Carroll School of Management

Information for First Year Students

In most ways, the first year in the Carroll School of Management resembles the first year in the Morrissey College of Arts and Sciences. Carroll School of Management freshmen are expected to focus their study on aspects of the University's Core curriculum (described in the University Policies and Procedures section); the study of courses required in the Management Core, with the exceptions noted below, usually begins in earnest in sophomore year.

All Carroll School freshmen will enroll in Portico (PRTO1000), a 3-credit course, offered in the fall semester, which combines an introduction to business with ethics and attention to globalization.

During freshman year, Carroll students should also complete the Writing Seminar and Literature Core requirements, and Statistical Analysis (BZAN1135). These four courses, or their equivalent via Advanced Placement, and Excel for Business Analytics (BZAN1037) are indispensable in the first year. Note that there is no necessary sequence for the above-mentioned courses; they may be taken in any order, either semester, during the first year.

What other courses should a freshman pursue? Students contemplating study abroad should be aware that some programs require a language proficiency and may want to consider taking a relevant language course(s).

Freshmen should also consider enrolling in one of the University's hallmark programs, PULSE or Perspectives, which fulfill both the Philosophy and the Theology Core requirements. Perspectives, with the exception of a few sophomore sections, is restricted to freshmen; PULSE may be taken at any time except senior year.

Other possibilities for freshman year include the History core courses, Principles of Economics (ECON1101), plus innovative courses in the Enduring Questions and Complex Problems Core offerings.

While the preceding remarks capture a range of possibilities, even greater possibilities await a student possessed of Advanced Placement, transfer, or International Baccalaureate credit. Such students should consult carefully with the Senior Associate Dean and their faculty orientation advisor in crafting a plan of study for their first year.

Management Core Courses

• PRTO1000 Portico (freshman, fall)
• BZAN1135 Statistical Analysis (freshman)
• ECON1101 Principles of Economics (freshman or sophomore)
• BZAN1037 Excel for Business Analytics (1 credit, freshman)
• ACCT1021 Financial Accounting (sophomore or freshman)
• BZAN2021 Coding for Business (sophomore or freshman)
• BSLW1021 Introduction to Law (sophomore or junior)
• MGMT1021 Organizational Behavior (sophomore or junior)
• BZAN1021 Operations Management (sophomore or junior)
• MFIN1021 Fundamentals of Finance (sophomore or junior)
• MKTG1021 Principles of Marketing (sophomore or junior)
• MGMT3099 Strategic Management (senior)
• 4–6 CSOM concentration courses (junior, senior)
• 12-15 credits of non-CSOM Electives (any year)*

With the exception of MGMT3099 Strategic Management, all Management Core courses usually are completed by the end of the junior year. Students who have transferred, who have done a semester or a year abroad, or who have had deficiencies may have to modify their schedules somewhat.

Students in the Class of 2026 pursuing a minor in the Morrissey College of Arts and Sciences or the Lynch School of Education and Human Development may elect to eliminate one of the Carroll School core management courses. Students who complete the pre-medical program requirements (without a major or minor in MCAS) are eligible for this incentive as well. A student pursuing a major in the Morrissey College of Arts and Sciences may elect to eliminate two of the Carroll School core management courses. Selection of the eliminated courses must be done with advising from the Associate Dean's office. No one may eliminate Portico, Financial Accounting, Statistical Analysis, Coding for Business, or Principles of Economics. Note: Students are not eligible to combine any of the incentives above (i.e., a student with two minors may not eliminate two courses).

Prerequisites, which are listed in the individual course descriptions, must be followed.

* For the Class of 2027 onward, students will be required to take 15 credits of non-CSOM Electives and are not eligible to reduce their Management Core class by one or two for minors and majors outside of the Carroll School, respectively. 

International Study

Studying and living in another country enables students to broaden their horizons and experience a different culture. Carroll School of Management students who have a 3.0 GPA or higher are eligible to study abroad during their junior year. During the spring semester of freshman year, the Dean’s Office sponsors an informational session for management students interested in studying abroad; a subsequent fall semester study abroad fair for first-semester sophomores encourages further exploration of program options. All students interested in international study should visit the Office of Global Education early in their sophomore year.

