Strategy and Entrepreneurship (SEVI)
Jason Ridge
Department Chair
Willard J. Walker Hall
jridge@walton.uark.edu
Jon Johnson
Ph.D. Program Director
Willard J. Walker Hall
jjohnson@walton.uark.edu
Degrees Offered:
M.S. in Product Innovation (PRINMS)
Ph.D. in Business Administration (BADM)
Program Description: The primary objective of the Ph.D. program in Business Administration with an area of study in Strategy and Entrepreneurship is to prepare candidates for careers in university research and teaching. The program of study is designed to ensure that students receive an exposure to the broad areas of Strategic Management and Entrepreneurship, develop the conceptual skills and methodological tools necessary to design and conduct independent research, and develop the skills and experience necessary to teach at all levels of higher education.
Courses
SEVI 50203. Sustainability in Business. 3 Hours.
The course focuses on theoretical and practical bases for pursuing sustainability in business and society. Prerequisite: Graduate Standing. (Typically offered: Spring)
SEVI 52103. Business Foundations for Entrepreneurs. 3 Hours.
Introduction to the fundamental business concepts an entrepreneur needs to know to evaluate and launch a successful new venture. Topic areas include recruitment, selection, motivation and management of employees, market analysis and the marketing mix, financial strategies and accounting for funds, economic considerations, and the management of operations. Prerequisite: Graduate standing. (Typically offered: Spring)
SEVI 52303. Human-Centered Design. 3 Hours.
This course will serve as a highly hands-on experience through the human-centered design process, organized around the following modules: design research, problem identification, concept generation & creativity, prototyping, testing, communication & visualization. Within this course, students have the structure and space to be collaborative, creative, and agile, enabling them to rapidly design viable solutions for their organizational partners. (Typically offered: Irregular)
SEVI 52403. Product Management. 3 Hours.
This course presents an integrated overview of the field of product management. Through this interactive course, students will be able to take organizational innovation ideas formed in the pre-requisite Human Centered Design course to the next level by learning and implementing the fundamentals of product management which included improving technical acumen, strategy development, business modeling, product market fit, understanding OKR's, EPIC's, and Retrospectives. (Typically offered: Irregular)
SEVI 53103. Strategic Management. 3 Hours.
Strategy formulation, strategy implementation, and other topics related to the long-term success of the firm. Includes role of the general manager, international issues, and the impact of management fads on decision making. (Typically offered: Summer)
SEVI 53203. New Venture Development. 3 Hours.
Focuses on the identification and analysis of new venture opportunities and how entrepreneurs acquire the human and financial resources needed to develop successful businesses. Topics include market analysis, development of products and services, negotiation, developing and executing business plans, and new venture financing. Students are required to complete summer assignments before the course begins in the fall semester. Prerequisite: SEVI 52103 or an undergraduate degree in business or permission of the instructor. (Typically offered: Fall) May be repeated for up to 6 hours of degree credit.
SEVI 53603. Innovation & Creativity. 3 Hours.
This class will provide a framework for developing, assessing and implementing innovations in start-ups and established businesses. Focus is on creative decision making, managing for innovation, strategic analysis of innovations, and implementation of innovations. Aimed at entrepreneurs, brand managers, and managers in industries where innovation is a key strategic capability. (Typically offered: Spring)
SEVI 53901. Business History and Practice. 1 Hour.
This course provides students with an overview of how businesses evolve over the years, and how they are run today. Using examples from research and practitioner articles, it allows students to learn about hands on concepts such as business models, Integrative Performance, Organization Structure, Competitive Advantage, Value Networks, and Business Obligations in an experiential manner. (Typically offered: Fall and Spring)
SEVI 5410V. New Venture Development II. 3-6 Hour.
A large-scale, real world, 10 week project involving hands-on work addressing issues faced by managers in partnering firms. Corequisite: Instructor consent. Prerequisite: SEVI 53203. (Typically offered: Spring) May be repeated for up to 12 hours of degree credit.
SEVI 54203. User Research in Applied Environments. 3 Hours.
User Research in Applied Environments covers basic methods of user research as it relates to new product creation, including human-centered design and customer discovery. Students will work in a team environment and will learn how to pair qualitative, team-based interviewing techniques with quantitative market research to identify and explore important needs and market opportunities. (Typically offered: Summer)
SEVI 54303. Legal, Social and Economic Context for Product Innovation. 3 Hours.
