As many students at Indiana University know, scamming isn’t a practice reserved for the elderly. From fake Taylor Swift tickets to $9 delivery fees on an UberEats McChicken, throngs of scholars have been burned by predatory business practices.
But until now, there wasn’t any sort of degree path for aspiring swindlers to break into this industry. With a recent faculty decision, however, that might soon be changing.
Today, the Kelley School of Business announced it will be offering an “Unprofessional Sales” co-major starting in the Fall of 2025. Amidst calls for a compliment to the existing “Professional Sales” program, Kelley “felt a need to shine a light on the less professional side of selling as well,” said Ash Soni, Dean of the Kelley School of Business.
With this new program, freshmen may soon be found going door-to-door – peddling miracle drugs, healing oils, and religious cults disguised as 12-step programs.
The co-major coursework will include the following, according to department leadership.
Unprofessional Core (6 credits)
BUS-U 305 – Introduction to Multi-level Marketing (3 credits)
BUS-U 310 – Scamming Workshop I (3 credits)
Electives (9 credits from below)
BUS-U 366 – Scare Tactics (3 credits)
BUS-U 367 – Buy Now! The History of Pressure Selling (3 credits)
BUS-U 401 – Introduction to Telemarketing (3 credits)
BUS-U 405 – Scamming Workshop II (3 credits)
BUS-U 410 – Topics in Unethical Business Practices (Phishing, the Feds, and You) (3 credits)
BUS-U 419 – Methods of Tax Evasion (3 credits)*
BUS-U 434 – Introduction to Bait and Switch (3 credits)**
*Includes end-semester field trip to Switzerland
**Credit not counted towards co-major
The program also offers a case competition where students pay to propose pyramid schemes to a sponsoring brand, winning money with every team member they recruit. Furthermore, students will hear esteemed visiting lectures from current and former leaders at Enron, Comcast, FTX, and Nestle.
“Next time you see an unknown caller ringing your phone, give it an answer,” said Dr. Sam Likely, Professor of Telemarketing. “Sure, it could be a call center in Indonesia. But it could also be your very own classmate.”
