Professional Sales

College: Business
Degree: BS
Specialized Admission: Yes

Description of Major

*Please Note: Face-to-face/in-person instruction of this program is available ONLY at the main campus in Tallahassee, FL. This program is NOT available via Online/Distance Learning.*

The Professional Sales major is a specialized curriculum in the Marketing degree program. It is designed for students who want to start their careers in professional positions in a selling environment. Through course work, role-playing, and internships, professional sales majors are prepared for sales and sales management positions in all types of organizations and industries.

In the first two years at FSU, students should take courses to complete the following: General Education requirements, Diversity requirements, and Prerequisite Coursework requirements. Some courses may fulfill requirements in multiple areas. Electives in the first two years should focus on gaining additional exposure to the social and behavioral sciences, and on improving communication and analytical reasoning skills.

Prerequisite Coursework

Prerequisite Coursework: (21 hours)

The following courses must be completed with a final grade of C minus or better:
ACG X021 (3) Introduction to Financial Accounting
ACG X071 (3) Introduction to Managerial Accounting
*CGS X100 (3) Microcomputer Applications for Business or CGS X518 (3) Spreadsheets for Business or CGS X060 (3) Computer Fluency
ECO X013 (3) Principles of Macroeconomics
ECO X023 (3) Principles of Microeconomics
MAC X233 (3) Calculus for Business and Non-Physical Sciences (Higher level Calculus courses will be accepted)
STA X023 (3) Business Statistics (Higher level Statistics courses will be accepted)

*Students taking CGS X100 or CGS X060 or other approved course will also need to take CGS 2518 at FSU.

Note: State-wide common prerequisites are always under review. For the most current information and for acceptable alternative courses, visit the “Common Prerequisites Manual.” This is available from the “Student Services” section of http://www.flvc.org .

Requirements

Admission Requirements to Major Program of Studies
Admission to the limited access business programs requires the following:
1) completion of at least 52 semester hours,
2) a cumulative grade point average on all college work attempted of at least 2.900; and
3) satisfactory completion of all required prerequisite coursework.

Major Program of Studies at FSU: (49-52 hours depending on if CGS 2518 was taken as a prerequisite)

* Courses taken at a Community College may not be substituted for 3000/4000 level courses. *

Lower-Division Requirements (4 hours)
These courses are Term 5 milestones. Transfer students must complete them in their first term of enrollment at FSU.

RMI 2302 (3) Risk in Business and Society
GEB 1030 (1) Intro. to Professional Development

General Business Core Requirements for Professional Sales majors (18 hours)
A final grade of C minus or better must be earned in each course.

BUL 3310 (3) The Legal and Ethical Environment of Business
FIN 3403 (3) Financial Management of the Firm
GEB 3213 (3) Business Communications
ISM 3541 (3) Introduction to Business Analytics
MAN 3240 (3) Organizational Behavior
MAR 3023 (3) Basic Marketing Concepts


General Business Breadth Requirements for Professional Sales Majors (9 hours)
Each course selected must be completed with a final grade of C minus or better.

Complete the following two (2) courses:
MAR 3400 (3) Professional Selling
MAN 4720 (3) Strategic Management and Business Policy

Plus one (1) elective from the following list of courses:
MAN 3600 (3) Multinational Business Operations
MAR 3231 (3) Retailing Management
QMB 3200 (3) Quantitative Methods for Business Decisions

Major Area Requirements for Professional Sales Majors (18 hours)
A final grade of C minus or better must be earned in each course used to satisfy the Professional Sales major area requirements. No course may be used to satisfy part of the major area requirements and part of the general business breadth requirements.

Complete the following four (4) courses:
MAR 4403 (3) Sales Management
MAR 4415 (3) Advanced Sales Techniques
MAR 4613 (3) Marketing Research
MAR 4941 (3) Marketing Internship

Plus two (2) electives from the following list of courses:
ACG 3101 (3) Financial Accounting & Reporting
ENT 4014 (3) Creating New Ventures
FIN 3244 (3) Financial Markets, Institutions, and International Finance Systems
IDS 3124 (3) Business Case Analysis & Solution Development
ISM 4113 (3) Management Information Systems Analysis and Design
MAN 3504 (3) Services Operations Management
* MAN 3600 (3) Multinational Business Operations *
MAN 4143 (3) Contemporary Leadership Challenges
MAN 4301 (3) Human Resource Management
*MAR 3231 (3) Retailing Management
MAR 3323 (3) Promotional Management
MAR 3461 (3) Principles of Purchasing
MAR 3711 (3) Sports, Recreation, and Entertainment Marketing
MAR 4156 (3) Multinational Marketing
MAR 4203 (3) Logistics and Supply Chain Management
MAR 4233 (3) Social Media Marketing
MAR 4462 (3) Seminar in Purchasing/Materials Management
MAR 4614 (3) Advanced Marketing Research
MAR 4717 (3) Strategic Sports Marketing
MAR 4721 (3) Electronic Marketing
MAR 4832 (3) Product Innovation Management
MAR 4841 (3) Services Marketing
MAR 4939r (3) Marketing Seminar
MAR 4946 (3) Professional Sales Practicum

* Course may not be used to satisfy both the Professional Sales major and the Business Breadth requirement.

Digital Literacy: (0 hours beyond prerequisites)
CGS2060 (3), CGS2100 (3) and/or CGS2518 (3). Either may be taken for admission. CGS2518 is a required course for graduation in the Professional Sales major.

Oral Communication Competency: (0 hours beyond other requirements)
Students must demonstrate the ability to orally transmit ideas and information clearly. Business majors complete GEB 3213.

Minimum Program Requirements - Summary
Total Hours Required 120
General Education 36*
Prerequisite Coursework 21*
Major Coursework 49-52
Minor Coursework 0
Digital Literacy 0 beyond prerequisites
Oral Competency 0 beyond other requirements

Electives to bring total hours to 120 (must complete at least 60 hours outside of business)

*Some Prerequisite courses may also be counted as part of General Education requirements.

Mapping

Mapping is FSU’s academic advising and monitoring system. Academic progress is monitored each Fall and Spring semester to ensure that students are on course to earn their degree in a timely fashion. Transfer students must meet mapping guidelines to be accepted into their majors. You may view the map for this major at www.academic-guide.fsu.edu/.

Remarks

1. A minimum of 45 hours at the 3000 level or above, at least 30 of which must be taken at this University.
2. At least half of the major course semester hours must be completed in residence at this University. After enrolling at this University, all remaining major course requirements must be completed at this University.
3. The final 30 hours must be completed in residence at this University.

Employment Information

Salary Information: For more information go to: National Association of Colleges and Employers (www.naceweb.org) or the Occupational Outlook Handbook (www.bls.gov/ooh/home.htm) provided by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Representative Job Titles Related to this Major: Sales Representative, Sales Manager

Representative Employers: Consumer Products Companies, Manufacturers, Food Distributors, Technology Suppliers, Industrial Marketers, Banks, Brokerage Firms, Insurance Companies.