From One Leader to Another

Most business degrees have a core concentration of courses that include economics, accounting, management, marketing and statistics. If an individual intends to pursue the business field, they must be knowledgeable in all of these areas as economic times are tough, and with the new global economy, the market is very competitive, said Terri Tallon Hammill, assistant dean, School of Business and Management at Thomas Edison State College (TESC).

Being in business today is about understanding the market no matter which field of business you are in. For example, consider health administration. “If a health institution thinks they will stay in the black because most people need medical services, they would be sorely mistaken,” said Hammill. “The business manager watches the trends and manages the day-to-day and long-range operations of the facility. People will gravitate to where they feel best serviced. This is true for any type of business.”

Military personnel who intend to pursue a career in business management first need to decide which field of management they would like to pursue, as there are many. TESC offers an associate degree in business administration, and a Bachelor of Science in business administration with a concentration in 14 individual areas of business, including accounting, computer information systems, entrepreneurship, finance, financial institution management, general management, hospital health care administration, hospitality management, human resources/ organizational management, international business, marketing, operations management, public administration and real estate.

VAST BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES

“Students who graduate with a degree in business enter the work force as auditors, accountants, human resource specialists, operations managers, retail store managers, administrative office managers and entrepreneurs,” said Hammill.

“Opportunities in the field of business are vast and lucrative. Entry-level salaries for business majors vary by type and level of responsibility and can range from $50,000 to $80,000 annually.”

Another degree offered by TESC is the Bachelor of Science in organizational leadership. There is a significant difference between managers and leaders. “Leaders are those who have a longrange vision for the organization and the trust of the people to move them in that direction. Not all managers have the skill or knowledge to lead,” said Hammill. “In military terms, leaders are usually found in the upper enlisted ranks. These are the people that privates, specialists and sergeants know will get them safely through their mission.”

TESC works with the armed services in a number of ways. TESC is a Servicemembers Opportunity Colleges (SOC) network school, which means it will accept in transfer courses from other regionally accredited SOC schools and also accept military educational and occupational credit as recommended by the American Council on Education. Second, all TESC courses are offered online or by examination. The college is sensitive to the needs of military personnel and works with students individually to manage career commitments with course completion and long-range educational goals.

The field of business management offers a variety of career options to a transitioning servicemember depending on their experiences and interest, said Brenda Kaspari, vice president for enrollment services at University of Mary. “It is a prime opportunity for the servicemember to take advantage of the skills that they have learned in the military and apply them the dynamic world of management in business, technology, health care and a variety of changing fields,” said Kaspari.

NEW BUSINESS PATTERNS

It is an exciting time to enter the field of management. There are many changes in how business is being conducted around the world, and it is in this time of transition where new patterns of business will emerge. Kaspari said the areas of globalization, technology and communication are requiring new skills in managers and leaders. “In many instances, transitioning servicemembers have been trained in the latest methods and are truly on the cutting edge of skills learned in the military that can be transferred to business,” she said. “To further enhance their military expertise; a business management degree will provide an education that is current, applicable and relevant.”

The University of Mary management degree can be beneficial to the returning servicemember. “Our 37-credit degree completion program has been developed by leading experts in the field so it is current, applicable and relevant. The course content is something that individuals can put into use immediately,” Kaspari said.

Secondly, the format of the program is user friendly. The courses are all in an accelerated format so a student can attend classes while still working full time and dealing with the demands of family and volunteer commitments. “Our format is either delivered in a site-based format where students attend one night a week at one of our sites for a four-hour class or completely online in a 24/7 format. Either way the program is designed to fit the schedule of our adult students,” Kaspari said.

The accelerated degree completion program maintains the challenging academic standards consistent with the University of Mary while minimizing scheduling conflicts adults may have with traditional programs.

The business management program at the University of Mary allows individuals to transfer in credits earned from prior institutions including military credits. Credit may also be earned for learning that is done outside of the traditional college classroom through their Prior Learning program. Throughout the educational program at the University of Mary, students have the support of the university team. An adviser is assigned to each student when they enroll and will be with them through their educational experience. Questions and guidance regarding programs of study, policies and procedures, course registration, and completion of degree requirements are some areas where the academic adviser will guide them.

“The University of Mary wants the transitioning servicemember to succeed, and we will walk with them to ensure that happens,” Kaspari concluded.

MILITARY SKILLS INVALUABLE

Many service men and women learn valuable skills during their service, such as how to work in teams and how to communicate in stressful situations. Kaplan University’s management programs give them the expertise they need to apply skills they’ve learned in military in a business setting. With these skills and a business degree, the sky is the limit in terms of career paths. “Military personnel, who tend to be well traveled, might consider earning an associate degree in hospitality management, or those that enjoy working with and analyzing numbers might consider a bachelor’s degree in accounting, particularly because the accounting industry is growing 20 percent each year,” said Betty Vandenbosch, Ph.D., dean of Kaplan University’s School of Business.

