The Master of Science (M.Sc.) Programme ebusiness and Supply Chain Management

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1 The Master of Science (M.Sc.) Programme ebusiness and Supply Chain Management Brochure for the Academic Year Department of Computing and Decision Sciences Faculty of Business Lingnan University HONG KONG

2 Dean s Message Tracing its origin back to 1888 in Guangzhou, Lingnan is the only liberal arts university in Hong Kong with fullresidence and whole-person education for inspired students from Hong Kong, Mainland China, and overseas. As an accredited member of the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB), the Faculty of Business of Lingnan provides high-quality business education distinguished by the best liberal arts tradition at both undergraduate and postgraduate levels. The Master of Science (M.Sc.) in ebusiness and Supply Chain Management is hosted by the Department of Computing and Decision Sciences, which has been playing a very important role in the Faculty s education mission, and making outstanding contributions in both research and teaching to Lingnan University. To meet the high demand for qualified IT and supply chain managers in the fast growing business sectors in the Mainland China, Hong Kong, and other places, the Department of Computing and Decision Sciences has designed this unique and forward-looking programme for those wishing to undertake advanced education of ebusiness and Supply Chain Management. The educational model of training managers and professionals with technical background targets a large population of potential students little touched by the existing M.Sc. programmes in Hong Kong. The synergy of faculty expertise in IT and SCM in the Department is well positioned to support the teaching of the programme. With our supportive yet challenging learning environment, an impressive blend of practical skills and critical thinking in teaching, and the experiential-learning philosophy that encourages professional development and networking with the wider society, graduates of this M.Sc. programme are expected to have highly attractive professional career prospects in Hong Kong and the Mainland China. ebusiness and supply chain is an indispensable component in the economy of Hong Kong, a world trading and distribution centre and also a world-class logistics hub with excellent transportation facilities and service systems. The Mainland China is by far the largest ebusiness market in the world. Every year, tens of thousands of fresh graduates enter the ebusiness-related market as employees or starting their own businesses. The dramatic success of some online firms (e.g., Jingdong and Taobao) depended greatly on the integration of ebusiness and efficient logistics service and supply chain management. I do believe that tremendous opportunities are ahead for the graduates of this programme. I warmly welcome you to join the Lingnan community and study in this exciting MSc Programme. Professor Liming Liu Dean, Faculty of Business Lingnan University

3 Programme Director s Message I am delighted to introduce you to our Master of Science (M.Sc.) in ebusiness and Supply Chain Management Programme at Lingnan University s Department of Computing and Decision Sciences. The one-year, full-time programme is mainly designed to educate students with information technology (IT) background about key management strategies and approaches in the ebusiness environment, and also help students with or without IT background understand and utilize the IT for supply chain integration in the international and global context. Our focus on the management of supply chain operations in ebusiness with international and global issues is in agreement with the high demand for qualified IT and supply chain managers in industry. We decide to launch this programme because of the natural connection between ebusiness and supply chain management. The Internet is having a significant impact on how firms interact with each other and with their consumers. With the help of the Internet, all firms in a supply chain can achieve low transaction costs among them, high information visibility and sharing, and great capability of managing complex interfaces in the supply chain. The IT staffs in supply chain operations should understand the management strategies and skills, and the logistics or supply chain officers and managers should have the basic IT knowledge. We accordingly design this programme for individuals who are, or intend to be, IT managers, operations managers, ebusiness consultants, project managers, supply chain coordinators and managers, and ebusiness owners. Our M.Sc. programme can provide students the competencies that are essential not only for professionals working in the relevant fields but also for those seeking positions of ebusiness and supply chain management in manufacturing or service organizations. Graduates from this programme are prepared to enter the job market in Hong Kong, the Mainland China, and elsewhere, and they may also choose to pursue Ph.D. and MPhil degrees in Hong Kong and abroad. Our department is committed to excellence in providing education in both IT skills and knowledge and supply chain management strategies and approaches. All instructors for this M.Sc. programme hold doctoral degrees in Computer Sciences, Operations Management, and Management Science, and they have received leading edge IT and supply chain management education with diverse backgrounds and teaching interests centred on Operations and Supply Chain Management, Management Information Systems (MIS), and Electronic Commerce. Benefiting from our realistic and highlyrespected research activities, our industry experiences, and Lingnan University s quality assurance system, the Department has been providing high quality education services to all of the relevant undergraduate- and postgraduate-level programmes at Lingnan University. On behalf of all of the programme staffs, I welcome you to join our M.Sc. programme. I do believe that the M.Sc. programme can help make a certain improvement on your background and enhance your career prospects. Professor Mingming Leng Head, Department of Computing and Decision Sciences Director, M.Sc. Programme in ebusiness and Supply Chain Management Lingnan University

