In this study, it was investigated the intention of students to stay enrolled and student retention in undergraduate business management programs. The intention of students to stay enrolled and student retention are concerns for academic institutions. There is the need to direct resources to attract students and provide students with tools to thrive in their academics and graduate. The literature on emotional intelligence and intention to stay has shown mixed results and provides limited specific applications within undergraduate business programs, but the explanatory relationship between students' emotional intelligence and their intentions to stay enrolled remains unknown. In this study it was asked, "What is the explanatory relationship between students' emotional intelligence and their intention to stay enrolled in undergraduate business management programs?" A quantitative, nonexperimental, explanatory design explored 150 students' intention to stay enrolled in an undergraduate business management program. The Trait Emotional Intelligence Questionnaire from Petrides and the Intention to Leave Scale from Viljoen and Deacon were used to collect data and provided positive results about the expected outcome that students' subdimensions of emotional intelligence are related to their intentions to remain enrolled in business management programs. Additional factors impacting intentions to remain enrolled needs to include other variables, demographic characteristics such as socioeconomic status and ethnicity/race, student engagement and persistence levels, the persistence as motivation, and stress and psychological factors. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://bibliotheek.ehb.be:2222/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]