B-School Offers 10-Credit Summer Program for Non-Business Majors
For the second year in a row, the School of Business is offering a 10-credit summer business program for undergraduate, non-business majors who want to gain valuable business knowledge and expand their marketability.
The seven-week UConn Business Fundamentals Program includes the following three-credit courses: Legal and Ethical Environment of Business, Managerial and Interpersonal Behavior, and Business Information Systems, plus a one-credit course on Workplace Readiness.
The program runs from May 9 to June 23. The courses meet from Monday to Thursday, from 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., with an hour for lunch, and are taught by UConn professors and staff. The program will include the tour of a prominent company.
For those students wishing to, only an additional two more courses are required to complete a minor in business.
“This program is back by popular demand,” said Associate Dean Larry Gramling, noting the rising student interest in foundational business courses to augment other majors. “This is a tremendous opportunity for students who want to pursue a business minor to do so without being ‘overstretched’ during the spring or fall semester. They have the ability to get the majority of a minor done in a seven-week period, and that is attractive to many students.”
The program debuted last year, and participants gave the program very favorable reviews, he said. Eight students have already registered for the program, which is capped at 35.
“The workplace of 2020 is going to require people to understand the fundamentals of how business works and what their place is in it,” said Kelly Kennedy, associate director of student development and outreach and the program coordinator. “Combining the strength of their majors with a sprinkling of business knowledge gives these students a huge advantage entering the workforce.”
UConn is one of a few universities to offer such an extensive summer program and because it is an AACSB-accredited school, it has wide appeal, said Gramling, who has already fielded a call from a professor at another college who is considering enrolling her child.
Students also take a one-credit career readiness class, taught by Kennedy, which gives them individually tailored suggestions about how to highlight their business knowledge in a job search.
An information session about the summer program will be held at 2 p.m. March 24 in the business school’s board room, located on the third floor. Students who want more information or wish to register for the program should contact Kennedy at Kelly.Kennedy@uconn.edu or call (860) 486-2315. More information is also available here: Business Fundamentals Summer Program. The program will be offered on the Storrs campus, and housing and meal plans are available for an additional fee.
Senior Nicole McDonald ’16, who completed the program last summer, is a communication-design major. Having the business background will help her negotiate a fair contract with clients and give her knowledge that she will need if she starts her own company.
She was afraid she would have to stay in college an extra semester to fit business classes around her demanding art schedule, but the summer session solved that issue.
“If you want to have a career in art, you really have to understand business,” McDonald said.
