The History of the Business Administration Department
The Business Administration Department was founded in July 2002, the year it was reopened within the State University of Moldova (USM) and the Faculty of Economic and Applied Sciences (the name of the faculty at the time of its establishment). By the decision of the USM Senate on June 25, 2002, and Rector’s Order No. 110-c dated July 1, 2002, the Department of Management and Finance was created, which in the fall of the same year was divided into the Department of Management and the Department of Finance. Subsequently, the Department of Management was renamed the Business Administration Department.
By Order No. 280 dated July 22, 2002, the Ministry of Education of the Republic of Moldova allowed the Faculty of Economic and Applied Sciences to train personnel in the specialty „1802 Management”. According to the decision of the accreditation meeting held on May 29, 2006, the specialty “Management” was accredited.
In December 2015, the Business Administration Department was reorganized from the Business Administration Department.
The first head of the Management Department was Mr. Simion CERTAN, D.Sc., professor, who managed the department from its formation until 2008. A graduate of the Faculty of Horticulture at the Agricultural Institute (1961), he obtained his D.Sc. in 1992 and became a professor in 1996.
From 2008 to 2021, the position of head of the Business Administration Department was held by Mr. Marian JALENCU, Ph.D. in Economics (1998), associate professor (2003).
In 2021, Mr. Alexandru SCUTARU, Ph.D. in Economics (2003), associate professor (2007), became the head of the Business Administration Department.
On June 1, 2022, Mr. Boris COREȚCHI, Ph.D. in Economics (2014), associate professor (2019), took over as head of the Business Administration Department.
Some of the professors of the Business Administration Department have held the position of vice dean of the Faculty of Economic Sciences: Mr. Nicolae VEREJAN, Ph.D. in Economics, associate professor; Ms. Svetlana MIRONOV, Ph.D. in Economics, associate professor; Ms. Mihaela BALMUȘ-ANDONE, assistant professor, currently holds this position.
The Department of Business Administration Team
At present, the Business Administration Department represents a high-performing subdivision of the Faculty of Economic Sciences, oriented towards excellence and notable achievements in the fields of methodological teaching, scientific research, and education, based on a spirit of teamwork, creativity, and innovation.
Educational Offerings
The Business Administration Department is responsible for the following study programs:
- Bachelor’s Degree Program 0413.1 „Business and Administration” (Cycle I – Bachelor’s Degree) – taught in Romanian, Russian, and English.
- Three Master’s Degree Programs: „Business Administration” (120 ECTS), „Human Resources Management” (120 ECTS), „Management” (120 ECTS) (Cycle II – Master’s Degree)
- Doctoral Studies in the field of 523.01 „Economy and Management in the Field of Activity” (Cycle III – Doctorate).
We particularly mention that in 2017, the „Business and Administration” specialty underwent the accreditation process conducted by the National Agency for Quality Assurance in Vocational Education (ANACIP), being accredited for a maximum period of five years. Additionally, in 2021, the Master’s Degree Programs „Business Administration” and „Human Resources Management” (Cycle II – Master’s Degree) underwent accreditation by the National Agency for Quality Assurance in Education and Research (ANACEC). The “Management” master’s program was accredited in 2022 for a period of five years.
The department’s mission is to train highly qualified specialists in the field of professional training „Business and Administration”, a specialty that enables graduates to work as managers within economic entities with various organizational and legal forms and fields of activity, as well as entrepreneurs.
Currently, the job market requires competent professionals with entrepreneurial spirit, potential entrepreneurs who will initiate businesses and create new jobs. This can be achieved through learning, training, and developing the specific skills of the „Business and Administration” field. Additionally, due to the knowledge gained, graduates of the „Business and Administration” specialty are prepared for business administration activities, as well as for leading various subdivisions of organizations/companies.
Graduates of the Business and Administration Specialty
The undergraduate program 0413.1 „Business and Administration” is oriented towards the following occupational positions according to the Occupational Classifier of the Republic of Moldova: Economist; Head of Department in the field of human resources; Manager (head) in the field of development and planning; Manager (head) of business services; Project manager; Head of Department in the field of development and planning; Head of Section in the field of development and planning; Organizational manager; Administrative service manager; Corporate social responsibility manager; Member of the Board of Directors of the company; Workshop head in the administrative field; Office head in the administrative field; Department head in the administrative field; Section head in the administrative field; Marketing manager, etc.
In line with the specialty, the department offers a series of course units aimed at creating the premises for educating high-performance specialists. These include: Management, Business Principles, Production Management, Small Business Management, Human Resources Management, Management System Design, Quality Management, Corporate Management, Business Risk Management, Management Psychology, Innovative Management, etc.
Theoretical courses and seminar/practical lessons are provided by the collaborators of the Business Administration Department, who hold scientific and didactic titles and have extensive experience in the field.
In the training process, students enrolled in the „Business and Administration” program undertake internships in various economic entities; participate in mobility programs, including Erasmus+; engage in the activities of the Innovation Incubator “Inventica-USM”; present innovative business plans in the Startup Fair „Best Innovative Business Ideas”; participate in the Innovation and Technology Transfer Project Competition organized by the Agency for Innovation and Technology Transfer, as well as in European projects.
The academic staff of the Business Administration Department ensures the continuous improvement and enhancement of the study programs by constantly monitoring and refining the curriculum. Updates are made annually based on the feedback from the business community.
Another aspect of ensuring quality in the methodological and didactic field involves enhancing the curriculum of the courses taught by the department’s faculty, including:
- Ensuring the quality of the curriculum for each discipline.
- Updating and enriching the content units, as well as synchronizing them across different programs.
- Ensuring alignment between content units and expected competencies.
- Enriching the individual study contents of students and ensuring effective monitoring of their progress.
An important component of this effort is the qualitative improvement of internships, initiation practices in the specialty, specialized internships I and II, and research internships. These internship stages require both curriculum refinement and closer connections with economic entities as research subjects during internships. This can be achieved through direct personal contacts of department members with entrepreneurial subjects and by signing collaboration agreements with various economic agents. Faculty members with close connections to the entrepreneurial environment play a decisive role in this regard.
We particularly emphasize the need for the development of teaching in foreign languages, especially the establishment of academic groups with instruction in English. The first cohort of students in the “Business and Administration” specialty with course instruction in English commenced in the academic year 2017-2018.
The Business Administration Department is a subdivision of the Faculty of Economic Sciences (USM) that promotes academic freedom while also being a promoter of excellence in higher education.
