Everyone needs to know something about business--
We are all in business.
 It is important to understand the basics of how things are valued in the business world, and to effectively market what you do.  At some point, you will have to deal with budgets, costs and profits. Profit (or, in the not-for-profit environment, availability of resources) is the measure of how much other people value what you produce.

This course isn't for business majors.  It's a practical course in business for non-business majors, who are perceptive enough to realize that they must know something about business to successfully pursue their first love -- Chemistry, Engineering, English literature, French, Medicine, Counseling, Teaching, or whatever they have decided to do--in the real world.

This course is a survey of topics from the business curriculum delivered in a style appropriate for general audiences.
You will come out of this course with understanding you need to deal with the business aspects of your chosen field, and with some practical tools you might need to start your own business.
 

Some tentative textbooks:

Here is a list of  tentative topics:

I. The Science of Business Decisions

Reducing conflict by redesigning the decision process.
Objective approaches to quantifying options and reaching consensus
Optimism, Pessimism and Risk Management
Game Theory and Total Quality Management
All You Really Need to Know About Statistics

II. Finance & Accounting

Breakeven Analysis and Budgeting for Fixed and Variable Costs
Incentives, Management and Accounting
How Accounting Rules can Lead Managers to do the Wrong Thing
Business taxes and form of business organization-e.g. corporation, partnership, sole proprietorship
Finance, Forecasting, The Stock Market, and other Psychic Phenomena
(including the time value of money)
How to Read a Balance Sheet

III. Operations and Efficiency

Scheduling & Time Management
Waiting Lines and Service Levels
Why "equal" isn't equitable, and "adequate" service isn't good enough

IV. Principles of Marketing and New Product Development

Basic Economics--Supply, Demand, Price Theory & Market Segmentation.
Breakthough Products, Market Research and Positioning
Project Management and Implementation
Competitive Advantage and the Mathematics of the Dilbert Principle

 V. Teamwork

Industrial Psychology, Organizational Behavior and Supervision
The Special Issues of a Volunteer Environment

VI. The Changing Environment of Business

International Business
Entrepreneurship and Procedures for Starting a New Business in Missouri
E-Commerce and Business on the Internet