In addition to our strong core business curriculum, The Fletcher School allows student to take classes in a broad range of international business and international affairs topics that are not found in more traditional business programs. Our students find that these courses allow them to market themselves with unique specializations that distinguish them in the job search process. A sampling of ten of these unique classes – from law to regional focuses to politics - includes:
1. Islamic Banking and Finance: A comprehensive introduction to Islamic banking and finance, providing religious background, the political and economic context of the creation and evolution of Islamic institutions, and the underlying principles of Islamic finance.
2. Microfinance: Issues and Breakthroughs: This course explores the development environment that inspired early microfinance interventions and concludes with the breakthroughs in inclusive business approaches such as microfranchising, savings, insurance, and the complex and emergent ways of delivering these services.
3. Petroleum in the Global Economy: This course covers the structure of the international petroleum industry and its role in the international economy. It addresses the technical, commercial, legal, economic, and political basis of the industry and the business models for key segments, including exploration and production, refining, marketing and natural gas. It also considers key issues of the industry, including the resource base, pricing, environmental impacts, alternative energy sources and geopolitics.
4. Rise of China: Implications for the Twenty-first Century: China’s rise has major implications for issues as wide ranging as Asian regional stability, energy security, economics and finance, the environment, and the all-encompassing phenomenon of globalization. Future leaders must become increasingly familiar with the historical context, geo-strategic imperatives, domestic political processes, culture/normative practices, and increasingly, Chinese individuals that shape Beijing’s outlook and behavior in the coming years.
5. International Investment Law: This seminar examines the laws, policies, and legal institutions influencing cross-border investments, with special emphasis on emerging markets and developing nations. It studies the nature of international investment and multinational investors and the international legal framework for international investment. It also considers national regulatory frameworks for foreign investment, legal mechanisms for structuring, financing, and protecting projects, portfolio investment in emerging markets, and methods for settling investment disputes.
6. International NGOS: Ethics and Management Practice: This course will introduce students to such essential skills such as strategic planning, advocacy, the media, human resource management, fundraising, budgets, evaluation and reading financial statements within the International NGO context. We also look at key ethical frameworks for individual action within international development and humanitarian agencies.
7. Mergers and Acquisitions: An International Perspective: This class reviews structuring, negotiation and implementation of cross-border merger and acquisition transactions, taking into account applicable issues of international law and national practice. We discuss alternative forms of transaction structure, analyze different forms of acquisition agreements, and review the role and application of key transactional concepts. We also review trends in deal terms drawing on recent North American, European and Asian transactions.
8. Corporate Governance in International Business and Finance: This seminar explores business, financial and legal issues affecting corporate governance and management of risk, both in industrialized and developing countries. Students examine the nature of the corporation, management roles and board responsibility, the role of regulatory authorities, as well as corporate culture, corporate social responsibility, and capital market development. We focus on policy implications, including wide-spread efforts to effect corporate governance reforms and set standards in the wake of corporate scandals and systemic risk.
9. Corporate Management of Environmental Issues: This course examines environmental issues from the point of view of large corporations, including such issues as accountability for environmental performance; corporate environmental policies; accident response; companies and non-governmental organizations; response to laws and regulations; and voluntary codes of conduct.
10. The Global Food Business: This course introduces students to the rapidly expanding global food business. The growing, processing, distribution, and marketing of food are major and necessary economic endeavors of the world’s people. Today, the international food industry is increasing at historically high rates of growth paralleled by increasing world trade in agricultural commodities, motivated by new multinational trade agreements. The course focus will be to introduce the student to the management, business strategy, marketing, research, and analytical skills required in the international food business.
