Department of Business Administration and Economics

Develop skills used in businesses everywhere

Diverse, dynamic, and rewarding are all words that could describe working in the vast fields of business and economics. Whether you want a finance position at a Fortune 500 company, to work as a marketing manager in your favorite industry, or to become an accountant at a Big Four firm such as Deloitte, the opportunities are endless.

  • 59% of business & econ students study abroad
  • 35% Saint Mary’s students make 35% higher average salaries[1]
  • 100% of recent accounting majors secured career jobs prior to graduation[2]

Take a global approach to your studies

Now more than ever, we live in a globally connected world. While technology has helped greatly to advance our interconnectedness and foster larger working environments, no amount of web meetings can replace the value of immersing yourself in a culture to gain language proficiency and broader perspectives. We’ve answered this need by offering a concentration in international business, two global studies business options, and strong support for studying abroad. It’s why nearly 60% of our students become exchange students, a rate you’re not likely to see from other business and economic programs.

Meghan Flannagan wins a Fulbright scholarship

"It's very rewarding to see my dreams becoming a reality."
— Meghan Flanagan '16, Accountant

>>Read More of Meghan's Story

The perfect place to start

Knowing your goal is to secure well-paying positions in an exciting business career, we’ve refined a learning path through our school of business that will give you a competitive advantage whether applying to companies or graduate schools. As a Saint Mary’s business administration or economics major, you’ll develop high levels of proficiency in writing, speaking, and presentation skills, along with the concentrated education of your elected major. Best of all, you’ll do it in a learning environment that will both push your limits and support your growth allowing you to confidently take on any future endeavor.

Earn an Accelerated Masters from Notre Dame

Saint Mary’s College and the University of Notre Dame’s Mendoza School of Business have partnered to offer new accelerated bachelors-to-masters programming. For many Saint Mary’s students who meet the criteria for entry, the University will guarantee your advance admission to one of four of its masters programs: nonprofit administration, finance, business management, or accountancy. What's more, you will be able to complete your bachelors and masters with only one additional year of coursework—or fewer. Find out more

Programs at Saint Mary's...

Business administrationThe opportunities for success are endless

A business administration degree from Saint Mary’s will make you a sought after graduate in a variety of industries. Whether you want to work in large corporations, non-profits, or the public sector, you’ll develop skill sets and experience needed to run successful businesses. Many of our graduates go on to become entrepreneurs and consultants and bring their knowledge to the marketplace in meaningful ways. In our program, you’ll also need to select a concentration and will get to choose from accounting, finance, international business, management information systems, management and marketing.

For those with other major interests, we also offer a minor in business administration. Here you’ll study accounting, management, marketing, finance and general economics to help increase a business awareness for your major area of study. This option is useful for psychology majors who want to specialize in industrial and organizational psych, for English majors considering pre-law or even art students with an entrepreneurial spirit. The options are endless on how to utilize a minor in business administration.

Are numbers your thing?

Offered as both a major or concentration for business administration students, our course work has helped Saint Mary’s graduates land some of the most rewarding positions available in the field of business. Always in high demand, accounting students commonly move from internships to full-time positions prior to graduation. And if you’re considering becoming a Certified Public Accountant (CPA), we’re one of the rare programs that can help you reach the required 150 hours of coursework necessary to sit for the rigorous exam in just four years while earning your accounting degree.

EconomicsOpening opportunities in a variety of fields

A bachelor's in economics allows individuals the opportunity to draw on various disciplines from history to social science and mathematics to computer science. Offered as a both an economics major and minor in our department, graduates often go on to careers in financial institutions, the broader business environment, exchanges, or even the Federal Reserve. By applying their abilities to collect and analyze data, they use their broad understanding of how economic systems work to predict exchange rates, forecast business success and maintain regulatory processes.

Cash is king!

The finance concentration of our business administration degree is perfect for those who like to make decisions for the future based on figures. It’s the world of finance that predicts cash needs to support business and organizational growth and often leads to careers as Financial Advisors, Investment Banker, Credit Officer, Finance Manager, or Mutual Funds Manager. Finance majors also commonly work with individuals and families in constructing portfolios to meet their needs.

International & Global Business optionsBecome an expert around the world

Today’s world operates on a global level like never before. That’s why we offer multiple ways to focus on international business. The first is to make it your concentration as a business administration major allowing you to apply an international focus to a well-balanced business degree. The second is to become a global studies major with a focus on either business administration or economics. With this latter course of study, you’ll take a less quantitative approach as you study abroad and master a foreign language to truly understand the nuances of working internationally.

Management ConcentrationBecome a leader in any industry

With a management concentration added to your business administration degree, you’ll have incredible flexibility in your career path. Management is found in every organization throughout the world and you’ll gain the knowledge, skills and ability to become a successful manager. This concentration provides skill sets for a variety of leadership roles such as Human Resources, Employee or Team management, Project and Information management...all the way to the executive suite. 

Management Information SystemsData in...Strategy out

Offered as a concentration to your business administration major, MIS graduates become the interface between dynamic business systems and real-world needs of managers. Requiring complex thinking, strategy building and strong relationship skills, leaders in MIS are often the liaison between the demands of management and operation teams and the systems data information.

Understanding consumers to build profitable businesses

One of the most popular concentrations for business administration students, our marketing program dives into interesting topics like buyer behavior, advertising and promotions, brand management, and digital marketing. Essential in all areas of business, marketing students enjoy the freedom to work in all types of firms in a variety of industries by understanding the minds, demands, and trends of consumers.

Public Relations & AdvertisingGetting the word out in meaningful ways

In addition to our department offerings, the program in communications studies at Saint Mary’s also offers a minor in public relations & advertising. In this coursework, you’ll study the techniques of persuasion, writing, advertising, public communication, and further approaches to marketing. You will also engage in a hands-on practicum or production experience to provide you with a comprehensive perspective within a specific field that holds interest to you.

A Good Life Means Making Choices "A Good Life Means Making Choices" This year, seven faculty members are retiring from Saint Mary’s College, logging a collective 193 years guiding students across disciplines. To help celebrate their time at the College, we asked each about their plans for the future.

1 Comparison of Title IV recipient average earnings in all majors 10 years after enrolling in other universities and colleges nationally. U.S. Department of Education. (2017, October 5). College Scorecard. Retrieved from http://collegescorecard.ed.gov/school/?152390-Saint-Mary-s-College

2  Based on an internal survey conducted by the Department of Business Administration and Economics to 2015 & 2016 graduating students in their final semester at Saint Mary's College.