Business Administration

“You’re hired!” Business administration majors at the College of Charleston hear that all the time because they have it all – a firm liberal arts foundation, internationally accredited business programs, world-class facilities, and an enormous variety of practical experiences. The College’s location within a thriving center of small business and entrepreneurship, and a faculty with diverse expertise in many realms of the business world, further enhance the opportunities of all business administration majors. Additionally, the special area of concentration you can add to your major, as well asthe practical experiences you accumulate through the program, will greatly enhance your professional résumé and make you stand out to prospective employers.

Careers

Some of our graduates are marketing directors, sales managers, public relations directors, business development coordinators, financial analysts, account executives, and loan officers. Others run small businesses or have launched their own enterprises.
Career options include management, banking, real estate, insurance, financial advisory services, human resource management, and many other fields in the private, non-profit, and governmental sectors.

Graduate or Professional School

Many business administration majors choose to continue their studies in graduate school, earning advanced degrees in accounting, finance, marketing, management, and related fields.

College of Charleston Advantages

The School of Business and Economics is one of just over 500 business schools worldwide that are accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB International ), a global benchmark of high quality.
You can specialize in one of five concentrations: finance; hospitality and tourism management; leadership, change and social responsibility; marketing; or global logistics and transportation.
Our unique resources include the Tate Center for Entrepreneurship, a regional center of business educational development, and the Student Success Center, which offers integrated academic and career advising.
Expert guest lecturers and speakers of national and international stature augment our faculty of top business scholars.
Our instructional facilities in the wireless Beatty Center are state-of the art, including “smart” digital classrooms, a conference room, and a boardroom.
Internships and other hands-on learning activites challenge you to develop fresh solutions to problems using the latest technologies and methods.

Active Learning Experiences

Internships. We have partnerships with many organizations that help us match your interests with appropriate internship sponsors, so you can apply your business knowledge while building skills through on-the-job experience. In most cases, you can earn academic credit for successfully completing an internship.

Study abroad.We offer study-abroad programs that complement coursework by way of internships with firms in Canada, Cuba, Brazil, Germany, and Mexico. The College of Charleston’s Office of International Education and Programs administers many other programs in Africa, Asia, Australia, the Caribbean, Europe, and Latin America.

Rotterdam travel study. As part of the global logistics and transportation program, seniors travel to The Netherlands for a program based in Rotterdam, the largest container port in Europe. Students also visit commercial and government facilities.

Collaborative class projects

Business plan competition. Students in a business planning class were recently invited to compete at the national Venture Adventure Business Plan Competition in Colorado. The students not only had the opportunity to present their business plan, but also to network with business executives and meet fellow business students from around the nation.
Student-managed enterprises. As part of our SIFE team, students are given the opportunity to put together a business plan, apply for funding from the College, and operate a portfolio of businesses.
Small business management. Computerized global simulations during classes give student teams first-hand experience with head-to head competition, decision making, outsourcing, pricing, and the execution of a competitive strategy that will result in a “respected brand image.”

Guest speakers. Guest lecturers include a senior research fellow with the National Federation of Independent Business, the president and CEO of Atlantic Coast Life, a retired managing partner of the Washington, D.C. office of Booz, Allen and Hamilton, and the retired chairman of Saatchi & Saatchi.

An on-going speakers series includes award-winning innovators and the owners of the fastest growing companies from around the country.

Learning Resources

Tate Center for Entrepreneurship gives students an insider’s look at a variety of businesses and business experiences that often result in internships and/or valuable networking opportunities. Through outreach and community efforts such as the Entrepreneurial Women’s Series, SCORE, Charleston Angel Partners and others, students get a real-world look at entrepreneurial business processes.

Beatty Center offers fully up-to-date educational technology with wireless connectivity throughout. Dedicated rooms in the Beatty Center support its unique role as a business center on campus.

Office of Tourism Analysis serves the economic interests and vitality of the region by engaging faculty and students in applied research in the community and region where their expertise can be of value.

The professional guidance of local, regional and national executives and professionals who serve on our advisory boards and councils benefits all of our business programs.

FastTrac® entrepreneurial training programs. Practical, hands-on business development programs and workshops for existing and aspiring entrepreneurs, as well as an entrepreneurship curriculum for
students.

Clubs and Organizations

Alpha Kappa Psi. A professional co-ed business fraternity, AKP teaches and emphasizes the observance of high standards of personal and professional conduct and ethics.

Beta Gamma Sigma. An international honor society recognizing the outstanding academic achievements of students enrolled in collegiate business programs accreditied by AACSB International.

Club of Hospitality and Tourism (CHAT). Opportunities for members’ experiential, professional and academic growth through a variety of activities and experiences in the HTM industry.

Corporate Collegians. A club that fosters a sense of community and success while giving students the opportunity to become leaders and grow as individuals.

Human Resource Management Club.Provides learning opportunities that give members insight into current trends in HR and help them stay up-to-date on new developments in the field.

Students In Free Enterprise (SIFE). Competing with other teams around the world, the SIFE team applies skills learned in the classroom to the creative solution of real-world problems.

Student Port. Activities include sponsoring discussions of relevant industry-related topics, hosting guest speakers from local logistics/transportation firms, and organizing tours of local facilities.

“Armed with exceptional finance education and an insatiable appetite to succeed in business, I leveraged my passion to obtain a highly coveted position as an analyst with DTZ Rockwood, a pedigree real estate investment bank in Manhattan. The studentfocused faculty within the School of Business and Economics created a fertile environment for achieving academic success with their extensive accessibility and support.”

Ami Ziff ’07