Student Opportunities
Is graduate school in your future? Do you want to start your own business? Are you interested in a leadership position on campus?
While the business major at Alma offers a solid business foundation covering accounting, finance, international business, management, marketing, economics and statistics, you also can concentrate the remainder of your business courses in the topics that interest you most.
Our current students and alumni often mention the outstanding support they received from their professors throughout their college experience. Faculty advisors will work with you to design a four-year plan that will help you reach your goals, which may include one of the following opportunities.
Business Professionals of America
Business Professionals of America (BPA) is the premier Career and Technical Student Organization for students pursuing careers in business management, information technology, finance, office administration, health administration and other related career fields. Since its founding in 2017, Alma’s chapter of BPA has thrived, both in terms of membership and accolades. In February 2022, the chapter competed in the BPA State Leadership Conference for Michigan and won several awards, including three first-place awards. The team annually travels to Dallas, Texas, to take part in the BPA National Leadership Conference. For more information, please contact faculty advisor Tina Rolling.
Jump Start Entrepreneurship Competition
In this annual competition, students submit proposals for awards of up to $5,000 to launch a new business idea. A committee of Alma College alumni, faculty and students selects the annual winners. Recent winners used their winnings to purchase video marketing equipment, woodworking supplies and custom ski materials.
Gazmararian Scholarships
Created by grateful alumni in honor of a favorite professor, the George Gazmararian Spring Term Scholarships assist students to pay expenses related to international travel courses. Each year, 15-20 business students receive awards of up to $3,300 that enable them to expand their horizons through remarkable international Spring Term opportunities. Business major Brittney Deerfield studied the history and culture of the people of Peru during her Spring Term course.
Internships
We encourage students to plan a business-related internship to gain on-the-job experience before leaving college. You might want to gain practical experience in accounting, general business management, finance, non-profit administration or marketing. An internship will not only give you valuable professional training, it will also help you build your professional contacts and meet potential employers. It’s all about planning for your future.
Thinking about grad school?
Alma’s business students have been accepted into prestigious business schools for MBAs, including University of Michigan, Michigan State University, University of Notre Dame, the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania, and Northwestern University.
The Center for Student Opportunity provides excellent resources to help students find an internship, write a compelling résumé, start a career search, or prepare graduate school applications.