Business

Regardless of all students’ fields of interest and specialization, when they graduate their workforce status will be either a business owner (entrepreneur) or they’ll be working for a company. Having a basic understanding of how business works will add value to academic accomplishments. As a business major, students will discover 15-20 different areas of specialization available as a profession. Exposure to those areas will reveal which one(s) are most appealing.

Specialization within the business industries include statistical analysis (statistician), medical and health services management, operations management, financial management, accounting, market research, financial analyst, banking (loan officer), Human Resource specialist, customer service representative and many others. Speaking in a general sense, anything that is of interest to students can be found within the profession of “business”. Check out this article from USNEWS for more information.

Midland College operates a placement office within the Student Services division. Most employers will contact the placement office when employment opportunities are available. Sometimes employers will contact the Business Studies department directly, at which point the faculty will announce employment opportunities to students enrolled in Business courses.

The Associate of Applied Science degree that specializes in Business Management is a 60-credit hour degree offered at Midland College. While the Associate of Art and Associate of Science degrees in General Studies do not specialize in business, the AS can provide up to five courses that can transfer to a 4-year university whereupon students can complete their bachelor’s degree.

Midland College’s Small Business Start-Up Certificate is 16 credit hours (5 courses) designed to provide the entrepreneur the basic information for starting a business. Those 5 courses are Introductions to Business Principles, Finance, the MS-Office Suite, Small Business Operations and Business/Professional Communication. Thirteen additional credits (4 courses) will provide the business owner information in marketing, accounting, management principles and strategically managing a company.

We offer five courses that transfer to 4-year universities: Financial and Managerial Accounting (ACCT 2301 and 2302), Macroeconomics and Microeconomics (ECON 2301 and 2302), and Business Principles (BUSI 1301). Students planning to transfer to a 4-year university should follow the courses listed on the Business Administration Transfer Guide or those in the Associate of Arts or Associate of Science degree plan in General Studies.

The Bachelor of Applied Technology in Organizational Management is the second part of a “2 + 2” program. During the first 2 years students complete an Associate of Applied Science (A.A.S.) degree in an approved technical field, and during the second 2-years students complete the bachelor’s degree. Upon completion of the A.A.S., the graduate can apply for admission to the bachelor’s degree program.

The ability to write and speak clearly (communication), good reading skills, and acceptable interpersonal relationship skills are always valuable to everyone involved in business.

Employers expect graduates with a bachelor degree in business to understand the basic and commonly used mathematical formulas and functions for business calculations and operations. Calculus may become more important in specialized business occupations such as statistical analysis and creating algorithms used in forecasting. However, at the bachelor’s level and for job entry, mathematics for business and the social sciences is sufficient (MATH 1324).

Yes, there are. A one-semester 5-course schedule will provide basic entry-level skills (Small Business Start-Up Certificate) and a two-semester 9-course schedule will provide even more business operations skills (Assistant Manager Certificate).

“Low stress” jobs are generally any position that does not involve managing or supervising.

There are several variables involved when determining a “starting” salary. Some examples include how much experience a person has, the level of formal academic training, and how much experience a person has in the area of supervision or management. A new employee with little applicable experience but a 2-year degree may be able to command between $28,000 to $32,000 per year. The more education and experience a person has, the higher that “starting” salary will be. The overall industry and national economic situation will also play a part in determining starting salaries.

Many MC students have experienced team members at the project level. In today’s world, working in teams is the way business happens. Teams are set up to solve problems. Problems can’t be solved if team members aren’t willing to communicate well or work well together. Midland College helps prepare students by teaching team dynamics and practicing those concepts with group work.

Regardless of the field of interest, people will either work for themselves or work for someone else. The more one learns about how business work, the better they will be actually doing it. My first field of interest was the science of Geology applied in the Petroleum Energy industry. I chose that major because I was enamored with the science. I applied what I learned in business, working for energy companies. The most successful geologists and engineers with whom I have worked had a firm understanding and grasp of knowledge, communication and interpersonal relationship skills, and the ability to work with others. All those can be learned in courses embedded in business schools. Applying them improves a person’s skills and that is done within the business world.