Business & Entrepreneurship

The Sport, Commerce, and Culture minor provides an opportunity for students to study the structure and experience of contemporary sport industry from an interdisciplinary perspective, informed by research, theories, and methods drawn largely–but not exclusively–from anthropology, cultural studies, economics, gender studies, history, race and ethnic studies, urban studies, and sociology.

The Minor in Computational Finance will provide students with proficiency in applying analytical models and machine learning methods to solve challenging financial tasks. The Minor will introduce students to (pseudo) realistic tasks faced by financial analysts and researchers, as well as the real world datasets that are widely used across the financial industry and by financial regulators (e.g., SEC, FINRA, etc.). Only open to Computer Science majors.

The Army Leadership Studies program promotes the development of undergraduate students on small group leadership. Students will walk away with an in-depth understanding of Small Unit Tactics, Land Navigation and Field Training, Operations and Logistical Planning, Team Building, and Peer-to-Peer counseling.

Individual Studies (IVSP) students enjoy broad academic freedom and flexibility to pursue their degrees in ways that best suit their intellectual interests and passions. Under the guidance of a faculty mentor and the IVSP staff, students create their own unique, interdisciplinary majors that approach important issues, questions, and problems from a range of disciplines and perspectives. 

The nonprofit leadership and social innovation minor gives you the tools to engage in hands-on learning to enhance your knowledge of local, national and global issues. Students will examine different approaches to social impact and study the role of the nonprofit, non-governmental and social sectors, in addition to social innovation, leadership and nonprofit management skills.

The public policy major implements a hands-on, interdisciplinary approach to tackling the most pressing policy dilemmas. Our coursework sharpens students' analytical and decision-making skills by focusing on practical problem-solving rather than theoretical concepts. Whether you are passionate about addressing inequality, reducing poverty, combating barriers to healthcare or strategic risk management, the public policy major provides a strong foundation for creating innovative solutions.

The undergraduate minor in Technology Innovation Leadership prepares students to effectively create and navigate a climate of technological innovation within an organization or team. By combining creative leadership, design thinking, and understanding socio-technical challenges, students will tackle large-scale problems relating to technology innovation. Innovative thinking approaches incorporated into the curriculum will allow students to create new ideas and energy and solve socio-technical challenges through leadership experiences. The coursework will examine the different ways leaders and social entrepreneurs strategically use innovative technologies and information to solve social, cultural, and environmental problems.

The undergraduate minor in Risk Management, Ethics, and Privacy is designed to prepare students to evaluate major information and big data privacy and security issues that businesses and individuals are faced with. The curriculum will examine risks companies face while collecting, storing, and managing information and their existing customers’ and stakeholders’ data. The coursework will focus on practical strategies to mitigate risks and explore the ways emerging technologies benefit in the context of risk management, ethics, and privacy.

This program supports students in their efforts to use technology in the service of the greater good, to apply and expand their creativity, and to engage in rapid development and prototyping grounded by rapid evaluation and assessment. Students participate in hands-on studio courses in user-centered design, technology development, and cross-disciplinary communication preparing them to become leaders in a range of career fields.

This curriculum blends theory, practical skills, and hands-on learning with industry professionals, preparing our graduates to apply their skills directly and immediately in their careers. Students learn skills in technical areas such as database design, information architecture, data analytics, and cybersecurity alongside the social sciences, leadership, and the humanities. Graduates are prepared to address the growing and unique needs of information professionals who understand complex social and organizational issues.

The Minor in Technology Entrepreneurship and Corporate Innovation aims to help students understand the entrepreneurial process and essential skills. Equipped with an entrepreneurial mindset and skill set, aspiring innovators can drive economic growth by launching successful ventures and bringing new products and services to market.

Employers increasingly seek candidates whose career preparation includes an understanding of project management fundamentals. Students that complete this minor should have a good understanding of project management concepts, tools, and techniques and be able to be productive on project teams in their first employment after graduation. The minor also aligns students with career paths leading to increased management responsibility.

