The Program in Business and Economics – Goals and Outcomes Assessment

The Department of Business and Economics offers two competitive undergraduate degree programs:  The Bachelor of Science in Business Administration (B.S.B.A.), and the Bachelor of Arts in Economics (B.A. Economics).  Being housed within the School of Arts and Sciences, both programs provide concentrators with a broad education in the liberal arts and humanities in the Catholic tradition.

The Bachelor of Science in Business Administration offers general management preparation together with the opportunity to specialize in a specific field of business.    The program is characterized by  aby a careful balance of structure and choice, with flexibility sufficient enough to allow students to tailor a curriculum that reflects their individual career goals. Core courses expose the students to the fundamentals of accounting, economics, statistics, management, marketing, finance, and management of information systems. After completion of the core, students move beyond the fundamentals by taking required and elective courses in their chosen majors. Students complete their studies by taking a course in Business Ethics as well as a capstone course in Management Strategy.

The Bachelor of Arts in Economics offers a broad education in economic analysis with applications to both the private and public sectors of the national economy.   The program emphasizes the importance of the roles of economic theory and economic reasoning to the resolution of complex economic, social and political issues.  Core courses expose the student to the fundamentals of accounting, economics, statistics, management, and finance.  Upon completion of the core, students move beyond the fundamentals by taking an array of required and elective courses in economics. Students complete their studies by taking a course in Business Ethics as well as a capstone seminar course in economic analysis.

Regardless of the degree program in which students are enrolled, the curriculum is designed to have students achieve competency in their field of study. For example, accounting majors should understand how to prepare an income statement, a cash flow statement, and balance sheet.  Economics majors should be able to analyze the impact of government price controls or excise taxes.  They should be able to explain why externalities such as pollution can lead to a market failure. They should be able to interpret reported regression results. They should also be able to analyze the impacts of debt financed expansionary fiscal policy under varying assumptions. A student majoring in finance should be able to calculate the net present value of a capital budgeting project. They should know the assumptions, contribution, and limitations of the capital asset pricing model. A marketing student should know the difference between a “push” vs. “pull” marketing strategy and the circumstances when one is preferred to the other. They should be able to devise a marketing plan taking note of its segmentation approach, product strategy, pricing strategy, and target market.

During their last year in residence, the Department administers a “senior assessment,” which consists of a three-hour examination. The examination requires students to answer a number of questions that directly test their competency in their chosen field of study.  To ensure that students have achieved a sufficient level of competency, the examinations are evaluated by at least two departmental faculty members.  Before taking this examination, students must have completed all the core and required courses in their major. All Business and Economics majors are required pass this examination with a grade of "Pass" or " Pass with Honors" as a requirement for graduation.