Mar 28, 2024  
Undergraduate Calendar 2014-2015 (Fall/Winter) 
    
Undergraduate Calendar 2014-2015 (Fall/Winter) [-ARCHIVED CALENDAR-]

DeGroote School of Business (Faculty of Business)


DeGroote School of Business

 

DeGroote School of Business, Room 104, ext. 24433
http://www.ug.degroote.mcmaster.ca
buscom@mcmaster.ca

DEAN OF BUSINESS

Leonard Waverman

ACTING ASSOCIATE DEAN, ACADEMIC

Emad Mohammad

Faculty as of January 15, 2014

ACTING CHAIR, ACCOUNTING AND FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT SERVICES AREA

Lilian Chan

CHAIR, FINANCE AND BUSINESS ECONOMICS AREA

Trevor Chamberlain

CHAIR, HEALTH POLICY AND MANAGEMENT AREA

Glen Randall

CHAIR, HUMAN RESOURCES AND MANAGEMENT AREA

Aaron Schat

CHAIR, INFORMATION SYSTEMS AREA

Khaled Hassanein

CHAIR, MARKETING AREA

Appointment Pending

ACTING CHAIR, OPERATIONS MANAGEMENT AREA

Prakash Abad

CHAIR, STRATEGIC MANAGEMENT AREA

Nick Bontis

PROFESSORS

Prakash L. Abad/B.Tech. (Indian Institute of Technology), M.S., M.B.A., Ph.D. (Cincinnati)/(Operations Management)
Vishwanath Baba/B. Eng. (Madras), M.B.A. (Western Illinois), Ph.D. (British Columbia)/(Human Resources and Management)
Ronald Balvers/B.A. (Tilburg University), Ph.D. (University of Pittsburgh)/(Finance and Business Economics)/(Michael Lee-Chin & Family Chair in Investment and Portfolio Management)
Trevor W. Chamberlain/B.Sc. (California-Berkeley), M.B.A. (McGill), Ph.D. (Toronto), C.P.A., C.A./(Chair, Finance and Business Economics)
Y.C. Lilian Chan/B.B.A. (Chinese University of Hong Kong), Ph.D. (Virginia Polytechnic) C.P.A., C.M.A., F.C.M.A./(Accounting and Financial Management Services)
M.W. Luke Chan/B.Sc. (Prince Edward Island), M.A., Ph.D. (McMaster)/(Finance and Business Economics)/Associate Vice-President (International Affairs)
C. Sherman Cheung/B.S. (Louisiana State), M.S., PhD. (Illinois)/(Finance and Business Economics)/(Acting Director, Michael Lee-Chin & Family Institute for Strategic Business Studies)
Richard W.Deaves/B.A., M.A., Ph.D. (Toronto)/(Finance and Business Economics)
Rick D. Hackett/B.Sc. (Toronto), M.A. (Windsor), Ph.D. (Bowling Green State)/(Human Resources and Management)/(Canada Research Chair)
Khaled Hassanein/B.Sc. (Kuwait), M.A.Sc. (Toronto), Ph.D. (Waterloo), M.B.A. (Wilfrid Laurier)/(Chair, Information Systems)/(Director, MeRC)
Milena Head/B.Math. (Waterloo), M.B.A., Ph.D. (McMaster)/(Information Systems)/(Acting Director, M.B.A. Program)
Benson  L. Honig, B.A. (San Francisco State), Ph.D. (Stanford)/(Human Resources and Management)/(Teresa Cascioli Chair in Entrepreneurial Leadership)
Clarence C.Y. Kwan/Ph.D. (Ottawa), M.B.A. (McMaster), Ph.D. (Toronto), P.Eng./(Finance and Business Economics)
John Maheu/B.A. (McMaster), M.A., Ph.D. (Queen’s)/(Finance and Business Economics)/(Bank of Montreal (BMO) Financial Group Chair in Capital Markets - Financial Literacy and the Individual Investor)
John W. Medcof/B.A. (New Brunswick), M.A., Ph.D. (Toronto)/(Human Resources and Management)/(Associate Dean (Faculty Affairs and Accreditation))
Ali R. Montazemi/H.N.D. (Teesside Polytechnic), M.Sc. (Southampton), Ph.D. (Waterloo)/(Information Systems)
Dean C. Mountain/B.A. (McMaster), M.A., Ph.D. (Western Ontario)/(Finance and Business Economics)
S.M. Khalid Nainar, B.A., M.A. (Delhi), Ph.D. (Florida), C.G.A./(Accounting and Financial Management Services)
Mahmut Parlar/B.Sc., M.Sc. (Middle East Technical University), Ph.D. (Waterloo)/(Operations Management)
Jiaping Qiu/B.A. (Xiamen), M.Sc. (Hong Kong University of Science and Technology), Ph.D. (Toronto)/(Finance and Business Economics)/(CIBC Chair in Financial Markets)
Joseph B. Rose
/B.B.A. (Adelphi), M.B.A. (California), Ph.D. (SUNY-Buffalo)/(Human Resources and Management)
Sudipto Sarkar/B.Tech. (Indian Institute of Technology), Ph.D. (Columbia)/(Finance and Business Economics)
Mohamed M. Shehata/B.Com. (Tanta), M.S. (Ain-Shams), M.B.A. (North Texas State), Ph.D. (Florida)/(Accounting and Financial Management Services)
Joseph K. Tan, B.A. (Wartburg College), M.S. (Iowa), Ph.D. (UBC)/(Information Systems)/(Wayne C. Fox Chair in Business Innovation)
Leonard Waverman/B.Com., M.A. (Toronto), Ph.D. (MIT)/(Economics)/(Dean of Business)
Yufei Yuan/B.S. (Fudan), Ph.D. (Michigan)/(Information Systems)
Isik U. Zeytinoglu/B.A., M.A. (Bogazici), M.S., Ph.D. (Pennsylvania)/(Human Resources and Management)

