The Department of Economics and Management offers five majors: Accounting, Economics, Finance, Management, and Marketing. Double major programs are available in Economics and Political Science (BA degree) and Economics and Mathematics (BA degree).

Each of our programs prepares students to be successful and productive members of any organization they join, enables them to contribute to the greater good of society, and provides a solid foundation from which they can expand and learn throughout their personal and professional lives.

The Economics major leads to a BA in Economics and is primarily designed to build a framework where students can learn to analyze economic issues in contemporary society. As a broadly-based social science, the program in Economics will consider various societal concerns such as unemployment, inflation, the environment, income distribution, poverty, global trade and competitiveness. The student receives a systematic introduction to the basic theoretical and empirical techniques of economics, and has a range of upper level electives which provide deeper appreciation of various economic topics. A major in Economics is suited to accommodate a broad range of student interests, including preparation for careers in business or government, and graduate school in economics, business, law, or public administration.  In addition, double major programs are available in Economics and Political Science (BA degree) and Economics and Mathematics (BA degree).  

Students in the Accounting, Finance, Management and Marketing majors earn a BS degree.  Students in these majors complete a core of business courses, which provide fundamental business skills.  The business core provides an analytical framework for applied decision making in the business world, along with practical preparation for tomorrow’s workplace.  Course work throughout the program provides students with a broad perspective of managerial decision making and includes consideration of ethical and cultural constraints and issues regarding diversity. This integrative approach is reinforced in our final capstone courses; Business Policy/Strategy and International Business.

In addition to completion of the business core, students major in one of the primary functional areas of business: Accounting, Finance, Management, and Marketing.  While students need to satisfy at least one of these area’s requirements, there is no prohibition on taking courses from more than one functional area.  The intent is to allow flexibility and variety so that students are able to develop an individualized portfolio of skills that meets their educational and professional objectives.

The Business Internship program reinforces the emphasis on hands-on, experiential learning.  Each semester, this program places academically-proficient upper-level students in local, regional, and national business organizations.  Through these internship opportunities, students are able to get first-hand exposure on the application of analytical classroom material to real world business situations.

For more information about the Department of Economics and Management, visit our homepage: http://wwwbus.westfield.ma.edu/.

Accounting Major:

The Accounting major focuses on business theory as well as practical accounting skills to prepare students to work in many different professional contexts.  Students study the theiry of financial reporting, tax planning, and organizational decision-making.  Courses are designed to develop an appreciation for the professional responsibilities and ethics of the accounting profession.  Students graduating with a degree in Accounting often become Certified Public Accountants (CPA) or Certified Management Accountants (CMA).

Finance Major:

The Finance major prepares students to plan, manage, and analyze the financial and economic aspects of business.  Students study current developments in the economy and in financial markets and institutions.  Courses emphasize theoretical knowledge and the development of practical skills for success in finance-related fields.  Students graduating with a degree in Finance find employment in commercial banking, financial planning, investment banking, money managing, insurance, and real estate.

Management Major:

The Management major focuses on a mix of theoretical and practical management knowledge and skills that will enable students to work as professional managers and leaders of modern organizations.  Students learn to address a wide variety of challenges - financial, material, human, legal, political, and environmental by learning the interpersonal, systems, and strategic skills to build and manage effective business teams.  Four concentrations enable students to specialize in human resources, entrepreneurship, general management, or sports management.

Management Concentrations:

Management majors must choose and complete one of the concentrations:

• Human Resource Management
• Entrepreneurship
• General Management
• Sports Management

Human Resource Management

Human resource managers oversee the recruitment, training and compensation of a company’s employees.  By ensuring a high-quality workforce, human resource managers have a critical impact on organizational success.  Students choosing the Human Resource Management concentration take advanced courses in human resource management, leadership, diversity, and social justice.

Entrepreneurship

Entrepreneurs start new businesses or take over existing ones and run them in better ways.  The Entrepreneurship concentration appeals to students who have a strong desire to do whatever it takes to bring good new ideas to market.  Students learn to build, promote, and manage their own businesses from the concept stage to the exit strategy.  The curriculum provides flexibility for students to choose courses that contribute to their personal goals and desired business paths.

General Management

The General Management concentration is designed for students who want to become managers but do not have a specific field in mind.  The concentration allows students to build strong communication and/or data analytic skills in addition to studying key areas of management.  Students will be able to choose courses that match their own preferences and interests due to the versatile design of the concentration.

Sports Management

Sports Management involves any and all business aspects of sports and recreation at four major levels - amateur, high school, college and professional sports.  The Sports Management concentration is designed to provide a pathway for students who want to combine a business and sports focus.  Students will have a strong foundation in the traditional business disciplines while also learning about the sports industry, the economics of sports, and event planning and marketing.  Students may choose courses in entrepreneurship, group exercise, sports history, or adventure education to complete the concentration.

Programs

• Accounting, B.S.
• Business Minor
• Commercial Recreation and Tourism Minor
• Economics and Finance Double Major, B.A.
• Economics and Mathematics Double Major, B.A.
• Economics and Political Science Double Major, B.A.
• Economics Minor
• Economics, B.A.
• Finance Minor
• Finance, B.S.
• Management, B.S.
• Marketing, B.S.

