Ethics and Business Law (BLAW)
Opus College of Business
Department of Ethics and Business Law
Marsnik (chair), Garrison, Kunkel, Marsnik, Michaelson, Monge, Nagpal, Schlag, Skirry, Supina, Swink, Thompson
Ethics and law play an increasingly prominent role in the workplace and in the global marketplace. Legal rules and regulations have proliferated at all levels of the organization, and successful managers must understand how to integrate legal considerations into their business planning and operations. Business leaders also need to be able to recognize the ethical dimensions of decisions and choose well in difficult situations. Our ethics and business law courses acquaint students with the tools of ethical decision-making and with the foundations of the legal environment of business, both domestic and international to enhance ethical thinking and problem solving.
The Department of Ethics and Business Law offers a law and compliance conentration for undergraduate business majors. Students in this concentration explore the legal system and the ways in which legal rules and processes affect business decisions. Students also engage in legal reasoning, advocacy and the legal analysis of commercial transactions.
The concentration is structured to ensure that students receive both a solid grounding needed for the B.A. in business administration and an additional focus on the legal environment for business.
Law and Compliance
Business Core Courses:
-
BUSN 100: Business for the Common Good (2 credits)
- ENTR 100: Introduction to Entrepreneurship & Innovation (2 credits)
- ACCT 100: Principles of Accounting I (4 credits)
- BUSN 200: Business Learning Through Service (0 credit)
- ACCT 200: Principles of Accounting II (2 credits)
- OPMT 200: Operations & Supply Chain Management (2 credits)
- FINC 310: Core Financial Management (2 credits)
- MKTG 200: Introduction to Marketing (2 credits)
- MGMT 200: Working Skillfully in Organizations (2 credits)
- BLAW 300: Law for Business Leaders I (2 credits)
- BETH 300: Ethical Principles in Business (2 credits)
Note: The required core business courses (BUSN 100, ENTR 100, ACCT 100, ACCT 200, BUSN 200, FINC 310, OPMT 200, MKTG 200, MGMT 200, BETH 300, BLAW 300) must be completed by the end of the sophomore year. Transfer students who have not had an equivalent course must complete these courses by the end of their first semester, junior year.
Elective Courses in Business Core:
-
Ten credits from undergraduate courses with designations ACCT / BETH / BLAW / BUAN / BUID / ENTR / FINC / IBUS / MGMT / MKTG / OPMT / REAL. These credits may not fulfill any required concentration credits unless you have more than one business concentration. These credits may be taken in courses within the department of the student’s business concentration. Transfer credits with these designations must be at the 300 level or above.
Concentration Course:
- BETH 320 Role of Business in Society (4 credits)
- BLAW 320 Compliance in Business Organizations (4 credits)
- BLAW 401 Legal Research, Advocacy, and Dispute Resolution (4 credits)
- BUSN 202 Microsoft Excel Applications for Business (0 credits)
or CISC 200 Introduction to Computer Technology & Business Applications (4 credits)
Plus twelve credits from the following:
- BETH 330 Leading with Meaning (2 credits)
- BETH 390 Tech, Society & Human Person (4 credits)
- BLAW 304 Real Estate Law (4 credits)
- BLAW 310 Law for Business Leaders II (2 credits)
- BLAW 311 Advanced Business Law for Accounting (2 credits)
- BLAW 313 Essentials of Intellectual Property Law (2 credits)
- BLAW 314 Employment Law (2 credits)
- BLAW 315 Law and Ethics of Data (2 credits)
- BLAW 321 Law for Entrepreneurs and Innovators (4 credits)
- BLAW 322 Law for International Business (4 credits)
- BLAW 323 Health Care Law and Ethics (4 credits)
- BLAW 351 Environmental Law (4 credits)
- BLAW 352 Gender Issues and the Law (4 credits)
Allied requirements:
- ECON 251 Principles of Macroeconomics (4 credits)
- ECON 252 Principles of Microeconomics (4 credits)
- STAT 220 Statistics I (4 credits)
Note: STAT 220 should be completed by the end of the sophomore year. Transfer students who have not had an equivalent course must complete this course by the end of their first semester, junior year.