4 Contents 1 The M.Sc. Programme Entrance Requirements Tuition Fee and Scholarship Application for Admission Professional Recognitions and Graduation Prospects The Advisory Board The Faculty Members for the M.Sc. Programme Aims and Learning Outcomes of the Programme Aims Learning Outcomes Brief Course Description Six Required Courses Nine Elective Courses

5 The Master of Science (M.Sc.) in ebusiness and Supply Chain Management The M.Sc. Programme is a unique and forward-looking one dedicated to developing and promoting students academic and professional potentials, thus distinguishing itself from those in universitylevel education sector. 1 The M.Sc. Programme The Department of Computing and Decision Sciences in the Faculty of Business at Lingnan University offers and manages the M.Sc. Programme in ebusiness and Supply Chain Management (SCM). This full-time programme s basic information is given as follows: 1. The M.Sc. programme s title in English: ebusiness and Supply Chain Management; 2. The M.Sc. programme s title in Chinese: 電 子 商 務 與 供 應 鏈 管 理 碩 士 課 程 3. The normal study duration for the programme: one year full time. (All classes will be conducted normally during weekdays on campus of Lingnan University.) 4. Starting date for the academic year : September 1, Application deadline for admission to the programme: March 15, The total requirement for the award of the M.Sc. degree is the completion of a total of 30 credits, including TEN courses (6 required and 4 electives). The teaching pattern is normally a 3-hour lecture and/or seminar per week per course. A student could extend his or her study up to the maximum duration of three years, subject to the approval of the Programme Director and the Head of the Department. A course list is given as follows: Required Courses Credits 1. Introduction to Electronic Business 3 2. Supply Chain Management in ebusiness 3 3. Accounting Principles 3 4. Business Intelligence 3 5. Mobile Technology and Applications in ebusiness 3 6. Best Practices in ebusiness and Supply Chain Management 3 Elective Courses 7. Legal Issues for ebusiness 3 8. Electronic Marketing 3 9. E-Commerce and Web Programming Social Media for ebusiness Project Management with Software Service Operations Management Purchasing and Logistics Management for ebusiness Information Systems Management Business Decision Making with Software 3 2

6 2 Entrance Requirements To be eligible for entry into this M.Sc. programme, candidates should: 1. hold a bachelor s degree with first or second class honours from a recognized tertiary institution; or have equivalent qualifications and experience, which will be considered on a case-by-case basis; 2. have basic information technology (IT) or information systems (IS) background, which is recognized if candidates have taken at least one IT- or IS-related course (e.g., Information Systems Management, Computer Programming, etc.) and/or worked in relevant industry for at least one year; and 3. meet the English language proficiency requirement by attaining a minimum score of 523(paper-based test),193 (computer-based test), or 70 (Internet-based test) or above in the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL). In lieu of the above, an applicant can submit results from the International English Language Testing System (IELTS) with the minimum acceptable score 6 or the College English Test Band 6 (CET 6) of the People s Republic of China with the minimum acceptable score 430. Students who graduated from a university using English as a main teaching language do not normally need to present evidence of their proficiency. We allow fiexibility for an applicant with an English test score below the minimum requirements as specified above. That is, if an applicant s English test score is smaller than the above minimum requirements BUT is greater than or equal to the minimum requirements for our special consideration as below, we may use interview and/or other means (e.g., writing test) to decide and admit the applicant on a case-by-case basis. TOEFL IELTS CET 6 Paper-Based Test Computer-Based Test Internet-Based Test Table 1: The minimum language requirements for special entry considerations. Note that (i) applicants can enjoy the admission preference if they have more working experiences and (ii) interviews may be conducted when needed. 3 Tuition Fee and Scholarship Tuition Fee The tuition fees for the academic year is HK $152,000 for non-local students, HK $100,000 for local students. Paid tuition fees are NOT refundable/ transferable no matter whether the student completes the Programme or not. Scholarships Maximum 15 full or partial scholarships (including the full or partial tuition fee, a stipend of up to HK$50,000, and accommodation in the university hostel). The hostel fee is paid by the student. All students admitted to the Programme will be automatically qualified for the application for scholarships. 3

