Business Administration
Want to compete strategically and successfully in the fast-paced, global business environment? Our Business Administration program will prepare you to become a responsible, productive, and innovative business leader. You will have opportunities to explore the different facets of the business field and define your personal competitive advantages, while building a strong, broad-based knowledge of what it takes to be successful in the business world.
With specializations in Accounting, Finance, and Marketing, you will have the opportunity to dig deep into your personal areas of interest. Our graduates have gone on to become accountants with major accounting firms, analysts and loan officers at both large and community banks, insurance sales representatives, managers, regional sales representatives for various exciting industries and small business owners.
What You'll Study
To ensure that our students have a broad-based business background to understand business as a whole, we offer courses at various levels in Accounting, Economics, Finance, International Business, Law, Management, Marketing, Operations, Organizational Behavior, and Strategy (just to name a few).
As our students define their personal competitive advantages, we offer three concentrations to allow students to specialize in a field of interest.
Specializations
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Accounting
- Financial Accounting at the intermediate levels
- Managerial Accounting – methods of allocating and assigning costs for making business decisions
- Taxation from both the personal and corporate perspective
- Auditing Accounting Software including how small business use QuickBooks
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Finance
- Corporate Finance – how businesses maximize returns for shareholders
- Banking – how banks of all sizes generate value for stockholders
- Financial Decision Making – how to use Excel programming to aid in making financial decisions
- Investments – exploring numerous investment options and strategies
- International Finance – investigating how currency exchange rates impact financial decisions
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Marketing
- Marketing Research – how to gather data and turn it into decision-making information
- Social Media Marketing – how to best use the new world of social media as a marketing platform
- Sales – the art of closing the deal and managing your sales force
- Small Business Marketing – learn the tools and methods that best fit the marketing needs and budgets of small businesses
- Consumer Behavior – understand the tendencies of your customers
- Integrated Marketing Communications – how to put it all together and present a consistent message for your company, products, and services
Beyond the Classroom
In the Business Administration program, we believe college isn't just a stop on the way to the real world—it is the real world. Students are encouraged to approach their education with the same professionalism with which they would approach a career. To make that possible, students will have the opportunity to participate in professional development and skillbuilding activities throughout the program. They will get to hear from and talk to guest speakers representing a wide variety of fields, participate in empowering workshops, and engage in challenging internships. By the time graduation comes around, each of our students has a resume they can be proud of.
Sullivan Foundation
Lees-McRae is part of the Sullivan Foundation network of colleges and universities. The Sullivan Foundation was created to honor students who dedicate themselves to service, and grants scholarships and awards each year to individuals who demonstrate that commitment. Students, along with faculty, can also participate in Sullivan Foundation events and programs that help budding social entrepreneurs bring their world-changing ideas to life.
Lees-McRae students and faculty become “changemakers” at Sullivan Foundation’s Ignite Retreat
Internship Spotlight: Matthew Armstrong ’21
Intern at Engel & Völkers
“I had a small amount of real estate experience and a small amount of spare time, so I put on a suit and went to five or six real estate offices to ask if they needed some help. As an afterthought, I went to a new firm in the area, thinking ‘what do I have to lose?’”
Armstrong got the internship—and ended up running the entire marketing department. Read more>>
After Graduation
Common Career Areas
- General Business—Account Manager, Customer Service Manager, Lawyer, Business Owner, Business Development Manager
- Accounting—Accountant, Auditor, Tax Preparer
- Finance—Financial Planner, Investment Banking, Commercial Banking
- Marketing—Marketing Manager, Event Manager, Market Researcher, Sales
Career information is provided through Vault and O'Net. Current Lees-McRae students can see the full results on Vault using their student email and password.
Alumni Success
Employment
InMar
Grant Thorton
Atlanta Braves
Angel's Share Wine
American College of Cardiology
La-Z-Boy
Security Central
Cisco
Volunteer Sports Information Coordinator at 2016 Rio Olympics
Graduate School
UT Austin
Appalachian State University
University of North Carolina
Ithaca
Gardner-Webb
UC San Diego
Seton Hall
Graduate Spotlight: Marcelo Tatai ’12
Alliance Manager at Cisco Systems
Major: Business Administration (Management, Marketing, and International Business Concentrations)
"Lees-McRae exposed me to many great things that made a huge impact in my life: the multicultural campus where we were able to build great relationships with our professors and colleagues from around the world; my tennis team that made me a much more competitive and resilient person; the business classes that helped me figure out which direction I wanted to go in my career; the internship program that gave me an understanding of what the "real world" looks like; and my study abroad experience in South Korea that I will never forget."
Meet the Faculty
Amy Anderson, MBA
Program Coordinator for Online Business Administration, Senior Instructor
Joseph Walsh, MBA
Scheduling Coordinator for Business Administration, Senior Instructor
Glen Weaver, DM
Associate Professor of Business Administration