Management is the art of decision making, supervision, and strategic planning for effective use of physical and human resources to achieve high performance.  The curriculum provides a broad exposure to the key functions of management.  It helps develop technical, technological, and human resource management skills needed in modern enterprises.  The management curriculum develops valuable methods, tools, techniques, and skills while emphasizing creative thinking and problem solving.  Students can satisfy the general requirements of a management major and direct their programs of study toward several career tracks.  These specializations include general management, entrepreneurship, management information systems and operations management.

General Management:

Managers make and implement decisions through and with people working together toward common goals.  The curriculum focuses on the organizational and environmental factors that influence individuals and groups, particularly in work settings.  This includes developing leadership, organizational, and behavioral skills that support high performance in organizations.

Entrepreneurship:

Entrepreneurship is the initiation and management of a new venture or revitalizing an existing firm.  This specialization explores the special problems associated with starting a new venture and operating an independent, and often small, business venture.

Management Information Systems:

The MIS specialization trains students to analyze, design, and implement information systems.  This specialization prepares students to solve business problems through designing and managing information systems by capitalizing on advances in information technology.  In the new era of electronic commerce, there is a growing demand for professionals who understand both information technologies and business processes.

Operations Management:

In today’s global competitive environment, organizations must efficiently manage the operations aspect of business.  Customers require high quality products and services at competitive prices.  Operations management facilitates efficient transformation of various inputs into goods and services while maintaining high quality.  This specialization also prepares students for the CPIM certification examination of APICS, the educational society for resource management. 

Students in the four specializations in management prepare for career opportunities in both profit and non-profit, service, and manufacturing organizations.  The flexibility provided by our four specializations creates a wide variety of employment opportunities.  Additionally, students may seek careers as consultants with any of the various consulting firms.

A specialization in General Management provides students with an excellent background for entry-level positions as management trainees, supervisors, personnel specialists, or human resource coordinators.

A specialization in Entrepreneurship provides training in the basics of small business management, marketing and financial planning and budgeting.  These skills are necessary for starting and running small businesses, franchise operations, and family concerns.

A Management Information Systems specialization prepares students for positions such as business analysts, database administrators, business application developers, information technology managers, and knowledge engineers.

A specialization in Operations Management prepares students for entry-level positions as operations supervisors, operations schedulers, or assistant plant managers.

Students majoring in other areas such as accounting, finance, or marketing can obtain a double major in management that will facilitate upward mobility in their careers.

Minor:  A minor in Management consists of a minimum of 15 semester hours, including Management 304, 318, 345, and six credit hours in Management at the 300 level or above.  All prerequisites for these classes must also be satisfied.  An advisor within the College of Business and Administration must be consulted before selecting this field as a minor.