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Courses Offered | Exchange Students

Students are strongly encouraged to select courses that fulfil their home university program's requirements, never forgetting their personal interest.

Please note that the enrollment is processed on a first-come, first-served basis.
All courses are lectured in English. A course will only be offered if at least 12 students enrol for it.

Courses Offered 2020-2021

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Accounting

ECTS: 7

Prerequisites: None

The course is focused on a solid understanding of the rules and procedures to prepare financial statements, as well as on the knowledge and skills that are required to analyse, interpret, understand and use financial information to make informed decisions.

Advanced Corporate Finance (1)

ECTS: 7

Prerequisites: Yes (See syllabus)

Corporate Finance analyzes the main strategic financial decisions of firms: investment decisions and financing decisions. This course will focus on the theory and the practice associated with the financing decisions of firms. The course combines the theory of capital structure and financing decisions with empirical results and practical applications of these topics.

Business Research Methods

ECTS: 7

Prerequisites: Yes (See syllabus)

This course introduces quantitative models for business decision-making. A great emphasis is put on practical applications of models, and on the use of statistical software packages to analyse real-world datasets.

Economic Analysis of Social Policies

ECTS: 6

Prerequisites: Yes (See syllabus)

Economic Analysis of Social Policies studies the mechanisms of social protection that are at the core of the Welfare State using an Economics´ perspective. The course has three parts. The first part is a survey of basic results in Welfare Economics and Political Economy dealing with market failures, government policies and their failures. The second part deals with the distribution and redistribution of income and the measurement of inequality and poverty. The third part covers social policies: income maintenance and poverty reduction, pensions, and unemployment insurance.

Financial Investments

ECTS: 7

Prerequisites: Yes (See syllabus)

This is a course in the Master of Science program covering topics related to financial investments and portfolio management. The course covers the basics of fixed income instruments, equity valuation, portfolio theory, asset pricing theory, the risk-return tradeoff, market efficiency, measuring risk-adjusted performance, active portfolio management and hedge funds.
The goal of this course is to provide the students with a structure for thinking about investment theory and show them how to address investment problems systematically.

History of Economic Thought

ECTS: 6

Prerequisites: Yes (See syllabus

This course attempts a description of the evolution of the main references of economic theory. Starting in Antiquity, main stress will be placed on the classical and neoclassical schools, analyzing directly the main texts of the basic authors of the science, describing the evolution of Economic Theory. The method used will be oral exposition by the teacher, discussing some specific quotations from each of the books selected.

Macroeconomic Policy

ECTS: 6

Prerequisites: Yes (See syllabus)

The purpose of the course is to enable students to understand macroeconomic policy-making and to think systematically on macroeconomic policy issues. This will imply mastering several macroeconomic models and several instruments relevant for economic analysis. The course will cover topics related to monetary policy, fiscal policy and macroprudential policy. 

Marketing Planning

ECTS: 7

Prerequisites: None

This course aims to promote a deep understanding of marketing's key concepts, tools and relationship with other managerial functions; to practice the principles of marketing planning using and proposing a plan for the launch of a new product/service in the Portuguese market. By the end of this course, students will be equipped to understand all steps involved in the ideation, development and launch of a new product/service. 

Marketing Research

ECTS: 7

Prerequisites: Yes (See syllabus)

The quality of Marketing decisions largely depends on the information that is made available to decision-makers about consumers, markets and relevant products.  The main goal of this course is to familiarise students with the instruments and techniques that are commonly used for producing useful information for marketing-related decision making. The course covers the various stages of the marketing research process, from the basic definition of the research problem to the presentation of the research results.

(1) Students that register for Advanced Corporate Finance must not register for Financial Decision-Making in a Business Context.

Language Courses

German Language Course | Level A1.1

ECTS:
4.5

Prerequisites: None

This course provides a general introduction to the German language, focusing occasionally on specific professional contexts of use related to the world of business. Students are expected to reach level A1.1 of the CEFR in the German Language.

Mandarin Language Course (Introduction)

ECTS: 4.5

Prerequisites: None

The aim is that students reach the objectives defined by the HSK at level 1 (equivalent to A1 of the CEFR, the Common European Framework of Reference for Language). In accordance with the syllabus, students are expected to develop skills in producing and interpreting some basic utterances, as well as in making short conversations in Mandarin. Students are also expected to get an overview of China and Chinese culture (society and culture, Chinese business etiquette, cities and regions, etc.), and get prepared for the possible further mandarin learning.

Portuguese Extensive Course | Level A1

ECTS: 
4.5 ECTS

Prerequisites: None

This course aims at the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages level A1. The student will be able to understand and use familiar everyday expressions and very basic phrases and introduce him/herself and others and can ask and answer questions about personal details such as where he/she lives, people he/she knows and things he/she has.

Portuguese Extensive Course | Level A2

ECTS: 4.5 ECTS

Prerequisites: Yes (See syllabus)

This course aims at the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages level A2. The student will be able to understand sentences and frequently used expressions related to areas of most immediate relevance (e.g. very basic personal and family information, shopping, local geography, employment) and communicate in simple and routine tasks requiring a simple and direct exchange of information on familiar and routine matters.

Spanish Language Course | Level A1

ECTS: 4.5

Prerequisites: None

The aim is that the students reach the objectives defined by the European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) at level A1. Per the syllabus, students are expected to develop skills in producing and interpreting different types of utterances, both oral and written, and in multiple situations. One primary aim of the discipline is also to promote both individual and collaborative learning, i.e., through group work.

Spanish Language Course | Level A2

ECTS: 4.5

Prerequisites: Yes (See syllabus)

This course aims at the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages level A2. The student will be able to understand sentences and frequently used expressions related to areas of most immediate relevance (e.g. very basic personal and family information, shopping, local geography, employment) and communicate in simple and routine tasks requiring a simple and direct exchange of information on familiar and routine matters.

 

Advanced Mathematics

ECTS: 3.5

Prerequisites: TBC

(more information available soon)

Advanced Microeconomics

ECTS: 4.5

Prerequisites: Yes (See syllabus)

This course aims to deepen the students’ knowledge of Microeconomic theory. It is organized around lectures, group assignments and recitations for solving and discussing exercises.

Advanced Strategic Management

ECTS: 3.5

Prerequisites: Yes (See syllabus)

The Advanced Strategic Management course aims to further develop the students’ strategic competencies, by presenting and discussing world-class advanced strategic concepts and practices in the business context.
The concepts taught in the Advanced Strategic Management course will be applied to international case-studies and complemented with corporate video analyses. A group project to analyse and apply a specific advanced strategic concept is also required in the course.

Consumer Behavior

ECTS: 3.5

Prerequisites: Yes (See syllabus)

This course aims to outline the importance of understanding consumers’ behaviour to develop appropriate marketing strategies. Specific information about how consumers choose, buy, and dispose of the products or services, help organizations to properly define its core market and to identify threats and opportunities for their products and brands. It is therefore of major importance to adequately analyze potential consumers, identifying its needs and wishes to properly offer customized solutions and be able to successfully innovate.

Cross-Cultural Management

ECTS: 3.5

Prerequisites: Yes (See syllabus)

The world is becoming increasingly more global. From the emergence of multinational organizations to the rising numbers of international workers, new challenges and opportunities emerge for managers and employees. These challenges and opportunities can be best understood if cross-cultural factors are taken into consideration. 
This course aims to deepen your understanding of the context-specific nature of management and to provide you with knowledge and skills helpful to navigate the increasingly global nature of contemporary work.

Digital Marketing

ECTS: 3.5

Prerequisites: Yes (See syllabus)

This course aims to: understand the integration of digital marketing strategies in the overall marketing strategy of the company; explore the impact of digital in transforming the marketing mix; practice the principles of digital marketing planning; provide an overview on best practices in digital marketing; understand the main metrics and KPIs related to digital strategies.

Digital Product Management

ECTS: 3.5

Prerequisites: None

This course dives into the fundamentals of building and managing digital products as well as the practices that led companies like Google, Amazon and Facebook into building technology used by billions of people every single day. The course is structured to provide an in-depth view of the digital product management discipline, currently practised at startups and large software companies.

Digital Transformation

ECTS: 3.5 

Prerequisites: Yes (See syllabus)

This course aims at preparing the students to participate and lead Digital Transformation teams, by providing a hands-on approach based on Design Thinking methodologies, to acquire the know-how, tools and experiences required to be an asset in any Digital Transformation project. The teaching approach is based on challenging the students to deal with a real-world case, applying a digital transformation framework and providing experiential design thinking tools to deal with it.

Econometrics I

ECTS: 4

Prerequisites: Yes (See syllabus)

Econometrics I is an introductory course in Econometrics. Students are introduced to the basic techniques of econometric analysis.

Economics of Education

ECTS: 3.5

Prerequisites: Yes (See syllabus)

This course is an introduction to the economics of education. The central aim of the course is to assist students in viewing the education sector and its educational processes through the perspective of economics, providing students with an understanding and analytical tools that help them undertake careers in the academia or policy-oriented institutions (such as World Bank or Governmental agencies).

Financial Analysis and Forecasting

ECTS: 3.5

Prerequisites: Yes (See syllabus)

The primary objective of the course is to provide a comprehensive framework for financial forecasting and apply it to real-world firms and cases. This course is useful to different users. Managers need forecasts to formulate business plans and decide on which projects to invest; analysts need forecasts to communicate their views about firm’s prospects to investors; bankers and debt participants need forecasts to assess the likelihood of loan repayment; forecasts are fundamental for firm valuation.

Financial-Decision Making in a Business Context (2)

ECTS: 3.5

Prerequisites: Yes (See syllabus)

Corporate finance is the study of the financing decisions made by firms. No matter what your role in a corporation, an understanding of the key financial decisions made by the firm is vital. In this course we will focus on two broad financial decisions:
- The capital structure decision: What is the optimal mix of securities issued by firms to finance their activities?
- The payout decision: How much should the firm pay-out to equity holders and how?

Innovation Management

ECTS: 3.5

Prerequisites: None

This course aims to provide a series of conceptual tools for profiting from innovation. The course should be of particular interest for future managers, entrepreneurs, or consultants, who must understand the role of innovation in affecting competitive advantage. We will use a combination of lectures and case studies to explore and apply theoretical frameworks in a practical, business policy context.

International Marketing

ECTS: 3.5

Prerequisites: None

An important goal of this course is to understand the world from the perspective of a marketing manager and to develop an understanding of fundamental concepts, methodologies, and applications of international marketing, which should materialize in the form of tools to be used in the firm. The improved comprehension about similarities and differences among countries should equip students to make objective decisions in the area of international marketing. The pursuit of this goal will involve readings, lectures, solving of practical exercises, and discussion and debate. 

International Negotiation

ECTS: 3.5

Prerequisites: None

Negotiation is a decision-making process in which two or more parties with non-identical preferences seek to reach an agreement about how to allocate resources (Bazerman & Carroll, 1987; Falcão, 2012). Students will learn a variety of frameworks to understand the process of negotiation and will have at least one face-to-face negotiation exercise per class to practice and develop skills. International and cross-cultural aspects of negotiation will also be explored.

Intrapreneurship

ECTS: 3.5

Prerequisites: None

Intrapreneurs are highly valued by firms and the broader business culture. Intrapreneurship, or corporate entrepreneurship as it is also known, entails acting like an entrepreneur within a larger organization. Intrapreneurship in corporate strategy allows companies to innovate from within to become more competitive and helps incumbent firms address the so-called “innovator’s dilemma” where established entities are displaced by upstarts. This class engages with the intrapreneurship terrain in both a practical and theoretical manner. Creativity, Innovation, and Entrepreneurship (CIE) are established notions in strategy, leadership, and management. Intrapreneurship is a distinctive domain that incorporates aspects of CIE but is not entirely the same thing. 

Leadership Development

ECTS: 3.5

Prerequisites: None

This course is about leadership and is intended to help students become more effective when dealing with workplace demands for leadership, regardless of their previous work experience. The course examines “what” leadership is, “why” it is important, and “when” it is useful.

Managerial Decision Making

ECTS: 3.5

Prerequisites: Yes (See Syllabus)

This course is designed to provide you with a better understanding of how you and other people think, feel, decide, and behave. Ultimately, it aims at making you a better decision-maker. To that aim, we will start by studying the psychological processes that underlie the choices that people make. We will further look at systematic biases and heuristics that people have when making decisions, as well as a variety of other important influences on the decision-making process (e.g., moods and emotions). We will also examine interventions or “brain hacks” which can help people become more effective in making decisions.  

Marketing Communication

ECTS: 3.5

Prerequisites: Yes (See syllabus)

This course will provide you with a chance to learn, discuss and participate in the full breadth of the integrated marketing communications process. The work we will do intends to give you the necessary insight and knowledge to use the main Marketing Communication tools in your future business role.

Mathematics for Economists

ECTS: 3.5

Prerequisites: Yes (See syllabus)

The Mathematics for Economists course aims at reviewing the mathematic tools needed for advanced studies in Economics. The course was devised assuming that students have already a Mathematics background, namely on differential calculus for functions of a single variable. Building on this knowledge, differential calculus for functions of several variables, with a special emphasis on non-linear optimization, and integral calculus for functions of a single variable are addressed. All content is illustrated with representative examples in Economics to help students to bridge the gap between the mathematical tools description and their application in Economics.

New Products and Services

ECTS: 3.5

Prerequisites: None

The best way to learn about what is involved in creating new products and services is through hands-on experience. This course uses learn-by-doing methods, through a structured process, based on some theory, many real-world examples, and very intense hands-on work with your team, faculty and guest experts. At the end of the course you will be ready to build-up on course work and continue working on your new products/services, or to take the tools and frameworks you learned and apply them to new products and services. 

Project Management

ECTS: 3.5

Prerequisites: None

The Project Management course aims to develop the specific project management related competencies of the students, by presenting and discussing world-class project management practices and concepts in the business context. Also, it aims to apply Project Management tools to a practical case on a strategic approach.

Responsible Business

ECTS: 3.5

Prerequisites: None

This course will provide students with a holistic and systemic approach to the challenges facing businesses when it comes to acting as RB in the perspective of key players (Governments, Companies, Citizens) and key stakeholders (shareholders, employees, suppliers, customers, consumers, local communities, ONGs…).  It will deliver a global and coherent understanding of what RB means and how to go about it. 

Strategic Management

ECTS: 3.5

Prerequisites: None

This is a course in the fundamentals of strategic management. This course aims to provide students with the theoretical foundations of the field of strategy. Specifically, the purpose of this course is to develop students’ ability to think strategically, and to provide students with the tools and knowledge needed to understand how organizations can achieve superior sustainable performance. The course is of interest to future managers, entrepreneurs, or consultants, who need to understand how companies can achieve sustainable competitive advantage.

1) Students that register for Data Science for Finance must not register for VBA and Advanced VBA;
2) Students that register for Financial Decision-Making in a Business Context must not register for Advanced Corporate Finance.
 

​Language Course

Portuguese Intensive Course (18 hours)

ECTS: 1.5

Prerequisites: None

This course is intended for absolute beginners in Portuguese as a foreign language and aims at preparing participants for their first contact with the language and the daily communicative situations they will come across whilst in the country. By the end of the course, students should be able to:
• take part in general conversation and simple interactions in a social context (to introduce oneself, as well as one’s family and friends, to talk about one’s place of origin, to describe one’s work, favourite activities, express preferences, address an interlocutor and respond to his/her questions);
• solve simple daily administrative tasks (fill out forms, start a telephone call, locate an office/person);
• interact in an elementary way in daily communicative situations (shopping, using public transportation, at the restaurant, at the bank, post office, pharmacy, cinema).

