Family Business

Prepare for leadership positions within a family firm, and understand the dynamics that are special to family businesses

Program Details

Location:

Online, Corvallis

Program Type:

Minor, Option

Overview

Family Business

Family businesses are the dominant form of business operation within the state of Oregon and the Pacific Northwest. It's vital to understand the unique dynamics within a family business to equip family members and non-family consultants and executives with the added expertise they need to help a thriving family firm endure.

You'll graduate with the insights to balance the business, the family and employees, and leverage new opportunities, for example, broadening the portfolio of assets. Our sequence of courses provide you with the skills to address stewardship and governance of the business, or also successfully consult for Oregon's many successful family businesses.

With a focus on entrepreneurship, your family business studies will give you the opportunity to develop your entrepreneurial talents while providing a solid foundation to face the risks and challenges facing a family firm. Course work on finance, legal expertise, marketing, and succession planning help to prepare you for a leadership role in a family business.

Family business is an option for business administration majors in Corvallis or for online business administration majors with Ecampus. Family business also is offered as a minor for non-business majors.

Associated Program:

The option in family business is available to students enrolled in the business administration program.

Our business administration degree provides you with broad business skills in accounting and quantitative methods, an understanding of the legal and social environment of business, and a background in management and organizational behavior, marketing, finance, and operations management.

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28+

degrees and areas of focus

85% Job placement rate

of classes have fewer than 50 students

450

companies recruit our students each year

Family Business Opportunities

Study Abroad

Study Abroad

Sydney, Australia: University of Technology Sydney

Vienna, Austria: Vienna University of Economics & Business

Santiago, Chile: Universidad de Chile, Facultad Economia y Negocios

Explore study abroad opportunities >

Student organizations and clubs

Associated Clubs

Business Information Systems

Supply Chain Club

Management Association

See all clubs >

Scholarship

Scholarships

Joe D Lewis Scholarship

Foodguys Values Business Scholarship

Helen Mae Cropsey Memorial Scholarship

Glenn L Jackson Memorial Scholarship

See all scholarship opportunities >

Careers

Possible Careers

Human Resources

Sales Manager

Public Relations

Market Research Analyst

Center for Family Enterprise Program impacts Oregon

The Center for Family Enterprise, formally known as Austin Family Business Program, recognizes the need to invest in Oregon’s innovators and business owners because we are essentially a small-business state. In Oregon small and family businesses dominate the business landscape; in some areas 90% of Oregon businesses are classified as small businesses, and of those, 75% have four or fewer employees.

Family-owned businesses have to remain entrepreneurial and innovative in order to thrive and grow. The OSU College of Business is one of just one hundred U.S. universities that have resources specialized to family business as part of our academic programming.

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“I take this seriously and work hard”

Growing up in a family business, Elana Stone Anderson’s childhood is layered with memories and moments that circle around a business world that her father created. Founded in 1992 by Steven Stone, BedMart started selling mattresses in the Portland area.

Despite that the store was busy growing while she was young, Anderson ’09, was frustrated when her schoolmates seemed familiar with some mattress stores, but not her dad’s. And it got her thinking about marketing.

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"

I enjoy challenges, and I love to learn. That desire to learn and solve tough problems has guided me my entire career.

Kate Johnson '98
Act-On Software CEO

Where our graduates work

Graduates from the college's business administration program have become computer analysts, business process analysts, quality control managers, IT project managers, consultants, teachers, systems' analysts, chief information officers and more.

  • Adecco
  • Cambia
  • Cambia Health Solutions
  • Compucom
  • Daimler
  • Dell
  • Deloitte
  • Huron Health Care
  • Intel
  • Nike
  • Odom
  • Portland General Electric
  • Providence Health Services
  • Puppet Labs
  • Salesforce
  • Schnitzer
  • The Standard
  • Umpqua Bank

Here's why you should be a College of Business student

A success plan for life

Professional, personal and leadership skills form the backbone of successful careers. Blueprint, our award-winning series of classes, is focused on professional and leadership development and financial literacy. With Blueprint, you’re on track to graduate on time, with the skills and network to choose your career, and the savvy to make the big decisions at the right time.

We're not just business; we're family

Our first-year students live in one of our business-themed residence halls. This learning-focused, student-first, open-door culture makes the big Oregon State campus feel like the supportive place it is – and feel a lot smaller and easier to navigate than you might think.

We’re the only college at OSU that has a dedicated Career Success Center for our students. We help you find an internship, write a resume and find a job.

Ranked and accredited

Oregon State is ranked in the top five for online education with U.S. News & World Report. The College of Business overall, as well as our accounting program, is accredited by AACSB International – the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business. AACSB International is the premier accrediting agency for degree programs in business and accounting.

Discover the OSU difference