Economics, Business Administration and Accounting at Bluffton College

The Economics, Business Administration and Accounting Department aims: 1) to provide essential education in the areas of economics, business administration and accounting for students seeking careers in business, government, nonprofit institutions and teaching; 2) to make available a sufficient foundation in the disciplines of economics, business administration and accounting and related areas such as mathematics to qualify students for graduate study in business, accounting or economics and for professional certification; and 3) to advance an understanding of the economic aspects of our society as one basis for more intelligent citizenship and participation in contemporary society. In the last aim the department seeks to serve not only its majors, but all students of the college. Students interested in a career in international business are encouraged to consider the Spanish/Economics major.

Majors
Students may select majors in: Economics, Business Administration or Accounting. Persons interested in teaching business should consider the vocational license: integrated business program.

Students may select any two of the majors offered by the department. For the double major, required courses common to the two majors may count in each. Other courses required to complete the major may count in only one of the two majors. Students desiring a double major should consult with their adviser for details.

For any of these majors the minimum mathematics requirement is that: 1) the student's mathematics placement test indicates readiness for at least the level of MAT 114; or 2) the student completes MAT 100 with a C- or higher. This requirement should be completed as soon as possible after beginning study. All majors, but particularly those planning to continue with graduate school, are strongly encouraged to take the calculus sequence as well as linear algebra, probability and statistics and differential equations.

Students majoring in Business Administration must be able to demonstrate the ability to use microcomputers. This can be done by: 1) having completed one year of computer study, including the use of spreadsheets, in high school; or 2) completing CPS 100 with a C- or higher.

Economics (35 hours)
Required: (17 hours)

EBA 141 Principles of Macroeconomics (3)
EBA 142 Principles of Microeconomics (3)
EBA 184 General Statistics (3)
EBA 232 Intermediate Microeconomic Theory (3)
EBA 233 Intermediate Macroeconomic Theory (3)
EBA 400 Economics and Business Seminar (2)

In addition, the student selects a minimum of 18 hours from the department with the advice and consent of the faculty adviser to design a major concentration consistent with the student's objectives.

Business Administration (47 hours)
Required: (32 hours)

EBA 141 Principles of Macroeconomics (3)
EBA 142 Principles of Microeconomics (3)
EBA 151 Principles of Accounting I (3)
EBA 152 Principles of Accounting II (3)
EBA 184 General Statistics (3)
MAT 115 Business Calculus (3) EBA 353 Money and Banking (3)
EBA 354 Principles of Management (3)
EBA 356 Principles of Marketing (3)
EBA 366 Principles of Finance (3)
EBA 400 Economics and Business Seminar (2)

Electives: (A minimum of 6 hours from the following list)

EBA 232 Intermediate Microeconomics (3)
EBA 233 Intermediate Macroeconomics (3)
EBA 245 Business Law (3)
EBA 300 Business Internship (3 hours may be counted)
EBA 380 Corporate Strategy (3)
COM 275 Organizational Communication (3)

In addition, the student selects a minimum of 9 hours from the department with the advice and consent of the faculty adviser to complete the Comprehensive Business Administration Program or a field of concentration. Many programs are possible depending on the student's interest, but the following have been designed to meet some of the more common possibilities: comprehensive business administration, management, marketing, finance, international business, human resource management and public administration.

Comprehensive Business Administration Program
This program is designed for students who prefer a broad business preparation for a variety of careers in business, government, public or social service organizations. For this program a minimum of 9 hours is selected broadly from department courses representing the various disciplines, including accounting, economics, management, marketing, finance and international business courses.

Management concentration
A minimum of 9 hours selected from the following courses:

EBA 343 Intermediate Managerial Accounting (3)
EBA 347 Labor Economics (3)
EBA 355 Production and Operations Management (3)
EBA 364 Human Resources Management (3)
EBA 359 Entrepreneurship (3)
EBA 369 Introduction to Information Systems (3)
EBA 370 Issues in Health Care Management (3)
SOC 230 Organizational Behavior (3)

With the advice and consent of the student's adviser, additional courses in the department or related fields of mathematics, computer science, psychology and sociology can be used to complement the major.

Marketing concentration
A minimum of 9 hours selected from the following courses:

EBA 357 Marketing Research (3)
EBA 358 Consumer Behavior (3)
EBA 360 Sales (3)
EBA 362 Advertising (3)
EBA 363 Marketing Management (3)
FCS 340 Retail Merchandise Planning (3)

With the advice and consent of the student's adviser, additional courses in the department or related fields of psychology, art and communication can be used to complement the major.

