Major Mondays: Business Administration (Leadership and Innovation Emphasis)
Major Mondays: Business Administration (Leadership and Innovation Emphasis)
Overview: The Bachelor of Science (B.S.) in Business Administration major at USC is a four-year program that provides training in several fields related to business (marketing, finance, accounting, entrepreneurship, organizational behavior, etc.). The training you’ll receive at USC, however, goes far beyond a traditional classroom experience. Many of the classes Business Administration majors take involve teamwork and challenging group projects that will help you not only understand business concepts, but also apply them successfully to real-world scenarios. Marshall also provides countless opportunities to develop your career, from webinars and workshops to building your resume, to networking nights with industry professionals who can help you secure internships and full-time jobs after graduation.
One of my favorite things about Marshall is that all of these resources, classes, and great experiences can be tailored to whatever it is you want to pursue both during your time at USC and after graduation. A very common way of making your Business Administration major a better fit for you, your talents, passions, and interests is by declaring an emphasis. At Marshall, emphasis programs will usually be around four classes – mostly taken during Junior or Senior year – that are focused on a specific field of business. These classes would usually be what we call upper division electives, only instead of taking one in marketing, one in finance, and two in data science, you would be taking four directed toward a single field.
One of the most popular emphasis programs for Business majors is the Leadership and Innovation Emphasis. The program, as stated on Marshall’s website: “teaches students to lead and innovate, identify and solve critical problems, and build a sustainable competitive advantage.” In other words, the program focuses on applying business principles in leadership and innovation to prepare students for an incredibly fast-paced workplace where regulations, responsibilities, and situations rapidly change. The idea behind this is so that students can go into whatever industry they choose and be able to adapt to changes and transfer skills across industries or positions. This can be a great emphasis for you if you are interested in organizational behavior (how people make decisions and interact with one another in organizations) and in becoming a thoughtful, skilled, and purposeful leader.
Unique Academic Opportunities: Many might think that emphasis classes are only related to one field or area of study, but even within an emphasis you are still able to take courses that interest you and give you diverse insights. The course code for Leadership and Innovation Emphasis courses is “MOR” (Management and Organization Department), so when you’re looking at course planning or are doing some research, make sure you look into those! Some exciting examples of classes are MOR443: The Business of Digital Hollywood; MOR462: Management Consulting; and MOR534: Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion in Business. These are all just a few of the many courses you can take as a part of this emphasis and that can be of great use not only for the emphasis itself, but for any other interests you might have related to leadership and organizational behavior.
Current Student Perspective: Rachel Hur (she/her), a class of 2023 student in the Leadership and Innovation emphasis, shared some thoughts regarding why she chose to undertake it and the things she’s enjoyed the most.
“It seemed like the perfect opportunity to gain various perspectives and focus on a business topic of my choice that fit within my personal criteria. I also liked that there were emphases that did not limit the students to business, such as the emphasis that I chose for myself, Leadership and Innovation – which I knew could be applied to a variety of fields, whether or not I chose business as my career path.”
One of Rachel’s favorite things about the emphasis is how she has been able to not only tailor her Business Administration degree to her interests, but how she’s been able to meet like-minded students and apply leadership skills outside of the classroom:
“This semester, I am taking MOR469 (Negotiation and Persuasion), a topic I have been hoping to study for some time now. I like how I can apply the concepts I learn in this class beyond business, and in my everyday life. In this class, I have the opportunity to negotiate with students from all walks of life and majors – this semester, I have had the opportunity to negotiate with many exchange students from Denmark and Germany. I have also been able to provide support and advice for my fellow friends and classmates that are going through job negotiations.”
Want to Learn More? If you believe the emphasis in Leadership and Innovation might be right for you, it is important to note that you are only eligible once you have already started the Business Administration major at USC. Once you’ve started, you must take BUAD304: Organizational Behavior and Leadership before being able to declare the Leadership and Innovation Emphasis. The department also suggests taking a few MOR classes to decide if it really is a fit for you before declaring. A great recommendation would also be to look out for emails and info sessions where you can learn more about the different emphases, their different admission requirements, and more details regarding professional opportunities!
Written by: Martin Aguirre, USC Student Ambassador