ASSOCIATE PROFESSORS

Nick Bontis/B.A., Ph.D. (Western Ontario)/(Strategic Management)
Narat Charupat/B.A. (Thammasat), M.B.A. (Drexel), Ph.D. (York)/(Finance and Business Economics)
Catherine Connelly/B.Com. (McMaster), M.Sc., Ph.D. (Queen’s)/(Human Resources and Management)
Anna Danielova/B.Sc. (Yerevan Polytechnic Institute), M.S. (American University of Armenia), M.A., Ph.D. (Indiana)/(Finance and Business Economics)
Kenneth R. Deal/B.S., M.B.A., Ph.D. (SUNY-Buffalo)/(Marketing)/(Chair, Strategic Management)
Brian Detlor/B.Sc. (Western Ontario), M.I.S., Ph.D. (Toronto)/(Information Systems)
Elkafi Hassini/B.Sc. (Bilkent), M.A.Sc., Ph.D. (Waterloo)/(Chair, Operations Management)
Maureen Hupfer/B.Com., M.A., Ph.D. (Alberta)/(Health Policy and Management)
Manish Kacker, B.A. (Delhi), P.G.D.M. (M.B.A.) (India Institute of Management), Ph.D. (Northwestern)/(Marketing)/(Michael Lee-Chin & Family Professor in Strategic Business Studies)
Christopher Longo/B.A. (York), M.Sc. (Western Ontario), Ph.D. (Toronto)/(Heath Policy and Management)/(Director, Health Services Management)
Rosemary Luo/B.Eng. (Business) (Beijing), M.A. (McMaster), Ph.D. (Western Ontario)/(Finance and Business Economics)
Teal McAteer/B.Comm. (Queen’s), M.I.R., Ph.D. (Toronto)/(Human Resources and Management)
Susan McCracken/B.Com. (Queens), Ph.D.(Waterloo),C.P.A., C.A./(Accounting and Financial Management Services)/(Director of the CPA/DeGroote Centre for the Promotion of Accounting and Financial Management Services Area)
Peter Miu/B.Sc. (Hong Kong), M.B.A., Ph.D. (Toronto)/(Finance and Business Economics)
Emad Mohammad/B.A. (Kuwait), M.B.A., Ph.D. (Georgia State)/(Chair, Accounting and Financial Management Services)
Devashish Pujari/B. Com, M.Com., M.Phil., (Kurukshetra), Ph.D. (Bradford)/(Marketing)
Glen Randall/B.A., M.A., M.B.A. (McMaster), Ph.D. (Toronto)/(Chair, Health Policy and Management)
Sourav Ray/B.Tech. (Indian Institute of Technology), M.S. (Texas A&M), Ph.D. (Minnesota)/(Chair, Marketing)
Aaron Schat/B.A. (Redeemer), M.A., Ph.D. (Guelph)/(Human Resources and Management)
Manish Verma/M.B.A., Ph.D. (McGill)/(Operations Management)
Patricia Wakefield/B.S. (Alberta), M.S. (Cornell), M.P.A. (New York), Ph.D. (Boston)/(Health Policy and Management)/(Acting Director, Master of Health Management)
Willi Wiesner/B.A. (Wilfrid Laurier), M.A.Sc., Ph.D. (Waterloo)/(Acting Chair, Human Resources and Management)

