Ethics and Business Law (BLAW)

Opus College of Business
Department of Ethics and Business Law
Pattit (chair), Buckeye, Elm, Garrison, R. Kennedy, Kunkel, Marsnik, Michaelson, Monge, Naughton, Swink, Thompson, Wendt

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 legal studies in business concentration 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. 

Concentration in Legal Studies in Business

Business Core Courses

• ACCT 210 Introduction to Financial Accounting (4 credits)
• ACCT 215 Managerial Accounting (4 credits)
• BETH 301 Business Ethics (4 credits)
• BUSN 200 Business Learning Through Service (0 credit)
• OPMT 310 Operations Management (4 credits)
• FINC 321 Financial Management (4 credits)
• MGMT 305 Management & Organizational Behavior (4 credits)
• MKTG 300 Principles of Marketing (4 credits)

Plus four credits from the following:

• BLAW 301 Legal Environment of Business (4 credits)
• BLAW 302 Business Law for Accounting (4 credits)
• BLAW 303 International Business Law (4 credits) 

Concentration Course

• BLAW 401 Legal Research, Advocacy, and Dispute Resolution (4 credits)
• MGMT 480 Strategic Management (4 credits)

• BUSN 202 Microsoft Excel Applications for Business (0 credits)
  or CISC 200 Introdution to Computer Technology & Business Applications (4 credits)

Plus twelve credits from the following:

• One of BLAW 301, 302, or 303 not taken previously (Note: Students concentrating in Legal Studies in Business may NOT take both BLAW 301 and 302)
• BLAW 304 Real Estate Law (4 credits)
• BLAW 351 Environmental Law (4 credits)
• BLAW 352 Gender Issues and the Law (4 credits)
• BLAW 353 Employment & Labor Law (4 credits)
• BLAW 354 Marketing Law (4 credits)
• BLAW 402 Law of Electronic Commerce (4 credits)
• One course (not previously taken) from Opus College of Business at the 300-level or above 

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:

• COJO 100 Public Speaking (4 credits)
• COJO 105 Communication in the Workplace (4 credits)
• COJO 370 Intercultural Communication (4 credits)
• ENGL 211 or above (4 credits)