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School of Business

The School of Business is committed to preparing students for meaningful careers in business, industry, government or education; or for admission to and success in quality graduate programs. This commitment is founded on the belief that graduates from the School should have a strong background in the liberal arts as a basis for a mature understanding of the problems of business leadership and management. The objective of the general education curriculum required of all School of Business majors is to ensure they acquire a knowledge and understanding of topics in the humanities, sciences, communications, social sciences and other related subjects to support a lifetime of continual learning.

The faculty believe that teaching excellence and the currency of subject matter are best maintained through ongoing professional interaction with peers and the business community. In support of its mission, the faculty participates in service and engages in scholarly activities oriented towards professional practice and pedagogical research.

School of Business faculty and students use current technology to equip students with the necessary business competency skills needed to be successful leaders in business. Students and faculty are encouraged to participate actively in the learning process. A high degree of faculty-student interaction is sought through the management of class sizes and individualized advising. The School adheres to high levels of ethical conduct and promotes this ideal to its students as they prepare for personal and professional success in an evolving global business environment.

Our Mission

The mission of the School of Business at Arkansas Tech University is to offer dynamic academic programs which enable our graduates to add value at all levels of employment. These programs will emphasize business acumen, experiential learning, development of interpersonal skills, and a solid foundation in both ethical and data-driven decision making.

Our Guiding Principles

We believe that a quality graduate possesses business competencies and intellectual foundations for lifelong learning.
We believe that our students and graduates should behave ethically in both their personal and professional conduct.
We believe that faculty, staff, and administrators, should encourage a welcoming, but respectful relationship with students in and out of the classroom.
We believe that a quality graduate, in part, is the end product of quality faculty.
We believe that quality faculty teach beyond the classroom.
We believe that a quality faculty member is also a lifelong learner and contributes to the life of the profession, institution, and community.
We believe that our faculty, staff, and students need to conduct themselves in an ethical, professional, and business-like manner.
We believe that professionalism and quality will help us to protect our brand in a competitive marketplace.
We believe that our program should always fulfill the highest of accreditation standards, holding students to consistently rigorous levels of academic quality.
We believe that our quality is judged by our stakeholders: the business community, the state of Arkansas, and our past, present and future students.

The School is committed to:

High-quality undergraduate learning and faculty development.
Highest ethical standards of personal and professional conduct for faculty, students and administrators. Professionalism includes maintaining faculty intellectual qualifications and expertise at levels which support the school’s mission.
Cooperative interaction among students and faculty to achieve the school’s mission.
A systems approach to continuously improve all aspects of the learning process. This includes feedback from major stakeholders and a spirit of experimentation.

Experiential Learning

The School of Business at ATU offers more than the typical lecture/exam type of education. With an emphasis on hands-on, experiential learning, the School incorporates consulting projects for real businesses, simulations, case-based learning, and internships so the student practices what they are learning as they are learning it. Each semester a junior or senior level student is involved in at least one course that includes experiential learning activity, as designated by the professor, a non-credit course will be included on the student’s academic transcript.

Learning Goals

Students who major in any of the bachelor degree programs in the School of Business are required to complete a common core of business courses. The common learning goals of the BSBA degree include the following. Students:

Use technology to support business decisions.
Demonstrate communication skills in a business context.
Interact professionally with other students, professors, and future employers.
Use an ethical decision-making framework in a business context.
Demonstrate the foundation knowledge for conducting business.

Accreditation

The Bachelor of Science in Business Administration degree programs offered by the School of Business are accredited by AACSB International - The Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business. AACSB International is the premier accrediting agency for business schools, stressing academic excellence and a commitment to continuous improvement. Approximately one third of the business schools in the United States and several selected schools internationally have earned AACSB International accreditation.

Residency Requirement

A maximum of six (6) hours of the non-Core business courses required in the major may be taken at another institution and transferred for credit in the major; any additional hours taken in the major at another institution will be transferred as general electives.

Transfer Students

To meet baccalaureate degree requirements, all transfer students must take in residence a minimum of fifty percent (50%) of the College of Business courses required for the degree; this includes support courses required by the College of Business, core business classes, and specific courses in the major. Of these courses, at least 24 hours must be 3000-4000 level. As noted in the Residency Requirement, only six (6) hours of the non-Core business courses required in the major may be transferred from another institution; any additional courses in the major taken at another institution will be transferred as general electives.

Business courses taken at other institutions at the 1000-2000 level which are offered by Tech at the 3000-4000 level will be transferred as free electives. Business courses taken at other institutions at the 3000-4000 level are subject to validation by the College of Business.

Majors

The School of Business offers majors in six different fields, along with five minors and an Associate Degree. The objective of all degree programs is to offer an academic base that equips students to be life-long learners who will then mature as professionals in the world of business. All programs within the School of Business, with the exception of the BS in Health Information Management, are accredited by the Association for the Advancement of Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB). AACSB International is the premier accrediting agency for business schools, stressing academic excellence and a commitment to continuous improvement. Approximately one third of the business schools in the United States and several selected schools internationally have earned AACSB International accreditation.

Students who plan to pursue graduate studies should consider the Accelerated Bachelor to MBA degree. Students in this program are allowed to enroll in graduate courses during their senior year of undergraduate students and have those courses count for BOTH their undergraduate and MBA degree. Faculty advisors will work closely with you in planning your course work within this program.

Contact Information

Tracy Cole, Associate Dean

Rothwell Hall, Room 441
(479) 968-0491
tcole7@atu.edu