Montclair State University

Educational Philosophy

To prepare our students for the roles we have described in Our Mission, we must assure their mastery of:

Discipline-Specific Knowledge & Competencies

SBUS graduates will have knowledge and comprehension of the history and current practices in their concentrations, and they will be able to recognize, recommend and implement best practices in their areas of specialization.

Thinking Skills

School of Business graduates will

• be creative and independent learners sustaining life-long learning endeavors
• have the capacity to exercise logical, critical, and integrated analysis
• have the ability to exercise good judgment
• be creative and non-traditional problem solvers
• have proficiency in ethical reasoning.

Using problem solving methodologies, our graduates will be able to:

• identify sources of relevant information in various forms: oral, printed, and electronic, among others
• discern good and useful information from bad and irrelevant details
• identify problems and issues that need resolution
• design alternative solutions to the problem
• establish solution selection criteria
• identify means to implement the chosen solution

In addition, School of Business graduates will also be trained to develop critical thinking skills that enable them to challenge presuppositions, explore alternative perspectives, transform old ways of thinking, and act on new perspectives. They should be able to apply a variety of thinking skills to arrive at an integrative, interdisciplinary appreciation of business situations, and be able to use these skills in a number of settings, including a collaborative team setting.

Communication Skills

SBUS graduates first and foremost will understand the importance of the role of communication in the business world.

They will be able to formulate thoughts and ideas in a way that can be clearly transmitted to target audiences. They will develop the capacity to convey ideas in a lucid, concise manner - verbally, non-verbally, and in written form.

They will learn how to articulate ideas to a variety of audiences - employees, peers, superiors, team members, and the public - in a variety of cultural and organizational settings.

The SBUS will strive to familiarize students both with the wide variety of communications modalities available and the appropriate conditions for their use.

As a result, SBUS graduates will be amply knowledgeable about the communication process, and will have developed the confidence to deliver their message.

Change Management

SBUS graduates will understand the trends - global, demographic, psychographic, economic, technological, etc. - that are shaping our society:

In addition, they will be able to utilize numerous sources, such as professional publications and/or associations, government documents, the Internet, practitioners, etc., to understand the impact of societal trends on business practices, business opportunities, and/or employment opportunities.

Finally, our graduates will recognize that change is inevitable and therefore it is best embraced rather than feared.

Graduates will not only constantly monitor the trends shaping our society, but will also anticipate their impact on society's needs and wants.

SBUS graduates will understand that by becoming proactive - that is, change agents - they can keep their careers and companies on the "cutting edge".

Self-Development

SBUS graduates will have the capacity to formulate and implement a self-sustaining path to personal growth. This would include:

• acquiring the skills and the desire to conduct a personal inventory of one's strengths and shortcomings
• continuing development of one's critical faculties
• a willingness to independently initiate and fully execute projects
• the temperament to work as a useful member of a team
• the ability to assess and utilize new information and processes
• the capacity to hear and synthesize the disparate thoughts and opinions of others into a coherent framework - one that can be utilized to enhance the development of one's personal and professional life

With these attributes, SBUS graduates will more readily network with their peers, professors and organizational/business practitioners, interact with the major professional organizations within their fields, keep current in their fields and thus facilitating or enhancing their paths to success.