Let’s be honest: some college classes feel like boxes you’re checking off to get to graduation, but every once in a while, you take a class that actually sticks with you. For me, that’s been a few of the business courses I’ve taken at FSU.
I walked away from these classes with lessons that apply far beyond business school. They changed how I see money, decision-making, and even the world around me. These are also classes that non-business majors can take, so anyone can benefit from them.
- Economics
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Economics might sound intimidating, but on its most basic level, it’s the study of how people and systems make choices with limited resources. Both microeconomics and macroeconomics are extremely helpful.
In microeconomics, you learn about how individuals and businesses make decisions. For example, why prices rise and fall, how companies decide what to produce, and why some products succeed while others fail. In macroeconomics, the focus expands to the entire economy, exploring things like inflation, unemployment, government spending, and trade.
What’s amazing is how much this knowledge applies outside of the College of Business. For political science majors, for example, economics offers insight into how government policies shape financial stability. For psychology students, it connects to human behavior and decision-making. Even for arts or media majors, understanding market forces helps explain why certain industries thrive or struggle.
Taking an economics course at FSU can also help you gain an overall better understanding of our world and how it operates. If you know you have a basic understanding of economics, it becomes easier to interpret the news, understand why interest rates matter, and recognize how global events impact your daily life. Whether you’re budgeting for groceries or voting in an election, economics gives you a deeper understanding of what’s really happening behind the scenes.
- Financial Accounting
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I’ll be the first to admit that financial accounting isn’t my favorite class. When I took it, there were moments I questioned why anyone would willingly spend their time balancing sheets and memorizing terms like “liabilities” and “retained earnings.” However, it’s hard to ignore that it’s still a useful course to take, because you learn a lot of practical information.
Accounting teaches you the language of money. I learned how to read financial statements, track expenses, and understand where money flows in and out of an organization. No matter what you’re studying, it could still be useful in your field.
If you’re a communication or advertising major, it could help you understand budgets for campaigns. If you’re studying education, it can prepare you to manage classroom or program funding. Even for creative majors such as film or fashion, knowing how to manage finances could make the difference between a hobby and a sustainable career.
More than anything, accounting teaches responsibility. You start to think about your own spending and saving differently. It’s one of those classes that might not be fun (at all), but it’s incredibly useful for life after college.
- Risk in Business and Society
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This class is one of the most eye-opening courses I’ve taken. Risk in Business and Society dives into how people and companies make decisions when faced with uncertainty, which is something every one of us experiences daily. From financial investments to ethical dilemmas, the course explores the trade-offs between taking chances and playing it safe.
What makes it so valuable is how broad its lessons are. For finance majors, it’s about understanding marketing risk and investment strategy, but for health sciences students, it connects to evaluating medical or safety risks. Even for humanities majors, it’s about human behavior and why people take certain risks to avoid others.
This class helps you see that risk isn’t just about gambling or investing; it’s part of life. Whether you’re deciding to move to a new city, take a job offer, or launch a creative project, you’re weighing the risks and rewards. The course gives you a framework for making smarter, more informed choices, both financially and personally.
Each of these business classes offers something that extends far beyond business majors — they each give you tools to understand the world. College should be more about gaining skills that last beyond exams and grades, and these classes do exactly that. No matter your major, learning the basics of business can help you to think critically, make better decisions, and prepare for the real-world challenges that come after graduation.
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