Finance concentration
A minimum of 9 hours selected from the following courses:

EBA 250 Intermediate Accounting 1 (3)
EBA 251 Intermediate Accounting 2 (3)
EBA 343 Intermediate Managerial Accounting (3)
EBA 367 Financial Investments (3)
EBA 368 Financial Institutions(3)
EBA 371 International Trade and Investment (3)

With the advice and consent of the student's adviser, additional courses in the department or related fields of computer science and mathematics can be used to complement the major.

International Business concentration
A minimum of 9 hours (6 hours from the EBA department) selected from the following courses:

EBA 336 Agricultural Economics (3)
EBA 371 International Trade and Investment (3)
EBA 382 Economic Development and the Environment (3)
LAS 341 Cross-cultural/Service Learning Experience or other cross-cultural experience
HIS 245 Regional and National Studies (3)

Students interested in a career in international business with a Spanish concentration are encouraged to consider the Spanish/Economics major.

Human Resource Management concentration
This concentration consists of 9 hours in the three following courses:

EBA 364 Human Resource Management (3)
PSY 230 Testing and Measurement (3)
EBA 347 Labor Economics (3)

Public Administration concentration
This concentration consists of 9 hours in the three following courses:

EBA 370 Issues in Health Care Management (3)
EBA 383 Urban Economics (3)
EBA 351 Public Finance (3)

Accounting (41 hours)
Required: (35 hours)

EBA 141 Principles of Macroeconomics (3)
EBA 142 Principles of Microeconomics (3)
EBA 151 Principles of Accounting I (3)
EBA 152 Principles of Accounting II (3)
EBA 184 General Statistics (3)
EBA 245 Business Law (3)
EBA 250 Intermediate Accounting 1 (3)
EBA 251 Intermediate Accounting 2 (3)
EBA 255 Cost Accounting (3)
EBA 343 Intermediate Managerial Accounting (3)
EBA 353 Money and Banking (3)
CPS 100 Using Microcomputers (2)

In addition, the student selects a minimum of 6 hours from the following.

EBA 300 Internship (3)
EBA 346 Auditing (3)
EBA 373 Introduction to Income Tax Accounting (3)
EBA 350 Advanced Accounting (3)

By the year 2000, Accounting majors will need to have completed 150 semester hours of college level courses to sit for the Ohio CPA examination. This can be accomplished by either completing a 150-hour bachelor's degree or participating in one of our 4+1 programs (four-year BA plus one-year MBA) with the MBA completed at a nearby university. See your adviser for details.

We encourage all students interested in sitting for the Ohio CPA examination to take EBA 346, EBA 348 and EBA 349.

Minors
Students may select one of the following: a minor in Economics or a minor in Business Administration. Courses required for a minor may not be taken as an elective in a major, not may elective courses count towards a major and a minor.

Business Administration (20-21 hours)
Required:

EBA 141 Principles of Macroeconomics (3)
EBA 142 Principles of Microeconomics (3)
EBA 151 Principles of Accounting I (3)
EBA 152 Principles of Accounting II (3)
EBA 354 Principles of Management (3)
EBA 356 Principles of Marketing (3)

In addition the student selects a minimum of one course from the departmental offerings with the advice and consent of the EBA department chair.

Economics (20-21 hours)
Required:

EBA 141 Principles of Macroeconomics (3)
EBA 142 Principles of Microeconomics (3)
EBA 184 General Statistics (3)
EBA 232 Intermediate Microeconomics (3)
EBA 233 Intermediate Macroeconomics (3)

In addition the student selects a minimum of two economics courses with the advice and consent of the EBA department chair.

Courses
EBA 130 Introduction to Business (3)
An introduction to the dynamic role played by businessmen, businesswomen and business firms in our economy. The goal of the class is to help the student understand more fully the nature of business activities and the social responsibilities of business firms. Does not count toward any major in the department. Not open to students with credit for EBA 354, EBA 356 or EBA 366.

EBA 140 Fundamentals of Economics (3)
An introduction to the economic way of thinking. Includes an introduction to the basic principles of both macroeconomics and microeconomics and their application to the analysis of current economic problems. Topics include supply and demand analysis, economic growth, inflation, unemployment, monetary and fiscal policy and international economic relationships. Does not count toward any major in the department. Not open to students with credit for EBA 141 or EBA 142.

EBA 141 Principles of Macroeconomics (3)
An introduction to the American economy, the nature and method of economics and the economizing problem. Topics include national income, employment, inflation, fiscal and monetary policy, economic stability and economic growth.

EBA 142 Principles of Microeconomics (3)
A continuation of EBA 141. Emphasis is on decision-making by households and resource allocation by business firms. Topics include the different types of market structures, the resource markets and consumer behavior and international trade. Prerequisite: EBA 140 or EBA 141.

