Business Administration, Management Major, B.S.

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The management major (15 credits) prepares business administration students for a wide range of administrative and supervisory careers ranging from team leader to functional area manager to executive. Elective courses are offered in skills-focused areas such as leadership, negotiation, change management, project management, and technology and innovation. Students acquire a solid grasp of human resource, interpersonal, and strategic management concepts and practices along with a comprehensive understanding of how to effectively and ethically coordinate stakeholder actions to fulfill organizational objectives. Most importantly, the program fosters the development of the skills that establish positive work relationships and that motivate and persuade others to achieve strategic goals, which are crucial for career success. Students are encouraged to further develop skills by taking the applied courses listed below and finding meaningful experiential placements.

Program Requirements

In addition to meeting all University requirements, students must earn a minimum grade of C- in all Pre-Business Core Classes and a C in 300-400 level courses in all Business Core, Thematic Core, major, and business electives (or Business minor) courses toward the degree. To ensure that students graduate with a current understanding of their field, upper-level courses taken more than 10 years before the degree is awarded must have Departmental approval for use in the Business Core, Thematic Core, 9 credits of upper level Business electives (or Business minor) or the major.

Students may declare or change a major by completing a form available at the Registrar’s office or on their website. Double majors are possible as long as no more than one course (3 credit hours) applied toward one major is applied toward the second major. Under no circumstances can more than one course (3 credit hours) be double-counted for two majors within the School of Business.

School of Business majors may count up to two specified (see minor requirements) business core courses (6 credits) in both the Business Core and a Business minor. The remaining minor courses (9 credits) cannot double count in the minor and the business major courses or between two business minors. School of Business majors are allowed to declare more than one business minor.

At least 50 percent of classes in the Business Core and Thematic Core (4 out of 7) have to be taken at USM. In addition, at least 50 percent of classes in the major (3 out of 5) must be taken at USM.

Students can take no more than 12 credits of upper level business classes until they have successfully completed the pre-business core with a grade of C- in each course.

Overview of course requirements:

Core Curriculum
Pre-Business Core
Business Core
Thematic Core
One Global Business course
Major requirements
Additional 9 credits at 300-level or above beyond the major taken either as electives (ACC, BAN, BUS, FIN, RMI) or 2nd Business major or as 15-credit School of Business minor
General University Electives as needed

USM Core Curriculum Requirements

Please see USM Core Curriculum section of this catalog for details. School of Business specific Core courses are noted below.

Writing, Reading, and Inquiry (WRI) 1
Writing, Reading, and Inquiry (WRI) 2
Writing, Reading, and Inquiry (WRI) 3
Quantitative Reasoning: MAT 210 - Business Statistics (credits counted in the pre-business core).
Creative Expression
Socio-cultural Analysis: ECO 101 - Introduction to Macroeconomics (credits counted in the Pre-business Core)
Cultural Interpretation
Science Exploration
Ethical Inquiry, Social Responsibility, and Citizenship; May be fulfilled and double counted with BUS 347 - Triple-Bottom-Line Business
Culture, Power, and Equity
International: May be fulfilled and double counted by the Global Business course by successful completion of BUS 335 - International Business or BUS 361 - International Marketing .
Engaged Learning & Capstone: BUS 450 - Business Policy and Strategy (credits counted in the Thematic Core)

Pre-Business Core

MAT 108 - College Algebra Credits: 4 with C- or higher grade (Substitutes include a C- or higher grade in MAT 140 or approved higher level math course or passing a CLEP exam)
MAT 210 - Business Statistics Credits: 4 (or MAT 120 ) with a C- or higher grade, or in another approved statistics course (http://usm.maine.edu/sb/stats).
ECO 101 - Introduction to Macroeconomics Credits: 3 with C- or higher grade
ECO 102 - Introduction to Microeconomics Credits: 3 with C- or higher grade
ACC 110 - Financial Accounting Information for Decision Making Credits: 3 (C- or higher)
ACC 211 - Managerial Accounting Information for Decision Making Credits: 3 (C- or higher)
BUS 260 - Marketing Credits: 3 (C- or higher)
BUS 280 - Legal Environment of Business Credits: 3 (C- or higher)
BUS 241 - Applied Business Modeling Credits: 3 (C- or higher) or Microsoft Excel Certification

Business Core*

*At least 50 percent of classes in the Business Core and Thematic Core (4 out of 7) have to be taken at USM.

BUS 301 - Business Analytics Credits: 3 (C or higher)
BUS 340 - Managing Organizational Behavior Credits: 3 (C or higher)
BUS 375 - Production/Operations Management Credits: 3 (C or higher)
FIN 320 - Basic Financial Management Credits: 3 (C or higher)

Thematic Core*

*At least 50 percent of classes in the Business Core and Thematic Core (4 out of 7) have to be taken at USM.

BUS 300 - Entrepreneurial Thinking Credits: 3 (C or higher)
BUS 345 - Technology Management Credits: 3 (C or higher)
BUS 450 - Business Policy and Strategy Credits: 3 (C or higher)

Global Business Course

Select one of the following courses:

BUS 335 - International Business Credits: 3 (C or higher)
BUS 361 - International Marketing Credits: 3 (C or higher)
BUS 382 - International Business Law Credits: 3 (C or higher)
BUS 388 - Launching a Global Social Enterprise Credits: 3 (C or higher)
FIN 330 - International Financial Management Credits: 3 (C or higher)

Major Requirements (15 credits)

At least 50 percent of credit hours applied to the major must be taken at USM. Double majors are possible as long as no more than one course (3 credits) applied toward one major is applied toward the second major. No more than 3 credits of internship can count toward the major. Students must earn a grade of C or higher in each major course.

Required courses (9 credits)

Offered both spring and fall.

BUS 343 - Management Skills Credits: 3
BUS 346 - Strategic Human Resource Management Credits: 3
BUS 376 - Advanced Topics in Strategy Credits: 3

Electives (Choose two courses - 6 credits)

Offered at least once every two years.

BUS 334 - Introduction to Organizational Change Credits: 3
BUS 338 - Strategic Management of Technology & Innovation Credits: 3
BUS 339 - Business Ethics Credits: 3
BUS 342 - Leadership Credits: 3
BUS 344 - Business Negotiation Credits: 3
BUS 347 - Triple-Bottom-Line Business Credits: 3
BUS 351 - Cross-Cultural Management Credits: 3
BUS 364 - Professional Selling Credits: 3
BUS 373 - Project Management Credits: 3
BUS 387 - Design Thinking Credits: 3

Additional 9 credits at 300-level or above beyond the major

Satisfied in one of the following three ways:

9 credits in any 300- or 400-level ACC, BAN, BUS, FIN, RMI courses;
2nd Business major;
15-credit minors in approved School of Business topics. Up to two specified courses (6 credits) may count for credit in both the Business Core and the Minor. Up to two specified upper division Accounting classes may count for credit in both the Accounting major and the advanced accounting minor. Minors are available in the following areas: Advanced Accounting, Entrepreneurship, International Business, Operations and Supply Chain Management, Professional Selling, Risk Management and Insurance, and Sustainable Business.

General University Electives (remaining credits for 120 credit minimum)

The exact number of general elective credits varies and is dependent upon choices made in University core requirements.

USM Core Requirements

The USM Core Curriculum is a coherent, integrative, and rigorous liberal education that enables our graduates to be world-minded, intentional, life-long learners and captures your general education degree requirements.

Please Note: Core requirements may be part of your major and/or minor, and Core may have been fulfilled with transfer credit. Please consult your MaineStreet Degree Progress Report (DPR) and review your degree progress with your Advisor. For additional information, access the USM Core webpage.