Course Offerings

COB 300: Integrated Functional Systems

COB 300 is an integrated learning experience consisting of four courses, taken concurrently, which introduces the fundamental conceptual tools of management, finance, operations, and marketing in such a way as to establish their mutual relevance and interdependence.  Students work in small project teams on tasks designed to require the application in concert of conceptual tools from each of the four functional areas.

• COB 300A: Management Component
• COB 300B: Finance Component
• COB 300C: Operations Component
• COB 300D: Marketing Component

Prerequisites: Completion of all required 100 and 200 B.B.A. core courses, demonstrated computer competencies, equivalent to CIS 104 requirements; junior standing (56 hours) and a cumulative 2.5 grade point average in all courses taken at JMU.  For the Semester in Antwerp version of COB 300, students must also be formally accepted to the Semester in Antwerp program and must enroll concurrently in COB 301.

Note:  There will be some modification of the COB 300 content when offered in Antwerp.  The course will consist of four stand alone components (management, finance, operations, and marketing) and an integrated final exercise at the end of the semester.  We will trade off course integration for extended visits to businesses, governmental institutions, and cultural sites throughout Europe.

Note:  You must apply for acceptance into both the Semester in Antwerp program and COB 300.   Please visit the Academic Services Center if you have further questions about admission into COB 300.

For more information on COB 300 as it is taught in Harrisonburg at James Madison University, please visit this page.

COB 301: European Business Environment

Catalog description:

This course is designed to complement the COB 300 A-D or European Marketing minor when taught as part of the semester in Antwerp, Belgium program. COB 301 will only be offered as part of the semester in Antwerp program. Students will study European Integration in the classroom and visit governmental institutions, historical places, and cultural events associated with the course content. Prerequisites: Requires acceptance to the semester in Antwerp program. Must be taken as a corequisite with COB 300 or courses for the European Marketing minor. Cannot be used as an elective to fulfill COB major or any other minor.

Prerequisites:

Completion of all required 100 and 200 B.B.A. core courses, demonstrated computer competencies, equivalent to CIS 104 requirements; junior standing (56 hours) and a cumulative 2.5 grade point average in all courses taken at JMU.  Students must also be formally accepted to the Semester in Antwerp program and must enroll concurrently in COB 300 in Antwerp.

COB 301 Course Overview

COB 301 will introduce students to the European business environment. It will examine the current state of business in Europe, and focus on governmental, business and cultural institutions that influence business practice in Europe. Students will also learn about the major forms of architecture and the major schools or art, as visits to cultural institutions such as museums are a major part of the program. Students will examine the policies, procedures, and institutions associated with European integration. In addition, it will help expose students to European history and culture as they visit businesses, governmental institutions, and cultural activities associated with European Integration. Since the course explicitly focuses on Europe, it will provide the European context for the European Business Concentration students can earn while participating in the Semester in Antwerp program.

Specific objectives of the course:

• Introduce students to the European business environment
• Introduce students to European art and architecture
• Introduce students to European Integration
• Introduce students to the historical reasons for a unified Europe
• Teach about the major institutions of the European Union, e.g., the European Commission, the European Parliament, and the Council of Europe, and their impact on conducting business in Europe
• Explore major European policy initiatives, e.g., common commerce policies or common external relations with the United States and Asia
• Learn about the distinctive cultural differences between Europe and the United States
• Visit governmental institutions, historical places, and cultural events associated with European Integration

Course Outline

• Overview of the current state of the European business environment
• History leading up to the development of an Integrated Europe
• Predecessors to the EU (e.g., EURATOM, EEC, EC, etc.)
• European Institutions
  • Council of Europe
  • European Commission
  • European Parliament
  • European Court of Justice
  • Other European Institutions
• European Economic and Monetary Union
  • The Euro
• Common European Policies
  • Common Commercial Policies
  • Common Agricultural Policy
  • Common Defense Policy
  • Common External Relations
• EU Expansion
• Current Relationships Between the U.S. and the EU
  • Current issues, such as banana trade, data privacy initiative
• European Culture
  • Integration Problems
  • Business Practices
• Guided Field Trips to Business, Governmental Institutions, and Cultural Sites
  • Belgium
    • Antwerp
      • Port of Antwerp
      • Antwerp Diamond District
    • Brussels
    • Ghent
    • Liege
    • Brugge
  • Luxembourg
  • Strasbourg and Paris, France
  • Amsterdam, Holland
  • London, England
  • Cologne, Germany
  • Businesses in and around Brussels, Paris, Amsterdam, and London
  • Cultural visits (e.g., museums, historical sites) in the above-mentioned cities and countries