Business, Organizations & Society
About Business, Organizations & Society
Our Program and Courses
By the time you graduate, you will have developed:
- Analytical reasoning, or the ability to take descriptive material and draw conclusions more generally about a particular phenomenon. This includes identifying appropriate analytical techniques to solve business problems, recognizing and critically analyzing ethical issues, conducting a SWOT (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats) analysis in a business context, and more.
- Practical reasoning, or the ability to draw upon business, financial, and ethical theories and techniques; consider how these affect the individual; and understand how the individual’s decisions affect businesses, organizations, and society.
- Multiple framing, or the ability to effectively argue more than one side of an issue or conflict. You’ll have confidence in comparing the shareholder to the stakeholder perspective, developing and considering the viability of multiple solutions for a problem, and more.
- Reflective exploration of meaning, or the ability to reflect on how class material affects the individual, and how the individual’s decision affects the firm and society. This can range from identifying a business decision’s potential impacts on environmental sustainability to considering the impact a particular understanding or approach has on who you are or how you engage with the world.
Curious to learn more about BOS classes? Explore our course catalog to see what’s available to you.
Learning Outside the Classroom
Student-Managed Investment Portfolio (SMIP)
Get real-world portfolio management experience with the Student-Managed Investment Portfolio (SMIP). SMIP is a portfolio of stocks students exclusively and collectively manage in the portfolio management course (BOS 363). A share of the funds generated by SMIP are used to provide financial assistance for F&M students.
Entrepreneurship at F&M
In the spirit of living up to Benjamin Franklin’s legacy of creating solutions in the service of the public good, Entrepreneurship at F&M is a program that offers exciting opportunities for all students to explore and develop entrepreneurial skills. In addition to courses in entrepreneurship, there are several supporting programs, including:- The F&M Incubator, which offers opportunities for students to bring their creative solutions to life. You’ll work in a team and you may receive mentoring, specialized support, and/or project funding. You’ll also attend a series of workshops on customer identification, design thinking, marketing and legal considerations, and other topics.
- A summer entrepreneurship experience during which you’ll earn course credit and gain real-world experience for your resume while discovering and mastering the entrepreneurial skills needed to bring innovation to any organization. You’ll be matched as a paid intern with sponsoring startups, entrepreneurs, and other organizations that are looking to innovate or disrupt the status quo across a variety of industries.
- Workshops that introduce, discuss, or focus on entrepreneurship methods and insight
- Events featuring F&M alumni and members of the wider community who have changed the status quo in all sectors of the economy and society
Explore entrepreneurship at F&M
Internships for Credit
What better way to put your earned skills to the test than with an internship? By
completing an internship for credit, you can add valuable experience to your resume
while earning a credit toward your degree.
Explore internships at F&M
Research Opportunities and Independent Studies
Every student at F&M has extraordinary opportunities to engage in independent or faculty-led
research. BOS faculty are expert researchers on a wide array of business topics, including:
accounting, finance, investment portfolios, international business, law, management,
markets, marketing, human resources, organizational behavior, sustainability, and
more.
Explore research at F&M
Off-Campus Study
Off-campus study, in the U.S. and internationally, is encouraged. F&M students have
studied abroad in Spain, Italy, France, China, England, Ireland, and much more.
Explore off-campus study at F&M
Dual Degree Programs
Earn Master of Human Resource Management
In partnership with Rutgers University, this program allows F&M graduates with a bachelor’s degree in business, organizations and society (BOS) or the relevant eligible F&M courses to earn credits toward a master of human resources management (MHRM). Up to five of the Rutgers MHRM’s 16 courses will be waived if students have had similar courses at F&M and earned a B or better in those courses.
Earn Master of Science in Accounting
Through partnerships with Wake Forest University, Vanderbilt University, and New York University, F&M students of any major are eligible to complete both a bachelor's degree at F&M and a master of science (accounting) over the span of five years. After completing four years at F&M, students apply for admission at the respective graduate program, and then complete one full year at that institution. At the end of the five-year experience, students will be eligible to sit for the CPA exam. If you enroll at Wake Forest University or Vanderbilt University, you will receive a minimum of $10,000 / semester tuition scholarship. At the end of the five-year experience, you will be eligible to sit for the Certified Public Accountant (CPA) exam.
