Areas of Specialization

The management curriculum at Kansas State University allows the undergraduate student to specialize in any of three areas: Human Resources Management, Management Information Systems, or Operations Management, or to obtain a General Management degree.

• Human Resource Management (HRM) Emphasis
  
  Effective recruitment, deployment and motivation of people, while complying with current federal and state regulatory guidelines, has become a strategic and operational challenge all managers must face. The HRM emphasis is designed to develop students' knowledge and skills in the broad areas of work motivation, group dynamics, leadership, strategic planning, and organizational development as well as the specific human resource functions such as staffing, appraisal, compensation, training, labor relations, personnel law, and regulatory compliance.
  
  
• Management Information Systems (MIS) Emphasis
  
  Information systems is a complex field which has become an integral part of organizational strategy. The management of information systems is affected both by rapid technological changes and by the effects of those changes on organizational performance. Information systems specialists are the people who ensure the efficient use and processing of information. The MIS emphasis curriculum offers the future systems professional a unique combination of business and technical courses. These courses provide managerial skills and technical knowledge in telecommunications and systems integration, data access and management, and managerial decision support. The curriculum emphasizes the integration of data, application systems, and technology and the role of IS professionals as systems integrators
  
  
• Operations Management (OM) Emphasis
  
  Operations management encompasses the planning of the processes and the management of the resources (facilities, materials, and labor) in service and manufacturing operations. Students in the OM emphasis will be prepared to competitively manage all aspects of operations, from purchasing to distribution, using a systems perspective. The focus of this perspective is customer satisfaction through the continual improvement of products and processes. Students' oral and written communication skills and analytical and team problem solving skills will be developed and honed through the extensive use of operations-oriented real world case analysis.
  
  
• General Management
  
  The general management track prepares students for positions that are broadly defined or which require a more integrated understanding of all areas of management. General Management students will be exposed to material in Human Resources and Operations Management as well as other functional areas in business such as accounting, finance, marketing, or international business.
  
• Entrepreneurship
  
  Under the general management track, students can select courses that will prepare them for the challenges of starting and running their own business. These electives will require students to work with local entrepreneurs, write a business plan, and understand the options for obtaining financing for a business startup.