COURSE NUMBER: MBA296.1A

 

COURSE TITLE: An Introduction to Code for MBAs

 

UNITS OF CREDIT: 1

 

INSTRUCTOR: Joe Wadcan

 

E-MAIL ADDRESS: joe@wadcan.com

 

MEETING DATES: Fall A only, 8/25-10/6

 

PREREQUISITE(S): None. The class is aimed at non-technical students with no prior coding experience.

 

CLASS FORMAT: Class will be a mixture of lecture and in-class exercises. Students are expected to actively participate.

 

REQUIRED READINGS:  Readings and background material will be distributed as links prior to class. There is no textbook to purchase or books to reserve.

 

BASIS FOR FINAL GRADE:  Students will be graded on their comprehension of subject matter that is introduced in class and reinforced through assignments and projects. Each individual student’s score computed using the formula:

 

·         40% Participation based on peer grading (20%), attendance (10%), in-class contributions (10%)

·         30% (3) Assignments based on covered class material

·         20% (4) Quizzes held at the start of class, based on assigned reading

·         10% Course project, with partial credit given based on achieved milestones

 

ABSTRACT OF COURSE'S CONTENT AND OBJECTIVES:  At its core, the Introduction to Code course helps MBA candidates analyze complex problems, communicate clearly with technical colleagues, and start building real web applications.  Students will gain this knowledge as they are guided through the real world process of creating a working prototype for an actual web based application.  Students are taught the industry-standard vocabulary, tools, and processes used by developers today, essential to a career in the web tech industry.  The class focuses heavily on application instead of theory and is a great for student entrepreneurs, looking to build out their ideas.

 

CAREER FIELD: Introduction to Code is most helpful for students looking to enter the technology industry, specifically in the web software realm. Since the coding topics are sufficiently foundational, it's also useful for any student who wants to understand how today's web services work, which is becoming a vitally important skill across industries.

 

BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH: Joe Wadcan currently works at GitHub and has taught the Intro to Code course at Berkeley-Haas for two semesters.  Joe founded and leads development at Calico, a calendar based startup in San Francisco.  He previously worked at Javelin Ventures and lead communications for an internal startup at Citigroup.  Joe received his MBA from Berkeley-Haas ('12) where he taught himself how to code, understanding the unique difficulties that non-technical students face.