Courses

• ACCT 0104 - Principles of Accounting I
• ACCT 0105 - Principles of Accounting II
• ACCT 0205 - Fund Accounting
• ACCT 0310 - Federal Income Taxation
• ACCT 0311 - Auditing
• ACCT 0315 - Financial Reporting I
• ACCT 0316 - Financial Reporting II
• ACCT 0317 - Cost Accounting
• ACCT 0318 - Financial Reporting III
• ACCT 0322 - Corporate Taxation: Planning and Practice
• ACCT 0345 - Accounting Information Systems
• ACCT 0350 - Special Topics in Accounting
• ACCT 0399 - Independent Study: Accounting

• AVIA 0122 - Private Pilot Flight School: Primary Flight I
• AVIA 0123 - Private Pilot Flight School: Primary Flight II
• AVIA 0124 - Private Pilot Flight School: Primary Flight III
• AVIA 0130 - Private Pilot Ground School
• AVIA 0135 - Aviation History and Development
• AVIA 0261 - Aviation Management
• AVIA 0262 - Instrument Pilot Ground School
• AVIA 0263 - Instrument Pilot Flight Training
• AVIA 0323 - Commercial Pilot Ground School
• AVIA 0324 - Commercial Pilot Flight Training
• AVIA 0350 - Special Topics in Aviation Management
• AVIA 0397 - Aviation Internship
• avia 0399 - Aviation Independent Study

• ECON 0101 - Principles of Macroeconomics
• ECON 0102 - Principles of Microeconomics
• ECON 0201 - Microeconomic Theory
• ECON 0202 - Macroeconomic Theory
• ECON 0204 - Introduction to Mathematical Economics
• ECON 0300 - Money and Banking
• ECON 0301 - Economics and Law
• ECON 0302 - Economic History of the United States
• ECON 0303 - Economics of Development
• ECON 0304 - Urban Economics
• ECON 0305 - Introduction to Econometric Methods
• ECON 0306 - Managerial Economics
• ECON 0307 - Economics, Gender, Race & Ethnicity
• ECON 0312 - Labor Economics
• ECON 0314 - Industrial Organization
• ECON 0315 - Public Finance
• ECON 0316 - Economic History of Europe
• ECON 0318 - International Economics
• ECON 0319 - Development of Economic Thought
• ECON 0320 - Environmental Economics
• ECON 0321 - Natural Resource Economics
• ECON 0322 - The Economics of Sports
• ECON 0350 - Current Economic Issues
• ECON 0351 - Special Topics in Economics
• ECON 0398 - Senior Research Seminar
• ECON 0399 - Independent Study

• FINC 0102 - Personal Financial Planning
• FINC 0207 - Financial Management
• FINC 0305 - Introduction to Econometric Methods
• FINC 0306 - Managerial Economics
• FINC 0312 - Investments: Security Analysis
• FINC 0314 - Industrial Organization
• FINC 0318 - Advanced Financial Management
• FINC 0319 - Investments: Portfolio Management
• FINC 0320 - Money and Banking
• FINC 0326 - Insurance and Risk Management
• FINC 0350 - Special Topics in Finance
• FINC 0399 - Independent Study: Finance

• MGMT 0101 - Introduction to Business
• MGMT 0107 - Software Applications in Management
• MGMT 0220 - Production/Operations Management
• MGMT 0221 - Business Management: A Survey of Organizational Development and Management Principles
• MGMT 0224 - Business Analytics
• MGMT 0241 - Business Law I
• MGMT 0250 - Quantitative Approaches to Business Decisions
• MGMT 0301 - Labor Relations
• MGMT 0302 - Small Business Management
• MGMT 0308 - Organizational Development & Behavior
• MGMT 0313 - Collective Bargaining
• MGMT 0314 - Human Resource Management
• MGMT 0321 - Management Information Systems
• MGMT 0325 - Business Policy and Strategy
• MGMT 0327 - Small Business Institute
• MGMT 0330 - Advanced Human Resource Seminar
• MGMT 0338 - International Business
• MGMT 0339 - Seminar in Non-Profit Management
• MGMT 0342 - Entrepreneurship
• MGMT 0344 - Project Management
• MGMT 0346 - Leadership
• MGMT 0350 - Special Topics in Business Management
• MGMT 0355 - Digital and Social Media
• MGMT 0398 - Business Internship
• MGMT 0399 - Independent Study: Business Management

• MRKT 0231 - Marketing Management
• MRKT 0251 - Introduction to Commercial Recreation and Tourism
• MRKT 0306 - Logistics Management
• MRKT 0307 - Marketing Research Techniques
• MRKT 0309 - Sales and Sales Management
• MRKT 0328 - Principles of Advertising
• MRKT 0336 - Fundamentals of Retailing
• MRKT 0337 - Consumer Behavior
• MRKT 0350 - Special Topics in Marketing
• MRKT 0353 - Resort Management
• MRKT 0354 - Fieldwork in Commercial Recreation and Tourism
• MRKT 0399 - Independent Study: Marketing