D E PA RT M E N T O F
Management and Business
Ranked Among the Nation’s Best Liberal Arts Colleges Best Colleges, U.S. News & World Report
Named One of the Most Entrepreneurial Colleges Forbes
A Best Business Management Program College Resource Network
Why
study business at Skidmore? Earning a business degree from a liberal arts institution is a little different, but that’s precisely why it’s an excellent way to prepare for a rapidly changing marketplace which demands continual learning, critical-thinking skills, and creativity. It’s also one reason why Skidmore’s management and business major is one of the college’s most popular. As a major you will benefit from distinguished professors who bring first-hand experience to foundational courses in accounting, finance, marketing, management, and more. Beyond mastering these core competencies, you can take advantage of hands-on learning opportunities from day one — beginning with MB 107, a team-oriented, casestudy-based course that culminates in presentations to real-life business executives. Internships, faculty-student research projects, and entrepreneurial progams are also popular options. And every semester top students participate in the Skidmore-Saratoga Consulting Partnership, an advanced practicum that provides pro-bono consulting services to businesses and not-for-profits. Graduates go on to work in a wide array of fields including health care, banking and investment, consulting, marketing communications and PR, fashion and retail, technology, and, of course, entrepreneurial start-ups. Motorcycle owners speak with students about Harley-Davidson as part of an MB107 EP project.
BUSINESS IN THE LIBERAL ARTS
In the spirit of the liberal arts, our mission is to teach students to examine the world of business not just in terms of key business concepts but also through the lenses of multiple disciplines, cultural perspectives, and global challenges and opportunities. Skidmore students explore the what and how of key business concepts but also the why. This mindset produces graduates with the ability to make new connections, see new possibilities, and craft new solutions. Here are just a few of the business electives that help students see the big picture: ■ Social Identity in the Workplace ■ Media and the Meaning of Work ■ Business, Ethics and Society ■ Diversity and Discrimination in the Workplace ■ Intercultural Communication ■ Political Marketing ■ International Negotiation
Management and business major Edvinas Rupkus ’19
6
Dimensions for Studying Business In order to best prepare our business majors for tomorrow’s complex and dynamic work environment, their studies are purposely framed by the following six dimensions:
HISTORY, PHILOSOPHY AND ETHICS Developing the correct context to understand the ideology and ethics that underpin sound business and management practice in the real world
MEDIA, TECHNOLOGY AND INNOVATION Examining the role technology and innovation play in our world in order to forecast everything from new supply chain models to the next big brand
CULTURAL AND GLOBAL AWARENESS Creating a wider perspective of the world around us to be both sensitive and successful within the setting of the growing global business environment
CREATIVITY AND THE ARTS Gaining an appreciation for the central role creative exploration and artistic imagination play across all industries, organizations and facets of business
SUSTAINABILITY AND THE NATURAL ENVIRONMENT Widening the lens for what constitutes sustainability allows closer connections between corporations and the natural environment in which they operate
GOVERNMENT AND POLITICS Grasping an in-depth understanding of the regulation and public policy that frames the complex relationship between business and global institutions
Major Requirements
All business majors must take the basic business core, plus three 300-level elective courses and two courses offered through the World Languages and Literature department (or approved as WLL courses). The following courses may not be counted as satisfying one of the elective requirements of the major: ID 190, MB 240, MB 299, MB 360, MB 399. Students must also take Micro and Macro Economics and Statistics. The basic business core for management and business major is composed of the following: MB 107 Business and Organization Management MB 214 Foundations of Marketing MB 224 Foundations of Organizational Behavior MB 234 Foundations of Financial Accounting MB 235 Foundations of Managerial Accounting MB 240 Coaching, Mentoring and Teamwork Service MB 306 Foundations of Business in the International Environment MB 338 Foundations of Finance MB 349 Business Strategy
For a full list of major requirements, visit
catalog.skidmore.edu
G E T T I N G S TA R T E D
MB107
Business and Organization Management In this seminal course, Skidmore students have the opportunity to move through all phases of the business lifecycle: strategy, financial analysis, industry and market trends, marketing, ethics, social responsibility, human resources and more. The benefit of this approach? Participants in MB107 come away with first-hand experience in real-world situations that have helped them learn the inner workings of a business across the gamut.
