Professional Associations – Management & Innovation
Professional associations are organizations that provide their members opportunities for learning, advocacy, and networking. Their membership is typically comprised of individuals in a particular profession, folks who work in the same industry, or people who share a common identity—similar to the student organization’s here in the College of Business, like Society for Human Resource Management, Real Estate Club, or Latinx Business Association.
Joining a professional association (even as a college student!) provides numerous benefits worth considering.
One of the biggest reasons to join a professional association is to build relationships with people in your industry or role. Connecting to a community of professionals while you’re in college can help you gain career insights, access to possible mentors (many associations have membership directories), and build a foundation of professional contacts that will be helpful as you begin your post-grad career.
Many professional associations have LinkedIn pages or groups you could join, too!
Attending conferences, webinars, and meet-ups hosted by a professional association will allow you to keep up with trends, knowledge, and skills necessary to be successful in your future career. You can dive deeper into niche topics, or even earn a credential, which will set you apart from other soon-to-be graduates. There may even be opportunities to volunteer on a committee or gain leadership experience, which can bolster your resume.
Apart from networking with members and professionals who may have job or internship opportunities to share, many professional associations have job boards (some are open, some require membership to access) or job announcements they send out to members.
As a membership benefit, professional associations may send out a newsletter, industry journal, or provide access to other resources to their members, again providing you the opportunity to learn from other professionals and stay on top of current news and trends.
Some professional associations offer scholarships and funding opportunities to make attending conferences and events, or earning credentials, more financially feasible for students. Associations often offer discounted student membership pricing you can take advantage of, too.
Below is just a sample of professional associations related to the Management & Innovation concentration. For a more comprehensive list visit CareerOneStop, linked below, where you can search a database of hundreds of organizations by industry and/or role.
*Check association websites for up-to-date membership information and pricing.
Management & Innovation
Professional Associations
Institute of Management Consultants USA
Building and maintaining a successful consulting practice takes more than expertise in a particular field. For over 50 years, IMC USA has provided skills and tools to support our members to build better businesses that deliver transformative value for their management clients.
🎓 Discounted student and young professional memberships!
PMI is the global authority in project management, committed to advancing the project management profession. PMI empowers project managers with the tools, resources, and expansive community necessary to make ideas a reality at every career stage.
🎓 Discounted student membership!
American Management Association
For more than a century, American Management Association (AMA) has been transforming the way business professionals think and work. We have the resources, expertise and experience to guide individuals and organizations forward to produce optimal business results.
🎓 Free 1-year student e-membership!
Colorado Small Business Development Centers
Small Business Development Centers provide counseling and training to small businesses including working with SBA to develop and provide informational tools to support business start-ups and existing business expansion.
💲 Dozens of free resources and workshops.
National Management Association
NMA offers leadership development products and creates opportunities that maximize the potential of our members, sponsoring organizations, and communities. NMA is the recognized worldwide partnership of people and businesses, inspiring outstanding leadership, and cultivating highly productive workplaces.
🎓 Discounted student membership!
Association of Change Management Professionals
ACMP is the leading resource for the global community of individual change management practitioners. By facilitating connections between its membership community and commercial, government, nonprofit and educational organizations of all sizes, ACMP provides a community for its members to belong, learn, and thrive.
🎓 Discounted student membership!
International Facility Management Association
IFMA’s 40+ years of knowledge and expertise enables, empowers and equips FMs to solve challenges today and in the future. IFMA serves the global FM community through career development, learning, networking opportunities and leadership skills – and the world’s best FM events.
🎓 Discounted student membership!
North American Society for Sport Management
The mission of the North American Society for Sport Management (NASSM) is to promote, stimulate, and encourage study, research, scholarly writing, and professional development in the area of sport management. Members of the Society are concerned about the theoretical and applied aspects of management theory and practice.
🎓 Discounted student membership!
National Restaurant Association
The National Restaurant Association is the largest foodservice trade association in the world. We represent and advocate on behalf of the restaurant industry.
🎓 Discounted student membership!
American Hotel & Lodging Association
AHLA is the singular voice representing every segment of the hotel industry including major chains, independent hotels, management companies, REITs, bed and breakfasts, industry partners, and more.
🎓 Discounted student membership!
Hospitality Industry Network (NEWH)
NEWH is the international community connecting the hospitality industry, providing scholarships, education, leadership development, recognition of excellence, and business development opportunities.
🎓 Free 1-year student / new professional membership!
American Association of Healthcare Administrative Management
AAHAM is the premier professional organization in healthcare administrative management. Your one-stop resource center for information, education and advocacy in the areas of reimbursement, admitting and registration, data management, medical records, patient relations and so much more.
🎓 Free student membership!