Is the purpose of a management course to teach students about management or to be managers?

There are
many different courses about management with different emphases, meaning that one really cannot
generalize about the purposes of thousands of different courses offered at hundreds of different
universities. For a specific course, the course description or syllabus usually gives detailed
information about the purpose of the course.

Some courses are designed to
train future managers. However, even students who have no interest in becoming managers might
take such courses. For example, students who intend to work as consultants, individual
contractors, professional employees, or business journalists might find a practical course on
management useful for understanding how managers operate in order to work well with
managers.

Similarly, a more abstract course in management theory or the
history of management might help a student understand fundamental principles in a manner that
would help him in her future career as a manager.