![[Currents header graphic]](/homeart/currents_header.gif)
November 10, 1997
For the first time in campus history, UCSC is offering an undergraduate degree in business management economics.
Responding to strong demand from current and prospective students, economics faculty proposed the new bachelor of arts degree program last fall. It was quickly approved by campus administrators. Students will be able to declare the new major officially beginning in winter quarter.
"UCSC is becoming an increasingly prominent player in the regional economy, and this new major will help prepare students for burgeoning job prospects in the computer industry as well as other business growth in the area," said Chancellor Greenwood.
The business management economics major builds on the strengths of UCSC's economics program while satisfying a growing interest among students who are interested in business and management in the private, nonprofit, and public sectors, said economics professor Nirvikar Singh, who added that the Economics Department's marketing, finance, and accounting electives are consistently among the most popular classes. "Students have been begging us to do this," he said.
The new program combines the strong analytic approach of economics with the technical aspects of management. It emphasizes the use of computing skills in the analysis of economic, statistical, and financial data, as well as the development of important written and verbal communication skills. Students in the major must also take the required core economics courses and are encouraged to complete a field placement to obtain practical experience.
In addition to intermediate and advanced accounting courses, classes offered as part of the new major include:
One of the most popular majors in the Division of Social Sciences, economics has more than 400 majors. In addition to the standard economics major and the new business management economics degree, students can enroll in a global economics major or participate in a five-year, dual degree B.A./M.S. program in applied economics and finance. All majors study a substantial core of economic theory and statistical methods before choosing among a wide variety of subfields. A two-year master's degree in applied economics and finance is available, as well as a Ph.D. in international economics.
"The breadth of our programming reflects the interest of students," said Singh. With the advent of the new business management economics degree, the department anticipates at least 100 new majors will enroll.
Employers in the Monterey Bay region, Silicon Valley, and throughout California have expressed a need for more college graduates with strong backgrounds in finance, business, and information technology, added Singh.
The new major provides students with educational opportunities that will be enhanced by the potential for hands-on learning through internships and other educational initiatives undertaken in partnership with area businesses. Organizations that are interested in learning more about partnerships with the new business management economics major are urged to contact the UCSC Economics Department at (408) 459-4849.