Management sciences

Eon Smit

Modified

June 4, 2026

As prospective student I want to have the assurance that the study field I choose will ensure that I get a job. Maybe more than just a job – a career in which I can make a significant contribution during my life in order to create wealth for my country, those around me, and of course also myself. Every day we read in the press about business leaders who help the economy to grow, share the wealth with their employees, but who also benefit financially.Many of these business leaders have studied management sciences at university.

Management sciences is a term which include a variety of different subjects – the common denominator is that the knowledge content of these subjects enable you to do complex tasks or manage people in the governing sector, big companies or in you own business enterprise.

The subjects that you choose are packaged in such a way that it focuses on the different functions of the manager. The subject Business Management focuses on a range of general management functions which take place in any organisation – the management of people, the management of funds, the management of clients and the management of production and sale functions. The content is general – rather than very technical – in preparation of a career as general manager – someone who controls a range of departments in an organisation with profit motives.

On the other hand there is a subject like Public Management where a student is taught in the management of government departments, provincial authorities or local councils. The aim here is not to make a profit, but to spend budgeted funds – normally gained from the community by means of taxes – responsibly in the best interests of the community.

In Human Resource Management you will learn how to appoint, productively manage and properly compensate staff members. You will also learn how to communicate with people, how people operate in groups and how to negotiate with you staff and trade unions. Your leadership abilities will be developed and you will develop an appreciation for variety in the workplace. Furthermore you will learn how to adapt your organisation to the ongoing change within the environment you manage.

In Financial Management, Accounting and Auditing you will study the broad financial environment where you will learn the principles of healthy management of an enterprise’s finances in order to ensure survival and growth. In Financial Management the general management aspects of enterprise capital, the acquiring as well as the best appropriation of it is put under the microscope, while Accounting has to do with the compiling of the financial reports of an enterprise. It is the route that is often chosen by students who want to enter the auditing field.

Economics studies the totality of activities within a country that have to do with the production of goods and services and the distribution of income which have been attained in this way. It is therefore implicit that the study field for economy includes the markets – the labour market, the commodities market and the financial markets. The study terrain of Economics is broad and if you read the newspapers and watch television you will know that it affects each of our daily lives. Fuel prices are increasing, inflation is rising, the world economic system is facing significant challenges and we are all getting a little bit poorer. Because the field of economics is so broad, it provides a home for people who are strong in mathematics, but also provides good possibilities for more philosophically-oriented people. Job opportunities range from the government sector, the big private organisations and international organisations, such as the World Bank, International Monetary Fund and the United Nations.

Many universities make it possible for you to study Mathematics as a core subject with the portfolio of management subjects, often in combination with Mathematical Statistics or Actuarial Mathematics. These subjects will fit you like a glove if you have strong mathematical skills, and it leads to a much sought-after specialist position in the job world – usually in cases where there are big uncertainties and where it is necessary to correctly determine the risks of business decisions. Another study field for people with an aptitude for figures is Logistics, which has to do with the planning of distribution and transport channels with a focus on road systems, harbour systems and air systems.

The subjects mentioned above represent the heart of the so-called Management Sciences. Often the university will also offer you a choice that will enable you to combine management subjects with subjects in law, humanities, agriculture or engineering in order to prepare you for the career path you have chosen. Often when students start studying they don’t yet have absolute clarity about what their future job will be. If you feel that way, don’t worry; thousands of students before you were also unsure, but later became very successful in their specific careers. If you are still unsure, try to keep your subject choices as general as possible. That way you can change your course without having to complete any extra years of study. Your faculty secretary or his or her assistant will give you good advice in this regard.

In order to be successful in your studies, it is important to understand that it is not the difficulty of the work that causes students to fail – it is the amount of work. It is much more work than you were used to at school and nobody is going to check if you are keeping up. Therefore I always give students the following advice:

In South Africa (and Africa) there is a shortage of management knowledge. There are big opportunities in our country and on our continent, especially for entrepreneurs. I hope your studies in the Management Sciences will one day help to bring relief to this shortage.