Open Enrollment Graduate Courses for Alumni
Spring 2023
Unless otherwise noted, all Spring 2023 Open Enrollment Graduate Courses for Alumni are three (3) credits.
ECN 7555 Health Care
Professor Yunwei Gai
Health care costs account for 18% of U.S. GDP, which is one reason the health care industry is abundant with job openings and entrepreneurship opportunities! This is especially true in the Boston area, which has become a global leader in the health care and life sciences industries. This course follows a hands-on, two-pronged approach to solve real-world problems.
- Prong #1 focuses on the market and organizational structures of major stakeholders, including pharmaceutical companies, health care tech companies, insurers, hospitals, physicians, patients, and government.
- Prong #2 uses empirical methods, such as big data, survey, Pay-for-Performance, and Health Technology Assessment, to analyze these stakeholders’ challenges, assess business opportunities, and design evidence-based strategies. In addition, you will learn SAS, a highly demanded analytical skill on the job market.
For students interested in health care and life science industries, this course will provide you with the tools and knowledge needed for evidence-based, expert-level opinions. For students interested in in analytics, the methods used in health care analyses are applicable, transferrable, and relevant to a host of other industries and functions, such as marketing and finance.
Dates: January 19, 2023–May 4, 2023
Day/Time: Thursdays, 6:30–9 p.m.
Notes: This course is WebFlex – Must sign up for in-person or online seat
EPS 9507 Food Entrepreneurship
Professor Brush
There is disruption everywhere in food! With challenges due to COVID, there are global food shortages, supply chain interruptions, and innovations in food science that affect how food entrepreneurs identify or create opportunities, launch and grow ventures. Once alternative foods are now mainstream, large food companies are struggling to reinvent themselves and consumers are driving significant change. There is a proliferation of start-ups, food science and technology innovations as well as rising awareness for food priorities, nutrition, education and health.
This experiential elective focuses on the food entrepreneur's journey from idea to launch. We begin with an exploration of your personal passions in the food industry, then examine global megatrends in food where needs, gaps and opportunities are identified. In teams, students will design a new initiative to meet this need/opportunity. Students will engage with food industry experts, consumers and other stakeholders to develop and explore their new initiative as a solution to a food related problem or opportunity. Students will obtain feedback on these initiatives, develop a prototype and experiment with the business model. Resource acquisition strategies and metrics for these new initiatives' food will be developed and investigated. New initiatives may be a program, non-profit, corporate venture or new venture, and can be in any sector related to food—including the following:
- growing (e.g. agriculture, production, nutrition)
- making (e.g. producing food in restaurants, beverages, consumer packaged goods)
- moving (e.g. food services, distribution, shipping, packaging, delivery)
- selling (e.g. wholesaling, marketing, retailing, ecommerce)
- serving (e.g. staffing, feeding, food health)
- disposing (e.g. food waste, packaging, composting)
In addition to working on your own initiatives, students will also co-create solutions to a real-world business problem facing food entrepreneurs who will visit the class. Further, using Babson's Entrepreneurial Thought & Action® (ET&A™) method, each student will consider the dynamics and interconnectedness of the food industry through a series of individual activities in each of the six food sectors, sharing their experiences and reflections. Be prepared to share family recipes, participate in a "chopped challenge" and measure your food waste. Bring your appetite for learning and food!
Dates: March 22, 2023–May 3, 2023
Day/Time: Wednesdays, 6:30–9 p.m.
Notes: Session B (7 weeks) – Online synchronous
FIN 7573 Investment Banking
Professor d’Almeida
The course will provide students with the opportunity to develop a practical understanding of investment banking and the activities performed by various professionals within the industry. The course will explore the history and evolution of the investment banking industry and the role played by investment banks in the broader capital markets and economy. The course will also examine the organizational structure of investment banks and the characteristics and focus of different functional areas within a firm. The course focuses on the practical application of corporate finance concepts to "real world" situations and activities commonly performed by investment banks on behalf of clients. A heavy emphasis will be placed on the role played by an associate in building complex financial models to help analyze and execute common investment banking transactions such as: Initial Public Offerings, Fairness Opinions, Valuations, Mergers & Acquisitions Advisory, and Leveraged Buy-Outs. As such, the class will utilize case studies involving real companies and there will be a heavy emphasis on the practical financial research and Excel skills necessary to develop and customize such models. LAPTOPS ARE REQUIRED FOR EACH CLASS. This course is designed for students interested in careers in investment banking, private equity, sell-side equity research or corporate finance.
Dates: January 23, 2023–May 1, 2023
Day/Time: Mondays, 6:30–9 p.m.
Notes: (No class 2/20; make up class Tuesday 2/21) – This class is in person in Boston or online via WebFlex
MKT 7500 Social Media Advertising
Professor Richard Hanna
How do customers learn about or build the desire to pick one product or service from another? The answer is social media and advertising. Making a great product or providing superior service is not enough if no one knows about it. IN the 21st century, traditional advertising strategies are not enough. Now companies need to have social media strategy at the center of their advertising planning. You should take this course if you want to learn how to effectively communicate about your product or service to your target segment(s) across social media platforms and how to coordinate your overall advertising strategy. Examines the nature and role of social media platforms and advertising strategies, focusing on the goals and uses of advertising, sales promotion, public relations, and direct marketing, in achieving the communications objectives of marketing. This course first explores online consumer behavior and microtargeting, then discusses content and creative strategy planning. The course will then examine how to apply these strategies to various social media platforms such as YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Pinterest, and others along with integrating with traditional media. Students will be involved in determining the promotional budget, creating a message strategy, planning the social media mix, targeting communications to select market segments, executing the promotion program, and measuring overall effectiveness.
Dates: March 23, 2023–May 4, 2023
Day/Time: Thursdays 6:30–9 p.m.
Notes: Session B (7 weeks) – Online synchronous
MKT 7506 Marketing Analytics
Professor Niren Sirohi
The objective of this course is to demonstrate the benefits of using a systematic and analytical approach to marketing decision-making, and to help develop your skills and confidence in doing such analyses. Analytical approaches enable:
- the identification of alternative marketing options and actions,
- the calibration of opportunity costs associated with each option, and
- the choice of one or more options with the greatest likelihood of achieving the business goals.
By completing this course, students will be better able to make the case for marketing expenditures (based on ROI) that companies are increasingly asking of their executives. This course integrates marketing concepts with practice, emphasizes learning by doing, and provides students software tools to help them apply marketing concepts to real decision situations.
Dates: January 17, 2023–May 2, 2023
Day/Time: Tuesdays, 6:30–9 p.m.
Notes: (No class 2/21) – Online synchronous
Last updated Thursday, January 5, 2023