Richard Duran, dean; Therese A. Maskulka, associate dean, director of undergraduate programs; Kathleen A. Trexler, associate dean, director of MBA program; James A. Greenleaf, chairperson, department of business; Vincent G. Munley, chairperson, department of economics, Michael G. Kolchin, director of graduate and professional education, James A. Dearden, director of the Ph.D. program.

The College of Business and Economics offers the bachelor of science degree in business and economics, which couples a liberal educational background with an understanding of the complexities and processes of management. It can serve as the basis for a career in business or for professional studies in fields such as law, business, or related fields. The undergraduate business program, undergraduate accounting program, and MBA program are accredited by the American Assembly of Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB), of which the College of Business and Economics is a member. The college offers a program of undergraduate study designed to provide an understanding of the complexities of the managerial process in society, both within and outside the business firm. The College of Business and Economics consists of two departments: the Department of Business and the Department of Economics. The Department of Business offers undergraduate majors in accounting, finance, management and marketing, and courses in law. The Department of Economics offers a major in the College of Business and Economics as well as a major in the College of Arts and Science. Many of the most difficult societal problems today involve decision-making, conflict resolution, and the efficient and effective management of human, financial and physical resources. The study of business and economics provides a basis for understanding and developing solutions to these problems. Thus the college's undergraduate business program stresses analytical and communication skills, and problem-solving techniques. Educational breadth equivalent to many liberal arts programs is accompanied by in-depth study of business processes such as accounting information systems, financial flows and markets, management processes, and the impact of economic forces upon business and social issues.

The mission of Lehigh University‘s College of Business and Economics is to provide educational programs at the undergraduate and graduate levels that prepare students for the increasingly complex and globally competitive environment of the 21st century. This environment will be characterized by rapid and continuous changes in both technology and in the structures of organizations that employ our graduates. These graduates may find themselves repeatedly changing employers and even careers; they will work and live with colleagues from diverse cultural backgrounds. Hence our educational programs must provide them not only basic entry-level technical knowledge and professional skills, but also broader intellectual capacities that will enable them to thrive during a lifetime of dramatic change.

• To stimulate student interest in basic business and economic principles of resource allocation, financial management, management of human and physical resources, information systems, financial and managerial accounting, and pricing and distribution through a common body of knowledge;
• To provide breadth of appreciation of the scientific, technological, social, and human features of the global environment of business;
• To develop intellectual tools which permit rigorous analysis of business problems and foster a capacity for continuing lifelong learning;
• To offer advanced courses for upperclass students as a prelude to a professional career or to graduate study;
• To provide each student through his or her major an in-depth learning experience in at least one area of business or economics, such as accounting, economics, finance, management, or marketing;
• To enhance written and oral communication and critical thinking skills.

The integrated undergraduate programs in the College of Business and Economics are designed to provide--through outstanding teaching, innovative curriculum, and opportunities for all students to have personal interaction with practitioners--educational experiences that clearly demonstrate the comparative advantage of Lehigh’s academic programs for students majoring in accounting, economics, finance, management and marketing. This education in fundamental principles, and problem-solving techniques provides graduates with various options. Some of the students choosing this curriculum have already settled upon business careers. Others will use it as a base for further professional studies in law, graduate business schools, or specialized graduate training in economics, operations research, or other related fields. Still others go into administrative careers in government or nonprofit institutions such as hospitals and universities. Others apply their talents to professional accounting, financial investment, or management consulting careers. Business today cannot be approached with narrow superficial vocational training. Everywhere, organizations are affected by local, national and international economic trends as evidenced by the complex cultural, social and ethical issues today’s global marketplace presents. Thus a strong basis in the social sciences is essential to understanding the nature of business organizations. Students must also be familiar with physical sciences and technology and with the ways in which mathematics and computer systems are essential elements of modern decision-making processes. The undergraduate program in business and economics provides an introduction to all of these academic areas.

Students preparing for careers in the 21st century must be provided with options to sample the insights and wisdom of a wide variety of academic disciplines outside of business. At Lehigh, this important exposure to science, language, and the arts and humanities is accomplished by distribution requirements, within each of which the student has wide choice. In addition, students have 33 credits of free electives, 24 of which must be taken outside the College of Business and Economics. The degree of bachelor of science in business and economics may also lead to achievement of the master of business administration degree at Lehigh or another institution. In addition to the master of business administration, the college also offers the following graduate degrees: doctor of philosophy, master of science in economics, master of science in business and economics, master of science in management science, and master of science in management of technology. These are described in Section IV.

The college also oversees research and scholarship in a number of centers and institutes, where graduate and undergraduate students work closely with faculty members. These include: Diamond Center for Economic Education, Center for Innovation Management Studies, Martindale Center for the Study of Private Enterprise, Institute for the Study of Commodities, Philip Rauch Center for Business Communications, Goodman Center for Real Estate Studies, and Musser Center for Entrepreneurship. The college is also associated with the Center for International Studies, and the Iacocca Institute.

To obtain the bachelor of science degree in business and economics, 120 credit hours are required. A writing requirement, which is included within the required 120 credit hours, is also a part of the college curriculum.

Before the end of the first semester of the junior year, students select a major consisting of sequential or related courses in one of the five major programs: accounting, economics, finance, management, and marketing. A grade point average of 2.0 or higher in the major program is required for graduation.

Students are required to take six (6) credits of humanities, six (6) credits of social science, and three (3) credits of science for a total of 15 credits of distribution requirements. Students should refer to the catalog to determine which course offerings may be taken to satisfy this requirement.

Students will earn 34 credits of "free" electives; a maximum of nine credits may be taken from other course work in the College of Business and Economics. The remaining 25 credits are to be taken outside the College of Business and Economics. Of these 25 credits, six credits may be approved 300-level economics courses.

In addition to freshman English and mathematics requirements, one half of the freshman class will be assigned Eco 1 during the fall semester, while the other half will be assigned Eco 1 during the spring semester. Students are encouraged to consider substituting Math 21 and 22 for the Math 51 and 61 requirement because Math 21 and 22 are prerequisites for many courses in engineering and science. Acct 151 is taken in the first semester of the sophomore year.

The pass-fail option is available for students in the college for elective courses only. Students desiring to obtain Lehigh credit for courses taken at other institutions must obtain a petition form from the registrar's office and obtain the approval of appropriate Lehigh academic departments in advance.

**Class of 2001 students MGT 1, Introduction to Business Computing, will not be offered during Fall 1997 or Spring 1998. The College of Business and Economics Class of 2001, entering Lehigh in Fall 1997 as freshman, will take instead MGT 95, Introduction to Business (1) credit and a series of computer proficiency exams (2) credits.

Members of the Class of 2001 will be required to take MGT 95, Introduction to Business, for one credit during Fall 1997 on a pass-fail basis. MGT 95 will be offered only in the fall and is open only to College of Business and Economics freshman. These students are also required to pass a series of proficiency exams dealing with various computer topics, such as spreadsheets, databases, operating systems, presentation software, programming and the Internet. Students will have the option of self-study or enrolling in computer tutorials offered bv the College beginning in Spring 1998. Upon successfully passing all of the proficiency exams, students will receive two credits.