ASSISTANT PROFESSORS

William Allender/B.Sc (California Polytechnic), M.Sc. (Arizona State), Ph.D. (Arizona State)/(Marketing)
Rita Cossa
/H.B.B.A. (Wilfrid Laurier), M.B.A. (McMaster)/(Strategic Management)
Horng-Tzu Hao/B.B.A. (Tamkang), M.B.A. (SUNY-Buffalo)/(Accounting and Financial Management Services)
Ying Hong/B.A. (Zhejiang), M.Sc.(Saint Mary’s), Ph.D.(Rutgers)/(Human Resources and Management)
Kai Huang/B.Sc. (Huazhong Univ of Science & Technology), M.Sc.(Tsinghua), Ph.D. (Georgia Inst of Technology)/(Operations Management)
Y. Justin Jin/B.S. (Peking), M.B.A. (Oklahoma), Ph.D. (Toronto)/(Accounting and Financial Management Services)
Mandeep Malik/B.A. (Panjab), M.A. (Canberra)/(Marketing)
Brent McKnight/B.A., M.B.A. (McMaster), Ph.D. (Western)/(Strategic Management)
Gillian Mulvale/B.A.(Waterloo), M.A. (Western), Ph.D. (McMaster)/(Health Policy and Management)
Marvin G. Ryder/B.A., B.Sc. (Carleton), M.B.A. (McMaster)/(Marketing)
John Siam/B.A., M.A., Ph.D. (Concordia)/(Accounting and Financial Management Services and Finance and Business Economics)
Linda Stockton/M.B.A. (McMaster)/(Strategic Management)
Kevin Veenstra/B.A., M.Acc. (Waterloo), C.P.A., C.A., C.P.A., C.M.A., C.F.A./(Accounting and Financial Management Services)
Peter Vilks/B.Sc.E.E. (Suny-Buffalo), M.B.A. (McMaster), P.Eng./(Strategic Management)
Ruhai Wu/B.A., M.S. (Tsinghua), M.S., Ph.D. (Texas)/(Marketing)
Hongjin Zhu/B.A. (Peking), Ph.D. (Singapore)/(Strategic Management)

INDUSTRY PROFESSOR

Sherry Cooper/B.A. (Goucher College), M.A. (University of Pittsburgh), Ph.D. (University of Pittsburgh)/(TMX Industry Professor)

MANAGER, UNDERGRADUATE PROGRAMS

G. Rombough/M.B.A., C.P.A., C.M.A.

ACADEMIC ADVISORS

A. Fortino/B.A.
L. Hill

L. Johnston/B.Sc.
B. Pegg/B.A.

PROGRAM CO-ORDINATOR (INTERNATIONAL EXCHANGE)

S. Dissanayake

UNDERGRADUATE ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT

N. Plumb

 

The School of Business offers a four year Honours Commerce program, which leads to the Honours Bachelor of Commerce (Honours B.Com.) degree that allows substantial concentration in business subjects beyond the essential core of studies.

In addition, the School of Business and the Faculty of Engineering offer nine five-level joint programs for the Bachelor of Engineering and Management (B.Eng.Mgt.) degree.

The Commerce Programs

In Level I, a student who wishes to pursue either of the Commerce programs establishes a foundation in behavioural science, economics and mathematics, and also undertakes elective work. While this course of study is prescribed in Business I, a student who establishes a similar background in the Level I program of another Faculty may be considered for admission to Level II of the Commerce Program.

