Course Synopses

BA160-6           Introduction to Business Administration

This is a 2-part course covering nature and purpose of business organisations, the development of management thought; an overview of the functions of management; basic accounting concepts and practices as well as the double entry book-keeping system.

Part 1: Topics include: Nature and purpose of business organisations; different meanings of management; history and development of management thought; functions of management; the management process and functional areas in a business organisation; different forms of business ownership; financial and commercial sectors within Lesotho.

Part 2: Topics include: Basic accounting concepts and principles; double entry book-keeping system; preparation of financial statements for the traders, clubs and associations.

BA261-6           Financial Accounting 1 (Pre-requisite(s): M103, M104, BA 160

The course examines the principles of accounting in detail and introduces students to Partnership Accounts. Topics include: Principles of Accounting; Adjustments and Provisions; Manufacturing Accounts; Control Accounts; Incomplete Records; Bills of Exchange; Income and Expenditure Accounts; Partnership Accounts.

BA271-6           Management Process (Pre-requisite(s): M103, BA160)

The course examines in some depth the functions of management as well as the practice of management. Topics include: Functions and Practices of Management viz. Planning, Decision Making, Organizing; Staffing; Leading; Controlling.

BA 361-6          Financial Accounting II (Pre-requisite(s): BA 261)

The course introduces students to company accounts and to the preparation of financial statements in accordance with the provisions of the Companies Act. Topics include: Dissolution of partnerships and their conversion into companies; Introduction to the Companies Act; Company Accounts; Introduction to published accounts; Introduction to National Accounting Standards; Hire Purchase Accounting; Royalty Accounting; Consignment Accounting; further aspects of incomplete records.

BA 363-6          Cost Accounting (Pre-requisite(s): BA 261)

The course introduces students to the basic principles and techniques employed in cost Accounting. Topics include: Nature and purpose of cost accounting; principles of cost accounting; cost and revenue classification; cost elements; job and contract costing; process costing.

BA 364-4          Financial Management 1 (Pre-requisite(s): BA261)

The course introduces students to the concepts of financial management; operations of the financial market system and to the basic principles of capital budgeting. Topics include: Goals of financial management; financial management decisions; the financial sector; financial assets and liabilities; securities markets and issue of securities; concepts in valuation; capital budgeting techniques; capital financial ratio analysis; financial planning.

BA 375-6          Principles of Marketing (Pre-requisite(s): BA271)

The course aims to expose students to the marketing function and its concepts and principles. Topics include: the marketing and its role in an organisation, the marketing concept, marketing mix, specialist areas of marketing.

BA 377-4          Organizational Behaviour (Pre-requisite(s): BA271)

The course examines the dynamics of human behaviour in organisations and their implication viz: management of people. Both individual and group aspects of behaviour; individual behaviour; group behaviour; organisational change and development.

BA 378-6          Operations Management (Pre-requisite(s): ST251 and ST252)

The course exposes students to the principles, concepts and techniques of production and operations management. Topics include: Operations analysis, design of products and services; demand forecasting; capacity planning; facilities location and distribution planning; facility layout; work study; aggregate planning and scheduling; project management; material requirement planning; quality management.

BA 379-6          Human Resources Management (Pre-requisite(s): BA271)

The course examines the major functional areas in human resources management and industrial relations and focuses on the social responsibility aspects of the human resources management function. Topics include: Human resources management functions; manpower planning and procurement, development, compensation, integration, maintenance and separation.

BA 381-4          Computer Applications in Business and Information (Pre-requisite(s): CS230)

This course provides the student with an understanding of data communication, relevant technology, elements of systems analysis and design, and business related software package.

Topics include: Transmission facilities, data link protocols, data communication hardware and software, Distributed processing and computer networks, information systems and systems analysis, tools for systems analysis and design, the study phase, design phase, development phase and operation phase, system development life cycle, computer systems applications using user friendly business software packages, programming and business software development using Dbase IV and Lotus, Review and evaluation of management information decision support systems using a variety of business and statistical software packages including SPSS, turbo cash, Lotus 1,2,3 etc.

BA 454-4          Entrepreneurship

This course examines the nature and role of entrepreneurship, small businesses, the environment within which small businesses operates, and the techniques for effective management of small businesses as going concerns. Topics include: The nature and role of entrepreneurship in business; small business start up institutional and environmental opportunities, constraints and problems; nature functions of the informal sector viz small businesses in developing countries; sources and management of venture capital for small businesses; prospects for small businesses in Lesotho.