7 4 Application for Admission Application Period For the September 2016 intake, application closes on March 15, Late application may be considered on a case-by-case basis. You are encouraged to submit your applications as early as possible, because we may release the first batch of offers before the application deadline. Application Materials To apply for the M.Sc. Programme, you are required to submit the following 6 application materials: 1. Application form with your signature; Our application form in.doc format can be downloaded from application.html. 2. Two confidential recommendation letters or forms with your referees signatures; Our confidential recommendation form in.doc format can be downloaded from edu.hk/cds/ebiz/application.html. Please note that your referees are allowed to propose their own recommendation letter without using our recommendation forms. 3. Copy of your academic certificate(s); 4. Copy of your academic transcript(s); 5. Copy of your English language test result(s); 6. Copy of your Resident Identity Card. In addition to the above 6 materials, your application package should include your payment for the application fee. Application Fee The non-refundable application fee is HK$350, which is payable to Lingnan University. Please note that we do NOT accept cash payment BUT only accept the payments by cheque or money order for applications by post or , or the Visa or Master credit payments for applications via an online system. Ways to Apply Please note that application must be sent in paper form by post, in soft copy by , or via the online application system. Each student should submit his/her application through one of the three channels, but not two or all the three channels. By post: Each applicant can mail all required applications materials with a cheque or money order in amount of the application fee HK$350 to the following address. Application Mailing Address: M.Sc. in ebusiness and Supply Chain Management Programme Department of Computing and Decision Sciences Room SEK212, Simon and Eleanor Kwok Building Lingnan University, Tuen Mun N.T. Hong Kong SAR 4

8 By Each applicant can send the application form (with your digital signature) and other relevant materials with a scanned copy of your cheque or money order for an application fee of HK$350) to admission_ebiz@ln.edu.hk. Your cheque or money order should be mailed to the above address. Online Application: The online application system will be opened until March 15, An applicant shall access the online payment gateway attached to the University s online application system at and settle the application fee by a Visa or Master credit card. An application is valid and accepted only when the payment procedures are successfully completed. Only one programme can be chosen for each online application with an application fee of HK$350 for normal applications. An applicant who wishes to apply for two programmes offered by different departments of Lingnan University shall submit two applications and make two payments. Shortly after we confirm an applicant s payment for his or her application fee, we will send the applicant an acknowledgement with an application number. If the applicant does not receive the acknowledgement ten days after his or her payment, he or she is suggested to send an enquiry to admission_ebiz.ln.edu.hk. The selection process will begin as soon as we receive a number of qualified applications. Short-listed candidates may be invited to attend an interview conducted by the Programme Director or other faculty members in the Programme. Enquiries: Programme Officer: Ms. ZHOU Mengya, Daisy Tel: (852) ; Fax: (852) admission_ebiz@ln.edu.hk; Website: 5 Professional Recognitions and Graduation Prospects All successful graduates from the M.Sc. programme are qualified for the professional recognitions that we obtain from some professional bodies, which may include Chartered Institute of Purchasing & Supply (CIPS), Institute of Certified E-Commerce Consultants, The Chinese General Chamber of Commerce, Institute of Supply Chain Management, Hong Kong Logistics Association, Project Management Institute, and The International Institute of Management. We will update our recognition progress soon. All graduates are expected to work in the Mainland China, Hong Kong, or multinational companies in other places; continue with Ph.D. or other academic programmes in Asia, Europe, North America, or other places; take up management or consulting jobs in the IT industry, operations management in supply chains, or design and launch of new business. The programme office may cooperate with some relevant firms to provide students with on- campus interviews and job recruitment chances. 5