Success Beyond F&M
What happens when you graduate with a liberal arts degree in BOS? A world of opportunities awaits.
Graduate School
BOS graduates have gone on to study law, while others have pursued advanced degrees in business at University of Pennsylvania, Villanova University, Columbia University, Cornell University, and Drexel University.
Career Paths
BOS majors are prepared for careers in a wide array of industries. Many obtain positions in education, business, banking, government, and law. They hold positions such as:- Account Coordinator
- Account Director
- Accountant
- Assistant Vice President
- Banking Director
- CEO
- Chief Financial Officer
- Chief Operating Officer
- Client Relationship Associate
- Data Analyst
- Director of Human Resources
- Financial Advisor
- Investment Banking Analyst
- Lawyer
- Marketing Associate
- Marketing Manager
- Paralegal
- Recruiter
- Research Associate
- Social Media and Marketing Coordinator
- Trade Analyst
Student Spotlight
“There’s so much opportunity at F&M.”
A two-week research project helped Elshaday Melakamu ’26 connect with a professor and eventually led her to present at a conference for the Academy of Management, a prestigious management association with 20,000 members in 120 countries. “There’s so much opportunity at F&M,” Melakamu said. “That classes are really small helps to build relationships with professors. That’s how I got to know Professor Kurland really well. I emailed her and told her my interest, we got connected, and I started working on the project.” Business, Organizations and Society Professor Nancy Kurland submitted a paper based on their research collaboration, which was accepted for presentation at the conference. “I have never heard of an undergraduate student attending, let alone presenting, at this conference,” Kurland said. “So it is a big deal that Elshaday did.”Read More »
Alumni Spotlight
A BOS Lawyer
Alysse Danyi ’23 always knew she wanted to study business in college. “One reason why I chose F&M was because of the BOS major,” she said. “I was drawn to F&M’s unique liberal arts approach to business.” Danyi crafted a major in business, public policy, and German, a unique blend that led her to post-graduate success pursuing a Juris Doctor at Villanova University. “My incredible professors, my research experience in the BOS department, and F&M's rigorous liberal arts education prepared me well to critically analyze policy issues and formulate credible, convincing arguments…both of which are important skills for learning and applying the law,” she said.Read More »
Related Fields of Study
Economics
Economics is a social science that focuses on the production, distribution, and consumption of goods and services. By studying economics at F&M, you’ll develop a framework for understanding how the economy works, its shortcomings and how to remedy them, and broaden your perspective of how the economy influences daily lives in all corners of the world.
Mathematics
The study of mathematics is ancient, and its roots in clear and creative thought can still be seen today. While studying mathematics at F&M, you will learn both the fundamental foundations and theories of the field as well as how to apply these theories to real-life problems.
Social Entrepreneurship (Certificate)
Are you interested in having a positive impact on the world around you? F&M’s social entrepreneurship certificate leverages best practices in innovation, social change, and startups to address the social issues that matter most to you.
BOS in Action
May 15, 2025
Williamson Medalist Learns 'Growth Doesn’t Happen When We’re Comfortable'
Shayra Nunez, of New York City, is the 2025 recipient of the Williamson Medal, the College’s most prestigious award for student achievement. It has been awarded annually since 1922. She graduated summa cum laude as a joint major in business, organizations & society, and government. She received the medal at Franklin & Marshall’s Commencement May 10.
April 29, 2025
Academics, Athletics & Adventure: Koa Kaliebe’s F&M Trifecta
At F&M, Koa Kaliebe '25 wasn't just a student-athlete; he was an explorer. While he competed on the Men's Varsity Soccer team, Kaliebe also dove into intramural volleyball and basketball, a custom major in business and environmental studies, and the culinary scene of Lancaster.
April 8, 2025
Growing Through Community: Evann Tan '25 Reflects on F&M's Impact
Evann Tan ’25 was eager to engage with the F&M community, build supportive relationships, and grow both intellectually and personally. Tan said the relationships he built—with professors and peers—have been the most meaningful part of his time at F&M.