Online courses directory (19947)

This course is an introduction to epistemology: the theory of knowledge. We will focus on skepticism—that is, the thesis that we know nothing at all—and we will survey a range of skeptical arguments and responses to skepticism.

This course is a seminar on the philosophical analysis of film art, with an emphasis on the ways in which it creates meaning through techniques that define a formal structure. There is a particular focus on aesthetic problems about appearance and reality, literary and visual effects, communication and alienation through film technology.

This course is a study of basic metaphysical issues concerning existence, the mind-body problem, personal identity, and causation plus its implications for freedom. This class features classical as well as contemporary readings and it provides practice in written and oral communication.

This course introduces you to behavioral science theories, methods, and tools and provides opportunities to use and apply them to problems you will encounter in your work and career. The course material will begin with an overview of work and organizations in modern industrial society, and then examine individual behavior, move to behavior in groups or teams, and finally discuss organizations as a whole. It is expected that at the end of the course you will: (a) know something about managerial psychology, (b) know how to learn more, (c) understand the behavioral research process, and (d) develop skills in presenting your ideas in oral and written reports.

15.317 Organizational Leadership and Change focuses on practical experience that blends theory and practice. Students reflect on prior leadership experiences and then apply lessons learned to further develop their leadership capabilities. The course requires active participation in all leadership classes and/or activities as well as short deliverables throughout the program.

The course focuses on skills managers need to adapt to current sweeping changes in the nature of work and the workforce, in business organizations and their roles in society, and in the institutions that interact with work, particularly the labor market, community and family-centered groups. This year's teaching will be the basis for a workshop session at the Sloan School's 50th Anniversary Convocation.

The course will involve a mix of on-campus and off-campus students taking the course via distance learning, and professionals from a variety of organizations who will participate in specific modules of interest to them. One session will be linked to colleagues at Cambridge University in England where a parallel course is being offered.

Managerial issues addressed are associated with managing changes and innovations occurring in the nature of work and organizations and the role of the corporation in society. Topics covered include the changing social contract at work, integrating work and family, managing diversity, managing strategic labor-management partnerships, and managing relations between the firm and its multiple stakeholders. Subject is open to distance learning as well as on-campus students and to industry participants.

This subject is about building, running, and growing an organization. Subject has four central themes:

• How to think analytically about designing organizational systems
• How leaders, especially founders, play a critical role in shaping an organization's culture
• What really needs to be done to build a successful organization for the long-term and
• What one can do to improve the likelihood of personal success.

Not a survey of entrepreneurship or leadership; subject addresses the principles of organizational architecture, group behavior and performance, interpersonal influence, leadership and motivation in entrepreneurial settings. Through a series of cases, lectures, readings and exercises students develop competencies in organizational design, human resources management, leadership and organizational behavior in the context of a new, small firm.

This course examines fundamental issues in the philosophy of law, including the nature and content of law, its relation to morality, theories of legal interpretation, and the obligation to obey the law, as well as philosophical issues and problems associated with punishment and responsibility, liberty, and legal ethics.

This course is an introduction to the analytical tools that support design and decision-making in real estate and infrastructure development. There is a particular focus on identifying and valuing sources of flexibility using “real options”, Monte-Carlo simulation, and other techniques from the field of engineering systems. This course integrates economic and engineering perspectives, and is suitable for students with various backgrounds. It serves to provide useful preparation for thesis work in the area. The course applies the approach to the design and phasing of a mega infrastructure real estate project.

Note

This MIT OpenCourseWare site is based, in part, on materials on Design for Real Estate and Infrastructure Development from Professor de Neufville's and Professor Geltner's Web site.

The class will be devoted to the work of David Lewis, one of the most exciting and influential philosophers of the late twentieth century. We will have seminar-style discussions about his work on counterfactuals, time, causation, probability, and decision-theory.

This course is a seminar on the nature of love and sex, approached as topics both in philosophy and in literature. Readings from recent philosophy as well as classic myths of love that occur in works of literature and lend themselves to philosophical analysis.

Financial Management studies corporate finance and capital markets, emphasizing the financial aspects of managerial decisions. It touches on all areas of finance, including the valuation of real and financial assets, risk management and financial derivatives, the trade-off between risk and expected return, and corporate financing and dividend policy. The course draws heavily on empirical research to help guide managerial decisions.

This half-semester course introduces and surveys a selection of cutting-edge topics in the field of real estate finance and investments. The course follows an informal "seminar" format to the maximum degree possible, with students expected to take considerable initiative. Lectures and discussions led by the instructors will be supplemented by several guest speakers from the real estate investment industry, who will present perspectives on current trends and important developments in the industry.

This six-week summer course teaches basic concepts of corporate financial accounting and reporting. This information is widely used in making investment decisions, corporate and managerial performance assessment, and valuation of firms. Students perform economics-based analysis of accounting information from the viewpoint of the users of accounting information (especially senior managers) rather than the preparer (the accountant). This course is restricted to MIT Sloan Fellows in Innovation and Global Leadership.

15.514 is an intensive introduction to the preparation and interpretation of financial information for investors (external users) and managers (internal users) and to the use of financial instruments to support system and project creation. The course adopts a decision-maker perspective on accounting and finance with the goal of helping students develop a framework for understanding financial, managerial, and tax reports. 15.514 is restricted to System Design and Management students.

Acknowledgements

Acknowledgement is hereby given to Professor G. Peter Wilson for his authorship of the following content in this course:

• The Five Challenges (see Syllabus and Lecture 1)
• "What Do Intel and Accountants Have in Common?" (see Lecture 1)
• A Conceptual Framework for Financial Accounting (see Lecture 1)