“I found my calling during Skidmore’s MB107 course with the opportunity to present a plan to increase profits for actual FOX-TV execs. Now, I am continuously thinking of ways to scale technology and product development as a marketing solution. With this approach, I’m educating and inviting consumers to establish a continuous relationship.” — T RICIA CLARKE-STONE ’98 Entrepreneur, Marketer, Author, Co-Founder/CEO at WP Narrative
Electives
Additional electives offered for Skidmore’s management and business program MB 299 MB 303
Professional Internship in Business Cost Accounting for Management Decisions MB 307 Financial Accounting I MB 308 Financial Accounting II MB 309 Banking and Financial Services Management MB 312 Social Identity in the Workplace MB 313 Consumer Behavior MB 314 Organizational Theory SB 315 Work, Family, and Organizations MB 316 Dynamics of Leadership MB 317 Marketing Research MB 319 E-Commerce and Management Information Systems MB 321 Entertainment Law and Business MB 333 Business Law I MB 334 Business Law II MB 336H Diversity and Discrimination in the American Workplace: Is the Melting Pot Boiling Over? MB 337 Advertising and Promotion MB 338 Foundations of Finance MB 339 Investments
MB 343 MB 344 MB 345 MB 347 MB 350 MB 351 MB 355 MB 358 MB 360 MB 371 MB 373 MB 374 MB 399
Intellectual Property in the Global Economy International Marketing Global Financial Management Comparative Management Entrepreneurship and Small Business Special Topics in Business and Management Business, Ethics and Society Human Resource Management Consulting: Practice, Process, and Problem Solving (SSCP) Independent Study Thesis Seminar A Thesis Seminar B Professional Internship in Business
THE CAPSTONE COURSE
MB349 Business Strategy
Designed for majors in their senior year, MB349 affords an integrative view of business with a focus on developing critical, analytical and strategic thinking skills. Students further hone their mastery of frameworks and other tools to go deep into the analysis of organizations, industries and competitive landscapes. This approach pays out in dividends for students, who learn to create value, achieve goals and sustain competitive advantage through the use of case studies and team-based simulations.
Internships
Recent internship placements provide a sense of the breadth and depth of real-world experience available to our students:
“What you study while at Skidmore won’t necessarily dictate what you do after school. But each step you do take from freshman to senior year will help you form a direction. I ended up working at the place I had originally interned, Vice Media, which is proof that internships have direct impact on professional life.” — S AM MARK ’16 Entrepreneur, Marketer, Author, Account Manager at Vice Media
TOP
25
School for Internships Princeton Review
AARONG FASHION HOUSE AYCO COLUMBIA RECORDS FIELDSTONE PRIVATE CAPITAL GROUP FINGERPAINT MARKETING FLORIDA PANTHERS GOLDMAN SACHS HR RESOLVED INCOME SOLUTIONS JP MORGAN CHASE MASTERCARD WORLDWIDE NORTHWESTERN MUTUAL NPA FINANCIAL PATAGONIA SARATOGA FILM ACADEMY SCHMALTZ BREWING COMPANY SOCIAL STATIC SPORTS ILLUSTRATED TRIP ADVISOR VERA WANG BRIDAL VICE MEDIA WELLS FARGO
Beyond the Classroom Skidmore-Saratoga Consulting Partnership
The Skidmore-Saratoga Consulting Partnership (SSCP) is the public face of MB 360, an advanced seminar and practicum on strategic consulting that affords students an invaluable, for-credit opportunity to gain hands-on consulting experience. The mission is to create strategic partnerships between the Skidmore campus and the Saratoga Springs community through pro-bono consulting services that enable local and regional enterprises to achieve their goals. Teams of SSCP students tackle complex business and organizational challenges during twelve week engagements, culminating in a comprehensive consulting report and formal presentation to a client’s executive team and/or board of directors. The intensive, hands-on experience of SSCP prepares students for positions with leading consulting firms which have included Deloitte, IBM, KPMG and Ernst & Young. Skidmore’s super-engaged alumni network helps make these recruitment opportunities possible.
