School of Social Sciences, Humanities & Arts 

[For additional information regarding the Management major, please visit the new Management Website]

 Overview  |  Requirements for the B.S.  |  Course Descriptions | Learning Outcomes

Overview

The Management major responds to the growing needs of California’s business environment. UC Merced’s Management major provides rigorous analytical and quantitative training from a blend of fields including economics, management theory and other social sciences. Real-life management problems do not fit neatly into subject areas. Today’s managers tackle issues that involve a number of management functions—so solutions need to draw on expertise from a variety of different areas. The UC Merced approach is to step away from thinking of management as a set of separate functions drawing from single disciplines. Instead, students learn to integrate key ideas from across subject areas to understand all the dimensions of a given issue. Creativity, innovation and entrepreneurship are emphasized.

The major is based on the premise that organizations of different kinds – for-profit, non-profit, technological and governmental – require employees who are trained in analytical and quantitative decision-making, who work effectively in teams and on projects, who are comfortable in various cultures, who are “well rounded” in sciences and humanities, and who have learned the art of selfdirected learning.

The Management major prepares students for a broad range of management-related careers. Students will learn the analytical tools that are needed to succeed in a modern, volatile business environment. The curriculum provides a strong foundation in economics, organization, business, finance, accounting and quantitative methods. It focuses on analysis and problem solving across a wide spectrum of management activities. The theoretical underpinning for the undergraduate program comes from economics and management science disciplines that use tools and techniques based on applied mathematics and statistics to solve problems in virtually all areas of business and government. The typical undergraduate student develops skills to build quantitative models of complex operations and competitive markets and be able to use those models to facilitate decision-making.

Requirements for the B.S. in Management (MGMT)¹

In addition to adhering to the UC Merced and School of Social Sciences, Humanities and Arts requirements, the Management major requires 56 units (some of which simultaneously fulfill general education requirements). Courses in the major emphasis must be taken for a letter grade and may not be taken on a pass/no pass basis unless the course is only offered on a pass/no pass basis. For limits on pass/no pass grading, please contact the SSHA advising office. Students must complete all major course prerequisites with a C- or better. All major course requirements must be completed with a grade of C- or better. Students in the Management major must maintain a 2.0 grade point average in all major coursework.

LOWER DIVISION MAJOR REQUIREMENTS [24 units]

• Introduction to Economics (ECON 001)
• Introduction to Finance (MGMT 025)
• Introduction to Accounting (MGMT 026)
• Statistical Inference (ECON 010)*
• Calculus of a Single Variable I (MATH 021)*
  *Meets the Quantitative Reasoning General Education requirement.
• Introduction to Computer Applications (CSE 005)

UPPER DIVISION MAJOR REQUIREMENTS [32 units]

• Intermediate Microeconomic Theory (MGMT 100)
• Intermediate Macroeconomic Theory (MGMT 101)
• Econometrics (MGMT 130)
• Marketing (MGMT 120)
• Intermediate Finance (MGMT 165)
• One additional upper division course chosen from the following:
  • Organizational Strategy (MGMT 116)
  • Industrial and Organizational Psychology (PSY 170)
• Two additional MGMT Courses*
  * Students may substitute a Management-related course for one of these courses. Students should contact SSHA Advising for an updated list of appropriate course substitutions.

Transfer Students

Transfer students who wish to major in Management should complete the Intersegmental General Education Transfer Curriculum (IGETC) at their community college. In addition, students should complete at least two UC-transferable introductory courses, one each selected from the humanities/arts and the social sciences; two lower division natural sciences or engineering courses, at least one of which has a lab, field or studio component; principles of economics; a course in financial accounting; a course in introductory finance (if available); and one UC transferable course in calculus.

Course Descriptions

LOWER DIVISION COURSES

MGMT 002: Case Study Seminar on Business and Management [1]
Survey of the field of business management. Invited speakers from local companies and public organizations cover topics that include the business environment, human relations, technology in business, ethical behavior, global and economic forces, organization, quality, products and services, functional management, and current issues and developments.
Prerequisite: ECON 001. May be repeated for credit once.

MGMT 025: Introduction to Finance [4]
Particular attention is paid to how managers maximize shareholder wealth. This class covers the foundations of financial management, including the time value of money, capital budgeting and evaluation, capital structure, and valuation of various capital sources.
Laboratory included.

MGMT 026: Introduction to Accounting [4]
A broad introduction and accounting. Students are equipped to draw up and interpret accounts and are introduced to some key ideas of auditing. Covers the fundamental accounting concepts and how to apply them; record accounting entries, prepare accounts for different business entities and understand the differences between them, the basic principles of auditing.
Laboratory included.

