Ken Kavajecz, Dean
721 University Avenue Suite 215
whitman.syr.edu
About the School
Welcome to the Whitman School of Management, a top-ranked business school with a diverse faculty and strong focus on leadership building and community engagement. At the Whitman School, students develop a strong business sense across all aspects of management, providing them with the skills, opportunities, and motivation necessary to compete in a global environment.
The Whitman School is a state-of-the-art business school in both programming and facility, reflecting both Syracuse University’s commitment and history of innovative business education and the Whitman School’s role as a cutting-edge, experiential learning environment. The Whitman School continues to expand its technological resources to provide services exclusive to our students, in the form of equipment loans, device repair services (including warranty repairs for Dell and Apple computers), discounted printing, discounted and/or free software, remote access to specially licensed software, and lab environments that are updated regularly to reflect the technology that supports the Whitman curriculum. In addition, Whitman is a certified Certiport/Microsoft testing facility and encourages its students to become Microsoft Office Specialist: Excel Certified. Students enrolled at Whitman get the best of both worlds, enjoying the intimate and interconnected community of the Whitman School with all the resources and opportunities of a world-class research university.
The Whitman School of Management continues to be ranked among the nation’s top business programs. U.S. News and World Report ranked both Whitman’s undergraduate and graduate programs among the best in the nation. The Whitman part-time MBA program, the iMBA, was identified among the top AACSB-accredited online graduate programs by the U.S. News and by the Financial Times. Whitman’s entrepreneurship program has been ranked nationwide by the United States Association for Small Business and Entrepreneurship; Entrepreneur Magazine/The Princeton Review; Fortune Small Business; and U.S. News & World Report. Many of Whitman’s specialty programs have been highly ranked by Bloomberg BusinessWeek, including accounting, corporate strategy, entrepreneurship, operations management, sustainability, business law, marketing management, and ethics.
Accreditation Information
The Whitman School has been accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB International) since 1920.
Educational Mission
The Whitman School of Management is dedicated to:
- Fostering a diverse, supportive learning community focused on developing entrepreneurial managers who will become leaders in an era of global competitiveness and technological advancements;
- Advancing the theory and practice of management by discovering and disseminating relevant knowledge and contributing perspectives on frontline business issues;
- Providing students and faculty select educational experiences that promote intellectual engagement, personal and professional growth, and lifelong scholarship.
Undergraduate Education
The Martin J. Whitman School of Management offers nine programs leading to the B.S. degree. They are in accounting, entrepreneurship and emerging enterprises, finance, general management studies, management, marketing management, real estate, retailing, and supply chain management. Each of these programs can be completed within four years. The school also offers dual programs with information studies and public communications.
Each student is assigned an advisor for the first two years of his or her program. Students select a major any time before the end of the second semester of the sophomore year and are then assigned a major advisor, who helps them choose specific courses in the major as well as management electives.
General Regulations
For academic rules and regulations that apply to all University students, see the Academic Rules section of this catalog. This annual publication also contains special regulations that apply to all students matriculated in the Whitman School.
The students, instructional staff, and administrators of the Whitman School recognize that honesty, integrity, and respect for others are fundamental expectations in the academic and business communities. The Whitman School follows the Syracuse University Academic Integrity Policy and Procedures.
Additionally, all students who take courses in the Whitman School are required to certify in writing that they have read, understand, and agree to comply with this policy.
Degree Requirements
The B.S. degree, in any of the 9 areas available, requires at least 123 credits, distributed as indicated below. In addition, all students must complete global diversity, community service, and internship requirements before graduating.
Group I Analytical and Quantitative Skills
Note:
* or approved calculus sequence
Group II Communication Skills
Group III Environmental Studies
Group IV Behavioral Studies
- Anthropology, psychology, or sociology
Group V Arts and Humanities
- History of art, history of music, english and textual studies, foreign language, literature, philosophy, linguistics, or religion
Management Core
In addition to management coursework taken within other skills areas, students are required to complete the following coursework in the management core:
Major Field Specialization
- All students, except those majoring in CPA accounting, take 12 credits in the major area beyond core requirements. Students must contact an advisor in the chosen major field to discuss specific requirements.