A student must gain admission to Commerce II in order to proceed towards the Honours B.Com. degree. In Level II a wide range of business subjects including accounting, finance, marketing, human resources, information systems and operations management are introduced and further course work in economics is required. Elective work is taken from non-Commerce courses.

International/Cross-Cultural/Language Menu

In its programs, the School of Business is stressing the importance of breadth of knowledge. Students are required to take courses in a variety of business disciplines, thus giving them a sound understanding of business functions and their relationships. They also obtain exposure to international and cross-cultural issues. This will provide them with the knowledge needed for the world of global organizations. Prior to graduation, students are required to successfully complete two courses from an International/Cross-Cultural/Language menu. Note: Students who participate in an official McMaster University exchange are required to successfully complete one course from an International/Cross-Cultural/Language menu prior to graduation. Students must satisfy the normal prerequisites for the courses listed on the menu. Students follow the menu requirements of the Calendar in force when they enter Business I, however, when a later Calendar expands the menu options, students may choose from those additional courses as well.

The menu for 2014-2015 is as follows:

Full-Time/Part-Time Studies

Students can take Business I and the Commerce programs on a full-time or part-time basis. Progression to the next level is at the end of the successful completion of the 24 units of course work that pertain to the lower level. It should be noted that only a few Commerce courses are offered in the evenings or in the summer sessions.

Continuing Students

Graduates of McMaster’s Commerce programs or one of the Engineering and Management programs may take, as part-time students, Level III and IV Commerce courses (not previously taken, to a maximum of 18 units), subject to space availability, excluding COMMERCE 4AG3 , 4AH3 , 4AJ3 . (See Continuing Students  in the Admission Requirements  section of the Calendar.)

*These courses are available as BUS&COM 500, BUS&COM 501, BUS&COM 503 through the School of Business, subject to sufficient enrollments and availability of qualified instructors.

Other than those graduates specified above, Commerce courses are not open to Continuing Students.

Second Undergraduate Degree

A student with an undergraduate degree will not be admitted or readmitted to either of the Commerce programs. Such a student may wish to apply for admission to the M.B.A. program.

Credit Towards Professional Designations

Educational requirements toward professional designations can be met in varying degrees within the Commerce programs and the Engineering and Management programs. The professional accounting designation Chartered Professional Accountant (C.P.A.) is awarded by the Chartered Professional Accountants of Ontario. The designation C.H.R.P. is awarded by the Human Resources Professionals Association. Further opportunities for meeting educational requirements for professional designations are available to students in all Commerce and Engineering and Management programs. Additional course work may be taken while in the program. Further units of credit may also be taken after graduation (See Continuing Students above.). Information concerning credit towards these professional designations can be obtained from the Academic Programs Office in the School of Business.

Minor

A Minor is an option available to a student enrolled in a four- or five-level program. A Minor consists of at least 18 units of Level II, III or IV courses beyond the designated Level I course(s) that meet the requirements set out in the program description of that Minor. A student is responsible for ensuring that the courses taken fulfill these requirements. Those who have completed the necessary courses may apply for recognition of that Minor when they graduate. If recognition is granted for a Minor, a notation to that effect will be recorded on the student’s transcript. For further information, please refer to Minors  in the General Academic Regulations  section of this Calendar.

Academic Regulations

Student Academic Responsibility

You are responsible for adhering to the statement on student academic responsibility found in the General Academic Regulations  of this calendar.

Access to Courses

All undergraduate courses at McMaster have an enrollment capacity. The University is committed to making every effort to accommodate students in required courses so that their program of study is not extended. Unless otherwise specified, registration is on a first-come basis and in some cases priority is given to students from particular programs or Faculties. All students are encouraged to register as soon as MUGSI/SOLAR is available to them.

Student Communication Responsibility

It is the student’s responsibility to:

  • maintain current contact information with the University, including address, phone numbers, and emergency contact information.
  • use the university provided e-mail address or maintain a valid forwarding e-mail address.
  • regularly check the official University communications channels. Official University communications are considered received if sent by postal mail, by fax, or by e-mail to the student’s designated primary e-mail account via their @mcmaster.ca alias.
  • accept that forwarded e-mails may be lost and that e-mail is considered received if sent via the student’s @mcmaster.ca alias.

