Students who are interested in leadership, human resources management, operations management, production, planning, or administration and supervisory positions will find management to be the right major. Students can also choose to focus their work toward human resources management or small business and entrepreneurship. Management students are encouraged to participate in an internship after their first semester in the College. Internships are an extension of the learning experience and provide insights into the actual operations of an organization. The College’s Career Development Center uses its extensive network of firms and organizations to help students find the right internship for them. The Management Club offers professional and social programs to all students interested in that field. Outside speakers offer information and personal contacts that are very helpful in career development. Majors in the College of Business and Economics Accounting B, M Business Administration M Business/Foreign Language B Business Management B Economics B, M, D Finance B Industrial Relations M Management Information Systems B Marketing B B = Bachelor's; M = Master's; D = Doctorate For more information, contact the B&E Office of Undergraduate Advising at 304-293-4959, or visit our Web site at: www.be.wvu.edu.

The WVU College of Business and Economics
The College of Business and Economics fosters leadership, entrepreneurial innovation, and a global perspective in all of its teaching, research, and service activities.

The College prides itself on the care its takes to support its students up to and beyond graduation. Advisors in the College’s undergraduate advising center have often been awarded the National Honor Society’s Golden Apple Award, given by students to faculty and staff for extraordinary assistance. The Center for Career Development coaches students in resume writing and interview strategies, helps students find internships, and plugs them into the College’s extensive network of potential employers. Students and businesses interested in pursuing an entrepreneurial approach to business leadership can turn to the Entrepreneurship Center. Students interested in global issues can choose from among the College’s several study abroad programs.

The College offers its students and faculty a full array of sophisticated computer and communication technologies. All College curricula include hands-on experience with computer technologies that students need to succeed. A wireless network enables students with laptops to access software from many places in the College building. The College is a state leader in developing distance learning technologies so that it can serve West Virginia citizens across the state. Top Fortune 500 companies hire WVU business students because of their ability to apply these technologies in the business environment.

Admission
High school students interested in studying business or economics should complete at least three units (four preferred) of mathematics, four of English, three of social studies and three of science. Any student meeting WVU admissions requirements may begin taking the freshman and sophomore level courses required for admission into the College of Business and Economics. Students apply for admission to the College of Business and Economics at the beginning of the second semester of the sophomore year (expecting to have successfully completed 58 credit hours by the end of that semester). To be eligible for application to the College, these 58 credit hours must include two economics classes, two accounting classes, one statistics class, one computer science class, two math classes (including calculus), and two classes of English composition and rhetoric. A minimum cumulative GPA at or above 2.50 is required to apply, but because of high demand, a GPA substantially higher than 2.50 is generally necessary to gain admission.

Curriculum
The College offers two bachelor’s degrees: a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration and a Bachelor of Science in Economics. All students earning BSBA degrees (accounting, finance, management, marketing, and management information systems majors) take the 37 credit-hour core business curriculum. This curriculum is modeled on the interrelationships among the functional areas of business as they occur in the real world. Emphasis is on developing skills for effective teamwork, communication, and leadership–the skills employers value highly.

In addition to the core classes, Management majors must earn credit hours in required management courses and credit hours in electives offered by the College. Management courses include such topics as Organizational Behavior, Business Research Methods, International Business, and Personnel Management. Students who wish to focus on small business or entrepreneurship can choose such electives as Practicum in Small Business, Electronic Commerce, and Entrepreneurship. Students interested in human resource management can choose such electives as Personnel and Compensation, Collective Bargaining and Labor Relations, and Employee Benefit Plans. To complete degree requirements, management students must earn at least an additional eight credit hours of non-business electives and meet WVU General Education Curriculum requirements, for a total of 128 credit hours.

Accreditation
The WVU College of Business and Economics has held continuous accreditation by AACSB International since 1954 and the accounting programs added specialized accounting accreditation in 1997. This accreditation assures students and prospective employers that the College’s programs adhere to the highest standards of excellence in nationally recognized business programs. Of the more than 2,000 business programs in the country, 419 hold AACSB business accreditation, of which only 168 have accounting accreditation.

Course Work
Please see the current WVU Undergraduate Catalog for complete course descriptions.

Accreditation
The College of Business and Economics has held continuous accreditation by AACSB International since 1954. This accreditation assures students and prospective employers that the College's programs adhere to the highest standards of excellence in nationally recognized business programs. Of the more than 2,000 business programs in the country, approximately 400 are accredited by AACSB at the undergraduate or graduate levels, or both. In 1997, the accounting program received separate accreditation status, identifying it as one of the best in the nation. Only 163 schools have earned this distinction.

Career Opportunities
A graduate with a degree in management has many career options to choose among, including operations manager, project manager, employment manager, industrial relations supervisor, and director of public relations. A degree in management is also an excellent foundation for anyone interested in owning a small business or pursuing independent entrepreneurial ventures.

Graduate School Opportunities
Management graduates are very qualified for the College’s Master of Industrial Relations (MSIR) Program. Management graduates with some work experience are also excellent candidates for MBA programs and for law school. The College offers both a full-time MBA program and an Executive MBA program for working professionals.

Salary Range
The Spring 2005 Salary Survey compiled by the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) reported that 38% of all job offers to baccalaureate candidates are to business students. The recent average yearly salary offer to students with a bachelor’s degree in management was $39,448. Some examples of offers include:

Human Resources/Industrial Relations: $34,916
Entry-Level Management: $35,202
International Business: $37,653