COBA
Marketable Skills
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COBA Marketable Skills
The Marketable Skills for COBA are divided into the Core Skills that all students develop through the core courses. In addition, there are Discipline-Based Marketable Skills that are developed through courses taken in the major.
The Discipline-Based Skills are presented for each COBA major. For each Skill, the discipline-specific application and the general employment application is shown and the courses where you obtain that skill.
- Core Skills
- Finance
- Accounting
- CIS – Computer Information Systems
- Computer Science
- Management
- Human Resource Management
- Marketing
Core Skills
|
Core Skills |
BBA Specific Application |
Employment Application |
Supporting Courses |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Critical Thinking |
Assist business decision making using appropriate analyses on organizational data. |
Analyze and make strategic decisions using business data. |
BUSI 3311 Business Statistics, MGMT 3350 Management and Organizational Behavior |
|
Leadership and Teamwork |
Organize and work in teams to manage tasks, expectations and deliverables. |
Apply skills to manage business projects: recognize critical paths and assign appropriate resources. |
BUSI 3301: Business Communications, MGMT 3350: Management and Organizational Behavior |
|
Ethical Reasoning |
Ability to analyze and evaluate ethical situations in the workplace. |
Ethical failures hurt businesses and decrease shareholder value. Employers seek individuals who understand and act in ethical ways. |
BUSI 4301 Business Ethics and Corporate Social Responsibility |
|
Analytical Competence |
Ability to collect and analyze information, problem-solve, and make decisions. |
Understanding Management theories and methods of analytical analysis and using the various analytical tools to understand and evaluate data. |
FIN 3301 Financial Management 1, MKTG 3301 Marketing, ACCT 3301 Accounting & |
|
Written and oral Communication |
Ability to effectively communicate through writing and oral presentations. |
The ability to effectively communicate through emails, presentations and craft reports is critical in the workplace. |
BUSI 3301 Business Communications |
Accounting
|
Discipline-Based Skill: Accounting |
Discipline Specific Application |
Employment |
Supporting Courses |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Internal Decision Making |
Apply cost behavior concepts to determine product costs, prepare master budgets, and perform variance analysis. |
Manage organizational costs, prepare and use operational budgets, and provide data-driven insights for internal strategic decision-making. |
ACCT 3302: Cost Accounting |
|
External Corporate Reporting |
Apply US GAAP standards to record complex transactions and prepare classified Balance Sheets, Income Statements, and Cash Flow statements. |
Proficiency in preparing and analyzing external financial reports that strictly comply with federal standards for investors, lenders, and stakeholders. |
ACCT 3303: Intermediate Accounting I ACCT 3304: Intermediate Accounting II |
|
Government Reporting |
Apply fund accounting principles and modified accrual accounting to record transactions and report for state/local government entities. |
Specialize in governmental and nonprofit accounting, including how these entities differ from for-profit entities, their authoritative bodies, budgeting processes, fund types, and financial statement reporting processes. |
ACCT 3305: Governmental Accounting |
|
Internal Controls & Systems |
Analyze business processes to design internal controls, identify risks, and ensure the integrity of accounting information systems. |
Skill in designing and monitoring internal control systems to protect assets, prevent fraud, and ensure data integrity within an organization. |
ACCT 3310: Accounting Information Systems |
|
Tax Compliance |
Interpret the Internal Revenue Code to calculate gross income, apply deductions, and determine tax liability for individuals. |
Capability to apply federal tax regulations to ensure compliance and optimize tax positions for individual taxation. |
ACCT 4305: Federal Tax Accounting I |
|
Verification & Assurance |
Apply auditing standards to assess risk, test internal controls, gather evidence, and verify financial statement assertions. |
Expertise in verifying financial accuracy and providing independent assurance to external markets regarding organizational health and compliance. |
ACCT 4324: Auditing |
Finance
|
Discipline-Based Skill: Finance |
Discipline Specific Application |
Employment Application |
Supporting Courses |
|
Financial Management |
Apply time value of money, Net Present Value (NPV), and Cost of Capital models to value long-term projects and business enterprises. |
Determine the financial viability of business projects and value corporate assets to maximize shareholder wealth. |
FIN 3301: Financial Management I FIN 4300: Advanced Fin. Management FIN 4303: Case Studies in Finance |
|
Investment Decision Making |
Analyze expected returns, standard deviation, and covariance to value stocks and bonds and construct efficient investment portfolios. |
