Business
Program overview
Short-Term Option:
SHU Dingle offers students the opportunity to explore business, entrepreneurship, marketing, and sustainability through immersive, hands-on learning experiences. Offered during Winter and Summer short-term sessions, our 3-credit business courses combine academic learning with real-world applications in one of Ireland’s most vibrant communities.
From exploring international business strategies and entrepreneurial finance to examining sustainable business practices and sports marketing, students will gain valuable insights into how businesses operate in a global economy. Dingle’s thriving tourism industry, innovative local enterprises, and strong sense of community provide a unique setting to connect classroom concepts with practical experience.
Through visits to local businesses, conversations with industry professionals, collaborative projects, and community engagement, students will explore the challenges and opportunities facing businesses today. Courses also provide opportunities to examine differences between Irish, European, and American business practices while developing critical thinking, problem-solving, and leadership skills.
Whether you’re interested in finance, management, entrepreneurship, sustainability, or sports business, SHU in Dingle offers an unforgettable opportunity to expand your knowledge, build international connections, and experience business from a new perspective.
XXX – GLOBAL INNOVATION LAB: BUILDING SUSTAINABLE COMMUNITIES IN IRELAND
3 Credits
Offered
Summer 2 Short Term
Faculty
Description
Dingle, Ireland as a Living Lab: Innovation and Sustainable Communities. How do communities innovate while preserving their culture, environment, and quality of life? Using Ireland’s Dingle Peninsula as a living laboratory, this transdisciplinary course explores how innovation can address complex challenges related to economic development, sustainability, tourism, climate resilience, cultural preservation, transportation, housing, and community well-being.
Students will examine how local businesses, entrepreneurs, community organizations, government agencies, cultural institutions, and regional initiatives are shaping the future of one of Ireland’s most distinctive regions. Through site visits, stakeholder engagement, field-based learning, and reflective inquiry, students will learn and apply the principles of inventing and innovating: applying design thinking, systems thinking, and community-centered problem solving while creating tangible proof-of-concept solutions.
The course includes engagement with regional innovation initiatives, including organizations such as Dingle Hub and interactions with local leaders, business owners, farmers, tourism professionals, environmental advocates, and community members.
Working in transdisciplinary teams, students will identify the community problem, research, develop, prototype, and present their proof-of-concept solutions.
This course is open to students from all majors and requires no prior background in business, entrepreneurship, or innovation.
FN 299 - ENTREPRENEURIAL FINANCE AND SMALL BUSINESS STRATEGY
3 Credits
Liberal Arts Exploration
Offered
Summer 1 Short Term
Faculty
Description
This course will provide students with hands-on experience in the financial and strategic decision-making of small businesses and startups. Based in Dingle, the course will take advantage of the various small businesses in the town, and explore the history of these companies start-up phase. The course will also integrate representatives from companies and investors in the region, and provide comparisons of small business funding and support between the US and EU / Ireland.
MGT 278 – PRINCIPLES OF INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS
3 Credits
Offered
Winter Short Term
Faculty
Description
The economic, political, social and technological changes over the last five decades have dramatically changed the landscape for global business. In this course, we will examine how managers deal with the complexities of today’s dynamic global environment.
Cross-cultural management and competitive strategies are important management concerns. Developing international management competencies encompasses a broad knowledge base about environmental trends, cultural differences, organizational functions, and managerial skills.
This involves understanding of management concepts, processes, and practices in various countries with their differing economic, technological, regulatory, political, and socio-cultural environments.
MGT 299 – SUSTAINABLE BUSINESSES
Offered
Summer 2 Short Term
Faculty
Description
This course will delve into systems of commerce that are designed to address today’s ethical, social, political, and economic challenges. Dingle is known for its natural beauty and protecting this environment is essential for maintaining the resources that attract one million visitors a year.
Students will visit several local businesses and hear from industry experts as they explore innovative business models prioritising sustainability. Through applying business frameworks like the triple bottom line and stakeholder analysis, students will be tasked with designing creative solutions that companies can implement to enhance their sustainable practices.
3 Credits
MGT 375 – OPERATIONS MANAGEMENT
3 Credits
Offered
Summer 1 Short Term
Faculty
Description
This course serves as the introduction to the operations function of business. All organizations-for profit or not-for-profit, manufacturing, processing, or services-have operations as their central function. Despite their diversity, these organizations share common objectives and problems; in most cases, the same principles can be applied to help manage the operations.
Major topics include determining operations strategy and objectives, planning the operations process, controlling operations, and managing its quality. The course introduces concepts to help understand how operations are organized and how operations decisions affect virtually every aspect of the firm.
SM 265 – Sports Marketing
3 Credits
Offered
Summer 1 Short Term
Faculty
Description
This course will serve as an introduction to the fascinating world of sport business and international marketing. Students will work on an innovative group marketing plan for a professional sports team from the Dingle and County Kerry region of Ireland. Additionally, students will interact with and visit a local school in Dingle.
The stark contrast between Irish and American sports leagues will be identified and discussed. A strong focus will be placed upon both of the following: 1) marketing “of” various sports and sport products, and 2) marketing “through” sport – the latter of which will involve the use of sport as the vehicle to market non-sport products and services.
The course includes site visits to related businesses, and key sport figures in Ireland will be brought into the class as guest speakers to supplement the course material.