Business, Accounting and Economics

Volkmar(chairperson), Aristotelous, Bailey, Dennis, Eskew, Hasan, Huber, Mafi, Prindle, Ruparel, C. Smith , H. Smith, Whalen.

Mission and Programs

The Business, Accounting and Economics Department seeks to provide a thorough understanding of business and economics concepts that will encourage our students to participate in an effective way in today’s global business environment. The department offers B.S. and B.A. degrees in Accounting, Business Administration and Economics and a Master’s degree in Business Administration. Within the undergraduate Business Administration major, students may select a concentration in Finance, International Business, Management, or Marketing.

Program Outcomes

Accounting: This program of study prepares students to seek careers in general accounting, tax accounting, auditing, government accounting, business consulting, or to pursue graduate work in Accounting, Business and other related fields.

Business Administration: This program of study qualifies students to seek careers in business consulting, corporate management, sales, marketing, finance, banking, human resource management, international business, or to pursue graduate work in Business and other related fields.

Economics: This program of study prepares students to seek careers in consulting, business, banking, finance, government, or to pursue graduate work in Economics and other related fields.

Accounting

A student may choose one of two majors in accounting - the four-year major (Accounting) or the five-year major (Public Accounting).

If a student wants to become a CPA, he or she may immediately sit for the CPA examination with the five-year major. With the four-year major, the student must first obtain a score of 1800 on the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) to sit for the CPA examination. If students do not obtain a score of 1 800, but want to become a CPA, they must complete a fifth year of course work at Otterbein, at another institution, or as part of a Master’s program.

A recommended option for students seeking to become a CPA is to complete the four-year major at Otterbein, and enter into a Master’s of Accountancy Program, or Master’s of Business Administration (M.B.A.) in their fifth year. Otterbein has an M.B.A. program. Admission to the program is competitive and not guaranteed.

Business Administration

The major in business administration consists of 12 (for B.S.) or 13 (for B.A.) required courses and four additional business administration elective courses or a concentration emphasizing a functional area of business administration.

Economics

The Department offers a B.A. or B.S. degree in Economics. The B.S. degree has the stronger quantitative component necessary for graduate work in Economics, Business, or other related fields. The major in Economics consists of 10 or 11 required courses.