Business Administration
The mission of the Business Department at Mount Mercy University is to provide students who major within the Department an educational foundation that will help them to achieve their professional aspirations. This is accomplished through the delivery of a curriculum that is challenging and grounded in proven theory and that is relevant and applicable to the modern and dynamic business world. Woven throughout the curriculum are the values of integrity and transparency and a sense of responsibility beyond oneself.
The Business Department offers majors in accounting (BC), finance, marketing (BK), management (BN), human resource management, sport management, and business (Accelerated) and minors in accounting, finance, economics (EC), human resources, and business administration (for non-business majors). While offering students the opportunity for specializing in a particular major, the program maintains a broad base that includes exposure to various phases of business and the use of information technology in a business setting.
Students with a Business interest may also be interested in the Actuarial Science major as part of their academic planning.
Upon graduating, Business majors will have the ability to succeed, for example, in: preparing a comprehensive strategic plan; developing a global business perspective; and identifying and interpreting laws affecting labor in the workplace.
The accounting major prepares students for professional positions in all areas of accounting. Employment of graduates includes positions as staff accountants in CPA firms, financial and management accountants for corporations, controllers for small to medium-sized businesses, financial analysts, accounting managers for larger businesses, and agents for the Internal Revenue Service. The accounting major at Mount Mercy is designed to give students the necessary course work for preparation for all professional exams including the Certified Public Accountant (CPA) and Certified Management Accountant (CMA) exams. Mount Mercy offers a Master of Business Administration degree and has an articulation agreement with the University of Iowa’s Master of Accountancy program providing attractive options for satisfying the 150-hour requirement for CPA certification in the State of Iowa.
Objectives established for students in this major include, among others: organize and process complex financial information; apply knowledge to reach appropriate fact-based decisions; and communicate information effectively and professionally.
The finance major prepares students to work in any of the major areas of the field of finance. These areas include commercial banking, financial planning, investment analysis, corporate financial analysis, investment banking, etc. Many of these areas are expected to grow in demand for the foreseeable future. The coursework required for this major gives students a well rounded background in business and finance. Students will learn core financial skills and how to apply them. They will also learn to think analytically and solve problems in an uncertain environment.
Upon graduating, Finance majors should be able, for example, to: compute the cost of capital for a company and make capital budgeting decisions; make financial forecasts and analyze financial statements; and use metrics to value companies and their stocks.
The human resource management major prepares students for professional positions in leadership, as well as those who are interested in a career in the human resources field. The ability to lead and understand an organization’s human resources is key to success in today’s knowledge based economy. Students will learn to evaluate ethical, social, civic, legal, cultural, and political issues, and how they impact the human resources of an organization. Students will develop effective human resource strategy for innovation in a global environment. Our human resource management major is endorsed by the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM), based on the guidelines created by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB). Thirteen major content areas prepare students to lead employees in high performance work practices.
Students in this major develop skills and knowledge that enable them, for example, to: identify and interpret laws affecting labor in the workplace; utilize HR metrics to justify employee programs; and demonstrate an understanding of compensation issues.
The management major prepares students to lead in a competitive and dynamic business environment. The focus is on developing in students the skills necessary for effective and efficient leadership and management of profit and not-for-profit organizations. The major provides flexibility for students to double major in other business fields including marketing and finance. Minors are also available in economics within the business department and others outside of business. These choices can lead to great career opportunities.
Management majors cultivate specific skills that enable them, for example, to: collaborate with others in analyzing real business cases and developing strategic business plans; correctly identify and employ cognitive motivational theories; and explain the basic management functions in organizations. Management Majors can choose from four Management Tracks: Management, International Management, Operations Management, or Sustainability/Corporate Responsibility. Students may elect to pursue the general Management degree, or select one of the specific tracks to focus their coursework. Management majors (and others) may also take up to four graduate classes that will count toward both their undergraduate degree and a Mount Mercy graduate degree.
Marketing is the functional area of business that deals with the creation, communication and delivery of value to customers. As a marketing major students study the core marketing areas of marketing research, consumer behavior and marketing management. Major elective courses allow students to tailor the program to their individual interests. Emphasis is placed on developing communication, creative, analytical and problem solving skills, Students use their marketing knowledge and skills in decision making situations with a goal of developing effective solutions. Internships are encouraged.
Career opportunities for students earning a marketing degree include sales, product/service management, retail management, merchandising, marketing research, and promotions/marketing communications.
This degree prepares students, for example, to: think critically by conducting appropriate research to assess marketing problems, identify market needs and evaluate buying behaviors; identify the link between Mount Mercy University’s mission and the study of the discipline; and design and implement effective results-producing marketing plans.
The sport management major is designed for the student with a passion for athletics and the field of sport. This major will prepare students to manage, market, finance, and plan for local, regional, and national teams or sports organizations. Students will have the opportunity to double major or minor in many related fields. Among the skills that they will develop include analysis, collaboration, and strategic planning.
Academic Requirements for all Business Department Majors and Minors
- All majors and minors within the Business Department must achieve a minimum cumulative grade point average of 2.25 in major and minor courses taken at Mount Mercy University. A transfer student must achieve a minimum cumulative grade point average of 2.25 in all major and minor courses, including those transferred in as well as those taken at Mount Mercy University.
- All majors within the Business Department must complete a minimum of 12 semester hours of upper level coursework in their major at Mount Mercy University.
- All minors within the Business Department must complete a minimum of 9 semester hours of upper level coursework in their minor at Mount Mercy University.
- All majors within the Business Department may not minor in Business Administration but may minor in any other Business Department minor outside of their major.
Core Requirements for all Business Majors
| Required: | ||
| BA 203 | Principles of Law | 3 |
| BA 250 | Technology & Communication In Business | 3 |
| BA 270 | Business Statistics | 3 |
| or MA 135 | Basic Statistics | |
| BA 379 | Financial Management | 3 |
| BA 435 | Senior Seminar in Business | 3 |
| or BA 436 | Business Strategy Seminar | |
| BC 265 | Principles Of Accounting I | 3 |
| BC 266 | Principles Of Accounting II | 3 |
| BK 208 | Principles Of Marketing | 3 |
| BN 204 | Principles Of Management | 3 |
| EC 251 | Macroeconomics Principles | 3 |
| EC 252 | Microeconomic Principles | 3 |
| Choose One of the Following: | 3 | |
| Finite Mathematics | ||
| Basic Mathematical Modeling | ||
| Pre-Calculus | ||
| Calculus I (Required for Actuarial Science Majors) | ||
| Internship - use course number which corresponds to your major: | 3 | |
| Finance Internship | ||
| Accounting Internship | ||
| Marketing Internship | ||
| Management Internship | ||
| Experiential Learning | ||
| The internship credits used for the business core CANNOT double count as a major elective. | ||
| Total Hours | 39 | |
See the Graduate section of this Catalog for more information on Graduate programs offered at Mount Mercy. Juniors and seniors may be eligible to take up to 13 graduate-level credits through the MMU Plus program.