FIN4521 Babson College Fund II
4 General Elective CreditsThe Babson College Fund is a two-semester course, where selected students manage a portion of the Babson College endowment. The Babson College Fund Office selects undergraduate and graduate students to be analysts and portfolio managers.
By learning the basics of security analysis and portfolio management, it is hoped that students will be prepared to take jobs in the Investment Management and Investment Banking industries post-graduation.
The Program Director and Executives in Residence are committed to helping this pursuit as much as possible. The course also requires that students refine their networking skills and develop a proficiency in the analytical tools available through the Cutler Center to maximize their employment prospects.
Prerequisites: FIN 3520 and Program Director (Patrick Gregory) Permission
MBA7800 Babson Consulting Experience
If you have taken and passed MBA7201, you cannot register for MBA7800, as these two courses are equivalent
All MBA students will be enrolled in the Babson Consulting Experience (BCE) and assigned to a team of five to six other one-year students to work on consulting project for a partner organization. Guided by a faculty advisor (who also is the instructor of the course), BCE teams work directly with company representatives to address a real organizational opportunity or challenge and create value-added solutions.
A signature learning experience, BCE gives students an opportunity to deepen their understanding of conceptual and developmental tools learned in the classroom through hands-on applications in messy real-world contexts. Students will sharpen their ability to analyze and frame complex problems, and to effectively present insights and action recommendations, in both oral and written form. Finally, by working in teams and with external organizations, students will have many opportunities to practice the teamwork and leadership skills that they will need as you continue your professional development.
**It is strongly recommended that students take this course after completing a majority of the core courses.**
Prerequisites: Minimum of 12 credits completed
EPS3514 Be the Change
2 General Credits
The course is designed for creative changemakers committed to utilizing their entrepreneurial leadership and global mindset to make a positive social impact and work towards social justice. Students will develop a deeper understanding of the United Nations (UN) Sustainable Development goals and the issues that exist at the heart of the social problems social entrepreneurs aim to address. Students will explore the moral and ethical questions that face non-profit organizations social enterprises, and social entrepreneurs and learn motivation, approach, and best practices as it applies to social change makers. Students will be equipped with the tools and methods to apply their entrepreneurial mindset to advance equity and social justice and create a response to a social problem they would like to address.
Note: The Natalie Taylor Scholars will use what they create in this course and implement it in the Scholar in Action EPS3534-01.
ART1175 Beginning Painting Watercolor and Acrylic
4 General CreditsThis is an introductory level course designed to bring students through basic aspects of drawing in a wide range of media. No previous experience is required. Issues such as line, tone, mark making, gesture form, light sources, figure/ground relationships, and perspective to overall compositions will be addressed separately and in the many ways that they relate to one another in a drawing. Students will draw observationally from life and from their own drawings, learning how to use each of these concepts as tools in order to draw and see more analytically. We will work with a wide range of materials from basic graphite pencils and charcoal to ink washes, conte crayon on gesso treated paper, silverpoint, collage, and printmaking. Slides of various artists' work will be discussed in relation to concepts and processes explored in class. Student work will be discussed in group critiques with full class participation. Students should be committed to expanding their skills and can expect project deadlines. There will be some expense for materials.
SEN1333 Beyond Babson! Navigating Responsible Adulthood
(Student Instructors: Amalya Khashimova and Kemper Watson) Nothing feels better than being efficient and in control. Acquiring the skills to feel that way, however, can take time, and students are all busy (beavers!). In this interactive course, students will learn strategies to save time and money, and to ensure they look and feel their absolute best as they transition into adult life. Students will learn the basics of dress, cooking, mixology, budgeting, and establishing routines to keep their selves and their spaces crisp. Fellow student experts and real-deal adults will help students gain the confidence to make it on their own!
SEN1341 Beyond the Salesperson: The Future of Automotive Retailing
(Student Instructor: Matthew Safalow) It's 2023, and car dealerships still haven't figured out how to provide the ideal car buying experience. Customers become easily defeated by endless negotiation with salespeople, finance managers, and others. In fact, after members of Congress, car salespeople are ranked as the least trusted professionals in the US. In this course, students will explore the strategies of automotive retailers. We'll learn about electric vehicles, automotive finance, marketing, and sales, and we will hear from guest presenters from automakers and large dealership groups. Ultimately, students will redefine and imagine the future of car buying.