MGMT 090X: Freshman Seminar [1]
Examination of a topic in management.
May be repeated for credit.

MGMT 095: Lower Division Undergraduate Research [1 - 5]
Supervised research.
Permission of instructor required. May be repeated for credit.

MGMT 097: Service Learning: Engineering Projects in Community Service [1 - 3]
Multi-disciplinary teams of freshman through senior students work with community organizations to design, build, and implement engineering-based solutions for real-world problems. Students gain insight into the design and development process, and Management students gain practical experience working in a team of engineers and managing a project. Students are encouraged to participate at both the lower division and upper-division (MGMT 197) levels.
Permission of instructor required. May be repeated for credit twice.

MGMT 098: Lower Division Directed Group Study [1 - 5]
Permission of instructor required. Pass/No Pass grading only. May be repeated for credit.

MGMT 099: Lower Division Individual Study [1 - 5]
The objective of an independent study is to provide advanced and capable students an opportunity to pursue a topic of their interest with in depth supervision of a faculty member. The study can be done in combination with an internship in a business or government organization.
Permission of instructor required. Pass/No Pass grading only. May be repeated for credit.

UPPER DIVISION COURSES

MGMT 100: Intermediate Microeconomic Theory [4]
We explore the foundations of microeconomic theory, focusing on the behavior of individuals and firms, and the interaction of these agents in the market. Price determination and resource distribution theory under conditions of perfect and imperfect competition. General equilibrium and welfare economics.
Prerequisite: ECON 001 and MATH 021 or consent of instructor. Discussion included.

MGMT 101: Intermediate Macroeconomic Theory [4]
Analysis of output, employment, interest rates, and the price level. The effects of these on changes in monetary and fiscal variables.
Prerequisite: ECON 001 and MATH 021 or consent of instructor. Discussion included.

MGMT 115: Economics of Industrial Organization [4]
The organization and structure of industrial production in the United States economy.
Prerequisite: ECON 100 or MGMT 100.

MGMT 116: Organizational Strategy [4]
Discussion of critical issues in the design and functioning of effective organizations. Topics covered include: the boundary of the firm, firm structure, arrangements within the firm, alliances and contracts between firms, and trust and culture in the firm. We combine case studies with relevant economic theory to provide insight into the functioning of organizations.
Prerequisite: ECON 100 or MGMT 100. Letter grade only.

MGMT 120: Marketing [4]
Marketing is about identifying consumer needs, developing products and services which meet the changing consumer needs or market conditions. We provide an examination of principles of customer marketing as well as business-tobusiness marketing. It focuses those aspects of marketing which most frequently demand strategic attention in any business.
Prerequisite: Junior standing or consent of instructor.

MGMT 121: The Economics of Money, Banking, and Financial Institutions [4]
This course addresses issues of money, banking, and financial institutions. Topics covered include: the structure of central banks and the Federal Reserve system, theories of money demand and money supply, the relationship between money supply and overall economic activity, and the role the Federal Reserve plays in economic stabilization.
Prerequisite: ECON 001. Letter grade only.

MGMT 130: Econometrics [4]
Introduction of problems of observation, estimation and hypotheses testing in economics through the study of the theory and application of linear regression models, critical evaluation of selected examples of empirical research and exercises in applied economics.
Prerequisite: (ECON 010 or POLI 010) and MATH 021. Letter grade only. Laboratory included.

MGMT 135: Business Law [4]
Conceptual and functional analysis of legal principles relevant to the conduct and understanding of commercial business transactions. Topics include personal and real; government regulations; negotiable instruments; debtor/creditor relationships; and bankruptcy and reorganization. Salient legal aspects of international business are also discussed.
Prerequisite: MGMT 025 and MGMT 026 or consent of instructor.

MGMT 141: Industrial Relations and Human Resource Economics [4]
Examines how firms make decisions involving human resources. Topics covered include employee hiring and recruitment, compensation and use of incentives, and employee motivation and teamwork. Builds on both economic theory and practical examples to illuminate key concepts.
Prerequisite: ECON 100 or MGMT 100. Letter grade only.

MGMT 150: Services Science and Management [4]
Services - e.g., restaurants, hotels, lawyers, information technology operations, business consulting—account for more than 70% of the US economy. Through case studies of businesses and scientific studies of people in real service settings, we focus on how to align people and technology effectively to generate value.
Prerequisite: ECON 001. Letter grade only.

