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Leadership Science Major Course Descriptions

Major core courses:

LDSP 3010 - Management in Organizations. A survey course of the field of management and its role within complex organizations.

LDSP 3020 - Managing Information Technology.  Provides an awareness of the role of information technology in the work environment and organizations.

LDSP 3050 - Cultural Diversity in Organizations. Theoretical and practical approaches to the complexities of issues of diversity will be examined by reviewing typical values, habits, interactions, and concerns of different cultural groups in the workplace.

LDSP 3060 - Organizational Ethics. Discuss ethical issues, the development of a moral frame of reference, and the need for an awareness of social justice in management practices and business activities.

LDSP 3090 - Survey of the Legal Process. Provides a basic background in the United States legal process for students who want only an overview of the process or who plan to take additional courses in the legal field. The course will survey the history of the common law, legal reasoning, basic terminology, legal research, and the legal profession, and provide an introduction to civil and criminal process.

LDSP 3240 - Financial Measurement, Analysis, and Reporting. This course develops the basic concepts and procedures underlying corporate financial statements, and introduces tools for analyzing profitability and risk.

LDSP 3760 - Research Methods. An introduction and application of research methods and theories appropriate to professional studies. 

LDSP 4020 - Written Professional Communication. (Pre-Requisite: ENGL 1010). Communication theory is applied to the professions with emphasis on effective writing.

LDSP 4400 - Strategic Planning for Organizations. This course provides a pragmatic study of the design and development of strategic thinking and organizational alignment that can yield high-impact results and measurably add value to the organization, its clients, and society.

LDSP 4990 - Capstone. (Prerequisite: Completion of 27 hours of upper division credit which has been accepted and applied to the degree requirements for the BPS.) This course is the capstone learning experience for the Professional Studies degree. Students apply the skills and concepts learned in their program by identifying a current problem with an organization/industry and finding a solution that is viable and intellectually defensible.

Major electives:

LDSP 3030 - Organizational Team Building. Using theoretical principles of adult learning and group dynamics, this course introduces students to the skills required to effectively manage team processes.

LDSP 3070 - Professional Development. This course maintains an emphasis on career analysis and acquisition, time management, listening skills, oral and nonverbal communication competencies, participative management responsibilities, interpersonal skills, multicultural awareness, and leadership strategies.

LDSP 3080 - Intercultural Business Communication. This course focuses on an understanding of cultural priorities with actual business practices. A combination of intercultural skills as well as culturally diverse workplace environments and communication processes will be explored.

LDSP 3100 - Organizational Dynamics, Politics, and Change. How does the leader deal with an organization – regardless of its type?  What is the role of the leader in maximizing the effectiveness of the organization?  Our course seeks answers to these questions and also explores themes that include change, interpersonal relationships, and group dynamics.

LDSP 3110 – Creativity and Innovation. How can the leader facilitate creativity and innovation in the organization?  And how can the leader become more creative himself or herself?  Our course looks at the evolving body of research on creativity and how it impacts a leader’s work.

LDSP 3120 - Developing Leaders in Organizations. How does an organization develop new leaders?  And what is the role – and responsibility - of the leader in developing other leaders.  Our course links current research, theory, and practice to seek answers to these vital questions.

LDSP 3130 - Judgment and Decision Making. All leaders make decisions and solve problems.  What can we learn from research and theory in these areas that can apply to the leader’s everyday work?  Using the literature as a starting point, our course seeks to develop better decision making skills.

LDSP 3140 - Leadership as Social Influence.  Leaders function in complex environments.  How does a leader make sense of the changing dynamics around herself or himself?  Our course explores social influence topics including negotiation.

LDSP 3150 - Leadership and Power. How does the leader exert power and influence inside an organization and beyond it?  Our course explores the use, abuse, and ethical implications of a leader’s power.

LDSP 3160 - Strategic Leadership. All organizations employ strategies, either stated or unstated.  How does the leader provide vision for an organization?  Our course draws on diverse fields of study to examine what strategy is, how it impacts the organization, and what the role of the leader is.

LDSP 3230 - Workforce Management. This is a survey course of the field of human resource/personnel and its role within an organization.

LDSP 3500 - Methods of Performance and Productivity. This course is designed to expose students to fundamental theories of organizational performance measurement, such as Management by Objectives and Total Quality Management.

LDSP 3510 - Organizational Fraud Conduct and Procedures. ( Pre-Requisite: PTMA 3500 ). Emphasis on the conduct of fraud examinations, including a discussion of specific procedures used in forensic examinations and the reasoning behind the use of these procedures. Coverage extends to detection, investigation, and prevention of specific types of fraud committed against organizations and individuals.

LDSP 3520 - Industrial Fraud. The course provides an overview of the methodology of fraud examination which involves obtaining documentary evidence, interviewing witnesses and potential suspects, and writing investigative strategies to determine why and how occupational fraud is committed.

LDSP 3600 - Organizational Marketing. This is a survey course of the field of marketing and its role within an organization.

LDSP 3620 - Professional and Public Relations. This course surveys the basic concepts, strategies, and tactics practiced in professional and public relations.

LDSP 3650 - Global Marketing. This course will introduce students to the fundamental concepts of marketing and business used in an international marketing environment. There will be special emphasis on cultural influences and the political, legal, and economic environments that make up the global economy.

LDSP 3800 - Hospitality Administration Strategies. This course surveys the administrative strategies of the hospitality and tourism industry.

LDSP 3810 - Hospitality Administration Technology and Applications. This course prepares students to maintain, analyze and utilize business documents and data related to hospitality management organizations. 

LDSP 3820 - Hospitality Buildings and Facilities. This course prepares students to administer and maintain a building or site.  It introduces concepts of site operations and maintenance technology, management of people and the administration of real estate and construction projects.

LDSP 3840 - Restaurant and Food Service Administration. This course provides students with insights into commercial and institutional food and beverage facilities management.  Topics include menu development, effective cost control in purchasing, pricing, labor, and service technique.

LDSP 3850 - Hospitality Promotion and Sales. This course prepares students to implement operational sales and marketing techniques in various hospitality administration settings, including tourism destinations. 

LDSP 3860 - Tourism Administration Strategies. In this course, students will view the tourism from a business perspective, examining the management, marketing and finance issues most important to industry members. 

LDSP 3990 - Contract Management. This course presents students with an overview of the process of identifying opportunities, responding, securing, and managing work in a contract environment.

LDSP 4220 - White Collar Crime.  An examination of the nature and extent of white collar crime to include the concepts, trends, theoretical explanations, the methods and mechanics of social control used by society and the criminal justice system in this context.

LDSP 4500 - Management of Operations. This course consists of a managerial overview and analysis of business concepts and strategies. Emphasis is on the study of incorporating major functions of business enabling organizations to improve efficiency and effectiveness in the highly competitive global and local markets.

LDSP 4600 - Project Management. This course presents students with an overview of project management environments with an emphasis on the basic building blocks of selection, planning, managing, and closing out projects.

LDSP 4800 - Organizational Training and Development. Investigates theories of learning and instructional development for the education and training of employees.

LDSP 4830 - Hospitality Revenue Cycles. This course surveys strategies and techniques used to maximize revenues in the hospitality and tourism industry.