Why Study Business?

In today's society, business professions and services are among the fastest-growing and best paying areas of employment.  In the modern world, technology and innovation have shifted much of the production-oriented work to machines and computers. As societies become more services and information based, there will continue to be an increasing demand for talented individuals skilled in communication, problem-solving, management and other business skills. These types of abilities can be developed and practiced in a business curriculum at Northern Michigan University.

Starting salaries in business fields may range from $23,000 - $44,000 or higher. A business education can also equip an individual to enter a very wide variety of careers, giving the business student flexibility in future options.

All in all, a business education may be just right for you – and will help prepare you for your career!

Business at Northern

NMU has offered degrees in business since 1914 and constantly monitors the trends in order to ensure appropriate preparation for careers in various areas of business. Some of the program advantages at NMU include:

• Committed and experienced faculty in small class sizes
• Problem-solving focus
• Use of student teams
• Current computer equipment
• Relevant software for all courses
• Internships
• Excellent placement rate
• Professional student organizations

While each business degree at Northern is unique, they do share some common components. For the bachelor’s degree programs, these include:

• Liberal studies courses are taken by all university students to broaden their education and build a foundation for their academic and professional careers.  The liberal studies divisions are formal communications (writing courses), humanities, social sciences, math and natural sciences, formal communications (a language course) and visual and performing arts.
• Other specific courses from various academic areas are also taken by business students, such as economics, speech, physical education, and general electives.
• Business courses, taken by everyone majoring in a four-year business program, are called the business core courses. These include accounting, finance, management, marketing, and business law.
• Major courses are stipulated for each degree, specific to that business area. These courses are listed in detail on the description page for each degree. 

Associate degree students take similar courses, but fewer in each category. Some of the two-year programs are intended to feed into four-year degrees while others are geared towards preparation for specific employment options.

First Year Experience

The First Year Experience program is a program designed to help you make a successful transition into college life. A part of the program is joining a “block” of students who all take the same classes their first semester as well as a freshman seminar course.

Advance Placement Credit

Beyond the university's advanced placement credits, advance placement credit is available through testing for those students who have already obtained some office and computing skills through classes or work experience. Tests are given upon request and documentation of work experience.

Admission to the College of Business

Usually by your junior year of college, you must apply for admission to the College of Business.  Being admitted to NMU is the first step, but students choosing business majors must meet a second set of requirements to formally be admitted to the College of Business. These requirements include: one year of English, designated math, economics, accounting, a computer literacy component, and two other liberal studies courses. This ensures that students in upper division courses are well prepared for the concentrated material on business subjects. For more details, go to the College of Business admissions policy. 

Getting a Job When You've Graduated

Northern's Career Services offers workshops on preparing to graduate, writing resumes, handling a job interview. The center also aids in placement through job fairs and employer visits to campus. If your employment interest is in the area of Information Technology, click here.

Other Resources for Careers in Business