Management and Human Organization B.A.

Does the business world or how human organizations run intrigue you? Are you interested in what makes for effective management and communication? Would you like to get involved in management in your professional life? If so, the B.A. in Management and Human Organization may be a good fit for you. The Management and Human Organization major is part of the Liberal Arts and Management Program in the College of Arts and Sciences.

The Management and Human Organization major helps you explore how the business world works as well as why it works that way from multiple perspectives. You will take core courses from highly skilled faculty in both the College of Arts and Sciences and the Kelley School of Business. Through your coursework, you will develop fundamental communication, business, and analytical skills while also gaining a critical understanding of the place of business in society today.

Your program of study in the major is designed to help you:

Communicate clearly and listen empathetically
Collaborate effectively
Become familiar with basic business skills and practices
Develop intellectual agility
Frame and answer questions using competing or complementary approaches
Understand businesses in their social, cultural, historical, and ethical contexts

The Liberal Arts and Management Program also offers an honors certificate for non-Management and Human Organization Majors in the College of Arts and Sciences.

Coursework

Getting started

A good course to start the Management and Human Organization major is LAMP-M 201 Arts of Communication. This required course will show you how the major applies liberal arts competencies to the world of business. In particular, you will develop various communication skills and learn how to use those skills in management and the workplace.

BUS-A 200 Foundations of Accounting and ECON-E 251 Fundamentals of Economics I are both prerequisites for higher-level coursework in the major. Therefore, these required courses are also a good choice to take early on in your academic career.

Tracks and concentrations

For students matriculating after Fall 2020, you will choose courses from two "Liberal Arts Electives" lists that were designed to explore business from a wide variety of perspectives. Liberal Arts List 1 compromises mostly courses in Arts & Humanities; Liberal Arts List 2 is mostly courses in Social & Historical Studies. Contact the academic advisor to discuss which of these courses best matches your interests.

For students matriculating before Summer 2020, you must complete one of two concentrations: Organizations and Institutions or Management and Communication. Contact the academic advisor to discuss which of these options best meets your goals.

In the Organizations and Institutions concentration, you will study business and management from a broad social and historical perspective. You will consider business practices and policies, as well as their consequences, from political, economic, historical, and social angles. Courses in this concentration are offered in a variety of areas including anthropology, psychology, sociology, economics, and international studies.

In the Management and Communications Concentration, you will learn how communication is used to shape the world of business. You will study theories of communication and will practice effective communication both individually and in groups. This concentration allows you to deepen your written and verbal communication skills and your ability to work as part of a team. Courses in this concentration are offered in rhetoric and media.

Upper level coursework

As a Mangement and Human Organization major, you will have the opportunity to take upper level coursework in a variety of departments both inside and outside the College of Arts + Sciences. Upper level coursework in key liberal arts areas will help you develop advanced skills in writing professionally, collecting and analyzing data, and thinking critically about the world in which you live. You can also enhance your practical skills in business and management by taking upper level coursework in the Kelley School of Business and the O’Neill School of Public and Environmental Affairs.

Commonly pursued majors, minors and certificates

As a Management and Human Organization major, you will also complete a minor in the Kelley School of Business or O’Neill School of Public and Environmental Affairs. Consult with an academic advisor to discuss these minors or other possible options.

Enhance your major

Working with faculty

When pursuing a degree in Management and Human Organization, you have the opportunity to work with faculty who have expertise and experience in the field. Take advantage of office hours to talk with your instructors about your performance in class, the content of assignments, and how the course helps you work toward your goals.

You can get involved in research as early as your first year. Many incoming first-year students apply to the Arts and Sciences Undergraduate Research Experience (ASURE) program. ASURE students experience project-based learning enhanced by a community of supportive faculty and peers. Choose an ASURE path in the arts and humanities, social and historical studies, or natural and mathematical sciences. Consider joining one that will deepen your skills and knowledge in an area related to your major or a different one to become a more well-rounded thinker.

Honors

While there is not an honors track for the Management and Human Organization major, high achieving students may be recognized for Academic Excellence in the College of Arts and Sciences or be eligible for admission to the Hutton Honors College.