The minor in global engineering leadership is designed to develop the skills necessary to lead with a global vision, work effectively with others to address social issues, and engineer solutions that improve communities and organizations.

The Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering offers a Bachelor of Science in Chemical Engineering, which combines chemical, physical and life sciences with engineering to solve a wide variety of problems. The graduate in this major finds interesting and diverse career opportunities in such fields as petroleum, pharmaceuticals, polymers and biotechnologies.

The Leadership Studies program promotes leadership learning and development by educating students for and about leadership in a complex world. Valuing global citizenship and civic education, we aim to prepare students to effectively engage in leadership in both formal and informal ways within campus, local, national, and global contexts.

The Department of Mathematics offers a Minor in Actuarial Mathematics for students whose majors are not mathematics. The goal of the Minor in Actuarial Mathematics is to provide the student with an introduction to statistics in general and actuarial mathematics in particular. This minor is closely related to the Minor in Statistics, but its focus is on actuarial mathematics.

The Department of Mathematics offers a Minor in Statistics for students whose majors are not mathematics. The goal of the Minor in Statistics is to provide the student with a substantial number of courses that are statistical in nature and involve a substantial amount of mathematics.

The Innovation and Entrepreneurship minor equips you with the skills to jump-start your business and to think creatively about problem solving and strategy.

The Smith general business minor is an inclusive multidisciplinary academic minor. This newly redesigned online and asynchronous program offers students unique knowledge and a wide range of skills that can be used to gain a competitive edge in their career search and enterprise creation.

The availability of massive amounts of data has created the need for business analytics professionals who can analyze such data and obtain the insight needed for informed decision-making. This allows an organization to gain a competitive edge in today’s dynamic business environment. The minor integrates technology with statistical and quantitative modeling techniques to provide students with the foundation needed for data-driven decision-making.

Supply Chain Management majors learn what it is to be the lynchpin holding an entire organization together. You’ll learn from renowned faculty with industry experience to ensure that the desired product is available to the customer in the right condition and quantity and at the right time, place, and cost. The curriculum incorporates state-of-the-art software applications, so you’ll learn to develop ways of increasing the efficiency of the flow of goods and services across organizations.

The OMBA major will equip you with the knowledge and skills to apply quantitative and statistically based modeling techniques to data. With world-class faculty at the helm, you’ll be able to drive and influence decision-making at all levels of business. These skills are in high demand and provide career opportunities in the public and private sectors.

As a Maryland Smith marketing major, you’ll learn how to be successful at all levels of an organization by ensuring that quality goods and services are provided at fair prices and in a way that benefits the community and society. And you’ll learn from faculty like Rebecca Ratner, whose research about solitude has made a huge impact in consumer studies.

When you select a Management major, you join a leading undergraduate program in management and entrepreneurship, led by “edu-preneurs” like Oliver Schlake. Both of these programs are regularly highly ranked, and focus on leadership and entrepreneurship, engaging students in critical thinking and problem solving, which are applicable to many careers.

The International Business major dynamically pairs your interests in international economics systems and their inherent multicultural characteristics. In addition to the usual core course and electives that comprise the degree, you’ll have the opportunity to select an upper-level foreign language course to truly expand your skills in a global capacity.

Maryland Smith’s Information Systems (IS) major is ranked No. 6 in the country (and the school is No. 11 among publics) by U.S. News & World Report and includes stellar faculty with real-world experience and influential research. The IS major prepares you to effectively plan, use and manage information technologies and systems through a focus on system design and implementation skills, including database and web design.

Smith’s Finance majors learn from faculty with real-world experience, like Professor Lemma Senbet, whose international finance career has influenced policy in Africa and the careers of the students he’s mentored, who include a bank president and a chief economist at the SEC. This curriculum will familiarize you with the institutions, theory and practice involved in the allocation of financial resources within the private sector.

