BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION

As part of your education at Wartburg College, you will work through many of the ethical challenges now confronting the business world. You’ll be prepared to make and stand behind difficult decisions and gain hands-on experience sought by many employers.

You’ll also find career opportunities in today’s fast-paced business environment in fields like public or private accounting, finance, international business, government service, healthcare management, marketing, and nonprofit organizations.

You will benefit from small classes taught by professors who have experience and expertise in many aspects of business administration, accounting, and economics. Faculty members mentor students for careers as well as for active citizenship through classroom experience, internships, case studies, and undergraduate research.

Business Department Fast Facts

1) RESUME BUILDING
More than 80 percent of the college’s business administration, accounting and economics majors complete at least one internship or field experience before graduating.

2) DEEP PROGRAM
Wartburg offers a wider variety of business courses (more than 50) than many larger private colleges.

3) CPA CREDIT HOURS
The accounting program is designed to help students complete the 150 credit hours required for the Certified Public Accountant license in four years instead of five or six as compared to other colleges and universities.

4) FOUR-YEAR TRACK
Nearly all students graduate in four years.

5) REAL EXPERIENCE
Students participate with hands-on projects and work with real clients.

6) FINANCIAL SUPPORT
Thirty-nine scholarships are awarded to business, accounting, and economics students beyond the Regents and Presidential awards.

7) LEADERSHIP & MANAGEMENT
The department’s partnerships with the Institute for Leadership Education allows students to develop their management skills.

8) STOCK UP
Students invest the dividends and interest from a portfolio that has earned as much as $2 million in assets through the Portfolio Management Course.

Alumni Outcomes

Sample of Alumni Positions from the Past Five Years:

  • Sales Executive, Midwest Heritage Bank, Des Moines
  • Marketing and Box Office Manager, U.S. Cellular Center, Cedar Rapids
  • Territory Manager, Hormel Foods, Lebanon, New Jersey
  • Marketing Associate, Bolide Technology Group, San Dimas, Calif.
  • Staff Auditor, Deloitte & Touche, LLP, Minneapolis, Minn.
  • Accountant, Dan Deery Motors, Cedar Falls

Sample Stand-out Alumni Positions:

  • Chairman and CEO, American Family Insurance, Madison, Wis.
  • Operations Analyst, World Bank, Washington, D.C.
  • President, Merit Contracting, Rochester, Minn.
  • CEO, Project Brilliant, LLC, Indianapolis, Ind.
  • National Sales Operations Manager for Jaguar Land Rover North America, LLC

Sample of Alumni Positions from the Past 10 Years:

  • Vice President, Department Manager, Wells Fargo, West Des Moines
  • Human Resources Recruiter, The University of Kansas Hospital, Kansas City
  • Pharmaceutical Sales, Astra Zeneca Pharmaceuticals, Wilmington, Delaware
  • Production Supervisor, Kraft, Davenport
  • Procurement Coordinator, Mayo Clinic Finance Dept. of Materials, Rochester, Minn.
  • Investment Accountant, Principal Financial Group, Des Moines
  • Attorney, Bryan Cave LLP, Chicago, Ill.

FACILITIES

The Whitehouse Business Center houses the Business Administration, Accounting & Economics Department.

Students gain hands-on, real-world experience.

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DEPARTMENT FACULTY

Susan Meyeraan

Associate Professor of Business Administration

Allan Bernard

Associate Professor of Business Administration / Department Chair

Eric Sommermeyer

Associate Professor of Accounting, Carl and Dorothy Hagemann Endowed Professor in Business and Economics

Mel Gonnerman

Assistant Professor of Business Administration

Amy Pilcher

Associate Professor of Business Administration

Nana Quaicoe

Associate Professor of Economics, James A. Leach Chair in Banking and Monetary Economics

Clifton Ross

Visiting Assistant Professor of Business

Randy Thomas

Associate Professor of Accounting

Emeriti Faculty:

  • Kimberly Folkers (1989-2021)
  • Gloria Campbell (1979-2015)
  • Paul Magnall, Professor Emeritus (1983-2012)
  • John Haugen, Professor Emeritus (1979-2015)
  • Dr. Melvin Kramer (1956-1996)
  • Dr. William Shipman (1977-2001)