Department Contact:
Chair: Dr. Angela Seidel, aseidel@francis.edu, 814-472-3076
Program Description:
The Economics program educates students to participate in the decision-making process of allocating scarce resources and prepares them to function as informed and responsible citizens in a free market economy. Specifically, the program is designed for students who seek careers in the financial services industry, such as investment and commercial banking, the federal government, consulting and/or wish to pursue graduate study in economics or business. In the macroeconomic dimension, students learn the basic forces underlying the economic organization of society, the theory of national income, aggregate supply and demand, unemployment, inflation, taxation, money and banking, and governmental fiscal policy. In the microeconomic realm, students learn the theory of price under various market conditions, economic functions of government, the theory of the firm, and elements of international economics. As a requirement for graduation students are expected to complete an independent research project.
The Entrepreneurship Concentration is designed to inform, inspire, and empower students to engage in entrepreneurial thinking and related activities. Such activities range from using critical thinking, creativity, and problem solving as a future employee within an existing enterprise as an intrapreneur; to solving broader social and economic problems deploying entrepreneurial thinking in communities through Social Entrepreneurship; and to being an active participant in the creation of a business start-up. Entrepreneurship effectively blends theory with practice to create a meaningful and relevant value proposition, taking into account both risk and return, that integrates a number of different academic perspectives such as economics, philosophy, law, finance, politics, and marketing together.
Accreditation Statement:
Saint Francis University has received specialized accreditation for its business programs through the International Accreditation Council for Business Education (IACBE) located at 11374 Strang Line Road, Lenexa, Kansas, 66215; (913) 631-3009; http://iacbe.org/accredited-programs.asp.
Student Learning Outcomes:
The Shields School of Business will graduate students who have the knowledge, skills, love of learning, confidence, drive, and ethical and moral values needed to be spiritually fulfilled in life and successful in professional careers. Upon completion of this program, students are able to:
- Demonstrate, in the Spirit of Saint Francis in the Marketplace, knowledge of the ethical value choices and responsibilities of businesses and business leaders;
- Demonstrate knowledge of the fundamental principles in business in the functional areas of accounting, information systems, finance, management, and marketing;
- Demonstrate knowledge of the legal, social, economic environments of business;
- Demonstrate knowledge of the global dimension of business;
- Integrate the functional areas of business in the process of decision making;
- Demonstrate the ability to professionally communicate.
Estimated Completion Time:
Typically 4 years of full-time study
Capstone Requirement:
All students complete the three-credit course MGMT401, Strategic Management, which serves as the capstone for all undergraduate business programs. Among other learning experiences, this course includes a simulation that requires students to synthesize and apply learning from across the business domains of accounting, economics, finance, marketing, management, and information systems.
As well, students earning a B.S. in Economics are required to complete ECON 405 Econometrics Senior Seminar which is an integration of all major knowledge from the undergraduate economics courses.
Total Credits Required:
128 credits minimum