Courses

Business Law & Ethics

Some of the courses listed are offered infrequently. Students are advised to check with the schedule of classes published by the Registrar or the corresponding academic department for availability.

  • BUS–L 100 Personal Law (3 cr.) Examines effects of law on persons' everyday lives. Areas studied may include such topics as family law; criminal offenses and traffic violations; personal injury and property damage claims; employee rights; landlord-tenant law; consumer rights; debt collection; selected real and personal property issues; wills and estates; selected contract law issues; and forms of business organization (partnership, proprietoryship, and corporation).
  • BUS–L 155 Topics in Business Law & Ethics (1 – 5 cr.) Variable topic, variable credit course in Business Law and Ethics.
  • BUS–L 201 Legal Environment of Business (3 cr.) P: Must have Sophomore class standing or higher. Emphasis on nature of law through examining a few areas of general interest: for example, duty to avoid harming others (torts), duty to keep promises (contracts), and government regulation of business. Credit not given for both BUS-L 201 and BUS-L 293.
  • BUS–L 255 Topics in Business Law & Ethics (1 – 5 cr.) Variable topic, variable credit course in Business Law and Ethics.
  • BUS-L 271 Global Business Analysis (1.5 cr) P: BUS-D 270 with a grade of C or better. L271 extends the knowledge gained in D270, Global Business Environment. This class concentrates directly on the management of multinational firms. Students are placed in the role of the decision-makers responsible for solving the myriad of practical problems resulting from a globalized and highly interconnected business environment.
  • BUS-L 272 Global Business Immersion (3 cr) P: BUS-D 270 with a grade of C or higher. The Global Business Immersion course includes international travel. It extends the knowledge gained in Global Business Environment, D270 and concentrates directly on the management of multinational firms. An application is required to be a part of this course. See more information about Global Business Immersion
  • BUS–L 293 Honors Legal Environment of Business (3 cr.) P: Sophomore standing and must be a Business Honors Program student or Hutton Honors College student. For School of Business Honors Program students. Subject matter parallels BUS-L 201. Credit not given for both BUS-L 293 and BUS-L 201.
  • BUS-L 302 Sustainability Law & Policy (3 cr.) P: Must have Sophomore class standing or higher. The primary aim of the course is to provide students with a basic working knowledge of sustainability generally and environmental law and policy in particular, focusing on the United States but put in a global perspective. The course is designed to give students a deeper sense of the important relationship between law, ethics, business, and the natural environment and to encourage them to think critically about how best to manage these relationships. Core course content includes U.S. statutes, regulations, and international treaties dealing with managing waste, air and water pollution, public lands, and global environmental resources. Alternative ways of addressing environmental problems, such as market-based incentives, information disclosure requirements, and voluntary programs will also be considered.
  • BUS-L 304  Critical Thinking, Decision Making, and Advocacy (1.5) P: Must be admitted Kelley School of Business Student. This course will improve students' ability to understand and evaluate their own and others' reasoning, which will develop their capacity to construct, advocate, and defend strong arguments in the business context. 
  • BUS-L 305: Business Planning and Corporate Law (1.5 cr.) P: BUS-L 201 or BUS-L 293 with a grade of C or higher. This course examines the law governing business organizations--partnerships, corporations, limited liability companies, and others--and the social policy underlying the law. The primary focus is on corporations, including such topics as fundamental corporate transactions and the role, rights, powers and duties of the various corporate actors.
  • BUS-L 310 Law of Personal Financial Planning (3 cr.) P: BUS-L 201 or BUS-L 293 with a grade of C or higher. The study of the law related to financial planning, including the rights and duties of owners of personal property and the rights and duties of debtors and creditors affecting the decisions of business managers, accounting professionals, financial and investment executives, and financial planning advisors.
  • BUS–L 311 Law for Entrepreneurs (3 cr.) P: Sophomore standing. Focuses on legal issues affecting new and growing businesses. Topics include choosing a legal form for the business; financing-related legal issues; avoiding employment-related liability; contracts and sales; marketing and intellectual property laws; and legal issues concerning business sales: mergers, acquisitions, and liquidations.
  • BUS–L 313 Cultural Norms & Peace Building through Business (3 cr.) P: Sophomore standing and must be Business Honors or Hutton Honors College student. This is an undergraduate, honors-level business course covering issues of ethics, international cultural norms, and businesses' role in building peace and stability. Emphasizes the role of "cultural artifacts" (music, sports, film, spirituality) as tools for workplace decisions and for common ground within the workplace and as business interfaces with society.
