SMU to add major to Dedman College
Posted: Fri Feb 27, 2004 5:42 amDedman College to add major
'Markets and culture' to blend liberal arts and business
By Jessica Rauth
Contributing Writer - SMU Daily Campus
February 27, 2004
Starting in fall 2004, SMU is offering another major undergraduates can choose to pursue — markets and culture.
The major is in Dedman College and focuses on the business aspects of world markets and economies.
It was passed by the Undergraduate Council in 2000 and by the Board of Trustees in 2001. It is the only undergraduate major like it in Texas and was only recently developed at Duke University and the University of Michigan.
The SMU Web site named Linda Stearns as the new director of the program. Graduates will be able to creatively think about economic principles of markets, the values and history of commerce and what motivates people.
“The main reason [the major] was developed is because we are trying to blend the advantages of a liberal arts education with getting knowledge about basic business skills,†Stearns said.
Markets and culture is similar to international studies majors in that both have a similar curriculum. The difference between the two is that international studies focuses on one region of the world, whereas the markets and culture major has a much broader view.
Another difference between the two majors is that markets and culture will concentrate on understanding foreign markets and business but international studies concentrates on the dealings and politics of other countries.
“The students who are now majoring in international studies want to get out there into the policies and international relations,†Assistant to the Dean in Dedman College Jeanene Renfro said. “The markets and culture emphasis is clearly a business mindset where the other is more of a policy type of emphasis.â€
The market and cultures major requires 36 total hours, 24 of which are core classes and 12 that are electives.
“The core classes provide the student with the appropriate tools to understand the social basis of economic behavior as well as the basic business concepts and practices,†Stearns said.
Christy Cangelosi, a sophomore international studies major, said the markets and culture major classes have more economics and classes that focus on understanding foreign culture.
I think the classes look very interesting and it will provide students with a lot of opportunities.
These people are getting culture, anthropology, political science plus economics and business,†Cangelosi said.
One class unique to the major is a new accounting class students will be required to take ‘Accounting for Markets and Culture’ as part of the core curriculum.
Stearns and Renfro both said they hope markets and culture will better prepare students for the workplace or for graduate school.
When students apply for jobs, they would have taken courses that look at broad issues and give them experience in various foreign markets as well as allowing them to speak the language of business, Stearns said.
She also said that graduate programs would love to have students with this major because they can do a variety of graduate work and have a broad background.
“A big issue today is the question of where the jobs will be,†Stearns said. “This major will allow students a lot of options.â€
Markets and culture is not just going to be available to first year’s to declare, upperclassmen should be able to as well, Renfro said.
“Upperclassmen should be able to do it because they can look at what they’ve already taken and go from there,†Renfro said. “That’s the appeal of it as well. Some degrees are step by step and highly competitive, but this is not true of [this one]. This is another reason why we wanted this.â€
Information about markets and culture can be found at:
www.smu.edu/dedman/advise/factsheets/markets.asp
'Markets and culture' to blend liberal arts and business
By Jessica Rauth
Contributing Writer - SMU Daily Campus
February 27, 2004
Starting in fall 2004, SMU is offering another major undergraduates can choose to pursue — markets and culture.
The major is in Dedman College and focuses on the business aspects of world markets and economies.
It was passed by the Undergraduate Council in 2000 and by the Board of Trustees in 2001. It is the only undergraduate major like it in Texas and was only recently developed at Duke University and the University of Michigan.
The SMU Web site named Linda Stearns as the new director of the program. Graduates will be able to creatively think about economic principles of markets, the values and history of commerce and what motivates people.
“The main reason [the major] was developed is because we are trying to blend the advantages of a liberal arts education with getting knowledge about basic business skills,†Stearns said.
Markets and culture is similar to international studies majors in that both have a similar curriculum. The difference between the two is that international studies focuses on one region of the world, whereas the markets and culture major has a much broader view.
Another difference between the two majors is that markets and culture will concentrate on understanding foreign markets and business but international studies concentrates on the dealings and politics of other countries.
“The students who are now majoring in international studies want to get out there into the policies and international relations,†Assistant to the Dean in Dedman College Jeanene Renfro said. “The markets and culture emphasis is clearly a business mindset where the other is more of a policy type of emphasis.â€
The market and cultures major requires 36 total hours, 24 of which are core classes and 12 that are electives.
“The core classes provide the student with the appropriate tools to understand the social basis of economic behavior as well as the basic business concepts and practices,†Stearns said.
Christy Cangelosi, a sophomore international studies major, said the markets and culture major classes have more economics and classes that focus on understanding foreign culture.
I think the classes look very interesting and it will provide students with a lot of opportunities.
These people are getting culture, anthropology, political science plus economics and business,†Cangelosi said.
One class unique to the major is a new accounting class students will be required to take ‘Accounting for Markets and Culture’ as part of the core curriculum.
Stearns and Renfro both said they hope markets and culture will better prepare students for the workplace or for graduate school.
When students apply for jobs, they would have taken courses that look at broad issues and give them experience in various foreign markets as well as allowing them to speak the language of business, Stearns said.
She also said that graduate programs would love to have students with this major because they can do a variety of graduate work and have a broad background.
“A big issue today is the question of where the jobs will be,†Stearns said. “This major will allow students a lot of options.â€
Markets and culture is not just going to be available to first year’s to declare, upperclassmen should be able to as well, Renfro said.
“Upperclassmen should be able to do it because they can look at what they’ve already taken and go from there,†Renfro said. “That’s the appeal of it as well. Some degrees are step by step and highly competitive, but this is not true of [this one]. This is another reason why we wanted this.â€
Information about markets and culture can be found at:
www.smu.edu/dedman/advise/factsheets/markets.asp