Students at Ohio University participate in a role play.

CERTIFICATE FOR SUPERIOR ACADEMIC AND PROFESSIONAL ACHIEVEMENT IN SELLING

The purpose of the Certified Sales Student Achievement program is to offer university students the opportunity to receive recognition for going beyond minimal course requirements in preparing themselves for successful sales jobs and careers. Completing the process required to receive this certification helps participants to differentiate themselves from other students in the sales employment market. Similarly, by denoting exceptional commitment and achievement, the program assists employers in identifying the best candidates for sales positions nationwide and around the world.

Any college student can earn this certificate of achievement by meeting the required coursework with authorized faculty and completing the extracurricular experience requirements presented below. The University Sales Center Alliance, a consortium of recognized and accredited sales programs across the Nation, sponsors the Certified Sales Student designation.

Students must earn a minimum of 100 total points to be awarded the Certified Sales Student Achievement designation. A minimum of 50 points must be derived from required college coursework with an additional minimum of 50 points earned through extracurricular activities and experiences.

Coursework Requirements - 50 Points

To be counted toward the Certified Sales Student designation, the student must complete the following required and elective coursework and earn a minimum grade of "B" in each class.

Required Coursework:

• Personal/Professional Selling (3 credit hours) 20 points

Elective Coursework:
In addition to the required course in Personal/Professional Selling, a minimum of three of the following courses must be completed.

• Advanced Personal Selling (3 credit hours) 10 points
• Sales Negotiation (3 credit hours) 10 points
• Sales Management (3 credit hours) 10 points
• Business to Business Marketing (3 credit hours) 10 points
• Organizational Purchasing (3 credit hours) 10 points
• Independent Study in Personal Selling (3 credit hours) 10 points
• Other Accredited (3 cr. hr equivalent) Courses in Selling 10 points

Extracurricular Activities and Experience Requirements - 50 Points

Any combination of the following activities and experiences that totals a minimum of 50 points must be completed toward the Certified Sales Student designation. The points associated with any listed activity can only be counted once toward certificate designation (i.e., working for 2 summers in a sales position can only be counted for 20 points, not 40 points).

• Sales internship/co-op /selling job (min. one-semester equivalent) 20 points
• Active member of a College of Business professional student organization (1 year minimum) 10 points
• Service as executive officer of a College of Business professional student organization 10 points
• Participation in organization/commercial sales training program 10 points
• Shadow salesperson/sales manager for a day 10 points
• Interact with sales mentor for one semester 10 points
• Read & report on an approved personal selling/sales management book (excluding course textbooks) 10 points
• Attend two meetings of professional sales organization(s) 10 points
• Participate in collegiate level sales presentation competition 20 points

Reports

Upon the completion of each applicable activity, the student must prepare a short written report describing what was done and what was learned from the activity. These reports should become a part of the student’s portfolio to be used in seeking employment in a selling or sales management position.

The specific activities and experiences in each listed category of activity must be set-out and approved in advance by the sales professor responsible for the student’s application and certification.

Application Form

• Certified Sales Student Application (MS Word format)
• Certified Sales Student Application (Adobe PDF format)

Students at Ohio University participate in a role play.