BA 456-6          Management Accounting (Pre-requisite(s): BA 363)

This course examines the role of management accounting in organisations and introduces students to the use of management accounting techniques for decision-making, planning and control within organisations. Topics include: Cost classifications and cost behaviour patterns; cost value volume-profit analysis, budgeting and budgetary control; standard costing and flexible budgets; relevant costs for decision making; pricing decisions and divisional performance.

BA 458-4          Strategic Management (Pre-requisite(s): BA 377)

This course introduces students to the techniques and models employed in business strategic planning and policy formulation viz the shaping of future organisational policy for survival and growth. Topics include: Environmental analysis and goal formulation; development of the planning phase; strategy formulation, selection and evaluation; business case studies and analysis.

BA461-6           Auditing and Investigations (Pre-requisite(s): BA361, BA363)

This course introduces the students to the nature and objectives of auditing, the laws governing auditing and the general principles and procedures encompassed in auditing activities. Topics include: Auditing Theory and auditing practices/standards; professional and legal aspects of auditing; planning of audit programmes; auditing programmes applications; audit working papers; internal control; types of audit reports and auditors' opinions; auditing of computerised accounting systems; auditing of non-business organisations; generally accepted auditing standards and their applications in Lesotho.

BA462-6           Taxation (Pre-requisite(s): BA361)

This course introduces students to theory and general principles of taxation. Topics include: Theory and structure of tax; tax administration and procedures; income and capital gains tax; individual aspects of taxation-taxation of trusts, estates, non-residents; taxation of partnership and companies; the Lesotho Income Tax Act taxation policies viz government fiscal policies; general sales tax; impact of RSA on Lesotho.

BA464-3           Advanced Financial Accounting (Pre-requisite(s): BA361)

This course examines some advanced and specialised aspects of corporate accounting. Topics include: branch accounting (including foreign aspects and their implications); corporate reporting and interpretation of published financial statements; sale of businesses; business and capital re-organisations; consolidations and amalgamations; National accounting standards.

BA465-4           Public Sector Accounting (Pre-requisite(s): BA361)

This course examines the accounting principles employed in public service institutions such as central government, local government, municipalities, hospitals, educational institutions and non-governmental development agencies. Topics include: Budgeting, general fund accounting; revenue and expenditure accounting, types of revenues and expenditures; accounting for cash, fixed assets and liabilities; zero budgeting; auditing of public sector accounts; financial reports.

BA467-6           Financial Management II (Pre-requisite(s): BA364, BA361)

The course examines advanced aspects of corporate finance. Topics: Portfolio and capital market theory; cost of capital; term structure of interest areas; capital asset pricing model; market efficiency; capital budgeting decisions under uncertainty; dividend decisions; management of accounts receivables terms financing decision-equity, preferred stock, debt financing; rights, warrants, coveribles and options; mergers, acquisitions and divestures; bankruptcy and reorganisations; international financial management.

BA471-4           Marketing Management (Pre-requisite(s): BA375)

This course introduces to the marketing system, its operation and coordination. The course also examines the firm's relations with other firms and institutions and their effects on marketing-related problems; evaluates how firms integrate a marketing programme. Topics include: Overview of marketing; analysis of marketing opportunities; marketing strategy, marketing programmes and policies; marketing research support;

BA472-4           Strategic Marketing Management (Pre-requisite(s): BA375)

The course examines the major components of marketing strategy. Topics include: Definition and analysis of markets, analysis of consumer and organisation buyers, analysis of competition, target market strategy development, strategic evaluation and control.

BA478-6           International Business

The course focuses on the internationalisation of business. Topic include: International business environment, strategy and structure in international business, internationalisation process.

This course examines the approaches, principles and techniques of marketing goods in international markets. Topics include: International market research, organising for international markets, export marketing strategies, international distribution, management of the international marketing mix.

BA475-4           Industrial Marketing (Pre-requisite(s): BA375)

This course deals with the principles and techniques of managing the marketing of goods to individuals, groups and organisations for purposes of direct use in producing other goods for day-to-day operations. Topics include: the industrial buying process, target marketing, and the management of the industrial marketing mix.

BA476-4           Services Marketing (Pre-requisite(s): BA375)

This course deals with the marketing of intangible goods by service organisations like financial institutions, public utilities and parastatal organisations, and also non-profit organisations. Topics include: nature and importance of services, marketing implications of services, marketing implications of services, services targeting and positioning, management of the services marketing mix.