The Edward H. Schmidt School of Professional Sales

Bachelor of Business Administration in Professional Sales

 

Why Professional Sales
Why the University of Toledo's Edward Schmidt School of Professional Sales (ESSPS)

Undergraduate degree offerings: 

Access form to declare your major or minor in Professional Sales
Students can be in the College of Business & Innovation or another UToledo college.  Everyone is in sales in some manner!

 

Why Professional Sales? 

If you are looking for a great career with plenty of opportunities (see list below), sales is it!

  • Reach your personal and professional goals while helping others
  • Make a meaningful impact on companies and individuals
  • Grow your network – meet new people
  • Enjoy a stimulating environment with lots of flexibility
  • Foster economic development – maintain/create jobs and make a difference in people’s lives
  • Be creative in developing unique solutions for your client firms
  • Earn high compensation (ie: salary plus performance based commission or bonus) - NOT 100% commission
  • Feel secure with career stability - demand for non-retail sales representatives is expected to grow around 4% (6% for technical sales) through the year 2031 (US Department of Labor 2022)
  • Prepare for career realities - everyone is in sales in some manner

 

Why the University of Toledo's (UToledo's) Edward Schmidt School of Professional Sales (ESSPS)

  • 94% of ESSPS students agree-strongly agree that being in the ESSPS benefits them (most strongly agree)
  • Consistent 90+% placement before graduation for sales majors who are actively looking (95% placement since AY14).  Placement is with local and national organizations of all sizes.
  • First-year annual salaries range from $40,000-$80,000, with performance-based bonuses that range from a few thousand dollars to $60,000 annually.  Additional perks depending on the role include a company vehicle, phone, laptop, and flexibility to work from home.
  • Ramp up 50% faster and improve retention by 30% compared to your non-university trained counterparts
  • Convenient and applicable double major for only 2 extra classes - added boost to marketing yourself and future career promotions. 
  • UToledo has strong and unique degree programs compared to other universities in the nation.
    • Only university in the country to offer major, minor, “other” undergraduate designation, AND a MBA concentration
    • 1 of 34 with major
  • Scholarships to support incoming freshman, bridge students, and current high performers
  • Relevant and hands-on classes to blend theory and practice with web casted role plays, real selling situations, and live sales force automation (SFA) software, and international role play interactions
  • Active corporate engagement with exclusive recruiting events, advisory board meetings, classroom speaking, corporate coaching sessions, and more
  • Award winning tradition and innovation mindset for over a decade with national competitions, student organizations, expert and industry experienced faculty/staff, and accreditation (AACSB and USCA)
  • Setup for success with 24*7 Rocket card access to ESSPS suites, Memberclicks to access corporate and alumni network, faculty research, alumni wisdom, spotlights, inclusion on ESSPS email list to receive news/updates, jobs, scholarships, and more

 

Professional Sales Major

Required Professional Sales Courses:

  • PSLS 3080 Purchasing & Business Relationship Management, 3 credit hour
  • PSLS 3440 Professional Sales, 3 credit hours
  • PSLS 3450 Sales Technologies and Strategies, 3 credit hours
  • PSLS 4710 Sales Force Leadership, 3 credit hours
  • PSLS 4740 Advanced Sales, 3 credit hours
  • PSLS 4940 Integrative Capstone: Sales Internship, 3 credit hours

Elective Courses for Professional Sales Major (select one):

  • PSLS 4500 International Sales Negotiations, 3 credit hours (aka MKTG 4980 Special Topics on the same topic)
  • MKTG 4540 Business Marketing, 3 credit hours
  • MKTG 4980 Special Topics (Director Permission), 3 credit hours
    • Sales for Social Impact
  • Plus a number of other relevant options for those who are double majoring!

Recommended Professional Sales Course:

  • PSLS 3000 Sales Career Orientation, 1 credit hour (can take as early as freshman year, any undergraduate student can take this class)

Required College of Business and Innovation Core Courses (same as any other major):

  • BUAD 1000 Orientation, 1 credit hour
  • BUAD 1010 Intro. to Business, 3 credit hours
  • BUAD 1020 Micro-Computer Applications, 3 credit hours
  • BUAD 2000 Career Development I, 1 credit hour
  • BUAD 2030 Executive Communication Essentials, 3 credit hours
  • BUAD 2040 Financial Accounting, 3 credit hours
  • BUAD 2050 Accounting for Decision Making, 3 credit hours
  • BUAD 2060 Data Analysis for Business, 3 credit hours
  • BUAD 2070 Application of Statistics in Business Dec. Making, 3 credit hours
  • BUAD 2080 Global Environment of Business, 3 credit hours
  • BUAD 3000 Career Development II, 1 credit hour
  • BUAD 3010 Principles of Marketing, 3 credit hours
  • BUAD 3020 Manufacturing & Service Systems, 3 credit hours
  • BUAD 3030 Managerial & Behavioral Processes, 3 credit hours
  • BUAD 3040 Principles of Financial Management, 3 credit hours
  • BUAD 3050 Information Technology Management, 3 credit hours
  • BUAD 3470 Legal & Ethical Environment, 3 credit hours
  • BUAD 4020 Senior Business Policy Forum, 3 credit hours