A student enrolled in either of the Commerce programs, in addition to meeting the General Academic Regulations of the University, shall be subject to the following School of Business Regulations.

Qualifying for Honours Commerce (For Students Entering the Program in September 2013 or Later)

To be considered for entry to Level III of the Honours Commerce program, students must have successfully completed Business I and have successfully completed at least 24 units of course work for Level II Commerce (as described in this section of the Calendar) with a Cumulative Average (CA) of at least 5.0 and no more than six units of failures (in required and/or elective course work) after entry to Level II Commerce.

If a student did not qualify for the Honours Program upon entry to Level III, there is one final opportunity for consideration. To be considered for Level IV of the Honours Commerce Program, students must have successfully completed at least 24 units of course work for Level III Commerce (As described in this section of the calendar) with a CA of at least a 5.0 and no more than six units of failure (in required and/or elective course work) after entry to Level II Commerce.

Change of Program

Students in good standing in the Engineering and Management program may transfer to the Honours Commerce program with the permission of the Academic Programs Office. The conditions for eligibility for entrance to the Commerce programs are the same as for students registered in the School of Business.

Workload

In Business I, a full-time student must complete minimum 24-unit load in each Fall/Winter session. Advance credit and credit earned during the Spring/Summer session may not be used to reduce this load requirement. Such reductions will be applied as late as possible in a student’s program. A part-time student in Business I is permitted to take a maximum of 21 units in any Fall/Winter session.

Students who wish to take more courses than recommended for a single Level of their program may do so only if their Sessional Average in the immediately preceding review period is at least 7.0. Students registered in the final Level of their program are permitted to overload by up to six additional units during the Fall/Winter, with no more than three units of overload per term, in order to become eligible to graduate.

Deferred Examinations

See the heading Deferred Examinations  under Examinations in the General Academic Regulations  section of the Calendar for application procedures. Students who are in a precarious position with respect to achieving the minimum CA or otherwise meeting the Commerce program requirements for continuation in the program will not necessarily be permitted to undertake further work before clearing deferred examinations.

Repeated Courses

Any failed course must be repeated if it is a required course for the program, or must be repeated or replaced if it is not required. The grades for both the failed course and its repetition or replacement, as appropriate, will be included in the calculation of a student’s CA. Students who have extenuating circumstances may submit a Petition for Relief from the Faculty’s Academic Regulations to the Undergraduate Recruitment, Admissions, and Student Affairs Committee for permission to repeat a course in which a passing grade has been obtained. The deadline for submission is June 30. If approved, the grades for all attempts appear on the transcript and enter into the computation of the Cumulative Average. However; only one successful attempt will enter into the computation of credit earned towards the degree.

Level I Courses

Students are not permitted to take more than 48 units of Level I courses in their program.

Level of Registration

A student is required to register in the lowest level for which more than six units of work is incomplete. Work of the next higher level may be undertaken only when necessary to fill a program load. Courses must be taken in the sequence specified by the School of Business.

Courses Not Used

Courses, in addition to those which constitute a student’s program requirements that are not otherwise designated as Extra courses, are classified as being Not Used course work. The Not Used course work would appear on students’ degree audits. Not Used course work may be taken only if students are in their final year of the program and are satisfying all the course requirements for their degree program. Not Used course work may not be scheduled in a manner which would delay completion of a student’s degree program.

Readmission

A student in Level II, III or IV of a Commerce program, who becomes ineligible to continue in the School of Business, may apply for readmission to the Commerce program in a subsequent calendar year up to a maximum of five years following the year in which the student becomes ineligible to continue. Readmission is not guaranteed.

Application for readmission must be made in writing to the Undergraduate Recruitment, Admissions, and Student Affairs Committee by June 30 for entry in September. This application should explain why the applicant would expect to succeed in the program if readmitted. Forms for this purpose may be obtained from the Academic Programs Office in the DeGroote School of Business, Room 104.

A student who is readmitted after having become ineligible to continue in a Commerce program must repeat all the courses of the level at which he/she became ineligible to continue unless specific course exemptions or credits are granted. The earliest possible session for readmission is the session starting in September of the year following the year in which the student became ineligible to continue.

Former Commerce students who have not been registered in a Commerce program within the past five years, including those who were in good standing at the time of their most recent registration, must apply for readmission through the Office of the Registrar.

