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Mar 03, 2025
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[DRAFT] Course Catalog 2025-2026 [ARCHIVED CATALOG]
Business Major
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The major consists of a minimum of 11 full courses (or the equivalent), 1 experiential component, and 1 learning portfolio.
Note: Students must earn minimum grades of C- or P for all courses that apply toward the major.
 View the catalog page for the business program.
The business major provides students with the capabilities to build, improve, and lead organizations in creating sustainable value.
Students who major in business may not also apply for an integrative concentration in business.
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Note(s) on Requirements
- Students must take BUSI 103 and at least three of the business depth courses at Oberlin.
- In planning their schedules, students should be aware that some of the courses listed below have prerequisites.
Learning Goals
- Applied Problem-Solving in the Business Context: Equip students with the skills to apply theoretical knowledge to real-world business challenges, emphasizing critical thinking and strategic decision-making. Our pedagogy centers on learning by practice and application through case studies, research projects, and interactions with real businesses.
- Marketing and Consumer Behavior: Develop a deep understanding of marketing principles, including customer interaction, value proposition, segmentation, targeting, positioning, and the 4Ps (Product, Price, Place, Promotion). We focus not only on the questions that outline what marketing is about, but also the techniques of doing marketing, including consumer research, business case modeling, and market testing.
- Financial Literacy and Decision Making: Instill a strong foundation in financial literacy, covering key concepts like profit and loss, financial positioning, cash flow, ratio analysis, and investment decisions. Graduates should be savvy consumers of financial data and be fluent in using it to inform business decisions.
- Operational Excellence: Educate students on the design of effective operating systems, key activities identification, supply chain basics, cost structure understanding, and production technology choices.
- Talent Management: Highlight the importance of talent management in business, focusing on sourcing, competitive advantage through human resources, and strategic alignment of talent with business objectives.
- Strategic Interaction: Build capacity to analyze industries and value chains, translating such findings into decision-relevant insights. This allows students to connect how context shapes options for different contributors in the ecosystem. We emphasize appreciating how the forces of cooperation and competition are at play concurrently among all players in the value chain.
Transfer of Credit Toward the Major
The awarding of transfer credit is at the discretion of the program chair. A maximum of three full courses (12 credits) may be transferred to count toward the major. Students should obtain preliminary approval of transfer credit in business from the program chair prior to taking business courses elsewhere if they want them to count toward the major. Course Sequence Suggestions
- It is highly recommended that potential majors take BUSI 103 and ECON 101 in their first year.
- It is strongly recommended that potential majors fulfill the statistics/methods course requirement by the end of their sophomore year.
- It is also recommended that majors complete the business core course requirement by the middle of their junior year.
- Business core courses are frequently scheduled during the same time slot in order to facilitate scheduling. That is, one module is offered at the start of the semester and a second module is offered during the same time, but during the second half of the semester. Those looking to major are encouraged to take these paired modules in the same semester.
Honors in Business
Honors in Business is not being offered at this time. Detailed Major Requirements
Business Major Course Lists
Experiential Component
Return to the summary of requirements. The experiential component provides students immersive and formative experiences in the world of business. Students can fulfill this requirement through such programs and opportunities as the Ashby Business Scholars Program and the Pathfinder Program. Students interested in exploring internship opportunities to fulfill this requirement are encouraged to join a relevant career community in such areas as Arts and Creative Professions; Business, Finance, and Consulting; Music Leadership; Nonprofit and the Public Sector; and Science and Technology. Additionally, students may independently identify and secure internships that are vetted and found acceptable by the business curricular committee. Learning Portfolio
Return to the summary of requirements. Students will be required to maintain a learning portfolio which will include signature course work as well as pre- and post-internship reflection. The portfolio is designed to support the student’s appreciation of business as an area of rich intellectual engagement, as well as how to launch from college to career. Vital to this integration is the student’s understanding of how the range of skills acquired through liberal arts learning are transferable to the workplace. The integrative component will be overseen by the student’s faculty advisor for the major. |
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