Curriculum

Emerging Market Women Entrepreneurs Consulting is a course designed for students who want to get more involved in Thunderbird?s women entrepreneurs programs and in social business. Students will work with the professor to provide consulting for some of the women entrepreneurs? business plans that need further work in order to qualify for higher-level funding, like from USAID and other large funding sources. Thunderbird students will apply classroom knowledge and experiences and learn how to write and review business plans and work in multicultural student teams.

This course is designed to strengthen the linguistic
skills of the non-native speaker of English. It focuses on both speaking and writing. Grammar, pronunciation, and presentation
are emphasized in the oral exercises, while grammar,
style, and organization are emphasized in the written. The course requires regular homework assignments, which are introduced and reinforced in the classes.

This course focuses on finance concepts as applied in the real world by entrepreneurs. From the firm perspective, the course covers topics relevant to entrepreneurial finance, including financial statements, forecasting of key financial variables, funding plans and venture capital. The course will prepare prospective general managers of entrepreneurial companies on how to make the financial decisions involved with building high-risk, high-growth enterprises. It prepares business-minded students for careers focused on entrepreneurship and intrapreneurship.

This course focuses on entrepreneurship and new venture creation in transition economies. It will focus on doing business and business opportunities in Hungary and Slovenia exemplifying doing business in transition economies. Students will have seminars from faculty members at the Budapest University of Economics and the University of Ljubljana, executives and managers of business organizations from various industrial sections, government officials of the two countries, and capital providers in each country. Company visits and cultural activities will also occur.

This course covers in detail the techniques and procedures involved in successfully carrying out export and import transactions. Topics include the language of international trade, INCO terms, payment terms, trade barriers, export licensing, pricing, order handling, insurance, international collections, and international transportation. Documentation requirements of export and import operations are examined in detail. Import and customs clearance procedures are studied along with their relation to foreign product sourcing and international purchasing.

This course covers the application of accounting models to the measurement of assets, liabilities, and stockholders? equity. Topics covered include, marketable securities, receivable and inventory valuation, fixed and intangible assets, bonds, leases, dividends, stock buybacks, stock splits and foreign currency translation. The emphasis of the course is on the evaluation of corporate financial reporting policy and the usefulness of financial reports for decision making. U.S. and international accounting standards are covered.

All entering students begin their degree program with this mandatory, one-week course. Foundations Week introduces tools and insights necessary for success and career effectiveness on a global scale. The course presents key aspects of leadership, team building, motivation, ethics, and cross-cultural communication. It also offers self-assessment tools and opportunities to explore career management and job search strategies. Presentation and computer skills are also a part of Foundations Week.

Fundamentals I is intensive and emphasizes interactive activities that develop oral proficiency. Participants study the four communicative skills (listening, speaking, reading, and writing)with emphasis on the development of oral interaction. The use
of a cassette player may be required. Classes meet four times a week.

This is an introductory course for beginning language learners. No prior knowledge is required. Students study language fundamentals such as pronunciations, vocabulary and grammar. The emphases are: a) establishing a solid foundation in pronunciations; b) building up vocabulary and sentence patterns in communicative contexts; c) introducing writing systems and preparing students to read characters. In addition, cultural and social information that go along with language use are also included in the teaching.