Duquesne ranks among the best colleges and universities when it comes to preparing students for sales careers, according to the Sales Education Foundation (SEF).
Dorene Ciletti, Ph.D.
Inclusion on the SEF’s Top University Sales Programs list, which this year includes 74 colleges and universities from the United States and other nations, indicates that Duquesne graduates are well-prepared for sales positions, said Dr. Dorene Ciletti, assistant professor of marketing and sports marketing.
Institutions are surveyed annually for the list, and to be considered a Top University Sales Program, colleges or universities have to offer three sales-specific courses, organize and support internships in sales, and provide students with opportunities for recognition for their sales-related scholarship and achievements.
The focus on sales at the Palumbo-Donahue School of Business has been increasing steadily over the past several years, Ciletti explained. “We have faculty members with professional experience in this area, course offerings specific to sales, a recent history of success in national sales competitions and a core of students who are interested in professional selling,” Ciletti said.
The business school also hosts a local chapter of a national sales and marketing fraternity and offers an undergraduate minor in sales.
Organized in 2007, the SEF is a nonprofit organization that promotes the sales profession through college and university programs by providing scholarships and grants for research, creating educational materials and raising public awareness.
This is the first time that Duquesne has been ranked on the SEF list.