Even with the economic slowdown, the College of Business at ASU has not seen a shortage in the number of business majors, according to preliminary figures released by the College of Business last week.
The department of management had the highest increase in the College of Business, but the department of economics has seen a slowdown in the number of freshman pre-business students.
Last year, the department of management enrolled 389 full-time students, while this year, the department recorded the increase at 453 full-time students.
Phil Regier, assistant dean of undergraduate programs stated that overall enrollment for the College of Business is up because of two reasons.
"Enrollment is up partly in response to the economy," Regier said. "During bad economic times, what can I do that will secure me a good position in the future."
Regier also added that enrollment might also be increasing because of the growing reputation of the College of Business as a good option for business programs in comparison to other regional programs.
The preliminary figures have indicated that the number of pre-business freshmen declaring a degree in the department of economics has dropped.
With freshmen enrollment already exceeding the 2003 projections, Ferris added that class size becomes an issue for various core classes.
Arthur Blakemore, chairman of the economics department, agrees with Ferris's assessment, as classes such as macro- and microeconomics are classes that are required by a number of majors.
"Class size has become more of a problem," Blakemore said. "Finding enough instructors and rooms for economic classes is becoming a serious problem."
Blakemore also said that in terms of the decrease in the number of pre-professional freshmen wanting a degree in economics, they do not "pay attention" to those numbers until they are of professional status because at that point students are an officially declared economics major.
In total, the combined number of undergraduate students in both professional and pre-business status has gone up 108 students.
Graduate students have increased more significantly, with 175 new students enrolled and 41 new transfer students accepted in 2001.
Kay Ferris, an assistant dean of undergraduate programs in the College of Business, added that while demand remained strong, the College of Business would continue to recruit and attract strong students and plan to keep the number of students accepted into the professional program at a constant number.
"We are keeping the professional program capped at 2,650 students in order to better service those students," Ferris said.
Reach Tony Ku at thatsku@hotmail.com.
