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Junior Honors Seminar (CBA 397)

Course Content and Format: In addition to the introductory notes that apply to all of the Honors Seminars, this course resembles an advanced course in "Research Methods" covering basic topics such as

  1. what is research,
  2. literature reviews and secondary data,
  3. research design,
  4. qualitative and quantitative research,
  5. hypotheses, independent and dependent variables,
  6. ethical issues, etc.

This seminar is designed as a non-disciplinary course: i.e., one that is not tied to one area, but one which has broad application/appeal across all business functions. A major component of the seminar is visits by faculty and business professionals. Time is devoted to teaming up students with sponsoring (mentoring) faculty, based on common interests and objectives. Once such partnerships are secured, students begin work on their Honors Thesis. At the end of this semester, each student must submit a preliminary proposal for their Honors Theses for approval by the Program Director.

Required Textbooks/Course Materials: [Note: These may change so please check for updates.]

  • David, Matthew and Carole D. Sutton (2004), Social Science Research: The Basics, Sage Publications.
  • Harris, Robert A. (2002), Creative Problem Solving, Pryczak Publishing.
  • Patten, Mildred L. (2009), Understanding Research Methods, 7th edition, Pyrczak Publishing.
  • Trochim, William M. K. and James P. Donnelly (2006), The Research Methods Knowledge Base, 3rd Edition, Atomic Dog Publishing.

Additional/Supplemental Required Readings: Reading lists are distributed prior to each visit by a faculty/business professional (i.e., they relate to the content to be presented by the visiting scholar or business executive). Students are expected to read such materials prior to class in order that they may make a valuable contribution to class discussion.

Optional/Supplemental Materials: Students, especially those interested in the 'thesis track' of the CBAHP, may also refer to:

  • Galvan, Jose L. (2004), Writing Literature Reviews, 2nd edition, Pryczak Publishing.
  • Holcomb, Zealure C. (2004), Interpreting Basic Statistics, 4th edition, Pyrczak Publishing.
  • Pyrczak, Fred and Randall R. Bruce (2007), Writing Empirical Research Reports, 6th edition, Pryczak Publishing.
  • Salkind, Neil J. (2007), Statistics for People Who (Think They) Hate Statistics, 3rd edition, Sage Publications (ISBN # 9781412951500). [Recommended for those with weak statistical skills.].

Course Requirements/Assignments: By the end of this semester, each student must submit a preliminary proposal for their Honors Theses for approval by the Director of the CBA Honors Program. Additional written assignments require personal insight, creative problem-solving, strategic planning, and team/leadership skills. These endeavors vary in format (depending on student and participating expert interests): e.g., case studies, interpretation of empirical research, critical reviews of research and/or business strategies. Class participation is required and is considered when assigning final course grades.

NOTE: A complete course syllabus is provided by the assigned instructor and thus, may change from year to year. The above is meant to provide general insight about CBA 397.