9 6 The Advisory Board In order to deliver a quality programme that enables students to develop the necessary skills and knowledge in the subject area and maintain a high academic standard, we have established an Advisory Board for the programme to provide the programme with valuable advice. The role of the Advisory Board is to act as an interface between government/industry/commerce/the community at large and the host department of the M.Sc. programme. The following eminent people will be invited to serve as advisors of the M.Sc. programme: 1. Ms. Eva CHAN: Director, The Certizen Limited. 2. Mr. LEUNG Wing On, Louis: Chairman and Certified Accountant, The Hong Kong Chinese Industry & Commerce Association. 3. Mr. Hill NG: Director, The Ludan Group Holdings Limited. 4. Professor CHEN Youhua, Frank: Professor, College of Business, City University of Hong Kong. 5. Professor LAM Wai: Professor, Faculty of Engineering, The Chinese University of Hong Kong. 7 The Faculty Members for the M.Sc. Programme Department of Computing and Decision Sciences, Lingnan University Professor Liming Liu, Chair Professor and Dean of the Faculty of Business; BEng (HUST), MEng (HUST), PhD (Toronto). Professor Mingming Leng, Professor, Head of the Department of Computing and Decision Sciences, and Director of the M.Sc. Programme in ebusiness and Supply Chain Management; BEng (SIT), MEng (MUT), PhD (McMaster). Professor Weixin Shang, Associate Professor and Associate Director of the M.Sc. Programme in ebusiness and Supply Chain Management; BSc (Tsinghua), PhD (HKUST). Professor LOO Wai-sing, Alfred, Associate Professor; BSc (CUHK), PgDip (CUHK), MSc (Poly U, New York), CertEd (HKPolyU), PhD (Sunderland), MBCS, CITP, CEng, CMath, MIMA, CSci. Professor Man-leung Wong, Associate Professor; BSc (CUHK), MPhil (CUHK), PhD (CUHK), MIEEE, MACM. Professor Wing-lok Yeung, Associate Professor; High Dip (HKPolyU), PgCert (Northumbria), MSc (Salford), PhD (CNAA), MBCS. Professor LIANG Liping, Associate Professor; BSc (SCUT); MSc (UBC); PhD (UBC). External Instructors Mr. SHUM Chun-yau, Clement, Barrister-at-Law of the High Court of the HKSAR; LLB, PCLL (HKU), LLM (Queen Mary College, London). 6

10 Dr. Stephen Poon, Adjunct Assistant Professor at Hang Seng Management College and Part- time Lecturer at The Chinese University of Hong Kong; BEng (HKPolyU), EMBA (CUHK), DBA (HKPolyU). Mr. WONG Chun Cheong, Francis James, Associate Director at the FlexSystem Ltd. and Program Leader at the HK Institute for IT Professional Certification; High Dip (Lingnan), MBA (Newcastle, Australia). 8 Aims and Learning Outcomes of the Programme This programme is designed for individuals who are, or intend to be, IT managers, operations managers, ebusiness consultants, project managers, supply chain coordinators and managers, and ebusiness owners. That is, this programme aims to deliver the management-focused knowledge in the areas of IT and supply chain operations to students with a variety of academic and professional backgrounds, who can be classified into two categories as follows. First, we target both the firstdegree holders with no or very few (e.g., less-than-one-year) industry experiences and early career professionals (with, e.g., less-than-three-years industry experiences), who desire to be managers and thus need the necessary management-related strategies and skills. For these students, the programme offers a fast route to becoming professional management specialists in ebusiness and supply chain operations. Secondly, we serve the existing IT professionals with significant (e.g., more-than-three-years) industry experiences, who aspire to be executives but are lack of management-related knowledge for the IT and supply chain operations. Specifically, for those serving, or intending to serve, in a wide range of supervisory, managerial, and executive positions such as Chief Technology Officer (CTO) and Chief Information Officer (CIO), the managerial strategies and skills that are emphasized by the programme can help the IT professionals understand how to improve and manage the operations and the relationships among supply chain members in the ebusiness environment. 8.1 Aims The programme aims to: strengthen students abilities to understand and use the information technologies that are necessary for supply chain operations in an ebusiness environment; equip students with the management strategies for effectively using information technologies to achieve supply chain integration in the international and global context; familiarize students with managing online and mobile business operations that are involved into a supply chain; expose to students the benefits for an organization through incorporating the Internet into its supply chain operations; foster students abilities in identifying the business changes resulting from the use of information technologies for organizational practices in supply chains. 7

