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Entrepreneurship, Technology, and Law

All programs offered by the Foster College of Business, Bradley University, are accredited by the AACSB International: The Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business.

FACULTY Professors McGowan (chair), Perry; Associate Professors Blair, Marcum, Stephens; Assistant Professor Young.

The Department of Entrepreneurship, Technology, and Law curricula provide students with the educational experiences of reasoning, problem solving, and decision making so that they, through balanced programs, will be qualified to accept responsible positions in business and the public sector.

Specific departmental objectives include the following: (1) To give students the historical perspective necessary to understand the evolution of business in a global, social, political, economic, and technological environment; (2) To excite students about new ideas and knowledge; (3) To provide students with a basic understanding of entrepreneurship, information technology, and the legal environment of business; (4) To develop well-informed individuals who understand their ethical and social responsibilities in business situations; (5) To enable students to understand the operation of our business and economic systems; (6) To develop the ability to think clearly, analyze carefully, and express thoughts and conclusions logically; and (7) To help students develop competence in a major field of study.

Students enrolling in the Department of Entrepreneurship, Technology, and Law must select and complete the requirements for one of the following majors: (1) entrepreneurship, (2) management and leadership with a concentration in legal studies,  or (3) management information systems. The department also offers minors in business law and management information systems. 

Entrepreneurship Major

Bradley ranked in the top 25 in the nation for entrepreneurship according to The Princeton Review and Entrepreneur Magazine (among over 2,000 schools reviewed).  The entrepreneurship major prepares students to create, own, manage, or work successfully in small and emerging businesses or to enhance opportunities in large organizations. Students learn how to research new product or service ideas, determine their feasibility, and develop business plans necessary to launch a business, a new product, or a new service. They develop the skills to operate a business once it is started, grow the business, and eventually sell it or pass it on to the next generation. The major helps students understand the functional areas of business and apply the theory to the unique situations found in small or growing ventures. Students with an entrepreneurship major are also prepared for careers in consulting, working within a family business setting or in large firms to assist them in discovering and exploiting opportunities. The objectives of the entrepreneurship major are to:

  1. Introduce students to the nature of entrepreneurs and entrepreneurship.
  2. Expose students to the excitement and challenges of owning one's own business.
  3. Discover, evaluate and exploit opportunities.
  4. Develop the ability to analyze ideas for new products or services and determine their
    feasibility and commercialization potential.
  5. Develop the ability to produce a well-designed and credible business plan to use in
    soliciting external funding.
  6. Create an awareness of angel investing, venture capital, public offerings, and other
    methods of financing high-growth ventures.
  7. Develop the knowledge and skills needed to operate a business on a day-to-day basis.
  8. Understand the uniqueness of the functional areas of business as they relate specifically
    to small and emerging businesses.
  9. Provide opportunities for hands-on learning from emerging businesses through an
    optional entrepreneurship internship.

Requirements

Requirements for the entrepreneurship major are as follows:

  • ENT 280 Entrepreneurial Creativity
  • ENT 281 The Entrepreneurial Career
  • ENT 382 Entrepreneurship Startups
  • ENT 383 Managing Entrepreneurial Growth
  • ENT/FIN 384 Entrepreneurial Finance or ATG 314 Cost Accounting
  • ENT 482 Entrepreneurial Experience
  • 6 hours chosen from the following courses:
    • M L 357 Leading Organizations
    • ENT 385 Technology Entrepreneurship
    • ENT 386 Social Entrepreneurship
    • ENT 488 Internship in Entrepreneurship
    • ENT 289/389 Topics in Entrepreneurship
    • A course approved by department chair

Entrepreneurship majors must satisfactorily complete at least 15 hours of BLW, ENT, MIS, or ML-prefixed courses at Bradley University. Students should note that some courses are offered only once each year. Students should consult with their advisor to ensure that the correct courses are taken.

Typical Course Sequence

For a four-year course plan for each major in the Foster College of Business, go to:https://www.bradley.edu/academic/colleges/fcba/programs/.

