Online purchases of the newest Harry Potter book or Backstreet Boys CD may be atypical topics for discussion in most undergraduate classes at Penn. But entertaining examples of Internet business are common class materials for some courses in the Wharton School -- especially now that Wharton has officially added a new Electronic Commerce secondary concentration to its undergraduate curriculum. And in doing so, Wharton is showing the rest of the University just how powerful an impact Internet technology can have on education. "I am learning about the e-commerce industry, from VerticalNet.com to Amazon.com," said Wharton senior Eric Freeman, who is concentrating both in Operations and Information Management and E-commerce. And while Freeman has taken numerous classes in his Wharton career, the E-commerce information strategy class he took last spring was his "favorite class so far at Penn." And fellow E-commerce concentrator Stephenie Park, a Wharton sophomore, said, "I think [the E-commerce concentration] shows that we are keeping up with the times. A lot of students have their own start-ups so this is keeping with the student population." The E-commerce concentration -- which was established this fall, one year after the MBA Managing Electronic Commerce major was created -- will not be a primary concentration for undergraduates. It will instead provide students with an innovative complement to their traditional business education. The E-commerce concentration requires students to complete three courses in the following areas: strategic management, technical programming and information strategy. A fourth class from other E-commerce electives is also a requirement. And while E-commerce will not stand alone as a primary concentration, OPIM Professor Lorin Hitt, who helped design the program, said the new concentration will greatly benefit the Wharton curriculum. "The concentration will augment what students have done in traditional fields," Hitt said. Hitt co-developed the undergraduate concentration along with Marketing Professor David Schmittlein and Management Professor Harbir Singh. "Wharton has a huge capability in this area," Hitt said of technology. Over the past few years, Hitt saw roughly 12 Wharton undergraduate students design individual concentrations in E-commerce. "With the E-commerce concentration, we have tried to come up with a structure for what students demanded," Hitt said. Last year, after Hitt worked to develop the MBA Managing Electronic Commerce major, he saw an opportunity to create a similar program for interested undergraduate students. Although the concentration is early in its developmental stages, student reaction is positive. "It's the right time. E-commerce is playing a big role in changing people's lives. It's just starting," Wharton senior and E-commerce concentrator Raymond Chan said. Chan, who will graduate with additional concentrations in Finance and OPIM, is one of the 27 Wharton students who have officially declared Managing E-commerce as a secondary concentration. Hitt, Schmittlein and Singh proposed the E-commerce concentration to the Undergraduate Curriculum Committee last spring. While the E-commerce concentration does not have a department of its own -- its faculty members all belong to established Wharton departments -- Hitt hopes that the program will develop in the future. Wharton has not hired any faculty specifically to teach E-commerce classes, but Hitt noted that of the school's most recent faculty hires, professors have shown interest in Internet technology. Hitt cited Legal Studies Professor Dan Hunter, as a good example. Although Hunter was not hired to teach Internet-related classes, he currently has an interest in teaching an Internet law class.
The Daily Pennsylvanian is an independent, student-run newspaper. Please consider making a donation to support the coverage that shapes the University. Your generosity ensures a future of strong journalism at Penn.
DonatePlease note All comments are eligible for publication in The Daily Pennsylvanian.