Department of Economics and Finance

Department Information

Department Chair: R. Kim Craft
Business 310 ~ (435) 586-5414

Administrative Assistant: Savannah Cannon
Business 303 ~ (435) 586-5462

Student Success Coaches/Academic Advisors:

Accounting, Economics, Finance, HRHM, Management, Marketing (60+ Credits)
Paula Alger, alger@suu.edu
BU 322~ (435) 865-8157

Accounting, Economics, Finance, HRHM, Management, Marketing (0-60 Credits)
Melanee Mariner, melaneemariner@suu.edu
BU 303C ~ (435)-586-5420

Website: http://www.suu.edu/business/econ/

Faculty: Professors: Joe Baker, David Berri, Stephen Evans;
Associate Professors: Bruce Haslem, David Tufte;
Assistant Professor: Joshua Price

Degrees Offered

Accredited Business Program (Bachelor of Arts/Bachelor of Science)

Finance Composite Major, B.A. *
Finance Composite Major, B.S. *

Other Programs (Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Science)

Economics Major, B.A.
Economics Major, B.S.

Minors

Economics Minor
Finance Minor *

*Business program accredited by AACSB International

Overview of Programs

Economics

Economics is a science that examines how individuals and firms make choices and how their decisions affect markets, the economy, and society. Students of economics develop a unique set of analytical skills that have application in almost every facet of life from health care to criminal conduct. Studying economics also develops general skills in logical thinking and problem solving-that are very useful in personal, business and public-policy settings.

Economics prepares students for a wide variety of professional careers in fields such as general business management, business analytics, financial services, government, and consulting. Many economics majors get advanced degrees in economics or business disciplines such as finance or marketing. In addition, economics is often regarded as the premiere undergraduate degree to prepare for MBA and law programs.

Finance

Finance is a fundamental business discipline concerned with the concepts and methods underlying financial institutions and markets, investment theory, and the financial management of organizations. As well as being essential to successful business management, finance is vitally important to the economy as a whole since it is concerned with the allocation of capital to those individuals, firms, and sectors that can use it most efficiently.

The finance major prepares students for professional careers in areas such as business financial management, financial planning, investments, banking, insurance and real estate. Many finance graduates get advanced degrees in business management, finance, and related fields.

Mission

The primary mission of the Economics and Finance Department at Southern Utah University is to offer students high quality courses, programs and other educational opportunities that impart valuable life skills and excellent preparation for professional careers or graduate school. Highly effective teaching–focused on student learning–is the hallmark of the department. By providing outstanding training in economics and finance, the department serves its own majors, the School of Business, and the general education program of the university.

In addition, the faculty strives to make meaningful intellectual contributions by conducting and disseminating the results of quality research and related scholarly endeavors, which activity complements and supports teaching. The faculty also provides worthwhile service to the university, the profession, the local community, and society in general.

Department/Program Learning Outcomes

Economics

In fulfilling the mission of the program, economics graduates will:

Have effective written and verbal communication skills
Have strong analytical and critical thinking skills
Understand microeconomic principles at an intermediate level and be able to apply them to the analysis of individual, firm and market behavior
Understand macroeconomic principles at an intermediate level and be able to apply standard models to contemporary policy questions and problems
Understand basic probability and statistical inference and be able to apply these concepts in data analysis and decision making
Be able to conduct basic econometric analysis; appreciate the major issues involved in estimating, using, interpreting and evaluating econometric models
Be able to model and solve a wide range of optimization problems in economics and related fields

Finance

In addition to achieving the undergraduate learning objectives of the School of Business, finance majors will:

Understand financial markets, financial instruments and the concepts and practices used by financial institutions to facilitate the flow of funds in an economy
Be familiar with the principles and methods used by investors to manage and optimize financial position
Be familiar with the principles and methods used by organizations to manage funds and optimize financial structure
Understand and be able to apply the most current analytical methods and tools to evaluate financial performance, make sound financial decisions and maximize firm value

Other Information

Advanced Standing

The objective of advanced standing is to ensure preparedness for the upper-division business core courses. The requirements for attaining advanced standing in the SUU School of Business are as follows:

Complete the pre-business core foundation requirements with a 2.5 GPA or better as defined in this catalog.
The application for advanced standing must be filed during the final semester of pre-core course enrollment. No more than 9 upper-division hours will be allowed prior to completion of the pre-business core. Advanced Standing status will not be given without meeting the 2.5 GPA standards and completing the pre-business foundation core in its entirety.