Valuing investment securities and portfolio risk mitigation. |
FIN 4304: Investments FIN 4311: FinTech |
|
Financial Intermediation |
Analyze the Federal Reserve System, yield curves, and monetary policy, and examine how financial institutions operate, channel capital, and manage key risks in financial markets. |
Ability to interpret interest-rate signals and compare financial institutions’ business models and products to support decision-ready recommendations. |
FIN 3302: Financial Institutions |
|
Global Financial Management |
Evaluate exchange rates, arbitrage strategies, interest-rate-parity and purchasing-power-parity conditions, and hedging techniques to value foreign currency-denominated assets in the global context. |
Ability to value international cash flows and manage foreign exchange risk for multinational operations. |
FIN 4301: International Financial Management |
|
Financial Statement Analysis |
Analyze financial statements utilizing both financial models and accounting rules and assess performance and risk of firms based on cash flow valuation models. |
Diagnose the comprehensive financial health of an organization to support informed decision-making for a range of market participants, including creditors, investors, managers, auditors, and regulators. |
FIN 4307: Analysis of Financial Statements |
|
Financial Innovation |
Examine how fintech innovations across payment systems, credit intermediation, wealth management, blockchain-based finance, and compliance technology reshape financial services infrastructure, business models, and consumer adoption. |
Capability to assess fintech products and business models, identify technology and compliance risks, and communicate recommendations for digital financial solutions. |
FIN 4311: FinTech |
CIS – Computer Information Systems
|
Discipline-Based Skill: CIS |
Discipline Specific Application |
Employment Application |
Supporting Courses |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Critical Thinking and Problem Solving |
Analyze business requirements and design and build appropriate technology solutions |
Assist organizations to make business decisions and solve organization problems |
CIS 4301: Database Theory and Practices |
|
Programming Language |
Develop frontend and backend systems to deliver real-world business solutions |
Demonstrate skills in C++/Java/Python languages appropriate to business problems |
CIS 3330: C++ Programming CIS 3331: Visual Basic Programming CIS 3303: Programming Logic and Design CIS 3332: Java Programming |
|
Quantitative Analysis |
Analyze business data using various quantitative tools and make strategic decisions |
Understanding statistical theories and methods of analytical analysis and using various analytical tools to understand and evaluate data. |
BUSI 3311: Business Statistics CIS 3302: Introduction to Business Analytics CIS 4350: Management Information Systems |
|
Cybersecurity and Risk Management |
Apply critical security principles and best practices to safeguard organizational assets. |
Implement security techniques in protecting the organizational information assets, including business continuity and disaster recovery planning |
CIS 4341: Information Technology Security and Risk Management |
|
Data Communications and Computer Networking |
Design and setup corporate networks, including use of tools such as Wireshark and Packet Tracer |
Learn the details of various networking protocols and analyze and design computer network applications. |
CIS 3347: Data Communications and Infrastructure |
Computer Science
|
Discipline-Based Skill: Computer Science |
Discipline Specific Application |
Employment Application |
Supporting Courses |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Critical Thinking and Problem Solving |
Analyze client requirements and design and build appropriate technology solutions |
Assist organizations to make optimize decisions and solve organization problems |
COSC 4301: Database Theory and Practices |
|
Critical Thinking and Problem Solving |
Analyze client requirements and design and build appropriate technology solutions |
Assist organizations to make optimize decisions and solve organization problems |
CIS 3330: C++ Programming CIS 3332: Java Programming CIS 3340: Advanced C++ programming CIS 3342: Advanced Java programming CIS 3343: C# Programming for Windows and the Web |
|
Programming Language |
Develop frontend and backend systems to deliver real-world business solutions |
Demonstrate skills in C++/Java/C# languages appropriate to business problems |
COSC 3351: Data Structures COSC 4340: Analysis of Algorithms |
|
Data Structure and Algorithmic Design |
Stack, Queue, Tree, linked list, heap, algorithm analysis, Big-O notation, Dynamic Programming, Divide and Conquer, P-NP |
Apply various data structures to develop efficient algorithms and analyze their best case, average case and worst case performances |
COSC 3343: Computer Architecture |
|
Computer Architecture |
Write Assembly languages and apply logic gates, Boolean algebra for computer hardware design |
Analyze different techniques for hardware design and optimization process |