11 8.2 Learning Outcomes Our M.Sc. programme is focused on the improvement of students management strategies and skills in supply chain operations in the ebusiness context, in addition to the education of information technologies. Accordingly, all teaching staffs in the programme will do their best to use a number of practical cases and managerial discussions in lecturing their courses. To help students better understand the SCM-related issues in ebusiness, we will also encourage students to discuss important cases in class, and have interactive discussions with teachers after class in any convenient ways such as face-to-face talks, telephone conversations, communications, and others, which are in line with the liberal arts education at Lingnan University. On completing the M.Sc. programme, students will be able to 1. think critically and innovatively in solving complex supply chain problems in an ebusiness environment; 2. use proper information technologies to improve the performance of an organization within a supply chain; 3. apply suitable managerial strategies and skills to integrate supply chains with information technologies in the international and global context; 4. initiate and develop online and mobile business functions that exist in a supply chain. 9 Brief Course Description A brief description of each course is given as follows. 9.1 Six Required Courses The brief descriptions of all six required course are provided below. 1. Introduction to Electronic Business (42 teaching hours/3 credits): Electronic business is aimed at enhancing the competitiveness of an organization by developing innovative information and communications technology throughout an organization and beyond, through links to partners and customers. Managers and decision makers need to know not only how to use the new techniques to automate existing business processes, but also how to redesign and transform processes taking advantage of electronic business. The course introduces fundamentals and infrastructure of electronic business to familiarize students with related new technology development. It also discusses how electronic business differs from traditional business in terms of business processes and business activities, and how we can set business strategy with electronic business. How to implement electronic business in current business environment will also be discussed. The tentative topics include but are not limited to the introductory-level knowledge of Internet business models, electronic commerce infrastructure, E-procurement, E-marketing, E-CRM (Customer Relationship Management). 2. Supply Chain Management in ebusiness (42 teaching hours/3 credits): The core competence in E-business is effective transaction fulfillment. Good e-business is synonymous 8

12 with powerful logistics and good supply chain relation and management. This course introduces the fundamental concepts, key issues, and problem solving tools and techniques in logistics and supply chain management. It explains how networks of firms in a supply chain must work together to enable efficient fiows of information, materials, and money so that product or service reaches customers at the right time and quantity to maximize customer value. It also examines how different e-business models are matched by different logistics and supply chain structures and solutions. 3. Accounting Principles (42 teaching hours/3 credits): Accounting is frequently called as the language of business. This course is concerned with an understanding of how accounting records and reports economic activities for the use of creditors, shareholders, government agents and other stakeholders. We will lecture the conceptual framework of accounting and the operational aspects of financial reporting. In addition to the use of accounting information for the external users, students will learn the concepts and techniques that can be used to prepare accounting reports for internal users (such as manager and directors) for their management decisions. We will also teach the concepts and methods of organizing and analyzing accounting information to facilitate management decision makings, such as planning, control and problem solving. The course will provide understandings of accounting information system and how it is designed. The students will be introduced to the assurance of the integrity of accounting information. Latest trend in the development of accounting information system will also be highlighted. 4. Business Intelligence (42 teaching hours/3 credits): This course is designed to introduce business intelligence and its applications in ebusiness. Databases are valuable treasures containing data and hidden precious knowledge. Conventionally, the data are analyzed manually to explore the relationships among various variables. Even with powerful computers and software, analysts may not be able to recognize some hidden and potentially useful relationships. Nowadays, such problems are more acute as many organizations are performing their operations electronically and these organizations are capable of generating and collecting a huge amount of data in a relatively short period. The explosive growth of data requires a more efficient way to extract useful knowledge. Business Intelligence (BI), which is an automated process of sifting the data to get the gold buried in databases, can fulfill this requirement. 5. Mobile Technology and Applications in ebusiness (42 teaching hours/3 credits): This course introduces the foundation of mobile technology and the basics for developing mobile applications. The course is also designed for managers to appreciate the business value of innovations in mobile technology as well as the relevant ethical issues. 6. Best Practices in ebusiness and Supply Chain Management (42 teaching hours/3 credits): This capstone course integrates various aspects of ebusiness and supply chain management, and applies the theories, concepts, and methods covered in relevant courses. Through the use of mini-lectures, case studies, and group projects, students will study current practices in various industries and identify strategies and approaches that give an organization a competitive advantage. 9