The Office of Global Education administers a growing number of programs for Boston College including course-based summer programs for those who desire a shorter abroad experience or cannot go during the regular academic year. Carroll School of Management students may avail themselves of opportunities for study in excellent institutions in the Pacific Rim, continental Europe and the United Kingdom, South America, and Eastern Europe, among others. See elsewhere in this Catalog for a full listing.

Special Programs

Pre-Professional Studies for Law

Pre-Law students need clear reasoning power, a facility for accurate expression, a mature balance of judgment, and the ability to appreciate the moral, social, and economic problems related to the administration of justice in modern society. The Carroll School of Management offers an ideal opportunity to develop these qualities both through the Liberal Arts Core and specialized management courses, notably, those case-style courses which place a premium on analytical powers and a capacity in both oral and written expression.

Carroll School students interested in law should contact Kamryn Gooden, Assistant Director for Career Education, in the Career Center, and the University's pre-law advisor.

The Ethics Initiative

In addition to Portico (PRTO1000), many regular Carroll School of Management courses integrate ethical issues in business and management. Elective courses in accounting, marketing, law, and operations are focused on ethical issues specific to those disciplines. Additionally, the Winston Center for Leadership and Ethics offers annual lecture, seminar, and workshop programs on ethics and leadership for undergraduate students.

Summer Management Catalyst Program

The Carroll School of Management Summer Management Catalyst Program is an intensive, full-time, 8-week program designed to develop a solid and broad foundation in the functional areas of management for non-management students.

Participants register for 11 credits that cover a wide range of business management topics, including accounting, finance, marketing, ethics, law, Excel, big data, and career skills.

Additional information and application can be found at bc.edu/catalyst.

Catalyst Program Benefits

• Learn how organizations operate and develop management skills to contribute to complex, not-for-profit, business, and government entities.
• Complete three core management courses and one Career Practicum in one summer and receive 11 credits—ideal for students who find it difficult to fit management courses into their schedule and students interested in completing a Carroll School minor.
• Develop career strategies in building your personal brand through sessions on skills assessment, writing resumes and business letters, interviewing skills, effective networking, and employer panels.
• Connect exclusively with potential employers through alumni networking and recruiting panel events. 

Stand out in the competitive job market for internships or full-time positions with enhanced credentials from the summer program, including Excel and exposure to programming languages.

Carroll School of Management Dean's Office Courses

PRTO1000 Portico (Fall: 3)
This course is required for all Carroll School students and must be taken in the fall semester of their first year at BC. Portico fulfills the Carroll School ethics requirement.
This is the introductory course for Carroll School of Management’s first-year students. Topics will include ethics, leadership, globalization, economic development, capitalism, innovation, entrepreneurship, vocational discernment, and the types and structures of organizations operating in the business world. This will be an interactive 3-credit seminar, serving as one of the five courses in the fall semester and fulfilling the ethics requirement for the Carroll School. The instructor will serve as an academic advisor during the student’s first year.
The Department

BCOM1021 Essential Business Communication
Essential Business Communication is a one-credit asynchronous course designed to support sophomores (and second-semester first-year students) transitioning from academic to business writing and preparing them for on-the-job communication. Students learn how to boost their business writing and presentation skills through various activities, including analyzing audiences, writing everyday business communication, collaborating, and presenting. Instructors and writing coaches provide individualized feedback to students in this online environment. The course is graded pass/fail. The course will be offered in one five-week term within a semester.
The Department

BCOM6688 Business Writing and Communication Skills for Managers (Fall/Spring: 3)
Restricted to CSOM 
The course focuses on the types of communication done on the job, especially in corporations. Business assignments are used to illustrate appropriate writing and communication strategies, protocols, styles, and formats. Students work alone and in collaboration with others around various assignments and tools, including traditional reports, emails, chats, social media, and presentations. By the end of the semester, students will be proficient in producing business letters, instructions, reports, proposals, resumes, and presentation materials. NOTE: Students will not earn credit for both ACCT8810 and BCOM6688.
Rita Owens

