Business Schools in South Carolina

With over 55 schools with business programs to choose from, students in South Carolina will find a wide variety of options both online and in the classroom. Whether you’re making your first move with an undergraduate degree in an area like business administration, marketing, human resources or accounting, or looking to make your next move with an executive MBA, you’ll find a program that will you achieve your goals.

Marketing Degree Programs in South Carolina

State of South Carolina’s Marketing Industry

South Carolina is taking it slow. The Palmetto State dallied behind the national economy in the 2000s and lost its breath in the recession, but now it’s returning to health, according to Chase’s 2012 South Carolina Economic Outlook. Recovery in automotive and manufacturing sectors has helped ease unemployment levels, attracting massive net migration.

South Carolina can’t match the marketing muscle of Georgia and North Carolina, but it has a few things going for it. The state’s business-friendly tax structure has attracted Domtar (a Fortune 500 company), Sonoco, SCANA and ScanSource. Its beautiful coastline and warm temperatures bolster marketing for the tourism industry.

And it’s doing its best to support up-and-comers, according to Forbes. Forty-one SC names appeared on Inc.’s Top 5000 list of America’s fastest-growing private companies in 2012. The big movers in three-year growth were Wireless Communications (6,581%), BoomTown (3,085%) and O-matic Software (2,656%).

Job Prospects for South Carolina Marketing Graduates

Employment prospects for South Carolina marketing graduates aren’t half bad. From 2008-2018, the state’s Department of Employment and Workforce is projecting positive job growth for market research analysts (28%), PR specialists (22%) and marketing managers (9%). Market research analysts are a high-growth occupation statewide and throughout the U.S.

Keep in mind that South Carolina marketers earn relatively low wages in comparison with their North Carolina peers. In 2011, the median annual income for a South Carolina market research analyst was $48,300 (NC was $58,000). For a South Carolina marketing manager it was $89,300 (NC was $114,600).

Recent graduates might want to look for openings in Columbia, home of Colonial Life & Accident Insurance Co. and Ritedose Corp. Or you could try South Carolina’s ad agencies in Greenville. Jackson Marketing Group and Erwin Penland are two of the largest by sales volume.

South Carolina Schools for Marketing

There are 12 accredited marketing schools in South Carolina. Here are two to consider:

1. University of South Carolina (USC) (http://mooreschool.sc.edu/)

Ranked #64 in “Best Business Schools” by U.S. News & World Report in 2013, USC’s Darla Moore School of Business offers a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration with a major in marketing, a variety of MBAs and a doctorate in Business Administration with a concentration in marketing.

The Moore School is renowned for its global focus (the undergraduate international business program consistently tops national rankings) and students are invited to participate in internships and research studies around the world.

2. Clemson College (http://www.clemson.edu/cbbs/)

Students at Clemson’s College of Business and Behavioral Science can shoot for a Bachelor of Science with a major in marketing or a Master of Science in marketing. The Master of Science focuses on advanced studies in analytical marketing and market research – that high-growth occupation we mentioned earlier.

Like USC, Clemson has created a variety of international programs, as well as internships and professional development initiatives. The college is fully accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business.

Professional Marketing Organizations in South Carolina

In search of networking opportunities, social events and continuing education courses in the land of warmth and smiles? Here are a few South Carolina marketing organizations that may be able to help you out:

• AAF Coastal Carolinas (http://www.aafcoastalcarolinas.org/): Coastal Carolinas chapter of the American Advertising Federation
• AAF Greenville (http://www.aafgreenville.org/): Greenville chapter of the American Advertising Federation
• AAF Midlands (http://www.aafmidlands.com/): South Carolina Midlands chapter of the American Advertising Federation
• Charlotte AMA (http://www.charlotteama.com/): Charlotte chapter of the American Marketing Association
• Charleston AMA (http://charlestonama.com/CAMA/): Charleston chapter of the American Marketing Association
• SMPS Palmetto (http://www.smpspalmetto.org/): Society for Marketing Professional Services: Palmetto

Business Degree Programs in South Carolina

South Carolina’s prime East Cost location puts it within a day’s drive of some of the nation’s fastest-growing markets. As a global hub of innovation in aerospace, alternative energy, and biotechnology, business school students often strive to earn corporate positions in some of the state’s leading companies, such as Honeywell, Boeing, Rollcast Energy, and Martek Biosciences.

South Carolina is also home to multinational corporations in its other top industries – forestry and wood products and distribution. In 2014, five leading Fortune 500 companies in these industries – the companies with the highest amount of revenue in the nation – had their headquarters in the state:

• Domtar in Fort Mill – 5,563 million revenue
• Sonoco Products in Hartsville -5,015 million revenue
• SCANA in Cayce – $4,951 million revenue
• Resolute Forest Products in Catawba – $4,258 million revenue
• ScanSource – $2,914 million revenue

To get involved in South Carolina’s leading corporations, students earn their bachelor’s degree in business and MBA in South Carolina’s prestigious business schools, which offer specializations in areas such as agribusiness, human resources, accounting, finance, and marketing.

