About the Ness School of Management and Economics

The Ness School of Management and Economics advances the study of decision making, informed by business and economic analysis. Our 45 faculty members teach undergraduate majors in accounting, agricultural business, business economics, consumer behavior, economics, entrepreneurship, finance and operations management, plus 13 undergraduate minors, undergraduate certificates in agricultural and environmental law and new project / venture creation, and graduate programs in economics and operations management, with specializations in supply-chain management and business analytics, and graduate certificates in analytical business management, financial planning, foundations of operations management and real estate. The Ness School is the premier source for business and economic intelligence in the region.

Our faculty research accounting, agricultural economics and agribusiness, business law, economics, entrepreneurship, finance, financial planning, management, marketing and operations management. They collaborate with researchers at SDSU and around the world, and they transfer that knowledge through outreach that serves South Dakota and beyond.

Research and grant funding support several graduate students in our economics and operations management programs, who apply economic and business solutions to the work they do to earn their degrees. Their projects range from regional and national economic-policy questions to supply-chain and operations challenges facing South Dakota businesses.

Several faculty members hold Agricultural Experiment Station research appointments that target concerns specific to South Dakota and the region. Business intelligence sits at the heart of this work. The greatest threat to food security is distribution (as opposed to production). Our faculty study the markets, logistics and policies that move food from farm to table.

Other faculty members hold SDSU Extension appointments, through which they transfer research directly to farmers, lenders, and business owners across the state. They publish in outlets such as iGrow, Choices, and the Western Economics Forum, and they serve as field specialists who bring economic and business expertise straight to the communities that need it.