Degree/Program Title: Economics- Business Policy Emphasis (BBA)

Sponsor(s): Tom Schweigert, Mark Skidmore, and Sandra Snow

Department(s): Economics

College(s): College of Business and Economics
 

Effective Term: Fall 2001
 

Check if:

______		New Degree: Intent to Plan
______		New Degree: Final Proposal
______		New Major: Intent to Plan
______		New Major: Final Proposal
______		New Submajor: Minor
__x___	New Submajor: Emphasis/Track
______	New Submajor: Certificate Program
______	Module: Intent to Plan
______	Module: Final Proposal
______	Other ___________________

Economics and Business Policy Emphasis: This emphasis is of value for careers involving strategic and tactical planning in the private sector. It develops skills in issue/problem identification and definition, formulation of hypotheses, model-building and model-testing. Business policy involves some or all of the core business areas such as marketing, finance, and accounting, but takes a broader view of the overall role of the firm and the industry in which it operates. The Emphasis in Economics and Business Policy requires that the student be in the BBA program and:

1. complete the following courses:

ECON 345 (Business Statistics II)
ECON 301 (Intermediate Microeconomics)
ECON 302 (Intermediate Macroeconomics)

ECON 341 (Government and Business)
ECON 353 (Economics of Labor Markets and Labor Policies)
ECON 354 (Money and Banking)
ECON 402 (Business Cycles))
ECON 437(Managerial Economics)
ECON 441 (Industrial Organization and Competitive Strategies)
ECON 493 (Internship in Economics)

MKTG 321 (Marketing Research)
MKTG 479 (Marketing Management and Policies)
MGNT 471 (Management Decision Analysis)
MGNT 484 (Simulation Modeling)

Students completing this Emphasis will be well prepared for direct entry into a business career path or for further graduate or professional study (e.g., a general or specialized MBA).

Four Year Plan of Course Offerings:
All courses are typically offered once per year.

Other Programs Affected and Resource Requirements:
There may be a slight increase in enrollment in MKTG 321, MKTG 479, MGNT 471, and MGNT 484. However, any effects are likely to be small. No other additional resource requirements are expected.

Goals and Learning Objective of the Program:
The primary objective of formalizing our Emphasis in Economics and Business Policy Analysis is to enhance the marketability of our majors in the private sector. Currently, the Emphasis is informal and thus students do not receive any certification for this track. Formalizing the Emphases enables students to present potential employers with evidence of this course of training.

The Emphasis has also been enhanced in several ways. First, we eliminate several courses that are not closely related to business policy analysis and add several others (including some courses outside our major) to provide greater opportunities for students to develop policy-oriented analytical skills.

Student Need/Demand:
The Economic Department is making several changes to its curriculum. As a result of discussions with the Economics Advisory Board and the Dean, the Department has as an action item to develop several Emphases. The purpose of the Emphases is to demonstrate relevance and applicability of Economics in a variety of career tracks and thus better serve the UW-Whitewater student body.

Relationship to Mission of Institution:
The mission statement for the Economics Department states that a primary objective is to "strive to achieve excellence in teaching…" The above changes reflect our desire to improve the quality of education and increase the career opportunities available to our majors.

The proposed change formalizes the Emphasis and creates a focus on "Economic and Business Policy Analysis."

Note: Management Department consulted - Approved
         Marketing Department consulted - Approved