Business at Sewanee encompasses a robust offering of academic business courses and a range of co-curricular programs
The William Polk Carey Pre-Business Program represents a best-in-class business program anchored in Sewanee’s liberal arts education. The business minor offers an interdisciplinary curriculum that serves as outstanding preparation for a career in business. In addition to taking required courses in economics, accounting, finance, and business ethics, students specialize in one of five business minor tracks:
As an incoming first year or as a sophomore, students may apply to the Carey Fellow Business Honors Program to acquire additional leadership and business skills.
The Babson Center for Global Commerce serves as the hub for business studies, and leads Sewanee’s business partnerships and co-curricular business offerings: executive speaker series, trainings, business clubs, and much more.
The business minor complements a student’s education in the liberal arts. Students in any major may choose to minor in business. To meet the requirements of the business minor, students complete four core courses—in economics, finance, accounting, and ethics—and choose two electives from one of five tracks: managerial, finance, international, accounting, and environment and sustainability.
Babson Center for Global Commerce
The Babson Center for Global Commerce, a key component of the Pre-Business Program, prepares Sewanee students for business careers through skills training, experiential learning, internships, and co-curricular opportunities. It offers scholarships for summer programs at top business schools, conferences, and partial funding for the cost of the CFA level one exam. Throughout the year, the Center hosts lectures and discussions featuring global business leaders.
Students seeking a more intensive pre-business experience may apply to become Carey Fellows, Sewanee's business honors program. Carey Fellows complete requirements beyond the normal coursework—such as a semester-long, paid internship, a pro-seminar, and exposure to cross-cultural businesses—that prepare them for leadership positions in business, consulting, and finance.
A key component of the Pre-Business Program is that it supports Sewanee students aiming for careers in business. It supports business organizations and offers conference scholarships, skills training, and co-curricular and experiential learning opportunities.
"As an economics major, the business minor will supplement the knowledge I will acquire from my economics classes. My interest in gaining valuable business skills will allow me to apply what I have learned to real-world situations and scenarios that I will encounter in the business world during internships and after graduation. As I move toward a professional career, I know the skills learned from the business minor will be helpful in my work and my daily life. A general knowledge of business and business practices is important for everyone, even if they will not necessarily be using it directly in their professional life."
Sewanee graduates secure positions in a variety of fields. Here is a sampling of recent graduates' first jobs.
Sewanee graduates enjoy extraordinary acceptance rates to top graduate and pre-professional programs:
An examination of the moral dimensions of business activity, especially within the context of a democratic society. Topics may include social and economic justice, the nature of corporations, corporate accountability, social responsibility, the morality of hiring and firing, employee rights and duties, advertising, product safety, obligations to the environment, and international business.
This course addresses the concepts underlying corporate finance and equity markets. Topics include financial statement analysis, time value of money, security valuation, capital budgeting, capital structure, dividend policy, and working capital management.
This course examines the dynamics of international political and economic relations. Issues of trade, monetary and financial networks, investment, North-South relations, and the international system will be explored. The international context of development will receive particular attention.
The instructional objective is to provide students with an understanding of the concepts that are fundamental to the use of accounting. Students will focus on the accounting cycle and the preparation of financial statements, including balance sheets, income statements, and statements of cash flows, as well as on the use of financial ratios. A decision-making approach is employed which involves critical evaluation and analysis of information presented. Analytical tools are integrated throughout the course.
This 2-part course examines business trends and business structures in Asian emerging markets. It discusses the evolution of conglomerate enterprises and business networks during recent decades that have seen rapid economic growth in Asia. The 2025 version of this course focuses on Singapore and Vietnam, their political economy, and the dynamics of their firm formation in the country. It examines the policies and case examples of new start-up business development and entrepreneurship and sees how Singapore and Vietnam are adapting structures to shape an innovation economy and spur social entrepreneurship. Following work in the classroom, the second component of the course includes three weeks of travel to Asian cities to meet with business and non-profit leaders and develop a group research project that provides students with an understanding of business culture and business customs. International travel also incorporates cultural experiences.
Eric Zinn is a lecturer and the director of the business minor program. He teaches courses in financial accounting, managerial accounting, business law, and taxation. Mr. Zinn earned a juris doctorate degree from the University of Florida; received master's degrees in taxation, accounting, business administration, finance, and information systems from the University of Florida and the University of Colorado, Denver; and has a bachelor's degree in economics from the University of the South. Mr. Zinn is also Of Counsel to the national law firm of Kutak Rock LLP and practices in the areas of federal taxation and corporate law.
Myles Elledge is the director of the Babson Center for Global Commerce and teaches leadership, strategy, and international business. He serves as a coach and mentor to students interested in charting their path to a range of business sectors or pursuing social impact careers. Prior to joining the Babson Center, Mr. Elledge served in executive roles with a technology start-up, as a global business director with a large non-profit applied research organization, and as a staff economist with a leading international consulting firm. He has served in international roles in Tokyo, Japan, and lead public and private sector consulting projects in 34 emerging market countries.
Mr. Elledge holds a master's degree in public and international affairs, with a certificate in international political economy from the University of Pittsburgh. He completed his bachelor's degree in global studies from the University of the South.
Dr. Huarui Jing is an assistant professor of economics. She teaches courses in investment finance, real estate finance, and financial econometrics (derivatives & fixed income securities, financial modeling, and financial engineering).
Dr. Jing received her Ph.D. education in economics from the University of Connecticut and her M.S. in Policy Economics from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. She holds a B.A. in Public Economics and Administration and B.S. in Statistics from Shanghai University of Finance and Economics.
Her current research is focused on machine learning-based macro finance projects: distributional robust optimization (DRO) in asset pricing models, robustness study on nonparametric recursive utility asset pricing model, and high dimensional asset pricing model DRO problems.
ejzinn@sewanee.edu
Carnegie Hall 217, Ext. 1822
Myles.Elledge@sewanee.edu
Babson Center for Global Commerce, Carnegie Hall 107, Ext. 1307
Sewanee’s student investment club notches big returns for the University’s endowment—and for members’ postgraduate employment prospects. Sewanee entrusted club members with a sizable portion of its endowment. They took that capital and grew it by 67 percent in less than five years, consistently beating the market average. Not bad for a bunch of full-time students who happen to be part-time investors.
The Babson Center for Global Commerce provides a co-curricular experience. As you engage with peers and take trips, you’ll learn about what companies are seeking. You’ll learn critical thinking and persuasive communication, all while gaining an understanding of the "go to work" experience.
No matter where you are in your career exploration process, Sewanee Career Readiness can help. You’ll get assistance with cover letters, resumes, networking, and preparing for an interview. Likewise, if you just feel overwhelmed by this new experience called adulting, make an appointment and get a pep talk from Career Readiness.