  • BUS-L 314 International Business Law (3 cr.) P: BUS-L 201 or BUS-L 293 with a grade of C or higher. The law and practice of international trade, licensing, and investment. Subjects include the legal risks of international business, international public law, international organizations, and private dispute settlement procedures, the risks associated with importing and exporting, foreign licensing and franchising, and foreign investment.
  • BUS–L 315 The Business and Law of Entertainment and Sports (3 cr.) P: BUS-L 201 or BUS-L 293 with a grade of C or higher. This course introduces undergraduate students to the business problems and legal issues facing executives in the sports and sports-related industries. The course focuses not only on the management of sports teams, leagues, associations, accrediting bodies, and players' unions, but also more importantly on the special problems faced by businesses engaged in activities collateral to sports, such as licensed apparel manufacturers, television broadcasters and sponsors of sporting events. The subject matter includes contracts, torts, (including product liability), intellectual property (especially copyrights and trademarks), telecommunications regulation.
  • BUS-L 318 Business and Poverty Alleviation (3 cr.) P: Sophomore standing. Addresses potential for business to create poverty solutions by accessing the market of the world's poorest five billion (i.e., developing products and services that are high-volume, low-margin profitable, and engage the poor as consumers and producers) and investigates causes of poverty, including influence of corporations in perpetuating root causes.
  • BUS–L 355 Topics in Business Law & Ethics (1 – 5 cr.) Variable topic, variable credit course in Business Law and Ethics.
  • BUS-L 356 Intellectual Property Law & Strategy in a Global Environment (3 cr.) P: BUS-L 201 or BUS-L 293 with a grade of C or higher. The course introduces students to the concept of intellectual property (trade secrets, patents, copyrights, trademarks), which accounts for more than two-thirds of the value of large U.S. businesses. It explores the basic framework of legal protection for intellectual property under U.S. and international law, as well as free competition and free speech doctrines that limit the protection of intellectual property and define the boundary between "fair" and "unfair" competition.
  • BUS-L 360  Topics in Business Ethics (1.5 cr.)  P: BUS-L 375 or BUS-L 376. This course provides an in-depth exploration of a particular dimension or issue in business ethics. Focus of the course will vary from semester to semester.
  • BUS–L 375 Business Ethics & Equity in Diverse Organizations (3 cr.) P: Must be a Business student with a class standing of Junior or higher and (BUS-L 201 or BUS-L 293) with a grade of C or higher. This course will enhance students' ability to perceive ethical concerns inherent in business decisions and make reasoned judgments about them using basic tools of ethical reasoning. Students will have the opportunity to practice and reflect upon responses to ethical dilemmas particularly in diverse, inclusive, and equitable business relationships and organizations. Credit not given for both BUS-L 375 and BUS-L 376.
  • BUS–L 376 Business Ethics & Equity in Diverse Organizations: Honors (3 cr.) P: BUS-L 201 or BUS-L 293 with a grade of C or better, and must have a class standing of Junior or higher, and must be a Business Honors or Hutton Honors College student in the Kelley School of Business. This course will enhance students' ability to perceive ethical concerns inherent in business decisions and make reasoned judgments about them using basic tools of ethical reasoning. Students will have the opportunity to practice and reflect upon responses to ethical dilemmas particularly in diverse, inclusive, and equitable business relationships and organizations. Credit not given for both BUS-L 376 and BUS-L 375.
  • BUS–L 390 Law, Ethics, & Decision-Making Topics Abroad (1 – 5 cr.) Variable topic, variable credit Law, Ethics, & Decision-Making (LEAD) elective course completed on a Kelley School of Business approved study abroad program. Approved courses earn direct IU credit.
  • BUS–L 406 Law & Ethics at Work (3 cr.) P: BUS-L 201 or BUS-L 293 with a grade of C or higher. This course teaches students about important legal concepts surrounding work. It will explore best legal practices in areas that affect managers and workers, including the ethical dimensions of workplace trends. Finally, it will explore worker rights and responsibilities, such as non-disclosure, non-disparagement, non-compete and arbitration agreements.
  • BUS–L 408 Real Estate Law (3 cr.) P: BUS-L 201 or BUS-L 293 with a grade of C or higher. Legal aspects of ownership, transfer, leasing, and financing of real property. Major legal issues of land-use control.
  • BUS-L 413 Applied Dispute Resolution (1.5 cr.) P: (BUS-L 304 or BUS-L 305) and Junior standing or higher. This Law, Ethics & Decision Making capstone course builds upon the argumentation and persuasion skills and the legal and ethical frameworks gained in previous coursework. Through a series of applied exercises, it develops and hones students' skills in legal research, negotiation, written and oral advocacy, and dispute resolution.
  • BUS–L 455 Topics in Business Law & Ethics (1 – 5 cr.) Variable topic, variable credit course in Business Law and Ethics.
  • BUS–L 490 Independent Study in Business Law & Ethics (1 – 5 cr.) Supervised individual study and research in student's special field of interest. The student will propose the investigation desired and, in conjunction with the instructor, develop the scope of work to be completed. Written report required.

Academic Bulletins

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