Starting in fall 2004, SMU is offering another majorundergraduates can choose to pursue — markets andculture.
The major is in Dedman College and focuses on the businessaspects of world markets and economies.
It was passed by the Undergraduate Council in 2000 and by theBoard of Trustees in 2001. It is the only undergraduate major likeit in Texas and was only recently developed at Duke University andthe University of Michigan.
The SMU Web site named Linda Stearns as the new director of theprogram. Graduates will be able to creatively think about economicprinciples of markets, the values and history of commerce and whatmotivates people.
“The main reason [the major] was developed is because weare trying to blend the advantages of a liberal arts education withgetting knowledge about basic business skills,” Stearnssaid.
Markets and culture is similar to international studies majorsin that both have a similar curriculum. The difference between thetwo is that international studies focuses on one region of theworld, whereas the markets and culture major has a much broaderview.
Another difference between the two majors is that markets andculture will concentrate on understanding foreign markets andbusiness but international studies concentrates on the dealings andpolitics of other countries.
“The students who are now majoring in internationalstudies want to get out there into the policies and internationalrelations,” Assistant to the Dean in Dedman College JeaneneRenfro said. “The markets and culture emphasis is clearly abusiness mindset where the other is more of a policy type ofemphasis.”
The market and cultures major requires 36 total hours, 24 ofwhich are core classes and 12 that are electives.
“The core classes provide the student with the appropriatetools to understand the social basis of economic behavior as wellas the basic business concepts and practices,” Stearnssaid.
Christy Cangelosi, a sophomore international studies major, saidthe markets and culture major classes have more economics andclasses that focus on understanding foreign culture.
I think the classes look very interesting and it will providestudents with a lot of opportunities.
These people are getting culture, anthropology, politicalscience plus economics and business,” Cangelosi said.
One class unique to the major is a new accounting class studentswill be required to take ‘Accounting for Markets andCulture’ as part of the core curriculum.
Stearns and Renfro both said they hope markets and culture willbetter prepare students for the workplace or for graduateschool.
When students apply for jobs, they would have taken courses thatlook at broad issues and give them experience in various foreignmarkets as well as allowing them to speak the language of business,Stearns said.
She also said that graduate programs would love to have studentswith this major because they can do a variety of graduate work andhave a broad background.
“A big issue today is the question of where the jobs willbe,” Stearns said. “This major will allow students alot of options.”
Markets and culture is not just going to be available to firstyear’s to declare, upperclassmen should be able to as well,Renfro said.
“Upperclassmen should be able to do it because they canlook at what they’ve already taken and go from there,”Renfro said. “That’s the appeal of it as well. Somedegrees are step by step and highly competitive, but this is nottrue of [this one]. This is another reason why we wantedthis.”
Information about markets and culture can be found at:
www.smu.edu/dedman/advise/factsheets/markets.asp
