- Summer 2012 Course Announcements
- Fall 2012 Course Announcements
- Fall 2012 By-Application Courses
- Spring 2013 Course Announcements
Summer 2012 Course Announcements
Information Systems
Electronic Communities
INFO-GB.3335.70 (B20.3335.70) (3.0 Credits)
Prof. Kristen Sosulski
Wednesdays, 6:00-9:00pm
This experiential course gives students first hand experience in designing, building, managing, and maintaining online communities for businesses. This includes company websites, managed social media outlets such as social networks, and participating communities such as review sites. Students will identify the target audience, business objectives, strategy, and technologies needed to run a successful online community for a real business.
For Summer 2012, the businesses that students can select to work with include two entrepreneurial startups featured on ABC's SharkTank (Villy's Custom and Ava the Elephant), Say Please, GlamourGals, Misha Nicole, and Storefront for Art and Architecture.
Examples and case studies will be discussed and analyzed to identify the characteristics of effective communities and methods and metrics for evaluation. To provide cutting edge perspectives several industry professionals will be invited to lead class discussions on special topics.
This course is partially delivered online. There are 6 face-to-face class meetings and weekly work that requires participation in the online portion of the course.
Watch this video for a preview of the course: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tHx98odqfDc
Fall 2012 Course Announcements
Information Systems
Social and Digital Media
INFO-GB.3310.10 (3.0 Credits)
Prof. Anindya Ghose
Mondays, 6:00-9:00pm
The emergence of the Internet has drastically changed marketing. Some traditional marketing strategies are now completely outdated, others have been deeply transformed, and new digital marketing strategies are continuously emerging based on the unprecedented access to vast amounts of information about products, firms, and consumer behavior. From Twitter to Facebook to Google to Groupon to iPhone to Kickstarter, the shared infrastructure of IT-enabled platforms are playing a transformational role in today’s digital age. The Internet is now encroaching core business activities such as new product design, advertising, marketing and sales, creation of word-of-mouth, new start-up funding, and customer service. It is fostering newer kinds of community- based business models. There is a lot of economic value accruing from the content generated in spaces mediated by social media. There are tangible means for monetization of content through newer forms of online advertising and interactive marketing tools on the mobile web. These processes are just beginning and will have enormous impact on our activities and the way we relate to people and organizations. The focus will be on social media analytics and digital marketing analytics. Aside from various Internet marketing strategies and applications, the course will cover the business implications of social media such as blogs, micro blogs and product reviews, social networking platforms, viral marketing, search engine advertising and optimization, display advertising, crowdfunding, and the mobile Internet. The key takeaways for participants will be on understanding measurement issues, consumer engagement metrics and doing big data analytics.
Practical Data Science
INFO-GB.3359.10 (3.0 Credits)
Prof. Fostor Provost
Wednesdays, 6:00-9:00pm
Data is the new oil. Data is a new class of economic asset. Those were the conclusions of the reports issued by the World Economic Forum at Davos in January 2011 and January 2012. Research published in 2011 by MIT economists shows that companies adopting “data-driven decision-making” achieved significant productivity gains over other firms. In industry, the hottest job these days is the Data Scientist. Data scientists combine technical and statistical skills, analytical thinking, and business acumen. One of the complaints about the data scientists trained in computer science departments is that they don’t have the business acumen. On the other hand, those trained in business schools tend to have underdeveloped technical skills for dealing with data. This class is an introduction to the practice of data science. The student will leave the class with a broad set of practical data analytic skills based on building real analytic applications on real data. These skills include accessing and transferring data, applying various analytical frameworks, building and applying methods from machine learning and data mining, conducting large-scale rigorous evaluations with business goals in mind, and the understanding, visualization, and presentation of results. The student will have experience processing “big data,” the latest buzz concept in a field awash with buzz. Specifically, the student will be able to analyze data that are too big to fit in the computer’s memory, and therefore thwart many standard analytical tools. The student will have experience with unstructured data, for example processing text for applications such as “sentiment analysis” of user-generated content on the web.
Economics
Empirical Business Strategies & Decision Making
ECON-GB.2314.10 (3.0 Credits)
Prof. Rosa Abrantes-Metz
Tuesdays, 6:00-9:00pm
This course will present a review of the practical application of economic theory to business strategy and tactics, with a special emphasis on empirical analyses in goods and services markets and in financial markets. Empirical analyses have been playing a critical role in assisting managers in analyzing their firms’ strategies in the market place and in evaluating real-world business problems. Depending on the industry, a variety of empirical tools may be available to inform key business decisions, which in turn may generate a relative advantage to those who use them. Such analyses have been growing more important over time in increasingly global markets subject to ever more extensive regulations. While a proper understanding of the benefits and risks of empirical methods and econometric analysis is critical for today’s business leaders in this era of data and computer intensive business, the course will not require an in-depth knowledge of quantitative methods. Instead, the course offers a review of the principles, concepts and strategies of empirical analysis, not the technical details of their application. We will survey different empirical strategies and how they can be best used by management in a variety of settings, from pricing, to R&D and new product introduction, demand forecasting, internal monitoring, estimating company-corporate debt default probability, detecting conspiracies and manipulations, dealing with risk under the new Dodd-Frank regulations relating to financial institutions, and other tools to inform major business decisions.