Management Electives
- A management elective is any upper-division course in the Whitman School that gives credit but is not used to fill requirements in other groups. A maximum of 3 credits from the student’s major area may be used as management elective credit.
Free Electives
- Students complete additional credits from any credit-bearing course with the following conditions: at least 6 credits must be non-management coursework; no more than 3 credits of physical education, health, or music ensemble may be used; and students may not take courses considered to have content that duplicates courses already taken.
Global Diversity
Whitman students must have some form of global experience. For many students, this is achieved through study abroad. Students may also fulfill the requirement with the completion of two courses from the Global Diversity Electives list (which may fulfill other course requirements for the degree).
Community Engagement
Students are required to apply their management skills and knowledge to community problems. This is realized through a Community Service Learning Agreement in which 75 hours are completed throughout the undergraduate experience.
Internship
Students must have at least one experience, after they acquire junior standing, consisting of substantive and supervised work that complements their academic program (120 internship hour). This is accomplished through completing a course that requires internship participation, an independent study for experience credit with a professor, or an Internship Learning Agreement.
Grading Policy
The faculty at the Whitman School developed a uniform grading policy for the undergraduate program. The policy has three goals: (1) to ensure that grading is fair and consistent across courses, (2) to encourage students to take their coursework seriously, and (3) to ensure faculty deliver a challenging academic experience.
The policy is as follows: For all undergraduate courses taken at the Whitman School with 15 or more students enrolled, the mean grade shall be no higher than 3.3 and the maximum percentage of A/A- is 33%.
Multiple sections taught by the same professor will be aggregated together to calculate the mean grade and percentage of A/A- awarded. Deviations to the above policy may occur depending on individual class performance.
Other Programs and Services
Dual Programs
The Whitman School, in cooperation with other schools and colleges within the University, offers dual programs that make it possible for students to pursue two programs of study concurrently. Students in these programs are assigned an advisor in each college.
Students enrolled in dual programs fulfill degree requirements in each school and receive one degree (one diploma) jointly conferred by both schools. Dual programs require more than 123 credits, normally required for graduation, but can often be completed within four years. The Whitman School offers dual programs with the School of Information Studies and the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications. The Whitman/Newhouse dual degree program requires a minimum of 151 credits. The Information Studies/Whitman dual degree program requires a minimum of 142 credits.
Further information about dual programs can be obtained from the Office of Undergraduate Programs, Whitman Suite 215.
Study Abroad
The Whitman School, in cooperation with Syracuse University Abroad (SU Abroad), offers students the opportunity to participate in a program of study abroad in London, England; Santiago, Chile; Madrid, Spain; Strasbourg, France; Florence, Italy; Istanbul, Turkey; Hong Kong, China; or Beijing, China during the fall or spring semester. Management courses and internships are generally offered in a variety of areas. In addition, students may choose from a variety of courses in arts and sciences and public communications.
During the summer, students may participate in management internship programs in South Africa, Madrid, London, Dublin, or Singapore; take courses in international business in Shanghai; or participate in a travelling seminar that studies globalization in Italy, Switzerland, France, Germany, Holland, Belgium, and England.
SU Abroad also sponsors study opportunities in a variety of locations throughout the world, such as Ireland, Japan, Australia, East/Central Europe, Germany, Russia, and South Korea. Although no management courses are available in some of these programs, students in these programs can satisfy other degree requirements while developing sensitivity to cultural differences.
It is essential that students planning to study abroad contact the Office of Undergraduate Programs, 215 School of Management Building, during their freshman or sophomore year.
For further information about study abroad, contact SU Abroad, 106 Walnut Place.
Intra-University Transfer
Syracuse University students interested in an intra-University transfer into the Whitman School must meet the intra-University transfer requirements. To be considered eligible for transfer, students must have a cumulative grade point average of at least 3.4 and have completed at least 30 credits at Syracuse University (two academic semesters), including two of the following or their equivalents: MAT 183 , MAT 221 , MAT 284 , and ECN 203 . These students are admitted as space becomes available, beginning with students who have the highest grade point averages and with the lower averages admitted in order. Whitman only admits students for the fall semester - admissions decisions are made over the summer. Students interested in transferring are required to attend an Information Session and meet with an advisor in the Whitman School’s Office of Undergraduate Programs. Students must complete the necessary paperwork no later than the last day of classes of the sophomore year.