Plus four credits from the following:
- MATH 101 Finite Mathematics (4 credits)
- MATH 109 Calculus with Review II (4 credits)
- MATH 111 Calculus for Business and Social Science (4 credits)
- MATH 113 Calculus I (4 credits)
Note: The math requirement must be completed by the end of the sophomore year.
Plus four credits from the following:
- COMM 100 Public Speaking (4 credits)
- COMM 105 Communication in the Workplace (4 credits)
- COMM 370 Intercultural Communication (4 credits)
- ENGL 211 or above (4 credits)
Business Ethics Undergraduate Courses
| Course Number | Title | Credits | |
|---|---|---|---|
| BETH 243 | Individual Study | 2 OR 4 | |
| Description of course Individual Study : | No description is available. | ||
| BETH 269 | Research | 2 OR 4 | |
| Description of course Research : | No description is available. | ||
| BETH 295 | Topics | 2 | |
| Description of course Topics : | The subject matter of these courses will vary from year to year, but will not duplicate existing courses. Descriptions of these courses are available in the Searchable Class Schedule on Murphy Online, View Searchable Class Schedule | ||
| BETH 296 | Topics | 2 | |
| Description of course Topics : | The subject matter of these courses will vary from year to year, but will not duplicate existing courses. Descriptions of these courses are available in the Searchable Class Schedule on Murphy Online, View Searchable Class Schedule | ||
| BETH 300 | Ethical Principles in Business | 2 | |
| Description of course Ethical Principles in Business : | This course plays a critical role in the principle-based education of St. Thomas business students. Through analysis of case studies, readings and other experiential exercises, students will develop an understanding of the contribution of business to the common good, professional business conduct and judgment grounded in ethical principles. Prerequisites: BUSN 100 and Sophomore standing. Note: Students who receive credit for BETH 300 may not receive credit for BETH 301. | ||
| BETH 315 | Law & Ethics of Data | 2 | |
| Description of course Law & Ethics of Data : | As businesses seek to capitalize on the value of consumers' and employees' personal data, the risk increases that such data could be exploited from loss or misuse. Are there any constraints on the use of this data by businesses? This course will apply legal and ethical lenses to collecting, using, retaining and securing personal data. The course also examines liability for information security risks. The course seeks to develop multi-disciplinary awareness and analytical thinking, while grappling with technological, strategic, managerial and ethical issues related to data, privacy and information security. Prerequisites: BETH 300 and BLAW 300, or permission of the instructor. | ||
| BETH 320 | The Role of Business in Soc | 4 | |
| Description of course The Role of Business in Soc : | This course helps business students examine the role of business in society. Modern society is dependent upon private enterprise to supply the world’s demand, but industrialization and other technological advancements have contributed to a risky global landscape. The four modules of the course – Markets, Organizations, Communities, and the World – explore, respectively, the intersection of that risk landscape with the free market, ethical leadership in organizations, business organizations in communities, and sustainable capitalism in the world. This course expands on the individual contributions to ethical business practices by exploring the role of organizational managers and stakeholders addressing business in society challenges. The course will integrate additional content from literature and the arts as part of the learning process.Prerequisites: BETH 300 or BETH 301, and BLAW 300, 301, 302 or 303 and Sophomore standing | ||
| BETH 330 | Leading with Meaning | 2 | |
| Description of course Leading with Meaning : | College is often a time for students to both learn skills to earn a livelihood and ask big questions about one’s purposeful vocation in life. This seminar will explore alignment and conflict between these two important goals. On one hand, participants will examine personal fit within a market economy. On the other hand, they will examine the work they may feel called by their heart, faith, and/or society to do. In doing so, participants will read about, watch, and meet professionals who are grappling with similar tensions between money, which they need to live, and meaning, which they need to flourish. The seminar provides students with the opportunity to examine “common good” endeavors in the for-profit and/or non-profit sectors. In the process, students will inquire about the possibility of developing themselves as principled leaders and finding meaningful work that also sustains them, their families, and the common good. While much of the course content involves philosophical reflection, much of the course outcomes are practically oriented toward personal and professional development. Prerequisites: Junior standing. | ||
| BETH 340 | Integrative Aprch to Bus Prob | 2 | |