Required Arts and Sciences Courses (including Required Core Curriculum Courses):

  • ENGL 1110 College Composition,3 credit hours
  • MATH 1260 Modern Business Math (University Core Requirement-Math),3 credit hours
  • MATH 1270 Modern Business Math II, 3 credit hours
  • PSY 1010 Intro. to Psychology (University Core Requirement-Social Science), 3 credit hours
  • ENGL 2960 Organizational Report Writing (University Core Requirement-English), 3 credit hours
  • COMM 3840 Interpersonal Comm. (University Core Req.-Humanities/Fine Arts), 4 credit hours
  • PHIL 1020 Critical Thinking (University Core Req.-Humanities/Fine Arts), 3 credit hours
  • ECON 1150 Macroeconomics, 3 credit hours
  • ECON 1200 Microeconomics, 3 credit hours
  • University Core Requirement-Natural Sciences: Based on intended industry sales, 3 credit hours
  • University Core Requirement-Natural Sciences: Based on intended industry sales, 3 credit hours
  • University Core Requirement-Multicultural: Diversity of U.S. Culture, 3 credit hours
  • University Core Requirement-Multicultural: Other than U.S., 3 credit hours
  • COMM 3820 Persuasion Theory, 4 credit hours
  • COMM 4810 Nonverbal Communication, 3 credit hours

Non-business electives

  • Non-business elective,3 credit hours
  • Non-business elective,1 credit hour
  •  

Professional Sales Minor for Other Business Majors

A minor in Professional Sales can be added to any major by taking the following courses:

  • PSLS 3440 Professional Sales, 3 credit hours
  • Plus choose two of the following five courses:
    • MKTG 4540 Business Marketing, 3 credit hours
    • PSLS 3080 Purchasing & Business Relationship Management, 3 credit hours
    • PSLS 3450 Sales Technologies and Strategies, 3 credit hours
    • PSLS 4710 Sales Force Leadership, 3 credit hours
    • PSLS 4740 Advanced Sales, 3 credit hours

Professional Sales Minor for Non-Business Majors

Individuals from other colleges may earn a Minor in Professional Sales by earning a C or better in the following five Professional Sales courses listed below:

  • PSLS 3440 Sales, 3 credit hours
  • PSLS 3450 Sales Technologies and Strategies, 3 credit hours
  • PSLS 4740 Advanced Sales, 3 credit hours
  • and two of the following:
    • PSLS 3080 Purchasing & Business Relationship Management, 3 credit hours
    • PSLS 4500 International Sales Negotiation, 3 credit hours (aka MKTG 4980 Special Topics on the same topic)
    • PSLS 4710 Sales Force Leadership, 3 credit hours
    • BUAD 3010 Principles of Marketing, 3 credit hours


Professional Sales Concentration within Marketing Major

Individuals doing a major in marketing can do a concentration in professional sales by taking professional sales courses for 3 of their 4 marketing electives.  Professional sales courses that count as marketing electives are below:

  • MKTG 4540 Business Marketing, 3 credit hours
  • PSLS 3080 Purchasing & Business Relationship Management, 3 credit hours
  • PSLS 3440 Sales, 3 credit hours
  • PSLS 4710 Sales Force Leadership, 3 credit hours

Professional Sales Course Components

Guest Speakers

From our corporate partners/sponsors and select alumni on topics that are part of the course's learning objectives

Engagement

The ESSPS provides special recruitment and professional development events throughout the year to assist students in developing their sales networking skills, refining their sales and personal career plans, and providing them with valuable network connections.  As these are all critical components to students' professional sales preparation and overall career success, students are required to attend and participate onsite.  Please refer to the syllabus schedule and ESSPS website for the date, time, and location for the Sales Connection.
 
If a student in a PSLS class is unable to attend Sales Connection, they need to talk with their instructor ASAP and have documentation in order to receive the alternate assignment.  Otherwise, they are expected to be there. 

Professionalism

The professionalism portion of a student's grade is based on their demonstrated preparation for class, participation, attendance (includes content consumption online), quality of input to class discussions, respectful words and actions, how well they navigate uncertainty when encountering new experiences, and adherence to the course policies.  Students are expected to actively contribute to the classroom learning experience.  Faculty evaluation of a student's professionalism will consist of a subjective appraisal of the points mentioned above. If a student is concerned about how they are doing with respect to professionalism during the term, they should feel free to ask their faculty.

Professional Sales Course Descriptions

PSLS 3000 Sales Career Orientation and Management (1 credit)

This course is designed to provide an overview of careers in professional selling.  Any undergraduate student can take this course.  

PSLS 3080 Purchasing and Business Relationship Management (3 credits)

This course looks at the purchasing function from a strategic and behavioral perspective. Today's purchasing professional must deal with complicated supply chain relationships, increased demand for supply to be "Just-In-Time," and "Total Quality," with minimal costs. This course will use role plays, simulations, exercises, and cases to investigate issues relating to negotiation, relationship management, and other strategic purchasing issues.  Prerequisite: Upper Division status.   Not recommended to take this course the same semester as PSLS 3440.