UNCP4306 Free Markets, Faith, and the Common Good (Spring: 3)
If sharing our gifts, pursuing justice, and acting on our concern for the poor and marginalized of society are core values of Jesuit-trained students, to what extent is free market capitalism a good "fit" for helping us meet those goals? In this course, we will explore several key moral and philosophical foundations of free market capitalism. These arguments will then be placed in dialogue with central insights contained in Catholic social teaching, especially the principles of human dignity, solidarity, the preferential option for the poor, and the common good. 
Joseph Cioni 

PRTO2402 American Commerce and American Culture 
By any number of measures, the American social fabric is fraying. Long before the exacerbations of a global pandemic, polarization was increasing, trust was plummeting, deaths of despair were on the rise, civic participation was down, and we heard talk of a growing epidemic of loneliness. All this amidst a world-historical expansion of wealth and falling rates of crime. What is going on? This course begins with the suspicion that American business plays a central, underappreciated role in the ongoing evolution of our social fabric. It aims to ask: how do the business community's deep assumptions, values and practices shape our sense of ourselves and each other? Our senses of safety and precarity? Our inclinations to creativity and conformity? This course will examine key documents from management theory, social science, philosophy and literature to explore some ways that American commerce and American culture shape one another, and how this relationship can be brought into healthier alignment. 
The Department 

UNCP4307 Happiness in a Commercial Society (Spring: 3)
The aim of this course is to introduce students to the interdisciplinary study of human well-being with a special emphasis on how that pursuit is influenced by contemporary capitalism and commercial life in general. The course will include philosophical, psychological, and social scientific inquiries into human flourishing as they apply to topics such as the relationship between wealth and happiness, the nature of meaningful work, the changing structure of relational networks, as well as practical strategies for emotional regulation and increased self-knowledge. 
Michael Smith
Jeremy Evans

UNCP4309 Everybody's Working for the Weekend: Ambition and Alienation (Spring: 3)
This course will propose an answer to the following question: Why does it seem like some people are more ambitious than others? On the surface, those with what appears to be a natural drive to succeed seem to become more affluent. That is to say, some people appear to embrace hustle culture, or the idea that any time spent not making money is wasted time, while others are drawn toward a trend identified around 2021 as quiet quitting, that is to say, they refuse to devote more time and energy to their work than is absolutely necessary to avoid losing their jobs. Why is this apparent lack of ambition and motivation so prevalent? Can we blame mere laziness? This question will be answered with a resounding no. Rather, this class will show that there are indeed systematic measures in place that cause some to not appear as motivated as others. In order to work through this answer, this class will look at alienation and capitalism. This course will address the effects of systemic racism, automation and AI, environmental concerns, generational trends, and the COVID-19 pandemic on ones ambition to succeed in the workforce. This course will combine philosophical readings from Marx, Weber, Arendt, and others with contemporary business case studies.
Christine Rojcewicz

UNCP4310 Special Topics: The Ethics of Capitalism (Spring: 3)
This course explores the philosophical basis and moral implications of contemporary commercial life. Along the way, we will consider the role of business in society, the relationship between capitalism and democracy, and the ethics of consumption, among other issues where market values intersect public and private virtues.
Michael Smith

UGMG1010 Perspectives on Management (Spring: 3)
This course, taught by practitioners John Clavin (BC '84) and Jere Doyle (BC '87), provides BC students with an excellent opportunity to explore the functional disciplines of business from a real-world perspective. Using a combination of lectures, case studies, readings, and outside speakers, the course provides students the opportunity to get grounded in each of the CSOM concentrations while gaining outside views on careers in related fields and industries. The course will also provide a framework to explore and discuss cross-functional issues that impact business strategy and execution. This is a highly interactive class that places a premium on both preparation and participation each week. The course is initially open to CSOM sophomores but normally has availability for juniors and seniors across all undergraduate majors
John Clavin
Jeremiah Doyle