COSC 3343: Computer Architecture |
|
Data Communications and Computer Networking |
Design and setup corporate networks, including use of tools such as Wireshark and Packet Tracer |
Learn the details of various networking protocols and analyze and design computer network applications. |
CIS 3347, COSC 4378 |
|
Database Design and Development |
Relational model, E-R diagram, SQL, Data Storage, Normalization |
Learn various database schemas and operations to store and retrieve business data efficiently |
COSC 4301: Database Theory and Practices |
|
Written and oral Communication |
Ability to effectively communicate through writing and oral presentations. |
The ability to effectively communicate through emails, presentations, and craft reports is critical in the workplace. |
CIS 3347: Data Communications and Infrastructure COSC 4379: Software Engineering for E-Business |
|
Teamwork |
Organize teams, manage tasks, expectations, and deliverables |
Apply skills to manage business projects: recognize critical paths and assign appropriate resources. |
COSC 4341: Information Technology Security and Risk Management COSC 4379: Software Engineering for E-Business |
Information Technology
|
Discipline-Based Skill: Information Technology |
Discipline Specific Application |
Employment Application |
Supporting Courses |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Critical Thinking and Problem Solving |
Analyze business requirements and design and build appropriate technology solutions |
Assist organizations to make business decisions and solve organization problems |
CIS 4301: Database Theory and Practices |
|
Programming Language |
Develop frontend and backend systems to deliver real-world business solutions |
Demonstrate skills in C++/Java/Python languages appropriate to business problems |
CIS 3330: C++ Programming |
|
Teamwork |
Organize teams, manage tasks, expectations, and deliverables |
Apply skills to manage business projects: recognize critical paths and assign appropriate resources. |
CIS 3303: Programming Logic and Design CIS 3365: System Analysis and Design CIS 4341: Information Technology Security and Risk Management |
|
Ethical Reasoning |
Ability to analyze and evaluate ethical situations in the business environment. |
As Ethical failures hurt businesses and decrease shareholder value, employers seek individuals who understand and act in ethical ways. |
CIS 3360: Ethics in Computing CIS 4360: Strategic Information Systems |
|
Written and oral Communication |
The ability to effectively communicate through emails, presentations, and craft reports is critical in the workplace. |
Ability to effectively communicate through writing and oral presentations. |
CIS 3347: Data Communications and Infrastructure CIS 3360: Ethics in Computing CIS 4360: Strategic Information Systems |
|
Quantitative Analysis |
Understanding statistical theories and methods of analytical analysis and using various analytical tools to understand and evaluate data. |
Analyze business data using various quantitative tools and make strategic decisions |
BUSI 3311: Business Statistics CIS 4350: Management Information Systems |
|
Cybersecurity and Risk Management |
Apply critical security principles and best practices to safeguard organizational assets. |
Implement security techniques in protecting the organizational information assets, including business continuity and disaster recovery planning |
CIS 4341: Information Technology Security and Risk Management |
|
Data Communications and Computer Networking |
Design and setup corporate networks, including use of tools such as Wireshark and Packet Tracer |
Learn the details of various networking protocols and analyze and design computer network applications. |
CIS 3347: Data Communications and Infrastructure |
Management
|
Discipline-Based Skill: Management |
Discipline-Specific Application |
Employment Application |
Supporting Courses |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Organizational Leadership and Decision-Making |
Apply management principles (planning, organizing, leading, controlling) and organizational behavior concepts to analyze situations and make informed decisions |
Lead teams, manage workflows, and make effective decisions in dynamic organizational environments |
MGMT 3350: Management and Organizational Behavior, MGMT 4325: Leadership and Theory Practice |
|
Human Resource and Organizational Systems Management |
Integrate human resource practices with organizational structure, culture, and strategy to support workforce effectiveness |
Support hiring, employee management, and organizational alignment initiatives within business units |
MGMT 3302: Personnel and Human Resource Management, MGMT 3350: Management and Organizational |
|
Operations and Process Management |
Analyze and improve operational systems using forecasting, process design, capacity planning, quality management, and efficiency techniques |
Optimize business processes, improve service delivery, and manage production or service operations |
MGMT 4321: Production and Operations Management |
|
Project Planning and Execution |
