Business Administration & Accounting

Business Administration & Accounting Department

Melissa S. Oakes, C.P.A., C.F.E., M.B.A.
Department Chair

 moakes@thiel.edu
 724-589-2046

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  • Business Administration and Accounting Department

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    At Thiel College, our Business Administration and Accounting Department encourages an entrepreneurial mindset and helps students bring their business ideas to life. By combining both theory and practice, business and accounting majors have many career-ready opportunities for professional development.

    Thiel’s Arthur McGonigal Department of Business Administration and Accounting proudly enhances our undergraduate business degrees with forward-thinking student resources. Accounting and business majors can take advantage of financial support for entrepreneurial activities, and have opportunities for field experience and internships. As our students prepare to graduate, we offer personalized career development which includes mock interview sessions, business etiquette dinners, resume and cover letter writing seminars and so much more.

    Master of Business Administration (MBA)

    Extending our undergraduate business program, Thiel College makes it possible for you to graduate with a B.A. in business administration and an MBA—dual degrees that can give you a head start in your career in just five years! Thiel MBA students will learn in an accelerated cohort-based program that features experiential coursework in a residential learning environment.

    Thiel also offers an accelerated 11-month Management MBA for young professionals looking to take their careers to the next level.

    Learn more about Thiel's MBA programs.

    For questions about the MBA program please contact the MBA Program Director, Dr. Anthony Kos, at akos@thiel.edu.

    Business Degrees, Majors, and Minors

    Thiel offers a variety of undergraduate business degrees designed to launch careers in accounting, finance, marketing and across the business field. As the largest academic department at Thiel College, the Arthur McGonigal Department of Business Administration and Accounting offers students the opportunity for specialized coursework across several business-related majors.

    At Thiel College, students can earn a Bachelor of Arts degree in:

    • Accounting
    • Business Administration
    • Business Communication
    • Business & Financial Journalism
    • Public Relations, Advertising & Integrated Marketing Communication

    Students also have the opportunity to earn an Associate of Arts (A.A.) degree in Accounting or an A.A. in Business Administration. Furthermore, three minors are offered through the department: accounting, business administration, and economics.

    Cooperative Business Programs

    The Department of Business Administration and Accounting also offers three cooperative programs that allow undergraduate students to earn business degrees with certificates in their field of interest. These cooperative programs expand the professional outlook of a typical business major, providing one-of-a-kind opportunities to specialize their degree and step confidently into their career.

    The cooperative business programs include:

    • B.A. in Business Administration with a mortuary diploma through the Pittsburgh Institute of Mortuary Science (PIMS)
    • B.A. in Business Administration with a certificate in Culinary Arts from Pittsburgh Technical College
    • B.A. in Business Administration with a certificate in Fashion and Retail Management through the Art Institute of Pittsburgh

    Students of the cooperative programs begin their studies at Thiel College and then move on-site to Pittsburgh as they finish their degrees.

    Networking Opportunities for Business Majors

    Throughout their undergraduate coursework, students in Thiel’s business degrees learn from professors with real-world experience and are afforded many opportunities to network with successful entrepreneurs and business professionals in the field.

    In addition, the Ruth A. Miller Senior Business Seminar provides juniors and seniors with the opportunity to network with distinguished alumni during a series of weekly dinner lectures. Each event is followed by a Q&A session that allows business majors to join the conversation. Furthermore, academically successful juniors and seniors can also be inducted into the honorary commerce society Chi Eta Sigma.

    The Haller Enterprise Institute

    At Thiel, the Haller Enterprise Institute encourages students to build their own businesses while still pursuing their undergraduate degree. The institute offers thousands of dollars in scholarships and students are supported by a board of successful entrepreneurs and business professionals.

    Department Awards

    In the Department of Business Administration and Accounting, outstanding senior students are recognized each year with three departmental awards: the Pennsylvania Institute of Certified Public Accountants Outstanding Senior Award, the Wall Street Journal Award and the Departmental Honors Award.

    Accounting and Business Alumni and Careers

    Thiel business majors are exceptionally successful in finding first-time jobs after graduation. Our faculty work closely with students to prepare for and pursue a range of professional opportunities. For example, the department hosts many networking events that allow students to speak with professionals from numerous companies in the area.

    Other students opt not to enter the job market right away and continue on to graduate and law school to continue their education. Thiel’s undergraduate business and accounting majors provide a cutting-edge, hands-on education that ensures that students are prepared to thrive in these graduate degree programs.

    “The [department] promoted the idea of networking in each of my courses. They [encouraged] each student to take advantage of and reach out to alumni and other professionals who make themselves available to the College. I find it important that so many people find their way back to Thiel, always looking for a way to give back.” Eleanor G. Belleau ’12

    Read more business alumni success stories.

    Learn More About Business Administration and Accounting at Thiel

    Thiel College’s Department of Business Administration and Accounting is the largest academic department on campus and has a transformative curriculum that prepares business majors to excel in a number of industries.

    Featuring the opportunity for specialized coursework, our undergraduate business degrees encourage, support, and promote career-ready skills and entrepreneurial thinking. Our 5-year M.B.A. allows students to extend their Business Administration studies to earn an accelerated dual degree.

    Excited to learn more? Request information about Thiel’s Business Administration and Accounting Department.

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    Thiel College
    75 College Ave
    Greenville, PA 16125
    1-800-248-4435