Why Business Administration and Management at Eckerd?

Integration of people in a common venture

The Management program at Eckerd College offers students the unique opportunity to learn the art, the science and the craft of the discipline while gaining a liberal arts education. Because it deals with the integration of people in a common venture, it is deeply embedded in culture. Every organization is comprised of people with different skills and knowledge. It is the manager’s job to enable both the organization and each of its members to grow and develop as needs and opportunities change. Finally, neither the quantity of output nor the bottom line is by itself an adequate measure of the performance of the manager and the organization.

The Management discipline consists of two majors: Management and Business Administration. Each is geared to the needs of both the student and society. The Management Major provides the student with skills which can be utilized in any organization, be it for-profit, government or in the social sector. The business administration degree is geared to the student who wants to pursue a career within a for-profit corporate organization and/or a Masters in Business Administration.

Students learn to understand both the people aspects of dealing in business world, such as organizational theories and leadership, while also earning a firm grasp on quantitative concepts and decision sciences. Additionally, experiential learning and internships with various local and national organizations allows the Eckerd student an opportunity to practice the craft of management. Both programs incorporate technology throughout all courses, as demonstrated in the Management Information Systems course and other electives.

Eckerd as a community has a strong emphasis on service learning and the Management Discipline truly applies this by including a service learning community service project as part of the introductory course, Principles of Management and Leadership. The faculty members all have experience in the business world that gives students great insight, which pairs well with the endless opportunities for internships. Our location in Tampa Bay offers access to national banks, corporate headquarters, three professional athletic teams, two major theme parks, and many other opportunities to intern.

Combined, management majors and business administration majors comprise the one of the largest programs of study at Eckerd College, providing many opportunities to interact with students of different perspectives. The department is continuing to grow and foster opportunities for learning and interning abroad. The most recently updated and revised edition of the Fiske Guide to Colleges 2013 recognized Eckerd College as one of two Florida schools with strength in Business. With all of these opportunities and more on the horizon, Eckerd College is a great place to study management and business administration, while integrating the liberal arts philosophy.

International education and study abroad are integral to a liberal arts education

This commitment is expressed in the mission of the college. Management faculty members work closely with the Office of Global Education to develop winter term programs abroad not only to the London Study Centre, but also to Vietnam, Laos and Thailand. In 2006, Professor Grasso traveled to China with the inaugural program at the China Study Center operated by Eckerd College. He returned in 2008 and 2013 with other groups of students for spring semester. Management students have participated in other programs that have taken them to India, South Africa, Thailand, Turkey, Egypt, Greece, Italy, Spain and countries in South and Central America.

Our students have also traveled overseas for the semester abroad program, taking management courses in Universities from Sweden to Australia. All of our students are encouraged to seriously think about going overseas to broaden their perspective.

The Management faculty works closely with the The Center for Career Planning and Applied Learning to develop and sponsor internships which helps the students understand the craft of managing. Students from the discipline have interned with every organization from marketing corporations on Madison Avenue in New York City and corporate headquarters of Rally Oil Company to the midtown project in downtown St Petersburg, which is aimed at helping small businesses in economically depressed areas grow and prosper.

If a student is interested in a particular aspect of Management, they are encouraged to work with one of the faculty to create an independent study which will further their knowledge and understanding of that particular portion of the discipline.

There are a variety of avenues for personalizing your Management or Business Administration education while at Eckerd College. To find out more, contact the Admissions Office.