our mission
The Department of Business, Government, and Society (BGS) prepares future leaders to navigate the complex domestic and international regulatory, social, political, cultural, and ethical environments in which modern firms operate. As these forces grow increasingly central to business decision-making across the globe, students need tools that integrate these dimensions into a coherent understanding of how organizations create value and fulfill their responsibilities. Our department’s mission is to meet that need. Our programming and coursework are designed to equip students to engage thoughtfully with issues such as corporate social responsibility, cross-border operations, government and stakeholder relations, global political economies, and the broader societal impacts of business. We ensure that McCombs graduates are prepared not only to succeed in business, but to also do so with clarity, integrity, and an understanding of the interconnected world in which firms and societies operate.
✪ Lead with integrity
Across the BGS curriculum, students engage with global and domestic regulatory, legal, political, and social systems that directly shape decision-making. This multidisciplinary approach gives future business leaders perspective on how firms interact with broader societal expectations around ethics, culture, and responsibility. By developing a nuanced understanding of these forces, students are prepared to make informed, strategic decisions that are not only legally sound and economically rational, but also responsive to the complex social and political environment in which modern businesses compete.
What You’ll Learn in BGS
Public Policy and Regulation
Ethics and Social Responsibility
International Business
Frequently Asked Questions
How can business students benefit from learning about ethics? Haven’t most college students already developed their sense of right and wrong?
Business ethics education isn’t about telling students what is right or wrong, since students likely developed their moral compass long before arriving at McCombs. Our goal is to equip students with the tools to operate in alignment with their moral compass in a complex corporate environment, where ethical decision-making can often be compromised due to cognitive blind spots and organizational pressures. By leveraging advances in behavioral psychology and neuropsychology, we expose the mechanics behind why smart, well-intentioned managers may make poor decisions. Our classes teach students to recognize the ethical dimensions of decision-making that can often be hidden, apply proven frameworks to navigate gray areas, and structure business environments that prevent ethical failures in the first place. Ultimately, we teach ethics to ensure your business decisions align with the moral standards you already hold, helping you lead with clarity and avoid future regret.
Why should business students care about social values? How can BGS courses help students apply these values to real-world professional challenges?
Though some may suggest that a business’s sole duty is to maximize shareholder value and leave social protection to government and law, this idea has become obsolete in the modern business world. Businesses depend on a social license to operate that is rooted in robust social, ethical, and legal norms, meaning that market success hinges on public trust and accepted behavior. Future business leaders will inevitably face decisions that pose ethical dilemmas, and failure to recognize the social and ethical dimensions during the decision-making process can pose significant financial, regulatory, and reputational risk. A nuanced understanding of the complex social, ethical, and political forces that impact business and society is a strategic necessity for effective management and long-term value creation.
Why should students learn about international business even if they plan to live and work in the United States?
Nearly all business is global—companies operate in a world where teams, clients, competitors, and suppliers can come from anywhere. Future business leaders will inevitably need to connect with people and organizations across borders, and that reality will require an understanding of the complex, interconnected, and constantly shifting international environment shaped by economic trends, political developments, legal systems, and cultural differences. Simply put, understanding international business leads to better decisions, more effective collaboration, and stronger business practices wherever they are based.
Explore BGS Programs
Business and Public Policy Minor
International Business Major
International Business Minor
National Security and International Business Minor
