McCoy College's Center for Professional Sales earns reaccreditation from the University Sales Center Alliance

The recognition highlights the center's academic excellence, industry partnerships, and commitment to preparing students for careers in professional sales.

SAN MARCOS, Texas — The Center for Professional Sales at Texas State University's McCoy College of Business has earned reaccreditation from the University Sales Center Alliance (USCA), recognizing its continued excellence in sales education, hands-on learning, and industry engagement.

The center met USCA's 2026 reaccreditation standards without conditions. The recognition follows a comprehensive review of the center's curriculum, faculty, corporate partnerships, student outcomes, and strategic direction. The reaccreditation builds on the center’s recognition as the inaugural recipient of USCA’s Best Sales Program award in 2024.

A USCA full member-accredited sales center or academic program demonstrates rigorous standards of quality, academic rigor, industry relevance, and continuous improvement, reflecting a commitment to advancing professional sales education, research, and practice.

"Earning reaccreditation from the University Sales Center Alliance is a significant external validation of both the quality of our program and the direction in which we are moving," said Dr. Linda Alkire, executive director of the Center for Professional Sales and an associate professor of marketing at McCoy College. "For us, this is much more than maintaining an accreditation. It confirms that we have built a comprehensive professional sales ecosystem, one that brings together rigorous academics, experiential learning, technology, industry engagement, and career preparation."

The University Sales Center Alliance (USCA) brings together university sales centers and academic programs to strengthen professional sales education, research, and industry engagement. Its accreditation recognizes programs that meet high academic standards, maintain strong industry partnerships, and continually work to improve the student experience.

"Congratulations to Texas State University's Center for Professional Sales for earning re-accreditation through the University Sales Center Alliance (USCA)," said Dr. Andrew Loring, president of USCA. "The Center for Professional Sales demonstrates the qualities that define an exceptional sales program: academic rigor with multiple sales courses, meaningful industry engagement, and a clear focus on student success."

The center combines classroom instruction with hands-on learning opportunities designed to prepare students for the evolving demands of professional selling.

Through its sales concentration, students gain practical experience and build connections with industry professionals through sales competitions, hands-on training, and a required internship. With access to sales labs, industry tools such as Salesforce and HubSpot, and AI-powered simulations, students develop the skills and experience employers look for, helping them stand out in the job market.

Beyond the classroom, students develop leadership skills through the ProSales Club and Sales Ambassadors program, with dedicated sales scholarships providing additional support for their academic and professional development.

The center's 24 corporate partners and approximately 40 executive advisory board members actively prepare students for their careers through mentorship, classroom activities, sales competitions, and connections to internships and job opportunities.

These relationships support programs such as Interview Express, the Reverse Career Fair, corporate site visits and professional networking events.

"The greatest benefit to students is access—to practice, to professionals, to employers, and ultimately to opportunity," Alkire said.

Building on student success 
Enrollment in the center's Sales Concentration has grown by nearly 40% since fall 2025, alongside increased industry engagement and national competition success. In 2025, Texas State students won two championships at the International Collegiate Sales Competition, placing third overall among more than 90 programs. In 2026, students earned first-place honors in Speed Selling at the National Collegiate Sales Competition and Perfect Pitch at the American Marketing Association’s International Collegiate Conference.

The center also reports a near-100% internship and job placement rate, with graduates earning an average starting salary of approximately $68,000 before commissions, according to its spring 2026 exit survey. Many students complete multiple internships and secure full-time job offers before graduating.

"Our goal is not simply for students to graduate with a job—we want them to graduate with choices," Alkire said. "When students approach graduation with significant internship experience, strong professional networks, and, in many cases, full-time offers already in hand, that tells us the model is working."

Looking ahead
Following its reaccreditation, the Center for Professional Sales plans to expand its curriculum, continue to strengthen industry partnerships, and explore a professional sales minor that would help students across disciplines develop sales and business development skills. Other priorities include incorporating more sales technology and artificial intelligence into the program while continuing to develop students’ listening, relationship-building, and consultative selling skills.

"This recognition reflects the dedication of our faculty, coaches, and staff, along with the commitment of our students and industry partners," Alkire said. “As we look ahead, our focus remains on preparing students to use technology effectively, understand customers’ needs, and build relationships that support lasting career success."

The Center for Professional Sales will undergo its next formal reaccreditation review in 2031. ✯

To learn more about the Center for Professional Sales, its academic programs, and opportunities for corporate engagement, visit salescenter.mccoy.txst.edu.

For more information about this story or other news, email Valerie Figueroa, communications specialist for the McCoy College of Business, at vlf23@txstate.edu.

About the McCoy College of Business 
Established in 1970, Texas State’s business school officially became the McCoy College of Business in 2004 following a transformational gift of $20 million by Emmett and Miriam McCoy. The college, which offers classes in San Marcos, Round Rock, and online, is accredited by AACSB in both business and accounting, and has graduated more than 46,000 alumni.