Business Administration: Decision Analysis

Introduces the tools and techniques necessary for effective decision-making in business organizations operating in a complex and dynamic environment. Prerequisites: MATH 1212 or MATH 1234 with a minimum grade of C-; STAT 1410 or STAT 2430 with a minimum grade of C-, or PSYS 2002 and PSYS 2010 with a minimum grade of C-; Business Administration, Computer Science and Information Systems, Engineering Management major, or Business Administration minor.

BSAD major and minor, 2BUS Co-Major, CSIS, and EMGT; Open to degree and pace students. Minimum Sophomore standing Prereqs enforced by the system: MATH 1212 or MATH 1234 with a minimum grade of C-; STAT 1410 or STAT 2430 with a minimum grade of C-; or PSYS 2002 and PSYS 2010 with minimum grades of C-.

The goal of this class is to improve students' decision-making and critical thinking skills, as well as their technical, quantitative, and analytical skills. This course will introduce students to the science of fact-based, data-driven decision making; expose students to different approaches, support tools, and analytical methods for decision-making; enhance and reinforce students’ analytical skills and their ability to use information; and develop, integrate and reinforce students’ modeling skills (often based on spreadsheet usage) by using such skills in a variety of applications. Topics covered in this course include (a) probability & decision trees; (b) optimization tools and constrained resource allocation; (c) time series analysis and forecasting; and (d) project scheduling.

The format of this course will mostly consist of a combination of lectures, in-class problems and computer exercises, and discussions of readings and practice problems. Note that students are required to bring a fully operational laptop (with the required software) to class when requested.

Grades are based on class participation, homework assignments, quizzes, and written examinations.