May 2013

SANTA CLARA, Calif. – May 1, 2013 – A 10-week summer program at Santa Clara University will teach business basics and career planning to college students looking to use their humanities or sciences studies in a business environment. Called the Leavey Business Institute (LBI), the program is designed for currently enrolled sophomores, juniors, and seniors at the University and other colleges in the Bay Area.

“Students majoring in non-business subjects will succeed in business—many SCU alumni working in Silicon Valley companies are liberal arts graduates, according to our surveys. However, employers are recruiting workers who will ‘hit the ground running,’ ” said Drew Starbird, dean of the business school. “LBI will help these students develop a business framework to complement their degree, and make that quick start possible.” 

Students in the program will take classes introducing business practice and oral and written communication for the workplace. One course, The Silicon Valley Ecosystem, will be taught by Robert Finocchio, a veteran of several Bay Area companies, and will feature guest speakers and field trips to businesses headquartered in the region. Integrated into the curriculum is an emphasis on career exploration and connecting a student’s major and how it might be used in business.

Courses are delivered to a single cohort which blends students of different majors, making classroom discussion richer. The program earns 13 SCU units, which may be transferrable to a student’s home institution. 

Online applications for the Institute are due June 1. The application and details about the courses, schedule, and faculty, are found at www.scu.edu/LBI.