basic unit of life.

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.

BSM 300: International Business 
Students in this course study international business markets and through the analysis of case studies learn how trade, investments, law, politics, and culture drive the global financial market and open opportunity for emerging markets.

BSM 305: Personal Selling and Branding 
This course covers both personal selling and branding. Participants will learn how to create their personal brand, define their target audience and use role playing and video presentations to master sales techniques and enhance interpersonal communication skills.

BSM 315: Consumer Behavior 
This course examines the psychology of the consumer decision-making process and the influence of social media in the purchase of goods and services.

BSM 320: E-Commerce 
This course examines the evolution of electronic transaction processing technologies in the buying and selling of goods. Topics include the basic understanding of the ecommerce system, the advent of ecommerce in the consumer’s daily life, the underlying economic structure of the ecommerce system, transactional models with little or no human interaction and navigational technologies in the ecommerce cycle.

BSM 330: Business in the 21st century 
This course is comprehensive survey of the functional areas of business: management and organization, human resource management, marketing, information systems and accounting, and finance and investment. Core topics include ethics and social responsibility, small business concerns and entrepreneurship, and global issues. This Course will also examine topics like the impact of social media on business, the economic crisis, green and socially responsible business, and sustainability.

BSM 360: Technology and Marketing 
This course examines the impact of new information technologies in marketing and the industries undergoing high levels of change. Topics include database marketing, business-to-business marketing, customer contact management systems and the innovative development of new technologies to keep up with changes in innovative industry settings.

BSM 400: Small Business Management 
Students in this course study the responsibilities for managing a small 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 small business. This course introduces students to the foundations of small business management, and how to apply those foundations to open a new business or to improve upon an already existing business.

BSM 410: New Ventures in Business 
Students in this class will learn the process of new product development from the inception of brainstorming and ideation to building a prototype and launching a product or service into the marketplace. New product development also includes screening, concept development, and commercialization.

BSM 420: Social Media Management 
Social media is a cornerstone of the modern workplace and increasingly more companies need social media managers to monitor and promote their brand, while managing public commentary and customer experience. This course utilizes popular online social media tools and platforms to master engagement and lessen disruptive public response.

BSM 430: Organizational Leadership 
In this course, students will explore the various styles and functions of leadership. Topics studied in this course include, effective communication, and effective leadership skills needed to engage with others across all industries. Students will learn how to motivate and influence individuals and groups in a diverse workforce.

BSM 465: Ethics and Law in Media Communications 
Ethics and Law in Media Communications: In this course, students will explore the legal issues surrounding mass media. Topics covered in this class include, copyright laws, contracts, distribution agreements, music licensing, and other business media communication laws. This class focuses on the ethical decisions that people in mass media face each day. Students study the fundamental principles of ethics and how to apply them to their daily lives.

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.

ENG 305: Speech and Rhetoric 
This course builds on the foundation of ENG100 (English Composition I) and ENG 200 (English Composition II) by introducing students to effective rhetorical concepts—both classical and modern—and to apply relevant analysis. Understanding classical rhetorical devices—logos, pathos, and ethos—and how writer’s effectively use them to sway opinion provides students with a methodology of being able to appropriately judge the information they encounter in both the academic and professional arena. Additionally, this course will help students hone their skills in argumentation and presentation.

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.

HUM 200: World History 
Students will explore common challenges and experiences that unite the human past and identify key global patterns over time. This overview of world history covers political, economic, social, religious, intellectual, cultural, and military history in a chronological story that will help students gain an appreciation and understanding of the distinctive character and development of individual cultures in society.

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.

MTH 240: Statistics 
This course covers descriptive statistics and inferential statistics with relevant applications to solving real-world problems, hypothesis testing and decision-making.  Important statistical models and distributions will be discussed.

PHY 200: Physical Science 
This course introduces students to physical science. Students will learn about physics, chemistry, astronomy, meteorology, and geology. This will give students the ability to understand and interact with their physical environment in a more engaging way. Some of the knowledge students gain includes Newton’s Laws, chemical elements, the universe, and geologic concepts.
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.

PRO 200: Professional Communications in the Workplace 
This course focuses on professional communication in the 21st workplace. Students in this course will hone their communication skills by working on various assignments and projects, including: face-to-face conversations, collaborative work groups, presentations, and interviews. Lectures include topics in nonverbal communication, cultural differences, organizational fit, and networking within specific industries through face-to-face interactions and via social networking sites, such as Facebook and LinkedIn.  By the end of the course, students will have prepared industry specific portfolios and taken part in mock interviews specific to their field of study.

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.

WDD 310: Digital Advertising 
This course teaches common traditional and modern marketing theories. It focuses on consumer behavior, sales management, and basic marketing principles and research. This course also examines marketing strategies for specific audiences. In addition, this course focuses on email marketing, growing an email list, and the in and out of managing email mailers. It also focuses on creation and management of pay per click ads and other types of online advertising as well as the creation, execution, and maintenance of an online ad campaign.

We Have a Lot to Offer You

We Have a Lot to Offer You!

We offer Associate and Bachelor of Science Degrees. The courses at Laurus College are taught online by experienced professionals from the field, and our college is known for its friendly learning environment and supportive staff and instructors who will feel like family.

You can even connect with faculty, classmates, and staff in person by visiting one of our locations: Atascadero, Chula Vista, Las Vegas, Oxnard, San Luis Obispo, and Santa Maria.

Accreditations and Approvals

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