 

Advanced Macroeconomics

ECTS: 4.5

Prerequisites: Yes (See syllabus)

This course offers an introduction to neoclassical macroeconomics in a closed economy. The course is intended for master’s students who wish to develop a solid background in this area. At the end of the course, students should be able to understand the behaviour of the aggregate economy in the Neoclassical Model and simulate models numerically using excel.

Brand Management

ECTS: 3.5

Prerequisites: None

Brands are a fascinating marketing construct.  They are intangible, yet potentially highly valuable assets, often co-created by firms and consumers. This course covers the key aspects of creating and managing strong brands and how to strategically leverage their awesome power.

Business Ethics & Social Responsibility

ECTS: 3.5

Prerequisites: None

Why does Ethics matter in business? What are the ethical responsibilities associated with being a manager, an accountant or a financial trader? What are the main commonalities and differences of recent corporate scandals and how is it possible to adopt individual and organizational strategies to prevent new ones? Why should business organizations behave in a socially responsible way? How can organizations develop a business strategy that integrates the generation of commercial and social value?
This course will assist students to answer such questions through the discussion of case studies concerning ethical issues and dilemmas faced by managers, financial professionals and entrepreneurs in different cultural, industrial and organizational contexts. 

Business Statistics 

ECTS: 3.5

Prerequisites: None

In this course, we will explore the importance of statistics as a way of thinking quantitatively about the world. The course is based on the Model Comparison Approach and is focused on promoting the understanding of the fundamental statistical concepts of model, effect, effect size, test statistics and p-values. The course starts exploring the notions of variables, measurement levels of variables, and logic relation between variables, and then moves forward to explain how to carry out and interpret the most common statistical data analyses used in social sciences. The course uses R Studio as the data analysis software integrated with R Markdown for reporting the results. 

Competitive Intelligence

ECTS: 3.5

Prerequisites: Yes (See syllabus)

This course highly contributes to an understanding of competitive intelligence and the intelligence environment overall. In a highly competitive and innovative environment, companies depend on their external knowledge acquisition capabilities, and this is true for large as well as for small companies; this is also especially true for start-ups. Companies should thus develop an intelligence attitude at all levels. This course thus proposes participants to apply a set of the most advanced and relevant competitive intelligence methodologies in an integrated manner.

Econometrics II

ECTS: 4

Prerequisites: Yes (See syllabus)

(more information available soon)

Economics of Business and Markets

ECTS: 3.5

Prerequisites: Yes (See syllabus)

This course develops an understanding of firms’ strategic behaviour and how they can influence the market structure. We will use game-theoretic reasoning to analyze issues related to pricing, entry into new markets or exit from established businesses, changing the perceptions of competitors, level of product differentiation and product proliferation competition and its impact on market competition, and strategies aimed at alleviating price competition among firms. In the last topic, the course will give insights on the public policy perspective, in terms of economic regulation and antitrust.

eContent

ECTS: 3.5

Prerequisites: None

Throughout this course, you will dive into some of the best-kept secrets on what makes content work will amaze and enrich your skills background, a true added value on today’s market demand. You will also be part of a challenge – a true brand will share a tough task to be solved only by the best: groups will be formed to share their creative vision, ideas and content strategy for that brand so to beat their competitors on the digital field. 

Financial Derivatives

ECTS: 3.5

Prerequisites: Yes (See syllabus)

This course studies a particular class of financial assets, named derivative assets, whose value “derives” from other financial assets, referred to as the underlying asset. Derivative assets play a key role in modern capital markets, representing today many trillion USD. They are an important
instrument available to financial managers to manage their companies’ risk exposure.

Firm Valuation

ECTS: 3.5

Prerequisites: Yes (See syllabus)

Whether interested in pursuing a career as a security analyst, portfolio manager, CEO or are an individual investing their wealth, this course will provide you with the right tools for reliable firm valuation. Employing knowledge from the fields of accounting and finance, we will study alternative valuation methods from both a conceptual and practical perspective. We will address the various issues arising in the valuation process and discuss valuation in special settings such as private equity markets, emerging markets, and restructuring.

Group and Team Processes

ECTS: 3.5

Prerequisites: None

Many modern organizations are structured in work teams, and those teams are considered its building blocks (e.g., Campion, Medsker, & Higgs, 1993). Consequently, understanding what may enhance the ability of teams to be effective must be a serious concern for researchers and practitioners. This course provides an overview of the fundamental dynamics of teams and teamwork, focusing on the interactions between team members that contribute to team performance and team members’ satisfaction. 

Imperfect Markets

ECTS: 4.5

Prerequisites: Yes (See syllabus)

The objective of this course is to provide a rigorous understanding of core theoretical aspects of the behaviour of firms and industries in imperfectly competitive markets.

International Business Challenges

ECTS: 3.5

Prerequisites: None

This is course addresses the modern challenges that international managers face when operating on a global scale. The course covers the process of internationalization of companies, from domestic to international and to global, focusing on the difficulties that need to be overcome. The course also addresses the current challenges deriving from COVID-19 at a European and world scale. In particular, it will assess disruptions in value chains, threats to sustainable financial performance, funding support from the EU, as well as energy transition and digital transformation resulting from the COVID-19 aftermath.

International Industry Analysis

ECTS: 3.5

Prerequisites: Yes (see syllabus)

Business leaders and strategy consultants are required to fully understand the industries they are working for, to leverage the international development of companies. Therefore, the International Industry Analysis course aims to integrate and strengthen the strategic, marketing, operational and technological competencies of students, by analysing specific industries on a global level.

Leadership Development

ECTS: 3.5

Prerequisites: None

This course is about leadership and is intended to help students become more effective when dealing with workplace demands for leadership, regardless of their previous work experience. The course examines “what” leadership is, “why” it is important, and “when” it is useful.

Management Accounting

ECTS: 3.5

Prerequisites: Yes (See syllabus)

The course aims at developing skills related to Performance Measurement and Management Control. At the end of the course, students should be able to understand the need of setting up control systems, techniques and tools in the way of doing so and how to use these control mechanisms in making relevant economic decisions. 

Management Information Systems

ECTS: 3.5

Prerequisites: Yes (see syllabus)

The course presents the subject with an organizational and strategic flavour avoiding pure technological discussions. In this regard, Information Systems have always considered a management tool to drive value in the context of business models. IS management is also broached in this course so that future managers can deal with the most correct IS governance mechanisms necessary to deploy strategic projects maintaining IS quality exploitation levels within acceptable patterns.

Managing Organizations

ECTS: 3.5

Prerequisites: None

The main objective of this course is to help students understand several core topics relating to organizational dynamics such as organizational structure, culture, learning, communication, and change. Through cases, class activities, lectures, and assignments, the course will engage students to reflect and apply organizational behaviour concepts, theories, and practices to a variety of real-life organizational settings. 

Managing People

ECTS: 3.5

Prerequisites: None

Managing People is designed to provide you with a better understanding of individual perception and interpersonal behaviour in organizations, and how these influence personal and organizational performance. The course focuses on how you, as an organizational member and manager, can experience, understand, and manage yourself, and other individuals, in organizations.

Managing Social Innovation

ECTS: 3.5

Prerequisites: None

In the last years, social innovation has acquired centrality in the debate among practitioners, media, policymakers and academicians because it represents a “ray of hope” against social inequalities, poverty, human rights abuses, unemployment and environmental damages. Through social innovation, traditional corporations and social enterprises can successfully tackle complex social problems while making a profit.
Managing social innovation is extremely challenging because recomposing social value creation and wealth generation in a single venture requires the development of specific, complex skills, capabilities, and managerial practices. Yet, organizations that are capable to manage social innovation successfully can not only drive a positive change in society but also acquire a sustainable competitive advantage. 

Marketing for Technology-Based Startups

ECTS: 3.5

Prerequisites: Yes (See syllabus)

In this course, you will learn how some basic marketing concepts can assist young technology (digital and science-based) ventures to create, deliver and extract value in a meaningful way for the customers and investors. You will be introduced to marketing & entrepreneurial tools and will practice by developing entrepreneurial thinking when selecting the most appropriate marketing strategies for a real startup. You will have a glimpse of a start-up business in which you will contribute to solving a real-life marketing challenge for a technology-based startup. You will gain knowledge from working with a young start-up – Neroes working with neuroscience technology for sports athletes and alumni from a major worldwide technology accelerator. During the course, you will gain knowledge by solving real marketing problems for Neroes.

Strategic Marketing

ECTS: 3.5

Prerequisites: Yes (See syllabus)

This course focuses on strategically analyzing and solving marketing problems from a decision-makers’ perspective. To give you an insight into the "real world" frustrations and rewards of formulating and implementing a marketing strategy, you and your team will run a business, in competition with the other teams in a dynamic environment of MARKSTRAT simulation!

Technology Strategy

ECTS: 3.5 

Prerequisites: None

Technology Strategy prepares students to manage technology within an organization and to relate technology and innovation to the broader strategic decision-making required at the corporate level. It will explore how market characteristics shape and are shaped by technological innovation in the larger context of corporate strategy. Furthermore, it addresses how managers and executives can identify which technologies are likely to succeed in markets, and which firms are best positioned to profit from this innovation. It addresses these issues in both entrepreneurial and established firms and examines how the firm’s activities, assets, and relationships must complement one another to capture value from innovation. 

Business Research Methods (B)

ECTS: 7

Prerequisites: Yes (See syllabus)

This course introduces quantitative methods used to extract information from data with the ultimate goal of improving managerial decisions. The underlying idea on which the course is based and that it aims at developing among the students is one that recognizes the ubiquity of data and the opportunities they offer for knowledge discovery.
The course’s approach is twofold. First, it develops concepts and methods, which are useful in the current data-oriented business environment: from data collection to statistical models of data interpretation. Second, it puts a great emphasis on mastering software tools to carry analyses of real-world datasets and to report results.

Lean Entrepreneurship Project

ECTS: 7

Prerequisites: None

This course is based on 12 challenges requiring interaction between the team, and future clients or customers. The different challenges will help you understand what is a good business idea and how to get from the idea to a structured business. This process will be based on the Lean methodology to mitigate some of the risks, and have more chances to succeed. Students will have the option of developing business ideas proposed by the instructor OR to propose their ideas for business. These will be put to a market place, and if selected by their peers as worth developing they will become the course project for one of the teams. Not all ideas for businesses will be implemented. During the course, students will have to interview future clients and obtain good evidence of traction.

Social Entrepreneurship: Building Impact Ventures

ECTS: 7

Prerequisites: None

Social entrepreneurs are a driving force for societal change and business innovation, creating compelling ventures that align both profit and impact. What do social entrepreneurs do that is unique and why do they succeed in addressing profound societal problems in areas where governments, markets and charities are failing? How are impact ventures built? This course will place you in the role of a social entrepreneur and help you learn in teams how to design and launch an impact venture.
The course uses a hands-on step by step approach through which the teams will make progress each week in the design and piloting of their venture. This framework is built on research, cases, and tools co-developed by the instructor while working at IES - Social Business School. This framework has been widely used worldwide by more than 6000 participants and is codified in the book “The Social Entrepreneurs´ Guide to Changing the World.”

Strategic Management Consulting Project

ECTS: 7

Prerequisites: Yes (See syllabus)

The course is based on a field project that consists of working with a client organization to define the challenge, investigate root-causes, gather relevant data, analyse data, generate and evaluate alternative solutions and present the proposed solution to the decision-maker. The course develops the interaction between students and client organizations, by using a collaborative consulting methodology that contributes to understand and solve real management and business challenges.

 

 

 

Language Courses

German Language Course - Level A1.1

ECTS: 4.5

Prerequisites: None

This course provides a general introduction to the German language, focusing occasionally on specific professional contexts of use related to the world of business. Students are expected to reach level A1.1 of the CEFR in the German Language.

Mandarin Language Course (Introduction)

ECTS: 4.5

Prerequisites: None

The aim is that students reach the objectives defined by the HSK at level 1 (equivalent to A1 of the CEFR, the Common European Framework of Reference for Language). In accordance with the syllabus, students are expected to develop skills in producing and interpreting some basic utterances, as well as in making short conversations in Mandarin. Students are also expected to get an overview of China and Chinese culture (society and culture, Chinese business etiquette, cities and regions, etc.), and get prepared for the possible further mandarin learning.

Portuguese Extensive Course | level A1

ECTS: 4.5

Prerequisites: None

This course aims at the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages level A1. By the end of this course, students should be able to:
• understand familiar words and phrases common to daily situations and relating to themes of personal relevance (personal information, interests, interpersonal relationships), whenever the interlocutor speaks slowly and clearly (oral comprehension);
• understand simple words, expressions and phrases and grasping information in notices, timetables, and catalogues as well as very simple messages such as text messages and emails (written comprehension);
• communicate in basic daily situations and brief social interactions, with the collaboration of the interlocutor, asking and answering simple questions of immediate relevance and on familiar topics (verbal interaction);
• use simple expressions and phrases for describing oneself and others and to narrate general events and routine actions (oral expression);
• write very brief informal messages and personal notes, filling in forms with personal information (written expression).

Portuguese Extensive Course | level A2

ECTS: 4.5

Prerequisites: Yes (See syllabus)

This course aims at the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages level A2. The student will be able to understand sentences and frequently used expressions related to areas of most immediate relevance (e.g. very basic personal and family information, shopping, local geography, employment) and communicate in simple and routine tasks requiring a simple and direct exchange of information on familiar and routine matters.

Spanish Language Course | level A1

ECTS: 4.5

Prerequisites: None

The aim is that the students reach the objectives defined by the European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) at level A1. Per the syllabus, students are expected to develop skills in producing and interpreting different types of utterances, both oral and written, and in multiple situations. One primary aim of the discipline is also to promote both individual and collaborative learning, i.e., through group work. In this initial stage of the study of the foreign language, particular attention will be paid to the grammatical contents. The classes will be organized around two specific moments: first, the teacher will introduce the theoretical content and a second moment when the teacher will conduct the students through activities – in class or outside the classroom – and exercises – both oral and written – aimed at allowing intensive language practice. 

Spanish Language Course | level A2

ECTS: 4.5

Prerequisites: Yes (See syllabus)

Our aim is that the students reach the objectives defined by the European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) at level A2 (Plataforma/Waystage). By the syllabus, students – at the end of the course are expected to master a strong Waystage performance. This means the student will to be able to:
• Greet, ask and react to news;
• Talk about work and free time;
• Make and respond to invitations and make arrangements;
• Ask and give basic information and directions;
• Ask for and provide everyday goods and services;
• Describe past activities and personal experiences;
• Explain what (s)he likes or dislikes;
• Compare.

Brand Management

ECTS: 3.5

Prerequisites: None

Brands are a fascinating marketing construct.  They are intangible, yet potentially highly valuable assets, often co-created by firms and consumers. This course covers the key aspects of creating and managing strong brands and how to strategically leverage their awesome power.

Business Ethics & Social Responsibility

ECTS: 3.5

Prerequisites: None

This course will examine the most recent approaches to corporate social responsibility and a broad range of alternative applied ethics theories in support of managerial and professional decision making. Perspectives will include professional and applied ethics, law, public policy, organizational design, strategy, and organizational behaviour. The course will be based on the analysis and discussion in class of case studies concerning the most controversial corporate scandals such as Enron and Nike, challenging corporate crises such as stakeholders issues in Energy Company and Guidant Corporation and innovative CSR strategies as in the cases of Patagonia and IKEA.

