Undergraduate Program
Family Business
Family business is the most common type of business organization in the world. The concentration in family business is for students who are thinking about working in their own family business or in other family businesses.
The overlap of family, owner and business systems provides unique challenges for families in business. Students learn to analyze those three systems and to work with family members in managing and governing the business. They are provided the business knowledge necessary to understand business performance and to make strategic decisions.
What You Study
Through curriculum programmed in part by the Family Business Center, graduates are prepared to govern and manage family firms.
Students are provided conceptual tools and approaches; they assess strengths and challenges. Graduates understand ways to manage family and business interaction, problem solving and planning. Term projects apply course concepts to help improve the family business.
Because the family business courses focus on applying knowledge in family firms, parents or other significant family members are encouraged to audit those classes or to actively participate by reading class materials and helping students with many course assignments. The courses are designed to help families begin to implement practices that they deem useful to their businesses.
How We Support Your Learning
Students enrolled in the family business program are strongly encouraged to become active members in one or more student clubs.
Additionally, students an take advantage of our top-tier facilities located in Schulze Hall on the Minneapolis campus—a significant piece of our success, as noted in Success magazine's annual list of “Best Entrepreneurship Business Schools” in the nation (2001).