EBA 151 Principles of Accounting 1 (3)
An introduction to the concepts and uses of financial information, the preparation of financial statements, analysis of the effect of transactions on the financial position of a company and the study of ethics in business situations.

EBA 152 Principles of Accounting II (3)
A continuation of EBA 151 with an emphasis on the uses of accounting information, an interdisciplinary approach to managerial accounting concepts of planning, controlling and decision-making and the application of ethics. Prerequisite: EBA 151.

EBA 184 General Statistics (3)
A study of applied statistics for economics, business and other social or natural sciences. Emphasis is on descriptive methods, probability and sampling theory and statistical inference for means, proportions and linear regressions including related computer applications. Prerequisite: satisfactory completion of the department's minimum mathematics requirement.

EBA 232 Intermediate Microeconomics (3)
This course applies the principles of economics to an economic analysis of producer and consumer behavior. The emphasis is on indifference curve and isoquant analysis and the theory of price, cost and market structure and their application to current issues. Prerequisites: EBA 141 and EBA 142.

EBA 233 Intermediate Macroeconomics (3)
This course applies the principles of economics to an economic analysis of unemployment, inflation and economic growth. Emphasis is on determining policies for achieving macroeconomic goals and controversies among various schools of thought. Prerequisites: EBA 141, EBA 142 and satisfactory completion of the department's minimum mathematics requirement.

EBA 245 Business Law (3)
A study of the general principles of law which are especially useful in business: contracts, property, credit transactions, negotiable instruments and business organizations. Prerequisite: sophomore standing.

EBA 250 Intermediate Accounting 1 (3)
Development and analysis of accounting theory underlying accepted accounting methods and the method of applying that theory will be covered. Financial reporting focus emphasizes the disclosure requirement in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles and the application of ethics. Prerequisites: EBA 152.

EBA 251 Intermediate Accounting 2 (3)
Continuation of EBA 250 with further study regarding investments, long-term liabilities, taxes, the equity section of the balance sheet, financial statement analysis and the application of ethics. Prerequisite: EBA 250.

EBA 255 Cost Accounting (3)
Accounting procedures and principles applicable to the determination of cost of material used, labor employed and overhead expense incurred. Analysis and use of the above data in the decision-making process relating to the control of the business firm. Prerequisite: EBA 152. Offered alternate years.

EBA 286 Economic History of the United States (3)
A survey of the economic growth and development of economic institutions in the United States from colonial times to the present. Prerequisites: EBA 141 and EBA 142. Offered alternate years.

EBA 300 Internship (Hours arranged by director, maximum 12 hours)
An internship program allows the student to apply classroom learning to a work experience. Seminars and writing are also a part of the course requirement. By permission of the program director. Credit/no credit.

EBA 320 Accounting Information Systems (3)
The purpose of this course is to introduce the student to accounting information systems. The course provides an overview of the concepts, objectives, and importance of properly designed systems. It provides an in-depth study of the application of information systems knowledge to the accounting environment. Students will understand how professionals apply management information science in processing accounting data, as well as creating and maintaining reporting and control systems. Prerequisite: EBA 250.

EBA 336 Agricultural Economics (3)
The application of economic principles and concepts to the agricultural sector of the economy. Attention will be given to supply and demand analysis, price supports and income supplements and optimum use of agricultural resources. Prerequisites: EBA 141 and EBA 142. Offered alternate years.

EBA 343 Intermediate Managerial Accounting (3)
Theroretical analysis and application of cost accounting systems in business planning, budgeting and decision making; the use of quantative techniques by management and ethics. Prerequisite: EBA 152. Offered alternate years.

EBA 346 Auditing (3)
This attestation function is developed with the concepts of audit evidence, materiality and risk analysis and the integration of financial and cost accounting, ethics, accounting theory and information systems into a systematic process of obtaining, evaluating and reporting economic events. Prerequisite: EBA 250. Offered alternate years.

EBA 347 Labor Economics (3)
Economics of labor and labor organizations in the contemporary economy: composition of the labor force, union organization, collective bargaining, wage determination, labor law and economic insecurity. Prerequisites: EBA 141 and EBA 142. Offered alternate years.

EBA 351 Public Finance (3)
Federal, state and local government expenditures, revenues, debt and fiscal administration with emphasis on fiscal problems and policies of the federal government. Prerequisites: EBA 141 and EBA 142. Offered alternate years.

EBA 352 Government and Not-for-profit Accounting (3)
Accounting recording and reporting for not-for-profit organizations including state and local governments, colleges, health care and HMO's. Emphasis is given to the Comparative Annual Financial Report (CAFR), various funds and the CPA exam questions.

