The Management Major

In a world in which adults can expect to change careers several times during their lifetimes and in which job security and career opportunity come less from one’s title or position than from one’s applicable knowledge and skills, preparing managers to do "business as usual" is shortsighted; in today’s world doing business as usual ultimately means not doing business.

The management major is intended to develop outstanding leaders who bring state-of-the-art management skills and understanding to the critical problem of coordinating organizational activities in rapidly changing business and not-for-profit environments.

This degree provides theoretical and applied knowledge in the basic areas expected of all managers: specifically, management science, accounting, budgeting and economics. The degree emphasis is on development of logical reasoning and critical thinking skills. Students who major in management are encouraged to take elective classes in human development and the humanities. For students who are preparing for the challenges of management of teams and individuals, knowledge provided by social sciences about the human development process is essential to developing an understanding of others. The humanities provide the student with an historical and comparative perspective of human behavior across time. This combination of management and liberal arts courses is essential for individuals who seek higher level management positions.

In the tradition of Douglas McGregor, a researcher of organizational behavior and past President of Antioch College for whom the school is named, students of management will consider techniques to operationalize McGregor’s concept that the management process can indeed be a human enterprise.

Allowing the student to study contemporary organizational problems in the context of the ethical and social considerations inherent in the current global environment, the management curriculum supports the development of the student as an agent of social change within an organizational environment.

As a routine matter, students in the major are asked to place new information into perspective and to link it to existing knowledge, to upgrade their understanding of the forces working inside and outside their organizations. Students majoring in management are expected to develop sound theories about organizations and the global systems in which these organizations operate – theories they can test where they live and work.

What management majors experience during the week, on the job and in their personal lives, becomes material for discussion and analysis in Undergraduate Studies classes. Sharing these experiences is an important part of the major. Most management classes are small and involve interaction among students. An enormous amount of useful cross-utilization takes place within a practical and applications-oriented diagnostic framework that allows program graduates to look at any management problem or opportunity, or go into any organizational situation, and know what questions to ask, determine what needs to be done, and how best to work with others to do it.

The management major is not simply about learning to solve the problems encountered routinely; it is intended to help solve problems that are presented by a changing world and anticipate those around the corner. In the Antioch tradition, faculty regard management graduates as potential leaders of organizations who will help benefit the society and environment.

See Degree Requirements for the Management Major.