University of Delaware’s Lerner College of Business and Economics is a four-year program that allows customization in course study and a number of outside-the-classroom learning opportunities.
In the past three years, Lerner has implemented a number of changes to their program.
The Executive Mentors Scholarship program pairs students with an executive in their area of interest to develop one-on-one mentoring. The Wall Street/Finance in NYC Prep and Referral Program provides training, mock interview training, network opportunities, and referrals. Lerner also has introduced a multitude of minors — trust management (the first-of-its-kind offered by any accredited b-school), business analytics, spa & wellness management, social entrepreneurship, event management and beverage management — to help students customize their degrees.
Customized study
One of the greatest opportunities for Lerner students is the flexibility in course study. Students are admitted directly into business majors as freshmen. The business program features an optional business undeclared major that allows students to choose any major in the college. Over 20% of Lerner students choose to double major.
Lerner has 13 in-demand majors including:
- Accounting
- Economics
- Entrepreneurship & Technology Innovation
- Finance
- Financial Planning & Wealth Managemen
- Hotel, Restaurant & Institutional Management
- Hospitality Industry Management
- International Business Studies
- Management
- Marketing
- Operations Management
- Management Information Systems
- Sports Management
Opportunities outside the classroom
The flexibility in course study at Lerner allows students a number of outside-the-classroom learning opportunities. University of Delaware has an optional five-week winter session between fall and spring semester, which allows students to participate in study abroad opportunities. The winter session gives students an option of a shorter period of time abroad, which is less expensive than a full semester abroad. Lerner reports that approximately 50% of Lerner undergrads have at least one global experience before they graduate.
There are also a number of experiential opportunities for Lerner students to apply their studies.
Students in the Blue Hen Investment club, one of 25 student clubs, actively manage a fund comprised of $1.8 million of assets within the Geltzeiler Trading Center. Other experiential learning centers include: Horn Entrepreneurship, Marriott Center for Tourism & Hospitality and Vita Nova fine dining restaurant. Internships, through the Lerner Career Services Center, connect students to top companies in Philadelphia, New York, D.C. and around the globe.
What alumni say:
“I spent the semester at the Swiss School of Tourism and Hospitality and took my cooking, serving, event planning, nutrition, as well as language courses…knocking out 20 credits in one semester which in addition to the transfer of a few AP credits from Padua Academy and taking 18 credit semesters and a winter session…enabled me to finish my degree in 3.5 years and join the field of Hospitality at the start of 2016 rather than May giving me a leg up in interviews and more confidence as I did not feel rushed to accept.” – Erin Vrescis-Cronin
“I did an internship for credit at JPMorgan Chase. This allowed me to analyze large data sets and get real world insights into the financial industry.” – William Kashdan
