| Major in General Management
Students in the General Management major (15 credits) select one of five tracks, which either provide broad expose to management issues or provide a specific industry focus. Each track specifies 9 of the 15 credits in the major (50% must be taken at USM), leaving 6 credits for business electives. Students must earn a grade point average of 2.33 or higher in the 15 credits applied toward the major.
Major Requirements (15 or more credits)
At least 50% of credit hours applied to the major must be taken at USM. No more than 3-credits of internship can count toward the major. See descriptions below for specific requirements of each track.
Entrepreneurship & Small Business Management Track
International Business Track
Risk Management and Insurance Track
Sustainable Business Track
Generalist Track
Entrepreneurship & Small Business Management Track
Students in this track graduate with a concentration in "Entrepreneurship & Small Business Management" listed on their transcript. Required courses in this track may not be available at night.
Requirements:
BUS 362 – Marketing Opportunity Analysis
BUS 385 – Entrepreneurship and Venture Creation
BUS 485 -Managing the Growing Entrepreneurial Venture
Select 6 credits of 300-level or higher ACC, BUS, or FIN courses
International Business Track
Students in this track graduate with a concentration in "International Business" listed on their transcript. Students are encouraged to develop their foreign language skills, to travel abroad, and to obtain a minor in International Studies.
Requirements (in addition to the international requirement in the business core):
BUS 335 – International Business
Select 6 credits from
BUS 361 – International Marketing
BUS 382 - International Business Law
BUS 394 - Internship in International Business
ECO 370 - International Economics
FIN 330 - International Financial Management
Approved international experience (3 credits, see explanation below)
Select 6 credits of 300-level or higher ACC, BUS, or FIN courses.
An approved international experience is educational activity by a student while outside of the U.S. that contributes to the student’s understanding of the international business and which has been approved by the student’s advisor. Activities which normally will be approved include, without limitation:
- A course relevant to international business, taken at an educational institution outside the U.S. and qualifying for 3 or more credits when transferred to USM.
- BUS 490 Independent Study involving a student’s activities outside the U.S. (3 cr. min.)
- A USM course relevant to international business, involving study outside the U.S. and which has 3 or more credits.
- Courses relevant to international business shall include, without limitation, courses in economics, political science, law, history, geography, culture, and courses which develop skills in languages other than English.
Risk Management and Insurance Track
The risk management and insurance track prepares students for careers in the insurance industry (including insurance carriers and underwriters, insurance agencies or brokerages, insurance service fields) and its allied fields, such as banking, financial planning, accounting, real estate, stockbrokerage and third party administration. Students learn a blend of theoretical and practical concepts and apply this knowledge to risk management and insurance. The program develops analytical and critical thinking skills that will aid students throughout their careers.
Requirements:
RMI 220 – Introduction to Risk Management and Insurance
RMI 330 – Health, Life, and Disability Insurance
RMI 350 – Managing Risk with Property and Liability Insurance
Select 6 credits of 300-level or higher ACC, BUS, ECO (310 only) FIN, or RMI courses, including
RMI 395 – Internship in Insurance
Sustainable Business
Students completing this track will be better prepared to identify green market opportunities and to manage organizations for the triple bottom lines of environmental, social, and financial performance. A concentration in "Sustainable Business" will be listed on their transcript. Students are encouraged to obtain a minor in Sustainability. Required courses in this track may not be available at night.
Requirements:
BUS 357 – Triple Bottom Line Marketing
Select 6 credits from:
BUS 391 – Internship in Sustainable Business
ECO 326 – Environmental Economics
ECO 327 – Natural Resource Economics
ESP 110 – Introduction to Nature Tourism
ESP 275 – Sustainability & Global Energy Systems [ESP 101/2K or permission for SB concentrators]
Project Courses (e.g., sustainable business projects in BUS 362/385/396/398/490 or ESP 450)*
Select 6 credits of 300-level or higher ACC, BUS, or FIN courses.
*If additional seats are needed, approved substitutes may include ESP 308 and 200 (pre-reqs will be waived for concentrators with credit for BUS 357 and perhaps ESP 275 or ECO 326),
Generalist Track
Requirements:
Students in this track select 3 credits from each of three different disciplinary areas:
Marketing (BUS 311, 358-369, 398)
Management (BUS 342, 346, 385, 485)
Law (BUS 312, BUS 380, BUS 382)
Finance (BUS 315, FIN 321-330)
Accounting (ACC 301-329)
Select 6 credits of 300-level or higher ACC, BUS, or FIN courses.
Students start careers by taking advantage of our partnerships with Portland’s vibrant business Community
The above information is based on the 2009-2010 Program Catalog.
Contact Information
Before selecting courses, students are strongly encouraged to consult an academic advisor or the University of Southern Maine undergraduate catalog. The catalog is online at www.usm.maine.edu/catalogs. Appointments may be made with an advisor by calling (207) 780-4020 or through the internet at sbinfo@usm.maine.edu.
University of Southern Maine
School of Business
P. O. Box 9300
Portland ME 04104-9300
Location: 113 Luther Bonney Hall, Portland campus
Web: www.usm.maine.edu/sb |
