General Information

Professional Development

Professional development is an integral part of preparing to establish viable management/accounting careers in business, government, and nonprofit organizations. During their sophomore and junior years students majoring in the Department must enroll in the 0.5 credit professional development course. In addition, participation in departmentally sponsored activities and student Organizations are required. Appropriate business attire is required for various functions. During the first semester of the freshman year all students must acquire appropriate business attire. Details will be provided.

Student Organizations

Departmentally sponsored Student Organizations are: UMES Student Chapter of the National Association of Black Accountants (NABA); Students in Free Enterprise (SIFE); National Student Business League (NSBL); Student Advisory Board (SAB); the Sports Marketing and Entrepreneurship Club (SMEC), the Student Chapter of the American Marketing Association (AMA), and Phi Beta Lambda.

Communication Skills

Written and oral communication skills are extremely important. Standard English is required for all formal settings and submissions such as classroom interactions, presentations, written assignments, etc. All students must pass a business communications proficiency test as a requirement in BUED 333 (Business Communications). Should students not pass the proficiency test, an incomplete will be received for the course, providing that all other requirements for the course have been met. Students failing the proficiency test will have up to one year to pass the test, thereby removing the incomplete. If the incomplete is not removed within one year, the course must be repeated.

Practical Experience

All students majoring in business administration and accounting are encouraged to acquire meaningful, practical experience in a business, government, or non-profit organization. This requirement can be met in a variety of ways, such as approved work experience, voluntary services, on-campus externship, and/or faculty directed consulting/research projects. No credit is earned for this experience. However, students desiring credit for an approved internship must submit for approval, a job description and subsequently a performance appraisal letter from their supervisor. Following approval by the department chairperson and enrollment in BUAD 480, the student will write a reflective paper approximately 25 pages in length. The reflective paper should integrate classroom knowledge with practical experiences acquired during the internship. Keeping a daily log of internship activities/tasks is recommended.

Pre-Teaching Internship Requirements

Students requesting permission to transfer accounting and computer application courses into the Business Education program must first demonstrate their proficiency in these two areas prior to receiving transfer credits for the courses. In addition, all Business Education majors must demonstrate their ability to teach designated computer applications and elementary bookkeeping/accounting in the methods course, EDCI 427B (Curriculum and Instruction in Business Education).

Center for Management Assistance and Research (C-MAR)

Through the Center for Management Assistance and Research (C-MAR), the departmental faculty and students provide technical assistance to small and micro enterprises. Particular attention is given to the needs of minority/disadvantaged small and micro business owners as well as business development in developing regions of the world such as Southern Africa. Self-reliance is stressed by encouraging and supporting the entrepreneurial spirit. In addition emphasis is placed on applied management research relative to business, government, and non-profit organizations. The C-MAR also facilitates the Business, Management and Accounting Department's goal of integrating real-world experiences into the curricula via internships, consulting projects, and research projects.

Honor Society

Sigma Beta Delta, a national scholastic honor society in business/management is open to students majoring in the Department who rank in the upper 5 percent of their junior class with a minimum GPA of 3.3 or the upper 10 percent of their senior class. Students are eligible for induction the semester after they have earned 75 credits at the University of Maryland Eastern Shore. At least 50 percent of all course work must be taken on a full-time basis. The degree program must be completed within 6 years of the starting date.