Business Administration

Prepare for a career in business.

When you complete a major in business administration, you gain the skills you need in today's competitive and complex global business environment. You will be prepared to pursue a career in fields such as human resource management, sales and marketing, banking, international business, management of nonprofit agencies and government service, or to own your own business. Job prospects for graduates with this major remain strong and overall salaries are high relative to many other fields.

A highly personalized learning environment allows you to learn leadership through direct experience, acquire the confidence to inspire, and develop the skills to solve problems through teamwork. Meredith’s strong liberal arts foundation develops exceptional critical-thinking skills and the personal conviction to make ethical and responsible decisions. Because Meredith’s business classes are small, students have many opportunities to test their leadership potential both inside and outside the classroom in ways not typically found at larger institutions. Close faculty-student interaction enables faculty to encourage students and mentor them as they become tomorrow's global business leaders.

Our academically-challenging learning experience prepares women to be business leaders in industry, government and nonprofit organizations. Students complete a common set of core classes that provide a foundation of knowledge in business, while also gaining specialized knowledge for careers through concentrations or minors in human resource management, marketing, international business, finance, accounting or economics.

The Meredith College Business School offers these distinctive advantages:

• Accredited by AACSB International. The School of Business is accredited by AACSB International, the Association to Advance of Collegiate Schools of Business. Less than 5% of programs worldwide meet the rigorous standards of AACSB International accreditation. Meredith is one of only two women’s colleges in the world to have earned this distinction.
• Career Tool Kit. Our innovative Career Tool Kit program is a series of integrated career development activities embedded in several core courses that help students gain a competitive edge in the job market.
• Personal Attention from Faculty. Small class size (business classes average 20 students per section) allows students to interact with outstanding faculty who know them as individuals.
• Travel and Learn. Business school students can participate in a number of study tours led by Meredith faculty. In 2010, the Business School co-sponsored (with the Fashion Merchandising program) a study trip to New York City. Students made corporate site visits and met with Meredith alumnae working in the city. In 2012, Meredith faculty and students will spend 14 days visiting Shanghai, Suzhou, and Beijing learning about China’s dynamic economy and business environment. In recent years, business administration majors have also studied abroad in Denmark, Italy, Iceland, the United Kingdom, France and Costa Rica.
• Women In Leadership Speaker Series. Business school students receive real-world insights from influential and successful women leaders who have shaped today’s business world. They gain rare access to decisions made by these professionals and hear detailed examples of what they do and how it is done. Specially designed activities and events allow students to interact closely with these business leaders to explore a specific aspect of leadership. Previous Women in Leadership speakers have spoken on ethical leadership, sustainability, and entrepreneurship.
• Interaction with Business Professionals. Each year more than 50 business executives and experts visit Business School classes and clubs to share their expertise and real world perspectives with students. These professionals serve as guest speakers, members of panel discussions, and workshop leaders.
• Leadership and Networking Opportunities in Business. Extracurricular options include participation in the Meredith chapter of the American Marketing Association (AMA) and the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM), and the Student Business Advisory Board. Business students are regularly invited to attend meetings of the Raleigh-Wake SHRM Chapter, the Triangle Chapter of the American Marketing Association, and the Institute for Supply Chain Management. Students are eligible to join these organizations at a reduced rate. Membership in these professional associations provides opportunities to network with business executives and to identify professional mentors.
• Exceptional Internships. Every business student is required to have at least one internship - an internship coordinator provides assistance in finding appropriate internships in the student’s field. For example, Meredith partners with Credit Suisse in RTP to provide an exceptional internship program. Selection is competitive and those who participate gain the experience needed to work in the lucrative investment banking industry.

In order to be competitive in today’s economy, an organization must manage its human assets. Human resource management involves recruitment, selection, training, assessment, discipline, compensation and benefits. Human resource education involves technical knowledge and training to comply with employment law. Students with the human resource concentration will understand the dynamics of moving an organization forward by motivating the workforce.

Human Resource Management Curriculum

The human resource management concentration is designed to prepare students in the following areas:

• Understanding of technical knowledge in human resources (HR)
• Employee relations
• Employment law
• Critical thinking and analysis
• Making ethical decisions
• Professional presentations
• Motivation and rewards

Why Study HR at Meredith?
At Meredith, students benefit from small classes and close mentoring relationships with professors. The Meredith Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) Chapter has received the Superior Merit Award for the past ten years and has been selected as one of the “Top Ten Student Chapters” in the US. In 2012, Meredith’s HR curriculum was designated by SHRM as in alignment with HR Curriculum Guidebook and Templates.

Students at Meredith are given the opportunity to network with local HR professionals in the area to provide internships and job opportunities. HR scholarships are awarded to our students each year from the Raleigh Wake HR Management Association as well as the NC SHRM Council.