UGMG1222 Career Bridge
Career Bridge will equip first generation and high financial need college students with the confidence and knowledge to have a successful experience navigating BC. Career Bridge will follow a discussion-based model, emphasizing class participation in three main topic areas: BC experience, personal discernment, and career discernment. Have you struggled getting your footing on campus? Are you looking for a like-minded community? Undecided on what concentration to pursue & how this will impact your career choices? If you answered yes to any of these questions, this course is for you. To inquire about joining, please connect with Drew Barksdale, barksdaa@bc.edu.
Andrew Barksdale

UGMG2222 Career Accelerator (Fall/Spring:1)
Restricted to sophomores and second-semester freshmen in the Carroll School of Management
It is a one credit pass/fail course consisting of eight 90 minute sessions designed to ensure that you learn how to do the following:

• How to identify your top skills/interests and explore career fields that are a good match
• Write an effective resume/cover letter
• Talk about yourself to employers
• Network effectively and utilize the BC Network
• How to Interview to get the job
• Learn about interviewing from employers/upperclassmen and conduct a video mock interview
• How to dress to impress- Learn from a professional stylist what you need to wear to all these different employer and networking events, how to make a positive first impression
• Use Social Media to your advantage- You will develop a strong LinkedIn page and learn how to convey a positive image through social media, also how to use social media to network with the right people

This class will It features employers/alumni, and expert speakers on the topics of how to dress for success and using social media and how to dress for success.
The Department

UGMG4301 Personal Finance Fundamentals: Learning How to Manage your Money
This comprehensive and practical class aims to equip you with essential financial knowledge and skills to make informed decisions about managing your personal finances. Over the length of this course, we will provide you with the necessary knowledge and tools to move into your professional career with confidence and knowledge about your personal finances.
Andrew Barksdale

Managing for Social Impact and the Public Good

The Managing for Social Impact and the Public Good minor is jointly sponsored by the Carroll School of Management and the Morrissey College of Arts and Sciences.

Managing for Social Impact and the Public Good aims to provide students with a well-defined, interdisciplinary minor focused on analyzing the multifaceted impacts of today’s global corporations, social enterprises, public sector, and nonprofit organizations.

In successfully completing this minor, students will:

• Develop a theoretical and practical understanding of the extended social impacts of global corporations and why responsible enterprise values and the public good are relevant for all stakeholders
• Learn to apply research and critical thinking to understand the challenges, benefits, and current practices in corporate social responsibility
• Explore the philosophical, ethical, legal, economic, and ecological implications of the decisions made by corporate and public sector global leaders through case studies, readings, and class discussions
• Understand the challenges, available tools, and innovative models for managing social impacts and balancing stakeholder value in a variety of corporate, nonprofit, and public sector organizations
• Develop and articulate a personal vision for integrating moral decision-making, social justice, citizenship, and responsible management in their future professional lives

Course Requirements

The Managing for Social Impact and the Public Good interdisciplinary minor is an 18-credit program. Students have the option to select electives that focus on one of these three areas:

• Digital Economy, Social Innovation, and Citizenship
• Economic Development, Equality, and Enterprise
• Environmental and Economic Sustainability

Students must take the two required courses described below and earn at least 12 additional credits by taking approved elective courses. No more than 3 credits in this minor may be applied to fulfilling the requirements for another major, minor, or Core requirement.

The following two Carroll School courses are required:

• BSLW3345 Managing for Social Impact (fall/spring)
• BSLW6001 Leading for Social Impact (spring of senior year)

The electives are described further on our Managing for Social Impact and the Public Good website.

Study Abroad

A course taken during a semester abroad may be approved as an elective counting toward the Managing for Social Impact minor, but such courses must be pre-approved by Jeremy Evans, Program Director, before enrollment if they are to be counted. After a student completes the pre-approval process, credit for courses taken abroad will only be granted upon the student’s return from the program, based on the graded work completed for the course.

Declaring the Minor

For questions about the Managing for Social Impact minor, contact Professor Jeremy Evans at evansjv@bc.edu.