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  • Our Programs

    In order to create the necessary tools for understanding change and complexity in the global marketplace and in the contemporary political forum, the Alex G. McKenna School of Business, Economics, and Government requires its graduates to obtain a strong liberal arts foundation, which incorporates religion, the sciences, philosophy, the arts, foreign language, English, history, and mathematics. Our programs not only advance your knowledge in specific subject areas, they also encourage and develop analytical and critical thinking, problem solving, writing, and technological skills.

    Additionally, for those students who seek further educational challenges, the McKenna School also offers a particular curriculum in the Western and American intellectual traditions. Students who successfully complete the required courses receive special Departmental Honors as a "Classical Liberal Arts Scholar."

    Acceptance of McKenna School students by highly competitive graduate and law schools (typically in the 90 - 95 % range), combined with extensive faculty scholarship, testify to the strength of all of our programs.

    To learn more about an academic program of interest, including course and other graduation requirements, simply click on the program's name below.

    Alex G. McKenna School of Business, Economics, and Government Outcomes  

    • McKenna business majors are accredited by the Accreditation Council of Business Schools and Programs (ACBSP)—one of the top two premier accrediting agencies for business schools worldwide. With a requirement for faculty professional development and courses primarily (at least 70%) taught by PhDs, the ACBSP is the number one business accreditation program devoted to teaching excellence and service to students. Our job and internship placements are exceptional. Almost 100% of our 2011 business graduates had jobs within six months of graduation.

      Job placement by December 31, 2011 in the field by major for 2011:

      Accounting: 22 out of 24 graduates, 2 are unknown; median salary is $44,000
      Finance: 8/9 graduates; 1 is unknown; median salary is $58,750
      Marketing: 26/28 graduates; 2 unknown; median salary is $44,700
      Management: 23/28 graduates; 4 unknown; 1 is searching; median salary is $40,000
      International Business: 2/4 graduates; 2 unknown; no salary data

      History of Job Placements in their major field by December 31:

      2010: 95.6% placement with median starting salary of $38,000
      2009: 96.0% placement with median starting salary of $40,000
      2008: 98.3% placement with median starting salary of $39,665
      2007: 98.5% placement with median starting salary of $41,000

       
    • Seniors business students score exceptionally well on the ETS undergraduate field test. Out of 685 accredited (i.e., ACBSP and AACSB) business schools, we consistently rank overall in the top 10% of the nation. Over the last three years, in accounting, we scored in the top 7.5-11.6% of the nation and in management the top 10.6% fall 2009, in business systems top 8.5% fall 2009, and in international issues top 11% fall 2011. In fall 2011, we placed in the top 8.1% in marketing. In 2009, we broke the grading curve in finance (top 2.9%) and business law (top 1.1%). Our best performance was in quantitative business analysis, where we placed in the "top 5" of the nation in three out of the last five semesters. In fall 2010, we placed in the "top 29" of quantitative business analysis.
       
    • In fall 2011, SAP announced that they consider SVC to be their top academic provider. SAP proceeded to award SVC 8 summer 2012 high paying internships—3 in California, 3 in Delaware, 1 in Florida, and 1 in Ohio. SAP's comprehensive business software suite is utilized by thousands of prominent world class companies (e.g., Kennametal Inc., Latrobe Specialty Steel Co., Heinz Corporation, SONY). McKenna students may obtain SAP certification at SVC.
       
    • Economics Major: Top 10 nationally ranked (based on percentage of graduates who go on to complete a PhD). Based on data up to 2004, in terms of the absolute number of undergraduates who go on to finish a PhD in Economics, SVC ranked 38th of all BA I and BA II Colleges and universities in the U.S. Since 1984, SVC has had 100 percent placement at highly ranked PhD programs. Presently, we have four students with full scholarships and with $16,000-$18,000 stipends at U. of Pittsburgh, Ohio State U., U. of Virginia, and Indiana U. at Bloomington. Two of our economics graduates finished their PhDs at Princeton University and the University at Albany in fall 2011.
       
    • Nationally acclaimed Politics major: Named one of the strongest such programs "of any Catholic College" in the 2006 edition of All American Colleges: Top Schools for Conservatives, Old-Fashioned Liberals, and People of Faith, ISI Books. Our Politics program is distinguished by its superb faculty, academic excellence with a "Great Books" approach and with an emphasis on primary readings, its extensive, nationally known lecture and conference programs, and the quality of law school and graduate school placements. Recent graduates have attended such highly ranked graduate and law schools as Georgetown, Harvard, Ohio State, George Mason, Carnegie Mellon, Washington U. in St. Louis, and the Claremont Graduate School.