Business economics is playing an increasingly important role in managerial decision making in the United States and in international settings. Consequently, job opportunities have expanded. Firms are particularly interested in the application of economic thinking, including game theory and predictive data analysis to business strategy. At the same time enterprises have also become increasingly influenced by governmental rules, regulations, and policies. Specifically regulated industries, have a need for individuals qualified to deal with the economic and administrative problems that they encounter as they face increased competition and government scrutiny. The undergraduate majors in business economics and public policy provide students with training in the application of micro- and macroeconomics to problems of strategic business decision making, the effect of governmental policies on the business environment, and data analysis.

The department offers two majors and two co-majors: Economic Consulting, Public Policy Analysis, Sustainable Business (co-major), and Business Analytics (co-major).

Economic Consulting Major

Business economics is playing an increasingly important role in managerial decision making in the United States and abroad as firm strategy is becoming more analytical. The undergraduate major in Economic Consulting provides students with training in the application of micro- and macroeconomics to problems of business decision making and in forecasting techniques. The major focuses on critical thinking, business strategies, and problems solving.

Many corporations have outsourced their economic analysis divisions and contract instead with external consulting firms. The realm of consulting comprises strategic, management, economic, litigation, human resource, IP, and IT consulting, to name a few specializations. Some consulting firms are very large and cover different fields of consulting; others are smaller and more specialized. Economic consulting majors have been hired by consulting firms such as McKinsey, Boston Consulting Group, Bain, Huron, Accenture, Navigant, and Protiviti. Business economists are also actively hired by the financial service industry, investment banks, commercial banks, and hedge funds. Examples of recent hires include Goldman Sachs, Barclays, Bank for America, BMO Financial, and Lincoln International. Other major firms who have hired majors include Deloitte, EY, KPMG, PwC, as well as Microsoft, Google, Amazon, Target, Johnson & Johnson, Texas Instruments, and 3M.

Economic Consulting Major Requirements (21 credits):

• BUS-G 303
• BUS-G 304
• BUS-G 345
• BUS-G 350
• BUS-G 400
• BUS-G 456
• BUS-G 492

Public Policy Analysis Major

The major in Public Policy Analysis provides students with training in the application of micro- and macroeconomics to the analysis of the effect of governmental policies, international capital markets and terms of trade on the business environment.

As job opportunities have expanded, firms have become particularly interested in the fields of policy analysis, applied economics, and forecasting. As a result, most public policy analysts are involved in a variety of tasks rather than in narrow or highly specialized work. Thus a broad (rather than specialized) education in public policy analysis and business administration is advantageous. Analysts may be employed by companies in the fields of banking, manufacturing, transportation, utilities, insurance, real estate, finance, mining, and retailing. In addition, many trade associations, consulting firms, and governmental agencies employ public policy analysts. Furthermore, public policy analysts often are asked to provide advisory services to top management for use in integrating governmental regulations into corporate strategy.

Public Policy Analysis Major Requirements (18 credits):

• BUS-G 303
• BUS-G 304
• BUS-G 345
• BUS-G 350
• BUS-G 406
• BUS-G 494

Sustainable Business Co-Major:

Firms are increasingly facing added pressures to employ more sustainable business practices. Thus, employers are placing added weight on recruiting employees that have perspective on integrating sustainability into corporate strategy. The Sustainable Business co-major takes an interdisciplinary approach, drawing on faculty and courses from several Kelley departments, as successful sustainable business strategy is implemented across all the functional areas of business. In this regard, the Sustainable Business co-major is designed for students who wish to complement a functional area of business with a strong background in sustainable business strategy and implementation.

Required Introduction Course (3 credits):

• BUS-G 316

Elective (9 credits):

• BUS-P 316
• BUS-W 316
• BUS-L 302
• BUS-G 406

Required Capstone (3 credits):

• BUS-G 456

Business Analytics Co-Major:

As data and analytical software continue to proliferate and improve, businesses are increasingly relying on business analytics to gain a competitive advantage or to just keep up with the competition.  The business analytics co-major is designed to provide Kelley students the opportunity to complement their primary major with advanced business analytics skills, allowing them to better integrate data insights into their analyses and decision-making. The Business Analytics Co-Major can be paired with any other Kelley School of Business undergraduate major.

 Required Courses (12 credits):

• BUS-G 350
• BUS-K 327
• BUS-K 353
• BUS-G 492

Elective Courses (choose 3 credits):

• BUS-F 335
• BUS-F 408
• BUSF-420
• BUS-F 421
• BUS-M 346
• BUS-M 455
• BUS-A 437
• BUS-G 303
• BUS-P 481