College of Charleston offers new management major

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The College of Charleston School of Business began offering a Bachelor of Science in Management this semester.

“Management is the allocation of a company’s most valuable resource — its people,” Carrie Messal, chair of the Department of Management and Marketing and associate dean of the School of Business,” said in a news release. “As the environment that surrounds organizations changes, it is important that managers in all different sectors better understand how to manage people.”

The new degree program supports the college’s mission to develop globally fluent citizens who create innovative solutions to social, economic and environmental challenges, the news release said. Objectives include teaching students to understand human behavior in the workplace and have the skills and abilities to work with and manage others.

While the major is new, every semester the business school has offered more than 10 different classes in management and related courses exploring topics such as entrepreneurship, organizational behavior, leadership and human resources, the release said.

According to the U.S. Department of Labor, general and operations managers have “bright outlook” occupations based on both rapid growth and a high number of current job postings.

The new management major will capitalize on the college’s location within the city of Charleston by providing opportunities for experiential learning — from internships to guest speakers.

For example, in the course “Business, Leadership and Society,” taught by instructor Alexis Carrico, business leaders like Wes Carter, president of Atlantic Packaging, speak to students about his company’s strategic partnerships that combat the planet’s plastic pollution. The same class has also met a short distance from campus at Ibu Movement’s showroom to learn more about the clothing and accessory social enterprise’s work with women.

Additionally, several classes within the major set goals to discuss race more directly, exploring diversity issues within the context of the working environment.