Johns Hopkins adds interdisciplinary business minor program for undergraduates

Johns Hopkins University will launch an interdisciplinary undergraduate business minor program designed to better prepare students for a broad range of careers in the business world and beyond following graduation.

The business minor will be administered by JHU's Center for Leadership Education. Undergraduates who are eligible to participate in CLE minors—and who have taken Business Analytics and either Microeconomics or Introduction to Business—can declare the new minor in time for the spring 2017 semester and sign up for required courses when registration opens on Nov. 7.

The program combines critical analysis and theoretical grounding in a set of core and required courses; a relevant elective chosen from a list of courses in specialized topics; and hands-on experience through internships, community-based learning, advanced practicums, and experiential programs.

"I am delighted students will soon be able to benefit from the hard work and successful collaboration of those who designed and developed this outstanding program," said Provost Sunil Kumar, who spent more than five years as dean of the University of Chicago's Booth School of Business before joining JHU last month. "The new minor broadens the scope of our academic offerings and will help position students for success in a constantly evolving world."

The business minor program requires students to complete eight courses:

• Two foundational courses (Business Analytics and either Introduction to Business or Microeconomics)
• Five core courses (Principles of Marketing, Operations Management, Principles of Finance, Principles of Management, and Financial Accounting)
• One elective (choices include Corporate Finance, Consumer Behavior, Business Ethics, Social Media and Marketing, Negotiation and Conflict Resolution, and Managerial Accounting)

Students will also be strongly encouraged to participate in one or more internships in their respective fields, as well as in experiential programs, such as student-run businesses.

"The core classes in this minor are designed to generate well-rounded business leaders with a broad understanding of the various facets of modern economies and the ability to shape them effectively," said Ed Schlesinger, dean of the Whiting School. "This knowledge is extremely valuable to our engineering students, many of whom wish to translate their innovations into products that can have an impact on society."

Added Beverly Wendland, dean of the Krieger School: "Many of our students majoring in any one of our arts and sciences programs will benefit from taking on this challenging minor. The business skills they develop and refine here will enable them to become leaders in whatever field they choose to pursue in the private, public, or nonprofit sectors."

The founding members of the advisory board for the Johns Hopkins business minor are:

• Federico Bandi, professor of finance and economics at the Carey Business School
• Jon Faust, professor of economics at the School of Arts and Sciences
• Kevin Frick, vice dean for education at the Carey Business School
• Edward Scheinerman, vice dean for education at the School of Engineering
• Joel Schildbach, vice dean for undergraduate education at the School of Arts and Sciences
• Tim Weihs, professor of material science and engineering at the School of Engineering

"I couldn't be happier to share the tremendous expertise and excellence we have at our graduate school of business with our undergraduate students," said Bernard T. Ferrari, dean of the Johns Hopkins Carey Business School. "Having been in the private sector, I know first-hand that employers of all types look for students who have this kind of education and training. Demand for our students, I feel confident, will grow even greater in the years ahead as a direct result of this offering."

The business minor joins several existing options at Johns Hopkins for undergraduates interested in obtaining a business-related education. The university currently offers minors in entrepreneurship and management, accounting and financial management, marketing and communications, and financial economics.

Eighteen years ago, the entrepreneurship and management program was endowed and expanded following a sizable gift from then-university trustee William Polk Carey.

"This new program provides another example of how our students, both inside and outside the business school, continue to benefit from the tremendous support of the Carey family," Kumar said.

"We are educating the next generation of leaders in business and industry," said Weihs, director of the Center for Leadership Education. "We also are fostering a collaborative, interdisciplinary, and entrepreneurial ethos on campus. Finally, we are strengthening our undergraduate experience by positioning graduates and young alumni for better, more fulfilling professional outcomes.

"I'm thrilled to be a part of this effort," Weihs added. "I know our students will be excited."