EBA 353 Money and Banking (3)
A study of the economic nature of money, banks and other depository institutions and the Federal Reserve System. Emphasis is given to understanding transactions involving the interaction of commercial banks and Federal Reserve System in impacting the money supply. Prerequisites: EBA 141, EBA 142, EBA 151, EBA 152 and satisfactory completion of the department's minimum mathematics requirement.

EBA 354 Principles of Management (3)
A study of management of the modern firm based on the classic managerial functions of planning, organizing, leading and control with an emphasis on using team-based learning structures. Prerequisites: EBA 141 and EBA 142 and junior status.

EBA 355 Production and Operations Management (3)
The study of management issues and analytical problem-solving techniques in the areas of operations and manufacturing management. Prerequisite: EBA 354. Offered alternate years.

EBA 356 Principles of Marketing (3)
An examination of the functions of marketing and marketing institutions with emphasis on market structures and pricing, distribution channels and the management of marketing function. Prerequisites: EBA 141 and EBA 142 and junior status.

EBA 357 Marketing Research (3)
An introduction to information gathering, research design, sampling techniques, data collection processes and analysis of data used in marketing decisions. Prerequisites: EBA 356 and EBA 184. Offered alternate years.

EBA 358 Consumer Behavior (3)
Consumer behavior is the study of the decision-making process involved in acquiring, consuming and disposing of goods, services, experiences and ideas. Offered alternate years.

EBA 359 Entrepreneurship (3)
This course brings together, examines and develops the knowledge required to successfully organize, create and manage a business endeavor. The student will explore the feasibility of an idea through the use of a business plan with measured results. Prerequisites: EBA 152, EBA 354 and EBA 356 or permission of the instructor.

EBA 360 Sales (3)
An introduction to sales techniques, cases, sales management, recruiting, evaluation and control within the marketing environment. Prerequisite: EBA 356. Offered alternate years.

EBA 362 Advertising (3)
An introduction to the field of advertising and its relationship to marketing. Consideration is given to all facets of an advertising campaign. Areas covered include: target marketing methods, basic media selection, promotion, creativity and production. Prerequisite: EBA 356. Offered alternate years.

EBA 363 Marketing Management (3)
Covers marketing decision-making and interaction among different function areas of marketing to better develop marketing strategies that define target markets and build a marketing mix. Prerequisites: EBA 354, EBA 356 and approval of instructor. Offered alternate years.

EBA 364 Human Resources Management (3)
The study of the personnel field in the modern organization, dealing with the areas of recruitment, training, employee relations, compensation, health and safety and separation. In addition, the impact of government regulations and the demands of society will be analyzed. Prerequisite: EBA 354 or permission of the instructor.

EBA 366 Principles of Finance (3)
An introduction to the financial markets and the basic finance functions of the business firm. Topics include risk and return on investment, short-term and long-term financing, financial analysis and planning and capital investment. Prerequisites: EBA 141, EBA 142, EBA 151, EBA 152 and junior status. This course can be waived for students who have received a C- or better in EBA 250, EBA 251 and EBA 343.

EBA 367 Financial Investments (3)
An examination of the basic principles of investment, securities analysis and the construction of an investment portfolio. Application of the basic principles will be used from the viewpoint of the individual investor as well as the institutional investor. Prerequisite: EBA 366. Offered alternate years.

EBA 368 Financial Institutions (3)
A study of the management of financial institutions such as commercial banks, savings and loan associations, insurance companies and pension funds. Financial markets, government regulation and capital management problems will be discussed. Prerequisites: EBA 366 and EBA 353. Offered alternate years.

EBA 369 Introduction to Information Systems (3)
A survey of an organization’s information needs, and the tools and strategies required to satisfy and manage those needs. Prerequisites: EBA 354, EBA 356, CPS 112 (for IS majors)

EBA 370 Issues in Health Care Management (3)
A review of the major issues unique to the management of health care institutions. Attention will be given to those issues pertaining to the balance of private and public responsibility and to the way various funding mechanisms affect the provision of health care services. Prerequisite: EBA 354 or permission of the instructor. Offered alternate years.

EBA 371 International Trade and Investment (3)
A study of the theories, policies and institutions of international trade and finance, balance of payment equilibria and international firms. Prerequisites: EBA 141, EBA 142 and EBA 184. Offered alternate years.

EBA 373 Introduction to Income Tax Accounting (3)
An introduction to federal, state and local income tax provisions related to individuals and sole proprietorships. Prerequisites: EBA 250 and EBA 251. Offered alternate years.

EBA 375 Information System Design and Policy (3)
In the first phase students develop an awareness of the need to manage information as an organizational and societal resource. Students will consider relevant public policies that impact an organi-zation’s information management strategies. In the second phase students learn how to implement an information system. Specific emphasis is placed on analysis and design of a corporate information system. Prerequisite: EBA 369. Recommended: CPS 322.