Business Model Innovation

ECTS: 3.5

Prerequisites: Yes (See syllabus)

During the course, students get to know frameworks and practices on how to create new digital ventures. The course is ideal for students that plan to work in business development, strategy, consulting, or start their own company. You strengthen your digital mindset and learn how to think strategically about the ideation, market, product, business model, go-to-market, and organizational and financial setup for a chosen digital product. 

Competitive Intelligence

ECTS: 3.5

Prerequisites: Yes (See syllabus)

This course highly contributes to an understanding of competitive intelligence and the intelligence environment overall. In a highly competitive and innovative environment, companies depend on their external knowledge acquisition capabilities, and this is true for large as well as for small companies; this is also especially true for start-ups. Companies should thus develop an intelligence attitude at all levels. This course thus proposes participants to apply a set of the most advanced and relevant competitive intelligence methodologies in an integrated manner.

Design for Innovation

ECTS: 3.5

Prerequisites: Yes (See syllabus)

Design plays a key role in innovation. The aim of this course is to discuss, present and distinguish the different ways that design contributes to innovation. Because the same term – design - is used for concepts such as Design Thinking and Design-Driven Innovation, for instance, it is often assumed that they are the same thing. The two approaches are actually quite different, both use the term design but in very different ways. The aim of the course is to clarify this distinction as well as present three approaches that mobilise design for innovation! The course starts by defining design and its importance for innovation. Then it introduces three distinct and powerful “design for innovation” approaches that are: design thinking, design-driven innovation, and design management. 

Digital Marketing

ECTS: 3.5

Prerequisites: Yes (See syllabus)

This course aims to: understand the integration of digital marketing strategies in the overall marketing strategy of the company; explore the impact of digital in transforming the marketing mix; practice the principles of digital marketing planning; provide an overview on best practices in digital marketing; understand the main metrics and KPIs related to digital strategies.

Digital Product Management

ECTS: 3.5

Prerequisites: None

What do Apple, Instagram and Netflix have in common? Technological products used by millions of users around the planet. Behind their success are product managers, maestros of the technology world, working amongst engineers, designers and data scientists making sure companies are building what users want. This course dives into the fundamentals of building and managing digital products as well as the practices that led companies like Google, Amazon and Facebook into building technology used by billions of people every single day. The course is structured to provide an in-depth view of the digital product management discipline, currently practised at startups and large software companies. 

Economic Globalization

ECTS: 3.5

Prerequisites: Yes (See syllabus)

During this course student will work towards the understanding of the globalization/ protectionism debate using an economist lens. For this, we will discuss the facts of globalization as well as globalization and Macro in Open Economies. 

Entrepreneurial Finance

ECTS: 3.5

Prerequisites: Yes (See syllabus)

This course aims to provide students with an overview of the different skills required to raise capital throughout the lifecycle of an early-stage company or work in a new venture financing context. The course will be taught from the perspective of both the entrepreneur and the investor, highlighting the specific aspects that are of relevance for structuring long-term partnerships between founders and venture capitalists or other types of early-stage financiers, to encourage students to understand financing issues and options for both sides of the table.

Financial Decision Making in a Business Context

ECTS: 3.5

Prerequisites: Yes (See syllabus)

Two questions are at the core of any study relating to corporate financial decision-making (and more broadly Corporate Finance):
- How do firms optimally choose their investment projects?
- How do they decide among the pool of financing options for these projects?
Answering these two questions and understanding the issues involved will be the focus of this course.
Initially, we will study these two questions independently from each other, starting with the capital budgeting (investing) decision of an all-equity financed project. We will then turn to the capital structure (financing) decision, which we will found using perfect capital markets arguments. Subsequently, we will introduce capital market imperfections and examine how these shape the cross-sectional variety of capital structures observed in the real life. Finally, we will combine the two decisions by looking into the valuation methods for levered projects and companies based on the knowledge acquired during the previous steps.

Financial Modeling

ECTS; 3.5

Prerequisites: Yes (See syllabus)

Many training courses in the modelling area put their emphasis either on Excel functionality, or on financial theory, or on mathematical models, but seldom address the modelling process. This course aims to cover the modelling issues that are relevant to facilitate the construction of robust and readily understandable models.

Game Theory

ECTS: 3.5

Prerequisites; Yes (See syllabus)

This course offers an introduction to non-cooperative game theory, with applications to relevant economic topics. The course is intended for master students who wish to develop a solid background in this area.

Healthcare Transformation

ECTS: 3.5

Prerequisites: None

Health is the most valuable human asset. Often healthcare is not delivering up to ageing population needs or everyday modern society consumption and service expectations. Healthcare can be transformed utilizing technologies both digital and social. This course provides basic sectorial knowledge, language, and culture pointers to make you a credible partner in a consulting or otherwise related healthcare transformation project and/or the beginning of work in an organization related to any parts of the complex healthcare supply chain much in need of young dynamic change agents.  

Industrial Organization

ECTS: 3.5

Prerequisites: Yes (See syllabus)

Industrial Organization is the field of economics that studies the behaviour of firms in imperfectly competitive markets as well as the performance of such markets. Building on the standard oligopoly models covered in the Imperfect Markets/Microeconomics courses, Industrial Organization introduces additional instruments, strategic decisions and market dynamics.
The main goal of the course is to extend students’ knowledge about firm behaviour and the functioning of imperfectly competitive markets, exposing them to some of the most widespread topics and models considered in Industrial Organization.

International Finance

ECTS: 3.5

Prerequisites: Yes (See syllabus)

In an increasingly globalized world, investors and executives have to understand how fluctuations of exchange rates create risks and rewards for Multinational Corporation. The course will detail international risk factors and discusses several recent international banking and currency crises.  Thereby the course combines theory with real-world examples, data analysis, and practical case situations.

International Financial Reporting Standards

ECTS: 3.5

Prerequisites: Yes (See syllabus)

Investments, mergers, acquisitions decisions require a clear understanding and a careful examination of a company’s performance in the context of its industry and economic environment.
This course is designed to provide an in-depth examination of some of the most economically significant international financial reporting topics and its impact on the financial statements and in decision making.

International Money and Finance

ECTS: 3.5

Prerequisites: Yes (See syllabus)

In this course, we will be covering the main topics of international macroeconomics. We will start by studying an intertemporal model where we will be covering the balance of payments accounting and the dynamics of the trade balance, current account, savings and investment in the open economy. We will study interest rate parities as conditions for capital mobility. We will extend the model to include non-tradable goods and study the dynamics of the real exchange rate. We will consider the relevance of nominal rigidities. We will study the determination of nominal exchange rates and discuss the relevance of the Quantity Theory of Money. We will study a nominal model with uncertainty where the basics of asset pricing can be derived. We will cover the basics of optimal stabilization policy. We will also study optimal fiscal policy in the open economy.

International Negotiation

ECTS: 3.5

Prerequisites: None

Negotiation is a decision-making process in which two or more parties with non-identical preferences seek to reach an agreement about how to allocate resources (Bazerman & Carroll, 1987; Falcão, 2012). Students will learn a variety of frameworks in order to understand the process of negotiation and will have at least one face-to-face negotiation exercise per class in order to practice and develop skills. International and cross-cultural aspects of negotiation will also be explored.
Much of the value of this course will come from your active participation in exercises and class discussions. Please arrive to each class prepared and on time. Naturally, as this is a highly experiential course where learning is based on students being present and doing exercises together, the combined attendance and participation grades are very high. 

Intrapreneurship

ECTS: 3.5

Prerequisites: None

Intrapreneurs are highly valued by firms and the broader business culture. Intrapreneurship, or corporate entrepreneurship as it is also known, entails acting like an entrepreneur within a larger organization. Intrapreneurship in corporate strategy allows companies to innovate from within to become more competitive and helps incumbent firms address the so-called “innovator’s dilemma” where established entities are displaced by upstarts.
Corporate entrepreneurship encompasses a broad array of practice areas ranging from creating new products or business lines to expanding into new territories, joint ventures, and spin-offs. However, it is more than this. Ultimately, any situation when a firm is dealing with uncertainty or moving into non-core areas requires intrapreneurial strategies. Proposing and implementing intrapreneurial innovation implicates acting within structural and behavioural constraints.
This class engages with the intrapreneurship terrain in both a practical and theoretical manner. Creativity, Innovation, and Entrepreneurship (CIE) is established notions in strategy, leadership, and management. Intrapreneurship is a distinctive domain that incorporates aspects of CIE but is not entirely the same thing. 

Investing in Short-Term Fixed Income Markets

ECTS: 3.5

Prerequisites: Yes (See syllabus)

​This course has 2 main objectives. One is to understand the evolution of the industry and how that affects the entire market and the world. The second objective is to develop the “bridge” between concepts learned about financial markets and how to apply them to real market situations. Real trading strategies will be presented and tested using professional trading Software.

Labor Economics

ECTS: 3.5

Prerequisites: None

This course is based on a course given by Pierre Cahuc. It introduces the latest theoretical, methodological, and empirical developments in labour economics. It presents empirical methods (relevant for the policymakers) using contributions that have proved to be milestones in labour economics. Besides this knowledge, the students are supposed to learn how to analyse public policy. The analysis of public policy and the information available to policymakers, on such topics as discrimination, globalization, income redistribution, employment protection, and the minimum wage or labour market programs for the unemployed will allow fulfilling the learning goals.

Management of Digital Transformation & Disruption

ECTS: 3.5

Prerequisites: Yes (See syllabus)

This course highly contributes to an understanding of Digital Transformation, Digital Disruption using information systems & technology (IS/IT), and information management in organizations. The Digital Transformation & Disruption course broaches the mainstream Information Systems and technologies that managers may deploy in the Information Era for digital innovation, focusing on value creation, strategy and profitability.
The course presents the subject with an organizational and strategic flavour avoiding pure technological discussions. In this regard, Information Systems have always considered a management tool to drive value in the context of business models. IS management is also broached in this course so that future managers can deal with the most correct value creation strategy using digital technologies, necessary to deploy strategic projects.

Managerial Decision Making

ECTS: 3.5

Prerequisites: None

This course is designed to provide you with a better understanding of how you and other people think, feel, decide, and behave. One main objective is to increase awareness of the psychological processes that underlie the choices that people make, as well as systematic biases and heuristics that people have when making decisions. A second main objective is to give you a space to reflect on who you are and who you want and do not want to be, as well as provide tools for how to mindfully create a life that aligns with your goals. A third main objective is to better understand how to interact with oneself and other people in ways that are responsible, productive, and mutually rewarding. A last main objective is to appreciate the role of emotions and moods in how people decide and behave. All of these topics will be presented based on scientific research, including related interventions which can help people become more effective.

Managerial Economics

ECTS: 3.5

Prerequisites: None

The course is an introduction, or a refresher, to the basic quantitative tools of microeconomic analysis of markets and firm behaviour under different market structures.
At the end of the course, students should be able to use microeconomic principles to inform managerial and business decisions and to understand the broad economic environment where the firm operates.

Marketing Communication

ECTS: 3.5

Prerequisites: Yes (See syllabus)

This course will provide you with a chance to learn, discuss and participate in the full breadth of the integrated marketing communications process. The work we will do intends to give you the necessary insight and knowledge to use the main Marketing Communication tools in your future business role.

Microeconometrics

ECTS: 4.5

Prerequisites: Yes (See syllabus)

The goal of this course is to provide students with a thorough understanding of a variety of econometric models that economists use for empirical microeconomic research. Special emphasis will be given to the application of these models to economic data in recent empirical research, in order to illustrate how they can be employed to answer empirical questions in different fields, labour or health economics or finance research questions. Put particular emphasis on the interpretation of the results and on learning to use the econometric software “STATA”.

Project Management

ECTS: 3.5

Prerequisites: None

The Project Management course aims to develop the specific project management related competencies of the students, by presenting and discussing world-class project management practices and concepts in the business context. In addition, it aims to apply Project Management tools to a practical case on a strategic approach.

Python for Finance

ECTS: 3.5

Prerequisites: Yes (See syllabus)

The goal of Python for Finance is to introduce students to the potential of Python as a data science tool, with an emphasis on financial applications. By the end of this course, students will be able to:
• Read and write files with Python.
• Work with large amounts of financial data (e.g. compute descriptive statistics, linear regressions).
• Create basic charts.

Responsible Business

ECTS: 3.5

Prerequisites: None

This course will provide students with a holistic and systemic approach to the challenges facing businesses when it comes to acting as RB in the perspective of key players (Governments, Companies, Citizens) and key stakeholders (shareholders, employees, suppliers, customers, consumers, local communities, ONGs…).  It will deliver a global and coherent understanding of what RB means and how to go about it. 

Retailing

ECTS: 3.5

Prerequisites: Yes (See syllabus)

This course presents the main concepts in retailing. Students will acquire the retail terminology, understand the different retail business models, and develop a sound knowledge of the key decision variables a retailer must handle. It is designed to prepare students for careers on both sides of the retail field: merchandise buying and store management. It is also useful to those who would like to have sales or marketing management positions in a manufacturer or in jobs dealing with retailers. 

Risk Management

ECTS: 3.5

Prerequisites: Yes (See syllabus)

In this course, we will analyze different sources of risk for firms and discuss in detail the tools available to managers to mitigate those risks. Most of our analysis will be focused on risk management in financial institutions for two interrelated reasons. First, these institutions are more exposed to financial risks than non-financial firms, due to the nature of their activities. Second, the importance of adequately managing these risks fosters the permanent creation of new tools to address them.

Services Marketing

ECTS: 3.5

Prerequisites: Yes (See syllabus)

This course aims to outline the importance of services management. Services dominate the majority of the economic transactions and are becoming critical for the competitive advantage of companies across the globe and in all industry sectors. Even organizations that typically positioned their business as product manufacturers are increasingly changing their positioning, focusing on the offer of services as a differentiating factor. It is therefore of great importance to study services marketing as a separate field of marketing, analyzing in detail the specific characteristics of services and focusing on strategies that allow the overall quality improvement of services offered by organizations.

Social Doctrine of the Church

ECTS: 3.5

Prerequisites: None

The present course attempts a presentation of the doctrine of the Catholic Church on social issues, with special attention to the economic topics, describing themes, documents and proposals. Its purpose is to allow the students to have an axiological evaluation of the social, and in particular economic questions, based on the Christian values and commandments. In the end, the participants must know the position of the Catholic Church on the great social topics and the main documents, which define it.

 

 

Language Course

Portuguese Intensive Course (18 hours)

ECTS: 1.5

Prerequisites: None

This course is intended for absolute beginners in Portuguese as a foreign language and aims at preparing participants for their first contact with the language and the daily communicative situations they will come across whilst in the country. By the end of the course, students should be able to:
• take part in general conversation and simple interactions in a social context (to introduce oneself, as well as one’s family and friends, to talk about one’s place of origin, to describe one’s work, favourite activities, express preferences, address an interlocutor and respond to his/her questions);
• solve simple daily administrative tasks (fill out forms, start a telephone call, locate an office/person);
• interact in an elementary way in daily communicative situations (shopping, using public transportation, at the restaurant, at the bank, post office, pharmacy, cinema).

Advanced Fixed Income

ECTS: 3.5

Prerequisites: Yes (See syllabus)

The aim of the course is to provide a general overview of the new products available for fixed income investors, mainly at the credit front via securitization. Most of them allow investors to reap the benefits of yield pick-up and diversification versus the traditional market offers. The understanding of the economics behind ABS/CMBS will be crucial to analyze more complex securities like CDOs/CLOs.