Tuesdays 6:30 - 9:00 pm
SCN3600: Biomimicry Applying Natures Design for Business
4 advanced liberal arts credits
In this course we will investigate the tools and principles of biomimicry, which seek to sustainably solve current challenges by taking inspiration from how nature solves these same problems. Nature provides us with an incredible amount of research and development for effective problem-solving methodologies with the ultimate test for organisms being survival of the fittest. For the past 3.8 billion years, life has evolved strategies that are constantly integrated and optimized to create conditions conducive for life to continue. Successful examples of biomimicry include something as simple as Velcro (imitating burrs that stick to sheep) to cutting edge advancements like a bionic leaf producing hydrogen fuel from sunlight (imitating photosynthesis) and medical grade internal adhesives (imitating how mussels adhere underwater).
In this course we will begin by exploring design principles in biology, chemistry and physics and applying them to specific technological design strategies by asking questions like "How does nature make color?" and "How does nature water-proof something?" Then we will explore ecological design principles to understand how we can use nature's strategies of interconnectedness and cycling as a way to solve problems in businesses and organizations and move toward the circular economy. This course will emphasize the development of skills in critical thinking, synthesis of information, scientific literacy, hand-on exercises, and current topical issues in biomimicry.
SCN 3603: Biotechnology and Innovation
4 advanced liberal arts credits
In Biotechnology and Innovation, students will explore the dynamic intersection of biotechnology and business, focusing on the impact that scientific research has had on the development of new products, services, and startups within the biotech industry. The global biotechnology market, currently valued at approximately $735 billion is predicted to reach over $1.1 trillion by 2026. This course will cover the fundamental scientific aspects of biotechnology and biotechnology entrepreneurship with a focus on the global problems that can be solved using biotechnology innovations. It will explore the pioneering scientific innovations using living cells and their molecules that drive the industry, including breakthroughs in genetic engineering, gene editing, regenerative and personalized medicine, synthetic biology and bioinformatics. Students will analyze how these scientific advancements translate into commercial opportunities. Case studies of successful biotech products and services that have reshaped healthcare, agriculture, food systems, environmental challenges, bioremediation, biofuel production and many other industrial applications will also be explored. This will allow students to gain insight into the processes by which scientific discoveries become marketable solutions. This course will leverage the fact that Massachusetts is the #1 hub of Biotechnology in the world, giving students the opportunity to work with an industry partner to help solve a real-world problem. Students will participate in a semester-long project where they meet with industry stakeholders to analyze a problem and propose actionable solutions. By the end of this course, students will have a thorough understanding of the basic foundational knowledge central to biotechnology, and a better understand how scientific research serves as the foundation of the development and commercialization of biotechnological innovations.
Prerequisites: NST 10%%
CSP2030 Black American Music
(Formerly CVA2030 African American Music in the U.S.)
4 Intermediate Liberal Arts Credits
This course surveys music created by and about African Americans from the 19th century to the present, including spirituals, gospel, ragtime, blues, jazz, classical, R&B, rock and roll, soul, funk, disco, and rap. The course will emphasize: (1) African origins, and the historical and sociocultural contexts in which African American musical styles developed; (2) nontechnical musical analysis of the works studied; (3) the reciprocal relationships between African American music and other American music; and (4) the ways in which music participates in and shapes our national perceptions of and debates over race. No musical background required.
Prerequisites: (FCI1000 or AHS1000) and (WRT1001or RHT1000)
OIM3560 Blockchain and Cryptocurrencies
4 Advanced Management Credits
This course is about an exciting new technology called the blockchain. The blockchain is the technology behind bitcoin and other forms of digital cash. In this course, you will learn about the algorithms and protocols that enable blockchain creation, the theory behind and the potential of cryptocurrencies, how blockchains are used to enforce smart contracts, and how many other blockchain applications work.