Undergraduate scholarships and awards

Through the Liberal Arts and Management Program, Management and Human Organization majors will have access to exclusive scholarships. These scholarships are targeted towards specific areas, such as internships, study abroad, and academic achievement. Please contact an academic advisor to discuss your eligibility for specific scholarships.

Students may also be eligible for a variety of other campus wide scholarships and awards. These include:

Internships

Internships offer you a chance to develop both technical and transferable skills while making vital professional contacts with others in the field. Many students begin exploring internship opportunities, including overseas study programs with internships, as early as their first year.

Management and Human Organization majors are encouraged to pursue internships for credit. You can receive credit for preapproved internships related to the major through LAMP-X 373 Internship for LAMP. You may want to explore internships at companies such as Allstate Corporation, Bank of America, General Electic, and JP Morgan. Please contact an academic advisor to discuss the approval process.

Learn more about internships, including the possibility of receiving credit, through the Walter Center for Career Achievement, where you will find many resources for both domestic and international internships.

Foreign language study

As one of the premier institutions in the U.S. for the study of languages, IU Bloomington offers courses and resources in over 80 languages.

Below is a sampling of language study resources available to students at IU Bloomington.

Overseas study

Study abroad is an important part of undergraduate studies in our increasingly interconnected world. Management and Human Organization Major students often pursue language study and other coursework through the following exchange programs:

The College of Arts and Sciences also directly hosts a variety of study abroad programs, some even featuring IU faculty, that might be right for you. Learn more about study abroad opportunities and locations through conversation with Management and Human Organization faculty, your academic advisor, and through the Office of Overseas Study.

Student groups

Management and Human Organization majors are encouraged to enhance their undergraduate experience by participating in co-curricular activities of interest. Students interested in participating in departmental student groups should contact the Management + Human Organization advisor. You may also be interested in the following campus wide groups:

Getting involved with student groups grants you opportunities to further develop your leadership, communication, organizational, and teamwork skills.

Explore beINvolved to connect with any of the 750+ student organizations that already exist or to start a new one.

Volunteer opportunities

There are numerous opportunities for volunteer engagement, allowing you to give back to the local community while developing useful job skills. The organizations below can help you connect with others from the university and beyond:

Sign up to receive weekly emails from the Bloomington Volunteer Network to learn about local opportunities and organizations.

Professional organizations

Joining professional organizations is a great way to access unique professional development opportunities and to network with professionals already in the field. The organizations below are a few of the many professional organizations related to the Management and Human Organization Major.

Use the Indiana University Library system to search for Associations Unlimited, an online directory of associations, professional societies, non-profit organizations, and much more.

Build your skills

Through the major

The major in Management and Human Organization provides you with a set of skills and qualities that are relevant and transferable to many areas of study and work. These include:

Communication Skills: Listen empathetically and communicate effectively
Intellectual Agility: Examine complex issues and respond flexibly
Foundational Business Skills and Knowledge: Collect and manage data, understand the strengths and weakness of different organizational structures
Interdisciplinary Perspective: Ability to frame and answer questions using competing or complementary approaches
Collaboration Skills: Awareness of self in relation to others and organizations as a basis for effective collaboration
Critical Understanding of Business in Society: Familiarity with the social, cultural, historical, and ethical contexts of business and management

Through a College of Arts and Sciences degree

Your coursework provides many opportunities to develop the following five foundational skills that will serve you well in every career path:

Question critically
Think logically
Communicate clearly
Act creatively
Live ethically

These foundational skills will aid you in landing your first job and advancing professionally throughout your working life. Not only are these the skills that employers say they value most in the workplace, they provide the best preparation for lifelong success in a world of complexity, uncertainty, and change.

Skills desired by employers

Each year, the National Association of Colleges and Employers asks employers what key skills and qualities they are looking for in recent college graduates.

The following are some of the most commonly desired attributes across many employment sectors:

As you explore various career fields, pay attention to specific job descriptions and requirements. If there are areas where your skills or knowledge are lacking, talk with your academic advisor and career coach about how you can develop in those areas while you are at Indiana University.

Your academic advisor and career coach can also help you find ways to strengthen and deepen the knowledge you already have, becoming more prepared for whatever path you select after College.

Launch your career

Plan your search

A good starting point for exploring your career options is an appointment with your career coach.