Internships and Research
All students in the HR concentration complete an HR internship. These internships are completed at private, non-profit, or governmental agencies. Research in HR is conducted through a HR Audit class. This class involves students working with local companies to determine areas of concern and working with the companies to ensure legal compliance.

Careers
Students who concentrate in human resource management typically work in organizations to recruit, attract, develop, and retain high quality employees. Possible job titles include:

• Recruiter
• Human Resource Generalist
• Human Resource Manager
• Compensation analyst
• Career Counselor
• Training Counselor
• Employee Relations Specialist
• Human Resource Consultant
   

Meredith's business administration program offers numerous and varied research and internship opportunities. Internships give business students the professional experience essential to receive top job offers. Meredith's business students complete internships as part of the program requirements. An internship director helps students identify high-quality, professional experiences, which often lead to full-time job offers.

Recent examples of internships completed by Meredith students include:

• Credit Suisse, Research Triangle Park, N.C.
• Banyan, Rock & Talent, Raleigh, N.C.
• Lenovo, Research Triangle Park, N.C.
• Merrill Lynch, Raleigh, N.C.
• Carolina Hurricanes, Raleigh, N.C.
• Make-A-Wish, Raleigh, N.C.

Recent undergraduate research or honors thesis topics include “Business Blogging: How Blogs Can be Used as Effective Marketing Tools," “The Credit Boom and Bust of the 1920s," “A Study of Female Entrepreneurs in North Carolina," “Raleigh-Cary: Best Metro for Women Entrepreneurs?” The latter undergraduate research project was subsequently published in the Journal of Business and Economic Research.

A business administration degree prepares students for a wide array of potential careers as well as graduate study. Professional positions held by recent graduates of Meredith's business administration program include:

• Business Analyst, Credit Suisse
• Leadership Development Program - Associate, BB&T
• Project Manager, Credit Suisse
• Human Resources Assistant, Luihn Food Systems

Graduate Study

• Law School, N.C. Central University
• Masters of Accounting program, UNC Kenan-Flagler School of Business

Business administration majors at Meredith are eligible for the following scholarships:

• Raleigh Wake Human Resource Management Association Scholarship (valued at $500) is based on professionalism, academics, volunteer efforts and dedication to the human resource profession.
• The North Carolina Society for Human Resource Management Scholarship (valued at $1,000) is a competitive state-wide scholarship for students in human resource management.
• Beta Gamma Sigma Scholarship (valued at $1,000) is awarded to an outstanding Business School student who is also a member of Beta Gamma Sigma (honor society).

In addition to these discipline-specific scholarship opportunities, Meredith offers a range of merit and need-based financial assistance. Last year, Meredith coordinated $42.8 million in financial assistance.

The business faculty at Meredith are dedicated to the success of their students. The small class size means faculty know students as individuals, and they help students translate their unique strengths and interests into fulfilling careers in business. Faculty share their personal business experience and academic expertise in the classroom and one-on-one as advisors and mentors, which in turn allows faculty to identify exciting internship opportunities and helps them open doors for students through their connections to the business world.

Business faculty include:

• Jeff Langenderfer, Ph.D., J.D., teaches Business Law and marketing courses. He has published journal articles on intellectual property rights, identity theft, privacy protection and consumer rights. His research has been cited by over 100 other peer-reviewed journal articles. Langenderfer also served as co-editor for a special issue on Privacy Literacy for the Journal of Consumer Affairs.
• Ying Liao, Ph.D., teaches Operations Management and Data Analysis for Business Decisions. Her research focuses on strategy and decision making in procurement, supply chain management, and innovation management. Currently, she is developing a new research project on supply chain sustainability. Dr. Liao will be taking a group of students to China in 2012 to study Chinese business practices and economic development.
• Kristy Dixon, MBA, teaches Human Resource Management, Training & Development, Compensation and Benefits, and Employee Relations Management. She is the advisor for our award-winning chapter of SHRM (Society for Human Resource Management), which has been recognized as being in the “Top Ten Chapters” nationally for many years. In 2011, the Meredith SHRM team won the Southeast Regional Case Competition. In addition to receiving a First-Place Award of $3,000, these students also were recognized at the SHRM National Conference in Las Vegas. Meredith’s SHRM chapter also hosted the third annual business attire fashion show, which raised $200 for the charity Dress for Success.
• Stephanie Hurt, Ph.D., teaches International Business and Business Strategy. Her scholarship focuses on issues related to internationalization strategies, international transfer of business models, change management, human resource management practices and organizational learning of multi-national corporations. She speaks five languages and travels extensively to gather data for her research. Most recently she went to India, Morocco and Algeria.

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