We produce well-rounded, professionally prepared graduates who are ready to serve their community, employers, and the world at-large.

Department of Business, Accounting and Economics

The Department of Business, Accounting, and Economics (B.A.E.) at Otterbein is dedicated to providing a personalized education of distinction that leads our graduates to inquiring, ethical, humane, and productive lives as global citizens. Our faculty is focused on action-oriented learning by integrating classroom knowledge with practice through internships, research, service projects, study abroad, participation in professional associations, and networking with employers, faculty, alumni, community leaders, and recruiters.

Otterbein’s BAE program ensures you will have experiential learning in all majors and minors. We offer a wide range of majors in Accounting/Public Accounting, Business Administration & Management, Business Analytics, Economics, Finance, and Marketing. Get started on MBA courses while finishing up your bachelor’s degree!  Take MBA course electives your senior year and finish the MBA program at an accelerated rate.  

Programs of Study in Business, Accounting and Economics

Business, Accounting & Economics

B.S.

Accounting

Otterbein Public Accounting

B.S.

Public Accounting

Business Administration   Management

B.S.

Business Administration and Management

Business Analytics

B.S.

Business Analytics

Otterbein Economics Feaatured Image

B.A.

Economics

Finance Featured Image

B.S.

Finance

Otterbein Bae Marketing

B.S.

Marketing

Otterbein Bae Business Minors

M.B.A.

Masters of Business Administration

Student, Faculty, and Alumni Spotlights

STUDENT SPOTLIGHT

Quote 300x241 1
The flexibility of the BAE department allows me to pursue my interdisciplinary passions between my economics and English degrees. These connections are one of the reasons why attending a liberal arts school, like Otterbein, is so beneficial to gaining a well-rounded perspective of how the world works.

Abby Vitali ’25

Economics and English, double major
Current intern at Albeit Weiker, LLP.

STUDENT SPOTLIGHT

Quote Red
Otterbein was the first campus I visited where the community felt like home. I liked the interconnectedness between the University and local residents, just being in class, and the engaging conversations with faculty.

Phanawn Bailey ’21

B.S. in Finance
While at Otterbein, Phanawn completed an internship with the CEO of All World Project Management in Memphis, Tennessee.

STUDENT SPOTLIGHT

Tan Quoteup
The invaluable part about Otterbein is the connections you build with faculty. It helped me figure out who I am, what I want, and the courses here really push you to help you develop your strengths. I wouldn’t change a thing!

Hannah Stapp ’23

Business Analytics and Marketing, double major

STUDENT SPOTLIGHT

Quote Red
My education at Otterbein has helped prepare me immensely for my career and life. I have learned a lot academically and as a person. The curriculum can sometimes be challenging, but professors are always willing to assist you and answer questions. I am on the women’s basketball team, and my professors understand the demands of extracurricular activities and support me in many ways.

Natalie Galaida ’23

Business Administration and Management, Health Communications double major, Accounting minor
Internship at OhioHealth.

STUDENT SPOTLIGHT

Quote 300x241 1
Otterbein has prepared me very well for my future. While working at my internship over the summer, I realized how good of an education I have received from Otterbein. I never felt lost and had a strong grasp of everything I needed to know. Our class size is great for me to have a personal learning style similarly to what it would be like in the business world. I have also made many personal relationships with my professors and friends that have helped shape me into a better person for the world.

Anthony Holmes ‘23

Accounting, MBA ’24

STUDENT SPOTLIGHT

Tan Quoteup
Otterbein truly just spoke to me. The community feel and small class sizes is what I needed to be successful. I’m so happy I chose Otterbein!

Kenzie Prickett ‘24

Marketing and Global Studies, double major

Business Analytics Competition 2022
BAE courses, like the BUS 4950 business practicum, offer hands-on experiences based on industry practices like certifications in digital marketing and Web analytics. You can also stand out by joining the Sigma Beta Delta international Business Honor Society or joining our Business Analytics Competition Team.

