Simmons College

The success of every organization depends on the vision, energy, commitment, and capability of its leaders. This is as true for the smallest entrepreneurial venture as it is for a huge multinational company like General Foods or Gillette. At Simmons, we assist women in developing the skills necessary to succeed in the challenging world of business today.

At a time when countries are in a state of dynamic change and new technologies are emerging faster than ever before, a Simmons Management student finds herself prepared for the challenges of navigating her way in the workplace, able to communicate effectively in a multicultural world, confident that she knows herself and her skills well enough to compete and be competent - to be a leader - in whatever arena she may choose.

What Sets Us Apart

At Simmons, we know that leaders first need to develop confidence in their capabilities, as well as find an environment in which to "test" themselves. Our graduates attest to the challenging, yet supportive, environment they found at Simmons. From the close relationships established with professors, to the opportunity to express themselves in the classroom and the larger Simmons community, women from all over the world have benefited from their unique experience.

Simmons specializes in preparing women for professional careers. Academic course content, assistance and encouragement from professors, guest lecturers, and the wealth of contacts available from extensive alumnae networks work together to create an atmosphere of expectation about achievement and success for the Simmons graduate.

Management Majors

Each of the majors within the Undergraduate Management Program is based on the same core of courses considered essential for the study of management. This core provides the firm base of skills which the Simmons student then enhances with a vast array of liberal arts and business courses. These include:

• Prerequisites in Microeconomics, Macroeconomics, and Business Statistics;
• Core courses in Management, Accounting, Marketing, Finance, Operations, and Strategy.

Double majors are encouraged and students have combined one of the four management majors with such diverse areas as Chemistry, Art, Economics, English, Sociology, Psychology, and Communications.

A Recognized Leader

Simmons College has been recognized as a leader in preparing women for careers in business and organizational management for over 100 years. Our students develop competencies in specific areas of management, and benefit from the breadth and creativity offered by a strong liberal arts and sciences background. Our program is designed to create a self-directed graduate who understands the particular challenges women face in the dynamic and multicultural workplace.

Global issues are integrated throughout the curriculum to ensure understanding of the international and cross-cultural context of business and management. Case studies, and other experiential forms of learning, are employed to develop critical thinking, problem solving, decision-making, and project management skills. Required internships allow students to apply course content in an organizational setting and examine possible career choices. Students graduate with a portfolio of course projects to demonstrate skills and competencies necessary for tomorrow's organizations.

Management

If you imagine yourself eventually assuming a managerial or leadership role in a large corporation, either in the U.S. or abroad, or see yourself starting and managing your own company, this is the program for you. This major is designed to provide the student with an understanding of the dynamics of the global economy. The focus of this program is on "hands-on" assignments and application of theory to real world business situations. Opportunities exist to study or do internships abroad. Graduates are currently managing in such companies as PricewaterhouseCoopers, PictureTel, and Kraft. Many graduates have also started their own companies.

Finance

Whether you have corporate finance as a career goal or you would like to assist a nonprofit enterprise flourish through strong financial stewardship, the Simmons Finance major prepares you for a wide variety of finance environments. This major combines the strength of the Management program with a strong financial skill set. Simmons finance alumnae are currently working in major institutions such as FleetBoston, Paine Webber, and the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation.

Marketing

Whatever your academic interests it is likely that you will end up in a career that involves marketing. It is estimated that close to one-third of all jobs in the U.S. are marketing-related. Marketing is a critical skill for career advancement as well; a recent survey found that over 30 percent of all Fortune 500 executives have marketing backgrounds. Simmons graduates are among the marketing executives in companies such as Gillette, Reebok, and Hewlett-Packard.

Retail Management

The Prince Program in Retail Management, established in 1905 by Lucinda Prince, has long been recognized as one of the country's most prestigious undergraduate programs specifically geared towards preparing women for a career in the retail industry. The Prince Program is designed to equip graduates with the ability to recognize and adapt to changes in demographics and lifestyles, respond effectively to global competition, utilize available technology, and apply sound marketing and financial management. Graduates are executives in such companies as Macy's, JC Penney, J. Crew, and Talbots.