Management

Graduate Study

Deana Raffo, Chair

Aaron, Abston, Amarasuriya, Arik, Bast, Bakari, Bozeman, Clark, Foote, Geho, Gilbert, Gupton, Kethley, Manix, McAnally, Moake, Montgomery, Morrell, Mpoyi, Mullane, Nelson, Raffo, Shanine, Smith, Sokoya, Tarpey, Thomas, Turner, Welborn, Williams, Wilson, Yue

The Department of Management offers career-focused majors that emphasize learning by doing, skills-based knowledge, and employer and alumni engagement.

The mission of the Department of Management is to

Prepare students - Engage students through a variety of methodologies such as in-class group projects, cases, and experiential learning opportunities; implement continuous curriculum improvement; provide students individualized mentoring; connect students with guest speakers and practitioners
Accelerate careers - Improve student career readiness through strengthening job search skills; connect students with job opportunities; track student career success
Connect with business - Build relationships with business and community organizations; provide consulting service; deliver outstanding executive education
Expand knowledge - Publish in peer-reviewed journals and practitioner publications; mentor and collaborate with colleagues; present research at academic conferences and in the classroom.

Students may choose from the following programs: Management and Leadership, Management and Leadership-Human Resource Management Concentration, Supply Chain Management, Business Innovation and Entrepreneurship, and Business Administration. These programs of study lead to a Bachelor of Business Administration degree. The majors offer the skills necessary for a wide range of business careers in management and general administration and also provide the basic undergraduate preparation necessary for admission to and satisfactory performance in graduate study in business.

The major in Management and Leadership offers students an expertise in leadership in several areas including leading change/innovation, leading teams, developing a global mindset, and decision making/problem solving. Additionally, students will build knowledge and skills in the areas of human resource management, business ethics, and evaluating/managing performance indicators. Students may work in careers in human resource management and in general leadership or administrative careers in business, government, industry, and nonprofit organizations. The focus of the management and leadership major is developing leaders who can be effective innovators in today’s fast-paced organizational environments. Students will build leadership skills through practical experiences and high-impact learning practices such as applied learning and experiential learning. Typical job titles in management include team leader, manager, director, branch manager, program manager, project manager, and account executive.

The major in Management with a Human Resource Management concentration offers students the opportunity to learn about talent acquisition management, training and development, compensation management, and strategic innovation in human resource management (in addition to the knowledge and skills listed for the management major-business ethics, evaluating/managing performance indicators, and leadership). Students who complete the human resource management concentration will be eligible to take the SHRM (Society for Human Resource Management) certification exam in their senior year. Typical career titles in human resource management include the following: training/development manager, talent acquisition manager, human resources recruiter, industrial/labor relations specialist, employee selection manager, employee benefits administrator, compensation analyst, and diversity manager.

The major in Supply Chain Management offers students the opportunity to learn the management of the chain of activities for planning, sourcing, making, delivering, and returning goods. Supply chain management strategies help students learn how to coordinate processes from raw materials to final products/services, maximize customer value, and build in economies in the supply chain. Job opportunities are available in sourcing/procurement, manufacturing, continuous improvement, and inventory planning. Typical career titles in supply chain management are logistics coordinator/manager, procurement specialist, demand planner, supply chain analyst, quality manager, warehouse operations manager, sourcing manager, materials manager, and Lean Six Sigma specialist.

The major in Business Administration is designed for the student who is interested in a business career but who does not prefer a field of study in a specialized business area. The program includes areas of study in management, marketing, economics, finance, and business law; these are topics that are especially beneficial for students with small business ownership career plans and for students who want to have administrative careers in financial organizations. Typical career positions for students who choose Business Administration as a major include owners of small businesses, administrative employees in banks/financial institutions, retail managers, and sales representatives.

The major in Business Innovation and Entrepreneurship offers preparation to individuals for successful venture creation and implementation and provides opportunities for students to (1) acquire the necessary operational entrepreneurial knowledge to start a new enterprise; (2) study the success and failure factors involved in being an entrepreneur; (3) develop a comprehensive business plan for loan acquisition and venture implementation; (4) gain an awareness of the skills and knowledge needed to be a successful entrepreneur; and (5) study marketing, management, communication, economics, finance, accounting, and information systems from an entrepreneurial perspective. Small businesses are a major factor in the health of the American economy, making up the majority of all businesses and providing employment for almost half of the nation’s labor force. Additionally, students who want to work in entrepreneurial areas in large businesses will find the program of study of value. The curriculum is flexible, allowing students to tailor the program to fit their specific needs while acquiring the business background needed to pursue entrepreneurial goals. Specialized courses, an applied experience/internship, and interaction with knowledgeable business leaders will provide students with the experiences needed to be successful in small business ownership and innovative managerial work.

Minor programs of study within the department include Entrepreneurship, Leadership, Management, and Not-for-Profit Management. The department also participates in the interdisciplinary minor in Business Administration. A course may not be used to satisfy both major and minor requirements.

Graduate Study

Requirements for the Master of Business Administration degree, the Master of Science in Management degree with concentrations in Human Resource Management and Organizational Leadership, the Master of Science in Supply Chain Management, and a list of the courses offered for graduate credit are published in the Graduate Catalog.