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Bachelor of Arts in Business Economics | Undergraduate Degree Program

Bachelor of Arts in Business Economics

This program highlights the decision making of people in a business—entrepreneurs, managers, employees, executives, shareholders, etc.—as well as the impact of those decisions on society. Within the major, you can customize an economics degree to your preferences and skill by choosing a concentration in areas such as entrepreneurship, global operations, leadership, marketing or any other concentration the Angell Snyder School of Business has to offer. As a graduate, you will have critical thinking skills well rounded in the liberal arts tradition to be successful in providing solutions to problems found in business and life. These skills will include the ability to analyze existing systems or institutions, find economic data and other existing knowledge to apply it to a problem and then form recommendations to enhance efficiency and/or equity. Oral and written communication skills coupled with the economic way of thinking will provide you with the necessary skills to enter the real world with confidence to be excellent at what you do for yourself, your family, community and society.

Bachelor of Arts in Business Economics   

Earn your business economics degree from Ottawa University and prepare to meet real-world business challenges with solutions that draw on skills and knowledge earned in the classroom.

About Ottawa’s Bachelor of Business Economics

Do you have a passion for solving business problems? Do you also have a spirit for innovation? Our business economics degree program builds on what drives you naturally to prepare you for a long-lasting and fulfilling career. In this program, you’ll gain real-world insight into the decisions made by business professionals—entrepreneurs, managers, employees, executives, shareholders, etc.—as well as the impact of those decisions on society.

Within the major, you can customize an economics degree to your preferences and skill by choosing a concentration in areas such as entrepreneurship, global operations, leadership, marketing or any other concentration the Angell Snyder School of Business has to offer. As a graduate, you will have critical thinking skills well rounded in the liberal arts tradition to be successful in providing solutions to problems found in business and life. These skills will include the ability to analyze existing systems or institutions, find economic data and other existing knowledge to apply it to a problem and then form recommendations to enhance efficiency and/or equity. Oral and written communication skills coupled with the economic way of thinking will provide you with the necessary skills to enter the real world with confidence to be excellent at what you do for yourself, your family, community and society.

Career Prospects for Business Economics

The job field for business economics majors is wide open, with opportunities for growth in areas such as:

  • Entrepreneurship
  • Corporate Management
  • Small Business Management
  • Banking Industry
  • Consulting
  • Research Associate
  • Non-profit Business
  • Graduate School

Contact Ottawa University to get started working toward your business economics degree today.  

Business Economics is offered at the following locations.

  • Ottawa, KS (Residential Campus)
  • Overland Park, Kansas
  • Online

Economics Education and Qualifications

Jobs similar to many of those described above fall into a general category of “administrative services manager,” for which a bachelor’s degree is almost always required. A person in this type of job should have good leadership and communication skills and be able to establish effective working relationships with many different people, ranging from managers, supervisors, and professionals, to clerks and blue-collar workers. They must be able to coordinate several activities at once, quickly analyze and resolve specific problems, and cope with deadlines. For higher-level positions, a master’s degree in business administration (MBA) may be required. Many of our graduates continue their education with our accelerated, online MBA coupled with a concentration in Finance.

Economics Careers 

Graduates of our accelerated, online economics program are prepared for a wide range of management positions in industries like banking, brokering, financial services, and government. Job roles may include data analysis, administration, consulting, and process improvement. Since finance is a sub-field of economics and a core component of Ottawa University’s business economics degree, graduates will also be prepared to compete with finance majors for jobs like financial planner, security analyst, and insurance underwriter.

Career Outlook for Economics

The job field for business economics majors is wide open, with opportunities for growth in areas such as entrepreneurship, corporate management, banking, consulting and research. Employment in business and financial operations occupations is projected to grow 8% from 2020 to 2030, adding about 750,800 new jobs, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Globalization, a growing economy, and a complex tax and regulatory environment are expected to continue to lead to strong demand for graduates with expertise in business economics. The average wage for business and financial occupations was $72,250 in May 2020, which was higher than the average for all occupations of $41,950.

