Business
Earlham’s business program is the home for our students interested in business, entrepreneurship and management, but it’s never business as usual.
Our classes prepare you to make a positive impact locally and globally. With an emphasis on experiential education, you’ll work collaboratively with students from around the world to analyze complex business and social problems, develop new programs and strategies, and understand the ecosystem of industries, businesses and nongovernmental organizations.
Courses take you from theory to practice of basic business skills. Additionally, all of our majors complete at least one internship to continue to build skills and personal networks.
Co-curricular opportunities further your ability to hone your skills. You can compete for start-up funding in business plan competitions, compete against peers at other schools in case competitions, lead or participate in our Net Impact chapter, and participate in research with faculty. You will be mentored through these opportunities by our faculty.
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Work and lead in a global society
Every business major completes an internship. Off-campus programs in Philadelphia and Washington provide structured internship opportunities. Internships can also be completed at an organization of your choosing, either in the US or abroad. You can apply for funding for your internship through the Epic Advantage program, so that you can pursue an internship that aligns with your goals and values.
Outcomes
Top job industries for recent business graduates have included nonprofits, education, management consulting, transportation and logistics, software, marketing and more.
of work seekers who majored in the social sciences between 2018-2022 were employed, pursuing graduate school or volunteering within six months of graduation.
Global perspectives
The business major averages 40 percent representation by international students, who come to our campus from over 50 countries. Our U.S. students come from all over the country and many different backgrounds. Students can expect to work in a multinational group on a regular basis in almost every class in the major.
Launch your business
Every year, students have the opportunity to compete in business plan competitions that can result in seed funding for a new business or nonprofit addressing a social challenge. These include the international million-dollar Hult Prize, which Earlham students won in 2016, and the Epic Grand Challenge, a comprehensive proposal competition focused on solving local issues in Wayne County, Indiana. Our faculty will also provide mentorship for your business or project plans outside of these competitions.
Business program details
You are encouraged to begin the major during your first or second year. This provides flexibility in your schedule to participate in an off-campus program and to develop multinational professional networks among other students in the program.
As a liberal arts college, Earlham offers multiple disciplinary and interdisciplinary majors and minors in which students cultivate deep and specific knowledge and experience. Equally important, the College expects every student to develop broad, general skills and proficiencies across the curriculum.
As part of their general education, students complete six credits in each academic division of the College: humanities, natural sciences, social sciences, and visual and performing arts. In addition, students meet requirements for first-year courses, analytical reasoning, perspectives on diversity and wellness.
Bachelor of Arts
To earn a Bachelor of Arts in business, you must complete the following courses, in addition to general education requirements.
All business majors complete a common set of core courses which give students a strong foundation.
Business required courses
- ECON 101 Intro to Macroeconomics
- ECON 103 Intro to Microeconomics
- MATH 120 Elementary Statistics or PSYCH 245 Research Methods and Statistics
- BUS 122 Intro to Marketing
- BUS 200 Financial Accounting
- BUS 203 Organizational Behavior
- BUS 221 Intro to Supply Chain
- BUS 370 Business Ethics
- BUS 481 Internships, Field Studies and Other Field Experiences
- BUS 488 Strategy (capstone course)
- Complete four (4) courses within one concentration.
Concentrations
You may choose from one of these five (5) concentrations listed below to focus your studies.
Plan of study by concentration
Take four (4) of the following courses:
- BUS 305 Econometrics
- BUS 330 Investments
- BUS 333 Corporate Finance
- BUS 362 International Finance
- BUS 369 Corporate Valuation
Related Collaborative Student Research and/or Contemporary Topics courses may count towards a concentration with faculty approval.
Take four (4) of the following courses:
- BUS 222 International Marketing (WI)
- BUS 309 Consumer Behavior
- BUS 310 Marketing Strategy
- BUS 354 Entrepreneurial Marketing
- BUS 361 Social Media and Marketing
Take four (4) of the following courses:
- BUS 211 Leadership Theory & Practice (WI)
- BUS 3XX Human Resource Management*
- BUS 325 Nonprofit in Civil Society
- BUS 312 Leadership & Change
- BUS 342 Leadership & Dealing with Differences
- BUS 368 Business Communication (WI)
Related Collaborative Student Research and/or Contemporary Topics courses may count towards a concentration with faculty approval.
Take four (4) of the following courses:
- BUS 306 Ennovation Lab
- BUS 313 Social Entrepreneurship
- BUS 354 Entrepreneurial Marketing
- BUS 335 Intrapreneurship
- BUS 3XX New Ventures (WI)
Related Collaborative Student Research and/or Contemporary Topics courses may count towards a concentration with faculty approval.
Take four (4) of the following courses:
- BUS 353 Transportation and Logistics
- BUS 316 Project Management
- BUS 361 Social Media and Marketing
- BUS 405 Contemporary Topics in SCO
- BUS 368 Business Communication (WI)
Related Collaborative Student Research and/or Contemporary Topics courses may count towards a concentration with faculty approval.
Frequently asked questions
Yes! 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:
- BUS 120 Elementary Stats or PSYCH 240 Research course
- BUS 200 Financial Accounting
- BUS 203 Organizational Behavior
- BUS 370 Business Ethics
- Two additional courses from two different concentrations
Recent graduates have found employment at a wide variety of organizations from First Bank in Indianapolis to the World Bank in Palestine, working in a range of fields, everything from finance to logistics to marketing and hospitality.
The applied minor in leadership introduces you to interdisciplinary ways of thinking about leadership, ethics, morality and decision-making and helps you integrate what you are learning in the classroom with your co-curricular activities.
The sky’s the limit when it comes to finding an internship as a business student. Because every business major must complete an internship requirement, we have robust resources to help you identify opportunities and feel supported throughout your experience.
Recent majors have interned at Adobe Systems, Huntington Bank, Asia Tech Source, CoverMyMeds, the City of Richmond and PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC), among many other places.
Business students are problem-solvers and team builders. They see the world’s problems as puzzles to be solved through the creative application of business practices. Whether you want to start your own business or nonprofit, or work your way up through an existing organization, the business major can provide you the skills you need to lead and manage–for good.
Our faculty
Our faculty bring a diverse perspective and wealth of knowledge to our classrooms. We have expertise in various industries and work experience in numerous countries, types of organizations and positions.