HUM4630 Extremism: The Fanatic, The Militant, The Sectarian
4 Advanced Liberal Arts CreditsThis course is committed to exploring "extremism" through the formation of dangerous sects: i.e. underground movements, secret societies, forbidden associations, cult gatherings, urban gangs, martial arts orders, outlawed artistic circles, rebel cadres, and terrorist units. We will use contemporary literary works from around the world to examine the way in which these dangerous, hidden alliances experiment with ideas of concealment, seduction, power, strangeness, and sacrifice in order to create antagonistic counter-currents to everyday society. We will therefore also study the many forms that such outsider factions can take as they banish themselves and plan their hostile-ecstatic return to the surface: revolutionary, criminal, religious, mystical, magical, and avant-garde. Ultimately, this topic will allow us to penetrate one of the darker quarters of the human imagination in the modern age, following the extremist mind into its most subterranean possibilities, where a certain intense passion/hatred toward the world allows one to generate an alternative reality of the most excessive nature.

Prerequisites: Any combination of 2 ILA (HSS, LTA, CSP, LVA, CVA)

MKT 3503: Fan Behavior

4 Advanced Liberal Arts Credits

This course provides an in-depth analysis of audience behavior in sports and entertainment. Students will learn how to use data analytics to understand fan behavior, preferences, and engagement patterns, and how to develop effective marketing strategies to maximize revenue and fan loyalty.

COURSE LEARNING OBJECTIVES
1. Understand the fundamentals of audience analytics and consumer behavior in sports and entertainment.
2. Learn how to collect, analyze, interpret, and present fan data using various quantitative and qualitative research methods (communication).
3. Develop skills in data visualization, data storytelling, and data-driven decision-making.
4. Explore the latest trends and technologies in audience analytics and consumer behavior in sports and entertainment.
5. Apply the knowledge and skills learned in the course to real-world scenarios (problem solving).
6. Utilize knowledge from this course in an applied project (problem solving).
7. Interact with industry professionals in the areas of audience analytics and consumer behavior in sports and entertainment (collaboration).

Prerequisites: MKT 2000

SEN1339 Feeding Yourself in College and Beyond

(Student Instructor: Shalom Mensah) Food is nourishment that we all need, but it can also tell many stories and unite groups of people. This class will supplement your knowledge of cooking, and give you the confidence to get in the kitchen to make yourself an amazing dish that you will be proud of and happy to eat. In addition to being a cooking class, this class is aimed at discussing the ways that each cook can take small steps to incorporate a sustainable approach to their cooking: making stock, composting, and grocery shopping efficiently. Each week, we will eat what we cook. Whether you have never been in the kitchen to make yourself a meal, or you cook everyone once in a while, this is a class for you.

Tuesdays 6:30 - 9:00 pm

HUM4604: Feminish, Gender and Philosophies of Liberation

4 Advanced Liberal Arts credits

This course will overview the history of modern feminist philosophy from the seventeenth century to the present. We will focus on the emergence of feminism within in the context of colonialism, the trans-Atlantic slave trade, the development of the modern nation state, and various revolutions. While much of the course will look at international examples and texts, we will also look at the specificities of the feminist movement in the United States from within indigenous struggles for sovereignty, the abolitionist movement, and feminist work specific to Boston. We will also study the emergence of LGBT movements in conversation with feminist struggles, as well as the emergence of transfeminism. The course is broken up into three units: Unit 1 will focus on the history of feminist philosophy and activism; Unit 2 looks at the modern racial and colonial history of gender; and Unit 3 focuses on contemporary abolitionist and decolonial forms of feminism as philosophies of liberation. There will be an in-class mid-term before spring break after we finish Unit 1, and the course will conclude with a final research paper.

Prerequsites: Any Combinations of 2 Intermediate Liberal Arts (HSS, CSP, LTA)

FIN3560 Financial Markets and Instruments

4 General Elective Credits

This course provides students with an understanding of many important financial instruments and the financial markets in which they trade. The topics covered include the major financial markets and their associated structures, quantitative techniques for valuing various financial securities and their cash flow streams, and factors affecting interest rates. This course also provides an introduction to derivatives and risk management. Topics include: instruments/markets, bond markets, equity markets, security firms and investment banks, issuing securities, organized exchanges, bond and stock valuation, interest rate determination (term structure), bond duration, foreign exchange, mortgages, risk management, an introduction to derivatives (including options, futures, and swaps), pay off profiles and an introduction to Black-Scholes.

Prerequisites: SME2021 or FIN2000

ACC3510 Financial Planning and Cost Control
4 General CreditsExplore cost systems and control for operations in profit and nonprofit organizations, and
budgetary considerations and variance analysis, including their relation to fiscal planning and
administration.

Prerequisites: ACC 2002

ACC3502 Financial Reporting and Analysis
(Formerly Intermediate Accounting for Finance)
General CreditStudents who have taken ACC3500 and/or ACC3501 cannot take ACC3502

This course is especially designed for finance majors who want to become more proficient in the financial accounting skills necessary to effectively read and interpret financial reports. The course is recommended for students interested in careers in financial management and Wall Street. Topics such as inventory, deferred taxes, inter-corporate investments, and pensions will be explored through study of accounting principles, transaction analysis, financial statement disclosure, and through financial statement analysis as it applies to corporate finance, credit analysis, and aspects of investment banking.

Prerequisites: (SME2031 or ECN2002) and (SME2001 or ACC2002)

QTM3625 Financial Modeling Using Simulation and Optimization with Applications to Finance, Marketing, and Management
4 Advanced Liberal Arts CreditsThis course is an introduction to quantitative techniques that enable marketing, finance, and management professionals to make optimal decisions under uncertainty. While theoretical background for these techniques is provided, the focus is on their applications and mastering software that is widely used in industry, such as Excel, Solver, @RISK, and MATLAB. Topics include simulation of important probability distributions, bootstrapping, random walks, linear and nonlinear optimization. Lectures draw on examples such as asset allocation under different definitions of risk; index tracking; scenario approaches to project and portfolio management; hedging and arbitrage; and derivative pricing.

Prerequisites: QTM1010 or AQM2000

FIN4505 Financial Trading Strategies and Risk Management
4 General CreditsIn this course, students learn to develop and implement institutional (firm-level) financial trading strategies. These strategies are guided by quantitative models that identify, quantify, and manage risks and expected return. In so doing, students learn how to make decisions in an uncertain environment. The course is based on an experiential learning approach, in which trading simulation software provides a platform for delivering learning-by-doing cases. Specific cases covered in the course include: agency trading; principal (liability) trading; algorithmic market making; managing risk capital with value-at-risk; transportation, storage, and production arbitrage in commodity futures markets; and agricultural hedging. The course also covers fundamental concepts in market microstructure, such as bid-ask spreads, price discovery, information asymmetry, liquidity, and inventory risk.

Prerequisites: SME2021 or FIN2000

FIN3535 Financing and Valuing Sustainability
4 General CreditsThis course will examine the intersection of sustainability, corporate social responsibility and socially responsible investing with the traditional theories and tools of finance. Students will learn to describe the sustainability landscape and then analyze sustainable technologies, strategies, and business models from the perspective of managers, entrepreneurs, and investors. Basic financial tools such as discounted cash flow, capital budgeting, capital structure, and risk/return will be used to evaluate the feasibility and financial implications of sustainable products and practices in a variety of industries and applications. Students will learn how to balance the needs of all stakeholders in organizations to create both financial and social value.

Prerequisites: SME2021 Finance