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Changes in ESU's Business Administration Program Designed for Students' Career Success

by Gwen Larson

Emporia, KS (04/05/2023) — Restructuring the business administration program in Emporia State's School of Business is designed to help graduates be even more successful in their careers.

"Conversations with employers indicate they are looking for three main strengths from our students," said Dr. Ron Christian, assistant professor of marketing.

These strengths are:

  • Well-rounded background of general business from accounting to marketing to management strategy.
  • Skill sets developed for specific jobs.
  • Soft skills such as interpersonal communication, listening, problem-solving, teamwork, emotional intelligence and critical thinking.

Added Dr. Yankun Jia, assistant professor of management: "We are dedicated to providing our students relevant business knowledge with a focused career-ready skill set and interpersonal attributes needed to succeed in the workplace."

To provide specific skill sets to graduates, the School of Business has 11 concentrations within the business administration major. The two newest concentrations are Management and Marketing. This is the full list of concentrations:

  • Accounting Services
  • E-Commerce
  • Entrepreneurship
  • Financial Services
  • Human Resource Management
  • Insurance
  • International Business
  • Management
  • Marketing
  • Marketing Communication
  • Sales Management

"Students who graduate with a degree in business administration will now benefit from both broad experience in business combined with specialized education in their concentration, making them very attractive candidates for employers," said Dr. Ed Bashaw, dean of ESU's School of Business.

The restructuring enhances what ESU's School of Business already does as an AACSB-accredited business program. It provides students with hands-on learning experiences, the Emporia Entrepreneurship Challenge, alumni networking opportunities, internships and access to research opportunities + mentorships with some of the brightest faculty in the region. Within six months of graduation, 97% of ESU School of Business graduates found jobs or were accepted into advanced studies programs.

For more information about Emporia State's investments in education programs, see emporia.edu/future, which includes a video from Dr. Ron Christian and Dr. Yankun Jia, assistant professors in the School of Business.

About Emporia State University

Emporia State University offers academic programs in the School of Business, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, School of Library and Information Management and The Teachers College. For five consecutive years, ESU is the only public university in Kansas to have earned national recognition as a College of Distinction, an honor for universities that demonstrate innovative application of high-impact education. In addition, U.S. News and World Report data shows ESU students have the lowest student debt of all Kansas public universities. U.S. News also cited ESU's School of Business as a best value for both in-state and out-of-state students and ranked the online graduate education program in the Top 100 programs in the nation.

For more information, visit www.emporia.edu.

Media Attachments

A recruiter for Conoco Phillips talks with a student during an October 2022 career fair in ESU's School of Business.

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