Majors
The School of Business offers undergraduate programs leading to the Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) degree in seven fields. In addition to the BBA degree, the School of Business also offers programs leading to the Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Science degrees in Economics and to the Bachelor of Science degree in Computer Science. An 18 hour minor in business administration is also available for students choosing other majors in the University.
The FMU School of Business is fully accredited by the AACSB -The International Association For Management Education. This accreditation assures quality and promotes excellence and continuous improvement in undergraduate and graduate education for business.
Accounting
The accounting profession offers many opportunities in private industry, public accounting, and government. The accounting program is designed to assist students in pursuit of accounting careers in a variety of positions and organizations in these sectors.
Private industry offers opportunities for those interested in management accounting, financial management, financial statement preparation, internal auditing, and tax. Approximately fifty percent of accountants work in private industry in manufacturing, retailing, banking, and service. Small, medium, and large companies have positions in these areas that range from junior accountant up to Chief Financial Officer (CFO).
Public accounting offers opportunities for those interested in auditing, tax, and, consulting. Local, regional, national and international accounting firms have positions ranging from junior accountant up to partner.
Government offers opportunities for those interested in every area of accounting. Positions are at the federal level in the General Accounting Office (GAO), the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), and many other government agencies. Governmental agencies, like companies, need accountants. Application is made through the civil service program at the federal level. Positions in many areas of accounting are also available in government at the local and state levels.
Professional certifications in the accounting area can enhance your opportunities and career success. Certifications available in accounting include the Certified Public Accountant (CPA), the Certified Management Accountant (CMA), the Certified in Financial Management (CFM), the Certified Internal Auditor (CIA), and the Certified Government Financial Manager (CGFM). The accounting program assists student in the preparation for the exams necessary for the certifications. Students can apply to take the CMA, CFM, CIA and CGFM exam with a bachelor's degree, and can apply to take the CPA with 150 credit hours that includes a bachelor degree. Students planning to apply for the CPA, CMA, CFM, CIA, or CGFM certification should contact an accounting advisor for further information.
Economics
Economics involves the study of individual decision making and activities associated with consumption, production, and the use of scarce resources. Economics interacts with almost all other academic subjects and has a major effect on politics and the operation of government. Economics provides excellent preparation for many graduate and professional programs, provides rigorous academic support for study in other disciplines such as business, history, mathematics, political science, geography, and sociology, thereby providing excellent career opportunities in law, business, government service, and international fields.
Economic majors understand the impact of economic ideas on their personal lives, world leaders and society in general because they study models with predictive power. Economic majors develop a global outlook, a keen understanding of international events and an appreciation for how the affairs of all countries are intertwined. Economic majors develop strong analytical powers of reasoning which represents "a way of thinking critically" about personal, social and business matters. Such skills provide a superior basis for making good personal decisions as well as opportunities for rewarding jobs and career in business and government. Much of what business and political decision makers do is explained by economic theory and has significant economic consequences for society.
Students may earn a BA, BS in Economics or BBA in Business Economics. Students may also minor in economics.
Finance
Career opportunities in finance follow along three basic tracks: (1) Banking or Institutional Finance, (2) Investments, and (3) Corporate Finance. The finance program at FMU is designed to give a finance major the background needed for any of these tracks. Those interested in the banking or institutional track, often apply with commercial banks, saving and loans, or with a governmental agency. Those entering the banking field can pursue commercial lending, bank services, personal banking and many other career opportunities in the ever changing and competitive world of banking.
Investments is a dynamic field of study offering many career paths itself. Careers in retail brokerage firms, financial planning, institutional money management, regulatory agencies, are but a few of the many challenging opportunities in the finance field.
The study of corporate finance will help provide entry into the many manufacturing and service industries. From the financial management of health care institutions to the capital budgeting functions of a manufacturing concern, the study of corporate finance can help to provide a first successful step in the corporate world.
A professional certification is always a good career move. The requirements necessary for a degree in finance can help the student/graduate to prepare for the exams leading to many professional certifications. Finance majors are well suited for the demands of becoming Chartered Financial Analysts, Certified Financial Planners, Certified Business Appraisers, Real Estate Appraisers, Certified Cash Managers, and others.
General business
All business majors gain a strong background in theory and practical applications in a breadth of business disciplines. Business students complete courses in accounting, economics, finance, management, management information systems, and marketing. Most students select one major area of emphasis from these disciplines for further concentration.
The FMU School of Business offers students the option of developing a broader major in General business. Rather than taking five or more upper level course in one area, General Business majors take upper level courses in at least four disciplines and can opt to take as many as three upper level courses in one area. The General Business major is designed to prepare graduates that are ready to step into management training programs in a variety of industries, from financial management to advertising, from manufacturing to hospital administration. Graduates with the General Business degree are also prepared to work for governmental agencies and for graduate school in business and more specialized areas.
Management
Taught by a highly experienced and skilled faculty, management graduates are prepared to assume leadership roles in a wide variety of careers and organizations. Students pursuing a distinct major in Management are required to complete advanced study in Organizational Behavior, Entrepreneurship and Small Business Management, Operations Management, and Human Resource Management. They have the opportunity to select from a wide offering of business electives, including: Human Resource Management II, Personnel Management, International Management, etc. The degree program also gives students the opportunity to select School of Business electives to help broaden their professional education. Management graduates are prepare to assume leadership roles in a wide variety of careers and organizations.
What is Management? Management is the process of planning, organizing, leading and controlling the efforts of organizational members, of making decisions, and of using all other organizational resources. The focus of a management major is achieving organizational goals in both an efficient and effective manner. Management students learn how to be productive through people in their study of such fundamental organizational skills as leadership, team building, human resource management and entrepreneurship.
Why study Management? There are two important reasons to study Management. First, the goods and services we expect as a nation are provided by many diverse organizations. These organizations are directed by individuals called "managers." Everything in our society is affected by the decisions made by managers. A second reason is that many people find themselves in management positions. Individuals outside of industry, such as physicians, educators, military officers, and social workers, must also use management skills as they progress further in their respective organizations. All organizations and government agencies need to be managed. Effective management is the key to surviving in the rapidly changing environment of the 21st century.
Management Information Systems - MIS
No matter what employment you foresee for yourself in the future, current business practice dictates that you will be involved in not just the use of technology to help with your job but also the management of the that technology. In order to manage technology, it’s important to have a handle on the basic fundamentals of a variety of hardware and software. What you really need is much more than what you can get in a course or two on computers or computer technology.
Management Information Systems (MIS) offers you the opportunity to combine an understanding of technology along with the processes and procedures necessary to implement systems in the working place. Your degree is a basic business degree, the major offers limited specialization in a functional area of business - thus, you can hire into a corporation as a manager or manager trainee in any functional area. The MIS major helps you gain confidence in leading the employment of technology regardless of whether you end up as plant manager, sales manager or what have you.
If you wish to develop expertise in the technical area, MIS helps you do that too. We have MIS graduates working with computer systems and networks both with local firms and with national firms such as EDS. Recently, the president of a local computer firm who has hired many of our graduates said they were expanding their national markets and would continue to need our MIS graduates.
Marketing
Today’s dynamic, global business environment provides a variety of challenging and rewarding career opportunities for those who study marketing. Personal selling, marketing research, product management, international marketing and advertising are among the many career options for marketing professionals.
The Marketing program provides the graduate with the skill to understand customers, develop products/services to meet customer’s needs, and communicating effectively with customers and will become increasingly challenging. At the same time, the financial rewards and satisfaction that comes from a job well done will also increase. Career options in marketing are numerous and diverse.