| Description of course Integrative Aprch to Bus Prob : | In this experiential course, students will develop their critical thinking, research, collaboration, and communication skills by identifying and solving a current business problem. This class challenges students by presenting a current business problem from any area of business. Students conduct interdisciplinary research, analyze the legal, business, and ethical dimensions of the problem, and propose a solution that best incorporates and satisfies all three perspectives. Prerequisites: BLAW 300 (may be taken concurrently) and BETH 300 | ||
| BETH 389 | Research | 2 OR 4 | |
| Description of course Research : | No description is available. | ||
| BETH 390 | Tech, Society & Human Person | 4 | |
| Description of course Tech, Society & Human Person : | This course explores whether or not traditional concepts associated with the human person, business, and law are capable of addressing changes introduced by technology and its rapid evolution. In particular, students will be asked to consider whether concepts associated with property, privacy, rights, justice, and the good can accommodate technological innovations such as automation, decision-making by algorithms, big data, and the "de-skilling" of work. What might this mean for "meaningful work" in the future? What might it mean for education and culture? Will technology create an electronic Panopticon, substituting a world governed by big data and a lack of privacy for Weber’s “iron cage?" In the process, students should ask whether or not technological innovation is outpacing the ability of traditional concepts in business, the law, and philosophy to properly address deeper questions associated with promoting the human good. | ||
| BETH 393 | Individual Study | 2 OR 4 | |
| Description of course Individual Study : | No description is available. | ||
| BETH 476 | Experiential Learning | 1 TO 4 | |
| Description of course Experiential Learning : | No description is available. | ||
| BETH 488 | Topics | 2 | |
| Description of course Topics : | The subject matter of these courses will vary from year to year, but will not duplicate existing courses. Descriptions of these courses are available in the Searchable Class Schedule on Murphy Online, View Searchable Class Schedule | ||
Business Law Undergraduate Courses
| Course Number | Title | Credits | |
|---|---|---|---|
| BLAW 243 | Individual Study | 2 OR 4 | |
| Description of course Individual Study : | No description is available. | ||
| BLAW 269 | Research | 2 OR 4 | |
| Description of course Research : | No description is available. | ||
| BLAW 295 | Topics | 2 | |
| Description of course Topics : | The subject matter of these courses will vary from year to year, but will not duplicate existing courses. Descriptions of these courses are available in the Searchable Class Schedule on Murphy Online, View Searchable Class Schedule | ||
| BLAW 296 | Topics | 2 | |
| Description of course Topics : | The subject matter of these courses will vary from year to year, but will not duplicate existing courses. Descriptions of these courses are available in the Searchable Class Schedule on Murphy Online, View Searchable Class Schedule | ||
| BLAW 300 | Law for Business Leaders I | 2 | |
| Description of course Law for Business Leaders I : | The course examines how the law impacts daily management decisions and business strategies and provide managers with tools to use principles of law to minimize risk, create value, attain core business objectives, and to resolve legal issues before they become problems. The course uses exercises, simulations and business cases designed to provide hands-on skill development and practical application of key legal concepts. It introduces students to essential areas of business law including contracts, intellectual property, employment law, and resolution of business disputes. Students then learn to apply business law skills to manage legal risks. Prerequisites: Sophomore standing Note: Students who receive credit for BLAW 300 may not receive credit for BLAW 301 or 302. | ||
| BLAW 304 | Real Estate Law | 1 TO 4 | |
| Description of course Real Estate Law : | Principles of law regarding real property with emphasis on contractual relationships, purchase and sales transactions; title and transfer of ownership, mortgages, zoning and land use, development, commercial and residential leasing, and professional liability. Prerequisites: Junior standing | ||
| BLAW 310 | Law for Business Leaders II | 2 | |
| Description of course Law for Business Leaders II : | Building on the foundation of BLAW 300, this course develops students’ legal analytical skills in the context of business leadership. Students will engage in skillful application of the law to commercial contexts in a variety of areas. These include contracts, sales of goods and the Uniform Commercial Code; risks arising from warranty and product liability; legal regulation of online environments through tort, intellectual property, and privacy laws. The focus of this course is to develop rigorous legal analytical skills essential to ensuring legal compliance in a business environment of complex laws and regulations. Prerequisites: BLAW 300 (may be taken concurrently). Note: Students who receive credit for BLAW 310 may not receive credit for BLAW 301, or 302. | ||
