FCI1000 Foundations of Critical Inquiry
4 Credits
The Foundations of Critical Inquiry course, a theme-based course of study at the 1000 level, engages an interdisciplinary style of reasoning, interpreting, and understanding. As an introduction to the liberal arts, the course examines the processes by which individuals and societies create meaning. While there is a selection of themes through which this is explored, each course pays special attention to issues of identity and systems of power. This space for critical inquiry also allows students to reflect on their own agency. Currently, students may choose one of the following themes:
Justice and Inequality
Memory and Forgetting
Nature and Environment
Self in Context
Click Here for a more detailed description.
Prerequisites: None
- Program: Undergraduate
- Division: History and Society
- Level: Foundation Liberal Arts (UGrad)
- Course Number: FCI1000
- Number of Credits: 4
EPS7556 Foundations of Family Entrepreneurship
3 Credits This course provided a broad overview of topics that are relevant to understanding the nature and dynamics of entrepreneurial families. The course will cover such topics as; defining family entrepreneurship versus family business, identifying the pervasiveness of family entrepreneurship and its economic and social contributions, governance and succession in entrepreneurial families, the management of change and transgenerational value creation, conflict management, and the development and allocation of financial and human assets.
For more information please view this video. Prerequisites: None
- Program: Graduate
- Division: Entrepreneurship
- Level: Graduate Elective (Grad)
- Course Number: EPS7556
- Number of Credits: 3
OIM3508 Foundations of Project Management
2 Advanced Management Credits
This course is an approved elective for the Operations Management concentration.
According to the Project Management Institute (PMI), there are nearly 250,000 open project management jobs each year across seven project-intensive industries: business services, construction, finance and insurance, information services, manufacturing, oil and gas, and utilities. As more work becomes project-based, projects grow in complexity, and clients demand accountability and efficiency, graduates with project management skills will be in increasingly high demand. In this course, you will learn foundational skills for leading cross functional teams using up-to-date PM best practices, methodologies, and tools. This course is applicable across career paths such as consulting, information technology, entrepreneurship, new product development and many others. Students will be exposed to both the technical and behavioral skills required to effectively lead project teams -- whether as an official "Project Manager" or an unofficial leader temporarily charged with leading a project implementation.
Foundations of Project Management focuses on what is often referred to as the traditional or "waterfall" approach to project management. Taught primarily via case study discussion, course content is consistent with PMP (Project Management Professional) certification principles. CIO magazine ranked the PMP as the top project management certification, as it demonstrates candidates have the specific skills and experience employers seek. This course satisfies 22 of the 23 educational hours required by PMI to apply for the junior-level PMP certification exam (known as the CAPM); the other hour was satisfied by the PM-related content in the SME prerequisites (below).
Foundations of Project Management makes an attractive future pairing with the "Foundations of Agile" course offering.
Prerequisites: SME2001 and SME2002 and SME2011 and SME2012
- Program: Undergraduate
- Division: Operations and Information Management
- Level: Advanced Elective (UGrad),Advanced Management (UGrad)
- Course Number: OIM3508
- Number of Credits: 2
EPS7534 Franchising, Licensing & Distributorship Collaborative Business Models
3 Elective CreditsIf you have taken and passed EPS7571, you cannot register for EPS7534, as these two courses are equivalent
This course focuses on the process, challenges and opportunities in franchising, which is a $2T part of the U.S. economy and a multi-trillion-dollar market worldwide. _Franchising_ is a very specific term referring to a business that licenses its brand, operating model and provides support to franchisees who pay a number of fees and then invest their own capital to build the corporate brand. The course is practical in approach and touches on a large number of issues in seven weeks. Previous exposure to franchising, M&A or small business is not assumed.
For more information: https://babson.webex.com/webappng/sites/babson/recording/ac84a20eebe8103abbfa005056812cb9/playback
Prerequisites: EPS7200 or EPS7800
- Program: Graduate
- Division: Entrepreneurship
- Level: Graduate Elective (Grad)
- Course Number: EPS7534
- Number of Credits: 3
FRN4615 French Cinema and Conversation
(Formerly Social Justice in France)
4 Advanced Liberal Arts Credits
This course is designed as a conversation class, with a strong cultural component. The major course materials are contemporary French & Francophone language films and short readings. Through the lens of ethical questions and concerns that surface in these films, students will study issues relevant to the history, culture, and politics of the French-Speaking World. Films and readings serve as the basis for debate, discussion, and written analysis. This course aims to ease the path towards greater fluency through improvements in accuracy and more spontaneous communication.
Open to students with an Intermediate level of French, or higher.
Prerequisites: FRN4620, or equivalent proficiency as demonstrated through a placement test.
Placement test: https://www.babson.edu/academics/academic-divisions/arts-and-humanities/languages-and-global-cultures/language-placement-test/
- Program: Undergraduate
- Division: Arts and Humanities
- Level: Advanced Liberal Arts 4600 Requirement (UGrad),Advanced Elective (UGrad),Advanced Liberal Arts (UGrad)
- Course Number: FRN4615
- Number of Credits: 4
FRN4610 French II
4 Advanced Liberal Arts CreditsFRN4610 French II is a fast-paced course that builds on the knowledge gained in FRN2200 French I. Students will continue to expand their vocabulary and communication skills as they gain confidence in their abilities to communicate in spoken and written French. Conversation and listening activities in class will be supplemented by a variety of readings and written assignments. In addition, discussions of authentic texts, short films, and cultural experiences will help students gain a deeper appreciation for French and Francophone people and cultures.