Finance
Taxes and Investing
FINC-GB.2110.10 (1.5 Credits)
Prof. Robert Gordon
Tuesdays, 6:00-9:00pm
For most investors, taxes represent one of the largest impacts on individual investment returns. Despite their importance, most introductory courses on investments, valuation and portfolio management spend little if any time on taxes. This course is designed to guide the student through the most important U.S. tax rules governing individual investment. In addition, it will explore tax arbitrage strategies that could be utilized to substantially increase the investors after-tax returns. The course relies on a small number of readings for each topic. Students will take a final exam which in conjunction with class participation will determine their course grade.
Managing Financial Businesses
FINC-GB.2310.10 (3.0 Credits)
Prof. Roy Smith, Prof. Lawrence Zicklin & Prof. Paul Roth
Tuesdays, 6:00-9:00pm
This course addresses the management and operational challenges at banks and other financial service firms posed by rapidly changing competitive environments. It particularly addresses business strategies, leadership and control issues, and the use of technology. The course is taught by Prof. Paul Roth (founding partner of the law firm Schulte Roth & Zabel), Prof. Roy C. Smith (former President of Goldman Sachs International), and Prof. Larry Zicklin (former CEO of Neuberger Berman) and involves a number of prominent guest speakers from the industry. The course should be of great interest to students interested in careers in management and operations of financial businesses.
Alternative Investments I: Principles and Strategies
FINC-GB.2350.01 (3.0 Credits)
Prof. Matthew Richardson & Prof. Mazen Jabban
Mondays & Wednesdays, 3:00-4:20pm
This course provides both a theoretical and practical look into the world of managing alternative investments, in particular, hedge funds. The course is, however, organized from the perspective of an asset manager (e.g. pension fund, endowment, family office, fund of funds, etc.) having to chose amongst a cross-section of hedge funds. The long-term goal of the course is for students to put endowment money to work. In order to do this, students need to understand how classic hedge fund strategies are executed, how to evaluate these strategies as well as new ones, how to manage risk, and how to perform due diligence on firms performing these strategies. The course intends to teach students in all of these areas. While the class is designed as a year-long, full credit (i.e., 6 units) course, it is possible for students to choose just the fall semester course, but not vice versa with respect to the spring semester. Students start from the beginning and are educated about the hedge fund sector, the building blocks of hedge fund strategies, and all the elements underlying due diligence. For the latter, students will have access to a proprietary software program (Focus/Vidrio) that helps them work through and understand the due diligence process. Quickly, the students move onto specific hedge fund strategies, and are provided a combination of lectures and outside industry speakers. This part of the course covers a significant portion of the fall semester. After learning about the various strategies and evaluation techniques, students will form groups and focus on one particular subsector. The groups will collect data, evaluate the funds in this subsector, and narrow themselves down to a meaningful list for further evaluation and due diligence. Throughout the semester, as students are learning about hedge fund strategies, students will also be learning in a complementary way about due diligence, taking practical examples related to each strategy using the software.
Law and Business of Financial Institutions
FINC-GB.3353.10 (3.0 Credits)
Prof. Gerald Rosenfeld & Prof. G. Miller
Mondays, 6:00-9:00pm
The aim of the course is to integrate diverse aspects of the academic and practical training of law and business students in a transactions focused context in Financial Institutions. Students will be organized into teams of both law and business students. The class will be a mixture of lectures, guest speakers and team presentations. Student teams will analyze one or more actual transactions or financial institutions and present their analysis to classmates and outside guests. In addition, we may follow the current news on certain financial institutions and students may be asked to prepare short presentations on these.
Marketing
Boosting Creativity
MKTG-GB.2381.01 (3.0 Credits)
Prof. Kim Corfman
Tuesdays, 9:00-11:50am
In the current competitive environment, successful contemporary business rests upon the ability to see problems (a.k.a., opportunities) clearly and to develop solutions unseen and unimagined by competition. To do so requires creativity, the ability to come up with novel and useful ideas. Considerable recent research in experimental psychology suggests that creativity can be developed and refined. This creative boost comes at the cost of effort and practice. The goal of this course is to provide a variety of experiences and activities with the specific focus of fostering each student’s own creative abilities. As part of the course, we will also gain an appreciation of how to successfully introduce creative ideas to the environment, since it is one thing to get a creative insight, and another to convince others of its market value (e.g., how to convince co-marketers, as well as customers/consumers). The course objectives are to:
- Access the creative side of your brain.
- Develop your own, unique and authentic leadership ability.
- Harness and drive your ability to see the potential for innovation.
