Department of Management

Grise Hall, Office 200
(270) 745-5408, Fax: (270) 745-6376
Website: www.wku.edu/gfcb/management
e-mail: MGT@wku.edu

Dr. Zubair Mohamed, Chair

Mattie Newman Ford Professor of Entrepreneurship: R. Wilburn Clouse
Professors: Z. Mohamed, A. Rahim, R. Reber, W. Tallon
Associate Professors: S. Droege, R. Hatfield, P. Potter, B. Sullivan
Assistant Professors: D. Bolton, L. Coder, M. Lane, H. Lee, M. Marvel, S. Spiller
Optional Retiree:  W. Ferguson
Executive-in-Residence:  T. Creasy
Instructor:  K. Schell

Mission Statement:
“Learning by Doing”

This phrase succinctly summarizes the mission of the Management faculty. It is espoused by our diverse group whose interests and responsibilities include general management, strategic management, entrepreneurship, human resource management, organizational theory and behavior, production and operations management, management science, international business and the legal environment of business.

While we instruct a heterogeneous student population comprised of majors within the department, within the college, and from other areas, there is a major emphasis on experiential learning. We further endeavor to expose students to the latest developments in technology, global perspectives, ethics, and changes in the legal and business environment. We seek to produce graduates who have a strong foundation in management with the necessary analytical skills to assume leadership roles in business and society. With such a background, our graduates pursue careers in a variety of fields including banking, construction, insurance, manufacturing, public administration, retailing, and entrepreneurial ventures.

“Learning by doing” applies to the scholarly activity which is another essential ingredient to our mission and to the goal of ensuring a high quality faculty. A variety of scholarly activities conducted by the Management faculty include basic, applied, pedagogical, cross-disciplinary, and interpretive research. It is the expectation that all research should enhance teaching, service, or add to the knowledge base of the discipline.

Major in Management
The undergraduate major in management (reference number 723) requires 120 hours and leads to a Bachelor of Science degree. No minor is required, although approved minors inside or outside the Gordon Ford College of Business are encouraged.

The undergraduate management program offers three areas of concentration within the major: 1) Business Administration, 2) Human Resource/Personnel Management, and 3) International Business. This allows students to choose a program of study that fits well with their career aspirations.

The Business Administration concentration develops student’s abilities to analyze and to manage a wide range of business situations. This development occurs by building on fundamental business functions studied in the core courses. The program is for students who intend to manage an independent business or a unit of a larger organization and who want a broad curriculum.

The Human Resource Management concentration is designed to develop skills for managing an essential resource of any organization—its employees. Because of the importance of increasing human productivity, human resource management is viewed as a key contributor to organizational effectiveness and achievement of strategic goals.  Human resources managers are frequently involved in top level decision making.  The Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) acknowledges our HR curriculum aligns with its guidelines.  We are one of only 34 U.S. universities with this recognition. Courses required in the HRM concentration include:  MGT 210, MGT 305 or MATH 119, MGT 311, 313, 314, 417, 411, 414, 473, 495, 498 (or ENT 496), 499; ECON 305; MGT 361 or ENG 306 or ENG 307; and an elective from MGT 400, 416, 419, or another advisor approved elective.  The HRM concentration is designed to prepare students for a rewarding career as a specialist in an area such as recruitment and selection, training and development, compensation and benefits administration, or labor relations. 

The International Business concentration of the management major provides a broad international business perspective for students who wish to be employed by businesses that have international presence. This includes both big businesses such as GM, Ford, IBM as well as small to medium (SME) size multinational corporations. Typically, more than 60 percent of revenues of these corporations are derived from their overseas operations. This program of study prepares students for global career by providing sound business skills as well as geo-political understanding, language skills and cultural and value awareness of specific geographic regions (area studies). Although it is not necessary, the students are encouraged to pursue a double major in Political Science (International Relations) or Geography (City & Regional Planning) or Foreign Language. A double major in International Business and any one of these three areas can be earned in 135 credit hours or less.

The International Business courses offered at WKU are taught by highly qualified faculty who write, teach, and offer service in this field. Most classes are small enough to permit a high level of student-faculty interaction. The design of the International Business curriculum includes: 39 hours of business core, 15 hours of international business courses, 9 hours of foreign language, 9 hours of area study courses, 3 hours of world regional geography, and 3 hours of international politics. Students are encouraged to participate in the activities of international club. The learning and service opportunities provided can be very helpful in the development of a career.

Students majoring in management should refer to the Gordon Ford College of Business introductory section for sample courses schedules for the freshman and sophomore years. That section also outlines the requirements for formal admission to the College, a condition which students must satisfy before they will be permitted to enroll in 300- and 400-level professional courses. Students should note that the three concentrations in this major are the same through the first semester of the junior year.

Suggested Program of Study

Suggested Program of Study

Suggested Program of Study

Major in Entrepreneurship
The major in entrepreneurship (reference number 542) requires 76 semester hours and leads to a Bachelor of Science degree.  The entrepreneurship program (reference number 542) is designed to provide maximum flexibility in the integration of coursework and actual experience to develop entrepreneurial potential and to provide the opportunity to turn that capability into reality.  Coursework and practical experiences allow the student to apply principles of innovative thought, idea generation, market development, financial analysis, legal and ethical compliance, and human resource development.  Students are prepared to start and develop a new venture, to immediately contribute to the growth and expansion of the fast-growth firm, to be leaders in social or non-profit activities, and to be corporate “intrapreneurs” if employed in larger firms.

Suggested Program of Study

Minor in Entrepreneurship
A minor in entrepreneurship (reference number 355) is an interdisciplinary program housed in the Management Department and coordinated with various departments across campus. It is suitable for those who might want to have their own business or work in an entrepreneurial environment (including large organizations). Students of all majors are encouraged to meet with entrepreneurial advisors to fit the minor to their career interests. The 12 hours of required core classes are: Any ECON class, ACCT 200, MKT 220, and ENT 312. Nine hours of electives can be chosen with the consent of the minor advisor. Business majors are required to take ENT 496 as part of their nine hours of electives. For business majors six hours in the entrepreneurship minor must be unduplicated from courses counted in the business major.