Family Business Management

At SVSU, we care about every student’s story. And we’re particularly proud to equip the next generation of students to grow the legacy of their own family’s business(es). The College of Business & Management at SVSU offers one of the few family business management programs in the country that is enhanced by an on-campus center for family business. SVSU’s Stevens Center for Family Business connects Cardinals with family businesses throughout the region, ensuring you learn from thriving companies that have lasted generations and from the faculty who help struggling businesses weather transition. After completing your family business program at SVSU, you will have the vision and skill to contribute to your family’s business and lead it into the future with strength.

Course of Study

The family business concentration enhances students' understanding of the unique strengths and challenges of family firms in the areas of human resources management, organizational behavior, financial management, business and family governance, and succession planning. This enables students to successfully implement practices that drive high performance, shareholder loyalty, and healthy family relationships. This builds on the core education that prepares all business majors to engage the world of business with a strong understanding of operations, accounting, finance, statistics, information systems, marketing and strategy. At SVSU, our family business courses contain a practical component as well, enabling you to meet family business owners, tour their facilities and even work with their companies through internships, co-ops, consulting and applied research projects.

Carter Mazur and others at the 2017 Global Family Enterprise Case Competition.

Student Opportunities

The Scott L. Carmona College of Business & Management connects all business students with distinguished academic fraternities and programs, Honors societies, student leadership organizations and professional networking groups where you can apply what you’re learning to the real world. SVSU also offers opportunities tied specifically to family business management. Each year SVSU sends a team to the Global Family Enterprise Case Competition. While there, student teams work together to solve a complex family business issue and go up against student teams from universities in the U.S. and around the world. That’s one of the many potential memories awaiting you at SVSU. Click to learn more about the opportunities available to family business majors.

Carl L Gardner sits with empty chairs around him.

Job Opportunities

With a high job placement rate, SVSU prepares family business majors for far more than running your own family’s business. You can use your education to consult, navigate other family-owned companies with ease, help manage family wealth or even bring added knowledge to business mergers and buyouts.

Stevens Center for Family Business

You may know where you are going to work, but chances are the hat you'll be wearing may be unknown. The Stevens Center allows SVSU students to network and learn from others working and leading family owned businesses in the region. Through special events, panel presentations, and invitations to special members-only events, you'll receive insights that many in your family took years to learn!