The Minor in Sales Leadership provides students with the set of educational experiences, courses, and training they need to become successful sales agents and leaders in a sales-intensive corporate setting.  The minor prepares students to be successful in any sales setting and provides the management skills necessary to expand their careers in a manner consistent with their goals.

The Minor in Sales Leadership is administered by the Department of Communication in the College of Communication Arts and Sciences in cooperation with the Department of Marketing in the Eli Broad College of Business and is available as an elective to students who are enrolled in bachelor’s degree programs at Michigan State University. Preference will be given to students in the College of Communication Arts and Sciences  and The Eli Broad College of Business. As space permits, students from other colleges desiring the minor will be considered on an individual basis. Admission is competitive. With the approval of the department or school and college that administers the student’s degree program, courses that are used to satisfy the requirements for the minor may also be used to satisfy the requirements for the bachelor’s degree. The student’s program of study must be approved by the student’s academic advisor for the minor.

Admission

To be considered for admission, a student must have been formally admitted to a bachelor’s degree program at Michigan State University. Students must be enrolled in or have completed Marketing  313, Consultative Selling, and have demonstrated mastery of course content. Other admission criteria include an application with a statement of purpose, a sales aptitude test, and work experience. Each applicant will be interviewed by a faculty program administrator and each student’s application will be rank ordered. Admission decisions will be made after reviewing the student application materials, a personal interview including a 5 to 7 minute sales role play based on content delivered in MKT 313, and a review of students’ final grades in MKT 313.

To apply to the program, students should complete an application found on the minor Web site at www.salesleader.msu.edu by the deadline indicated.

Students must:

1. apply at mid-semester by the published deadline while enrolled in MKT 313 or after  completing the course;
2. provide their overall grade-point average in their major;
3. provide a statement of purpose indicating why they want to enter the minor;
4. provide their score on a sales aptitude test that measures values, behaviors, and skills;
5. participate in a personal interview to determine their interest in and readiness for the minor in which performance in the interview will be assessed and used as a criterion for admission.

Requirements for the Minor in Sales Leadership

Students must complete 16 credits from the following courses:

1.	All of the following courses (16 credits):
	COM	325	Interpersonal Influence and Conflict						3
		or
	CAS	492	Special Topics (Made in Italy Study Abroad only)						3
	COM	360	Advanced Sales Communication						3
	COM	483	Practicum in Sales Communication						1
	MKT	313	Personal Selling and Buying Processes						3
	MKT	383	Sales Management						3
	MKT	430	Key Account and Customer Relationship Management						3
2.	Completion of a minimum of 500 hours of experiential learning outside of course work that must be preapproved by the managing director.  Required hours include a professional sales internship (300 hours completed while enrolled in COM 483), active membership in Global Sales Leadership Society (50 hours), working with a mentor for a semester (15 hours), participation in the All-MSU Sales Competition (spring, 10 hours), participation in the Professional Development Conference (fall, 10 hours), participation in at least one job shadow of a sales person or sales manager (8 hours), and at least one GSLS Boot Camp (5 hours).  Optional hours to get to 500 may include a part-time sales job (150 hours maximum), participating in a national sales competition (60 hours). Holding an executive office in a registered student organization (50 hours), and other experiences as appropriate.