Wharton Offers New E-Commerce Major to MBA Students.

PHILADELPHIA--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Nov. 15, 1999--

The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania today announced the approval of a new interdepartmental major in electronic commerce for MBA students, effective immediately.

The new major, "Managing Electronic Commerce," will focus on the design and implementation of effective strategies related to the use of electronic commerce. The major, which will be administered through the Marketing Department, is intended to provide an in-depth foundation for individuals interested in pursuing ventures specifically focused on the Internet, from electronic retailing to traditional firms attempting to define the appropriate role for electronic commerce.

With more than 50 faculty members across various disciplines participating, "Wharton is poised to address the whole breadth of issues relating to e-commerce," said Patrick Harker, Wharton's interim dean. "The Internet is impacting every aspect of business and, whether the context is legal, strategic, marketing or policy-oriented in nature, we have the resources and expertise to add value."

The major provides an interdisciplinary approach to several decision areas, including advertising/communication, electronic retailing, information structures for large organizations, pricing, product and service design and supply chain management. The major integrates approximately 35 existing courses with e-business components from multiple academic departments: Management, Marketing, Operations and Information Management, Health Care Systems and Public Policy and Management. To gain specific instruction in a particular area of interest, students may pursue one of five separate tracks within the major: Business-to-Business, Electronic Media and Marketing, Entrepreneurial, Information-Based Strategy and eConomics, and Supply Chain Management.

"The establishment of this major is reflective of what is already happening here at Wharton and in the world," added David Schmittlein, Ira A. Lipman Professor, professor of marketing and academic director of the e-commerce major. "Recognizing that our MBA students were already creating individualized majors with an e-commerce focus, this was a logical step. However, the nature of the Internet and e-business will continue to evolve and, as that happens, so too will the requirements and electives of the major."

Software, the Internet and multimedia continue to impact employment choices of Wharton students, making technology-related industries the third highest industry employer. More than 18% of the Class of 1999 and 19% of the Class of 2000 accepted positions with high-tech responsibility. In addition, the Class of 1999 saw an increase in the number of graduating entrepreneurs.

An interdepartmental group of faculty with teaching and research interests in electronic commerce will monitor the requirements and evolution of the major, with input from the student body.

The major in e-commerce will now be offered to MBA students, but an undergraduate concentration is also being considered.

In addition to the new major in electronic commerce, Wharton has integrated technological innovation and e-commerce across the School, with new initiatives for students, faculty, alumni and corporate executives, including:

- Electronic Commerce Forum -- a business-academic partnership

focusing on e-business, the Forum brings together corporate

leaders from diverse industries with a team of more than 50

Wharton faculty members from across various disciplines to share

insights and discuss research on a range of e-commerce issues.

Thomas P. Gerrity, former dean of the Wharton School, is director

of the Forum http://ecom.wharton.upenn.edu/.

- Knowledge@Wharton -- An online resource offering the latest

business research and insights from Wharton faculty and industry

leaders http://knowledge.wharton.upenn.edu .

- Wharton Research Data Services (WRDS) -- an Internet-based data

service, which is currently licensed to nearly 30 leading

business schools worldwide http://wrds.wharton.upenn.edu/ .

- Wharton Direct -- An executive education initiative that delivers

courses simultaneously to as many as 30 sites around the U.S.

through a combination of satellite, online and videoconferencing 

capabilities http://direct.wharton.upenn.edu/ .

- SPIKE -- An award-winning, customizable, Intranet communications

suite for students, offering instant access to e-mail, School

news, course materials and a virtual campus cafe where students

meet to share information and work on joint projects

http://www.wharton.upenn.edu/spikedoc/ .

- e"talk" -- A web-based bulletin board and virtual meeting place

available to admitted MBA and undergraduate students.

The Wharton School is recognized around the world for its academic strengths across every major discipline and at every level of business education. Founded in 1881 as the first collegiate business school in the nation, the School currently has approximately 4,700 undergraduate, MBA and doctoral students, more than 8,000 participants in its executive education programs each year and an alumni network of more than 70,000 worldwide.

For more information on the electronic commerce major, go to the major's Web site http://www.wharton.upenn.edu/mba/curriculum/ecom.html .