Professional Sales & Business Development Minor
Developing Solutions, Building Skills,
& Gaining Advantages
All fields and industries need individuals who can sell products, services, and ideas to help businesses grow. Therefore, every career can be enhanced with sales skills; whether you are an engineer, educator, analyst, or actor. If you can find solutions, communicate, and persuade others you can become more effective in what you do with professional sales and business development skills.
Open to ALL Majors
The Professional Sales and Business Development minor is a joint program offered by Moody College of Communication and McCombs School of Business. Moreover, the minor is open to students of all majors at the University of Texas.
The curriculum offers theory, frameworks, and industry tools to help students develop skills in analysis, communication, presentation, and persuasion. In doing so, students learn to effectively sell ideas, products, and services in a professional manner. Participation in the program will also provide resources and academic skills to pursue a vast array of sales-related careers while gaining access to local and national industry leaders through the network of corporate supporters.
Unsure if a sales career is for you? Listen as JT Seelman, Senior Manager, Business Development at UiPath illustrates what a career in sales truly is.
Major Requirements
& Approved Courses
Are you a part of the Professional Sales and Business Minor program? Are you interested in applying?
Important Course Registration Information
For Professional Sales and Business Development minors:
If you can’t get into a course that you think you should have access to (see here: Professional Sales and Business Minor Course Info Sheet)
- Check with your advisor to be sure that the Professional Sales and Business Development Minor appears on your profile. Note that after we accept you into the minor, you must contact your advisor to update your profile to show that you are indeed “pursuing” the minor, otherwise you will not be able to register for most McCombs courses.
- All sales minor students who are not McCombs majors must take the MKT320F Foundations of Marketing Course as part of their program in PS&BD.
If you have not yet taken this course you will not be able to enroll in most McCombs elective courses. So take the MKT320 course first.
(PS&BD minor students who are also enrolled as McCombs BBA majors must take the MKT337 or MKT337H Principles of Marketing.)
- A limited number of seats are held in most courses that satisfy the PS&BD Minor. These are held during the first registration period. If you cannot get into a McCombs course during the first registration period it is very likely because the PS&BD Minor seats have already been taken. Many courses have an automatic waitlist. So use the waitlist if you can’t initially get in.
- After the first registration period all remaining empty seats become available to all qualified students. To be qualified, as always, you must meet pre-requisites for courses (including in most cases, having taken MKT320F or MKT337 as in point 2, above). If you did not get into a course in the first registration period, you should try to register again during the second registration period. In Fall of 2023, the second registration period for Spring 2024 courses starts on December 11, 2023.
- There is a third registration period that opens when classes start. If you are not enrolled in class yet, this is the time.
- If you have questions about enrollment in McCombs courses, the place to start is here:
MSB - BBA - Registration <bba-registration@mccombs.utexas.edu>
In your email provide the following:
- Your EID
- Indicate that you are enrolled in the Professional Sales minor
- Provide the course name
- Provide the course UNIQUE number.
(Many of our course numbers are MKT178, or MKT372, etc. This is NOT specific enough. They will need the UNIQUE number of the course. You can get the UNIQUE number at the registrar’s site here: https://registrar.utexas.edu/schedules)
Example: “MKT 178 Data for Business Influence” is a 178 course. To help you, the BBA office will also need the UNIQUE number which, for this course, is 06089. See below.
|
Unique |
Day |
Hour |
Room |
Instruction Mode |
Instructor |
Status |
Flags |
|
06089 |
Face-to-face |
CLER, CAMERON |
open; reserved |
MKT 178 DATA FOR BUSINESS INFLUENCE
Focuses on contemporary, in-demand marketing topics to help develop the foundational knowledge, hands-on experience, and skills for today's marketing ecosystem.
Prerequisite: Varies with topic.
Hour(s) to be arranged. Course number may be repeated for credit when the topics vary.
Topic description: Explore how to apply and present data to deliver persuasive communications and presentations. Learn about principles including professional and practical skills and frameworks that create data-informed arguments for any audience. Class meets March 20-April 17.
Important Dates
Applications for Spring 2025
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Why Sales?
With a minor in Professional Sales and Business Development, you expand your job possibilities related to both technical and non-technical majors not only in sales & business development but also in other areas—e.g., management consulting, account management, private equity, startups, etc.
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Quote
"Every update/email I get related to this minor program reminds me how lucky I am to have stumbled upon it. I don’t know if it's just because we are the inaugural class, but this minor feels more like a community than part of my degree plan. I can’t wait to see what’s in store! " - Aiden Wachnin, Senior, College of Natural Sciences
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Student Experience
Christine Hunt graduated in May 2022 with a minor in Professional Sales and Business Development. Now she has a thriving career in sales and offers this piece of advice to current students: "be your most authentic self... and use your connections. There are some great Texas Exes and they are always willing to help."
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TUSO
Texas Undergraduate Sales Organization is a student-led organization at UT that facilitates professional development, skills workshops, and networking opportunities within the sales industry.
Faculty & Staff
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Andrew Gershoff
Andrew Gershoff is the Chair of the Marketing Department and the McCombs School of Business as well as Professor of Marketing and Foleys Professor of Retailing. -
Doug Chung
Doug J. Chung is the Director of the Professional Sales and Business Development Program and a faculty member of the McCombs School of Business. -
Herbert Miller
Herb Miller is part of the Professional Sales and Business Development Committee and a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Marketing at the McCombs School of Business. -
Raghunath Singh Rao
Raghunath Singh Rao is an Associate Professor of Marketing at the McCombs School of Business at the University of Texas at Austin. -
Keri Stephens
Keri Stephens is a Professor in Organizational Communication Technology, a Distinguished Teaching Professor, and Co-Director of the Technology and Information Policy Institute in the Moody College of Communication at The University of Texas at Austin. -
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Lamar Johnson
Lamar Johnson is the Executive Director of the Center for Customer Insight & Marketing Solutions and the Professional Sales & Business Development Corporate Relations Manager.
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Maddie Hatfield
Maddie Hatfield is a Student Ambassador for the Professional Sales and Business Development Program and the President of the Texas Undergraduate Sales Organization (TUSO). -
Kielly Garza
Kielly Garza is a Student Ambassador for the Professional Sales and Business Development Program.
Corporate Supporters
The Professional Sales and Business Development Minor is proud to have the support of the following business partners who work with us to help develop our curriculum and to provide funding for special events and administration.
We are pleased to be listed in the Sales Education Foundation's annual list of top universities for Professional Sales education.
Photos
Spring 2023
Welcome Reception
Photos
We welcomed 50 students into the program from over seven different colleges across campus.
Videos
Videos
Moody Class of 2022: Christine Hunt
Christine Hunt gradated in May 2022 with a minor in Professional Sales and Business Development. In the video she shares the following: Why did she choose a sales career? 1. Sales is constantly changing 2. Competitive 3. There upward mobility
Authentic Persuasion Show: Lamar Johnson Part 1
Authentic Persuasion Show: Lamar Johnson Part 2
Authentic Persuasion Show: Lamar Johnson Part 3
UiPath: Jt Seelman Senior Manager, Business Development
What is a sales career? "It is working hard to meet the needs of your customers with the right solutions" while building a relationship and trust. -JT Seelman
Video: https://www.loom.com/share/4028c53e732b420eace74a59c699ce02
Contact Us
Want more information about the Professional Sales Minor? Do you represent a company looking to get involved with this program?