2023-2024 Catalogue

Business Administration

The Department of Business and Economics offers several programs that provide special opportunities for students who are interested in careers in business and related fields. The programs in business benefit from endowments by the estate and family of the late D. Abbott Turner who was a prominent leader in business and civic affairs in Georgia and a trustee of Wesleyan. These endowments help provide Wesleyan students with instruction, equipment, and special activities that add an important dimension to the educational process. Additionally, the Gail Webster-Patterson Endowed Speaker Series for Business brings distinguished speakers with profound knowledge and expertise in business practices, economics, accounting, and health administration to the College for the purpose of enhancing the educational experience of students who are majoring or minoring in one of these disciplines.

1. The major in Business Administration with a concentration in Accounting, Digital Marketing, Economics, Healthcare Administration, Human Resource Management, Organizational Behavior, or Strategic Management.*
2. The major in Accounting.
3. The major in International Business. 

*Students in the Online Program may choose from Accounting, Digital Marketing, Economics, Organizational Behavior, or Strategic Management.

The department also offers an interdisciplinary major in Advertising and Marketing Communication (AMC).

The department has an expanded minor curriculum program with minors in Accounting, Business, Economics, and Finance. 

The department sponsors lectures, conferences, seminars, and research which promote entrepreneurship and business career opportunities for women. These activities provide students with the opportunity to discuss significant issues and experiences with successful women from the business community. 

1. Business majors will demonstrate competency in breadth of knowledge of business principles.
2. Business majors will demonstrate competency in depth of knowledge of business analysis.
3. Graduates will demonstrate ability to integrate subject knowledge in the analysis of business issues.

1. Understanding the historical and political context of business.
2. Developing an awareness of the dimensions of human behavior as individuals and in organizations.
3. Understanding the issues in philosophy and values which influence the business environment.

Major Requirements: Business Administration
The major in Business Administration requires that the student complete a total of 57 hours of course work: 42 hours of business core courses in specified areas of essential business topics – accounting, marketing, management, economics, and finance – and 15 hours of course work related to a concentration.  

• ACC 201 Financial Accounting: Concepts and Applications
• ACC 202 Principles of Managerial Accounting
• ACC 205 Principles of Finance 
• BUS 106 Business Ethics and Society
• BUS 303 Principles of Marketing
• BUS 310 Business Law
• BUS 315 Principles of Management
• BUS 318 Human Resources Management
• BUS 488 Business Policy Seminar
• ECO 102 Issues in Macroeconomics
• ECO 104 Issues in Microeconomics
• MAT/PSY 220 Statistics

• Two additonal BUS courses

Concentration Courses (15 hours)
Students are required to pick at least one concentration:
  
Accounting Concentration
The Accounting concentration is designed for students who want additional training in accounting but do not want to sit for the CPA exam.

• ACC 321 Intermediate Accounting I
• ACC 322 Intermediate Accounting II
• Three additonal ACC courses at or above the 300 level

Digital Marketing (DM) Concentration
Businesses big and small, in every corner of the world, and selling any and every type of product rely on digital marketing to reach their consumers. Today’s digitally connected world allows us to connect with friends all around the world, video chat with family in other time zones and read about any interest we may have without leaving the comforts of home. For businesses in every industry producing any number of items, this means it is harder than ever to reach their target audience.

The Digital Marketing concentration will provide the student with baseline marketing skills so they understand the language of business, and are better equipped to land internships and jobs. It is designed to give the student a competitive advantage with the skills needed to compete in the fast-changing business world where most companies are using technology to reach their consumers. This competitive advantage gained by digital marketing skills will help enable the student to hit the ground running in their chosen profession.

Digital Marketing is also offered as a stand-alone minor; please see the Digital Marketing catalogue page for additional details.

• ART 225 Graphic Design or BUS 304 SEO/SEM*
  • Students in the Day program are encouraged to take ART 225.
• BUS 336 Social Media Marketing
• BUS 337 Email Marketing
• BUS 338 Digital Marketing Analytics*
• BUS 339 Viral and Organic Growth*

Economics Concentration
Economics is the study of how individuals, businesses, and goveernments allocate resources to satisfy their objectives. The study of economics helps students understand markets, firms, financial organizations, and public debate about economic policy, including taxation, government expenditure, trade, globalization, health, and welfare. The concentration in Economics prepares students for graduate study in fields such as business and law, for graduate study leading to teaching adn research in economics, and can be a stepping-stone to employment in business, finance, non-profit, and government organizations.

• ECO 202 Intermediate Macroeconomics
• ECO 204 Intermediate Microeconomics

Healthcare Administration (HCA) Concentration
Healthcare is the largest and fastest changing industry in the U.S., making up close to 18% of our national gross domestic product (GDP). To make effective decisions, professionals working in the field must understand basic business principles and tools related to finance, information systems, strategic planning, human resource management, and marketing.

In the field of healthcare administration, one may be responsible for establishing and implementing the policies and objectives of a specific clinical or administrative department or service within a single facility, or an entire healthcare organization or system.

A concentration in Healthcare Administration will help prepare the student to work in a variety of settings, including:

• Clinic/Medical group practice
• Hospital/Health system
• Home health/Hospice services
• Residential/Long-term care
• Insurance/Managed care
• Medical supply company
• Government Services
• University/Research Institution

A concentration in Healthcare Administration will provide the student with strong leadership abilities, including excellent communication and relationship management skills, diplomacy, collaboration and teamwork, adaptability and ability to manage change, and mentoring.

