SKILLS NEEDED IN BUSINESS AND MANAGEMENT

And they understand the full scope of an enterprise and its role in the global economy.

The keys to leading your firm or organization to success hinges on several fundamental building blocks: effective management and analytical skills, an understanding of economic trends, and a basic knowledge of behavioral processes in organizations. Eventual mastery of these concepts will open the door to exciting possibilities: managing a multinational corporation, consulting in strategic management, marketing various pharmaceutical products, starting your own business, offering profitable investment and financial guidance, or running a nonprofit organization.

But your path to management or business success does not necessarily begin by earning an undergraduate business degree. In fact, there are a variety of academic disciplines valued by business and industry. By enrolling in the UC Irvine minor in Management or the UC Irvine minor in Accounting, students can equip themselves with the perfect complement to any major.

For example, if you wanted a business career in biotechnology or pharmaceuticals, a major in chemistry or biology with the minor in management would equip you with a range of knowledge that would give you a competitive edge in the marketplace. If you wanted to enter marketing or advertising, knowledge of information systems, psychology, contemporary culture, literature, and the arts will serve you well.

Preparing for Business or Management at UC Irvine

Management Minor

Not only will you be able to customize your own road to success, but you will learn from a graduate school faculty which is recognized --- along with Harvard, Stanford, MIT, and UCLA --- to be one of the best in the nation.

This world-class faculty understands the needs of ambitious students who would benefit from the minor: (1) students who wish to learn about the management of organizations as a way of preparing for a career in business, (2) students preparing for careers in other fields that require some knowledge of management, and (3) students who expect to go on to graduate work in management who wish early guidance and undergraduate work appropriate to this career objective.

Students are eligible to apply for the minor in Management if they have completed all prerequisite courses (including Management 5) with a grade no lower than C (2.0) and have upper-division standing. Completion of the prerequisite courses does not guarantee admission to the minor in Management. Admission is on a competitive basis and students must submit an application, transcripts, and a statement of purpose. Applications are accepted on a quarterly basis.

Prerequisite Courses

The following are prerequisites for enrolling in the upper-division undergraduate minor courses: Management 5 Managing in Contemporary Organizations; Economics 20A Basic Economics; and one statistics course or one sequence selected from Anthropology 10A-B-C, Engineering CEE11, Economics 10A-B-C, Mathematics 7, Mathematics 131A-B-C, Psychology 10A-B-C, Social Ecology 13, Social Ecology 166A-B-C, Social Science 9A-B-C or 10A-B-C, or Sociology 10A-B-C.

Transfer students should check with their college counselor for established equivalencies for these prerequisite courses.

NOTE: Individual courses that students may select within the minor may require additional prerequisites, including Mathematics 2A.

Requirements for the Undergraduate Management Minor

Completion of seven courses:

1. One lower-division core course: Management 5 Managing Contemporary Organizations.

2. Four upper-division core courses selected from: Management 181 Managing Organizational Behavior, 183 Quantitative Methods, 185 Introduction to Financial Accounting, 186 Introduction to Managerial Finance, 187 Introduction to Marketing, 188 Introduction to Management Information Systems.

3. Two additional courses selected from: the upper-division core course list above, Management 160 Introduction to Business and Government, and Management 190 (special topics). Recent 190s have included international marketing, money and banking, advertising, Geographic Information Systems (GIS) in business, business intelligence and knowledge management, leadership, team work, valuing cultural diversity, and advanced electives in operations and decision technologies, as well as management information systems.

Note: Students may not receive both the minor in Management, and the minor in Accounting.

Accounting Minor

In establishing the minor in Accounting, the faculty anticipated three types of students to be drawn to courses in accounting: (1) students who wish to meet the accounting course work eligibility requirements to sit for the uniform CPA examination, (2) students preparing for careers in private accounting or in other fields that require some knowledge of accounting, and (3) students planning to pursue a graduate degree in accounting who wish early guidance and undergraduate work appropriate to this career objective.

Students are eligible to apply for the minor in Accounting if they have upper-division standing and have completed Management 30A and 30B with a grade no lower than B (3.0) and all other prerequisite courses with a grade no lower than C (2.0). Completion of the prerequisite courses does not guarantee admission to the minor in Accounting. Admission is on a competitive basis and students must submit an application, transcripts, and a statement of purpose. Application deadline dates are available on The Paul Merage School of Business website.

