Why Study Business or Economics?
In pursuing business, you will learn how organizations create, manage, market, finance, and track value. In pursuing economics, you will learn to apply mathematical models to data in order to answer public policy questions and private enterprise problems. At Wheaton, you’ll develop intellectual competence in the disciplines of business and economics in ways that foster Christian character and inspire commitment to build the church and benefit society worldwide.
Hannah Stolze, Associate Professor of Marketing & SCM, also serves as Director of the Wheaton Center for Faith & Innovation. CFI offers students opportunities for business engagement.
- CFI partners with more than 70 companies
- Students can apply to be Innovation Scholars
Why Study Business or Economics at Wheaton?
Your training at Wheaton will thoroughly integrate biblical and theological principles and values with economic and business reasoning to help you become ethical leaders and make a positive impact on the world for Christ and His Kingdom.
Teaching and mentoring are priorities for our professors. Wheaton has 11 tenure-track business and economics professors, including specialists in all four major sub-disciplines of business — accounting, finance, management, and marketing – and both areas of economics – microeconomics and macroeconomics.
You’ll develop critical thinking, analytical reasoning, and problem-solving skills through courses in and outside our majors. As the demand for people who can integrate information from a variety of sources and think broadly grows in the job market, a business education with a liberal arts orientation will provide you with a sustaining advantage as you seek careers in fields such as advertising, human resource management, economics, actuarial science, accounting, public policy, marketing, management, finance, and law.
The learning that happens both in and outside of classrooms balances knowledge and practical experiences. Students have many leadership and learning opportunities through participation in real-world business projects, business internships, campus organizations, field trips to local businesses, international programs, and research assistantships.
Competitions and Clubs
- Business Competitions: Participate in Wheaton College Shark Tank, Allstate's APEX competition, Elevate, and GoLiveServe International
- Real-world class projects in partnership with national organizations (e.g. Council of Supply Chain Management Professionals, FTD.com, Wheaton Artists Series)
- Clubs: Investment Club, Thrive4, Globus, Business Club and Economics Book Club
Center for Faith, Politics, and Economics
Through our department’s partnership with The Center for Faith, Politics, and Economics, you’ll have access to special lectures on campus and unique opportunities to study abroad.
Research, Internships and Independent Study
Internships: Elect for an internship with a for-profit or nonprofit organization and earn up to four credit hours towards your major. Companies that have hired Wheaton students include First Trust Portfolios, Target, Mile High Sports, World Relief, True North Equities, Waveland Property Group, Ventura Manufacturing, Northwestern Mutual, Baillie Lumber, Sanders Commercial Real Estate, Jackson National Asset Management, Cochlan Group, USG, Samaritan’s Purse
Research: Dr. Jason Long collaborates with several students as part of his 3-year National Science Foundation grant to support a research project on “Geographic and Occupational Mobility During the Great Depression.”
The Center for Faith, Politics, and Economics offers stipends for student/faculty research and internships with for-profit and non-profit organizations.
Human Needs and Global Resources Program
Through a six-month international Human Needs and Global Resources internship, students work with nationals and are supported by Wheaton faculty as they apply their education to solving real-life challenges. Most recently, student projects have included:
- Labor migration in India
- Micro-entrepreneurs in the Philippines
- Hagar International's Economic Empowerment program for poor women
- The impact of membership in Pueblos en Accion Comunitaria that advocates for rural farmers in Nicaragua
- Development of a business model for Cambodian farmers to have access to higher value markets
Learn more about Study Abroad opportunities available to Business Econ majors.
Independent Study and Honors Thesis
Work with faculty on a research topic selected by students in our Honors Program.
What Will I Learn?
- As a Business/Economics major, you’ll learn foundational issues of purpose, product/service creation, distribution channels, human and financial resources, technology, and information as they relate to principles of marketing, finance, management, accounting, and operations.
- As an Economics major you’ll develop skills in analysis and decision making by becoming grounded in the principles of economic reasoning. You’ll gain an understanding of the economic relationships, forces, and patterns that influence the global economic order by applying economic analysis to a wide range of issues. Economics is a STEM major.
The honors program requires 4 hours of a research methods course and four hours of honors thesis.
Consult the course catalog for full listing of current courses available in this field.
"Christian liberal arts colleges specialize in the study of one thing; What does human flourishing really look like? Human flourishing is born out of relationship with our Creator."
Business and Economics News and Stories
