Requirements and Curriculum
Note: This information reflects the requirements and curriculum printed in the 2007-08 course catalog.
Requirements
Luther college's libearl arts education helps students develop personal values and provides them with a background for lifelong learning. The economics and business curriculum prepares students for ethical leadership, decision -making, and service in organizations operating within a global environment. The curriculum focues on developing students' capabilities for analytical thinking and clear oral and written expression.
Students who pursue an education in the business field major in economics, accountin, management, and management information systems. the faculty has also established certificate programs involving joint study in two or more departments. these include arts management, international management studies, music managment, theatre/dance management, and sports management. Students interested in special programs should consult the Special Programs information.
Arts and Sports Management Programs
Interdisciplinary programs in art, music, theatre/dance, and sports management
Certificate in International Management Studies
The certificate in International Management Studies is awarded to students of modern languages and management.
Internship Programs
A key ingredient of Luther's business program is the internship. Students gain valuable experience in a wide variety of professions through internship opportunities. Most of these on-the-job learning experiences take place during January term and the spring semester of a student's senior year. More internships are available at other times, including the summer months.
Internships vary from three to eight weeks in length and carry credit accordingly. Many Luther students earn wages as they learn. However, the greatest benefit of the internship is an increased awareness of the business world at a time when the experience can still be related to the formal learning process on campus.
Of Luther College business majors who participated in senior internships last year, more than 90 percent secured full-time employment because of their experience.
Organizations that have hosted Luther students as interns over the past few years are Accenture, Arthur Andersen, KPMG Peat Marwick, First Bank Systems, Rockwell International, Lutheran Brotherhood, John Deere, the Minnesota Orchestra, Banker's Trust, Principle Financial, and J.C. Penney.
Foreign Study Programs
Faculty members in the economics and business department have extraordinary experience in international matters, both academic and commercial. Included among their credentials are experiences in economic development, business management, business consulting, lecturing and teaching at foreign universities, and directing study tours.
Through an affiliation with the Institute for International Education of Students /Institute of Asian Studies (IES/IAS) and its 20 centers located in Europe, Asia, and Australia, a Luther education reaches far beyond the confines of a classroom.
Of particular interest to students in the business field is the London program, in which senior faculty from the London School of Economics serve as instructors. Most of the IES/IAS centers offer studies in economics, accounting, and management. Some of the centers also offer opportunities for internships in businesses and economic institutions in Europe.
The college supports its own program in Nottingham, England, in association with the universities there. The yearlong program accommodates 16 students and a Luther faculty member and family, all of whom live in facilities owned by Luther College. The group shares certain study experiences, but each participant is encouraged to pursue individual interests.
A program developed in conjunction with Concordia College in Moorhead, Minn., enables Luther students to spend a spring semester on the Mediterranean island of Malta. Students participating in the program study the economy of Mediterranean countries firsthand.
Luther has established relationships with other overseas institutions through which our students are able to gain a semester or a full year of experience in another cultural and academic setting. Denmark's International Study Program in Copenhagen is especially attractive to those studying business because of its international emphasis.
January Term provides an opportunity for a variety of short-term study tours in foreign countries as well as in the United States. Several of these annual study tours are organized by Luther and deal with international economics and business; they serve as an excellent supplement to students' on-campus studies.
The college is a member of the Upper Midwest Association for Intercultural Education, a consortium of colleges organized to provide low-cost international study opportunities. During the past three years faculty have led January study programs to Malta, Norway, the Bahamas, the Canary Islands, Japan, Hong Kong, China, Kenya, Tanzania, Nepal, Germany, France, Australia, and Switzerland.