Minors
Focus on what you love, from Physics to Theatre to Environmental Studies. Then, make yourself stand out by adding a working knowledge of marketing and budgeting, or accounting and finance, or information systems, or global business.
Even if you work for a non-profit, your expertise will pay off, especially as you move up in the ranks and start to take on supervisory and strategic leadership tasks.
We (in partnership with our friendly colleagues in Art, Computer Science and International Studies) offer several great ways you can add something extra to your core studies.
Business Management Minor
The Minor consists of five courses—three required (see below), plus two additional electives:
| BUS 111 | Principles of Marketing* |
| BUS 112 | Introduction to Financial Accounting |
| BUS 302 | Organizational Behavior |
* Pre- or co-requisite: ECN 112 Principles of Microeconomics
To complete the Minor, students must take two electives, drawn from any 200-level or higher BUS courses, taken on campus or at a study-abroad partner.
Specialized Minors
Accounting Minor
Prof. Lansing Williams, Director
The Accounting Minor covers knowledge of the accounting principles and practices fundamental to the capture and analysis of financial information about the firm, the use of accounting information to plan and control activities, accounting theory, and practical application of accounting in the areas such as taxation and auditing. This study also includes ethical and legal guidelines necessary in gathering and reporting information and in their internal and external activities.
4 Core Courses
- ECN 111. Introduction to Macroeconomics, or ECN 112. Introduction to Microeconomics
- BUS 109. Managerial Statistics, or ECN 215. Data Analysis, or equivalent course
- BUS 112. Introduction to Financial Accounting
- BUS 209. Financial Analysis
4 Elective Courses
Select from the following.
- BUS 212. Managerial Accounting (offered in the fall semester)
- BUS 340. Intermediate Accounting I (offered in the fall semester)
- BUS 341. Income Tax Accounting (offered in the fall semester)
- BUS 342. Auditing (offered in the spring semester)
- BUS 343. Intermediate Accounting II (offered in the spring semester)
- Special topic elective courses are also offered from time to time.
With the prior permission of the Director of the Accounting Minor or the Chair of the Department of Business Management, relevant special topic courses from other Washington College departments or taken at study-abroad partners may also be counted for the Minor. See the catalog entry for the Business Management major for more information regarding study-abroad partners offering business-related courses.
Preparation for Graduate Studies and the Certified Public Accounting (CPA) Exam
Students intending to pursue careers in public accounting are encouraged to consider entry into a Master of Accounting program upon graduation. Students who have completed BUS 112 Introduction to Financial Accounting will be able to take the additional electives. A suggested sequence could be:
Junior Year
- Fall: Intermediate Accounting I
- Spring: Intermediate Accounting II
Senior Year
- Fall: Managerial Accounting and Income Tax Accounting
- Spring: Auditing
While internships are not required for the Minor, they are strongly encouraged. Please contact the Director of the Minor or the Chair of the Department of Business Management for information regarding earning academic credit for internships.
Finance Minor
Prof. Hui-Ju Tsai, Director
Students pursuing the Finance Minor learn how to make the financial decisions critical to the sustainability of corporations. The acquisition of foundational knowledge related to the financial analysis of firms as well as an understanding of risk and return allows students to pursue advanced finance concepts both from the internal view of the corporation informing the study of financial policies and the external evaluation and assessment of firms needed for making meaningful investment decisions. Throughout, students will examine business ethics as it particularly pertains to the field of finance.
4 Core Courses
- ECN 111. Introduction to Macroeconomics, or ECN 112. Introduction to Microeconomics
- BUS 109. Managerial Statistics, or ECN 215. Data Analysis, or equivalent course
- BUS 112. Introduction to Financial Accounting
- BUS 209. Financial Analysis
4 Elective Courses
At least three elective courses must be BUS courses.
- BUS 355. Corporate Finance
- BUS 356. Multinational Financial Management
- BUS 357. Introduction to Quantitative Finance
- BUS 440. Investments
- BUS 455. Financial Derivatives
- ECN 314. Money and Banking
- ECN 411. International Finance
Special topic elective courses are also offered from time to time.
With the prior permission of the director of the Finance Minor or the chair of the Department of Business Management, relevant special topic courses from other Washington College departments or taken at study-abroad partners may also be counted for the Minor. See the catalog entry for the Business Management major for more information regarding study-abroad partners offering business-related courses.
Brown Advisory Student-Managed Investment Fund Program
Students from any major can participate in the Brown Advisory Student-Managed Investment Fund Program and help manage an equity fund valued at hundreds of thousands of dollars. Under the mentorship of Richard Bookbinder P’10, founder and manager of TerraVerde Capital Management and Bookbinder Capital Management, LLC, students learn to analyze and report on stocks, and then determine trades worth tens of thousands of dollars. The program includes career preparation, talks by visiting business leaders, and intensive work over the semester that will help prepare students for a career in the investment field.
Networking events and special opportunities such as attendance at shareholder meetings allow students to acquire valuable real world knowledge and experience.
Students interested in participating in this program are required to submit applications for review by the Finance Minor Director and the Distinguished Executive-In-Residence for the program.
International Business Minor
Prof. Maria M. Vich Llompart, Director
The International Business Minor offers students an opportunity to learn about and analyze the forces impacting decisions necessary for conducting business around the world, including the evaluation of international organizational models and an understanding of the impact of country differences, particularly the roles culture and ethics play. Students also gain insight into how trade affects profitability, the nature of international monetary systems, and how to configure international business functions.
