Business Schools in New Mexico

If you’re looking for a business program in New Mexico, you’ll find nearly 30 schools to choose from. Whether you’re looking to get started with an undergraduate degree or ready to advance into a leadership position with an MBA, you’ll find a campus-based or online program with a concentration in the area you’re interested in.

Marketing Degree Programs in New Mexico

State of New Mexico’s Marketing Industry

Supported by ongoing military activity and a strong energy sector, New Mexico managed to avoid the worst of the recession. Although 2012 job markets were moderate, Chase Bank economists are predicting employment to strengthen and state growth to quicken in the coming years.

New Mexico’s major economic players are oil and gas producers, the tourism industry and the government. Los Alamos National Laboratory and Sandia National Laboratories are two of the largest employers in the state. That doesn’t make for a lot of work for marketers. Business activity is hottest in Albuquerque, a national center for research and development.

The marketing industry is so small that New Mexico – in common with states like Montana, Wyoming and West Virginia – has one of the smallest concentrations of marketing managers in the country (just over 300). Even the largest ad agencies only employ 11-50 employees, on average.

Job Prospects for New Mexico Marketing Graduates

Job prospects for New Mexico marketing graduates look reasonably good. 2008-2018 employment predictions for market research analysts (+19%), marketing managers (+6%) and PR specialists (+18%) are all in the positive range.

You might want to start your search in Albuquerque, where a number of satellite companies have grown up around federal research facilities. Businesses such as Innovative Technology Partnerships, Speridian Technologies, Siriusware and GenQuest all recorded healthy revenue growth from 2008-2011.

New Mexico’s most profitable marketing and advertising agencies or branch offices are also in Albuquerque. They include McKee Wallwork Cleveland, Thomas Puckett, Esparza Advertising and Rick Johnson & Company.

New Mexico Schools for Marketing

There are only three accredited marketing schools in New Mexico. Here are the two leaders:

1. New Mexico State University (NMSU) (https://catalogs.nmsu.edu/nmsu/business/marketing/)

Students at NMSU’s College of Business can pursue a Bachelor of Business Administration with a major in marketing (also available online), a minor in marketing or sport marketing, an MBA or a doctorate in Business Administration with a concentration in marketing. The college is fully accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business.

Sports marketers will be interested to learn that NMSU is also sanctioned by the PGA to offer the PGA Golf Management Program. This 4.5-year program leads to a Bachelor of Business Administration with a major in marketing and a specialization in PGA golf management.

1. Eastern New Mexico University (ENMU) (https://www.enmu.edu/)

ENMU’s College of Business offers a Bachelor of Business Administration with an emphasis in marketing and an MBA (on-campus or online). Scholarships are available, and the college is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs.

Marketing majors have the option to join the university’s Marketing Club, which organizes monthly meetings and field trips.

Professional Marketing Organizations in New Mexico

The Cactus State has a few friendly marketing organizations, though it could use a few more. Members throw themselves into networking activities, social events and continuing education opportunities.

• AAF New Mexico (http://www.aafnm.org/): New Mexico chapter of the American Advertising Federation
• NM AMA (http://nmama.org/): New Mexico chapter of the American Marketing Association
• TANM (http://tanm.org/): Tourism Association of New Mexico

Business Degree Programs in New Mexico

The arid plains of New Mexico are all but useless for agriculture. While cattle and sheep ranches dot the open range, the land of New Mexico also produces immense mineral wealth. As the leading producer of uranium ore, manganese ore, potash, salt, perlite and copper in the U.S., the mining industry is a dominant part of the New Mexico economy and a major employer of the state’s brightest business school graduates with specialized knowledge in logistics and supply chain management, accounting, marketing, human resource management, business administration and more.

