College of Business Administration

From the Dean

College of Business Administration website

Welcome!

The College of Business Administration is dedicated to building self-aware leaders with character. Leadership is the application of knowledge to inspire and influence and accomplish an objective. Knowledge is both curriculum based and non-curriculum based; our curriculum has four levels of learning where we teach our students to analyze, decide, integrate and lead. To solve complex dynamic problems we need to have the quantitative analysis skills to analyze problems and provide data-driven solutions. Those data-driven solutions need to be steeped in critical thinking to provide decisions that are thoughtful and consider all stakeholders. Integration is critical. How decisions become integrated into the fabric of the organization and communicated to all members of the team determines whether the decision is adopted and implemented. The final step is building individuals to lead with humility, fairness and a sense of humor.

“Leadership begins with self-leadership, and self-leadership begins with knowing oneself.” (Chris Lowney, Heroic Leadership, 2003, Chicago: Loyola Press, 2003, p.98.) While the curriculum-based learning provides a conceptual understanding of multifaceted issues, business leaders must be self-aware to lead; self-awareness is cultivated in the many non-curriculum-based student opportunities. To become self-aware it is critically important to seek out opportunities that take you out of your role as a student: be a volunteer to build compassion; spend time abroad to get world perspective; engage a mentor to recognize another’s point of view; enter a case competition to understand team dynamics; among many, many others. Self-aware, experience-based problem solvers require us all to understand how we as individuals impact a decision and how that decision impacts others.

Character is the combination of qualities that distinguishes one individual from another. A Jesuit-based business education is distinctive in how we convey the intellectual and moral qualities of honesty, courage and integrity. Business decisions must not be solely based in the financial viability of an investment – informed decision-makers provide solutions that are socially just and environmentally sustainable as well.

Again, I welcome you to the College of Business Administration and challenge you to take advantage of the many curriculum-based and non-curriculum-based opportunities to become self-aware leaders with character. I look forward to the journey ahead!

Andrew J. DeGuire
Keyes Dean of the College of Business Administration

College Mission Statement

It is our mission to deliver a Jesuit business education rooted in cura personalis which fosters a hunger for integrated knowledge, develops a spirit of intellectual curiosity and innovation and instills a commitment among our students to make a meaningful impact on the world around them through professional excellence, servant leadership and purposeful personal development.

Undergraduate Program Description

Undergraduate business education at Marquette University develops students with world-class business expertise, provides them with a variety of personal and professional experiences to raise self-awareness, and encourages the development of the highest degree of character and integrity. Those who combine business expertise, self-awareness and character are more insightful and able to solve the complex and challenging problems in today's world. We strive to prepare individuals who can explore and understand how a global concern works, can drive results, collaborate with and inspire others. In short, we develop individuals who are leaders, not just contributors, in their organizations and communities.

The College of Business Administration emphasizes all three of the aspects of fostering leaders: character, perspective and self-awareness, and the knowledge and skills that are fundamental to business expertise. The focus on character, perspective and self-awareness is grounded in the liberal and Jesuit traditions of Marquette University. Our college core curriculum augments the Marquette University core curriculum, built on the premise that an effective business leader needs to have a deep understanding of the religious, cultural, social, political, economic, global, scientific and technical environments in which individuals and organizations exist. This foundation helps our students in two important ways: first by developing a sense of character based on their own internal value system and second by enabling them to place business decisions in a larger context through understanding the impact of those decisions more broadly on society. It is our firm belief that a liberal education is a necessary part of professional education and our curriculum is structured on this premise.

Additionally, we foster the knowledge and skills necessary for business expertise throughout an undergraduate student’s course of study. Early on in a student’s career our curriculum provides each student with an introduction to the various aspects germane to all organizations such as finance, marketing, information systems and supply chain management. It also stresses development of a clear understanding of the dynamics of the firm, the economy, basic managerial and organizational concepts and relationships, the interaction between a firm and its environment and an overall view of strategy and policymaking within an organization. As students complete this portion of the curriculum, they are offered the opportunity to develop specialized skills and knowledge in a variety of undergraduate majors and minors, such as accounting, economics, innovation and entrepreneurship, human resources or international business. This prepares graduates for entry-level positions where they can provide immediate impact to businesses and other organizations.

Finally, the College of Business Administration provides experiences to help students grow personally and professionally as they discover an awareness of self and others. The curriculum stresses teamwork, communication, collaboration and global and cultural awareness as part of personal and professional skill building that also include quantitative analysis, critical thinking and ethical reasoning. Other opportunities to enhance self-awareness can be found as part of the International Business Program, the Business Career Center workshops and Mentor Program and through various student organization and networking events. The development of the skills and awareness of self helps prepare graduates to understand to be leaders they need to be lifelong learners and to continue to develop in the current era of a rapidly changing business and work environment.

Graduate Program Description

Marquette graduate business programs prepare students with the knowledge to succeed, the principles to lead and the confidence to connect what’s good for business with what’s good for people.  Please see the individual program pages for detailed information about Graduate School of Management degree and certificate offerings.