Department of Decision Sciences and Management

Professor Armstrong, Chairperson; Chairs of Excellence Guimaraes (J.E. Owen Chair of Excellence in Management Information Systems), Reimann (W. Eugene Mayberry Chair of Excellence in Quality and Technology Management); Professors Miller, Natarajan (W. Eugene Mayberry Professor of Management), Timmerman, Wells; Associate Professors Ballou, Barger, Huguenard, Jones, Matson, Pineda; Assistant Professor Nagy

The department offers the Business Management major with a choice of four options: General Management (BUMA); Human Resource Management (BUHR); Production/Operations Management (BUPR); and Management Information Systems (BUIN).

General Management is the science of getting people and resources together to accomplish organizational goals and objectives. It can include things like planning, organizing, staffing and, most importantly, leading. General Management graduates obtain positions in administrative services management, lodging management, management consulting, meeting and convention planning, non-profit and community services administration, retail and food services management, project management, and property and facilities management.

Human Resource Management helps an organization make the best use of its most valuable asset: its people. The Human Resources function helps an organization select the best employees, develop them to meet their full potential, and reward them in ways that foster individual and organizational success. Human Resource Management graduates are hired in a wide variety of organizations including financial institutions, health care providers, manufacturing companies, and consulting firms. Entry-level jobs include recruiters, compensation analysts, and human resource assistants.

Production & Operations Management is the management of processes and operations used by businesses in the production of their goods and services. It is the study of efficiency and effectively. Manufacturing plants are the main employers of production/operations management personnel, but many service organizations, including health care organizations and banks, also hire graduates as operations analysts or quality and productivity analysts.

Management Information Systems students use information technology to solve business problems. This requires more than technical skills. Our program also emphasizes work place skills like business concepts, critical thinking, communications, working with people, project management, and thinking strategically about technology. MIS students receive a degree in business management, so they can pursue a career that emphasizes either business or technology. Graduates often work as business applications developers, systems analysts, project leaders, database and network administrators, business consultants, and information systems managers.

In addition to offering the four options of study, the department provides a significant amount of the core coursework in organizational behavior, analytical methods, management information systems, operations management, and business strategy, to support other undergraduate majors offered in the College of Business, as well as the graduate program in business.

The department houses two distinguished professorships in the state’s program of chairs of excellence allowing universities to attract eminent faculty and individuals of national and international prominence as chairholders. In the department is the J.E. Owen Chair of Excellence in Management Information Systems held by Dr. Tor Guimaraes, a scholar of international distinction. In addition, the department has the W. Eugene Mayberry Chair of Excellence in Quality and Technology Management held by Dr. Curt Reimann, senior scientist emeritus of the National Institute of Standards and Technology and retired director of the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award. This distinguished position is named in honor of Dr. W. Eugene Mayberry, retired chairman of the board of governors of the Mayo Clinic.

Programs

Bachelor of Science in Business Administration