Explore SSCP videos, news stories, former clients and more at:
skidmo.re/sscp
Faculty Perspectives What’s top of mind for Skidmore’s management and business faculty? Certainly, the current issues and classic concepts that you would expect in the classroom — but the reality of today’s business world is that it extends everywhere — even into the unexpected. Don’t just take our word for it, though. We asked several Skidmore’s professors to list the most pressing business topics, from the classroom to the boardroom. Here’s just a few of the things they said: • POST-INDUSTRIAL STRATEGY • PLACED-BASED ENTERPRISE • SUSTAINABLE ENTERPRISE • WORKER COOPERATIVES • FREEDOM OF RELIGION • FOOD MARKETING • SOCIAL MEDIA IN SMALL BUSINESS • IDENTITY AND SOCIAL CLASSIC • SMARTPHONE ADDICTION • DISCOURSE ANALYSIS • MASCULINITY AND POWER
Real-world Research Skidmore’s faculty aren’t only teaching about today’s global business challenges, they’re helping to solve them. Here are a few examples of the ways Skidmore business professors are having real-world relevance through their research, publications and presentations: “Customer Interaction Uncertainty, Knowledge, and Service Firm Internationalization.” Journal of International Management “The Role of Framing in Sustainability Championing: Implications for Social Intrapreneurs.” Annual Social Entrepreneurship Conference “Using Student Teams in the Classroom: How Online Versus Paper-and-Pencil Teammate Evaluations Impact Important Team Member Outcomes.” National Business Research Institute Crafting Qualitative Research: Beyond Positivist Traditions. Routledge Publishing Digging Deeper: How Purpose-Driven Enterprises Create Real Value. Greenleaf Publishing “The Evolution of Shopping Malls: From Shopping Centers to Entertainment Centers.” Midwest Academy of Management
Success after Skidmore
“I have all of these skills that I learned from taking not just management and business courses but taking dance and other classes. I don’t think of myself as a Business major: I’m a Skidmore major!” LYSSA JACKSON ’16 Executive Team Leader, Target Corporation
“The success I’ve achieved is directly tied to the help I received from the Skidmore alumni network and the guidance provided by my faculty advisor, they were instrumental in shaping my career path.” CHRISTOPHER TOREGAS ’09 Vice President and Senior Manager, Morgan Stanley Park Avenue
“My Skidmore experience was a transformative journey of self-discovery. I discovered my limits, my sources of motivation and happiness, and purpose— not to mention made friends for life.”
“My Skidmore Saratoga Consulting Partnership (SSCP) experience prepared me to navigate the workplace and helped me understand teamwork and organizational behavior first hand.”
THABANG MAPHOTHOANE ’17 Analyst, Goldman Sachs
MAYA REYES ’17 Worldwide Field Marketing Manager, Developer Relations IBM
What business professionals say...
Mature. Capable. Prepared. “Skidmore business students are among the best prepared, most mature and capable individuals entering the workforce. At NYU, we have the option to recruit directly from many schools and ultimately return to Skidmore every time.” — A NDREW RUBIN ’90 Vice President for Medical Center Clinical Affairs and Affiliates, NYU Langone
FACULTY DIRECTORY CHAIR OF THE DEPARTMENT OF MANAGEMENT AND BUSINESS: Timothy Harper F. WILLIAM HARDER CHAIR IN BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION: Guy Mastrion ZANKEL CHAIR IN MANAGEMENT FOR LIBERAL ARTS STUDENTS: Pushkala Prasad PROFESSORS: James J. Kennelly, Elzbieta Lepkowska-White, Mark A. Youndt ASSOCIATE PROFESSORS: Caroline D’Abate, Timothy Harper, Christine Page, Aiwu Zhao VISITING ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR: Paul Corr ASSISTANT PROFESSORS: David Cohen, Mike Dunn, Chaoping Li, Ting Li, Jina Mao, Minita Sanghvi, Mahesh Shankar SENIOR TEACHING PROFESSOR: Christine Kopec TEACHING PROFESSORS: Carol Chiarella, Cathy Hill EXECUTIVE IN RESIDENCE: Colleen Burke
For the most up-to-date faculty listings, visit
https://www.skidmore.edu/management_business/faculty/index.php