Business Foundations

The two-week Business Foundations course is designed to provide you with exposure to some areas of what we call “business.” We start by discussing (and practicing) foundational concepts – in areas such as finance, accounting, and spreadsheet modeling.

From there, we embark on a public company valuation project while, in parallel, discussing and applying ideas, frameworks, and methodologies from areas such as economics, marketing, strategy, and (more) finance and accounting.

Through the valuation project, we will explore how companies think about clients and customers, how they make money and finance themselves, how they think about competition, innovation, and new projects, and how those decisions affect their value. In addition, we will examine some best practices about corporate and personal communication. The project will culminate with a presentation of project findings and analyses. Finally, we will seek to explore how some of the concepts covered can be applied to our daily lives and decision-making.

Learning Outcomes: 

Upon completing this course, you students will be able to:

1. Have a solid grasp of concepts in areas such as accounting, finance, economics, and strategy.
2. Be conversant in the ways businesses evaluate and make decisions about undertaking new projects – and how to finance them.
3. Understand the effects of compounding, (financial) leverage, and risk on expected returns.
4. Apply financial analysis methodologies on issues of personal finance.
5. Discuss where business ideas come from, and the differences between breakthrough and disruptive innovation.
6. Have experience practicing teamwork and collaboration on a real-life problem.
7. Feel more confident about creating and delivering persuasive presentations.
8. Have a view of potential career areas in business.

Information is subject to change as instructors finalize course content and syllabi.