PSLS 3440 Sales (3 credits)

This course introduces students to the theory and practice of personal selling. Its primary focus is on the face-to-face aspects of the sales process. Its purpose is to provide a professional foundation for students interested in pursuing a career in sales.  Prerequisite: Upper Division status.  Not recommended to take this course the same semester as PSLS 3080.

PSLS 3450 Sales Technologies and Strategies (3 credits)

This course introduces students to the activities involved in supporting buyer-seller interactions and the personal selling process. Its purpose is to provide skills in areas related to prospecting, sales administration and technology, time and territory management, and managing customer follow up.  Prerequisite: Upper Division status

PSLS 4500 International Sales Negotiation (3 credits)

This course is designed to explore the cultural and business implications of a sales career within an international or cross-cultural setting.  Students will work in an applied setting engaging in role-playing and company analysis to understand the unique characteristics of this context.  Prerequisite: Upper Division status

PSLS 4710 Sales Force Leadership (3 credits)

This course focuses on the activities and problems of first line sales managers in managing the sales function in the modern business organization. The role and functions of the sales manager will be examined, including sales force size and organization, and management of the sales force. Issues related to hiring, training, supervising, compensating, and evaluating salespeople are also emphasized.  Prerequisite: PSLS 3440

PSLS 4740 Advanced Sales (3 credits)

This course provides students in-depth study of advanced sales concepts including relationship management, problem solving, negotiation, and proposal writing. The course involves presentations by business people, field work, and video-taped role playing.  Prerequisite: PSLS 3440

PSLS 4940 Integrative Capstone: Sales Internship (3 credits)

Practical sales experience is obtained by working in an organization. A written report detailing what was learned about sales is required.  Prerequisites: PSLS 3440 and Senior standing.  Work and course both start after completion of PSLS 3440.

 

Professional Sales Major-Plan of Study

The specific courses and the sequence of courses for the business curriculum depend upon a student's placement level in English and Mathematics as well as the availability of courses at registration. Arts and Science courses consist of the arts and humanities, natural sciences, and social sciences. The University Core Curriculum must also be adhered to when selecting Arts and Science course work. A minimum of 126 semester hours is required for graduation. Sales/marketing courses are listed in italics. Students may register as a Pre-Professional Sales Major as a freshman.

Fall Semester - Freshman Year

  • BUAD 1000 Orientation, 1
  • BUAD 1010 Intro. to Business, 3
  • ENGL 1110 College Composition I, 3
  • MATH 1260 Modern Business Math, 3
  • PSY 1010 Intro. to Psychology (University Core Requirement Social Science), 3
  • BUAD 1020 Micro-Computer Applications, 3

 

Spring Semester - Freshman Year

  • University Core Requirement (Multicultural: Diversity of U.S. Culture), 3
  • ECON 1150 Macroeconomics, 3
  • ENGL 2960 Organizational Report Writing, 3
  • MATH 1270 Modern Business Math II, 3
  • Non-Business Elective, 1
  • PHIL 1020 Critical Thinking (University Core Req.-Humanities/Fine Arts), 3

 

Fall Semester - Sophomore Year

  • PSLS 3000 Sales Career Orientation, 1
  • BUAD 2040 Financial Accounting, 3
  • Non-Business Elective, 3
  • ECON 1200 Microeconomics, 3
  • BUAD 2060 Data Analysis for Business, 3
  • University Core Requirement (Natural Sciences: Based on intended industry sales), 3

 

Spring Semester - Sophomore Year

  • BUAD 2000 Career Development I, 1
  • BUAD 2050 Accounting for Decision Making, 3
  • BUAD 2080 Global Environment of Business, 3
  • BUAD 2070 Application of Statistics in Business Decision Making, 3
  • University Core Requirement (Multicultural: Other than U.S.), 3
  • University Core Requirement (Natural Sciences: Based on intended industry sales), 3

 

Progression into the upper division is not automatic.

Fall Semester - Junior Year

  • BUAD 2030 Executive Communication Essentials, 3
  • BUAD 3040 Principles of Financial Management, 3
  • BUAD 3020 Manufacturing & Service Systems, 3
  • BUAD 3010 Principles of Marketing, 3
  • BUAD 3000 Career Development II, 1
  • PSLS 3440 Sales, 3

 

Spring Semester - Junior Year

  • COMM 3820 Persuasion Theory, 4
  • BUAD 3030 Managerial & Behavioral Processes, 3
  • BUAD 3470 Legal & Ethical Environment, 3
  • PSLS 3080 Purchasing and Business Relationship Management, 3
  • Elective: Minor/Emphasis, 3

 

Fall Semester - Senior Year

 

Spring Semester - Senior Year

  • BUAD 3050 Information Technology Management, 3
  • BUAD 4020 Senior Business Policy Forum, 3
  • Elective: Minor/Emphasis, 3
  • PSLS 4710 Sales Force Leadership, 3
  • PSLS 4740 Advanced Sales, 3

 

Last Updated: 6/6/23