Business, Entrepreneurship and Organizations (BEO), formerly Commerce, Organizations and Entrepreneurship (COE) is a multidisciplinary concentration that provides a rigorous and synergistic program in the study of commercial activity grounded in economics, sociology and engineering. BEO focuses on the formation, growth, and organization of new ventures, innovation in commercial applications, financial markets and the marketplace, and management and organizational theory. Concentrators seek to understand the basic principles, approaches and vocabulary relevant to the study of entrepreneurship from the disciplines of economics, organizational sociology and engineering. Building on this multidisciplinary base, students develop specialized expertise in one of the three disciplinary approaches, with special emphasis on critical reasoning and quantitative research methods. In senior year capstone projects, students apply and integrate multi-disciplinary learning by working in groups on real world projects, including the creation of new ventures.
The three tracks of the concentration are as follows:
- Business Economics
- Organizational Studies
- Entrepreneurship and Technology Management
Upon completion of all concentration requirements, students receive the Bachelor of Arts (A.B.) degree in Business, Entrepreneurship and Organizations.
The Curriculum
Business Economics Track
| Foundation Requirements | ||
| ECON 0110 | Principles of Economics | 1 |
| ECON 1110 | Intermediate Microeconomics | 1 |
| SOC 1311 | Micro-Organizational Theory: Social Behavior in Organizations | 1 |
| SOC 1315 | Macro-Organizational Theory: Organizations in Social Context | 1 |
| ENGN 0020 | Transforming Society-Technology and Choices for the Future | 1 |
| or ENGN 0030 | Introduction to Engineering | |
| ENGN 1010 | The Entrepreneurial Process: Innovation in Practice | 1 |
| Math and Statistics Requirements | ||
| MATH 0090 | Introductory Calculus, Part I | 1 |
| ECON 1620 | Introduction to Econometrics | 1 |
| Track Requirements | ||
| ECON 0710 | Financial Accounting | 1 |
| ECON 1210 | Intermediate Macroeconomics | 1 |
| ECON 1710 | Investments I | 1 |
| ECON 1720 | Corporate Finance | 1 |
| One Data Methods-intensive course from the following list: | 1 | |
| Labor Economics | ||
| Health Economics | ||
| Research Methods for Economists | ||
| Economic Development | ||
| The Economic Analysis of Institutions | ||
| Econometrics I | ||
| Econometrics II | ||
| Financial Econometrics | ||
| Investments II | ||
| Data, Statistics, Finance | ||
| Finance, Regulation, and the Economy: Research | ||
| One 1000-level economics course, including a second data methods intensive course from the list above | 1 | |
| Capstone: one-semester required 1 | 1 | |
| BEO Capstone I: Business Economics Track | ||
| Total Credits | 15 | |
| 1 | Or an optional two-semester capstone from the BEO 1930 and 1940 series |
Organizational Studies Track
| Foundation Requirements | ||
| ECON 0110 | Principles of Economics | 1 |
| ECON 1110 | Intermediate Microeconomics | 1 |
| SOC 1311 | Micro-Organizational Theory: Social Behavior in Organizations | 1 |
| SOC 1315 | Macro-Organizational Theory: Organizations in Social Context | 1 |
| ENGN 0020 | Transforming Society-Technology and Choices for the Future | 1 |
| or ENGN 0030 | Introduction to Engineering | |
| ENGN 1010 | The Entrepreneurial Process: Innovation in Practice | 1 |
| Math and Statistics Requirements | ||
| MATH 0090 | Introductory Calculus, Part I | 1 |
| SOC 1100 | Introductory Statistics for Social Research | 1 |
| or APMA 0650 | Essential Statistics | |
| or ECON 1620 | Introduction to Econometrics | |
| Track Requirements | ||
| One Introduction to Research Methods course (selected from the following): | 1 | |
| Methods of Research in Organizations | ||
| Methods of Social Research | ||
| One Advanced Research Methods course (selected from the following): | 1 | |
| Market and Social Surveys | ||
| Focus Groups for Market and Social Research | ||
| Market Research in Public and Private Sectors | ||