Banking and Finance

ECTS: 3.5

Prerequisites: Yes (See syllabus)

Banks receive money from depositors and other investors and channel these funds to firms, households, and governments in the form of loans. In this course, we will discuss research papers to understand the main theoretical concepts on banking as well as related empirical evidence and policy questions.

Brand Activation

ECTS: 3.5

Prerequisites: Yes (See syllabus)

After Brand Development, including its Purpose, Character, Positioning and Campaign Idea, Brand Activation is fundamental to set in place the defined strategy and bring it to life!
Knowing to whom you should activate your Brand or product as well as how and where to deliver it is fundamental to a successful consumer engagement and proximity with the brand. Materialize brand values, develop brand activations that allow brands to ‘Walk the Talk’ and amplify them to deliver as much return as possible.      

Business Analytics

ECTS: 3.5

Prerequisites: Yes (See syllabus)

This highly popular course among our MBA students focuses on ‘big data’ analysis to improve decision-making. Working hands-on with state-of-the-art data analysis software, the students will learn and apply fundamental principles and techniques of predictive analytics.

Business to Business Marketing Strategy

ECTS: 3.5

Prerequisites: None

Most companies of any dimension do not sell their products and services to consumers but to other companies. The buyers are organizations with a decision-making process that is complex and different from those of a final buyer of consumer goods. The marketing and sales challenges faced in business-to-business markets must be addressed based on the fundamentals of marketing but applied in a radically different way. The focus, levers and processes of the marketing and sales efforts are different, and so must marketing strategy and communication be. This is especially relevant for small and medium enterprises.
This course reviews the main components of business-to-business – “B2B”:  strategy, marketing and sales.

Consumer Behaviour

ECTS: 3.5

Prerequisites: None

Understanding consumers is important to every business. However, consumers’ minds are not always easy to understand. This course provides an overview of theories that best explain how consumers arrive at their judgments and choices. The course will review important theories in economics and psychology that provide the foundation for behavioural marketing. This course will then apply these theories and principles to real-world marketing problems. Consumer behaviour is influenced by many factors such as whether the market is retail or online, whether the consumer is a woman or a man, whether the product is hedonic or utilitarian... Students will be provided with an introduction to the psychology of perception, information processing, emotions and decision-making. This course will also examine the influences of the social environment, culture and situational factors on consumer behaviour.

Corporate Governance: an International Perspective

ECTS: 3.5

Prerequisites: None

Corporate Governance – An International Perspective is an introductory course in corporate governance (CG) that offers a view on practices and regulations in governance across continents. This course starts by making clear how CG developed in the last 10 years in the aftermath of the financial and economic crisis and how important it is for building trust in today’s capital markets. The course aims at giving the student a clear vision of how important it is, in business, to ensure that shareholders’ and stakeholders’ rights and expectations are protected from management deviation or abuse. It also shows how trust must be built-in corporate behaviour so that sound and efficient markets for capital allocation are developed and sustained.

Credit Risk and Financing Decisions

ECTS: 3.5

Prerequisites: Yes (See syllabus)

This is a course in the Master of Science program covering topics related to credit risk, uncertainty, investors’ reactions to changes in credit risk and the firm’s capital structure. The course proposes an empirical approach based on papers from top journals in Finance. The goal of this course is to provide the students with a structure for thinking about state-of-the-art models and show them how to employ set models in an empirical framework. The students are expected to use econometric software to replicate sections of the chosen papers.

Cross-Cultural Management

ECTS: 3.5

Prerequisites: Yes (See syllabus)

The world is becoming increasingly more global. From the emergence of multinational organizations and global markets to the rising numbers of international workers, new challenges and opportunities emerge for entrepreneurs, managers, and employees. These challenges and opportunities can be best understood if cross-cultural factors are taken into consideration. 
This course aims to deepen your understanding of the context-specific nature of management and to provide you with knowledge and skills helpful to navigate the increasingly global nature of contemporary work. To that aim, we will start by exploring the fundamentals of culture and cross-cultural differences. Subsequently, we will examine some critical aspects of working and managing in a global environment; including issues related to communication, leadership and negotiation, motivation, teamwork, and the management of expatriates and international careers.

Development Economics

ECTS: 3.5

Prerequisites: Yes (See syllabus)

This course explores the causes and consequences of economic (under)development. It focuses on 5 themes: (1) the current state of development and inequality across the world and its evolution; (2) some approaches used to account for these facts, including capital accumulation, institutions and culture; (3) micro topics: investments in human capital through health and education, behavioural economics insights, gender gaps and corruption; (4) macro topics: globalization and economic shocks and crisis; (5) critical reflection on the field of development economics.

Digital Product Management

ECTS: 3.5

Prerequisites: None

What do Apple, Instagram, and Netflix have in common? Technological products used by millions of users around the planet. Behind their success are product managers, maestros of the technology world, working amongst engineers, designers and data scientists making sure companies are building what users want.

Digital Transformation

ECTS: 3.5

Prerequisites: Yes (See syllabus)

This course aims at preparing the students to participate and lead Digital Transformation teams, by providing a hands-on approach based on Design Thinking methodologies, to acquire the know-how, tools and experiences required to be an asset in any Digital Transformation project. The teaching approach is based on challenging the students to deal with a real-world case, applying a digital transformation framework and providing experiential design thinking tools to deal with it.

Economic Growth

ECTS: 3.5

Prerequisites: Yes (See syllabus)

The course will introduce students to the main facts and theories of Economic Growth as well as it will help them understand the old and new debate of Growth versus Development.
During its duration, basic questions of economic growth and development, development facts and theories concerning strengths and weaknesses will also be discussed.

Economics of Business and Markets

ECTS: 3.5

Prerequisites: Yes (See syllabus)

This course develops an understanding of firms’ strategic behaviour and how they can influence the market structure. We will use game-theoretic reasoning to analyze issues related to pricing, entry into new markets or exit from established businesses, changing the perceptions of competitors, level of product differentiation and product proliferation competition and its impact on market competition, and strategies aimed at alleviating price competition among firms. We also focus on vertical relations, namely incentives for vertical integration and vertical restraints.

eContent

ECTS: 3.5

Prerequisites: None

In this hands-on course, you will be able to better understand what makes good content… good.  From being exposed to best practices to learning by doing, in this project-based course you will develop skills to evaluate the circumstances and context that make it work for your company and the strategy of your brand.  These skills serve as a foundation for an effective brief for an agency or a designer, critically viewing content and providing constructive and actionable feedback, benchmarking competitive content and analyzing it from target consumer’s perspective. 

Equity Reports

ECTS: 3.5

Prerequisites: Yes (See syllabus)

This course is about the value of a company, how we can measure it, and which variables have a strong impact on it.
The course is based on a practical case about the valuation of a listed company that has to be solved by students as if they are working for an investment bank, so a practical approach is used – the applied project.

Ethics for Finance

ECTS: 3.5

Prerequisites: None

The purpose of this unit is to introduce the students to ethical reasoning in financial decisions. Participants must be able to identify ethical reasoning, as separate from a scientific or judicial approach. This approach is then applied to specific decisions in several aspects of the financial area. Several dimensions of the financial activity will be analysed, from the markets to specific services and corporate financial management. 

Financial Decision Making in a Business Context

ECTS: 3.5

Prerequisites: Yes (See syllabus)

Two questions are at the core of any study relating to corporate financial decision-making (and more broadly Corporate Finance):
- How do firms optimally choose their investment projects?
- How do they decide among the pool of financing options for these projects?
Answering these two questions and understanding the issues involved will be the focus of this course.
Initially, we will study these two questions independently from each other, starting with the capital budgeting (investing) decision of an all-equity financed project. We will then turn to the capital structure (financing) decision, which we will found using perfect capital markets arguments. Subsequently, we will introduce capital market imperfections and examine how these shape the cross-sectional variety of capital structures observed in the real life. Finally, we will combine the two decisions by looking into the valuation methods for levered projects and companies based on the knowledge acquired during the previous steps.

FinTech

ECTS: 3.5

Prerequisites: None

This course is designed for students who plan to get involved with the disruption of the financial sector. Banks and insurance companies are facing one of the most pressured moments of industry history. After a financial and credibility crisis, the drivers of this pressure are not only clients seeking innovation and convenience, but also regulators. Artificial intelligence, blockchain, cloud computing and the rise of a mobile-first generation are some of the enablers but also drivers of a new reality that is already unbundling the financial sector as we know it.

Fostering Creativity in Organizations

ECTS: 3.5

Prerequisites: None

Creativity is key to organizational competitiveness and success while fostering creativity is a complex process that necessities the efforts of multiple parties. Imagine that you are a senior executive of an organization, how do you create human resources systems, structures, and climates that support creativity? If you are a team leader who aims to elicit creative ideas from followers, what are the dos and don’ts to keep in mind? As a frontline employee, what are some factors that enhance or hinder your creative performance? This course assumes you in these different roles and uncovers how creative processes unfold in organizations. Also presented in this course are a set of unintended negative consequences of creativity (or processes aimed to foster it).

Group and Team Processes

ECTS: 3.5

Prerequisites: None

Many modern organizations are structured in work teams, and those teams are considered its building blocks (e.g., Campion, Medsker, & Higgs, 1993). Consequently, understanding what may enhance the ability of teams to be effective must be a serious concern. This course provides an overview of the fundamental dynamics of teams and teamwork, focusing on the interactions between team members that contribute to team performance and team members’ satisfaction. The main goal of this course is to provide you with a better understanding of how you can contribute, as a member of a work team or as a team leader, to its success.

Impact Investing

ECTS: 3.5

Prerequisites: None

The goal of this course is to introduce participants to the growing global phenomenon of Impact Investing, broadly defined as the purposeful allocation of financial resources to entrepreneurial projects or ventures that generate sustainable impact.
The course is valuable for participants who would like to become investors in social innovations or financial intermediaries, as well as potential impact entrepreneurs who would like to understand the financing mechanisms and models available to finance their current or future impact projects and ventures.

Information and Uncertainty

ECTS: 3.5

Prerequisites: Yes (See syllabus)

This course covers advanced topics related to the decision under uncertainty and optimal contracts with asymmetric information. After taking the course, students should be able to understand and derive models with uncertainty and asymmetric information.

International Industry Analysis

ECTS: 3.5

Prerequisites: Yes (See syllabus)

Business leaders and strategy consultants are required to fully understand the industries they are working for, to leverage the international development of companies. Therefore, the International Industry Analysis course aims to integrate and strengthen the strategic, marketing, operational and technological competencies of students, by analysing specific industries on a global level. The concepts taught in the International Industry Analysis course will be applied to specific international industries (including automobile, management consulting, fashion, and tourism, among others) and complemented with corporate video analyses.

International Market Segmentation

ECTS: 3.5

Prerequisites: Yes (See syllabus)

This course is designed to provide a conceptual and analytical platform to deal with both conceptual and practical issues related to the segmentation of international markets. In particular, students will learn to use some statistical techniques to segment international markets.

Intrapreneurship

ECTS: 3.5

Prerequisites: None

Intrapreneurs are highly valued by firms and the broader business culture. Intrapreneurship, or corporate entrepreneurship as it is also known, entails acting like an entrepreneur within a larger organization. Intrapreneurship in corporate strategy allows companies to innovate from within to become more competitive and helps incumbent firms address the so-called “innovator’s dilemma” where established entities are displaced by upstarts.
Corporate entrepreneurship encompasses a broad array of practice areas ranging from creating new products or business lines to expanding into new territories, joint ventures, and spin-offs. However, it is more than this. Ultimately, any situation when a firm is dealing with uncertainty or moving into non-core areas requires intrapreneurial strategies. Proposing and implementing intrapreneurial innovation implicates acting within structural and behavioural constraints.
This class engages with the intrapreneurship terrain in both a practical and theoretical manner. Creativity, Innovation, and Entrepreneurship (CIE) is established notions in strategy, leadership, and management. Intrapreneurship is a distinctive domain that incorporates aspects of CIE but is not entirely the same thing. 

Investing in Global Financial Markets

ECTS: 3.5

Prerequisites: Yes (See syllabus)

In the ever more complex and competitive world of investing, investors are being forced to examine alternative asset classes to understand their impact on financial markets and many have begun investing in these assets in the hope of increasing their returns and diversifying their risk. The global investment landscape continues to evolve with new types of investors (such as sovereign wealth funds) constantly emerging.  Today, investment banks compete with private equity funds and pension funds compete with university endowment funds for undervalued assets in countries that would have been ignored 10 years ago. This course hopes to demystify this international web of investment funds and their strategies using real-world case studies. 

Lean Entrepreneurship

ECTS: 3.5

Prerequisites: None

In this course, students will learn about how to find a business idea, transform the idea into a business model, define the critical hypothesis, achieve product-market fit, plan the go-to-market strategy and understand what needs to be done to scale a business.  The course includes short talks, in-class exercises, experienced guest speakers, useful readings, videos about entrepreneurial topics and practical individual and group homework.  During classes, students will be able to make questions using Slido.com and get answers from the professor.            

Luxury Strategies

ECTS: 3.5

Prerequisites: Yes (See syllabus)

The Course is a dive into the luxury industry, with a focus on strategy, innovation and the marketing mix elements that shape luxury’s unique business model. It is structured to provide students with the distinctive principles for effective management of luxury brands, products and services. The Course explores how the luxury industry and its different subsectors have been successful, and what other businesses could learn from them, while selectively applying luxury business model principles. The Course offers a broad overview of the luxury concepts and trains students on how to use those concepts to work in Strategy, Consulting, Innovation or Marketing, in the luxury industries, or in any other sector where those strategies may be relevant. Classes combine theory and practise through lectures, case studies and projects. Besides the concepts taught and discussed in class, students will develop skills through the group project. 

Macrodynamics

ECTS: 3.5

Prerequisites: Yes (See syllabus)

In this course, we discuss the role of expectations in general equilibrium macrodynamic models and the possible existence of business cycles driven by self-fulfilling expectations (endogenous cycles). We explore distortionary economic environments where autonomous changes in expectations, about the value of future economic variables, can lead to changes in the economic outcomes consistent with those expectation’s changes. Along the course, students learn about Overlapping Generations Models with Market Imperfections and focus on equilibrium driven by self-fulfilling expectations.

Managing People

ECTS: 3.5

Prerequisites: None

Managing People is designed to provide you with a better understanding of individual perception and interpersonal behaviour in organizations, and how these influence personal and organizational performance. The course focuses on how you, as an organizational member and manager, can experience, understand, and manage yourself, and other individuals, in organizations. You will learn and apply strategies and material relating to several major Organizational Behaviour topics: perception, motivation, power dynamics, and influence

Market Regulation

ECTS; 3.5

Prerequisites: Yes (See syllabus)

This course provides a theoretical and empirical analysis of regulation in market economies. The problem is introduced with a discussion of the origins of regulation, according to the economic theories of regulation, both normative, based on the public interest approach, and positive, based on the influence of private interests in public decision making.

Marketing Analytics

ECTS: 3.5

Prerequisites: Yes (See syllabus)

Today’s marketing managers must be aware of the immense value of data and what it can reveal about consumer behaviour and the likely effects of marketing actions. This course provides students with skills to improve marketing decision making by applying appropriate statistical analysis and optimization methods to market and consumer data. Using Excel as the basic tool, you will learn a set of useful methods for modelling consumer demand, forecasting sales, making pricing and advertising decisions, aligning product design with consumer preferences and managing customers. 

