I. General Information
1. Course Title:
Legal Environment of Business
2. Course Prefix & Number:
BUSN 2541
3. Course Credits and Contact Hours:
Credits: 3
Lecture Hours: 3
Lab Hours: 0
4. Course Description:
This course is a study of the political and legal framework within which American businesses operate. Topics include the nature and formation of law and its application to business, constitutional, administrative, criminal, and international laws, contracts, torts, product liability, cyber law, bankruptcy, consumer protection, environment, real property, business organization, and employee relations.
5. Placement Tests Required:
6. Prerequisite Courses:
BUSN 2541 - Legal Environment of Business
There are no prerequisites for this course.
9. Co-requisite Courses:
BUSN 2541 - Legal Environment of Business
There are no corequisites for this course.
II. Transfer and Articulation
1. Course Equivalency - similar course from other regional institutions:
Northland Community College, BUSN 2218 Legal Environment of Business, 3 credits
MN State, ACCT 1120 Business Law, 3 credits
3. Prior Learning - the following prior learning methods are acceptable for this course:
CLEP
III. Course Purpose
1. Program-Applicable Courses – This course is required for the following program(s):
Business Management, AAS
Accounting, AAS
IV. Learning Outcomes
1. College-Wide Outcomes
College-Wide Outcomes/Competencies |
Students will be able to: |
Demonstrate written communication skills |
Prepare a written response to chapter questions about the law; prepare short reports. |
Demonstrate reading and listening skills |
Read, interpret, and apply concepts introduced in the textbook. |
Apply ethical principles in decision-making |
Provide examples of responses to ethical issues by business firms, educational institutions, governments, and trade and professional organizations. |
2. Course Specific Outcomes - Students will be able to achieve the following measurable goals upon completion of
the course:
- Describe the major classifications of law
- Identify the six elements of an enforceable contract
- Identify the business organizational forms available in the United States
- Distinguish between real and personal property
- Discuss various consumer protection and environmental laws
- Explain the characteristics of commercial paper
- Explain the purpose of a bailment
- Discuss the landlord-tenant relationship
- Identify the purpose of a will
V. Topical Outline
Listed below are major areas of content typically covered in this course.
1. Lecture Sessions
- Introduction to Law
- System of Law
- Ethics
- Criminal Law
- Tort Law
- Administrative Law
- Contracts
- Offer and Acceptance
- Mutual Agreement
- Consideration
- Competent parties
- Legal Purpose
- Form
- Operation
- Discharge
- Sales, Agency, and Business Organizations
- Transfer of Title
- Sales
- Warranties
- Agency
- Business Organizations
- Commercial Paper
- Introduction
- Transfer and Discharge
- Property
- Real and Personal
- Bailments
- Landlord-Tenant Relations
- Wills, Intestacy, and Trusts
- Business and Technology
- Intellectual Property
- Computer Privacy and Speech,
- Conducting Business in Cyberspace
- Legal Environment of Business
- Employer-Employee Relationship
- Employment Law
- Product Liability
- Professional's Liability
- International Business Law Environment