| Principles and Methods of Geographic Information Systems | ||
| Multivariate Statistical Methods II | ||
| Advanced Quantitative Methods of Sociology Analysis | ||
| Event History Analysis | ||
| Ethnographic Research Methods | ||
| Context Research for Innovation | ||
| Research Methods for Economists | ||
| Econometrics I | ||
| Introduction to Qualitative Research Methods | ||
| Evaluating the Impact of Social Programs | ||
| Survey Research in Health Care | ||
| Policy Analysis and Program Evaluation | ||
| One Advanced Organization Studies course (selected from the following): | 1 | |
| Leadership in Organizations | ||
| Groups in Organizations | ||
| Human Needs and Social Services | ||
| Investing in Social Change | ||
| Theories of the Third Sector and Civil Society | ||
| Law, Innovation and Entrepreneurship | ||
| Complex Organizations and Health Policy | ||
| Sociology of Organizations Graduate Seminar | ||
| Psychology in Business and Economics | ||
| Nonprofit Organizations | ||
| Crisis Management | ||
| Managing and Leading in Public Affairs | ||
| Two Organization-Relevant Electives (selected from the following): | 2 | |
Any from the Advanced Research Methods or Advanced Organization-Studies lists. | ||
| Law and Society | ||
| Aging and the Quality of Life | ||
| Sociology of Medicine | ||
| The Myth of Markets: Exploring the Social Side of Economics | ||
| Sociology of the Legal Profession | ||
| American Advertising: History and Consequences | ||
| The History of American Education | ||
| Sociology of Education | ||
| Education, the Economy and School Reform | ||
| History of American School Reform | ||
| Policy Implementation in Education | ||
| American Higher Education in Historical Context | ||
| Business, Culture, and Globalization: An Ethnographic Perspective | ||
| The U.S. Health Care System: Case Studies in Financing, Delivery, Regulation and Public Health | ||
| Prosperity: The Ethics and Economics of Wealth Creation | ||
| Politics, Markets and States in Developing Countries | ||
| Market Liberalism: Origins, Principles and Contemporary Applications | ||
| Social Welfare Policy in the United States | ||
| Health Policy Challenges | ||
| Urban Revitalization: Lessons from the Providence Plan | ||
| Corporate Power and Global Order: Regulation and Policy in the Transnational Economic Sphere | ||
| Aging and Public Policy: The Impact of an Aging Society on Public and Private Sector Organizations | ||
| Social Entrepreneurship | ||
| Capstone: one-semester required 1 | 1 | |
| BEO Capstone I: Organizational Studies Track | ||
| Total Credits | 14 | |
| 1 | Or an optional two-semester capstone from the BEO 1930 and 1940 series |
Entrepreneurship and Technology Management Track
| Foundation Requirements | ||
| ECON 0110 | Principles of Economics | 1 |
| ECON 1110 | Intermediate Microeconomics | 1 |
| SOC 1311 | Micro-Organizational Theory: Social Behavior in Organizations | 1 |
| SOC 1315 | Macro-Organizational Theory: Organizations in Social Context | 1 |
| ENGN 0030 | Introduction to Engineering | 1 |
| ENGN 1010 | The Entrepreneurial Process: Innovation in Practice | 1 |
| Math and Statistics Requirements | ||
| MATH 0200 | Intermediate Calculus (Physics/Engineering) | 1 |
| or APMA 0330 | Methods of Applied Mathematics I, II | |
| SOC 1100 | Introductory Statistics for Social Research | 1 |
| or APMA 0650 | Essential Statistics | |
| or ECON 1620 | Introduction to Econometrics | |
| Track Requirements | ||
| One gateway course in Engineering or another physical science 1 | 1 | |
| Five courses that develop expertise in a technical subfield 1, 2 | 5 | |
| Capstone: two-semesters required | 2 | |
BEO 1930B | First Semester Capstone Course | |
BEO 1940B | Second Semester Capstone Course | |
| Total Credits | 16 | |
| 1 | For specific gateway and subfield courses, refer to the BEO website. |
| 2 | Technical subfields include Biotechnology/Biomaterials, Information Technology and Computer Engineering, Energy and the Environment, and others. |