Every career field has a business connection, and as a student in the Wells College business program, you’ll bring a fundamental understanding of key interdisciplinary concepts that are essential for the success of any business or other organization. This program will help you enhance your knowledge of business practices and decision-making strategies — in both the for-profit and not-for-profit sectors — while providing a solid practical foundation in economics, marketing, management, statistics, human resources, organizational behavior and innovation.
Benefiting You . . . and Your Future Business
The Susan Wray Sullivan ’51 and Pike H. Sullivan Center for Business and Entrepreneurship offers you courses and hands-on learning opportunities in business, innovation, entrepreneurship and management. It equips you with the critical-reasoning abilities, communication skills and a well-rounded perspective that are essential to leadership roles in any career field.
These three core elements of the Sullivan Center are the key ways in which we prepare students to take on the challenges of the business world:
- Personalized experiences: multidisciplinary courses and individualized study in the liberal arts, business, entrepreneurship and management
- A focus on innovation: you learn how to think creatively, brainstorm effectively, and build and test out prototypes using the "design thinking" method
- Hands-on learning: with guidance from advisors — build connections with local and alumni-owned businesses, obtain career-focused internships, and gain business insight at workshops and during Wells’ annual Entrepreneurship Week
Dedicated Faculty Experts and Mentors
The Sullivan Center’s faculty mentors, who work hand in hand with the experienced team in our Center for Academic and Career Advising, partner with you throughout your time at Wells by helping you create a long-term plan for academic course selection, secure local internship placements, and develop your entrepreneurial skills. Because of this personal attention and guidance, you won’t simply become acclimated to change . . . you’ll embrace it! All while learning about yourself and what you want to pursue as a career and/or graduate school. And the College's strong ties to local businesses and their leadership teams provide students with unique opportunities to network with guest lecturers and participate in business-related workshops, both here in Aurora and elsewhere off campus.
Kevin Miles, the Sullivan Center’s director, brings to his role an enthusiasm for connecting young people with opportunities — which might take the form of internships, class projects, guest speakers or simply connecting you other students who have shared interests. Since arriving at Wells, he has dramatically expanded the scope and impact of the annual Business Idea Competition and continues to further develop its potential. These ongoing efforts include creating relationships with local startups business incubators and others in our region, and bringing engaging, successful entrepreneurs to campus each semester to share their wisdom. (Read more about Professor Miles at his faculty profile page.)