Management is the study of organizational theory, business practices and the issues affecting companies and organizations.
Degree programs in this field are designed to help you develop essential business and management skills, such as effective communication, teamwork, negotiation, and leadership; skills that will help you tackle the issues affecting organizations.
There is a lot you can do with a management degree, as these versatile skills can be applied to a variety of roles, within different kinds of organizations.
For example, you might become a partner in an entrepreneurial venture, or become the head of a small company within a matter of a few years. Alternatively, you could end up working for the government, in a middle or upper management position, or work as a management consultant.
Some opportunities you may qualify for right after your undergrad degree. Others will require further education and training, particularly those that demand a greater level of expertise in a certain area.
Fortunately, as a management graduate, you’re in a good position to pursue graduate studies in business and management, or in other fields such as education, urban planning, natural resource management, law, or public administration, among many others.
What Can Management Programs Teach You?
Management degree programs in Canada and the United States typically aim to teach students about the seven traditional management functions:
• Planning
• Staffing
• Directing
• Coordinating
• Reporting
• Budgeting
• Organizing
Introductory courses in marketing, accounting, economics, business law and finance provide you with a fundamental understanding of these traditional management functions and their supporting processes. More advanced coursework helps you analyze historical and contemporary business and management issues.
As a student of this field, you are also typically required to complete a work experience or practicum term during your final year of study in order to directly apply the lessons learned during theory-based study.
Employable Skills of Management Graduates
Management programs can teach you a set of skills as well as a knowledge base that is unique to the major, and highly employable in a variety of careers (especially management careers!). Some of these skills include:
• Ability to demonstrate understanding of contemporary business issues on a local and national level
• Proficiency with related computer software, such as for information management and presentation software
• Strong administrative, organizational and business writing skills
• Ability to demonstrate strong business acumen
• Ability to develop effective business strategies
• Ability to prepare budgets based on delegated guidelines
• Ability to delegate tasks to other employees
• Able to consistently demonstrate initiative and leadership
• Ability to interact effectively and professionally with all levels of management, suppliers, and customers
Careers Relevant to a Management Degree
The skills you can gain in a management degree program can be effectively applied to the following careers (not an inclusive list):
• Actuary
• Blogger
• Chief Executive Officer (CEO)
• Chief Information Officer (CIO)
• Chief Operating Officer (COO)
• Corporate Social Responsibility Manager
• Director of University Admissions
• Education Programs Administrator
• Industrial Relations Officer
• Intellectual Property Manager
• Lawyer
• Mayor
• Mediator
• Producer
• Realtor
• Recreation and Sports Director
Please Note: Some of the above listed careers require additional education, training and/or experience. Click on careers that are of interest to you to find out more about the qualifications you’ll need.
Who Employs Grads?
A better question is, who doesn't hire management graduates? Because pretty much every type of employer you can imagine does. Employers are always looking for people with excellent managerial skills and a strong understanding of the domestic business environment.
Because of this, the skills you can gain in a management program are highly employable, and give you plenty of career options. After all, businesses run the economy, and managers run the businesses.
These programs are designed to help prepare you to innovate and lead when you enter the workforce. Management graduates who best exemplify these skills often find positions with hospitals, educational institutions, government agencies, manufactures, retailers, customer service operators, hotels, consulting firms, and many other types of organizations.
Typical Salary of Graduates
The salary you could earn as a management graduate first entering the workforce can vary drastically, and is heavily dependent on the following factors (not an inclusive list):
• Your level of education (undergrad, MBA, etc.)
• The industry in which you find work
• The type of job you have, and your level of responsibility
• The size and type of your employer
• If you work in management, or you’ve chosen another path
• The region in which you work
• Other work experience you may have accrued
• Other skills you may have
Graduate Salary - Ontario: According to a study in 2011 conducted by the Ontario Council of Universities, $52,276 CAD is the average salary earned by Business & Commerce graduates, 2 years after graduating from Ontario* universities in 2010.
*Unfortunately, similar statistics for other Canadian provinces and the United States cannot be found from reputable sources.
Gaining Career Experience as a Student
Pursuing an internship (also known as a field experience, practicum or co-op opportunity) in a career field related to your management degree is a great way to gain relevant work experience while you’re still a student.
If you’re thinking of pursuing a career in management, do your best to land one of these opportunities. They have so many benefits, including:
Meeting other people who share the same professional interests
If you’re lucky enough to land a work experience opportunity in a career path related to your degree, meeting others who share that same interests and passions can be highly beneficial.
You can see them operate on daily basis, you can ask them what it is they like about what they do, you can learn how they got where they, and you can get idea of the dynamics of the environment they work in.
Gaining valuable career experience
If your school has any role in facilitating the opportunity or introducing you to the management internship opportunity, which they likely will, odds are the employer has been carefully screened and will only provide you with valuable on-the-job experience.
Internships, co-ops and other forms of work experience are meant to add practice to the theory you have been learning, while simultaneously giving the employer a valuable team member.
Getting your foot in the door with an organization
A great way to make the transition from student to employee is to be offered a position with the same organization you worked for as an intern! If you’ve done quality work and made a good impression, chances are that organization will want to retain you on a full-time basis once you’ve graduated.
Why? Well, they will already be familiar with you and your work ethic, and they will save a great deal of time and expense trying to recruit someone else.
How to Find a Management Internship
Your college or university may or may not require you to participate in an internship or other form of work experience program. If it is an academic requirement, you will likely have the opportunity arranged for you, as many schools work directly with employers to arrange work experience opportunities.
If it is not a requirement, speak with your professors, management program staff as well as your school’s guidance and career counselors to help you find a suitable opportunity.
Management Scholarships
If you’re a student looking for help in paying for school, then you’re in luck; our scholarships database has Canadian and American scholarships that are specific to management, as well as scholarships that are open to any field of study!
Success Tip: Be sure to apply for any and all scholarships for which you qualify, as there are millions of dollars of scholarships in Canada and the United States that go unused every year due to a lack of applicants.
