Purdue Calumet at starting gate of new equine management offerings

A horse of a different color is coming to Purdue University Calumet in the form of a new academic major and certificate in equine management.

The major is available within the Bachelor of Arts in Business curriculum offered through the School of Management. An 18-credit hour Certificate of Equine Management will be taught online. Students can apply for admission to either offering beginning this summer.

“The horse business is a multi-billion dollar, international industry,” Dean of Purdue Calumet’s School of Management Martine Duchatelet said. “We feel strongly that to succeed in any equine-related venture it is necessary to fully understand the business side of the industry.”

The American Horse Council estimates that the $39 billion national equine industry produces an economic impact in Indiana of some $1.3 billion, while generating approximately 8,400 direct jobs and 22,500 total jobs within the state. Citing those statistics, Duchatelet is confident that graduates of Purdue Calumet’s business baccalaureate equine management major and certificate will find employment.

Graduates, she said, will be prepared for various business-related jobs including those in sport and show facilities, with breed organizations, in sales and breeding operations, and as equine insurance adjusters.

Equine management majors will complete School of Management core curriculum courses in such areas as finance, accounting, marketing, human resources, information systems and economics, as well as 10 courses specific to the equine industry. Also required are an equine senior project and equine internship as part of Purdue Calumet’s new experiential learning initiative.

To enroll in the certificate program, students must have at least a high school diploma. Course access via distance learning also enables Purdue West Lafayette animal science students to enroll.

“With many people actively involved in and devoted to the horse business, earning a certificate will complement their practical experience,” Susan Conners, Purdue Calumet equine management coordinator and associate professor, said. “It will make them better horse people and better business people.”

She added that the Indiana Horse Council endorses the Purdue Calumet major and certificate.

That they are housed academically within the School of Management rather than in an Animal Science or Agriculture department distinguishes Purdue Calumet’s equine management offerings from those at other colleges and universities, Conners said.

Other information about the equine management major and certificate can be obtained by contacting Prof. Conners at 219/204-1426 or conners@calumet.purdue.edu.

News Release Date: May 27, 2008