Apply project management tools and techniques, including scheduling, resource allocation, risk management, and performance tracking across the project lifecycle |
Plan, coordinate, and execute projects to meet organizational goals within scope, time, and budget constraints |
MGMT 4370: Intro to Project Management |
|
Interpersonal Communication and Relationship Management |
Apply principles of communication, negotiation, conflict management, and collaboration to manage professional relationships and group dynamics |
Facilitate teamwork, resolve conflicts, and negotiate effectively in workplace settings |
MGMT 4302: Interpersonal Skills or MGMT 4320: Negotiation and Persuasion |
|
Strategic and Situational Leadership |
Evaluate leadership approaches and adapt leadership behaviors to different organizational contexts, teams, and challenges |
Guide teams through change, motivate employees, and respond effectively to organizational challenges |
MGMT 4325: Leadership and Theory Practice, MGMT 3350: Management and Organizational |
Human Resource Management
|
Discipline-Based Skill: Human Resource Management |
Discipline-Specific Application |
Employment Application |
Supporting Courses |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Talent Acquisition and Workforce Planning |
Design and implement recruitment, selection, and workforce planning processes using job analysis, assessment tools, and selection strategies |
Identify, evaluate, and hire qualified candidates to meet organizational staffing needs |
MGMT 3302: Personnel and Human Resource Management, MGMT 4304: Recruitment and Selection of Human Resources |
|
Compensation and Benefits Strategy |
Analyze and design compensation systems considering internal fairness, external competitiveness, and legal constraints |
Develop pay structures and benefits packages that attract, motivate, and retain employees |
MGMT 4303: Managing Compensation |
|
Employee Training and Development |
Assess training needs, design development programs, and evaluate learning effectiveness using instructional and organizational frameworks |
Plan and deliver employee training programs that improve performance and support organizational goals |
MGMT 4305: Human Resource Development |
|
Employment Law and Regulatory Compliance |
Interpret and apply employment laws and regulations across the employee lifecycle, including hiring, evaluation, and termination |
Ensure organizational policies and practices comply with legal standards and reduce risk |
BUSI 4334: Employment Law |
|
Employee and Labor Relations |
Analyze labor relations environments, including collective bargaining, union dynamics, and conflict resolution processes |
Manage workplace relationships, address disputes, and support effective communication between employees and management |
MGMT 4306: Employer and Labor Relations |
|
Strategic Human Resource Management |
Integrate HR functions with organizational strategy, including policy development and alignment of human capital with business objectives |
Support organizational effectiveness by aligning HR practices with strategic goals |
MGMT 3302: Personnel and Human Resource Management, MGMT 4305: Human Resource Development |
Marketing
|
Discipline-Based Skill: Marketing |
Discipline-Specific Application |
Employment Application |
Supporting Courses |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Market Analysis and Consumer Insight |
Analyze consumer behavior, market trends, and customer segments using qualitative and quantitative research techniques |
Identify target markets and inform business decisions based on customer needs and preferences |
MKTG 3316: Consumer Behavior, MKTG 3320: Marketing Research |
|
Marketing Research and Data-Driven Decision Making |
Design and conduct marketing research, including data collection, analysis, and interpretation to address marketing problems |
Support strategic and tactical decisions using data insights related to customers, competitors, and markets |
MKTG 3320: Marketing Research |
|
Integrated Marketing Communications and Promotion |
Develop coordinated promotional strategies that communicate product value and influence customer behavior across multiple channels |
Create and implement marketing campaigns that increase awareness, engagement, and sales |
MKTG 3318: Promotional Strategy |
|
Digital Marketing and Customer Engagement |
Apply digital marketing tools and strategies, including search engine optimization, online advertising, and website development |
Manage digital campaigns and convert online engagement into measurable business outcomes |
MKTG 4305: Digital and Internet Marketing |
|
Services and Customer Experience Management |
Analyze service environments and design strategies to enhance customer satisfaction and service quality |
Improve customer experiences and manage service delivery in service-based industries |
MKTG 4302: Services Marketing |
|
Strategic Marketing Planning and Execution |
Formulate and implement marketing strategies that align with organizational goals and create sustainable competitive advantage |
Develop and execute marketing plans to position products and organizations effectively in competitive markets |
MKTG 4316: Marketing Strategy, MKTG 3301: Marketing |