About the Political Economy and Commerce Department

The Department of Political Economy and Commerce at Monmouth College offers majors and minors in Accounting, International Business, Entrepreneurism, Business and Economics. Students also have the opportunity to concentrate in Management, Finance, Marketing, and Applied Economics.

Monmouth College takes a distinctive approach to the study of business. In other programs, the focus is on the theories and assumptions that underlie contemporary business practices, developing managerial skills, and learning analytical techniques used in business – they teach students “how to manage a business” or become an effective manager.

The goals of Monmouth College are beyond just vocational. We prepare students to conduct business in tomorrow’s complex world by demonstrating that the development of commercial institutions is a social phenomenon. We view commerce as one of the primary institutions of modern society. Students are able to see connections between commerce, culture, and other social institutions. In this way, candidates truly see the bigger picture. Students learn how the problems businesses faced in the past led to the commercial practices that evolved to solve these problems. Deep inquiry by case study, hands-on simulations, and lectures provide evidence that leads to investigation, prediction, and planning for a future in business.

As an incoming student and before graduation, students take courses designed to further understand a wider context in which business occurs. After introductory course material is understood, students are prepared to take more traditional courses in order to understand how modern business is conducted. Our business students are broadly educated in the fundamentals of economics, accounting, management, marketing, administration, and finance. These fundamental courses enable students to see how all of the pieces fit together in today’s commercial world.

Monmouth College’s program is focused on the belief that business is constantly evolving. Our students explore how businesses are developing new ways to solve problems, efficiently use resources, and create wealth.

Monmouth’s program has a proven track record in producing managers with a long term focus. It is integrated versus discrete, it is broad-based not narrow, and it is interdisciplinary as opposed to disciplinary. It is the difference between showing students how to manage a business using modern techniques and explaining to them why business utilizes specific techniques and why those techniques work. It is the difference between knowing how to manage a business today and preparing for tomorrow’s changing business environment. It is more than just training for a job at graduation; it is an education for a lifetime of professional growth. It is a commitment to teach individuals to think; not a program to train managers. It is not business as usual; it is much more, it is an understanding of how the world of commerce evolves over time.