The Business and Economics Department

Bruce R. Thompson Center for Business & EconomicsOur Distinctive Program

At the Allegheny College Bruce R. Thompson Center for Business and Economics, students may pursue a major in economics or business with each course of study applying the rigor of economic theory, with the benefit of interdisciplinary coursework that allows students to create a personalized concentration. Like many disciplines in a liberal arts curriculum, business and economics emphasizes oral, written, and quantitative methods in courses and seminars.

We offer students a program that requires a balance of theory and application in its curriculum. A combination of theory courses, quantitative work, and a number of field courses are offered to non-majors and minors. The program is designed to provide a foundation in liberal arts education to prepare students for postgraduate study and careers such as international affairs, law, business, management, banking and finance, human resources, accounting, marketing, education and public policy.

An extensive portfolio of co-curricular activities complements our curriculum, enhancing student learning and real-world experience and soft skill development to ensure that each student succeeds in pursuing internships, job, and graduate school opportunities at Allegheny College, and throughout their professional careers.

The distinctive Allegheny model requires students to declare a minor in a non-business and non-social science discipline, for example philosophy, religious studies, a foreign language, music, English, fine arts, biology, World Health, mathematics, and computer science among other fields.

Economics Major or Minor

Studying economics at Allegheny College teaches students how people respond to incentives in making choices, and how those choices affect outcomes at both the micro and macro scale. A microeconomist might study how a firm or a family chooses to finance a new piece of equipment or a home purchase. A macroeconomist might study how a change in interest rates affects economic growth, unemployment, or the balance of trade. Economics has come to include a core of widely accepted general theory, techniques for using data to test hypotheses and draw inferences, and skills that are often refined by experience in the application of theory to particular problems. Economists apply those theories and techniques to topics often associated with the field, like banking and finance, but the range of topics studied by economists is very broad, including sports, the environment, health, crime, discrimination, and business.

Major in Business

Allegheny’s Business major is designed to help students gain a deep knowledge of the managerial and business concepts typically used by the business and non-profit world. The program also focuses on the tools, skills, and competencies needed to solve practical problems faced by organizations. The  business majors from Allegheny will graduate with a strong liberal arts background enabling them to learn how they can use their financial success to serve humanity, make a difference in people’s lives and leave a legacy of success and service. Every business major is expected to engage in a mentored experiential learning project or activity – this may be satisfied by a study abroad program or an internship that exposes the student to cultural, civic engagement and global issues.

Download a four-year Economics or Business Major Course Planning guide.