Economics, Business, and Accounting

College of Social Sciences, Commerce, and Education

Faculty 

Prof. Robert Evans, Chair

Dr. Orhan Erdem

Prof. Henry Espensen

Dr. Ina Freeman

Dr. John Gunyon

Dr. Roxana Idu

Dr. Caleb Lewis

Prof. William Lewis, Jr.

Dr. Masoud Moallem

The study of Economics, Business and Accounting falls within the social sciences at Rockford University. The social sciences focus on how people live together and face their common problems. Students in our department develop both a sense of the history of their own discipline and of its relation to the other social sciences. We strive together for a seamless understanding of the issues that cut across all the social sciences.

Students and faculty together address the concerns of business and not-for-profit organizations in a capitalist society. We study economic theory, management and accounting, to be sure. What we study, in addition, are the ethical, political and social issues arising from the workings of our economy. Students will live in and work in a market economy, so it is imperative that they understand both how it does work and how it should work. Students will also live in a global economy, so they must understand the implications of globalization. We want students to develop an understanding of the economy and society in which they live so that they can become effective participants in that society. Education for life and civic engagement is the ultimate goal of majoring in Economics, Business and Accounting at Rockford University.

In order to help students prepare for a life of civic engagement, we offer a liberal arts education and we promote the development of certain fundamental skills. Majors in our department develop the ability to think critically and analytically, to communicate clearly and forcefully with the written and spoken word, and to understand the process and role of decision-making in society. Majors also are advised to complete as much work as possible in mathematics, statistics and computers. In order to understand the society in which we live, students must learn how to evaluate data. Decisions about managing organizations must be informed by data in order to permit those decisions to improve performance. Quantitative applications are made in our courses in order to refine the processes of problem-solving and decision-making. The quantitative portion of the program is absolutely essential for students who hope to attend graduate school. As faculty, we do not regard the acquisition of these skills as an abstract wish. They are identified specifically as components of our courses, and we demonstrate throughout our courses how these skills are acquired and refined. We model the skills in our interactions with students, and in our professional careers. We practice what we preach.

To enhance what is learned from texts, we offer collaborative learning, case studies, community-based learning and internships. These are all opportunities for majors to make textbook lessons their own, to match theory with practice. We want to help students develop into effective, engaged citizen-practitioners.

EBA Student Learning Outcomes

The EBA Department intends that graduates of all of its programs embody the knowledge, skills, and values of educated persons who approach the world equipped with a set of analytical tools (gained from both their major field and the liberal arts general education programs) that empowers them to apply what they’ve learned to the increasingly sophisticated problems of the contemporary world. We expect their approach to be methodical, critically analytical, socially responsible and ethical. The following learning outcomes are for each of the respective programs.

Economics

The Economics major learns about the intellectual foundations for the study of business and organizations within the context of domestic and global societies. An appreciation of theory as well as its practical application constitutes a core emphasis of their perspective.

Business Administration, BSMS, and MBA

Business students focus on the practical application of the language and foundations of the discipline preparing students to successfully plan, organize, lead, and control organizations in an ethically responsible fashion.

Accounting

Program graduates in Accounting learn the language of business. As a result, they are critical to the successful analysis, control, and improvement of organizational operations.

Departmental Honors in Economics, Business, and Accounting

Our department is proud to confer departmental honors on majors who demonstrate a superior level of achievement. The honors program involves course work and the maintenance of a certain GPA. Please contact a member of the department for details of the program. We encourage excellence and we want to recognize superior student achievement.

Honors Program in Economics, Business, and Accounting

The Honors Program supplements the traditional curriculum in Economics, Business and Accounting by providing a unique opportunity for intellectual enrichment and pursuit of academic excellence. The honors courses are designed to explore general topics of interest at an intellectually challenging level using an interdisciplinary and integrative approach to learning.

Each course will focus on a general topic – such as globalization, capitalism or entrepreneurship – that transcends disciplines. Students will explore the topic and examine it from different perspectives through reading of original and contemporary material, research, and discussion. The honors course is designed to foster and encourage development of analytical and critical thinking, written and oral communication skills, practical and quantitative applications, teamwork and collaborative learning. Honors courses are team-taught by faculty in the fields of Economics, Business and Accounting.

Qualifying students who demonstrate a passion for learning and are interested in an intellectually challenging and unorthodox approach may take one or both of the following honors courses:

Economics, Business, Accounting (EBA) 390

Team-taught topical course using an interdisciplinary and integrative approach to learning, emphasizing critical thinking, discussion and collaborative work.

EBA 490

Guided and supervised research involving an original idea and using an interdisciplinary and integrative approach across disciplines of Accounting, Business and Economics. The final work is presented at a forum of the faculty and students, and is read and graded by the Honors Committee consisting of faculty from the respective fields. This research is treated somewhat similar to a thesis project and is generally viewed very positively by prospective employers and graduate schools, while the content may serve as excellent source material for an interview.

Honors Program Prerequisites

• Completion of a minimum of 60 credit hours
• 3.0 overall grade point average (GPA) and in the major field of study
• Completion of at least one intermediate level or two upper-level courses in any of the following majors: Economics, Business and Accounting

Application Procedure

Admission to the Departmental Honors Program is based on: a) student self-recommendation, b) academic advisor’s recommendation, and c) the Departmental Honors Committee recommendation.

Students who successfully complete the program by taking both courses will receive an honorable mention and honor scholar certificate at graduation provided that they have maintained a 3.3 cumulative GPA and 3.5 in their major. Additionally, the names of all honor scholars will be registered and maintained on a wall plaque recognizing the student’s achievements and inspiring future students.

Career Opportunities

As Economics or Business majors, students have a wide variety of career opportunities. Students in Business often choose to concentrate in one of the functional areas of finance, marketing or management, while Economics majors may concentrate in the areas of public policy or international economics as they prepare for graduate school or entry into the work force. Careers in administration, banking, law, government, sales, public administration and with international agencies are also among student employment options.

Accounting majors have a wide variety of career choices, including public accounting with national, regional or local accounting firms, or corporate or government accounting. Beginning January 1, 2001, Illinois adopted a requirement that students must have at least 150 credit hours in order to take the Certified Public Accountant (CPA) exam. This requirement is consistent with about 80 percent of the states. Students who complete their 150-hour requirement at Rockford University, with seven additional hours may attain both a B.S. and MBA degree. Rockford University accounting students have done exceptionally well when taking the CPA exam.

Northern Illinois Center for Nonprofit Excellence (NICNE)

The Center provides non-profit organizations with the knowledge and skills necessary to develop a strong, vibrant non-profit sector critical to the health and success of the greater Rockford community. NICNE has an established rapport with non-profit corporations in the region and a comprehensive database of over 400 organizations in Northern Illinois and Central Wisconsin. The Center provides a wide array of education programs, services, technical assistance, resource supports, and consultations services to the non-profit sector.

NICNE is also a strong link between the University and the community providing a niche for community based-learning projects where course objectives are linked to practical work experience. NICNE’s relationship with the non-profit sector also opens doors for career opportunities and/or internships within environmental, basic needs, physical health, mental health, social services, religious, youth development, arts and cultural fields, and more.

Departmental Internship Requirement

The EBA Department requires all of its majors to complete an internship. This must be done within the framework of 398/498 courses in each of the department’s disciplines and includes internship activities conducted while attending Rockford University.