| BLAW 311 | Adv. Bus Law for Accounting | 2 | |
| Description of course Adv. Bus Law for Accounting : | This course extends the coverage of business law rules and principles of particular relevance to the accounting profession. Subjects include the Uniform Commercial Code, and the legal structure governing the formation and operation of business organizations. Prerequisites: BLAW 300 and Junior Standing | ||
| BLAW 313 | Essentials of IP Law | 2 | |
| Description of course Essentials of IP Law : | This course focuses on essential intellectual property law concepts and their importance in protecting creativity, innovation, and goodwill. This course explores and compares the nature of U.S. and international law, including trademark, patent, copyright and trade secrets and how businesses can strategically use those assets. This course is designed to provide business students interested in innovation, marketing, and communication with the skills necessary to identify, manage, and protect intellectual assets. Prerequisites: BLAW 300 (may be taken concurrently), or BLAW 301, 302, 303. Note: Students who receive credit for BLAW 313 may not receive credit for BLAW 354 | ||
| BLAW 314 | Employment Law | 2 | |
| Description of course Employment Law : | This course will examine in-depth employment law from the perspective of human resources and entrepreneurship. From the stages of hiring (employment at will, covenants not to compete, classification of workers and employment contracts – including handbooks) to interviewing, federal and state employment discrimination laws, sexual harassment in the era of #MeToo, on to FMLA, FLSA, speech in the workplace (including social media) and wrongful termination. Emerging employment law issues will also be included. The course provides hands-on skill development and practical application of key legal concepts.Prerequisites: BLAW 300, 301, 302 or 303. Note: Students who receive credit for BLAW 314 may not receive credit for BLAW 353 | ||
| BLAW 315 | Law & Ethics of Data | 2 | |
| Description of course Law & Ethics of Data : | As businesses seek to capitalize on the value of consumers' and employees' personal data, the risk increases that such data could be exploited from loss or misuse. Are there any constraints on the use of this data by businesses? This course will apply legal and ethical lenses to collecting, using, retaining and securing personal data. The course also examines liability for information security risks. The course seeks to develop multi-disciplinary awareness and analytical thinking, while grappling with technological, strategic, managerial and ethical issues related to data, privacy and information security. Prerequisites: BETH 300 and BLAW 300, or permission of the instructor. | ||
| BLAW 320 | Compliance in Business Orgs | 4 | |
| Description of course Compliance in Business Orgs : | This course will examine the compliance function from a legal, ethical, functional and organizational perspective. It will consider the compliance function in contemporary business settings and industries, such as finance, health care, insurance, and retail. Practices of key regulatory agencies such as the Federal Trade Commission, Securities and Exchange Commission will be discussed along with contemporary regulatory statutes such as the FTC Act, Dodd-Frank, Sarbanes-Oxley, etc. The course will also examine key compliance processes and the means to ensure that compliance efforts are effective. Topics include audits and other internal governance approaches for discovering compliance problems in a timely fashion; investigations; reporting; mitigation; regulatory responses; and remediation. Prerequisites: BLAW 300, 301, 302, 303 or 304 and BETH 300 or BETH 301 and 80 completed credits. | ||
| BLAW 321 | Law for ENTR and Innovators | 4 | |
| Description of course Law for ENTR and Innovators : | This course explores the law/s applicable to advertising, entrepreneurship, contracts, business organization and intellectual property. The focus of this class are the concrete steps involved in the formation, branding and operating of a Minnesota general partnership business entity as well as the design, creation, and implementation of both the business entity and the product such a business sells (goods, service, events). Prerequisites: BLAW 300, 301, 302, 303 or 304, and ENTR 100 (may be taken concurrently) or instructor permission. Note: Students who receive credit for BLAW 321 may not receive credit for BLAW 354 | ||
| BLAW 322 | Law for International Business | 4 | |