Marketing for Tech-Based Startups

ECTS: 3.5

Prerequisites: Yes (See syllabus)

Having an idea is just the first step in the entrepreneurial journey. Most startups fail — usually due to lack of product-market fit, not product development problems. Meeting customers’ needs is critical. Startups are more likely to succeed when they rapidly and iteratively test assumptions about the business model. In this course, you will learn how some basic marketing concepts can assist young technology (digital and science-based) ventures to create, deliver and extract value in a meaningful way for the customers and investors. 

Mergers and Acquisitions

ECTS: 3.5

Prerequisites: TBA

After taking this course students should be able to: Explain common motivations behind M&A activity; Identify the main players and describe their incentives; Describe the value creation options available to companies; Describe restructuring options and explain common reasons for restructuring;  Distinguish among equity carve-outs, spin-offs, split-offs, and liquidation; Distinguish among pre-offer and post-offer takeover defence mechanisms; Distinguish different types of M&A processes; Describe the M&A transaction process and timeline; Describe the most important documents in an M&A transaction and their major components; Describe the major legal and regulatory concerns in an M&A process; Compare the discounted cash flow, comparable company, and comparable transaction analyses for valuing a target company, including the advantages and disadvantages of each; Explain bootstrapping of earnings per share (EPS) and calculate a company’s post-merger EPS; Explain and calculate premiums; Explain and calculate synergies; Distinguish value creation and value capture; Explain how price and payment method affects the distribution of risks and benefits in M&A transactions; Explain the role of financing and impact of LBOs on valuation; Describe the most common M&A challenges.

Operations Management

ECTS: 3.5

Prerequisites: None

This course provides a basic comprehension of the OM within an organization. Operations are analysed from a strategic and operational perspective, focusing on the competitive advantage that they can create in organizations. Thus, students are provided with concepts, techniques and tools to design, analyse and improve operational capabilities of an organization. Rather than focusing on a particular sector, the course aims to cover a broad range of application domains from industry to services. Upon completing this course, students should be able to: understand the strategic role of OM in creating and enhancing an organization’s competitive advantages, identify the main concepts and issues of OM in both manufacturing and service organizations, and apply analytical methods and problem-solving tools to the analysis of operations problems. 

Private Equity

ECTS: 3.5

Prerequisites: Yes (See syllabus)

This course aims to provide students with an overview of the different skills required to work in a private equity context. The course will be taught from the perspective of the private equity fund manager (GP), highlighting the rationale for acquiring a minority or majority position in a company and its valuation. These lessons will also be applicable to someone working as an advisor to private equity investors and who needs to understand what their priorities are.

Retail and Business Model Analytics

ECTS: 3.5

Prerequisites: Yes (See syllabus)

The way we think about shopping has been completely transformed by the advent of online retail. Nowadays, customers are able to use, in addition to traditional physical stores, online shopping giants such as Amazon and Alibaba, and omnichannel services allowing them to pick their ordered items up in-store. By doing so, customers leave a tremendous amount of data in the hands of their favoured retailers. Through Internet of Things (IoT), Beacons, Videos, or your mobile phone, these shopkeepers can find out at the click of a button what you have been browsing, which items you have reviewed, which ones you bought and your current location. The growing and vital field of big data harvesting have even become fashionable, with buzzwords such as Machine Learning and Artificial intelligence entering suddenly into the public consciousness. Companies ranging from startups like Stich-fix, using these data to curate your next outfit, to multinational conglomerates like Google, using them to modify the world’s most popular search engine, depend on it. Besides all this, such data can also be used to ask fundamental questions about business models: What is the role of a store? Do we need fast delivery options or do customers attach more value to delivery speed? Do customers really react to marketing scarcity tactics such as Booking.com’s dreaded “only 5 left”? While it is mainly computer and data scientists who analyse and develop algorithms, business students also have a major role to play in putting challenging new questions to the established data science community, coming up with inventive changes to entrenched business models and ways of thinking, and finding promising potential business applications that will shape the future of retail. It is thus important that business students understand the underlying principles used in this field. 

Retailing

ECTS: 3.5

Prerequisites: Yes (See syllabus)

This course presents the main concepts in retailing. Students will acquire the retail terminology, understand the different retail business models, and develop a sound knowledge of the key decision variables a retailer must handle. It is designed to prepare students for careers on both sides of the retail field: merchandise buying and store management. It is also useful to those who would like to have sales or marketing management positions in a manufacturer or in jobs dealing with retailers. 

Robotic Process Automation

ECTS: 3.5

Prerequisites: Yes (See syllabus)

Automation technologies are reshaping the business world freeing people from repetitive uninteresting work for new value creation tasks. Robotic Process Automation (RPA), according to LinkedIn the second top emerging job in the USA, is focused on the definition, revision, automation and optimization of business processes. Best way to learn RPA is by practicing. That is why this course has a strong experiential component, centered on the development of a software robot, taking advantage of a partnership between CATÓLICA-LISBON and UI Path. Upon successful completion of this course, students will be able analyze and independently automate business processes implementing software robots using UI Path tools.

Strategic Change and Dynamic Capabilities

ECTS: 3.5

Prerequisites: None

This SC & DC course intends to provide an advanced understanding of how firms can create value in changing environments. Past dominant theories in the Strategy field were particularly concerned about explaining how firms can achieve sustainable competitive advantage. However, a number of recent studies began to show that sustainable competitive advantage is rare and declining in its duration. As environments become more dynamic, unpredictable, uncertain, and ambiguous (that is, when exogenous and endogenous shocks are more common), firms struggle not only to achieve a competitive advantage but often just to survive. Thus, a challenging question arises: How can firms successfully cope with such environments?
The SC & DC course will attempt to address this question by providing integrated analysis of three major topics: first, the main, traditional perspectives on strategy; second, the strategic change phenomenon; third, the dynamic capabilities view.

Strategic Management Consulting

ECTS: 3.5

Prerequisites: Yes (See syllabus)

The objective of this course is to introduce students to the fundamentals of SMC, equipping them with its relevant knowledge and insights, and a reference binder on the industry and its practices. This will enable students to more quickly become better career consultants (external or internal) or consulting ‘consumers’. This course is designed to provide insights and extensive opportunities for the practical application of knowledge across the following areas:
• Consulting definition, facts & figures, dynamics and challenges
• Key success factors for consulting (e.g. knowledge management, innovation)
• Interviewing in consulting (e.g. types and expectations, range of applicability)
• Project elements (e.g. proposals, setup and structure, execution, outcomes)
• Project stakeholder management (internal and external)
• Essential consulting skills (e.g. proposal writing, data & analysis, presentation of outcomes)

Supply Chain Management

ECTS: 3.5

Prerequisites: None

The Supply Chain Management (SCM) elective will introduce you to effective strategies for managing complex distribution networks and logistics operations. You will develop technical and practical skills to manage a coordinated system of suppliers, customers and other business partners. You will learn how to identify supply chain risks, design mitigation strategies and learn about daily operational decision rules. Among others, the class tackles how companies may integrate their supply chains (both vertically and horizontally), sourcing strategies (such as offshoring versus onshoring), transportation and inventory management. You’ll learn about important supply chain metrics, the link with finance and be exposed to practical tools to increase service levels and reduce costs. The course is directly inspired by problems from various industries, including but not limited to companies within the services and consumer goods industries, or companies with a strong emphasis on manufacturing, transportation and logistics. It is well-fit for students with a modelling interest that wish to pursue careers in operations departments or who aspire a more general management career track within companies in which supply chain management is key.

Sustainable Finance

ECTS: 3.5

Prerequisites: Yes (See syllabus)

No forward-looking organization can afford to operate without sustainability principles. Finance (both as an organizational function and industry)  is positioned to play a significant role as a catalyst for sustainable economies. This course focuses on the sustainability perspective in finance functions and for financial players -  banks, insurers, asset managers and strategic consultants.  You will learn from the most modern views of the European Commission to the challenges raised by the United Nations for public and private organizations  -  to adopt financial practices for a better world - more human, more transparent, environmentally and socially accountable. 

The Political Economy of European Integration

ECTS: 3.5

Prerequisites: Yes (See syllabus)

The course takes a political economy approach to analyse the process of European integration. It discusses the evolution of European integration in terms of its various stages/levels, with emphasis on its regulatory character, notably the single market and EMU, and examines the question of an optimal size of the Union (incl. Brexit). It also looks at the creation of EU institutions, notably the building-up of EMU and economic governance. Departing from the global and Eurozone crises, it assesses the various possible paths for completing and sustaining EMU and discusses the sustainability of the European Union in economic, financial and political terms.

Time Series Econometrics

ECTS: 4.5

Prerequisites: Yes (See syllabus)

The principal objective of this course is to provide students with the basic tools to describe, analyze and model time series data.

Topics in Macroeconomics

ECTS: 3.5

Prerequisites: Yes (See syllabus)

This is a course on fiscal and monetary policy. It covers some of the main principles of optimal fiscal policy and relates those to the optimal quantity of money. It also covers guidelines for stabilization policy.

Courses Offered 2019-2020

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Accounting

ECTS: 7

Prerequisites: None

The course is focused on a solid understanding of the rules and procedures to prepare financial statements, as well as on the knowledge and skills that are required to analyse, interpret, understand and use financial information so as to take informed decisions.

Business Research Methods

ECTS: 7

Prerequisites: Yes (See syllabus)

This course introduces quantitative models for business decision-making. A great emphasis is put on practical applications of models, and on the use of statistical software packages to analyse real-world datasets.

Economic Analysis of Social Policies

ECTS: 6

Prerequisites: Yes (See syllabus)

Economic Analysis of Social Policies studies the mechanisms of social protection that are at the core of the Welfare State using an Economics´ perspective. The course has three parts. The first part is a survey of basic results in Welfare Economics and Political Economy dealing with market failures, government policies and their failures. The second part deals with the distribution and redistribution of income and the measurement of inequality and poverty. The third part covers social policies: income maintenance and poverty reduction, pensions, and unemployment insurance.

Economic Regulation

ECTS:  6

Prerequisites: Yes (See syllabus)

This course aims to give a deep training to work with network companies (electricity, natural gas, telecoms, water supply, transportation) and official agencies (regulators, competition policy authorities), and to fill the gap between theoretical training and company’s needs.

Finance

ECTS:  7

Prerequisites: to be confirmed

The main goal of the Finance course is to engage you in a journey to discover the main financial concepts and methods. We adopt the perspective of a financial manager of a non-financial firm. This course contributes to understand financial markets, financial investments and corporate finance decisions.

Macroeconomic Policy

ECTS: 6

Prerequisites: to be announced

The purpose of the course is to enable students to understand macroeconomic policy-making and to think systematically on macroeconomic policy issues. This will imply mastering several macroeconomic models and a number of instruments relevant for economic analysis. The course will cover topics related with monetary policy, fiscal policy and macroprudential policy. 

Marketing Planning

ECTS: 7

Prerequisites: None

This course aims to promote a deep understanding of marketing´s key concepts, tools and relationship with  other managerial functions and to practice the principles of marketing planning by means of proposing a plan for the launch of a new product/service in the Portuguese market.


Language Courses

Portuguese Extensive Course - level A1

ECTS: 4.5

Prerequisities: None

This course aims at the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages level A1. The student will be able to understand and use familiar everyday expressions and very basic phrases and introduce him/herself and others and can ask and answer questions about personal details such as where he/she lives, people he/she knows and things he/she has.

Portuguese Extensive Course - level A2

ECTS: 4.5

Prerequisities: Yes (see syllabus)

This course aims at the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages level A2. The student will be able to understand sentences and frequently used expressions related to areas of most immediate relevance (e.g. very basic personal and family information, shopping, local geography, employment) and communicate in simple and routine tasks requiring a simple and direct exchange of information on familiar and routine matters.


 

Advanced Mathematics

ECTS:

Prerequisites: to be announced

(more information available soon)

Advanced Microeconomics

ECTS: 4.5

Prerequisites: Yes (See syllabus)

This is a course with the goal to deepen the students’ knowledge of Microeconomic theory. It is organized around lectures, group assignments and recitations for solving and discussing exercises.

Advanced Strategic Management 

ECTS: 3.5

Prerequisites: Yes (See syllabus)

The Advanced Strategic Management course aims to further develop the students' strategic competencies, by presenting and discussing world-class advanced strategic practices and concepts in the business context.

Consumer Behaviour

ECTS: 3.5

Prerequisites: Yes (See syllabus)

This course aims to outline the importance of understanding consumers’ behavior in order to develop appropriate marketing strategies. Specific information about how consumers choose, buy, and dispose the products or services, help organizations to properly define its core market and to identify threats and opportunities for their products and brands. It is therefore of major importance to adequately analyze potential consumers, identifying its needs and wishes in order to properly offer customized solutions and be able to successfully innovate.

Cross-Cultural Management

ECTS: 3.5

Prerequisites: Yes (See syllabus)

The world is becoming increasingly more global. From the emergence of multinational organizations to the rising numbers of international workers, new challenges and opportunities emerge for managers and employees. These challenges and opportunities can be best understood if cross-cultural factors are taken into consideration. 
This course aims to deepen your understanding of the context-specific nature of management and to provide you with knowledge and skills helpful to navigate the increasingly global nature of contemporary work.

Digital Marketing

ECTS: 3.5

Prerequisites: Yes (See syllabus)

This course aims to: understand the integration of digital marketing strategies in the overall marketing strategy of the company; explore the impact of digital in transforming the marketing mix; practive the principles of digital marketing planning; provide an overview on best practices in digital marketing; understand the main metrics and KPIs related to digital strategies.

Digital Transformation

ECTS: 3.5

Prerequisites: Yes (See syllabus)

This course aims at preparing the students to participate and lead Digital Transformation teams, by providing a hands-on approach based on Design Thinking methodologies, to acquire the know-how, tools and experiences required to be an asset in any Digital Transformation project. The teaching approach is based on challenging the students to deal with a real world case, applying a digital transformation framework and providing experiential design thinking tools to deal with it.

Econometrics I

ECTS: 4

Prerequisites: Yes (See syllabus)

Econometrics I is an introductory course in Econometrics. Students are introduced to the basic techniques of econometric analysis.

Economics of Business and Markets

ECTS: 3.5

Prerequisites: Yes (See syllabus)

The main objective of the course is to develop the ability to use tools and techniques for a strategic economic analysis of firms’ activities whitin imperfectly competitive markets.

Economics of Education

ECTS: 3.5

Prerequisites: Yes (See syllabus)

This course is an introduction to the economics of education. The central aim of the course is to assist students in viewing the education sector and its educational processes through the perspective of economics, providing students with an understanding and analytical tools that help them undertake careers in the academia or in policy-oriented institutions (such as World Bank or Governmental agencies).

Financial Analysis and Forecasting

ECTS: 3.5

Prerequisites: Yes (See syllabus)

A complete set of pro forma financial statements is based on assumptions regarding the future business’ underlying economics. The assumptions are a result of an integrated industry and business analysis. Given the uncertainty of the business activities, forecasting also requires robust modelling techniques (such as sensitivity analysis and simulation) to assess the impact of key value drivers and risks on cash flows estimates. 

Financial Decision Making in a Business Context 

ECTS: 3.5

Prerequisites: Yes (See syllabus)

Corporate finance is the study of the financing decisions made by firms. No matter what your role in a corporation, an understanding for the key financial decisions made by the firm is vital. In this course we will focus on two broad financial decisions:
- The capital structure decision: What is the optimal mix of securities issued by firms to finance their activities?
- The payout decision: How much cash should the firm distribute to its equity holders and how? These encompass a large component of the activity of financial managers.