In this class, we will cover a variety of issues important to product development, including intellectual property and liability issues, industry and competitor analysis, supply chains and sales channels, and social and environmental issues. The course will combine readings guest lectures, and project work that applies concepts to the students' specific projects. (Typically offered: Fall)
SEVI 54403. Principles of Product Design and Prototyping. 3 Hours.
Principles of Product Design and Prototyping develops foundational skills in product design, including hands-on experimentation with digital design and prototyping tools (e.g. Autodesk, Solidworks, Adobe). This course will pair readings, lectures, and hands-on mini-workshops to build confidence and capability in product design in the context of the student' own ideas. (Typically offered: Fall)
SEVI 5450V. Product Innovation Practicum. 3-6 Hour.
In this practicum students will have an opportunity to develop new products that are based on validated needs within their chosen industries, from the idea and discovery phases through to products that are ready to be commercialized. Students will apply concepts from their design and development classes to their product ideas, and will form relationships with corporate and entrepreneurial partners that allow for those products to be tested in real-world pilots. (Typically offered: Fall and Spring) May be repeated for up to 6 hours of degree credit.
SEVI 54603. Product Management. 3 Hours.
In this class, we will explore the relationship between design, product development, and product management in a business environment. Product strategy, lifecycle management, go-to-market strategies, and user and functional testing will be covered, as will techniques of project and product management using tools widely deployed in innovative corporate and startup environments to track user needs, manage product iterations, and execute design sprints. (Typically offered: Spring)
SEVI 58403. Cross-Sector Collaboration for Sustainability. 3 Hours.
This course explores how organizations in the three sectors of society work together in value creation by addressing social and environmental problems. Focusing on business and nonprofit organizations, we investigate the forces that bring about and influence these collaborations from practical and theoretical perspectives, and managerial responses to collaboration challenges. Prerequisite: Graduate Standing. (Typically offered: Irregular)
SEVI 59903. Entrepreneurship Practicum. 3 Hours.
Hands-on management of an actual on-going business. Students will gain experience working in, making decisions about, and managing a competitive business. Students will be required to analyze the business in a term paper or other integrative assignment. Entrance by application only. (Typically offered: Fall, Spring and Summer)
SEVI 61203. Seminar in Entrepreneurship Research. 3 Hours.
This Ph.D.-level seminar presents an overview and introduction into organization theory literature. Emphasis on the development of relevant schools of thought, changes in the content of the traditional or 'mainstream' themes, current topics, schools of thought, and future directions are examined. Prerequisite: Admission to a Ph.D. program. (Typically offered: Irregular)
SEVI 61303. Seminar in Strategy Research. 3 Hours.
This Ph.D.-level seminar presents an overview and introduction into the strategic management literature. Emphasis on both the content and process of the extant research. Relevant theory, methods, 'mainstream' themes, current topics, schools of thought, and future directions are examined. Prerequisite: Admission to a Ph.D. program. (Typically offered: Irregular)
SEVI 63203. Seminar in Non-Market Strategy Research. 3 Hours.
Seminar in Non-Market Strategy--This course reviews the major theoretical and empirical foundations of current non-market strategic management thought with attention given to strategic corporate social responsibility and corporate political activity. This is not a lecture class. Students are expected to read, understand, and critique ALL papers assigned for discussion each week. Students will be assigned responsibility for leading the discussion of selected readings as well as participate in the discussion of all assigned readings. Prerequisite: Graduate Standing and SEVI PhD Coordinator approval. (Typically offered: Fall and Spring)
SEVI 6360V. Special Topics in Strategy and Entrepreneurship. 1-12 Hour.
SEVI 6360V is a course provided by individual faculty and tailored to the research interests of the student. The course is developed in consultation with the student so that scholarly articles are assigned to assist the student with detailed knowledge of the specific research area in which the student has interests. Prerequisite: Graduate standing and permission of the SEVI PhD Coordinator. (Typically offered: Fall, Spring and Summer) May be repeated for up to 12 hours of degree credit.
SEVI 64203. Seminar in Applied Research Methods. 3 Hours.
This course focuses on applied research topics in the strategic management and entrepreneurship. The main emphasis is on the research methods that will serve as the foundation for the methodological toolkit. Prerequisite: Graduate standing and permission of the SEVI PhD Coordinator. (Typically offered: Irregular)
SEVI 7000V. Doctoral Dissertation. 1-18 Hour.
Doctoral dissertation. (Typically offered: Fall, Spring and Summer) May be repeated for degree credit.