With Accounting at Smith you’ll learn from faculty who influence how companies choose to invest in cybersecurity and network with alumni who hold CEO and managing partner positions in numerous public accounting firms. This curriculum includes financial planning, budgeting, accounting systems, financial management controls, financial analysis of performance, financial reporting, internal and external auditing, and taxation.

The government and politics major prepares students to understand and interpret political science research and provides students with the tools to produce political science research through advanced training in political methodology and data analysis. The major combines philosophical and scientific concerns to emphasize such broad areas as political development, policy analysis, social justice, political economy, conflict, and human rights.

Economists analyze how people make choices. and use empirical tools to test theory, analyze data, and inform ongoing decision-making. Economics students learn about the methods of analysis that economists use and about the various fields of inquiry where economists have been most productive. Majors often pursue careers or graduate degrees in business, banking and finance, government, law, or international relations.

The African Studies Minor focuses on the history, culture, politics and economics of the peoples who populate the continent of Africa. As an interdisciplinary field of study, the minor will provide students with an understanding of the historical and cultural contexts that have and continue to shape political, economic and social development in Africa.

The Philosophy, Politics, and Economics (PPE) major explores complex social and political questions, merging philosophy, political science and economics. PPE equips students with a diverse set of analytical tools, enabling them to tackle pressing global issues that require multi-dimensional perspectives. It prepares future leaders with knowledge in ethics, reasoning, institutional politics and economics to provide solutions to intricate problems.

Students minoring in Arts Leadership will learn critical, interdisciplinary and holistic thinking methods necessary to meet the challenges faced by arts leaders. These include the fundamentals of cultural policy, stewardship, programming and curation as well as legal aspects like copyright. Students will also gain practical skills like grant writing and an appreciation for the importance of diversity in the arts.

The Rhetoric minor analyzes the history, theory and criticism of civic discourse and cultural practices. The minor empowers graduates to engage with important social issues and take on active leadership roles. The minor may be especially valuable for those who plan careers in the fields of business, education, government, law and others where persuasive writing and speaking skills are prized.

The Professional Writing minor offers students opportunities to engage deeply with the theory and practice of writing, editing and designing print and digital documents for professional workplaces, civic organizations and community deliberations. The minor is a good fit for any student wishing to enhance their marketable skills and broaden their post-graduate employment opportunities.

The Real Estate Development Minor provides students with an overview of sustainable real estate development, including the development process, the basics of real estate finance, urban planning and design and the unique roles of government and the private sector. The minor is particularly suited to students with an interest in careers related to real estate and the built environment, such as architecture, business, construction management, civil engineering, historic preservation, local government, non-profit housing, public-private partnerships, landscape architecture, urban planning, or related entrepreneurial ventures.

Undergraduate students wishing to pursue a career in the design or construction of capital projects will have a distinct competitive advantage if they have a working knowledge of the fundamentals of managing construction. The minor, along with completion of your full degree program, will provide you a distinct competitive advantage over other potential job candidates. When completed with the minor, students should have a good understanding of construction project management concepts, tools, and techniques and be able to be productive on project teams in their first employment after graduation. The minor also aligns students with career paths leading to increased management responsibility.

The Institute of Applied Agriculture offers a 60-credit certificate that provides students with the entrpreneurial, technical, and communication skills needed to manage and lead profitable agricultural and environmental enterprises, including golf courses, sports fields, horticulture businesses, landscaping companies, and sustainable farming operations. For those who wish to pursue a bachelor's degree, the IAA offers direct pathways into AGNR degrees.

This minor is catered to the aspiring landscape manager who is seeking a strong foundation in plant sciences and business management. Courses teach the science behind plant growth and development, the plant's responses to the environment, the skills needed to recommend best management practices to identify plant abnormalities, and business, human resource, and financial management skills.

Agricultural & Resource Economics (AREC) is widely regarded as one of the top departments of its kind in the world, offering students outstanding education and training in applied economics and business. Majors focus on the economics of the environment, natural resources, agriculture, and international development. Graduates proudly work for federal agencies, financial institutions, agricultural businesses, environmental non-profits, and private firms.