• has achieved the learning objectives for the four first semester courses: ‘Fundamentals of Social Theory’, ‘Introduction to Economic Sociology’, ‘Managerial Economics I’ and ‘The Art and Practices of Business Accounting’ (see under "Further information")
• is able to think across the four subjects and reflect about similarities and differences between the academic disciplines that the courses build upon, and
• is reflective about his/her learning process in the four 1st semester courses, as reflected in the exam portfolio.

The primary purpose of the 1st semester exam, which is an oral exam based on a portfolio, is to make the student adopt an interdisciplinary approach to the four 1st semester courses, instead of only perceiving the individual courses from their own point of view. Consequently, the main focus at the oral exam is the integration of several academic disciplines and sets of learning objectives.

The secondary purpose of the 1st semester exam is to make the student reflect about his/her own learning process, the result of the knowledge and skills acquired from participating in class and working on assignments throughout the 1st semester.

1IES. INTRODUCTION TO ECONOMIC SOCIOLOGY

Aim of the course

The objective of this course is to provide the student with knowledge about how economic sociology describes the fundamental principles and the historic development of capitalism. In addition, this introductory course is to provide the student with a basic understanding of the variation and the complexity of the contexts BSc Soc graduates may find themselves in when entering the job market.

1ME. MANAGERIAL ECONOMICS I

Aim of the course

The aim of the course is to provide the student with a basic understanding of microeconomic theory, in particular neo-classical theories, and to illustrate how the ideas studied in the courses ‘Fundamentals of Social Theory’ and ‘Introduction to Economic Sociology’ have influenced business economics and, thereby, the perception of the firm, the market and consumer behaviour.

1FST. FUNDAMENTALS OF SOCIAL THEORY

Aim of the course

The objective of this course is to introduce the student to fundamental questions and key concepts in social theory, from the classics onwards.

1BA. THE ART AND PRACTICES OF BUSINESS ACCOUNTING

Aim of the course

This course offers a comprehensive introduction to financial accounting. Students will learn how to read and interpret corporate financial statements, and will also gain a solid understanding of the theories and practices that lie behind these statements. The course is focussed principally on mainstream accounting techniques, but supplements these with critical approaches to accounting both from within the discipline and from broader social science perspectives.

Steen Andersen, MPP, is semester and exam coordinator.

COURSE LEARNING OBJECTIVES

1IES. INTRODUCTION TO ECONOMIC SOCIOLOGY
On successful completion of this course, the student should have acquired basic knowledge about the organising of both capitalism at the societal macro-level and economic activities in private and public organisations at the organisational meso-level.
More specifically, the student should be able to:

• account for different approaches within the field of economic sociology and economic history as presented in the curriculum,
• describe the development of capitalist systems from about 1750 and up to today,
• account for how the organisation of capitalism, company relations and strategic behaviour are described in economic sociology, and
• account for the main characteristics of capitalist systems and how these systems influence the socio-economic shaping of strategic actions.

1ME. MANAGERIAL ECONOMICS I
On successful completion of this course, the student will have acquired a basic understanding of economic theories about microeconomic processes, rationality assumptions and optimising strategies, both at the level of the individual and the firm, and the student should be able to:

• account for basic micro-economic processes and assumptions within business economics,
• account for rationality assumptions and optimising strategies at the level of the individual and the firm,
• apply microeconomic theories and methods, and discuss strengths and weaknesses of this application, and
• explain the significance of microeconomic optimising strategies for the conventional understanding of the firm and the market.

1FST. FUNDAMENTALS OF SOCIAL THEORY
On successful completion of this course, the student should have acquired: 1) knowledge about central arguments in classical social theory; 2) skills to identify the historical, political, economical and social contexts that the theories refer to, and the student should be able to:

• account for the main theoretical positions covered in the curriculum and reflect about their respective strengths and weaknesses,
• identify essential similarities and differences between these theoretical positions,
• place these theoretical positions and concepts in a historical and societal context, and
• reflect about the relevance of these theoretical positions with regard to analysing and understanding the social reality.

1BA. THE ART AND PRACTICES OF BUSINESS ACCOUNTING
Upon successful completion of the course, students will have acquired a thorough understanding of core theory and practices in accounting. Specifically, students should be able to:

• explain the meaning and usage of key accounting concepts,
• explain the relationship between the balance sheet, income statement and cash flow statement,
• analyse and compare actual financial statements from national and multinational companies; calculate key financial ratios and interpret the results,
• demonstrate an appreciation of the limits of accounting from a mainstream corporate governance perspective, and likewise from a critical theory perspective, and
• explain and understand the infrastructural role of accounting numbers and practices in contemporary capitalism.

1FST
The course literature consists of extracts from significant books as well as journal articles. These texts are collected in a compendium that can be purchased at the campus bookstore.

Central books/texts are:

• R. Collins (1994), Four Sociological Traditions, OUP, pp. 3-46 (Prologue: Rise of the social sciences)
• D. Lee and H. Newby (1983), The problem of sociology, Routledge, pp. 26-39 (Sociology and the growth of industrial society)
• J. Diamond, Guns, Germs and Steel, Part Three.
• M. Weber, The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism, London: HarperCollins, 1930 (and many subsequent editions)
• Max Weber, ‘Bureaucracy’, pp. 196-244, In H.H. Gerth & C. Wright Mills (eds), From Max Weber, London: Routledge, 1985
• Karl Marx, ‘The Eighteenth Brumaire of Louis Bonaparte’ (originally published in 1852). Here an excerpt p. 29-30, in Collins: Four Sociological Traditions. Selected readings. 1994
• J. Alexander (1987), Sociological Theory since World War II, Columbia University Press, pp. 1-21 (What is theory?)

1ME
Robert H. Frank, Microeconomics and Behavior, eighth edition, New York: McGraw-Hill, 2010.
In addition to the book(s) listed above, the course literature consists of extracts from significant books as well as journal articles.


1IES
• Thomas K. McCraw: Creating Modern Capitalism – How Entrepreneurs, Companies and Countries Triumphed in Three Industrial Revolutions, Harward University Press, 2006.
• Carlo Trigila: State, Market, and Society in Modern Capitalism, Blackwell Publishing.
• Chris Freeman & Francisco Louca: As Times Goes By – From Industrial Revolutions to the Information Revolution. Oxford University Press.

1BA
Alexander, David & Nobes, Christopher (2007). Financial Accounting: An International Introduction. Harlow, United Kingdom: Pearson/Prentice Hall.
In addition to the book(s) listed above, the course literature consists of extracts from significant books as well as journal articles.