- Provide the basis for entrepreneurial judgement.
- Facilitate practical decision making.
- Provide you with a personal sustainable competitive advantage.
Fall 2012 By-Application Courses
Finance
Managing Investment Funds
FINC-GB.3320.01 (3.0 Credits)
Prof. Richard Levich
Click here for application information
Managing Investment Funds is a capstone course that requires students to draw on their knowledge of finance as well as macroeconomics, accounting, competitive analysis, strategy, marketing and other fields to manage a $1.5 million endowment fund held by New York University. In addition to honing their analytical skills, by organizing all activities related to institutional asset management, students gain experience in financial writing and oral presentations, advancing financial decisions in a group setting, and handling all of the governance and fiduciary responsibilities of a university endowment fund. The central mission of this course is for students to learn through having practical, hands on investment management experience. Because of the time requirements in formulating an investment strategy, screening and reviewing prospective stocks, updating the status and performance of existing positions, and all of the ancillary duties connected with the operation of a real, live portfolio, the experiential or hands-on component consumes the bulk of class time. However, a related mission is for students to acquire knowledge about institutional funds management and current industry practices and trends. This more traditional learning experience comes through readings and presentations from industry professionals. The endowment funds under management operate as the Michael Price Student Investment Fund (MPSIF). The Fund began in early 2000 thanks to a generous gift from Michael F. Price.
Operations Management
OPS in ENT: Las Vegas
OPMG-GB.2313.0A (3.0 Credits)
Prof. Harry Chernoff
Click here to view syllabus for application information
When we think of entertainment, perhaps the most popular location that comes to mind is Las Vegas. Behind the glitter and excitement in Las Vegas are industries dedicated to supplying entertainment to customers. Operations address the supply side of business, including how products are produced and how services are supplied. This course goes behind the scenes in Las Vegas to observe and analyze the operations involved in performing this supply function. This course presents an opportunity to observe and study the entertainment industry including strategy formation and decision-making that are quite unique. The entertainment comes in various forms. The underlying driver is certainly gaming, but the industries surrounding the various forms of gambling have become major profit centers separate from the millions made on the casino floors. During a one-week visit to Las Vegas, students will observe and study some of the major operating industries that comprise the broad scope of entertainment in this city. Although the Operations Management models, techniques and strategies in this field are applicable anywhere, Las Vegas is the epicenter of the industry.
Management
Int'l Social Impact Strategy
MGMT-GB.2366.10 (3.0 Credits)
Prof. Jill Kickul
Special Arrangement Schedule
Click here to view syllabus for application information
The International Social Impact Strategies course is designed to help students gain actionable insights into the nexus between economic and social value creation in an international context. Specifically, the purpose of ISIS is to provide students with hands-on exposure to the entrepreneurial pursuit of social impact in a developing economy. As a result of this course, students will gain:
- Increased ability to recognize and critically assess various forms of social enterprise and base-of-the-pyramid strategies as tools of poverty alleviation, economic development, and social transformation
- Greater understanding of the challenges of growing and sustaining a social enterprise, as well as special insights into enterprise development in a developing economy
- Improved consulting skills, including project planning, issue analysis, formulation of strategic and tactical recommendations, and client relationship management.
While exploring these developing countries first hand, students will learn about local history, culture, economy, politics, social change, sustainable development, and entrepreneurship. By participating in the course, students will be better able to adapt and apply business skills and academic disciplines in the social sector, and will have increased skills for effective and thoughtful leadership in business and society throughout their careers
Spring 2013 Course Announcements
Alternative Investments II: Practice and Application
FINC-GB.2351.20 (3.0 Credits)
Prof. Gerald Rosenfeld & Prof. G. Miller
Mondays & Tuesdays, 3:00-4:20pm
This is the second half of the two-semester sequence on Alternative Investments. This course is designed to offer students practical, hands-on experience. After completing the first semester, teams of students are assigned a strategy and a supervisor at Focus/Vidrio. Specific login templates will be created by Focus/Vidrio for the students and each one will be assigned a login/password to access the platform. Training will be performed on the platform and teams will then have to select a manager within their assigned strategy. A due diligence process will then be triggered on the selected managers and the students will be responsible for completing all steps in the process. Included in the exercise are the following: - On-site visits to manager’s office o Manager presentation (i.e. manager presents his fund, strategy etc…) o Due diligence (strategy analysis, organization analysis, operation due diligence) o Meetings include not just the portfolio manager but also the risk manager, compliance officer, CFO etc… - Prime broker conference o The class will participate in a hedge fund conference where they will have the opportunity to meet a large number of managers and hedge fund investors (fund of funds, family offices, pension funds etc…) - Presentation in front of panel (peers, professors, Focus/Vidrio) of their work Outside speakers will involve not just hedge fund managers (as in the first semester), but also asset allocators (family office, pension fund, endowment and fund of funds) and lawyers involved in particular with due diligence.