The Healthcare Administration concentration is designed to complement the student’s major with the objective of providing an introductory curriculum, which can assist the student in gaining employment in healthcare and healthcare related career fields. This objective can be achieved by: building on general education core foundations; introducing students to health services management functions through the mastery of certain skills including communication, decision-making, and coordination; and preparing students for graduate study. 

Healthcare Administration is also offered as a stand-alone minor; please see the Healthcare Administration catalogue page for additional details.

• BUS/HCA 308 Introduction to Healthcare Administration
• BUS/HCA 309 Healthcare Operations and Quality Improvement  
• BUS/HCA 313 Healthcare Policy and Economics 
• BUS/HCA 314 Legal Aspects of Healthcare  
• BUS/HCA 340 Healthcare Information Systems Management  

Human Resource Management (HRM) Concentration
Employment of human resource (HR) managers is projected by the Bureau of Labor Statistics to grow 7 percent from 2018 to 2028 – faster than the average of all occupations. This is not by accident: as advancements are made in best practices and new technologies within HR departments, companies are willing to pay up to find the most talented individuals available, as they recognize the value of having highly talented people in those positions. HR managers have a tremendously valuable impact not just on the companies they work for, but on individual co-workers within the organization, and play an integral role in the modern economy. 

As the role of an HR professional within the workforce changes, students will need to adapt their skill sets in order to land these lucrative and prestigious positions. The increasingly focused skill set desired by major employers is no longer served by general business degrees. In today’s economy, it is essential that aspiring HR professionals receive training and experience in coordinating the administrative functions of an organization, hiring and training employees, handling inter-company disputes, working with HR software, and other skills that will be important to their job on day one. 

The Human Resource Management concentration is intended to provide students with the relevant skills to address these areas and to succeed as the highest performers in this burgeoning field. While students will also receive a traditional business education, graduates with this concentration will be able to point to specific skills they have learned and developed in HR that will allow them to stand out amongst all applicants. 

Human Resource Management is also offered as a stand-alone minor; please see the Human Resource Management catalogue page for additional details.

• BUS 317 Organizational Behavior 
• BUS 319 Total Compensation Management*
• BUS 329 Training and Development* 
• BUS 331 Employment and Labor Law* 
• BUS 334 Human Resource Risk Management*

Organizational Behavior (ORGB) Concentration
Combining content from business and psychology, the Organizational Behavior concentration provides students with a more focused exploration of the impact of human behavior (both as individuals and in groups) on organizational practices. This concentration would be an ideal option for a psychology or business major who plans to apply to related graduate programs. Students who plan on entering the workplace following graduation will benefit from increased knowledge relating to human resources, conflict management, and employer-employee relations in governmental, for-profit, and non-profit organizations in both public and private sectors.

Organizational Behavior is also offered as a stand-alone minor; please see the Organizational Behavior catalogue page for additional details.

• BUS 317 Organizational Behavior
• BUS 328 Art of Business Leadership
• PSY 101 General Psychology
• PSY 203 Social Psychology
• PSY 312 Industrial and Organizational Psychology

Strategic Management (STMT) Concentration
Strategic management involves decisions about the set of goal-directed, coordinated commitments and actions that a firm undertakes to gain and sustain superior performance relative to competitors. It includes diagnosing the competitive challenges facing a firm, formulating strategies (including corporate, business, international, etc) to address the competitive challenges, and devising a coherent set of actions to implement a firm’s strategy. 

Knowledge of strategic management complements students’ mastery of particular functional or operational areas, and allows graduates to understand how their functional roles and activities in a firm relate to the firm’s overall strategic objectives.

Strategic Management is also offered as a stand-alone minor; please see the Strategic Management catalogue page for additional details.

• BUS 317 Organizational Behavior
• BUS 328 Art of Business Leadership
• BUS 330 Strategic Management
• BUS 332 International Business Management
• BUS 350 Entrepreneurship 

Course Sequencing for the Business Administration Major: A recommended sequence of courses for the student majoring in Business Administration is shown below. (Only major courses are reflected.)

First Year, Fall:
BUS 106: Business Ethics and Society
ECO 102: Issues in Macroeconomics

First Year, Spring:
ACC 205: Principles of Finance
ECO 104: Issues in Microeconomics

Second Year, Fall:
ACC 201: Financial Accounting
BUS 303: Principles of Marketing
Concentration course or BUS elective

Second Year, Spring:
ACC 202: Principles of Managerial Accounting
BUS 315: Principles of Management
Concentration course or BUS elective

Third Year, Fall:
BUS 318: Human Resource Management
Concentration course or BUS elective

Third Year, Spring:
BUS 310: Business Law
MAT 220: Statistics

Fourth Year, Fall:
Concentration course or BUS elective

Fourth Year, Spring:
Concentration course or BUS elective
BUS 488: Business Policy Seminar

• ACC 201 Financial Accounting: Concepts and Applications
• ACC 205 Principles of Finance
• BUS 105 Contemporary Business or BUS 106 Business Ethics and Society
• ECO 102 Issues in Macroeconomics or ECO 104 Issues in Microeconomics
• Two additional accounting (ACC), business (BUS), or economics (ECO) courses at or above the 300 level

Find out more about this program.