Management skills are broadly applicable and our graduates go on to a wide range of professions in both the public and private sector. The major is also designed to help those thinking of starting their own business or aiding a family business. Finally, many students find the broad business training of the management major a helpful foundation for future graduate study.

The major in public administration provides students with a general foundation in the nature of public policy, the public workplace and its political, legal and managerial environments. This major prepares students for professional employment and leadership in government and nonprofit organizations. The program consists of a core of courses offering general knowledge essential for understanding and working in the public arena. This core provides students with an appreciation of the political culture and economic environment of public work, measurement techniques and a basic understanding of the policy process.

Students are offered a choice between two concentration options: public policy or public management.

In the public policy concentration students acquire knowledge of the nature, dynamics, implementation and substance of public policy and its analysis. Courses address:

• Policy processes.
• Techniques for analyzing policy options.
• The dynamics and substance of particular policy issues.

The public management concentration emphasizes management and management-related skills. Courses address:

• The legal environment of public work.
• Organization theories.
• Management theories and applications.
• Management best practices.

In addition, courses in both concentrations heighten students' critical, analytical and communication skills through case studies, exercises and the intensive writing requirement. The public policy concentration requires a senior seminar experience that seeks to bring policy theory and analytical skills to bear on a practical issue of public policy. Public management students must complete the dual capstone requirements of a public management seminar and an internship, requiring an integration of knowledge from both general studies and major studies by focusing students on specific cases and workplace applications.

Because the public administration major develops techniques and skills applicable to varied career paths in public service, students are encouraged to choose a complementary minor with a narrower, substantive focus. The minors recommended for students' consideration include criminal justice, environmental information systems, environmental management, environmental studies, family studies, gerontology, health information systems, nonprofit studies, political communication, substance abuse intervention, telecommunications, urban and regional studies, communication studies, conflict analysis and intervention, sociology, technical and scientific communication, economics, human resource development, computer science, public health and integrated science and technology.

Interested students may apply to participate in the Fifth Year Master of Public Administration degree program, which allows qualified students to earn an M.P.A. degree with one additional year of study. Students should apply for this program in their sophomore year. See the Graduate Catalog for more information.

The curriculum is designed for persons who seek employment in the accounting field or for those presently in accounting who wish to increase their knowledge and update their skills. Job opportunities include accounting trainee, accounting technician, junior accountant, and accountant.

This degree is excellent for those interested in the organization and reporting of financial data. Upon completion of the program, students can take an additional three courses for the Accounting Career Studies Certificate, and then are eligible to proceed to the CPA exam, if other education requirements are satisfied. Contact the Virginia Board of Accountancy for all education requirements.

This curriculum is designed for individuals who plan to transfer to a four-year college or university to complete a baccalaureate degree program in business administration with a major in accounting, business management, decision science and management, information systems, finance, marketing, etc.

The curriculum is designed for individuals who seek employment in business management or for those presently in management who are seeking promotion. Job opportunities include administrative assistant, management trainee, department head, branch manager, office manager, manager of small business, and supervisor.

This curriculum is designed for individuals who plan to seek employment in contract management positions and for those presently in contract management positions who seek career advancement. The program is designed to create opportunities for positions in contract management for both government agencies and private industry. Instruction includes both the theoretical concepts and the practical applications needed for future success in the contract management field. This will provide a greater understanding of acquisition, life cycle management, and contracting processes. Job opportunities include project manager, procurement analyst, contract administrator, contract specialist, contract negotiator, contract price analyst, and contract termination specialist.

This program is a flexible associate degree. For students who plan to transfer, the degree can parallel the first two years of a four-year bachelor of science program if they choose courses that match the transfer institution's requirements. For those students who do not plan to transfer, the degree allows them to structure a program to suit their needs using accumulated credits from a variety of formal and experiential sources.

This program is designed for individuals who plan to transfer to a four-year institution to complete a bachelor of arts (B.A.).

A major in business offers students the opportunity to explore theories and concepts from accounting, business, and economics. Students study in an active learning environment and begin to understand and appreciate the complex nature of business organizations through applied economic theory. A major in business prepares students for a career in all business environments and provides an excellent foundation for graduate studies in such fields as business and law. The major in business requires a common core of courses plus one of three concentrations: Finance, Management, or Marketing. All courses in the core and in each concentration must be completed with a grade of C- or better.

A major in business offers students the opportunity to explore theories and concepts from accounting, business, and economics. Students study in an active learning environment and begin to understand and appreciate the complex nature of business organizations through applied economic theory. A major in business prepares students for a career in all business environments and provides an excellent foundation for graduate studies in such fields as business and law. The major in business requires a common core of courses plus one of three concentrations: Finance, Management, or Marketing. All courses in the core and in each concentration must be completed with a grade of C- or better.

The study of accounting at Randolph-Macon College provides students with the opportunity to become fluent in the language of business within the unique setting of a liberal arts education. Students study accounting in an active learning environment incorporating theories and concepts from the fields of accounting, business, and economics. They learn to understand and appreciate the complex nature of business organizations. A major in accounting prepares students for a career in all business environments and provides an excellent foundation for graduate studies in such fields as accounting, business, taxation, and law. All courses in the major and minor must be completed with a grade of C- or better.

A major in business offers students the opportunity to explore theories and concepts from accounting, business, and economics. Students study in an active learning environment and begin to understand and appreciate the complex nature of business organizations through applied economic theory. A major in business prepares students for a career in all business environments and provides an excellent foundation for graduate studies in such fields as business and law. The major in business requires a common core of courses plus one of three concentrations: Finance, Management, or Marketing. All courses in the core and in each concentration must be completed with a grade of C- or better.