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Management and Leadership, BSBA

Program Description

The Management and Leadership program focuses on developing work-related interpersonal competencies known to predict employability and career success across industries. The department has a long tradition of building professional managerial skills through engaged, experiential learning. As a result, our students develop confidence in their abilities to motivate employees, conduct employment interviews and performance appraisals, facilitate discussions and lead team projects, correct problem behaviors, address conflict, handle negotiations, and argue persuasively. 

While the Management and Leadership major focuses on developing broad professional competencies, we recognize that developing distinctive capabilities through the in-depth study of a second discipline can also enhance the likelihood of a successful career and fulfilling personal life. The Management and Leadership major therefore currently requires students to complete either a second major or a minor (either within or outside of the School of Business).

Management and Leadership majors with an interest in Sport Management will find many course options to support that interest, including our introductory sport management course and more advanced courses on topics such as sport facilities and event management, NIL (name-image-likeness) personal branding, esports management, sports law, and leadership from a sports perspective.  Students may also complete our interdisciplinary minor in Sport Management, which includes not just Management course options, but options offered by other departments as well, e.g., sports analytics, sports marketing, sports economics, sports journalism, sports broadcasting, and sport psychology.  Students are encouraged to join the Business of Sports Club and are assisted in their search for relevant internships and employment. Our alumni network includes contacts at all of the professional sports teams in the area. 

Management and Leadership majors and minors with an interest in Human Resource Management will find they can tailor their studies by completing coursework in areas such as managing human resources, contract law, industrial-organizational psychology and employee benefit planning. As is the case for all of our students, those with an interest in Human Resource Management will find mentoring and assistance is readily available for those wishing to pursue internships and employment. 

Students who major in non-business fields have the option of completing a Minor in Management and Leadership, which can be tailored to their interests.

The mission of the Management and Leadership Department is to enable graduates to distinguish themselves by demonstrating extraordinary, ethically-grounded management and leadership skills throughout their professional careers.

Why Take This Major?

To thrive in today’s challenging marketplace, businesses need attentive managers, inspirational leaders, and people capable of bringing out the best in others. Our Management and Leadership program is designed to develop these professional skills via courses that help students assess and develop their skills in leading and motivating others, providing effective feedback, persuading, negotiating, resolving conflicts, and designing satisfying and meaningful workplaces. 

While the management and leadership major serves to develop "soft skills" crucial for career success, having more specialized, technical knowledge is often critical for landing entry-level jobs. We therefore offer the management and leadership major only as a complement to a second major or a minor. Although most students will choose a second major or a minor in a business discipline, some students have completed second majors or minors in fields as diverse as psychology, nutrition, public health, biology, economics, communication, political science, and foreign languages.  A six-course minor in management and leadership can also be completed by students majoring in a non-business field.