Management and Leadership with a Concentration in Legal Studies Major

The management and leadership with a concentration in legal studies major provides a solid grounding in the skills and concepts necessary to meet the complex and challenging tasks of management. Students who are uncertain of their career goals will find that this major provides excellent preparation in business for a wide range of job opportunities. Additionally, students are well prepared for graduate-level business (MBA, DBA, PhD) or public administration (MPA) programs, law school, and other graduate school programs.

Requirements for Management and Leadership with Legal Studies Concentration

  • BLW 345 Law of Business
  • M L 300 Organizational Environments
  • M L 354 Maximizing Effectiveness in Organizations
  • M L 356 Human Resource Management
  • M L 357 Leading Organizations
  • M L 358 Managerial Decision Making
  • BLW 395 Real Estate Principles
  • BLW 446 Employment Law
  • 3 hours of M L, BLW, ENT, or MIS approved elective course(s)
  • One of the following:
    • ECO 352 Industrial Organization
    • ECO 362 Economics and Law
    • PLS 317 International Law
    • PLS 459 Constitutional Law
    • PLS 460 Constitutional Law

Management with legal studies concentration majors must satisfactorily complete at least 15 hours of BLW, ENT, MIS, or ML-prefixed courses at Bradley University. Students should also note that some courses are offered only once each year.

Typical Course Sequence

For a four-year course plan for each major in the Foster College of Business, go to:https://www.bradley.edu/academic/colleges/fcba/programs/.

Management Information Systems Major

Management information systems (MIS) is an exciting field that combines people skills with technical skills. The MIS major blends the fields of business and information technology. It enables students to be successful in developing appropriate business applications. Information is seen by business as an increasingly important resource. The MIS major teaches students how to manage this vital resource.

Graduates of the program can expect interesting and challenging job opportunities in a dynamic field. The MIS major can be a fast track to management positions or the basis for advanced graduate work. Typical graduates’ first jobs are in technical and information related fields or as consultants. After gaining experience, graduates develop new business applications as analysts and then assume management positions. This major prepares students for some of the nation’s fastest growing career opportunities such as systems analysis, computer networking, and business intelligence.

The MIS major differs from other “computer” majors in its emphasis on human aspects and business applications. While knowledge of computer systems is a large part of the program, a larger portion is devoted to getting the right job done.

The major develops competence in a number of areas:

  • the use of personal computers, large computers, and other technological resources,
  • managing information technology to achieve the goals of the organization,
  • programming in a variety of languages used in business, and
  • the quantitative skills needed for problem solving and decision making.

Departmental requirements for the management information systems major are as follows:

  • Three programming courses:
    • MIS 276 Developing Info. Systems for E-commerce
    • One of the following sequences: MIS 175 & MIS/CIS 275 or CS 101 & CS 102
  • MIS 272 Management Applications of Personal Computers
  • MIS 375 Business Systems Analysis and Design
  • MIS 478 Implementing Business Computer Systems
  • MIS 373 Business Data Communications or MIS 374 Database Management and Administration
  • In addition to the requirements above, two of the following:
    • M L 357 Leadership and Interpersonal Behavior
    • MIS 373 Business Data Communications
    • MIS 374 Database Management and Administration
    • MIS 378 HCI & Usability Testing
    • MIS 379 Information Security

Typical Course Sequence

For a four-year course plan for each major in the Foster College of Business, go to:https://www.bradley.edu/academic/colleges/fcba/programs/.

Business Law Minor

The Business Law Minor provides students with understanding of some of the social, ethical, political, and cultural foundations of law and how law impacts almost every business decision. Students will obtain critical analytical skills needed in their careers and/or to excel in law school and will become better prepared to identify and manage potential legal problems in the practice of their profession or career.

The minor is open to all majors and is comprised of 15 semester hours of study structured as follows. Students whose major is from the Foster College of Business must have at least 12 hours in courses that are unique from those used to fulfill their major requirements.