Careers in Economics 

  • Accountant
  • Actuary
  • Data analyst
  • Economic researcher
  • Economist
  • Financial consultant
  • Financial planner
  • Financial risk analyst
  • Investment analyst
  • Public sector roles

Economics Foundation Courses

  • Accounting for Business Operations | ACC 20364 | (4 credits)

OR

  • Discrete Mathematics | MAT 20043 | (3 credits)

OR

  • Business Mathematics | MAT 20143 | ( 3 credits)
  • Business Statistics | OAD 30763 | (4 credits)
  • OR

Introduction to Statistics | MAT 20044 | (4 credits)

Business Ethics | OAD 31664 | ( 3 credits)

**MAT 20043 is recommended to fulfill foundation requirement. 


TAKE ONE OF THE FOLLOWING THREE COURSES:

College Algebra | MAT 10643 | (3 credits)

College Algebra emphasizes problem solving techniques using algebraic concepts. The focus of the course is directed toward exploring how algebra is used in the social and physical sciences. Topics covered include fundamental concepts of algebra, equations, and inequalities, functions and graphs, systems of linear equations, exponential and logarithmic equations, composition and inverse functions.

Discrete Mathematics | MAT 20043 | (3 credits)
Offers an intuitive exposure to mathematical concepts useful in a wide variety of disciplines. The course focuses on concepts associated with propositional logic. Prerequisite:  Score of 16 on math placement exam non-math track or Score of 7 on math placement exam math track or Intermediate Algebra.

Business Mathematics | MAT 20143 (3 credits)
Focuses on basic mathematics skills, business mathematics applications and problem-solving strategies. Concepts include properties of real numbers, fundamental operations of rational numbers, fractions, decimals, percents, numerical and graphical descriptions of data, basic probability, and logical thinking.

Required Economics Major Courses

Intermediate Microeconomics | ECO 30163 (3 credits)
Further develops the topics in Principles of Microeconomics with a richer set of economic tools.  Economic analysis is applied to the behavior of individuals, businesses and governments as these agents interact in the market economy. The social consequences regarding equity and efficiency of the production and distribution of final goods and services is analyzed considering both monetary and non-monetary gains.

Money and Banking | ECO 30363 (3 credits)
Studies role of money and banking in United States economic development and in international finances, significance of money, banking history and development, commercial banking operations and structure, central banking and monetary management, alternative international monetary systems, and monetary theory and policy.

Spatial Economics | ECO 30463 (3 credits)
Businesses, households and governments must all determine where they will partake in economic activity. This course explores the decisions by individuals on where to do business. The formation of cities and suburbs both rural and urban is analyzed with special attention paid to issues of land use, transportation, crime, housing and entrepreneurship.

Entrepreneurial Economics | ECO 33063 (3 credits)

Highlights the decision making of for-profit and non-profit entrepreneurs and the impact of those decisions on society. Unpacks the decisions by policymakers on how (or if) entrepreneurship should be encouraged to increase social welfare. Special attention is paid to the tensions created by those who support free-market policies versus those who believe that governments must intervene to correct market failure.

Investment Finance | ECO 40664 (3 credits)
Explores financial system, financial institutions and primary forces which affect them. Emphasis on instruments and interactions in money and capital markets and analysis of firms for portfolio management.

Economics of Managerial Decisions | ECO 49003 (4 credits)
Capstone course which analyzes decision-making related to business topics like pricing, production, human resources, and marketing using economic tools. Topics include an application of econometric procedures used to analyze data for the purpose of decision makers. Students compile evidence of learning outcomes gathered from previous courses within the major.

Management | OAD 30563 (3 credits)
Discusses process for managing organizations including planning, organizing, leading, and evaluating. Examines administrative role in organizations and concepts relevant to its function and historical development of administrative thought.

Foundations of Finance | FIN 30000 | (3 credits)
Foundations of Finance focuses on the analysis of financial information within an enterprise. Problems and analysis will focus on the financial information related to capital requirements and the relationships of how financial decisions impact both the firm and the shareholder. Concepts used in FIN 30000 form the foundation of all elective finance courses. Main topics covered include time value of money, valuation of stocks and bonds, risk and return, and principles of capital budgeting.  Prerequisites: ACC 20364 Accounting for Business Operations

Recommended Economics Courses

  • Cost Accounting
  • International Economics
  • Special Topics: Global Business Perspectives
  • Introduction to Sociology 
  • Principles of Psychology

For curriculum and course descriptions, please download an Economics program overview.

Full Degree Catalog

University Accreditation

Ottawa University, as a whole, is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission.

Specific degree programs within our institution have also been accredited by relevant bodies within the field:

We are proudly recognized for our commitment to student excellence by the following designations:

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