DRAFT - Management Major - Standard - SO

Management Major

Management

Major

The Management major at West Point develops leaders who excel in strategic thinking, organizational effectiveness, and resource optimization. Through rigorous coursework in leadership, analytics, and decision-making, cadets gain the skills to lead teams and manage complex operations in military and business environments.

Offered by the Department of Behavioral Sciences & Leadership.

Management: Where Strategy Meets Leadership in Action

Management at West Point builds the skills to lead people, projects, and organizations in dynamic, high-stakes environments. Grounded in behavioral science, analytics, and ethical decision-making, this program prepares you to optimize teams, allocate resources, and drive mission success across the Army and beyond.

The West Point Advantage

At the United States Military Academy, management is not just a discipline. It’s a strategic advantage.

You’ll gain expertise in organizational behavior, decision analytics, and leadership while applying these tools to real operational contexts. This program in the Department of Behavioral Sciences & Leadership (BSL) blends rigorous academics with practical application and integrates purposeful leadership into every experience.

Integrated military focus

  • Apply evidence-based practices for motivation, cohesion, and performance.
  • Balance resources, timelines, and risks in uncertain operational environments.
  • Turn intent into executable plans with clear priorities and measurable outcomes.

Experiential and hands-on learning

  • Practice decision-making in time-constrained, ambiguous scenarios.
  • Deliver management solutions to real stakeholders—units, departments, and community partners.
  • Use analytics, dashboards, and performance metrics to improve outcomes.

Ethics and innovation

  • Build cultures of trust and accountability that withstand pressure.
  • Evaluate risk, safety, and stakeholder impact before you execute.
  • Adapt processes and technology while safeguarding people and mission.

Mentorship that matters

  • Learn from experienced faculty and military leaders who bring operational credibility and research expertise.
  • Build lasting mentor relationships to guide your academic path, internships, and early career steps.
  • Grow as a leader of character: Earn trust, communicate clearly, and deliver results.

The Foundation to Solve Tomorrow’s Challenges

West Point’s approach ensures you graduate ready to innovate, inspire, and succeed in:

Talent management and leadership development

  • Design training plans, feedback systems, and incentives that build high-performing teams.
  • Implement evidence-based techniques for coaching, performance evaluation, and retention.

Operations and project management

  • Plan, resource, and execute complex missions and initiatives under real constraints.
  • Apply Lean/Six Sigma concepts to improve processes, reduce waste, and increase throughput.

Data analytics for decision-making

  • Use quantitative tools to forecast demand, allocate resources, and assess risk.
  • Build dashboards and reports that inform commanders and stakeholders.

Acquisition, logistics, and supply chain

  • Coordinate procurement, contracting, and lifecycle management for mission-critical systems.
  • Optimize sustainment, distribution, and readiness across diverse environments.

Cyber, IT, and knowledge management

  • Align technology, workflows, and information security with operational goals.
  • Improve user adoption and human-system integration for digital tools.

Public sector, policy, and civil-military operations

  • Translate strategic guidance into executable plans for domestic support and international engagements.
  • Coordinate across agencies and partners to deliver outcomes in complex contexts.

Information for Future Cadets

Resources for Current Cadets

Management: Strategy, Systems, and Leadership

Management at West Point is more than a degree. It’s a launchpad for officers who can lead people, steward resources, and run complex operations with rigor and integrity. Built on behavioral science, analytics, and hands‑on practice, the program equips you to plan, organize, and execute in volatile, uncertain, complex, and ambiguous environments across the Army and beyond.

What makes this major unique? It fuses the behavioral sciences with applied management - accounting, finance, operations, HR, marketing, strategy, negotiations, and entrepreneurship - so you master how organizations actually work and how to improve them. You’ll learn from BSL faculty whose mission is to develop leaders of character and who bring real operational experience to the classroom.

Core Foundation

Start with the essential tools to lead teams and manage organizations - grounded in human behavior, decision‑making, and the core business disciplines:

  • MG381 – Introduction to Management
  • MG379 – Leading Teams
  • MG382 – Human Resource Management
  • MG380 – Marketing
  • MG395 – Fundamentals of Accounting
  • MG410 – Managerial Finance
  • MG420 – Operations Management

Complementary support courses ensure you have the analytical backbone to excel (e.g., project management, systems, statistics, law, economics). 

Advanced and Applied Courses

Deepen your capabilities with electives that sharpen negotiation, innovation, and change leadership:

  • MG390 – Negotiation for Leaders
  • MG462 – Entrepreneurship
  • PL470 – Topics in Behavioral Science & Leadership
  • PL479 – Leading Organizations Through Change

These choices reflect West Point’s emphasis on blending behavioral insight with managerial rigor to improve organizational performance.

Experiential and Hands‑On Learning

Turn theory into action through active practice:

  • Case studies & simulations that mirror command problems and time‑constrained decisions.
  • Project‑based work delivering recommendations to Army units and campus stakeholders.

Electives and Specialization

Customize your path with high‑value complementary support courses drawn from across USMA, such as:

  • SE385 – Decision Analysis
  • MA376 – Applied Statistics
  • LW488 – Business Law
  • SS368 – Econometrics I
  • SS387 – Public Economics
  • EV482/GE491 – Military Geography
  • PL361 – Research Methods
  • PL392 – Cognitive Psychology

These options allow you to specialize in areas critical to the Army's warfighter readiness.

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Management: Beyond the Classroom

At West Point, the Management major is more than a rigorous academic program. It’s a gateway to real-world influence, organizational excellence, and national recognition. You’ll engage in hands-on learning, applied research, and enrichment opportunities that prepare you to lead teams, manage resources, and drive mission success in military and civilian contexts.

Internships

Gain practical experience through internships that connect classroom learning to Army operations and organizational leadership. These opportunities allow you to apply management principles in real-world settings:

Experiential and Hands-On Learning

Management brings classroom concepts to life through simulations, case studies, and project-based learning. Whether you’re analyzing organizational behavior or planning large-scale operations, you’ll gain practical experience that builds confidence and competence:

  • Lead team-based projects that mirror real command challenges
  • Apply data analytics and decision-making tools to solve complex problems
  • Present findings and recommendations to military leaders and external stakeholders

Research and Facilities

While completing your degree, you’ll have opportunities to engage in applied research with the BSL, the West Point Leadershp Center, or the Office of Economic and Manpower Analysis for academic credit. Work alongside faculty mentors in areas such as leadership development, organizational performance, and decision science.

Scholarships, Honors, and Recognition

Biology majors are eligible to participate in the West Point Scholars Program, which provides personalized support for competitive national scholarships, such as:

  • Rhodes Scholarship
  • Marshall Scholarship
  • Fulbright Fellowship
  • Gates Cambridge Scholarship

The West Point Technical Scholars Program (TSP) mentors and guides cadets in pursuit of undergraduate and postgraduate scholarship as they seek national and international honors for their performance. With over 240 scholarships and fellowships, the TSP has continued to fill Army ranks with innovative leaders prepared for the challenges they will face throughout their careers.

West Point also celebrates academic excellence and leadership through:

  • Honor societies:
  • Management honors program: Conduct independent research and graduate with distinction.
  • Departmental awards: Earn recognition for academic excellence and leadership in biology.

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