Certificate Program in Professional Sales

WSU Vancouver

Fact Sheet

Purpose – Certificate Program in Professional Sales

The objective of the Certificate Program in Professional Sales at WSU Vancouver is to prepare students for marketing careers in professional sales and customer account management. These careers are available across a myriad of industries and provide graduates with high-paying jobs with diverse duties and excellent long-term career prospects. Starting compensation and benefits are among the highest available to any undergraduate degree holders (often in the $40-50k range or higher), with graduates of Professional Sales Programs often in a position to earn $100k+ as few as five years after graduation. Importantly, long-term career prospects and advancement for those with sales experience are excellent. For example, more than 80% of Fortune 500 CEO’s spent a significant portion of their career in front-line sales and customer management.

Careers in Professional Sales

Professional selling represents a major source of jobs. Some 25% of the US labor force work in positions which directly serve customers in a sales capacity (e.g., retail environments), with nearly half of these jobs being much more sophisticated, career-oriented sales and account management positions (e.g., high-technology; pharmaceutical and health care; financial services & planning; industrial equipment, components & commodities; commercial and residential real estate etc.). Research shows that a surprising number of college graduates across all disciplines – not just business administration or marketing – become sales professionals, even though they did not deliberately pursue this career direction while in college. At a more micro level, within the typical business school, long-term placement data shows that approximately 70% of all marketing majors take their first, post-graduation job in sales or customer account management. Many then spend significant portions of their careers doing front-line sales or perhaps later, managing the salesforce. Other business majors (e.g., finance, real estate, accounting etc.) also find that their day-to-day jobs and responsibilities take on sales and account management themes at some point of their careers. Finally, many students in other areas (e.g., natural sciences, engineering, physical education, nursing etc.) gravitate towards sales and marketing-related careers even though they typically did not envision this while pursuing their undergraduate degrees.

Admission Requirements, Coursework, & Sequencing

To be admitted into the Program, students must be either certified in their WSU major or a non-degree student, with at least a cumulative GPA of 2.0 and 60 semester credits. In order to complete the Program, students must complete each of the following courses with a GPA of 2.0 or higher.

Course	Description	Hours	Pre-Requisite
Mktg 360	Marketing	3
Mktg 379	Professional Sales	3	Mktg 360
Mktg 478	Sales Management	3	Mktg 360
MgtOp 485	Negotiations	3
Mktg 480	Business-to-Business Marketing	3	Mktg 360
		15 Credits

Offering of Courses in the Professional Sales Sequence – WSU Vancouver, 2006-2008

The table below lists semesters when courses in the Professional Sales Certificate Program will be offered. Note that courses offered may change due to unforeseen circumstances, and that additional courses (e.g., Marketing 360) may also be offered at additional times not currently planned or listed below (e.g., summer semesters).

Course	Spring ‘06	Spring ‘06	Fall ‘06	Spring ‘07	Fall ‘07	Spring ‘08	Fall ‘08
Mktg 360	Marketing	P	P	P	P	P	P
Mktg 379	Professional Sales		P		P		P
Mktg 478	Sales Management	P		P		P
MgtOp 485	Negotiations	P		P		P
Mktg 480	Business-to-Business Marketing		P		P		P

Frequently Asked Questions – Certificate Program in Professional Sales at WSU Vancouver

· Do I have to be enrolled in Marketing or even be a Business Major to earn the Certificate?

No. Any student enrolled in any major at WSU Vancouver can enroll in and complete the Certificate, provided they pass Mktg 360 with at least a 2.0 GPA. In fact, non-degree students can also earn the Certificate as a stand-alone qualification.

· Do I have to take all of the Courses in the Certificate? Can I just take one (or a few) of them?

While you’d probably benefit most from completing the Program and earning the Certificate, you are free to take one or more of the courses in the sequence as you see fit, based on your interests and goals etc.

· When do I get the Certificate? At what point?

The Certificate in Professional Sales will be awarded upon successful completion of Mktg 360 as well as the four courses in the Certificate Sequence. This will usually coincide with the student’s completion of studies at WSU Vancouver, but other arrangements will be made for students with unique situations and timing.

· What is the fastest I can earn the Certificate?

With the strong commitment that has been made by Business Programs at WSU Vancouver to offer the required courses very regularly, the Certificate can be earned very quickly. For example, for students who have already completed or are presently enrolled in Mktg 360, the needed courses can be completed and the Certificate earned by as early as December 2006.

Additional Information & Applications

Questions Regarding Admissions, Course Availability, Prerequisites etc. – Please contact:

· Mary Stender -- 360-546-9751, stender@vancouver.wsu.edu

Questions Regarding Career Prospects in Professional Sales, Content of Marketing Courses – Please contact:

· Dr. Chris Plouffe -- 360-546-9147, cplouffe@wsu.edu

WSU Vancouver Professional Sales Program - Associate Member of

Current as of 10-20-2005