MGMT 151: Public Economics [4]
The influence of governmental revenue and expenditure decisions on economic performance. Examines such issues as public goods and externalities, as well as specific expenditure and taxation programs.
Prerequisite: ECON 100 or MGMT 100.

MGMT 152: Law and Economics [4]
The economic analysis of legal rules and institutions, including property, contract, and tort law. We also consider issues surrounding crime and punishment.
Prerequisite: ECON 100 or MGMT 100.

MGMT 153: Judgment and Decision Making [4]
An introduction to the study of human judgment and decision making. Topics include decision making under uncertainty, financial choices, health decision making, group decisions, rational theories of choice behavior, and improving decision making. The material is related to cognitive science, psychology, economics, and other social sciences.
Prerequisite: COGS 001 or PSY 001.

MGMT 154: Cognitive Science Applications for Management [4]
Covers thought, behavior, and interaction in modern businesses, where knowledge workers interact with one another and with technology. Topics include business decision making, risk behavior, attitudes toward risk, planning, communication, information management, information systems, human-computer interaction, neuroeconomics, and organizational behavior.
Prerequisite: COGS 001 or PSY 001 or consent of instructor.

MGMT 155: Decision Analysis in Management [4]
Presents the tools of decision science using a quantitative approach, with a focus on investment, finance and management decisions. These tools include decision tree analysis, risk and uncertainty analysis, stochastic dominance, the value of information, probability bias, and subjective probability.
Prerequisite: (ECON 100 or MGMT 100) and (ECON 010 or POLI 010) or consent of instructor.

MGMT 165: Intermediate Finance [4]
Expansion upon the ideas introduced in MGMT 25, by exploring advanced capital budgeting topics, (estimating future operating cash flows and analyzing real options), financing decisions (corporate structure and restructuring, long-term financing, securities), advanced working capital management, and multinational finance.
Prerequisite: MGMT 025.

MGMT 180: Entrepreneurship [4]
Integrates the skills students have developed in prior MGMT courses, and provides a framework for the consideration of new business ventures. Topics covered include: market research, creation of a formal business plan, marketing strategy, financing, establishing channels of distribution and bringing products or services to market.
Prerequisite: Junior standing and MGMT 165 or consent of instructor.

MGMT 190: Internship in Management [1 - 4]
Oversight and structure for the student’s internship in a field related to Management. While the student is responsible for finding her or his own internship for the semester or subsequent summer, the class assists students with the process and helps them evaluate their experience. May be repeated upon approval of a new Internship proposal that demonstrates new tasks and objectives related to business and management and that continues to advance application of academic theory in the workplace.
Prerequisite: Junior standing or consent of instructor. May be repeated for credit twice.

MGMT 191: Topics in Management [4]
Intensive treatment of a special topic or problem in management. May be repeated for credit in different subject areas.
Prerequisite: Junior standing and MGMT 025 and MGMT 026 or consent of instructor. May be repeated for credit.

MGMT 195: Upper Division Undergraduate Research [1 - 5]
Supervised research.
Permission of instructor required. May be repeated for credit.

MGMT 196: Case Study Seminar in Management [4]
Seminar and capstone experience presents case studies in the field of business management. Issues explored are the ethical behavior, global and economic forces, organization, quality, products and services, functional management, and current issues and developments. Students work in teams analyzing the cases presented.
Prerequisite: Senior standing and MGMT 025, MGMT 026, ECON 010 and (ECON 130 or MGMT 130) and (ECON 100 or MGMT 100) or consent of instructor. Letter grade only.

MGMT 197: Service Learning: Engineering Projects in Community Service [1 - 3]
Multi-disciplinary teams of freshman through senior students work with community organizations to design, build, and implement engineering-based solutions for real-world problems. Students gain insight into the design and development process, and Management students gain practical experience working in a team of engineers and managing a project. Students are encouraged to participate at both the lower division (MGMT 097) and upper-division (MGMT 197) levels.
Permission of instructor required. May be repeated for credit twice.

MGMT 198: Upper Division Directed Group Study [1 - 5]
Permission of instructor required. Pass/No Pass grading only. May be repeated for credit.

MGMT 199: Upper Division Individual Study [1 - 5]
Permission of instructor required. Pass/No Pass grading only. May be repeated for credit.

¹ _{All requirements are for informational purposes only. Please consult the current UC Merced catalog, or your advisor for official requirements.}

Page content current with 2009-2011 UC Merced General Catalog