The Walter Center for Career Achievement offers job search resources, career courses, job fairs, information about internships and full-time jobs, and help with social media networking through professional organizations. Get advice about how to write your resume, ask for letters of recommendation from faculty and workplace supervisors, and prepare for job interviews, too.

Explore and enroll in Career Communities to learn more about industries relevant to your interests. These offer unique information about each field, including alumni spotlights, opportunities and resources, and in-person events.

Maximize your career preparation with a career course. Management and Human Organization majors should consider enrolling in ASCS-Q296 College to Career II: Navigate Your Arts and Sciences Experience (Links to an external site.). The section dedicated to Social and Historical Studies provides the opportunity for you to explore the relationship between your field of study and life after graduation, while developing an academic and career development plan for post-collegiate success. If you are considering continuing your studies after graduation, you may wish to enroll instead in the section dedicated to graduate school preparation. Regardless of the section you select, you will leave the class with your resume, a cover letter or personal statement, and a LinkedIn profile ready to go!

The job market

Employers today are seeking professionals who can work collaboratively, think critically, communicate clearly, look at multiple perspectives, and solve complex problems. Students who graduate with a degree in Management and Human Organization will have these skills. This major lets you combine an understanding of management practices with foundational skills in the liberal arts, such as skills in written and oral communication, as well as accounting and statistics.

Students will be prepared to discuss their ability to lead and manage others and improve upon business practices with a keen understanding of the human element within an organization. The Management and Human Organization major equips today’s students with the agility and flexibility to be competitive in today’s job market as well as to navigate the unprecedented pace of change they will face in the economy of tomorrow.

Initial and long-term destinations for graduates include positions in many job sectors: medicine, law, education, government, the nonprofit sector, and the arts. Others will work in sales, or as consultants, financial analysts, and business analysts in investment banking, marketing, and public relations, as well as a host of other leadership positions in the business sector.

Want to see where your fellow majors go right after graduating from IU? Check out the Walter Center’s First Destinations survey!

Need more ideas? The Occupational Outlook Handbook from the Bureau of Labor Statistics offers career information about hundreds of occupations.

Talk with Management and Human Organization affiliated faculty, the academic advisor, the career coach , and other students to gain insights into possible the career paths taken by graduates with this degree.

Post-graduate short-term experiences

Completing a post-graduate internship or other short-term opportunity can be a great way to gain experience prior to receiving a full-time job or attending graduate school. The following resources can be used to find relevant opportunities:

Fellowships for post-graduate study

Fellowships are temporary opportunities to conduct research, work in a field, or fund your education. Most opportunities can be found through universities, nonprofits, and government organizations.

Good resources for finding fellowship opportunities include:

Graduate and professional study

When applying to graduate or professional schools, you will need letters of recommendation from faculty members who are familiar with your work. Make a practice of attending office hours early in your academic career to get to know your professors and discuss your options for advanced study in the field.

Students who excel in the Management and Human Organization major will be well-positioned to attend graduate school or professional schools. Speak with faculty, advisors, and career coaches to discuss your path and to develop a plan for applying to and attending graduate school.

With careful planning, and in consultation with the Health Professions and Prelaw Center, you could also prepare to enter law school, medical school, or other professional programs.

Here are examples of graduate programs offered at IU:

Alumni connections

The IU College of Arts and Sciences has thousands of active alumni. Check out the College Luminaries program, which connects students with the College's most influential, successful, and inspiring alumni.

Join the Walter Center Success Network to remain in touch, network directly with College of Arts and Sciences Alumni, and let others know where your path takes you.

Is it for you?

The Management and Human Organization major attracts students from a variety of backgrounds and interests. They typically have some of the following qualities:

Desire to develop a wide breadth of knowledge in both liberal arts and business
Interest in learning about businesses and how they are managed and organized
Appreciation of diverse cultures and a desire to understand the perspectives of others
Desire to take courses in a variety of academic areas such as the arts and humanities, social sciences, and business'
Intellectual curiosity and imagination

Learn more

Contact the Management and Human Organization academic advisor and schedule an appointment to explore your options. Complete information about the requirements of the major can be found in the College of Arts and Sciences Bulletin.

Department website: https://lamp.indiana.edu
Advisor email address: mhoadv@indiana.edu