Knauss School of Business
The Knauss School of Business is committed to developing socially responsible leaders with a global mindset through values-based education and innovative research. Together, we work to advance sustainable and ethical business solutions that address the world's greatest challenges.
The major goal of professional undergraduate business education in the Knauss School of Business is to prepare students with an educational foundation for effective and responsible administrative and managerial leadership in both private and public organizations or related professional activities. This goal implies educating persons to be responsible adults in all aspects of their lives in an era of dynamic change. It implies that we aim to educate persons as highly competent professionals who strive for the achievement of the highest values and goals.
The basic orientation of the Knauss School of Business is professional, and this dictates a four-part curriculum. The first part is the USD core curriculum. An effective leader and professional in this era of change and challenge must be a well-rounded individual. It is necessary that our students learn the indispensable competencies of written literacy, mathematical competency and critical reasoning. Furthermore, it is our objective to help students develop their own internalized value systems and appreciate the diversity of human experience. We believe that a liberal arts educational foundation is a necessary part of a professional education, and we have structured a curriculum that recognizes this as preparation for life.
The second part is the lower-division preparation for the major. These courses provide a solid foundation preparing for the upper-division courses in business. Courses include BusinessCalculus or Calculus, Principles of Microeconomics and Macroeconomics, Information Systems, Statistics for Business and Economics and Principles of Financial and Managerial Accounting.
The third part is the “business component,” which provides the foundation for a career as a manager or as a business-related professional. Students establish an understanding of the interaction between the firm and its environment, and an overall view of policy-making in an organization. This business component curriculum is designed to help our students become professionals with highly analytical minds.
The fourth part of the curriculum provides the student an opportunity to specialize in an area of study and prepare for a career in business. This “major component” includes majors in accounting, business administration, business analytics, business economics, economics, finance, international business, marketing, real estate, and supply chain management. The goal of this portion of the curriculum is to provide the student with the understanding necessary for the development of one’s career in business.
This section also includes the Passport Program. As a career-readiness program, the Passport Program provides an opportunity for career-building skills and networking contacts to complement the business curriculum. Students become familiar with professional development, including job search techniques, resume building, networking and interview skills as well as other aspects of career exploration and readiness.
Our goal is to graduate self-motivated, ethically-minded individuals who will be able to absorb and use an ever-growing body of knowledge and changing technology, and to serve humankind in an ethical manner.
Advisory Boards and Committees
A number of advisory boards and committees have been established to assist various Programs within the Knauss School of Business in the following areas:
Developing and promoting relations between the Knauss School of Business and the business, not-for-profit and government communities.
Providing counsel and advice on existing and contemplated Programs of the Knauss School of Business .
Serving as liaisons between the Knauss School of Business and the San Diego community, the state and national sectors.
Advising the Dean and the Faculty on matters dealing with business Programs, curricula and activities.
Assisting in seeking sources of support for Knauss School of Business Programs and facilities.
Improving and facilitating recruiting and placement of graduates and alumni.
Advising the Knauss School of Business on ways and means of effective utilization of human and physical resources in business research projects and Programs.
Administration
Richard Joseph, JD, Interim Dean
Nakeisha Lewis, PhD, Associate Dean of Strategy and Curriculum Innovation
Yen-Ting (Daniel) Lin,, PhD, Associate Dean of Faculty and Operations
Kelli Bagley, MBA, Assistant Dean, Finance and Strategic Management
Kacy Hayes, PhD, Assistant Dean, Learner Success