The advanced, specialized education that business students achieve allows them to rank as some of South Carolina’s top earners. For instance, the US Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics (www.bls.gov) found that, in 2014, chief executives made an average of $152,090 per year.

The Department published income ranges (mean to top 10 percent) for some of the state’s other specialized corporate positions in 2014, which included:

• Financial managers – $109,010 – $183,800
• Sales managers – $101,060 – $168,600
• Marketing managers – $107,440 – $169,370
• General and operations managers – $94,940 – $177,660

Top Professionals and Leading Companies in South Carolina’s Small Business Community

Although South Carolina’s top businesses may be large, multinational corporations, two of the state’s top three fastest growing companies in terms of revenue in the three-year period leading up to 2016 were small businesses that employed fewer than 200 employees according to Inc.com. These businesses include:

• Sandlapper Capital Investments in  Greenville – 4,229% growth, $24.9 million revenue
• 9Round in Greenville – 933% growth, $7.8 million revenue

South Carolina’s economy grew at a faster rate than the United States as a whole in 2016 and this trend was expected to continue during 2017. This reflects, in part, the state’s burgeoning small businesses.

Although South Carolina’s business schools offer programs with traditional concentrations, the state is known nation-wide for its emphasis on international business.

This international business acumen of South Carolina’s most innovative entrepreneurs explains why the state’s export industry is so strong. The South Carolina Department of Commerce reported that the state had the 15^th highest level of international exports in the country as of 2015.  In fact, South Carolina was the second largest exporter of goods to Germany that year.

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University of South Carolina

The Darla Moore School of Business at the University of South Carolina offers four ways to pursue your Master of Business Administration (MBA). The first type of MBA is a highly-focused program that kicks off with foundation courses covering broad managerial and leadership skills, as well as business analytics. To this foundation students add core courses focusing on international business and then move on to classes centered around their specializations. These specializations include global supply chain and operations management, human resource management, corporate accounting, entrepreneurship, marketing analytics and general management. If you cannot commit to a rigorous full-time intensive schedule, the Professional MBA option allows you to attend classes part time on campus or at multiple locations throughout the state. The International MBA expands on the primary MBA’s international focus with a second language requirement, up to 12 months of immersion abroad and a six-month overseas consulting project. If you are an experienced manager, the Executive International MBA is an award-winning option that allows you to earn both an MBA from the Darla Moore School of Business and a Maestria en Administracion (Master of Administration) from the Tecnologico de Monterrey in Mexico. Classes are held in Guadalajara, and are complemented by two residencies in Columbia, S.C. and an international study experience.

Clemson University

The Clemson MBA programs combine classroom learning and hands-on experiences. You can earn your MBA through a full time, traditional on-campus experience that’s designed to challenge you while immersing you in a close-knit, supportive environment of students and faculty. Taking classes at an advanced pace, you can complete the program in as little as a year, depending on your undergraduate and work experience. Or, you can complete the program over 21 months and take advantage of study abroad opportunities over the summer. Students with at least two years of relevant work experience can also pursue this degree on a part-time basis. The curriculum is the same for full-time and part-time students, both of whom can specialize in innovation/entrepreneurship, health services, services science, marketing analysis, supply chain and information management or real estate. The school also offers dual degree options that couple an MBA with a doctorate or an additional MBA in areas as diverse as computer science, packaging science, civil engineering, mechanical engineering, industrial engineering, bioengineering or construction science.

South Carolina State University

South Carolina State University’s MBA program is a traditional, full-time, on-campus experience. It begins with 15 hours in business fundamentals such as accounting, statistics, managerial economics, financial analysis and planning and integrated business analysis. You then choose which specialization track to pursue: the agribusiness track includes topics such as supply chain management and using quantitative methods, while the entrepreneur track prepares you for the challenges of getting a new business off the ground through classes that cover areas such as venture capital and new product development. You’ll learn through a combination of interactive classes and hands-on practice.

The Citadel

The Citadel is on a mission to educate principled leaders for the global community through a program that is accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB), and that has been ranked among the top 300 in the nation by “The Princeton Review.” The Flexible MBA program emphasizes business knowledge and skills, analytical abilities and social and cultural awareness, and lets you pursue your degree on your own timeframe, taking from one to six years to finish. One of the distinguishing features of the program is the support organizations that help you while you study and remain a part of your life long after you graduate. For instance, Career Services runs an active recruiting program and the MBA Association and Mentor Association help you get hands-on experience and top-level executive coaching.

North Greenville University

This Christian university offers an MBA with an ethical, faith-based influence that’s designed to enable you to work while you earn the degree. You have the option of pursuing the degree on campus through a traditional program of 36 hours; the school also offers the same degree as a fully-online experience so you can learn from anywhere. The curriculum is designed to give you the skills and experience you need as a generalist in management while offering two concentrations: financial planning and human resources.

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