| Description of course Law for International Business : | This course examines the legal and regulatory environment associated with conducting business across national borders. The goal of this course is to provide a foundation and framework for understanding the national, multilateral and international legal issues confronted by the multinational enterprise (MNE). Legal topics will be explored in the context of their impact on managerial decision making and business strategy and include: international trade, mechanisms for effectively resolving international business disputes, legal issues impacting market entry and expansion strategies (trade, intellectual property licensing, and foreign direct investment), regulation of the market place, managing global supply chains, and compliance. Prerequisites: BLAW 300, 301, 302 or 304, or junior standing and instructor permission. Note: Students who receive credit for BLAW 322 may not receive credit for BLAW 303. | ||
| BLAW 323 | Health Care Law & Ethics | 4 | |
| Description of course Health Care Law & Ethics : | This course will examine the legal frameworks that provide regulatory, liability, and ethical foundations for the provision and delivery of health care. We will study contracts in health care, torts and medical malpractice, and institutional liability, along with topics such as privacy, intellectual property, anti-fraud programs, and bioethics. Prerequisites: Junior standing | ||
| BLAW 324 | Sports Law | 4 | |
| Description of course Sports Law : | This class introduces how legal principles apply to sports business and often the entertainment industry at various levels. Specifically, we will examine employment and labor law, antitrust issues, agency and contract relationships, intellectual property and licensing, facilities development and management, and emerging topics based on current events. Prerequisite: Junior Standing | ||
| BLAW 351 | Environmental Law | 4 | |
| Description of course Environmental Law : | Environmental law will survey relevant federal and state statutes and case law to examine how well they serve to maintain and improve the quality of the air, water, soil and life, and strike an appropriate balance between the present consumption of resources and their maintenance for future generations. The course also will explore emerging environmental trends and the formulation of environmental policy. Prerequisite: Junior standing | ||
| BLAW 352 | Gender Issues and the Law | 4 | |
| Description of course Gender Issues and the Law : | This course explores the principle that men and women stand as equals before the law. It examines the ways in which courts and legislatures have interpreted the principle of equal opportunity to resolve gender issues in the workplace, as well as in other aspects of society that affect access to the workplace, including education, marriage, and the family. It also provides an historical overview of the law of equal opportunity and will touch upon modern notions of feminist legal theory. This course fulfills the Human Diversity requirement in the core curriculum. Prerequisite: Junior standing | ||
| BLAW 389 | Research | 2 OR 4 | |
| Description of course Research : | No description is available. | ||
| BLAW 393 | Individual Study | 2 OR 4 | |
| Description of course Individual Study : | No description is available. | ||
| BLAW 401 | Law & Comp: Skills & Strat | 4 | |
| Description of course Law & Comp: Skills & Strat : | This is the Law & Compliance Major capstone course. The course examines approaches to compliance from an integrative perspective that draws on business and compliance courses. The course follows a problem-solving approach emphasizing critical thinking and oral, written, and legal skills appropriate to compliance, legal, and business professionals. Topics include the basics of persuasive speaking and negotiation, state and federal legal research, and writing of legal and compliance memoranda. Prerequisite: Junior standing; BLAW 300, BETH 300, and BUSN 202 or CISC 200; or Junior standing and consent of instructor. | ||
| BLAW 476 | Experiential Learning | 1 TO 4 | |
| Description of course Experiential Learning : | No description is available. | ||
| BLAW 488 | Topics | 2 | |
| Description of course Topics : | The subject matter of these courses will vary from year to year, but will not duplicate existing courses. Descriptions of these courses are available in the Searchable Class Schedule on Murphy Online, View Searchable Class Schedule | ||
| BLAW 490 | Topics | 4 | |
| Description of course Topics : | The subject matter of these courses will vary from year to year, but will not duplicate existing courses. Descriptions of these courses are available in the Searchable Class Schedule on Murphy Online, View Searchable Class Schedule | ||
| BLAW 491 | Research | 2 TO 4 | |
| Description of course Research : | No description is available. | ||
| BLAW 495 | Individual Study | 2 OR 4 | |
| Description of course Individual Study : | No description is available. | ||
| BLAW 496 | Individual Study | 2 | |
| Description of course Individual Study : | No description is available. | ||
| BLAW 497 | Individual Study | 4 | |
| Description of course Individual Study : | No description is available. | ||
| BLAW 498 | Individual Study | 4 | |
| Description of course Individual Study : | No description is available. | ||