Minors Available to Management Students
Students in the Whitman School are encouraged to pursue a minor offered by other schools or colleges, and should seek assistance from their academic advisor in choosing a minor that will enhance their academic program. With careful and early planning, many minors can fit into the undergraduate curriculum without a need for extra coursework. While management students are allowed to pursue most minors offered outside the Whitman School, provided that they have the appropriate prerequisites, they most often choose a minor in economics, global enterprise technology, information management and technology, political science, psychology, public communication studies, or a foreign language.
Minors in Management
Minor Coordinator: Rachel DuBois
215 Whitman School of Management
315-443-2361
The Whitman School offers several minors, allowing students to pursue either general management studies or a more specialized program that provides in-depth study in one area of management. A minor in management can help students learn about subjects that contribute to success in business, not-for-profit, and government organizations. Knowledge in management is seen as beneficial by many prospective employers.
The minors in Whitman are available to matriculated undergraduate students from all Syracuse University schools and colleges other than the Whitman School, provided that they have the permission of their home school or college, a cumulative grade-point average (GPA) of at least 3.0, and a minimum of four semesters to complete the requirements. A student may declare a minor in: Accounting , Entrepreneurship and Emerging Enterprises , Finance , General Management Studies, International Business , Marketing , Real Estate , Retail Management , and Strategic Management . The details of each of the minor programs can be found under Academic Offerings.
There are two deadlines for submitting applications for management minors: November 1 and April 1 of each academic year. Due to course sequencing and enrollment limitations, students must have a minimum four semesters to complete the minor requirements. Any student wishing to apply for a management minor after the spring of the sophomore year must have one or more courses completed or in progress (please see an advisor in the Whitman Undergraduate Office for more information).
To Declare a Minor in Management
- Check with your home school or college office to make sure you have room in your program for the required courses. Also check that you have a cumulative GPA of at least 3.0.
- Pick up a minor declaration form in SOM Suite 215 (keep in mind the April 1 and November 1 deadlines).
- Bring the minor declaration form to SOM Suite 215 before the deadline. If you are approved, you will be notified via e-mail and asked to pick up the form.
- Take the signed form to your home school or college office. They will approve the declaration and give you instructions about how to get the minor officially posted on your SU record.
Transferring Courses into Minors in Management
Normally, a maximum of one course (3 credits) taken at another institution can be used toward the 18 credits of coursework required for the minor. In some minors, there may be no courses considered transferable from other institutions. Upper-elective minor courses must be taken through Syracuse University and are not eligible for transfer credit. Students wishing to transfer a course into the minor must receive approval in advance from the Whitman Undergraduate Office.
Facilities
The Whitman School of Management’s 160,000-square-foot sustainable building opened in 2005, with a central focus on students and creating an environment that promotes a culture of collegiality and a high-tech, world-class learning experience. To provide that experience, the Whitman School creates an open community atmosphere with advanced resources and team-oriented learning spaces, including:
- 22 classrooms
- 200-seat auditorium
- 20 team meeting rooms each for graduate and undergraduate students
- three-story, 4000-square-foot Grand Hall
- undergraduate and graduate computer clusters
- 74 faculty offices
- a faculty research center
- an Investment Research Center
- a center for entrepreneurial start-ups
- a 100-seat cafe
- a special-events room with outdoor terrace
The Whitman School of Management’s building is dedicated to sustainability, providing environmentally friendly resources and features for an enhanced “green” experience.
Research Centers & Institutes
The Whitman School building boasts many spaces for innovative and collaborative research that provide experiential learning and prepare students for careers across a broad range of business areas. Sophisticated software and integrated technology coupled with advanced workshops and seminars create an ideal learning atmosphere. Whitman’s diverse research centers and institutes include:
Major
Minor
Combined Degree