The Business major provides students with a broad, integrated understanding of contemporary business practice, emphasizing analytical reasoning, ethical decision-making, and the application of knowledge across functional areas. The program introduces foundational concepts in accounting, finance, marketing, organizational behavior, and analytics, while fostering the ability to apply these concepts in real-world contexts.
The curriculum is designed to balance depth and breadth. Students complete a concentration while also engaging in coursework across multiple business disciplines, ensuring exposure to diverse perspectives and methods. Concepts such as strategy, supply chain, and organizational decision-making are integrated across core and upper-level courses.
The major culminates in a senior capstone experience in which students work collaboratively to analyze complex business challenges and produce a substantial written and oral presentation demonstrating their learning.
Recommended Course Sequence
Students are encouraged to complete introductory coursework in economics and business early in their academic careers, followed by core business courses and upper-level concentration coursework. The senior capstone is typically completed in the final year.
Prerequisites should be completed in a timely manner to ensure access to upper-level courses, particularly Business Analytics and certain concentration electives.
Sample four-year plans are available through the Business program to guide course sequencing across concentrations.
Core Requirements
All Business majors complete the following core courses, which provide foundational knowledge across the major functional areas of business.
BUS 141 introduces foundational concepts across business disciplines, including strategy and supply chain. Supply chain concepts are integrated throughout the curriculum rather than offered as a standalone requirement.
Business Analytics Concentration
Students must complete three upper-level courses within one concentration and two additional upper-level courses from other business concentrations. This structure ensures both depth in a selected area and breadth across business disciplines.
Courses used to fulfill the primary concentration may not also be used to satisfy the additional elective requirement outside the concentration.
Entrepreneurship Concentration
Students must complete three upper-level courses within one concentration and two additional upper-level courses from other business concentrations. This structure ensures both depth in a selected area and breadth across business disciplines.
Courses used to fulfill the primary concentration may not also be used to satisfy the additional elective requirement outside the concentration.
Finance Concentration
Students must complete three upper-level courses within one concentration and two additional upper-level courses from other business concentrations. This structure ensures both depth in a selected area and breadth across business disciplines.
Courses used to fulfill the primary concentration may not also be used to satisfy the additional elective requirement outside the concentration.
Management Concentration
Students must complete three upper-level courses within one concentration and two additional upper-level courses from other business concentrations. This structure ensures both depth in a selected area and breadth across business disciplines.
Courses used to fulfill the primary concentration may not also be used to satisfy the additional elective requirement outside the concentration.
Marketing Concentration
Students must complete three upper-level courses within one concentration and two additional upper-level courses from other business concentrations. This structure ensures both depth in a selected area and breadth across business disciplines.
Courses used to fulfill the primary concentration may not also be used to satisfy the additional elective requirement outside the concentration.
Earlham graduates, whatever their majors, frequently pursue careers that move them into management positions. By taking business as a minor, students in any major can develop an understanding of how to work and lead in an organization.
Students minoring in our business program must complete these courses: