Management (BA)

Entrepreneurship is creating or seizing an opportunity. Webster students learn how to vigorously work toward developing an idea, overcome obstacles and take calculated risks to ensure the success of the idea. Webster University's entrepreneurship program empowers students to explore innovative approaches to start new ventures or help grow existing ventures. Students learn how to recognize and assess business opportunities, conduct economic and resource feasibility analyses, and develop an entrepreneurial plan of action. Expert faculty promote entrepreneurial thinking among students and help them to develop the necessary real-world skills for founding and growing an entrepreneurial venture.

Students demonstrate these skills by developing and presenting a viable business plan to a review panel made up of successful entrepreneurs in the capstone course. Opportunities to connect with the entrepreneurship community, conduct research and get involved in the Entrepreneurship Club help students build a network of connections and resources that are vital to success. As part of the degree program, qualified students may apply to participate in an elective experiential learning course, the Entrepreneurship Practicum.

Emphasis-Specific Learning Outcomes

• Demonstrate an understanding of the entrepreneurship process and integrate entrepreneurship concepts, research and tactics to effectuate entrepreneurship.
• Identify and apply entrepreneurship concepts and principles used in developing entrepreneurship action plans.

Emphasis-Specific Required Courses

The emphasis in Entrepreneurship requires 48 credit hours, with the following four courses replacing MNGT 2500 and MNGT 4900 from the core curriculum:

• MNGT 2700 Introduction to Entrepreneurship and Small Business Management (3 hours)
• MNGT 3720 Entrepreneurial Marketing (3 hours)
• MNGT 3730 Innovation, Creativity and the Entrepreneur (3 hours)
• MNGT 3740 Global Entrepreneurship (3 hours)
• MNGT 4960 Entrepreneurship Capstone (3 hours)

This program emphasis transforms students into highly effective, strategic, problem-solving, decision-makers. Students are exposed to industry-related issues and opportunities and are equipped with the tools needed to address the challenges and complexities of managing today's workforce. 

Program highlights include: 

• Offered fully online. 
• Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM)-aligned. 
• Experiential learning exercises, such as simulations and case studies.
• Online course consistency (colors, graphics, video lectures).

Program content is designed to provide comprehensive coverage of the major Human Resource Management functions while highlighting issues that affect strategic decision making and operational execution. Courses involve practical and theoretical considerations in the development of Human Resource professionals in business, industry, government and nonprofit organizations and institutions - nationally and globally. 

Emphasis-Specific Learning Outcomes

• Analyze, understand and evaluate how legal, social, economic and global issues affect business.
• Integrate key theories to manage people, processes and resources in a diverse organization.
• Use appropriate tools and technology to critically analyze and interpret key business information.
• Apply concepts regarding ethics and corporate responsibility and how they impact managerial decisions.
• Build upon ambiguous and incomplete information to draft, support and defend innovative solutions to complex managerial challenges.

Emphasis-Specific Required Courses

• MNGT 3690 Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) (3 hours)
• CSIS 3410 Information Analysis (3 hours)
• MNGT 4400 Employment Law and Compliance (3 hours)
• MNGT 4420 Compensation and Benefits (3 hours)
• MNGT 4600 Contemporary Human Resource Management Strategies (3 hours)

Students taking the International Business concentration receive a broad education covering the major functional areas needed to succeed in the global marketplace. Upon completion of the program you will be able to: demonstrate a knowledge of the different forms of international transactions and the implications of each on a strategic and operational level as well as apply concepts and theories from international business toward understanding both global and national environments.

Emphasis-Specific Learning Outcomes

• Identify and apply appropriate terminology, facts, concepts, principles, analytic techniques, and theories used in international business when analyzing moderately complex situations.
• Synthesize and integrate important concepts, principles and theories used in international business into solutions to moderately complex management problems.

Emphasis-Specific Required Courses

The emphasis in International Business requires 72 credit hours, with the following courses replacing MNGT 3450 and MNGT 4900 from the core curriculum:

• ECON 3720 International Trade and Finance (3 hours)
• MNGT 3320 Business Law: International (3 hours)
• MNGT 4100 International Management (3 hours)
• MNGT 4330 International Marketing (3 hours)
• MNGT 4940 Global Competitive Strategies (Overview) (3 hours)
• One from each of the four international areas:
  • International History, International Politics, International Relations, general course on an international topic (12 hours)

Language

Language chosen and courses are dependent on initial incoming capability and progress. Students would typically focus on only one foreign language. A reasonable capability in a foreign language is required. Students can establish their capability by successfully completing 12 credit hours (at least 6 credit hours of which must be at the 2000-level) or by passing an intermediate level language competency examination. If a student successfully completes a major or minor in a foreign language, they will also have met the language requirement for the international business emphasis.

Students whose native language is not English and who are studying in English will be considered to have achieved their foreign language requirement if they successfully pass an ESL test of their English proficiency. The 12-credit-hour requirement must be completed through other coursework from the curriculum.

A student can substitute another foreign language, subject to the approval of the chair of the Department of Management, if that student successfully passes written and oral examinations in that language.

A study residency of at least one term (eight weeks) outside the United States or an international internship/practicum in the United States is strongly recommended. For the study residency, students may attend one of Webster University's international campuses or an approved alternative location. Students unable to study outside the United States can take an international internship (3 to 6 credit hours) with an approved firm or organization in the United States involved in international activities.

The marketing emphasis is designed to provide students with an in-depth understanding of the various marketing disciplines. It will give students the skills and knowledge necessary to find jobs in advertising, personal selling, marketing management, international marketing, retailing marketing research and transportation among other careers. The curriculum is designed to cover trends in business and industry while considering professional ethics and social responsibility. A number of Webster students with this major move to graduate study in management, marketing or other business specialties.

Emphasis-Specific Learning Outcomes

• Students will be able to demonstrate an understanding of how to identify and utilize relevant information in order to make effective marketing decisions.
• Students will be able to demonstrate the ability to make and defend decisions regarding the various marketing mix elements for value creation in a way that reflects the needs and characteristics desired for organizational success and meaningful relationships among and between stakeholders.
• Students will demonstrate personal skills (i.e. ethics, teamwork, effective communication, critical thinking) which are important keys to having a successful career in marketing.
• Students will be able to demonstrate an understanding of mutually interdependent relationships of all the major functional areas of a business enterprise.

Emphasis-Specific Required Courses

The emphasis in Marketing requires 57 credit hours, with the following courses replacing MNGT 4900 from the core curriculum:

• MNGT 3150 Consumer Behavior (3 hours)
• MNGT 3510 Management of Integrated Marketing Communications (3 hours)
• MNGT 3540 Digital Marketing (3 hours)
• MNGT 3580 Professional Selling (3 hours)
• MNGT 4330 International Marketing (3 hours)
• MNGT 4570 Marketing Research (3 hours)
• MNGT 4920 Marketing Strategies (3 hours)

The emphasis in Sports and Entertainment Management is designed to provide students, with the knowledge, skills and tools necessary to succeed in the business-side of sports and entertainment, in addition to the skills provided in the management core curriculum. The administration of academic and professional sports and athletic franchises is a large and growing business both in the United States and around the world. Sometimes overlooked but also important, is the large and growing business of using professional sports venues to regularly host live entertainment events (concerts, ice events, children's shows). Recognizing the importance of both sports and entertainment, this program is designed to be an all inclusion approach so graduates of the program have what is necessary to be successful in both of these areas of business.

Emphasis-Specific Learning Outcomes

• Identify and apply appropriate terminology, facts, concepts, principles, analytic techniques, and theories used in Sports and entertainment management when analyzing moderately complex situations.
• Synthesize and integrate important concepts, principles and theories used in sports and entertainment management into solutions to moderately complex management problems.

Emphasis-Specific Required Courses

The emphasis in Sports and Entertainment Management requires 57 credit hours, with the following courses replacing MNGT 4900 from the core curriculum:

• BUSN 2037 Introduction to Sports and Entertainment Management (3 hours)
• BUSN 3457 Sports and Entertainment Marketing (3 hours)
• BUSN 4717 Sports Finance (3 hours)
• BUSN 4747 Sports Operations and Logistics (3 hours)
• BUSN 4757 Live Entertainment Management (3 hours)
• BUSN 4827 Sports and Entertainment Internship (3 hours)