Many military students who already have bachelor’s degrees set their sights on a graduate-level M.B.A. program, which continues to grow in importance in the business world. “The wonderful thing about the Kaplan M.B.A. is our student portfolios, which allow servicemembers to package their military experience and course material into a body of work that demonstrates what they are learning to prospective employers or military leadership,” said Vandenbosch. “Our students can take their portfolios to their employers or on job interviews to illustrate their talent and experience, so it’s a good selling tool.”

Kaplan University’s business degree programs are popular with military students and veterans. The university offers approximately 40 different academic programs through its business school, including an array of specializations. “Our undergraduate- and graduate-level management degrees provide students with the business acumen they will need to prepare to step into business roles,” said Vandenbosch. “The degree coupled with the outstanding leadership capabilities common among military personnel makes these students valuable to future employers.”

Kaplan also offers universal degree plans for almost all of its undergraduate programs, which enables enrolling students to transfer military experience and qualified life credits. Vandenbosch said military personnel and veterans who have practical experience in areas like supply chain and project management may be interested in having their experience evaluated for transfer credits, allowing them to customize aspects of their studies to their unique interests and experiences.

First-time freshmen who enroll at Kaplan also go through the Kaplan MyPath program, which utilizes career planning and student success diagnostics, to help students evaluate their skills and customize a program best suited to their learning style. This can be particularly beneficial to military students who know they want a business degree but have not decided on a specific career path prior to leaving the service.

Kaplan provides reduced tuition rates for military personnel (53 percent) and veterans (34 percent) enrolling in undergraduate programs, as well as a military student support center, which helps all military students, spouses and veterans make a smooth transition into higher education. Kaplan University was recently listed among MAE’s top 20 military-friendly colleges and universities.

MANAGEMENT IS KEY AREA

“The field of business offers many career paths to transitioning servicemembers, including entrepreneurship, information management, management of ‘things,’ management of people, marketing, accounting and financial management,” said Barb Schultz, associate executive director, Center for Distance Education at Upper Iowa University (UIU). “All of these career options can fall under the broad heading of business management.”

Upper Iowa offers students several Bachelor of Science degree programs that enhance their ability to be successful in all areas of business. “For example, our business administration curriculum provides the student with the knowledge and skills that managers use to meet the challenge of a rapidly evolving business environment,” said Schultz. “Specific emphasis is placed on the organizational, analytical and professional skills required in the major business areas.”

The Upper Iowa Management major provides the student with the knowledge and skills that managers use to marshal the human, material and financial resources of organizations (business, government or nonprofit) as they strive to meet their objectives. The human resources management major focuses on the personnel management functions of the organization as it strives to meet its objectives.

The technology and information management curriculum provides a combination of business and technology courses to enable the student to serve in a managerial and leadership capacity while working with computer specialists, programmers, managers, end-users and clients. The finance major builds upon the business core found in UIU’s business majors and will enable the student to utilize appropriate theories to operate in various areas of the financial marketplace.

Upper Iowa University’s business management curriculum was designed to provide an exceptionally strong educational foundation for those students seeking a variety of positions in the work force. “As such, our business management degree supports transitioning servicemembers by providing them with solid credentials, thus enhancing their competitiveness for good jobs,” Schultz said. “At Upper Iowa, our 39-credit-hour business core requirement provides the military student with a full spectrum of academic preparation in management.” For example, students study accounting, human resources management, marketing, ethics, business law, economics and other core courses in order to have a firm understanding of all that a career in management might encounter.

UIU courses are taught by scholar practitioners who ensure that Upper Iowa combines theoretical principles with sound, real-life workplace applications. Students address contemporary management challenges in the classroom as part of their learning process. This approach results in an exceptional learning environment for UIU students.

Combined with the hands-on leadership experience that the military provides, transitioning servicemembers who are UIU grads are extremely well prepared to compete for excellent jobs when they become veterans, Schultz said. Those who remain in the military can utilize their education to enhance their individual career advancement but also contribute to the people they lead and their unit’s mission. UIU business degrees also provide a solid foundation for students who intend to continue their education in a masters program.

For students that already hold a baccalaureate degree, the Upper Iowa University MBA degree provides graduates with current theories, concepts and learning models necessary to assume leadership roles in their organizations. With emphasis areas available in accounting, corporate financial management, global business, human resources management, organizational development, or quality management, the program is designed to position graduates to make significant contribution to their organizations. ♦