Reinstatement

A student who May Not Continue at the University may apply for reinstatement.

There are two categories of students who may apply for reinstatement to Business I:

  1. Applicants who have been registered in Business I within the past five years, have exceptional or extraordinary circumstances that affected their performance*, and have not been registered in another McMaster program or at another University during that time, or
  2. Applicants from other Faculties.
  3. Students seeking reinstatement must complete the Reinstatement Request Form available at the Office of the Registrar. The completed form and the $100 fee must be submitted to the Office of the Registrar by June 30 for entry in September.

*The form must clearly demonstrate extraordinary circumstances which caused inadequate performance and indicate whether the circumstances surrounding their academic situation have been resolved. They should also include relevant documentary evidence, for example, a letter from a physician outlining any medical condition that might have affected the student’s academic performance or final grade. Reinstatement cases will be carefully screened and the evidence considered will include the student’s academic performance before and after admission to McMaster, as well as the nature of the reasons cited in the application letter and the accompanying documentation. Such exceptional cases will be considered on their merit. Reinstatement is not guaranteed.

Upon reinstatement, the Cumulative Average for a student is reset to 0.0 on zero units. If at any review after reinstatement the student’s Cumulative Average falls below 3.5, the student will be required to withdraw from the University for a period of at least 12 months.

Former Commerce Students

A student who was previously registered in a McMaster Commerce program, was in good standing and did not attend in the preceding year, but did attend another post-secondary institution must write to the Academic Programs Office to seek readmission. The letter should describe the student’s activities (academic and otherwise) since he/she was last registered.

If five years have passed since the student was last registered at McMaster, he/she should consult the heading Readmission in the Admission Requirements section of this Calendar.

Inquiries Regarding Academic Regulations

A student seeking relief from the School of Business academic regulations must apply in writing to the Undergraduate Recruitment, Admissions, and Student Affairs Committee with appropriate documentation attached. Guidelines for such requests may be obtained from the Academic Programs Office, in the DeGroote School of Business, Room 104.

Commerce Internship Program

This program is designed to provide students with an opportunity to engage in a career-oriented work experience with one host employer. Positions begin after the successful completion of Level III and continue for a period of twelve or sixteen months. All students must be in good standing with a Cumulative Average of at least 7.0 after Term 1 of Level III to be eligible to participate in the Commerce Internship Program. Upon completion of the internship, students return to campus full-time to complete their degree program. As a pre-requisite to Internship, students must register in and complete COMMERCE 3IN0 , a comprehensive, non-credit, ten-hour career development course. Students will receive a transcript notification stating COMMERCE 3IN0  upon completion of the course. Students compete for opportunities with participating companies through an application and interview process with employers directly. 

After securing an internship, students must successfully complete a minimum twelve months of experience, obtain a satisfactory employer evaluation and submit a detailed work term report upon return to campus. Meeting these requirements will result in a transcript notation indicating the successful completion of COMMERCE 4IN0 , the name of the internship employer and dates of employment. For more information, please contact the Centre for Business Career Development, DeGroote School of Business, DSB-112.

Exchange Programs

There are a number of official exchange programs offered to undergraduate students registered in the School of Business. The countries involved are: Australia, China, Denmark, England, France, Germany, Japan, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, India, Ireland, Mexico, Singapore, and the United Kingdom. Official exchange programs offer students the most inexpensive means of studying abroad as students participating in these exchanges avoid the foreign student fees by paying fees to McMaster. All students must be in good standing with a Cumulative Average of at least 7.0 to be eligible to participate in an exchange. In most cases, students who participate in exchange programs go abroad for Level III of their program. Students are only permitted to take one exchange opportunity, regardless of whether it is a one or two term exchange. Information is available from Prof. M. Malik, Director, International Exchange Programs, in the DeGroote School of Business, Room 228 or from the Academic Programs Office, DeGroote School of Business, Room 104.

Additional information may be found under International Study  in the General Academic Regulations  section of this Calendar.

Information concerning student exchanges can also be found in the Academic Facilities, Student Services and Organizations  section of this Calendar under the heading International Student Services.

Inquiries can be directed to the office at:

International Student Services / MacAbroad
Gilmour Hall, Room 104
Telephone: (905) 525-9140, extension 24748

 

Programs