4 Core Courses
- ECN 111. Introduction to Macroeconomics
- BUS 111. Principles of Marketing
- BUS 112. Introduction to Financial Accounting
- BUS 310. International Business (offered in the fall semester)
3 Elective Courses
Choose from the following. At least one elective must be a BUS course.
- BUS 311. Global Business Strategy
- BUS 330. International Business Experience
- BUS 356. Multinational Financial Management
- BUS 294. Special Topic in International Business (will vary by semester)
- BUS 394. Special Topic in International Business (will vary by semester)
- BUS 497. Independent Study in International Business (with permission of the Director of the Minor).
- ECN 410. International Trade
- ECN 411. International Finance
- PHL 226. Global Ethics
- POL 375. International Political Economy
With the prior permission of the Director of the International Business Minor or the Chair of the Department of Business Management, relevant special topic courses from other Washington College departments or taken at study-abroad partners may also be counted for the Minor. See the catalog entry for the Business Management major for more information regarding study-abroad partners offering business-related courses.
BUS 330. International Business Experience
This summer course, taught by Business Management faculty, takes students abroad for approximately two weeks of concentrated study and experiential learning in international business after meeting regularly during the prior spring semester. Students visit two businesses each weekday for facilities tours and/or presentations by managers on their firms’ international strategy. Cultural activities are scheduled in the evenings and on weekends. On-campus sessions prior to travel ensure that students get the most out of their experience abroad and enhance the academic component of the course.
The itinerary for this course varies from year to year. In the past, students have visited Europe (England, Ireland, Brussels, Holland, Spain, Portugal, and France) as well as China and India.
Marketing Minor
Prof. Caroline Le Bon, Director
Marketing is far more than just selling or advertising. More fundamentally, marketing consists of careful analysis of consumer needs, wants, and preferences, and the development of products and services aligned with what potential customers want.
Drawing from Business Management, Art & Art History, Communication & Media Studies, and other disciplines, the Marketing Minor draws on liberal-arts skills such as research, analysis, creativity, communication, and the application of ethical principles to marketing work. The Minor is open to students in all majors.
4 Core courses
- ECN 112 Microeconomics
- BUS 111 Principles of Marketing
- BUS 223 Marketing Research
- BUS 323 Consumer Behavior
2 Elective Courses
Choose from the following. At least one elective must be a BUS course.
- BUS 224 Digital Marketing
- BUS 351 Advertising
- BUS 294/394 Special Topics in Marketing
- ART 231 Creative Process
- ART 251 Visual & Critical Thinking
- ART 291 Intermedia_VNM
- ART 330 Video Intensive
- ART 335 New Media Intensive
- ART 340 Photography Intensive
Other courses may apply with permission of the Director. Permission must be sought prior to any coursework being completed, as credit may not be awarded retroactively.
We strongly encourage Marketing Minors to participate in extracurricular activities that will supplement and reinforce the concepts and principles that they learn inside the classroom. Some of these opportunities are identified below.
American Marketing Association student chapter
Open to all students, regardless of whether they are Business Management majors or Marketing Minors or anything else — all you need is an interest in marketing (even if that means marketing yourself in the labor market after college). Students have, in past semesters, participated in the AMA Collegiate Case Competition (bringing home an Honorable Mention commendation), celebrated “Marketing Week” in October, and in Spring 2019, a delegation of six students attended the AMA Collegiate Conference in New Orleans for the very first time!
To learn more, contact chapter advisor Georgina Bliss.
Internships
WAC students routinely secure marketing-oriented internships within a diverse range of firms and organizations. Please consult with the Center for Career Development to find out how to locate opportunities, and speak to Prof. Susan Vowels if interested in pursuing a marketing-oriented internship for BUS academic credit.
Note: For-credit internships intended to serve as a MKT elective must be approved in advance by the Director of the Minor or the BUS Department Chair.
Alpha Mu Alpha
Graduating senior Marketing Minors with a minimum overall GPA of 3.25 are eligible for initiation into Alpha Mu Alpha, the national marketing honorary for qualified undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral marketing students, as well as marketing faculty.
Eligible seniors will be invited to accept this honorary in the latter half of their final semester by the Director of the Minor, who administers the honorary for WAC.
Interdisciplinary Minors
Data Analytics Minor
Prof. Susan Vowels, Director
Data Analytics is an interdisciplinary Minor that draws from Business Management, Computer Science, and other majors to provide knowledge and skills in data collection and analysis for supporting decision-making within organizations. Essentially, students learn the discipline of examining an organizational problem specified in human terms, analyzing it, designing a solution, simulating that solution using mathematics and computers, reflecting and reworking the results of the simulation, and finally, communicating the new knowledge in a concise and clear way. A key theme underlying this Minor is the ethical use of data.
Information Systems Minor
Prof. Austin Lobo, Director
Information Systems is the interdisciplinary study of the ways in which computer technology can foster organizational excellence. Drawing from both Business Management and Computer Science, the Information Systems Minor stresses strong analytical skills, the facility to find imaginative solutions to difficult problems, and the application of ethical principles.
Arts Management & Entrepreneurship Minor
Prof. Ben Tilghman, Director
Arts Management & Entrepreneurship program prepares students for careers in the arts by exposing them to this industry’s breadth of professional opportunities, and by arming them with the knowledge, skills, and experiences necessary to succeed as organizational leaders and creative entrepreneurs.