Learn more >

Upper class Accounting majors get to experience the governance of the accounting profession, prepare for the CPA examination, and network with accounting professionals from around the state at the Accountancy Board of Ohio (ABO) Annual Meeting during a visit led by Professors Brian Day and Stephen Osborne each year.

Accountancy Board Of Ohio

ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT

Quote Red
Otterbein prepared me for my career and life by challenging me in the classroom with rigorous and relevant coursework. This afforded me many opportunities to apply knowledge in real world scenarios. Many of my professors helped me to develop a skillset that made me attractive to employers and effective on the job. Otterbein BAE often brought in recruiters, managers, and VPs from various companies in the Columbus area, shaping our first-hand knowledge and developing an extensive network. All of this helped me grow as a student, develop into a sound professional, and ultimately, become a better member of society.

Shaq Alexander ‘18

Finance
Senior Associate, Business Tax Services at KPMG

ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT

Tan Quoteup
At Otterbein, I didn’t feel like just another student in the classroom. As a business analytics major, I was able to learn how to code, complete real-life case studies, get to know my professors, and gain internship experience. With Otterbein’s close proximity to Columbus, there are so many opportunities to develop as a young professional. I know I felt prepared for my full-time position upon graduation.

Kasey Morris ’19

Business Analytics
Associate at Insight Sourcing Group.

Check Kasey’s new book, Head Start, a recent grad’s guide to getting a professional head start >

ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT

Quote 300x241 1
The Otterbein BAE program successfully set me up for success in the “real” world in several ways. First, the small class sizes that Otterbein BAE offers allows for a close connection to professors to enhance learning with constant dialogue and guidance from the professors! All the professors in the BAE program go above and beyond to help their students succeed which I have always been greatly thankful for. Additionally, the close collaboration with classmates to reach a common goal is how the real world works and it allowed me to learn how to work in a team setting to set me up for success.

Adam Grumman ’19

Finance and Economics double major
Financial Analyst, Wealth Management Associate at JPMorgan Chase & Co.

ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT

Quote Red
Otterbein‘s BAE department provided me with the tools I needed to be successful in my career. I not only became specialized within my major, but I acquired crucial skills across various lines of business. I am thankful to the University for helping me be molded into the innovative professional I am today.

Kaitlyn Manny (Brooks) ‘20

Business Administration and Management & Marketing, double major
Business Banking Campaign Manager at JPMorgan Chase & Co.

ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT

Tan Quoteup
One of the most memorable aspects about the BAE department was the talented and dedicated faculty. My professors would often go the extra mile to help students overcome academic obstacles. Graduating with both Marketing and Graphic Design degrees has given me an advantage in the workplace. Working in a lead marketing role for a small company often requires me to take on a variety of roles, which is something that comes easily to me as a double major.

Emily Shuey ’20

Marketing and Graphic Design, double major
Marketing Manager at SecturaSOFT.

ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT

Quote 300x241 1
The 4+1 M.B.A. program is great and was very influential in my decision to continue my graduate education at Otterbein. The fact that I’m leaving with two degrees is an even greater feeling of accomplishment during all the COVID-19 craziness.

Nick Hassinger ’20

B.S. Accounting (2020) and M.B.A. (2021)
Nick was a 2020 recipient of the Mafi-Tabatabai Endowed Award, a B.A.E. Departmental Award.
Senior accountant at Bober Market Fedorovich in Fairlawn OH.

Quote Red
Our students are sought out by employers and are able to find meaningful employment because of their exceptional business training skills, and their well-rounded liberal arts education.