Prerequisite Courses

The following are prerequisites for enrolling in the upper-division undergraduate minor courses: Economics 20A Basic Economics, Mathematics 2A Calculus, Management 30A Principles of Accounting I, and Management 30B Principles of Accounting II.

Transfer students should check with their college counselor for established equivalencies for these prerequisite courses. Students not taking Management 30A and 30B at UCI during regular session or summer session must complete Management 131A with a minimum grade of B prior to admission in the program.

Note: Individual courses that students may select within the minor may require additional prerequisites.

Requirements for the Undergraduate Accounting Minor

Completion of seven upper-division courses:

1. Three core accounting courses including: Management 131A Intermediate Accounting I, 131B Intermediate Accounting II, 132 Individual Taxation.

2. Two accounting elective courses selected from: Management 133 Corporate and Partnership Taxation, 134 Special Topics in Taxation, 136 AIS and Spreadsheet Applications, 137 Advanced Accounting, 138 Auditing.

3. Two additional courses selected from: the upper-division accounting elective course list above, Management 139 Business Law, 160 Introduction to Business and Government, 181 Managing Organizational Behavior, 183 Quantitative Methods, 186 Introduction to Managerial Finance, 187 Introduction to Marketing, 188 Introduction to Management Information Systems, Management 190 provided topics have not been covered in other accounting courses.

Note: Students may not receive both the minor in Accounting, and the minor in Management.

The 3-2 Program for Undergraduates
- A Unique Program at UC Irvine -

Successful completion of the requirements in the program normally leads to the bachelor's degree in the undergraduate major after the fourth year and an M.B.A. after the fifth year. Although all undergraduate majors are eligible, it is difficult for students in some disciplines (e.g., engineering) to complete major requirements within three years. Other prerequisites include:

• Completion of statistics with probability -- Mathematics 7 with a grade of B or better
• Completion of calculus -- Mathematics 2A with a grade of B or better

What Graduate Schools Look for in Applicants

For example, if you plan to major in Art History but also plan to pursue a master's degree in Business Administration, it is very important that you include courses in mathematics, statistics, and accounting in your undergraduate or professional work.

1. The higher your grades are the better, since admission to graduate programs in business administration or management is very competitive. An excessive number of courses taken on a Pass/Not Pass basis could be detrimental, since it is not a precise indication of your accomplishments.
2. Your scores on the Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT). The test measures your quantitative and verbal skills.
3. A statement that you write about yourself as part of the application for admission, usually covering why you want to pursue graduate study and what attributes you have that you feel will help you succeed in the field.
4. In-depth letter of recommendation from people who know you and your leadership or managerial potential.
5. Evidence of leadership in school and community activities and work experience also will be considered. In fact, work experience is an increasingly important prerequisite for many programs. The mean number of post baccalaureate work experience for UC Irvine's M.B.A. program students is five.

UC Irvine's Advanced Degrees in Management

Opportunities for Learning More About Business and Management

Work experience is an important way to learn about business and management. UC Irvine's Internship Program, sponsored by the Career Center, can help you find opportunities to work in either voluntary or paid positions in business, nonprofit, or industrial settings. If you plan to enter business or apply to a graduate school of business or management in the future, you will find it necessary to supplement your academic work with a variety of practical experiences.

Another opportunity is UC Irvine's Undergraduate Administrative Intern Program, which offers selected students the opportunity to assume one-year positions under the guidance of University administrators. You can choose from a range of offices in which you will be asked to undertake special projects specifically related to the management and administration of UC Irvine and higher education in general. These internships are supplemented by a two-quarter management seminar and by field trips to administrative conferences such as meetings of the The Regents of the University of California.

UC Irvine students interested in business and management are strongly encouraged to become involved with the clubs that comprise the new Alliance of Business Students. The Alliance consists of the following student organizations: the Undergraduate Business Association, the Accounting Student Association, Alpha Kappa Psi, the American Marketing Association, the Latino Business Students Association, and the Economics Student Association. These high-profile student organizations promote interaction between students and the surrounding business community through their Corporate Speaker Series, social activities, and student/employer receptions. Students with an entrepreneurial interest are invited to participate in the annual business plan competition.

Additional Information