Entrepreneur/Business Owner
Manager
Consultant
Digital Marketer/Marketing Analyst
Financial Analyst/Investment Banker
Tax Accountant
Lawyer
Writer
Educator
Software Engineer
The Business Leadership Program (BLP) is a four-year, experiential, honors program in the School of Business & Leadership. Student progress through a unique curriculum with a cohort of 25 exceptional students committed to leadership, academics, and professional development.
BLP students develop their leadership through interaction with their cohort and on campus leadership opportunities. Students live together their first year and take one class together each semester, creating a learning community in which students challenge and cooperate with each other. BLP students rave about how much they enjoy and learn from their cohort, building leadership skills and a network of relationships that advance them throughout their careers.
BLP students undertake a challenging academic program that emphasizes critical thinking, problem solving, and effective written and verbal communication in the fundamental business areas of management, marketing, accounting, finance, and law. Students learn to develop and answer questions critical to the success of for profit and non-profit organizations. Students customize their education by selecting specific areas of interest. BLP students double major in many fields, including Economics, International Political Economy, Environmental Policy and Decision Making, Art, Math, and Computer Science.
BLP students prepare for their careers after graduation through evening seminars, field trips, an internship, and mentoring. Students identify their professional interests, learn about career opportunities, engage with local professionals, create a professional network, and develop the skills to land a great job and begin a satisfying career as soon as they graduate.
My internship was both the most challenging and insightful position I have ever held. I was constantly surprised by how much I knew, while my mentor was impressed with my progress and ability to quickly adapt to any learning opportunities she had raised.
This required core course in Accounting is split into two parts. Part I covers the essential topics in Financial Accounting and Part II covers the essential topics in Managerial Accounting.
In Financial Accounting, students examine the accounting principles and methods (GAAP) used in the preparation of the four principal financial statements, understand how transactions affect a firm's financial statements, and analyze and interpret financial statements.
In Managerial Accounting, students examine how a manager uses accounting information within his or her organization. In this part of the course, students explore how a firm determines the cost per unit of the products and services it sells; how it formulates and decides strategy based on accounting numbers; and how it plans, controls, and evaluates its operations.
A broad introduction to the field of management including such topics as planning, motivation, group dynamics, decision-making, organizing, and group organizational change. The course challenges students to adapt management techniques to a diverse global environment. The course includes case studies and emphasizes critical thinking.
This is a survey course designed to provide an overview of main concepts and theories in the field of marketing. The course introduces students to marketing concepts that are fundamental to the decision-making processes of marketing management. Students have ample opportunities to apply these concepts to problem situations and projects.
This course introduces students to fundamental issues in both corporate financial management and investment management. Students learn one of the most fundamental principles in corporate and personal finance: the time value of money. Students are introduced to the basic features of stocks and bonds and how they are priced. Students work with information reported in the financial press on such items as bonds, equity, interest rates, and foreign exchange rates. They learn how to identify the relevant cash flows for a proposed investment, evaluate that investment, and use financial information to estimate the required rate of return. Students examine the relationship between risk and return and the implication of diversification.
This course introduces students to the external constraints that society places on business activity and behavior. The most obvious are those constraints imposed by law in its various forms: case law from courts, statutory law from legislatures, and regulations from government agencies. However, in addition to these formal systems there are the informal, but extremely powerful constraints imposed by generally accepted moral beliefs and norms of ethical behavior. In this course students explore the relationship between legal and ethical standards to critically analyze and evaluate the behavior of business owners, managers, and employees.
This course provides students with an introduction to the art and science of the leadership process. It is not limited to business leadership. Topics include organizational culture and climate, motivation, performance, power, tactics, ethics and values, personality traits, and intelligence. Students develop skills necessary to effectively analyze historical, contemporary, and even fictional leadership case studies. A primary aim is to help prepare students to meet the challenges of "life's leadership situations."
Prof. Krause directs the Business Leadership Program and teaches classes on management and sustainable business.
Prof. Matthews has published four books, including Colin Powell: Imperfect Patriot and The Art of Command. He teaches courses in leadership and American history, and is currently writing a new book, Bad Generals!
With experience in small business development, banking, and executive training, Prof. Wiese conducts research in international business strategy, business in Latin America, and gender issues in management.
Prof. Reich teaches courses such as Sports Law and Dispute Resolution. His research explores the impact of the internet on the American jury system, professional and amateur athletics, and more.
Prof. Kapalczynski's research interests include investments, financial markets/institutions, and corporate governance. She teaches financial management, international finance, and personal finance classes.
As part of Puget Sound's Civic Scholarship Program, Prof. Milam works with regional policymakers to design land-use and conservation policies. His teaching includes courses on a variety of topics in economics.
Prof. Paradise has been an educator for more than 30 years; at Puget Sound, courses include introductory mathematics and computer science classes, and statistics.
A sampling of ways students gain experience:
Our graduates work at:
Our graduates continue their studies at:
