Curriculum in Management and Society
sociology.unc.edu/programs/undergrad/mngt
KENNETH T. ANDREWS, Director
Introduction
Management and society is an interdisciplinary major that focuses on the institutional context and inner workings of organizations. The Curriculum in Management and Society prepares students for a variety of positions in private or public sector organizations. Additionally, many students find the curriculum to be excellent preparation for a wide variety of business oriented graduate and professional degree programs.
The term “management and society,” in its broadest sense, encompasses not only direct dealings between management and organized labor but also matters such as governmental policy, industrial psychology, industrial sociology, personnel administration, and worker education. A broad knowledge and understanding of economics, history, sociology, psychology, and political science are essential. Work in this field also requires knowledge of techniques such as statistics, administrative practices, testing and measurement, and guidance and counseling.
The management and society curriculum is a liberal arts curriculum that also possesses a professional orientation. Majors acquire an understanding of the conceptual foundations and principles of interpersonal and institutional relations and of the ways these principles can be applied in the work place. General areas of study are employer-employee relations, development of human resources, and the institutional context of work.
Some students have combined management and society with course work concentrations in such academic disciplines as economics, sociology, psychology, public policy, history, and political science.
Program of Study
The degree offered is bachelor of arts in management and society.
Majoring in Management and Society: Bachelor of Arts
All General Education requirements must be met. Specific courses that must be taken, and that can be used to fulfill General Education requirements, include ECON 101 (SS), HIST 128 (HS, NA), MATH 152 or 231 (QR) or STOR 112 or 113 (QR), PSYC 101 (PL), and SOCI 101 (SS).
In addition, students are required to complete one applied statistics course: ECON 400 (QI ), PSYC 210 (QI), or SOCI 252.
Core Requirements
The core consists of 10 courses (30 hours) grouped into four areas. Students must earn at least 21 hours of C or higher in the core. Note that some of these courses have prerequisites; students should consult departmental listings. Some of the core courses are cross-listed. For a description of the courses below, see the listings under the departments’ headings.
Economics
All students must complete (by the end of their junior year) ECON/MNGT 310 Microeconomics: Theory and Applications or ECON 410 Intermediate Theory: Price and Distribution.
Employer-Employee Relations
Three courses are required from the following list (i.e., one course from three of the five clusters below):
• BUSI 405 Organizational Behavior
• MNGT/SOCI 131 Social Relations in the Workplace
• PSYC 531 Tests and Measurements
• PSYC 562 Applied Social Psychology or PSYC 563 Small Groups or COMM 120 Introduction to Interpersonal and Organizational Communication or COMM/MNGT 223 Small Group Communication or COMM/MNGT 325 Introduction to Organizational Communication
• SOCI 112 Social Interaction or PSYC 260 Social Psychology
Human Resources and Labor Markets (both courses required)
• ECON/MNGT 380 The Economics of Labor Relations
• MNGT/SOCI 427 The Labor Force
The Social Context of Business (four courses required)
Group A (both courses required):
• ECON/MNGT 345 Public Policy toward Business
• MNGT/SOCI 410 Formal Organizations and Bureaucracy
Group B (two courses from the following four choices):
• Either ECON/MNGT 330 Economic History of the United States or HIST/MNGT 364 History of American Business
• Either ECON/MNGT 433 History of the Labor Movement or HIST/MNGT 365 The Worker and American Life
• MNGT/SOCI 412 Social Stratification
• MNGT/SOCI 415 Economy and Society
Special Note for Economics Double Majors
Economics double majors may take ECON 430 instead of 330. They may take ECON 445 instead of 345, and ECON 480 instead of 380.
Honors in Management and Society
A student may, as a result of distinguished work (3.2 grade point average or above), be awarded a degree with honors or highest honors. This requires completion of a senior honors thesis. Interested students should contact the management and society office for more information. Honors students should enroll in MNGT 691H and 692H. (MNGT 692H will fulfill one of the course requirements from the Social Context of Business Group B, listed above.)
Special Opportunities in Management and Society
Study Abroad
Management and society students may choose to study abroad with approved programs. Contact the University Study Abroad Office or the MNGT advisor for more information.
Summer Internships
Summer internships are available through the University Career Planning and Placement Services. Under specific circumstances, students can receive elective credit for internships. Contact the MNGT advisor for more information
Undergraduate Research and Independent Study
Students may pursue independent research projects and independent study courses with faculty who teach in the MNGT curriculum. Honors students complete research projects for their honors theses.
Graduate School and Career Opportunities
Few college graduates obtain advanced jobs as their initial employment in industrial relations, human resource management, or personnel administration. Beyond the entry-level, most positions in these areas require graduate school training, which is available at many academic institutions across the country.
A degree in management and society prepares students for virtually any aspect of a business career that does not involve highly specialized training (such as finance and accounting). Employers are interested in students who can think on their feet, communicate effectively, write well, and make sense of the social and economic changes occurring in their industry. Management and society majors are educated in each of these skills.
Graduates with B.A. degrees in management and society are especially suited for entry-level positions in any aspect of human resource management, industry, or public sector organizations. Among recent graduates who responded to a Placement Office survey, the largest number were employed in sales; management or management training positions with at least some supervisory or personnel-related responsibilities ranked second. Other graduates are working in customer service, purchasing, and marketing research, and several hold positions in the public sector.
Contact Information
Management and Society, Department of Sociology, 155 Hamilton Hall, CB# 3210, (919) 962-1007. Web site: sociology.unc.edu/programs/undergrad/mngt.
MNGT
120 [022] Introduction to Interpersonal and Organizational Communication (COMM 120) (3). An introduction to communication theory, research, and practice in a variety of interpersonal and organizational contexts. This course examines the role of communication in both personal and professional relationships.
131 [031] Social Relations in the Workplace (SOCI 131) (3). See SOCI 131 for description.
223 [023] Small Group Communication (COMM 223) (3). See COMM 223 for description.
310 [100] Microeconomics: Theory and Applications (ECON 310) (3). See ECON 310 for description.
325 [025] Organizational Communication (COMM 325) (3). See COMM 325 for description.
330 [135] Economic History of the United States (ECON 330) (3). See ECON 330 for description.
345 [145] Public Policy toward Business (ECON 345) (3). See ECON 345 for description.
364 [064] History of American Business (HIST 364) (3). See HIST 364 for description.
365 [065] The Worker and American Life (HIST 365) (3). See HIST 365 for description.
380 [190] The Economics of Labor Relations (ECON 380) (3). See ECON 380 for description.
410 [110] Formal Organizations and Bureaucracy (SOCI 410) (3). See SOCI 410 for description.
412 [112] Social Stratification (SOCI 412) (3). See SOCI 412 for description.
415 [115] Economy and Society (SOCI 415) (3). See SOCI 415 for description.
427 [127] The Labor Force (SOCI 427) (3). See SOCI 427 for description.
433 [193] History of the Labor Movement (ECON 433) (3). See ECON 433 for description.
691H [098] Honors Fall Course (3). Directed independent research under the supervision of a faculty advisor who teaches in the Management and Society Curriculum.
692H [099] Honors Spring Course (3). Prerequisite, MNGT 691H. Preparation of an honors thesis and an oral examination on the thesis.