U.S. News & World Report publishes annual lists of the best colleges in American on both the graduate and undergraduate level. While the magazine divides its rankings into categories based on factors such as type of school (liberal arts colleges versus master’s degree-granting universities, for example), U.S. News also ranks the best schools according to degrees and specialties.
Using information gathered from business school deans and senior business school faculty, U.S. News not only ranks the best graduate and undergraduate business schools, but also ranks business schools according to specialty. According to these U.S. News surveys, students interested in attending business school to major in management would be wise to look at the University of Michigan, the University of Pennsylvania, and the University of North Carolina.
University of Michigan
U.S. News & World Report surveys place the Ross School of Business at the University of Michigan at the top of the list of best undergraduate management degrees. Ross students can take electives in Management and Organizations as they pursue their Bachelor’s in Business Administration.
While all Ross students get a general management background through the required business core curriculum (courses such as Financial Management and Marketing Management are required), students who wish place a special emphasis on management can take 9 elective management courses as part of the major. Management faculty at Ross have been recognized for their innovative research in areas such as change management, corporate social responsibility, and ethics, among others.
University of Pennsylvania
The University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School of Business appears frequently at or near the top of U.S. News rankings for business specialties, and management is no exception. Business school deans and senior faculty rate Wharton as having the second-best undergraduate management program in the nation, according to U.S. News.
Management is one of 21 concentrations that students can pursue while working towards the Bachelor of Science in Economics (the standard Wharton undergraduate degree). Within the general Management concentration, students may specialize in Entrepreneurship and Innovation, Multinational Management, Organizational Effectiveness, or Strategic Management, or they may take a range of courses across the four specializations.
University of North Carolina
The Kenan-Flagler Business School at the University of North Carolina’s Chapel Hill campus takes the third spot on the U.S. News list of best undergraduate management degree programs. Students at Kenan-Flagler get a broad background in management and other business specialties while pursing the Bachelor of Science in Business Administration degree.
Beginning in the junior year, students must take 6 business electives, through which students can gain a broad management background. Students may also choose to pursue a 9 credit hour area of emphasis (such as Consulting, Finance, or Marketing Management), of which management courses would be a part.
Whether interested in pursuing a career in business or another field, prospective undergraduates should carefully research schools to determine the best school for them. In addition to looking at rankings by U.S. News & World Report and other publications, students and their families should be proactive, scheduling campus visits and interviews with admissions professionals in order to ensure that a school meets their needs in terms of costs, curricula, student life, and career placement opportunities after graduation.
Additional Information:
Top Undergraduate Business Degree Programs
Amy Martin - Amy Martin is a freelance writer who holds a Ph.D. in English Studies from Illinois State University. She taught literature and writing ...