Innovation Management

ECTS: 3.5

Prerequisites: None

The aim of this course is to provide a series of conceptual tools for profiting from innovation. The course should be of particular interest for future managers, entrepreneurs, or consultants, who must understand the role of innovation in affecting competitive advantage.

International Marketing

ECTS: 3.5

Prerequisites: None

This course introduces the field of international marketing. It looks at the globe in a macro perspective. Specifically, this course covers the complex and interesting environment of international marketing and its various dimensions such as cultural, economical, political. It then considers how marketing managers could use these global dimensions to obtain benefits for the firm and for society as a whole.

Leadership Development

ECTS: 3.5

Prerequisites: None

This course is about leadership and is intended to help students become more effective when dealing with workplace demands for leadership, regardless of their previous work experience. The course examines “what” leadership is, “why” it is important, and “when” it is useful.

Managerial Decision-Making

ECTS: 3.5

Prerequisites: Yes (See syllabus)

This course is designed to provide you with a better understanding about how you and other people think, feel, decide, and behave. Ultimately, it aims at making you a better decision maker. To that aim, we will start by studying the psychological processes that underlie the choices that people make. We will further look at  systematic biases and heuristics that people have when making decisions, as well as a variety of other important influences on the decision making process (e.g., moods and emotions). We will also examine interventions or “brain hacks” which can help people become more effective in making decisions. 

Mathematics for Economists

ECTS: 3.5

Prerequisites: Yes (See syllabus)

The Mathematics for Economists course aims at reviewing the mathematic tools needed for advanced studies in Economics. The course was devised assuming that students have already a Mathematics background, namely on differential calculus for functions of a single variable. Building on this knowledge, differential calculus for functions of several variables, with a special emphasis on non-linear optimization, and integral calculus for functions of a single variable are addressed. All content is illustrated with representative examples in Economics to help students to bridge the gap between the mathematical tools description and their application in Economics.

New Products and Services

ECTS: 3.5

Prerequisites: none

A chartbuster app, a new venture or an innovative product launch from a multi-national company – all start from an idea with potential. How big is the potential? What problems does it solve? Hot to get it to a “final product or service”? This very intense, short-duration course offers an entrepreneurial take on developing ideas into new products, services and ventures. You’ll learn the basics needed to identify problems worth solving, validate solutions worth exploring; test different business models; build the right team to do it; and find the means to launch it. 

Project Management

ECTS: 3.5

Prerequisites: None

The Project Management course aims to develop the specific project management related competencies of the students, by presenting and discussing world-class project management practices and concepts in the business context. In addition, it aims to apply Project Management tools to a practical case on a strategic approach.

Strategic Management

ECTS: 3.5

Prerequisites: None

This is a course in the fundamentals of strategic management. The aim of this course is to provide students with the theoretical foundations of the field of strategy. Specifically, the purpose of this course is to develop students’ ability to think strategically, and to provide students with the tools and knowledge needed to understand how organizations can achieve superior sustainable performance. The course is of interest to future managers, entrepreneurs, or consultants, who need to understand how companies can achieve a sustainable competitive advantage. A combination of lectures and case studies throughout the course offers the opportunity for students to apply theoretical concepts to real world situations.

 

Language Course

Portuguese Intensive  Course (18 hours)

ECTS: 1.5

Prerequisites: None

This course is intended for absolute beginners in Portuguese as a foreign language and aims at preparing participants for their first contact with the language and the daily communicative situations they will come across whilst in the country.

 

 

Advanced Macroeconomics

ECTS: 4.5

Prerequisites: Yes (See syllabus)

This course offers an introduction to neoclassical macroeconomics in a closed economy. The course is intended for master’s students who wish to develop a solid background in this area. At the end of the course, students should be able to understand the behaviour of the aggregate economy in the Neoclassical Model and simulate models numerically using excel.

Brand Management

ECTS: 3.5

Prerequisites: None

Brands are a fascinating marketing construct.  They are intangible, yet potentially highly valuable assets, often co-created by firms and consumers. This course covers the key aspects of creating and managing strong brands and how to strategically leverage their awesome power.

Business Ethics and Social Responsibility

ECTS: 3.5

Prerequisites: None

Why does Ethics matter in business? What are the main communalities and differences of recent corporate scandals and how is it possible to adopt individual and organizational strategies to prevent new ones? Why should business organizations behave in a socially responsible way? How can organizations develop a business strategy that integrates the generation of commercial and social value? This course will assist students to answer such questions through the discussion of case studies concerning ethical issues and dilemmas faced by managers, financial professionals and entrepreneurs in different cultural, industrial and organizational contexts.

Business Statistics

ECTS: 3.5

Prerequisites: None

In this course, we will explore the importance of statistics as a way of thinking quantitatively about the world. The course is based on the Model Comparison Approach and is focused on promoting the understanding of the fundamental statistical concepts of model, effect, effect size, test statistics and p-values. The course starts exploring the notions of variables, measurement levels of variables, and logic relation between variables, and then moves forward to explain how to carry out and interpret the most common statistical data analyses used in social sciences.

Corporate Social Responsibility

ECTS: 3.5

Prerequisites: None

This course will provide students with an holistic and systemic approach to the challenges facing Corporate Social Responsibility, in the perspective of key players (Governments, Companies, citizens) and key stakeholders (shareholders, employees, suppliers, customers, consumers, local communities, ONGs…).  It will deliver a global and coherent understanding of Corporate Social Responsibility, its origins, how to manage, measure and communicate.

Econometrics II

ECTS: 4

Prerequisites: Yes (See syllabus)

The course aims to introduce methods for formulating econometric models, estimating their parameters and performing statistical inference. By the end of the course, students should be able to use rigorous econometric techniques in the analysis of economic problems. Knowledge of these methods is crucial to read and write research papers in economics. More generally, the ability to understand and interpret statistical estimation and test results is very important not only in economics and for economic policy, but also for other social sciences, natural sciences, medicine, etc.

Economics and Management of Digitization

ECTS: 3.5

Prerequisites: Yes (See syllabus)

 

We live in an increasingly digital economy. Information technology has already transformed almost every market and the Internet of Things and advances in Artificial Intelligence will further lead to important changes throughout the value chain of individual firms and across a large variety of sectors. The course Economics and Management of Digitization introduces students to the fundamental concepts, challenges, and opportunities of digitization. The overarching aim is to prepare students for careers in industry/consulting and/or dissertations in this field.

Economics of Multisided Platforms

ECTS: 3.5

Prerequisites: Yes (See syllabus)

- COURSE CANCELLED - 

eContent

ECTS: 3.5

Prerequisites: None

 In this hands-on course you will be able to better understand what makes good content… good.  From being exposed to best practices to learning by doing, in this this project based course you will develop skills to evaluate the circumstances and context that make it work for your company and the strategy of your brand.  These skills serve as a foundation for an effective brief for an agency or a designer, critically viewing content and providing constructive and actionable feedback, benchmarking competitive content and analyzing it from target consumer’s perspective. 

Financial Derivatives

ECTS: 3.5

Prerequisites: Yes (See syllabus)

This course studies a particular class of financial assets, named derivative assets, whose value “derives” from other financial assets, referred to as the underlying asset. Derivative assets play a key role in modern capital markets, representing today many trillion USD. They are an important instrument available to financial managers to manage their companies’ risk exposure. In this course we will examine the properties and characteristics of key derivative assets, such as forward contracts, future contracts and options, with a emphasis on the pricing of such instruments.

Firm Valuation

ECTS: 3.5

Prerequisites: Yes (See syllabus)

Employing knowledge from the fields of accounting and finance, we will study alternative valuation methods from both a conceptual and practical perspective. We will address the various issues arising in the valuation process and discuss valuation in special settings such as private equity markets, emerging markets, and restructuring.

Group and Team Processes

ECTS: 3.5

Prerequisites: None

 

Many modern organizations are structured in work teams, and those teams are considered its building blocks (e.g., Campion, Medsker, & Higgs, 1993). Consequently, understanding what may enhance the ability of teams to be effective must be a serious concern. This course provides an overview of the fundamental dynamics of teams and teamwork, focusing on the interactions between team members that contribute to team performance and team members’ satisfaction. The main goal of this course is to provide you with a better understanding of how you can contribute, as a member of a work team or as a team leader, to its success.

Imperfect Markets

ECTS: 4.5

Prerequisites: Yes (See syllabus)

The objective of this course is to provide a rigorous understanding of core theoretical aspects of the behavior of firms and industries in imperfectly competitive markets.

International Business Challenges

ECTS: 3.5

Prerequisites: None

This course addresses the modern challenges that international managers face when operating at a global scale. The course covers
the process of internationalization of companies, from domestic to international and to global, focusing on current difficulties that need to be overcome.

International Industry Analysis

ECTS: 3.5

Prerequisites: Yes (See syllabus)

Business leaders and strategy consultants are required to fully understand the industries they are working for, to leverage the international development of companies. Therefore, the International Industry Analysis course aims to integrate and strengthen the strategic, marketing, operational and technological competencies of students, by analysing specific industries on a global level.

International Negotiation

ECTS: 3.5

Prerequisites: None

Students will learn a variety of frameworks in order to understand the process of negotiation and will have at least one face-to-face negotiation exercise per class in order to practice and develop skills. International and cross-cultural aspects of negotiation will also be explored. 

Management Accounting

ECTS: 3.5

Prerequisites: To be confirmed

(more information available soon)

Management Information Systems (Management of Digital Transformation & Disruption) 

ECTS: 3.5

Prerequisites: Yes (See syllabus)

This course is about the impact that digital technologies have been having in organisations and their competitive environment and highly contributes to an understanding about information systems and technology (IS/IT) and IS management in organizations, namely the digital transformation and disruption that companies have been experiencing.

Managing Social Innovation

ECTS: 3.5

Prerequisites: None

This course will examine the most recent approaches to social innovation and social entrepreneurship and will provide students with a deep and analytical understanding of:
i) how to develop innovative solutions to drive a positive change in society while being profitable;
ii) how to manage innovative, socially oriented business model;
iii) how to transform social-business tensions in opportunities for organizational learning, change and innovation.
The course will be based on the analysis and discussion in class of case studies that present real socially oriented organizations working in different sectors/countries/markets.

Marketing Communication

ECTS: 3.5

Prerequisites: Yes (See syllabus)

This course will provide you a chance to learn, discuss and participate in the full breadth of the integrated marketing communications process. The work we will do intends to give you the necessary insight and knowledge to use the main MarComm tools in your future business role.

Marketing for Tech-Based Startups

ECTS: 3.5

Prerequisites: Yes (See syllabus)

In this course, you will learn how some basic marketing concepts can assist young technology (digital and science based) ventures to create, deliver and extract valuable in a meaningful way for the customers and investors. You will be introduced to the latest marketing tools and will practice by developing entrepreneurial thinking when selecting the most appropriate marketing tools for a real startup. You will have a glimpse of a start up business in which you will contribute to solve a real life marketing challenge for technology based startup. 

New Products and Services

ECTS: 3.5

Prerequisites: None

A chartbuster app, a new venture or an innovative product launch from a multi-national company – all start from an idea with potential. How big is the potential? What problems does it solve? Hot to get it to a “final product or service”? This very intense, short-duration course offers an entrepreneurial take on developing ideas into new products, services and ventures. You’ll learn the basics needed to identify problems worth solving, validate solutions worth exploring; test different business models; build the right team to do it; and find the means to launch it. 

Strategic Marketing

ECTS: 3.5

Prerequisites: Yes (See Syllabus)

This course focuses on strategically analyzing and solving marketing problems from a decision makers’ perspective. To give you an insight into the "real world" frustrations and rewards of formulating and implementing marketing strategy, you and your team will run a business, in competition with the other teams in a dynamic environment of MARKSTRAT simulation!

Technology Strategy

ECTS: 3.5

Prerequisites: None

Technology Strategy prepares students to manage technology within an organization and to relate technology and innovation to the broader strategic decision-making required at the corporate level. It will explore how market characteristics shape and are shaped by technological innovation in the larger context of corporate strategy. Furthermore, it addresses how managers and executives can identify which technologies are likely to succeed in markets, and which firms are best positioned to profit from this innovation. It addresses these issues in both entrepreneurial and established firms, and examines how the firm’s activities, assets, and relationships must complement one another to capture value from innovation.

 

Business Research Methods (B)

ECTS: 7

Prerequisites: Yes (See syllabus)

This course introduces quantitative methods used to extract information from data with the ultimate goal of improving managerial decisions. The underlying idea on which the course is based and that it aims at developing among the students is one that recognizes the ubiquity of data and the opportunities they offer for knowledge discovery.

The course’s approach is twofold. First, it develops concepts and methods, which are useful in the current data-oriented business environment: from data collection to statistical models of data interpretation. Second, it puts a great emphasis on mastering software tools to carry analyses of real-world datasets and to report results.

Health Economics

ECTS: 6

Prerequisites: (See syllabus)

Health Economics is the application of the tools of economics to issues concerning health and health care. It studies the activities, resource use patterns and institutions related to the investment in, maintenance and repair of people’s health.
The course aims to familiarize students with the key concepts of health economics, giving students an understanding of the health care industry and analytical skills that will help them to pursue professional and academic goals in the area.

History of Economic Thought

ECTS: 6

Prerequisites: Yes (See syllabus)

This course attempts a description of the evolution of the main references of economic theory. Starting in Antiquity, the main stress will be placed on the classical and neoclassical schools, analyzing directly the main texts of the basic authors of the science, describing the evolution of Economic Theory. The method used will be oral exposition by the teacher, discussing some specific quotations from each of the books selected.

Lean Entrepreneurship Project

ECTS: 7

Prerequisites: None

This course is based on 12 challenges requiring interaction between the team, and future clients or customers. The different challenges will help you understand what is a good business idea and how to get from the idea to a structured business. This process will be based on the Lean methodology to mitigate some of the risks, and have more chances to succeed.

Students will have the option of developing business ideas proposed by the instructor OR to propose their ideas for business. These will be put to a market place, and if selected by their peers as worth developing they will become the course project for one of the teams. Not all ideas for businesses will be implemented. During the course, students will have to interview future clients and obtain good evidence of traction.

Social Entrepreneurship: Building Impact Ventures

ECTS: 7

Prerequisites: None

Social entrepreneurs are a driving force for societal change and business innovation, creating compelling ventures that align both profit and impact. What do social entrepreneurs do that is unique and why do they succeed in addressing profound societal problems in areas where governments, markets, and charities are failing? How are impact ventures built? This course will place you in the role of a social entrepreneur and help you learn in teams how to design and launch an impact venture.

The course uses a hands-on step by step approach through which the teams will make progress each week in the design and piloting of their venture. 

Strategic Management Consulting Project (1)


ECTS: 7

Prerequisites: Yes (See syllabus)

The course is based on a field project that consists of working with a client organization to define the challenge, investigate root-causes, gather relevant data, analyze data, generate and evaluate alternative solutions and present the proposed solution to the decision-maker. The course develops the interaction between students and client organizations, by using a collaborative consulting methodology that contributes to understand and solve real management and business challenges.

 

 

1) Students that register for Strategic Management Consulting Project must not register for Lean Entrepreneurship Project nor Strategic Management Consulting.


Language Courses

German Language Course - Level A1.1

ECTS: 4.5

Prerequisites: None

This course provides students with no previous knowledge of German an introduction to the language. Course topics will cover personal experience and interpersonal interaction, proceeding to an increasing familiarity with the social and cultural aspects of German-speaking countries.

