Allegheny College will introduce a new major in business that integrates classroom learning with experiential opportunities available through the college’s Center for Business and Economics. The program will be offered beginning with the 2018–19 academic year by the Department of Economics, which has provided a business/managerial track within its economics major for 18 years.
“Our increasingly complex and connected world demands business leaders who excel as professionals and understand their responsibility to solve problems affecting society at large,” Allegheny President James H. Mullen, Jr., said. “Our new major in business builds on our existing strength in business education and is designed to provide students with the foundation to advance in their careers, instill in them the ability to adapt in a constantly evolving marketplace, and inspire their commitment to contribute as local and global citizens.”
The business major incorporates core coursework in economics, accounting, management, statistics, ethics and communications. Students also can take courses in important areas such as entrepreneurship, finance, human resource management, marketing, international business and organizational behavior.
Through the college’s Center for Business and Economics, business majors at Allegheny can capitalize on internships, research, study abroad programs and other experiential-learning activities. For example, the center coordinates trips to New York City and other major cities for students to visit leading corporations, invites seasoned executives to campus to interact with students, and sponsors the annual Zingale Big Idea Competition, which awards $10,000 in prizes to students seeking funding for their business concepts.
“Along with equipping students with fundamental quantitative skills and advanced knowledge, we are focused on educating the next generation of business leaders to think critically, communicate clearly, consider problems from multiple perspectives and step forward to develop innovative solutions,” Stephen Onyeiwu, professor and chair in the Department of Economics, said. “The business major also will challenge students to put their classroom learning into practice through our Center for Business and Economics, which brings together a wide range of meaningful opportunities for students to interact with industry leaders, gain career experience and think more expansively about their future.”
Like all academic majors at Allegheny, the business major will require students to complete a Senior Comprehensive Project, an original piece of scholarly or creative work similar to a master’s thesis. All Allegheny students also declare a minor or a second major from an academic division outside of their major. This curriculum is designed to help students develop big-picture thinking and problem-solving skills.
“We want to do more than simply prepare students majoring in business to succeed in their first job,” Onyeiwu said. “That initial step in their career is certainly important, but beyond that we want to empower our graduates to pivot as businesses change and the needs of society grow.”