I. Social, Ethical, Political, and Cultural Foundations of Law (3 hours)
Select one course from the following:

  • AAS 200, Introduction to African-American Studies - 3 hrs.
  • ECO 310 Labor Problems - 3 hrs.
  • ECO 362 Economics and Law - 3 hrs.
  • HIS 300, The United States Since 1945 - 3 hrs.
  • HIS 304, Women in American History - 3 hrs.
  • HIS 307, Early American Republic - 3 hrs.
  • HIS 315, U.S. Social Movements - 3 hrs.
  • PHL 203 Logic - 3 hrs.
  • PHL 347 Ethics - 3 hrs.
  • PLS 105 Introduction to American Government - 3 hrs.
  • PLW 101, Introduction to the Legal Profession - 3 hrs.
  • SOC 212, Sociology of Diversity - 3 hrs.

II. Business Law Foundations (3 hours)
Required:

  • BLW 342 Legal Environment of Business - 3 hrs.

III. Business Law Applications (9 hours)

A. Select at least 6 hours up to a maximum of 9 hours from the following:

  • BLW 289 Topics in Business law - 1–3 hrs.
  • BLW 345 Law of Business - 3 hrs.
  • BLW 347 Law and the Entrepreneur - 3 hrs.
  • BLW 355 Labor-Management Relations - 3 hrs.
  • BLW 389 Topics in Business law - 1–3 hrs.
  • BLW 395 Real Estate Law - 3 hrs.
  • BLW 446 Employment Law - 3 hrs.
  • BLW 360 Business & Intellectual Property - 3 hrs.
  • BLW 489 Topics in Business Law - 1–3 hrs.
  •  BLW 498 Independent Studies - 1–3 hrs.

B. Students who have at least 6 hours and less than 9 hours from category A. may take the remaining hours from the following:

  • ATG 477 Federal Taxes - 3 hrs.
  • ATG 526 Fraud Examination - 3 hrs.
  • CIS 580 Digital Society and Computer Law - 3 hrs.
  • COM 330 Communication Law and Ethics - 3 hrs.
  • CON 380, Construction Contracts - 2 hrs.
  • CON 394 Construction Labor and Unions - 3 hrs.
  • I M 350, Intellectual Property Law and New Media - 3 hrs.
  • NUR 510 Legal Issues in Nursing - 2 hrs.
  • PLS 459 Constitutional Law - 3 hrs.
  • PLS 460 Constitutional Law - 3 hrs.
  • PLW 300, Pre-Law Internship - 1–6 hrs.

Management Information Systems Minor

A minor in management information systems will provide an opportunity for students to enhance their knowledge and credentials in the use and development of computer software and/or hardware. The minor will provide students with an opportunity to be employed in the IS field, give them the skills that will make them the ideal liaison between IS professionals and experts in other functional areas of an organization, and the technological base to become valuable “power users” of essential software applications, such as spreadsheets, databases, and e-commerce tools. The minor will allow the student to develop focused expertise in one of the distinct fields that comprise the breadth of the information systems professional. The minor is open to all majors across campus.

The minor requires 15 hours.

Required courses

  • MIS 173 Information Systems and Business Applications – 3 hrs.
  • MIS 272 Management Applications of Personal Computers - 3 hrs.
  • MIS 276 Developing Information Systems for E-Commerce - 3 hrs.

Elective Courses (choose two from the following)

  • MIS 373 Business Data Communications - 3 hrs.
  • MIS 374 Database Management and Administration - 3 hrs.
  • MIS 375 Business Systems Analysis and Design - 3 hrs.
  • MIS 378 HCI and Usability Testing - 3 hrs.
  • MIS 379 Information Systems Security - 3 hrs. 

This is the official catalog for the 2015-2016 academic year. This catalog serves as a contract between a student and Bradley University. Should changes in a program of study become necessary prior to the next academic year every effort will be made to keep students advised of any such changes via the Dean of the College or Chair of the Department concerned, the Registrar's Office, u.Achieve degree audit system, and the Schedule of Classes. It is the responsibility of each student to be aware of the current program and graduation requirements for particular degree programs.