Internship in Washington, D.C., offers student insight into public office
Observations of life in public office were part of the experience for Luke Dretske ’21 of Berlin, Wisconsin, during the summer of 2019. Dretske interned […]
A study referencing the Department of Education’s data has named Ripon College as the top school for Economics majors in Wisconsin. The Ripon College Department of Economics and Business Management prepares students to inform and lead organizations in making and carrying out effective decisions. We collaborate on defining goals and solving problems of resource use in business, non-profit organizations, and government. We integrate approaches from economics and across the liberal arts in study of fundamentals, diverse applications, research, internships and other organizational experiences. These open doors to advanced study, lifelong learning and productive and rewarding careers.
The department offers majors in economics, business management and finance. Early courses in each major’s curriculum address the central problem of economics—the scarcity of resources relative to unlimited material wants. In intermediate and advanced courses of the finance major, students discover and practice ways to conserve, grow and efficiently employ financial resources in pursuit of business and individual goals.
In the finance major, students develop skills broadly applicable to many areas of work and life. They practice problem solving by working through both quantitative and qualitative problems reflecting difficult choices among options. Critical thinking is essential as students consider competing explanations of the many cases of that problem and solutions to it in business and financial management and public policies. Students encounter an array of writing assignments ranging from essay exams to formal research papers, business plans and financial analyses. Students engage in small group discussions, dialogs with guest speakers, and more formal group and individual presentations. In senior capstone courses, students integrate the skills they have developed throughout their course work in the completion of projects that require research, data analysis, critical thinking, and oral and written presentations of information and ideas.
Latest News
Ripon No. 1 in state for how much graduates earn, according to U.S. Department of Education
Ripon College has been named the No. 1 school in Wisconsin whose grads earn the most in mean wages 10 years after graduation. The study, […]
Faculty
Hauge, Soren
Patricia Parker Francis Professor of Economics, Chair of Economics and Business Management Department
Keuler, Thomas
Instructor of Business Management, CPA
Toppar, Miracle-Rose
Assistant Professor of Economics and Business Management
Zhang, Fan
Assistant Professor of Business Management
Advising
Ripon College faculty and professional staff are dedicated to helping you reach your goals, whatever they may be and however often they may change along the way. It’s part of our value statement to you.
As a student at Ripon, you will be assigned a faculty adviser based on your area(s) of interest. You will meet with your faculty adviser throughout your time as a student to discuss your current aspirations, plan your course schedule and plot a future trajectory. We also work collaboratively with Ripon College Career and Professional Development to help match your interests and skills to concrete goals and construct a plan for professional success offering personalized career counseling, off-campus learning opportunities and an online job board with potential to connect with local, national and international employers. Our collaboration with Student Support Services provides tutoring and additional academic and skill development, as well as tools to help with note-taking, exam preparation, goal-setting and time management. Likewise, Mentors in the Franzen Center provide in-depth, one-on-one or group mentoring for students about class projects and college-level writing, and can share problem-solving strategies to overcome academic obstacles.
Advising at RiponRequirements
ECO 211, 212 and 500; BSA 231 and 322; ECO/BSA 241 (or courses in calculus and probability approved by the major advisor; students interested in graduate school should take calculus) and 313; MTH 120, PHL 202, 241 or 245 or BSA 223 or 227; one elective with substantial finance content, as approved by the major advisor; and one elective focused on management and strategy, as approved by the major advisor. Students may not major in both finance and business management, and students majoring in both finance and economics may apply only one economics major elective toward requirements for the finance major.
Career Tracks
Finance majors often attend graduate schools in finance, business and closely related fields. Many find employment in financial institutions and markets, as financial advisors, investment bankers, brokers and loan officers, as well as in financial management of other businesses and non-profit organizations.
Unique Opportunities
Students in the Investment Analysis course compete in a national investment simulation.
Financial internships can earn students academic credit as well as valuable professional experience.