13 9.2 Nine Elective Courses The brief descriptions of all nine elective course are provided below. 1. Legal Issues for ebusiness (42 teaching hours/3 credits): This course does not presume any legal knowledge on the part of the students. Students will be taught the salient features of the Hong Kong legal system, with particular emphasis on the sources of Hong Kong law, law courts and the two branches of the legal profession. Students will then be introduced to certain legal issues in ebusiness, including the definition of ebusiness and an explanation of how writing and signature requirements are fulfilled in the ebusiness environment. This is followed by a discussion on electronic contracts with regard to how the three essential requirements of a paper-based contract are satisfied in the Internet environment and the factors that affect the validity of a valid contract. Contract for the sale of goods will also be covered. Finally, certain other important issues with regard to ebusiness, such as consumer protection and domain name disputes will also be examined. 2. Electronic Marketing (42 teaching hours/3 credits): This course is mainly about the impact of information technologies including the convergence of the Internet and mobile communications on consumer behavior, market segmentation, and communication strategies. It also discusses different marketing/promotion strategies for firms within a supply chain, which intend to take advantage of information technologies to expand their market shares and improve profitability. 3. E-Commerce and Web Programming (42 teaching hours/3 credits): E-Commerce is the conduct of business processes on the Internet. This course is designed to introduce students about the technologies, tools, and software for designing, developing, and administering fully functioning ecommerce websites. The practical steps needed to design and develop professional websites will be discussed. The supporting databases as well as the program codes used to enforce business rules and control transactional processing will be described. Students will learn HTML5, CSS3, JavaScript, PHP, database management systems, XML, and Dreamweaver CS6/CC, and will use them to create effective web pages and interactive websites. 4. Social Media for ebusiness (42 teaching hours/3 credits): This course is about the fundamentals of social media for ebusiness and the steps involved in incorporating social technology into an ebusiness platform. It equips students with a comprehensive understanding of social media applications and their contribution to the formulation and corporate strategies. 5. Project Management with Software (42 teaching hours/3 credits): The principles of project management, largely developed and tested on engineering projects, are being successfully applied to projects of all sizes and types within the business world. Furthermore, the role of project management in a cross section of applications such as information technology, product development, and construction is now emphasized. This course addresses the fundamental principles of project management, and the tools and techniques at our disposal to help achieve our goals. Topics covered include: project definition and start up; project attribute estimation; planning and scheduling; resource selection and allocation, implementation; post-project 10

14 evaluation; project management as a career; skills and knowledge required by professionals, including decision-making and resource allocation appropriate to project phases; integration with other disciplines, including accounting and finance. The Microsoft Project software tool will be introduced for project scheduling and management. 6. Service Operations Management (42 teaching hours/3 credits): The service sector represents the largest component in most industrial economies. Operations management plays an important role in effectively improving the service organizations performance and competitiveness, and its importance is increasing due to global competition and rapidly evolving information technology. This course provides an overview of service operations management. We will introduce the basic concepts, principles, and techniques that are applied to the design, planning, control, and improvement of service operations. After an introduction to service and service operations, the following topics will be explored: service strategy, new service development (including the design of service process), service process analysis and facility layout, service quality management and control, process improvement, managing capacity and demand, and managing waiting lines. We will also apply the principles and techniques discussed in the course to the analysis of cases from various service industries. 7. Purchasing and Logistics Management for ebusiness (42 teaching hours/3 credits): This course explores the principles and practices of purchasing and logistics in the ebusiness context. It examines the potentials of strategic purchasing to increase profitability through quality-driven approaches to sourcing, buyer-supplier relationships, and cost and logistics management, with a focus on the use of information technology for efficient purchasing and logistics management. This course provides general and specific purchasing and logistics management information that will serve to strengthen the student s ability to participate in today s global business environment. 8. Information Systems Management (42 teaching hours/3 credits): This is a managerial course designed for students to gain an understanding of the effective use of information technologies in organizations nowadays. It covers not only the latest generation of computing, internetworking, and decision support technologies, but also the current industry trends, management concepts, and approaches, business applications, social, ethical, and governance issues related to information systems. 9. Business Decision Making with Software (42 teaching hours/3 credits): Organizations often need to make decisions in their best interests in different situations, and Microsoft Excel is one of the most popular software that business people use to assist their decision making. This course introduces commonly used quantitative analysis techniques that facilitate scientific and systematic decision making. Students will learn how to employ appropriate decision-making techniques to obtain the best solutions for a variety of business problems, and learn about the best-practices of spreadsheet modeling for clarity and communication. Through practicing these techniques and Excel functions, students will develop analytical and computer-based problem-solving skills, which can help them improve their performance at work or in daily life. 11