Vocabulary and grammar contents will be integrated into a learning progression schema that follows realistic situations of everyday communication. The typology of exercises covers and integrates the four basic communicative skills (listening, reading, speaking, writing). 

Mandarin Language Course (Introduction)

ECTS: 4.5

Prerequisites: None

The aim is that the students reach the objectives defined by the HSK at level 1 (equivalent to A1 of CEFR, the European Framework of Reference for Language).

Per the syllabus, students are expected to develop skills in producing and interpreting some basic utterances, as well as in making short conversations in Mandarin. Students are also expected to get an overview of China and Chinese culture (society and culture, Chinese business etiquette, cities, and regions, etc.), and get prepared for the possible further mandarin learning.

Portuguese Extensive Course | level A1

ECTS: 4.5

Prerequisites: None

 

This course aims at the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages level A1. By the end of this course, students should be able to:
• understand familiar words and phrases common to daily situations and relating to themes of personal relevance (personal information, interests, interpersonal relationships), whenever the interlocutor speaks slowly and clearly (oral comprehension);
• understand simple words, expressions and phrases and grasping information in notices, timetables, and catalogs as well as very simple messages such as text messages and emails (written comprehension);
• communicate in basic daily situations and brief social interactions, with the collaboration of the interlocutor, asking and answering simple questions of immediate relevance and on familiar topics (verbal interaction);
• use simple expressions and phrases for describing oneself and others and to narrate general events and routine actions (oral expression);
• write very brief informal messages and personal notes, filling in forms with personal information (written expression).

Portuguese Extensive Course | level A2

ECTS: 4.5

Prerequisites: Yes (See syllabus)

This course aims at the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages level A2. By the end of this course, students should be able to:
- understand sentences and short texts related to topics of personal relevance, such as brief announcements, short dialogues, and texts on personal information, family, shopping, transport, social life, working and leisure activities (oral comprehension);
- understand simple texts and specific information on daily affairs, such as pamphlets, advertising, timetables, menus, as well as personal notes and letters (written comprehension);
- communicate in simple daily interactions requiring an immediate exchange of information and brief social situations and reacting to the input of other speakers (communicative interaction);
- formulate simple sequences of expressions and phrases for describing familiar topics such as family place of origin, education, currency work and personal experiences (verbal expressions);
- write brief messages on important issues or immediate needs, such as letters and personal notes (written expression);

Spanish Language Course | level A1

ECTS: 4.5

Prerequisites: None

The aim is that the students reach the objectives defined by the European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) at level A1.

Per the syllabus, students are expected to develop skills in producing and interpreting different types of utterances, both oral and written, and in multiple situations. One primary aim of the discipline is also to promote both individual and collaborative learning, i.e., through group work.
In this initial stage of the study of the foreign language, particular attention will be paid to the grammatical contents.

The classes will be organized around two specific moments: first, the teacher will introduce the theoretical content and a second moment when the teacher will conduct the students through activities – in class or outside the classroom – and exercises – both oral and written – aimed at allowing intensive language practice. 

Spanish Language Course | level A2

ECTS: 4.5

Prerequisites: Yes (See syllabus)

Our aim is that the students reach the objectives defined by the European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) at level A2 (Plataforma/Waystage).

By the syllabus, students – at the end of the course are expected to master a strong Waystage performance. This means the student will to be able to:
• Greet, ask and react to news;
• Talk about work and free time;
• Make and respond to invitations and make arrangements;
• Ask and give basic information and directions;
• Ask for and provide everyday goods and services;
• Describe past activities and personal experiences;
• Explain what (s)he likes or dislikes;
• Compare.

Brand Management 

ECTS: 3.5

Prerequisites: None

Brands are a fascinating marketing construct.  They are intangible, yet potentially highly valuable assets, often co-created by firms and consumers. This course covers the key aspects of creating and managing strong brands and how to strategically leverage their awesome power.

Business Ethics & Social Responsibility

ECTS: 3.5

Prerequisites: None

This course will examine the most recent approaches to corporate social responsibility and a broad range of alternative applied ethics theories in support of managerial and professional decision making. Perspectives will include professional and applied ethics, law, public policy, organizational design, strategy, and organizational behavior.

The course will be based on the analysis and discussion in class of case studies concerning the most controversial corporate scandals such as Enron and Nike, challenging corporate crises such as Deutsche Telekom and Guidant Corporation and innovative CSR strategies as in the cases of Patagonia and Timberland.

Business Model Innovation

ECTS: 3.5

Prerequisites: Yes (See syllabus)

During the course, students get to know frameworks and practices on how to create new digital ventures. The course is ideal for students that plan to work in business development, strategy, consulting, or start their own company.

​You strengthen your digital mindset and learn how to think strategically about the ideation, market, product, business model, go-to-market, and organizational and financial setup for a chosen digital product. 

Competitive Intelligence

ECTS: 3.5

Prerequisites: Yes (See syllabus)

This course highly contributes to an understanding of competitive intelligence and the intelligence environment overall.

In a highly competitive and innovative environment, companies depend on their external knowledge acquisition capabilities, and this is true for large as well as for small companies; this is also especially true for start-ups. Companies should thus develop an intelligence attitude at all levels. This course thus proposes participants to apply a set of the most advanced and relevant competitive intelligence methodologies in an integrated manner.

Digital Marketing

ECTS: 3.5

Prerequisites: Yes (See syllabus)

This course aims to: understand the integration of digital marketing strategies in the overall marketing strategy of the company; explore the impact of digital in transforming the marketing mix; practice the principles of digital marketing planning; provide an overview on best practices in digital marketing; understand the main metrics and KPIs related to digital strategies.

Digital Product Management

ECTS: 3.5

Prerequisites: None

What do Apple, Instagram, and Netflix have in common? Technological products used by millions of users around the planet. Behind their success are product managers, maestros of the technology world, working amongst engineers, designers and data scientists making sure companies are building what users want.

Economic Growth

ECTS: 3.5

Prerequisites: Yes (See syllabus)

The course will introduce students to the main facts and theories of Economic Growth as well as it will help them understand the old and new debate of Growth versus Development.
During its duration, basic questions of economic growth and development, development facts and theories concerning strengths and weaknesses will also be discussed.

Entrepreneurial Finance

ECTS: 3.5

Prerequisites: Yes (See syllabus)

This course aims to provide students with an overview of the different skills required to raise capital throughout the lifecycle of growth of an early-stage company and work in a new venture-financing context. The course will be taught from the perspective of the entrepreneur, highlighting the specific aspects that are of relevance for someone negotiating with business angels, venture capitalists or other types of financiers. These lessons will also apply to someone planning to create his own company or work for an early-stage company and who wants to understand what their investor’s priorities are.

Financial Modeling

ECTS: 3.5

Prerequisites: TYes (See syllabus)

Many training courses in the modeling area put their emphasis either on Excel functionality, or on financial theory, or mathematical models, but seldom address the modeling process.
This course aims to cover the modeling issues that are relevant to facilitate the construction of robust and readily understandable models.

FinTech

ECTS: 3.5

Prerequisites: None

This course is designed for students who plan to get involved with the disruption of the financial sector. Banks and insurance companies are facing one of the most pressured moments of industry history. After a financial and credibility crisis, the drivers of this pressure are not only clients seeking innovation and convenience, but also regulators. Artificial intelligence, blockchain, cloud computing and the rise of a mobile-first generation are some of the enablers but also drivers of a new reality that is already unbundling the financial sector as we know it.

Game Theory

ECTS: 3.5

Prerequisites: Yes (See syllabus)

This course offers an introduction to non-cooperative game theory, with applications to relevant economic topics. The course is intended for master students who wish to develop a solid background in this area.

Healthcare Transformation

ECTS: 3.5

Prerequisites: None

Health is the most valuable human asset. Often healthcare is not delivering up to aging population needs or everyday modern society consumption and service expectations. Healthcare can be transformed utilizing technologies both digital and social.

This course provides basic sectorial knowledge, language, and culture pointers to make you a credible partner in a consulting or otherwise related healthcare transformation project and/or the beginning of work in an organization related to any parts of the complex healthcare supply chain much in need of young dynamic change agents.  

Incentives and Productivity

Canceled

Industrial Organization

ECTS: 3.5

Prerequisites: Yes (See syllabus)

Industrial Organization is the field of economics that studies the behavior of firms in imperfectly competitive markets as well as the performance of such markets. Building on the standard oligopoly models covered in the Imperfect Markets/Microeconomics courses, Industrial Organization introduces additional instruments, strategic decisions, and market dynamics.
The main goal of the course is to extend students’ knowledge about firm behavior and the functioning of imperfectly competitive markets, exposing them to some of the most widespread topics and models considered in the Industrial Organization.

International Financial Reporting Standards

ECTS: 3.5

Prerequisites: Yes (See syllabus)

Investments, mergers, acquisitions decisions require a clear understanding and a careful examination of a company’s performance in the context of its industry and economic environment.

This course is designed to provide an in-depth examination of some of the most economically significant international financial reporting topics and its impact on the financial statements and in decision making.

International Money and Finance

ECTS: 3.5

Prerequisites: Yes (See syllabus)

In this course, we will be covering the main topics of international macroeconomics. We will start by studying an intertemporal model where we will be covering the balance of payments accounting and the dynamics of the trade balance, current account, savings and investment in the open economy.

We will study interest rate parities as conditions for capital mobility. We will extend the model to include non-tradable goods and study the dynamics of the real exchange rate. We will consider the relevance of nominal rigidities. We will study the determination of nominal exchange rates and discuss the relevance of the Quantity Theory of Money. We will study a nominal model with uncertainty where the basics of asset pricing can be derived. We will cover the basics of optimal stabilization policy. We will also study optimal fiscal policy in the open economy.

Intrapreneurship

ECTS: 3.5

Prerequisites: None

This class engages with the intrapreneurship terrain in both a practical and theoretical manner. Creativity, Innovation, and Entrepreneurship (CIE) is established notions in strategy, leadership, and management. Intrapreneurship is a distinctive domain that incorporates aspects of CIE but is not entirely the same thing. 

Leadership Development

ECTS: 3.5

Prerequisites: None

This course is about leadership and is intended to help students become more effective when dealing with workplace demands for leadership, regardless of their previous work experience.

The course examines “what” leadership is, “why” it is important, and “when” it is useful. Each class will discuss alternative approaches to leadership, compare various leadership styles, and examine a range of leadership processes. Students will use readings, role-plays, experiential exercises, as well as class discussions, to optimize their leadership capabilities.

Management Information Systems

Canceled

Managerial Economics


ECTS: 3.5

Prerequisites: None

The course is an introduction, or a refresher, to the basic quantitative tools of microeconomic analysis of markets and firm behavior under different market structures.

At the end of the course, students should be able to use microeconomic principles to inform managerial and business decisions and to understand the broad economic environment where the firm operates.

Managing Organizations

ECTS: 3.5

Prerequisites: None

The main objective of this course is to help students understand several core topics relating to organizational dynamics such as organizational structure, culture, learning, communication, and change. Through cases, class activities, lectures, and assignments, the course will engage students to reflect and apply organizational behavior concepts, theories, and practices to a variety of real-life organizational settings. 

Marketing Communication

ECTS: 3.5

Prerequisites: Yes (see syllabus)

This course will provide you a chance to learn, discuss and participate in the full breadth of the integrated marketing communications process. The work we will do intends to give you the necessary insight and knowledge to use the main Marketing Communication tools in your future business role.

The course will be extremely practical, wherein almost all sessions students will have the chance to work on real-life scenarios.

Microeconometrics

ECTS: 4.5

Prerequisites: Yes (See syllabus)

The goal of this course is to provide students with a thorough understanding of a variety of econometric models that economists use for empirical microeconomic research. Special emphasis will be given to the application of these models to economic data in recent empirical research, to illustrate how they can be employed to answer empirical questions in different fields, labor or health economics or finance research questions. Put particular emphasis on the interpretation of the results and on learning to use the econometric software “STATA”.

Performance Evaluation

Canceled

Retailing

ECTS: 3.5

Prerequisites: Yes (See syllabus)

This course presents the main concepts in retailing. Students will acquire the retail terminology, understand the different retail business models, and develop a sound knowledge of the key decision variables a retailer must handle.
It is designed to prepare students for careers on both sides of the retail field: merchandise buying and store management. It is also useful to those who would like to have sales or marketing management positions in a manufacturer or jobs dealing with retailers. 

Risk Management

ECTS: 3.5

Prerequisites: Yes (See syllabus)

In this course, we will analyze different sources of risk for firms and discuss in detail the tools available to managers to mitigate those risks. Most of our analysis will be focused on risk management in financial institutions for two interrelated reasons. First, these institutions are more exposed to financial risks than non-financial firms, due to the nature of their activities. Second, the importance of adequately managing these risks fosters the permanent creation of new tools to address them.

​This is an area of growing interest and high demand in the job market, after the large losses incurred during the global financial crisis due to failures in risk management systems. During the course we will look at the most recent developments in these models, reflecting many of the lessons learned during the crisis.

Services Marketing

ECTS: 3.5

Prerequisites: Yes (See syllabus)

This course aims to outline the importance of services management. Services dominate the majority of the economic transactions and are becoming critical for the competitive advantage of companies across the globe and in all industry sectors. Even organizations that typically positioned their business as product manufacturers are increasingly changing their positioning, focusing on the offer of services as a differentiating factor. It is therefore of great importance to study services marketing as a separate field of marketing, analyzing in detail the specific characteristics of services and focusing on strategies that allow the overall quality improvement of services offered by organizations.

Social Doctrine of the Church

ECTS: 3.5

Prerequisites: None

The present course attempts a presentation of the doctrine of the Catholic Church on social issues, with special attention to the economic topics, describing themes, documents, and proposals. Its purpose is to allow the students to have an axiological evaluation of the social, and in particular economic questions, based on the Christian values and commandments. In the end, the participants must know the position of the Catholic Church on the great social topics and the main documents, which define it.

Supply Chain Management

ECTS: 3.5

Prerequisites: Yes (See syllabus)

This course is about delivering the right product at the right time, to the right location, in the right quantity, and at the lowest possible cost. Look around you. Apple, Walmart, IKEA, FedEx are examples of companies that have mastered supply chain management, a crucial element that helps them prevail in their respective industries.

This course is appropriate for students interested in pursuing careers in any company that makes, sells and/or distributes products. Alternatively, those who wish to work for organizations that invest in or analyze those firms will also benefit.  

 

Language Course

Portuguese Intensive Course (18 hours)

ECTS: 1.5

Prerequisites: None

This course is intended for absolute beginners in Portuguese as a foreign language and aims at preparing participants for their first contact with the language and the daily communicative situations they will come across whilst in the country.

The course will use a “learn by doing” modular approach with real-life business examples.

Advanced Fixed Income

ECTS: 3.5

Prerequisites: Yes (See syllabus)

The course aims to provide a general overview of the new products available for fixed income investors, mainly at the credit front via securitization.

​Most of them allow investors to reap the benefits of yield pick-up and diversification versus the traditional market offers. The understanding of the economics behind ABS/CMBS will be crucial to analyze more complex securities like CDOs/CLOs.

Banking and Finance

ECTS: 3.5

Prerequisites: Yes (See syllabus)

Banks receive money from depositors and other investors and channel these funds to firms, households, and governments in the form of loans.

In this course, you will be introduced to the main theoretical concepts on banking as well as related empirical evidence and policy questions. 

Business Analytics

ECTS: 3.5

Prerequisites: Yes (See syllabus)

In this course, we will study how data analysis technologies can be used to improve business knowledge and decision-making. We will learn about the fundamental principles and techniques of predictive modeling.