Mineral and food processing, chemical production, and the development of ordnance for the military are all a part of New Mexico’s growing industrial presence. Much of this is in the hands of the federal government, which employs 25 percent of the state’s population, creating job opportunities in logistics, production, human resource and supply chain management. Presence in the mining industry, as well as several air force bases, national observatories, and laboratories at Los Alamos and Sandia come together to make the federal government the largest single employer in the state.

However, private businesses still make up $65 billion of the state’s gross state product (GSP), with companies within the mining, agriculture, and technology industries leading the way. Business school graduates will put their experience to the test working as liaisons between private and publicly owned companies and navigating the often complex world of doing business with the U.S. government on a contract basis.

Small Businesses and Corporations

Small businesses make up a healthy portion of New Mexico’s private business community. Business bankruptcies are in decline. In particular, the construction, real estate, and forestry industries are made up almost entirely of small firms according to the Small Business Administration (SBA), creating real opportunities for those pursuing an undergraduate degree or specialized MBA in everything from entrepreneurship to accounting.

However, large firms outpace New Mexico’s small businesses in almost every category. 51 percent of the health care and social assistance industry is made up of large firms, though this sector supports the largest number of small businesses in New Mexico. Overall, large businesses in the private sector employ more than small, though no single company employs quite as many as the U.S. government.

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New Mexico State University

The Master of Business Administration (MBA) program at New Mexico State is ranked within the top 15 percent in the world among programs of its kind and is accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB). The school balances rigor with flexibility. The MBA program is challenging and immersive, but offers evening and online classes to help you balance work and study. In addition to the campus in Las Cruces, the program is delivered at several satellite locations throughout the state. The curriculum is designed to give you a solid foundation in leadership skills with a focus on global business. You can pursue this program as general MBA, but also have the option of specializing in agribusiness, finance or information systems. Or, you can earn a joint degree that combines a Bachelor of Science in engineering with an MBA.

New Mexico Highlands University

The MBA program at New Mexico Highlands University is a 37 hour degree program that provides you with a foundation in general management, accounting, finance, economics and marketing. It is designed to prepare students for a career in leadership in business, government and non-profit organizations. The school makes heavy use of case studies to give you practical experience in applying your learning to a wide variety of business challenges taken from real world examples. The program ends with a rigorous oral exam that requires you to think on your feet and demonstrate mastery of material.

University of New Mexico

The Anderson School at the University of New Mexico offers an MBA experience that combines small class sizes, a highly-engaged faculty and active participation by a diverse group of students, many of whom come from backgrounds outside of business. The school partners with the local business community, as well as global organizations, to provide hands-on learning experiences and career opportunities upon graduation. You can pursue the degree full time or part time, completing the program is as little as a year or taking as long as 46 months. The curriculum can be customized around one of a number of concentrations including accounting, entrepreneurship, financial management, information assurance, international management, management of information systems, technology management, marketing, operations, policy and planning and organizational behavior/human resource management. The school is AACSB accredited.

Eastern New Mexico University

Eastern New Mexico University’s MBA program is designed to develop managerial generalists who can excel in a complex and rapidly-changing business environment. The program focuses on developing necessary management skills and mastery of a specific body of knowledge; the schedule accommodates both full-time and part-time students, in New Mexico and around the world. On-campus classes are held one evening per week, while the distance learning option allows you to access the degree program through a combination of technologies. You can complete the program in one year by taking four courses each semester and two over the summer term. Alternately, you can pursue the degree at a slower pace, taking two courses at a time, to complete the program in two years.

Western New Mexico University

Individualized attention and small class sizes are part of what makes the MBA program at Western New Mexico University special. The College of Business also maintains active ties within the local business community, giving you the opportunity to make valuable connections and gain hands-on experience. For instance, students write articles that are published in the “Business Report” column in the “Silver City Daily Press,” work as portfolio managers for the student-run Hatfield Fund, serve as business consultants for area entrepreneurs within the Small Business Development Center and participate in the New Mexico Economic Development Course, one of 20 such programs in the U.S. accredited by the American Economic Development Council.

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