Business Development & Professional Sales Fellows

The Business Development & Professional Sales Fellows Program prepares students for careers in business development, consulting and business-to-business sales. Through skill development coursework, experiential learning, industry engagement and professional mentoring, fellows develop the skills to build lasting client relationships, solve complex business problems and communicate effectively with organizational decision-makers.

The program is offered at both the University of Maryland, College Park and the Universities at Shady Grove.

Unlock Your Potential

  • Develop business development, professional sales and client relationship management skills.
  • Learn how sales strategies can drive innovation, competitive advantage and business growth.
  • Build confidence communicating with clients and organizational decision-makers.
  • Gain hands-on experience through sales competitions, ride-along opportunities and industry engagement.
  • Develop the skills needed to become a trusted adviser and create long-term value for clients and organizations.

Faculty Champions

  • College Park: Professors Mary Beth Furst and Roy Thomason are the faculty champions.
  • Universities at Shady Grove: Professor Hank Boyd is the faculty champion.

One-Year Curriculum

SemesterCourses & Co-Curricular Activities
Fall

Co-Curricular Activities

  • Required participation in Professional Sales Club (College Park) and/or AMA (USG)
Spring

BMGT458T — Special Topics: Developing and Managing Customer Relationships (3 credits)

  • Required participation in Professional Sales Club (College Park) or AMA (USG)
  • Sales Competition
  • Attendance at Career Fair

Program Format: One-year Fellows program. Students may begin in Fall or Spring and complete the program over two consecutive semesters.

Co-Curricular Requirements

  • Participate in the Professional Sales Club at College Park and/or American Marketing Association (AMA) at USG for the full year.
  • Attend 6 club meetings per semester.
  • Participate in experiential opportunities, including sales competitions and ride-alongs.
  • Complete an end-of-year reflection on skills developed and areas for continued growth.

Study Abroad: Students planning to study abroad should indicate where and when they plan to study abroad in their application.

Eligibility & Application

EligibilityApplication Requirements
Open to: All majorsComplete the Online Application Form
Academic Classification: Be a UMD Smith undergraduate student with two semesters remaining.Study Abroad Plans: Indicate whether you plan to study abroad and, if so, where and when.
GPA Requirement: 3.0 cumulative GPA 

Questions? Contact smithfellows@umd.edu.

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