Kyriacos Aristotelous​

Professor of Business, Accounting, and Economics​

Organizations employing Otterbein interns include:​ Battelle, JPMorgan Chase, Morgan Stanley Wealth Management, Fifth Third Bank, National City Bank, Nationwide Insurance, Huntington Bank, Deloitte, Ohio Department of Commerce, Ohio Department of Taxation, Ohio Department of Transportation, The Department of Defense, Worthington Industries, and Honda R&D Americas, Inc.​
Ava Liu

FACULTY SPOTLIGHT

Tan Quoteup
I want my students to walk away from my class with a strong sense of marketing and strategy. No one has perfect answers, particularly to the difficult and complex questions that the business world addresses. It’s not a mystery – it’s something that can be understood with time, diligence, and attention. And when you are equipped with a unique combination of knowledge, skills, experiences (you garnered from several tries), passion, and an open mind, you have well-positioned yourself for success.

Ava Liu

Associate Professor of Marketing
Learn more about Professor Liu >

Department Features and Student Opportunities

012 Books

Departmental Honors

The Department of Business, Accounting, and Economics offers several departmental honors opportunities for our outstanding and diverse students.

020 Library

Teaching and Mentorship

Professors build relationships with students, both in and out of the classroom, providing mentorship to help them succeed academically and professionally.

Thinking  1

Internships and Careers

Our faculty work with industry colleagues to plan and supervise business internships that allow students to apply classroom knowledge to real-world situations.

Dsc 8772

Hands on Experiences

BAE courses, like the BUS 4950 business practicum, offer hands-on experiences based on industry practices like certifications in digital marketing and Web analytics. You can also stand out by joining the Sigma Beta Delta international Business Honor Society or joining our Business Analytics Competition Team. Learn More >

Sigma Beta Delta

Sigma Beta Delta

This International Business Honor Society enables faculty to give B.A.E. students international recognition for their outstanding academic achievements.

Global Business Internships At Otterbein

Global Experiences

Study abroad in our exchange programs with Maastricht University in The Netherlands or Linnaeus University in Sweden, among others.

Graphic that reads: The Coalition for the Common Good (Antioch University and Otterbein University) New MBA Opportunities.

Otterbein University MBA Program Moving to the Coalition for the Common Good


News - March 15, 2024
Exciting changes are coming to Otterbein University’s Master of Business Administration (MBA) program. Starting in the fall of 2024, the MBA program will be transferred to the Coalition for the Common Good (CCG) to be taught through Antioch University, Otterbein’s collaborating partner. The CCG is a bold, new national system of universities committed to meeting the needs of working professionals and adult learners. Otterbein and Antioch University founded the CCG in 2023 as a higher education system of private, independent…

Read More >

Otterbein Professor Ava Liu Discusses Marketing Digitalization

Otterbein Professor Ava Liu Discusses Marketing and Digitalization of Insurance Companies like Progressive


News - October 2, 2023
https://wallethub.com/edu/ci/progressive-car-insurance-review/62427#expert=Yiyuan_Ava_Liu

Read More >

Roush Hall Facade

Is the Federal Reserve Lucky or Good? 


News - September 27, 2023
The business cycle is defined as the ups and downs in the level of business activity, as measured by the Gross Domestic Product — the monetary value of all goods and services produced within the U.S. Notable business cycle historical events we all learn about include the Great Depression in the 1930s, Stagflation (employment and inflation) in the 1970s, and the Financial Crisis in 2008. The COVID-19 pandemic disrupted global economies in ways nobody could have predicted and many wondered…

Read More >

Otterbein’s perfect location means that many of the industry-leading companies where our students find internships are also very close to campus.

Honda Motor Company
Wi Logo Full Color Official 2019
Wi Logo Full Color Official 2019
Jpmorgan Chase Logo
Kpmg logo
Schneider Downs & Co., Inc.
Rea and Associates

Contact Us

Roush Hall
27 S. Grove St.
Westerville, OH 43081

Administrative Assistant

Allison M. de Nijs
614-823-1310
denijs1@otterbein.edu

“Otterbein BAE differentiates itself with professors who go the extra mile to invest in students’ career development and academic experience. I also love my study abroad experiences at Maastricht University through Otterbein’s exchange program.”

Logan Fenech, ‘21, Accounting & Finance double major. Analyst in the Financial Sponsors Group at Fifth Third Bank