Repeating Failed Economics Courses

Students will be allowed to repeat a failed course only once. If a passing grade is not received after the second attempt, the student will not be allowed to graduate with a major or minor degree in Economics.

Repeating Failed Pre-Business and Major Core Courses

Students will be allowed to repeat a failed course only once. If a passing grade is not received after the second attempt, Finance students will not be admitted into advanced standing or allowed to graduate with a composite degree in any of the other business majors. The required GPA for the upper-division major courses is also 2.5. Every student must meet the minimum GPA standard to graduate with any business major.

Transfer Students

Economics

Transfer students, either from another college within the university, or from another institution, must meet with the business advisor or department chair before enrolling in any upper-division courses to determine the extent to which the pre-requisite core has been fulfilled. For transfer information or equivalents, refer to the following website: http://www.suu.edu/business/transfer.html.

Finance

Transfer students, either from another college within the university, or from another institution, may be allowed to take no more than 9 credit hours in upper-division major courses. Conditional Advanced Standing may be granted only if the student is in the final semester of pre-business core completion. Transfer students must meet with the business advisor before enrolling in any upper-division courses to determine the extent to which the pre-business core has been fulfilled. For transfer information or equivalents, refer to the following web site: http://www.suu.edu/business/transfer.html.

Graduation Requirements

Economics

To graduate with a major in Economics from SUU, the student must:

Meet the requirements of the pre-requisite core and major as listed in the catalog. The major/minor and general education must all be from the same catalog year.
Have an overall GPA of a 2.5 or better in the pre-requisite business core and economic core courses.
Meet the other requirements for graduation as defined by the University.
Complete the general education requirements. Transfer students can meet this requirement by the following means:
- Complete the GE requirements at one of the other four-year colleges in the Utah System of Higher Education (USHE), or
- Complete the associate of science or associate of arts degree from a community college within the USHE. (Transfer students from other community colleges must have the general education requirements evaluated by the registrar). Students pursuing a bachelor’s degree must take the American Institution requirement to graduate (this course may be taken at a junior college or at SUU. See the Academic Advisement Center or Registrar’s Office for a suitable equivalent .)
- Complete a minimum of 120 semester hours
- Complete a minimum of 40 upper-division semester hours (course number 3000 or above from an accredited four-year college or university).
- Have an overall GPA of 2.0 or better.

Finance

To graduate with a major in finance from SUU, the student must:

Meet the requirements of the pre-business core and major as listed in the catalog or on http://www.suu.edu/business/advisement.
Be accepted to advanced standing and successfully complete the required pre-business and upper-division composite major classes with an average 2.5 grade or better.
Meet the other requirements for graduation as defined by the University.
Complete the general education requirements. Transfer students can meet this requirement by the following means:
- Complete the GE requirements at one of the other four-year colleges in the Utah System of Higher Education (USHE), or
- Complete the associate of science or associate of arts degree from a community college within the USHE. (Transfer students from other community colleges must have the general education requirements evaluated by the registrar). Students pursuing a bachelor’s degree must take the American Institution requirement to graduate (this course may be taken at a junior college or at SUU. See the Academic Advisement Center or Registrar’s Office for a suitable equivalent.)
- Complete a minimum of 120 semester hours
- Complete a minimum of 40 upper-division semester hours (course number 300 or above from an accredited four-year college or university).
- Have an overall GPA of 2.0 or better.
- Have a 2.5 GPA or better in all of the business core and upper-division major core requirements