Two new majors boost the business skills needed to succeed

Two new majors launching Fall 2019 in the School of Business Administration aim to arm graduates with the tactical and technical knowhow needed to enter and succeed in the business world. 

Entrepreneurship & Small Business majors will develop the grit, resilience, critical thinking skills, and competitive edge necessary to make their business ventures sustainable. On the technical side, the Computer Information Systems major will provide both broad understandings and specific skillsets needed for information system design, software development, and database management.

Entrepreneurship & Small Business

For people with the entrepreneurial spirit, the Entrepreneurship & Small Business major is built around the same core courses as the Business Administration major, but digs deeper into idea creation, business plan development, and the legal issues involved in starting and running businesses. 

Outside the classroom, Durango is home to a thriving small business community – 80 percent of businesses in Durango have 10 employees or fewer. That means Entrepreneurship & Small Business majors will also actively engage with local alumni, mentors, and programs, like the Southwest Colorado Accelerator Program for Entrepreneurs, the Small Business Development Center, the Hawk Tank Business Plan Competition, and a range of guest speakers, internships, and jobs. 

“This program highlights our ability to leverage community engagement while keeping the student as the focus. And not only us, but all our partners focusing on the student,” says Associate Professor of Management Michael Valdez. 

“Even within big multinational corporations you can be entrepreneurial. This stuff is applicable regardless of what you go into,” he adds. “Whether you're running your family business or a billion dollar company, you need that entrepreneurial spirit to be successful.”

Computer Information Systems

Computer Information Systems focuses on the design, development, implementation, and management of computer-based systems. While other computing-related fields, such as computer engineering and computer science, focus on the hardware design and software development areas, majors in CIS hone both technology development and management skills.

The Computer Information Systems program opens doors to a range of computing fields. But instead of building equipment or just learning why and how technology works, CIS takes a bigger-picture approach to computing technology, asking what kind of technology works best to solve specific business problems, including software development, data analysis, digital networking, IT security, project management, and more. 

“There is rising demand for computer skills in the areas of database management, network security, and software development. And every company in every industry in every industrialized country in the world needs people with these skills,” says Associate Professor of Management Paul Clay. 

“That’s why everything we do in this program is data-centric. We collect, identify, store, organize, analyze, and move data constantly,” he adds. “It’s the hub of everything, leading to the ability to solve problems that matter to whatever organization or customer you end up working with.”