We will examine real-world examples and cases of the application of such tools. We will work hands-on with state-of-the-art data analysis software.

Business to Business Marketing Strategy

ECTS: 3.5

Prerequisites: None

Most companies of any dimension do not sell their products and services to consumers but to other companies. The buyers are organizations with a decision-making process that is complex and different from those of a final buyer of consumer goods. The marketing and sales challenges faced in business-to-business markets must be addressed based on the fundamentals of marketing but applied in a radically different way. The focus, levers, and processes of the marketing and sales efforts are different, and so must marketing strategy and communication be. This is especially relevant for small and medium enterprises.
This course reviews the main components of business-to-business – “B2B”:  strategy, marketing, and sales.

Competition Policy

ECTS: 3.5

Prerequisites: Yes (See syllabus)

The purpose of competition policy is to ensure that there are no restrictions on competition in the marketplace that are harmful to social welfare.

This course provides students with an understanding of the economics of competition policy by applying elementary game theory and simple oligopoly models to analyze the effects of several profitable practices that may reduce welfare.

Consumer Behavior

ECTS: 3.5

Prerequisites: None

Consumer behavior topics include needs and motives, personality, perception, learning, attitudes, emotions and social/cultural influence. The standard economic model assumes that human behavior is determined by rationality.

However, oftentimes the behavior of people deviates from rationality. This course will explain how attention/perception, memory, emotions, social norms, and other forces shape our behavior. 

Corporate Governance: an International Perspective

ECTS: 3.5

Prerequisites: None

Corporate Governance – An International Perspective is an introductory course in corporate governance (CG) that offers a view on practices and regulations in governance across continents. This course starts by making clear how CG developed in the last 10 years in the aftermath of the financial and economic crisis and how important it is for building trust in today’s capital markets.

The course aims at giving the student a clear vision of how important it is, in business, to ensure that shareholders’ and stakeholders’ rights and expectations are protected from management deviation or abuse. It also shows how trust must be built-in corporate behavior so that sound and efficient markets for capital allocation are developed and sustained.

Cross-Cultural Management

ECTS: 3.5

Prerequisites: Yes (See syllabus)

The world is becoming increasingly more global. From the emergence of multinational organizations and global markets to the rising numbers of international workers, new challenges and opportunities emerge for entrepreneurs, managers, and employees. These challenges and opportunities can be best understood if cross-cultural factors are taken into consideration. 

This course aims to deepen your understanding of the context-specific nature of management and to provide you with knowledge and skills helpful to navigate the increasingly global nature of contemporary work. To that aim, we will start by exploring the fundamentals of culture and cross-cultural differences.

Digital Product Management

ECTS: 3.5

Prerequisites: None

What do Apple, Instagram, and Netflix have in common? Technological products used by millions of users around the planet. Behind their success are product managers, maestros of the technology world, working amongst engineers, designers and data scientists making sure companies are building what users want.

Digital Transformation

ECTS: 3.5

Prerequisites: Yes (See syllabus)

This course aims at preparing the students to participate and lead Digital Transformation teams, by providing a hands-on approach based on Design Thinking methodologies, to acquire the know-how, tools, and experiences required to be an asset in any Digital Transformation project.

The teaching approach is based on challenging the students to deal with a real-world case, applying a digital transformation framework and providing experiential design thinking tools to deal with it.

Economic Globalization

Canceled

eContent 

ECTS: 3.5

Prerequisites: None

In this hands-on course, you will be able to better understand what makes good content… good.  From being exposed to best practices to learning by doing, in this project-based course you will develop skills to evaluate the circumstances and context that make it work for your company and the strategy of your brand.  

Financial Decision Making in a Business Context 

ECTS: 3.5

Prerequisites: Yes (See syllabus)

Two questions are at the core of any study relating to corporate financial decision-making (and more broadly Corporate Finance):
- How do firms optimally choose their investment projects?
- How do they decide among the pool of financing options for these projects?
Answering these two questions and understanding the issues involved will be the focus of this course.

Initially, we will study these two questions independently from each other, starting with the capital budgeting (investing) decision of an all-equity financed project. We will then turn to the capital structure (financing) decision, which we will found using perfect capital markets arguments. Subsequently, we will introduce capital market imperfections and examine how these shape the cross-sectional variety of capital structures observed in real life. Finally, we will combine the two decisions by looking into the valuation methods for levered projects and companies based on the knowledge acquired during the previous steps.

Group and Team Processes

ECTS: 3.5

Prerequisites: None

This course provides an overview of the fundamental dynamics of teams and teamwork, focusing on the interactions between team members that contribute to team performance and team members’ satisfaction. The main goal of this course is to provide you with a better understanding of how you can contribute, as a member of a work team or as a team leader, to its success.

Impact Investing 

ECTS: 3.5

Prerequisites: None

The goal of this course is to introduce participants to the growing global phenomenon of Impact Investing, broadly defined as the purposeful allocation of financial resources to entrepreneurial projects or ventures that generate sustainable impact.

The course is valuable for participants who would like to become investors in social innovations or financial intermediaries, as well as potential impact entrepreneurs who would like to understand the financing mechanisms and models available to finance their current or future impact projects and ventures.

Information and Uncertainty

ECTS: 3.5

Prerequisites: Yes (see syllabus)

This course covers advanced topics related to a decision under uncertainty and optimal contracts with asymmetric information. After taking the course, students should be able to understand and derive models with uncertainty and asymmetric information.

International Market Segmentation

ECTS: 3.5

Prerequisites:  Yes (See syllabus)

This course is designed to provide a conceptual and analytical platform to deal with both conceptual and practical issues related to the segmentation of international markets. In particular, students will learn to use some statistical techniques to segment international markets.

International Negotiation

ECTS: 3.5

Prerequisites: None

Negotiation is a decision-making process in which two or more parties with non-identical preferences seek to reach an agreement about how to allocate resources (Bazerman & Carroll, 1987; Falcão, 2012). Students will learn a variety of frameworks to understand the process of negotiation and will have at least one face-to-face negotiation exercise per class to practice and develop skills. International and cross-cultural aspects of negotiation will also be explored.

Much of the value of this course will come from your active participation in exercises and class discussions. Please arrive to each class prepared and on time. Naturally, as this is a highly experiential course where learning is based on students being present and doing exercises together, the combined attendance and participation grades are very high. 

Intrapreneurship

ECTS: 3.5

Prerequisites: None

This class engages with the intrapreneurship terrain in both a practical and theoretical manner. Creativity, Innovation, and Entrepreneurship (CIE) are established notions in strategy, leadership, and management. Intrapreneurship is a distinctive domain that incorporates aspects of CIE but is not entirely the same thing. 

Lean Entrepreneurship

ECTS: 3.5

Prerequisites: None

In this course, students will learn about how to find a business idea, transform the idea into a business model, define the critical hypothesis, achieve product-market fit, plan the go-to-market strategy and understand what needs to be done to scale a business. 

The course includes short talks, in-class exercises, experienced guest speakers, useful readings, videos about entrepreneurial topics and practical individual and group homework.  During classes, students will be able to make questions using Slido.com and get answers from the professor.            

Macrodynamics

ECTS: 3.5

Prerequisites: Yes (See syllabus)

In this course, we discuss the role of expectations in general equilibrium macrodynamic models and the possible existence of business cycles driven by self-fulfilling expectations (endogenous cycles). We explore distortionary economic environments where autonomous changes in expectations, about the value of future economic variables, can lead to changes in the economic outcomes consistent with those expectations changes.

Along the course, students will learn about Overlapping Generations Models with Market Imperfections and focus on equilibrium driven by self-fulfilling expectations. Some concepts and relevant mathematical tools are developed, enabling students to write equilibrium equations in terms of relevant economic parameters (such as elasticities of labor supply, tax rate, markups, capital share of output, elasticity of substitution between capital and labor) and to characterize in a meaningful way the equilibrium (local) stability.

Managerial Decision Making

ECTS: 3.5

Prerequisites: None

This course is designed to provide you with a better understanding of how you and other people think, feel, decide, and behave. One main objective is to increase awareness of the psychological processes that underlie the choices that people make, as well as systematic biases and heuristics that people have when making decisions. A second main objective is to give you a space to reflect on who you are and whom you want and do not want to be, as well as provide tools for how to mindfully create a life that aligns with your goals. A third main objective is to better understand how to interact with oneself and other people in ways that are responsible, productive, and mutually rewarding. The last main objective is to appreciate the role of emotions and moods in how people decide and behave. All of these topics will be presented based on scientific research; including related interventions, which can help people become more effective. 

Managing People

ECTS: 3.5

Prerequisites: None

Managing People is designed to provide you with a better understanding of individual perceptions and interpersonal behavior in organizations, and how these influence personal and organizational performance.

The course focuses on how you, as an organizational member and manager, can experience, understand, and manage yourself, and other individuals, in organizations. You will learn and apply strategies and material relating to several major Organizational Behavior
topics: perception, motivation, power dynamics, influence, and persuasion.   

Market Regulation

ECTS: 3.5

Prerequisites: Yes (See syllabus)

This course provides a theoretical and empirical analysis of economic regulation in market economies.
The objective of the course is to prepare students for a career in consulting, at regulatory agencies or the policy divisions of regulated firms and business associations. 

Marketing Analytics

ECTS: 3.5

Prerequisites: Yes (See syllabus)

Today’s marketing managers must be aware of the immense value of data and what it can reveal about consumer behavior and the likely effects of marketing actions.

This course provides students with skills to improve marketing decision making by applying appropriate statistical analysis and optimization methods to market and consumer data.

Using Excel as the basic tool, you will learn a set of useful methods for modeling consumer demand, forecasting sales, making pricing and advertising decisions, aligning product design with consumer preferences and managing customers. 

Marketing for Technology-Based Startups

ECTS: 3.5

Prerequisites: Yes (See syllabus)

In this course, you will learn how some basic marketing concepts can assist young technology (digital and science-based) ventures to create, deliver and extract value in a meaningful way for the customers and investors. You will be introduced to marketing & entrepreneurial tools and will practice by developing entrepreneurial thinking when selecting the most appropriate marketing strategies for a real startup.

You will have a glimpse of a start-up business in which you will contribute to solving a real-life marketing challenge for a technology-based startup. 

Operations Management

ECTS: 3.5

Prerequisites: Yes (See syllabus)

This course provides a basic comprehension of the OM within an organization. Operations are analyzed from a strategic and operational perspective, focusing on the competitive advantage that they can create in organizations. Thus, students are provided with concepts, techniques, and tools to design, analyze and improve the operational capabilities of an organization. Rather than focusing on a particular sector, the course aims to cover a broad range of application domains from industry to services. Upon completing this course, students should be able to: understand the strategic role of OM in creating and enhancing an organization’s competitive advantages, identify the main concepts and issues of OM in both manufacturing and service organizations, and apply analytical methods and problem-solving tools to the analysis of operations problems. 

Performance-Oriented Strategies

ECTS: 3.5

Prerequisites: None

Strategic thinking requires us to have accurate views of factors influencing success or failure, often called mental models. This interdisciplinary course frames strategies for achieving outperformance through the lens of key concepts in business and finance, as understood by leading practitioners. For example, we routinely speak in the business of gaining market share or outperforming the market.  But have we considered differing conceptions of what markets are when making strategic decisions, or what are actual drivers of market behavior? 

We will isolate, contextualize, and critically analyze various core concepts used in business. The aim is to operationalize the concepts and apprehend how they relate to each other as the basis for optimal business decision-making. Students will gain a more nuanced relationship to these and other associative terms, and also grasp how key practitioners use conceptual insights to generate outperformance or gain an informational edge.  

Private Equity 

ECTS: 3.5

Prerequisites: Yes (See syllabus)

This course aims to provide students with an overview of the different skills required to work in a private equity context. The course will be taught from the perspective of the private equity fund manager (GP), highlighting the rationale for acquiring a minority or majority position in a company and its valuation.
These lessons will also apply to someone working as an advisor to private equity investors and who need to understand what their priorities are.

Retailing

ECTS: 3.5

Prerequisites: Yes (See syllabus)

This course presents the main concepts in retailing. Students will acquire the retail terminology, understand the different retail business models, and develop a sound knowledge of the key decision variables a retailer must handle.

It is designed to prepare students for careers on both sides of the retail field: merchandise buying and store management. It is also useful to those who would like to have sales or marketing management positions in a manufacturer or jobs dealing with retailers. 

Strategic Change & Dynamic Capabilities 

ECTS: 3.5

Prerequisites: None

This SC & DC course intends to provide an advanced understanding of how firms can create value in changing environments. Past dominant theories in the Strategy field were particularly concerned about explaining how firms can achieve a sustainable competitive advantage. However, several recent studies began to show that sustainable competitive advantage is rare and declining in its duration.

As environments become more dynamic, unpredictable, uncertain, and ambiguous (that is, when exogenous and endogenous shocks are more common), firms struggle not only to achieve a competitive advantage but often just to survive. Thus, a challenging question arises: How can firms successfully cope with such environments?
The SC & DC course will attempt to address this question by providing integrated analysis of three major topics: first, the main, traditional perspectives on strategy; second, the strategic change phenomenon; third, the dynamic capabilities view.

Strategic Management Consulting 

ECTS: 3.5

Prerequisites: Yes (See syllabus)

The objective of this course is to introduce students to the fundamentals of SMC, equipping them with its relevant knowledge and insights, and a reference binder on the industry and its practices. This will enable students to more quickly become better career consultants (external or internal) or consulting ‘consumers’. This course is designed to provide insights and extensive opportunities for the practical application of knowledge across the following areas:
• Consulting definition, facts & figures, dynamics, and challenges
• Key success factors for consulting (e.g. knowledge management, innovation)
• Interviewing in consulting (e.g. types and expectations, range of applicability)
• Project elements (e.g. proposals, setup and structure, execution, outcomes)
• Project stakeholder management (internal and external)
• Essential consulting skills (e.g. proposal writing, data & analysis, presentation of outcomes)

Sustainable Finance


ECTS: 3.5

Prerequisites: Yes (See syllabus)

No forward-looking organization can afford to operate without sustainability principles. Finance (both as an organizational function and industry)  is positioned to play a significant role as a catalyst for sustainable economies. This course focuses on the sustainability perspective in finance functions and for financial players -  banks, insurers, asset managers and strategic consultants.  You will learn from the most modern views of the European Commission to the challenges raised by the United Nations for public and private organizations  -  to adopt financial practices for a better world - more human, more transparent, environmentally and socially accountable. 
The Political Economy of European Integration
 

ECTS: 3.5

Prerequisites: Yes (See syllabus)

The course takes a political economy approach to analyze the process of European integration. It discusses the evolution of European integration in terms of its various stages/levels, with emphasis on its regulatory character, notably the single market and EMU, and examines the question of an optimal size of the Union (incl. Brexit).

It also looks at the creation of EU institutions, notably the building-up of EMU and economic governance. Departing from the global and Eurozone crises, it assesses the various possible paths for completing and sustaining EMU and discusses the sustainability of the European Union in economic, financial and political terms.

Time Series Econometrics

ECTS: 4.5

Prerequisites: Yes (See syllabus)

The principal objective of this course is to provide students with the basic tools to describe, analyze and model time series data.

Topics in Macroeconomics

ECTS: 3.5

Prerequisites: Yes (See syllabus)

This is a course on fiscal and monetary policy.

It covers some of the main principles of optimal fiscal policy and relates those to the optimal quantity of money. It also covers guidelines for stabilization policy.

 

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