Not open to native speakers
Prerequisites: FRN2200 French I, or similar proficiency as indicated by a placement test
- Program: Undergraduate
- Division: Arts and Humanities
- Level: Advanced Liberal Arts 4600 Requirement (UGrad),Advanced Elective (UGrad),Advanced Liberal Arts (UGrad)
- Course Number: FRN4610
- Number of Credits: 4
FRN4620 French III
4 Advanced Liberal Arts Credits
FRN 4620 is an intermediate language and culture course aimed at improving students' comprehension and expression in French. We will continue to reinforce language skills acquired at the beginning levels (French I and II) and work towards building fluency in the language. Students will learn about topics such as immigration, the French school system, the auto industry, and globalization through short texts, films, debates, presentations, and news articles from contemporary French and Francophone sources. A project-based class, students will develop business skills in French related to negotiating, persuading, advising, and forecasting.
Prerequisites: FRN2200 and/or FRN4610 or equivalent proficiency as demonstrated through a placement test or by instructor's permission. Not open to fluent speakers of French.
- Program: Undergraduate
- Division: Arts and Humanities
- Level: Advanced Liberal Arts 4600 Requirement (UGrad),Advanced Elective (UGrad),Advanced Liberal Arts (UGrad)
- Course Number: FRN4620
- Number of Credits: 4
OIM7511 Future Lab: Complex Problem Solving for Social Impact
3 Elective Credits
Sinan Erzurumlu, Faculty Director at FutureLab & Prof. of Innovation and Ops Mngment
Cheryl Kiser, Executive Director, The Lewis Institute & Babson Social Innovation Lab
FutureLab combines the entrepreneurial mindset and social design principles to engage students, organizations and community to explore pioneering entrepreneurial challenges and create economic and social/environmental progress for selected partner organizations. The FutureLab is a discovery and action-learning lab. It involves experiential learning in service to address challenges in real time and in real contexts. As a FutureLab student partner, you will collaborate with an ensemble of faculty members and partner organizations to explore their challenges and develop solutions for social impact at scale. You should be prepared to engage in an active learning environment and apply principles of complex problem solving for social impact.
Given the increasing preference shown by employers for demonstrated problem solving experience, this lab will provide you with the opportunity to add a very realistic problem-solving experience to the portfolio of qualifications on your resumes. We envision regular, ongoing interaction with our partners, with details to be determined in collaboration with these partners. You will gain skills in creativity, critical thinking, innovation, complex problem solving, social change, entrepreneurial leadership and influence. Depending on the demands of the project, you will apply these skills towards framing the problem and co-creating solutions with community and partner organization.
The 14-week lab experience is designed for active learning, experimenting, generating and launching an implementation plan. Student partners of prior semesters addressed various problems, such as improving the efficiency and effectiveness of key patient care processes for a major academic medical center and analyzing the mobility challenges of older adults for governmental organizations. It is important to know that this is a team-based engagement and anticipate the flexible investment of time and effort that high-performance teams and deep work often demands. This Lab requires a high willingness to work in a flexible timeframe and framework. Student partners may be interviewed prior to class by the Lab faculty team.
- Program: Graduate
- Division: Operations and Information Management
- Level: Graduate Elective (Grad)
- Course Number: OIM7511
- Number of Credits: 3
OIM7512 Future Lab: Design-led Innovation
3 Elective Credits
The FutureLab is a discovery and action-learning lab. It involves experiential learning in service to address challenges in real time and in real contexts. As a FutureLab student partner, you will collaborate with an ensemble of faculty members and partner organizations to explore their challenges and develop solutions for social impact at scale. You should be prepared to engage in self-paced team projects in an active learning environment. You will combine the entrepreneurial mindset and apply principles of complex problem solving for social impact.
Given the increasing preference shown by employers for demonstrated problem solving experience, this lab will provide you with the opportunity to add a very realistic problem solving experience to the portfolio of qualifications on your resumes. We envision regular, ongoing interaction with our partners, with details to be determined in collaboration with these partners. You will gain skills in creativity, critical thinking, innovation, complex problem solving, social change, and entrepreneurial leadership and influence. Depending on the demands of the project, you will apply these skills towards framing the problem and co-creating solutions with community and partner organization.
The 14-week lab experience is designed for active learning, experimenting, generating and launching an implementation plan. Student partners of prior semesters addressed various problems, such as improving the efficiency and effectiveness of key patient care processes for a major academic medical center and analyzing the mobility challenges of older adults for governmental organizations. The focus of the Lab is going to be on mobility and connectivity challenges. It is important to know that this is a team-based engagement and anticipate the flexible investment of time and effort that high-performance teams and deep work often demands. This Lab requires a high willingness to work in a flexible time frame and framework. Student partners may be interviewed prior to class by the Lab faculty team.
- Program: Graduate
- Division: Operations and Information Management
- Level: Graduate Elective (Grad)
- Course Number: OIM7512
- Number of Credits: 3
HUM4602 Future Studies: Theories of the World to Come
4 Advanced Liberal Arts Credits
This course provides a captivating looking glass into the most fascinating debates surrounding the future. We will trace those radical transformations and cutting-edge paradigms that are emerging to forever alter our experience of time and space, body and mind, objects and images, reality and illusion, human and machine. To achieve this task, our course will follow an interdisciplinary, multicultural, and multimedia approach that explores provocative new dimensions in the areas of literature, philosophy, society, culture, politics, media, architecture, design, biogenetics, ecology, film, art, and technology. Together, these speculative fragments will come together to offer crucial insight into our era's experiments with speed, virtuality, artificiality, and utopia, allowing us to test the outer boundaries of the unknown worlds to come.
Prerequisites: Any combination of 2 ILA (HSS, LTA, CSP, LVA, CVA)
- Program: Undergraduate
- Division: Arts and Humanities
- Level: Advanced Liberal Arts 4600 Requirement (UGrad),Advanced Liberal Arts (UGrad)
- Course Number: HUM4602
- Number of Credits: 4