Business Management

The Business Management major is designed to provide students with a focus on leading and managing people. The major also requires exposure to the functions of management, i.e., accounting, finance, marketing and administration.The broad knowledge base provided by this program prepares students for entry-level management positions, initiating entrepreneurial ventures, or entry into a number of occupational fields when beginning a business career.
Students who choose Business Management as a major usually begin with courses in Principles of Management, Dynamics of Leadership, Computer Information Systems, Accounting, Economics, and Psychology. After completing these foundation courses, students pursue advanced studies in Individual and Group Behavior, Human Resource Management, Marketing, Business Communications, Total Quality Management, and Finance.

Career Opportunities

The Business Management major gives students credentials important to getting their first job as an entry-level manager or manager-trainee.  Every organization of any size and type depends on and needs managers, including, as examples, the small corner store, department stores, accounting firms, healthcare centers, a manufacturing firm such as Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company, or a business-to-business type of organization such as Proctor & Gamble.

During a career in management, one’s responsibility can grow from the job of entry-level manager, to department manager, and eventually to division manager or even to Chief Executive Officer.  As in most fields of work, upon completion of the degree, the entry-level manager or trainee usually experiences an initial time period of on-the-job training.  For example, a manager-trainee might spend time in every department of an organization learning the business inside and out.  Then after the training period, the management trainee will be assigned to a specific department and have responsibility for the performance of an area or department of the organization     How far one advances in managerial positions depends on training (such as the Business Management major), talent for working with people, and effort.  Working with people is a primary focus of management; therefore, good communications skills (both oral and written) are essential to the success of the manager.

Extracurriculur Opportunities

To build connections for eventual employment opportunities and to develop organizational and leadership skills, students are encouraged to join student organizations.  Involvement of this kind gives students the chance to participate in extracurricular activities in the field of Business Management and it allows students to interact with faculty and management practitioners in informal settings.  One such organization of considerable appeal to any business major is Delta Sigma Pi, the professional business fraternity—open to both men and women.  In addition, there are over 200 other student organizations in which students may find opportunities to develop general business skills.

Academic Opportunities

Employers and educators recognize the importance of building a strong liberal arts background—especially for business students.  Students are encouraged to consider minors offered by the other colleges and departments at Kent.  For example, a student might like to manage a retail store.  Having a major in Business Management and a minor in Marketing or Computer Information Systems might be very helpful in achieving this goal.  Since communication skills are so important to the success of managers, a major in Business Management and a minor in Speech Communication might also be helpful.

General Business Requirements for all Business Majors (12 hours)

MAJOR ELECTIVE COURSES: 21 HOURS
 
Choose 1 course from EACH of the 6 areas and 1 additional
FIN, M&IS or MKTG course from the courses listed below
 
ACCT  33061  Financial Reporting
            33063  Cost Control
ECON 32025  Money, Credit and Banking
            32070  Labor Problems
            32082  Introduction to Managerial Economics
            32084  Economics of the Environment
            42068  Industrial Organization and Public Policy
            42075  International Economic Relations
            42081  Urban Economics
            42085  Public Finance
            42087  Law and Economics
FIN      36058  The Financial System
            36059  Investments
M&IS  34054  Using IS for Solving Business Problems

34055  Computer Decision Models

34056  Intermediate Statistics
            34185  Individual and Group Behavior
            44065  Quality Assurance
            44096  Individual Investigation in Management
            44183  Developing and Training HR in Organizations

44191  Seminar in Human Resource Management

MKTG 35015  Service Marketing
            35025  Supply Chain Management
            35035  Consumer Behavior
            35050  Marketing Research
            45046  Personnel Selling and Sales Management
            45060  International Marketing
            45071  Business Marketing and E-Commerce
PSYC  31773  Industrial Psychology
            41282  Personality
            41532  Social Psychology
 
TOTAL                                                             30 HOURS