Bachelor of Science in Business Management

The Business Management program emphasizes the development of skills in the areas of communication, innovative problem-solving and technology in order to prepare students to meet the challenges of a dynamic and multicultural workplace.

Lesley’s Business Management program develops leaders who effect change. From Fortune 500 corporations to cultural organizations, to not-for-profit agencies to progressive and successful start ups, global business revolves around strong, socially-responsible leadership. Lesley provides students with the skills, knowledge and experience necessary to meet the challenges in this rapidly changing environment.

Lesley students benefit from small classes that enable rigorous discussion, faculty who are both active practitioners and skilled educators, and more than 400 hours of in-field and internship experiences that build their understanding, confidence and portfolios. First year classes provide a core foundation that prepares students to pursue areas of specialization. Classroom learning is enhanced with professional engagement beginning second semester of the freshman year. Through these experiences business students affirm their interests, gain authentic perspective and acquire skills essential for post graduate success.

Why is This Program Unique?

Located in one of the world’s business epicenters, and a hub for healthcare, finance, life sciences, sport marketing, technology, and education, Business Management students at Lesley benefit from learning in a robust marketplace. While the real-world learning opportunities are invaluable, Lesley faculty enhance these experiences with weekly seminars, ensuring that students connect theory and practice in ways that are only possible when class sizes average 16–20 people.

About the Curriculum

The major prepares students to meet the challenges of a dynamic and multicultural workplace. Students explore entrepreneurship and small business management with a particular focus on innovative and creative managerial decision-making. Ethical leadership is a core value of the major whether in organizations, communities, or the global marketplace.

The major emphasizes the development of skills in the areas of communication, innovative problem-solving, and technology. The curriculum encourages integration of the Liberal Arts to enhance students’ conceptual skills along with their ability to connect various disciplines to sound, transformative practice.

Using these competencies, students learn to recognize, assess, and solve problems critical to organizational performance as well as seek out new ventures and strategic shifts. Students learn how technology is used by organizations to create competitive advantage, as well as how social and psychological factors influence professional development and organizational success.

Areas of Specialization

The flexibility of the program design allows students to pursue more in-depth study in areas of special interest.

Marketing Specialization

Designed for students seeking a greater understanding of the processes that impact competitive advantage, buyer behavior, and the creation of new markets in the global economy. Students learn about marketing strategies, technology, consumer perceptions and the value of research in identifying consumer segments, marketing new products, and increasing market share.

Not-for-Profit Specialization

The unique challenges of managing not-for-profit organizations, spanning economic development to social services are explored through cross-programmatic themes including managing a diverse workforce, organizational and professional ethics, and data analysis for effective decision-making. Students learn how to evaluate organizational effectiveness from the perspectives of multiple stakeholders.

Sport Management

Through this specialization, students cultivate knowledge of, and skills in, managing sports organizations across the private, public, and not-for-profit sectors. Students explore the complex demands placed on sports organizations including the challenges of balancing multiple organizational objectives as well as the connections among human behavior, motivation, and sport.

Arts Management

Managing arts organizations across private, public, and not-forprofit sectors is the focus of this specialization with an emphasis on the challenges of balancing diverse, and sometimes competing, goals. Core management competencies mixed with field experiences prepare students for leadership roles in the regional, national, and global arts community.

Featured Courses

CMGMT 1451 Foundations of Management

This course provides an introductory view of contemporary organizations and the impact of change in the workplace of the twenty-first century. Of particular note is the use of emerging technologies in business and community settings. Students learn about organizational environments, the processes for managing these environments, and the roles of individuals to achieve organizational goals. Students also acquire an understanding of the various functions of management and the importance of effective communication in the workplace. Current theories and methods to effectively plan and manage change in public, private, and non-profit sectors are examined. The changing nature of organizational leadership is explored with particular emphasis on the realities of a global society.

CMGMT 2455 Financial Accounting

Students learn the basic concepts needed to analyze the financial status of an organization, and learn to use financial analysis for managerial decisions. Through step-by-step procedures, students learn how to develop and use basic accounting tools starting with the creation of balance sheets and income statements to the completion of other accounting records to form a complete accounting system. Other topics covered are revenues and monetary assets, inventories and cost of sales, depreciation, working capital, consolidated statements, and useful ratios for financial analysis.