Potential Magazine Winter 2018 | Page 12

college 101 business degree BUSINESS AS USUAL PART 1 Did you know that in 2015, the majority of college degrees awarded were in business fields? In the first part of this ongoing series, The Culverhouse College of Business at The University of Alabama shares some cool things you can do with a business degree. MARKETING Students in marketing majors study how to win the trust of consumers, and how to maintain and enrich consumer relation- ships. They also learn the ins and outs of market research and data analysis. "I look for students who want to use their unique understanding of social media to help large Fortune 500 companies, small busi- ness owners, and non-profit organizations tell their story online and measure their digital impact,” explains Susan Fant, a Clinical Professor of Marketing and the Associate Director of the Master’s of Marketing Program at Culverhouse. Most schools will encourage you to choose a specific area of marketing to specialize in. Culverhouse offers several marketing specializations: I  nternational Business If you’d love to travel the world doing business for a multina- tional corporation, this might be the program for you. The main objective of this specialization is to give you a com- merce-oriented perspective on the global economy. Possible Careers: Management Analyst, International Ac- countant Sales This one is for the social butterflies—it focuses on customer relationship cultivation and account management. The cur- riculum covers sales theory, revenue generation, and business ethics. Possible Careers: Sales Lead, Account Executive Services Marketing Are you obsessed with organization and planning? This specialization teaches students how to organize and reimag- ine business operations. Possible Careers: Project Manager, Logistics Expert 12 | Winter 2018 MANAGEMENT Students enrolled in a management program build their skills in leadership, innovation, communication, and decision-making. They learn to efficiently organize and use an organization's assets in the business world. “A recent collaborative research project with an elite Fortune 500 company provided an opportunity for me to expose my students to a real-world, complex business problem that lacked a clear solution and approach,” shares Jef Naidoo, an Assistant Professor of Management at Culverhouse. Like marketing, most management programs have areas you can specialize in. Culverhouse's management programs include: Entrepreneurship Do you dream of owning your own business someday? Culverhouse’s entrepreneurship program pairs students with experienced entrepreneurs to gain hands-on experience in building sustainable and profitable businesses. Possible Careers: Business Owner, Marketing Consultant Healthcare Analytics Students in this specialization learn how to obtain and pro- cess data to produce decisions that create better outcomes for both healthcare organizations and patients. Possible Careers: Data Analyst, Healthcare Policy Researcher Human Resource Management Do you consider yourself the peacekeeper of your friend group? This specialization emphasizes coursework that pre- pares students to strategically address human resource issues and improve organizational performance. Possible Careers: Corporate Recruiter, Office Manager Want more info? The Culverhouse College of Business at The University of Alabama is an inclusive and diverse community that develops business leaders who solve challenges of the global society. Visit culverhouse.ua.edu to learn more. www.potentialmagazine.com