Richards College of Business

Christopher K. Johnson, Ph.D., Dean
http://www.westga.edu/business

Vision

To become a globally recognized college of business preparing forward-thinking, responsible leaders.

Mission

We are in the business of transforming lives through education, engagement and experiences.

Strategic Goals and Values

Thought Leadership

 Provide thought leadership through intellectual contributions and professional practice that is consistent with our mission and vision and raises the institutional visibility and reputation.

Academic Success

Develop an environment that promotes improved student retention and progression toward graduation.

Relevant Programs

Enhance and create curricular and co-curricular programs and initiatives that align with current and expected industry needs and prepare students for career success.

Global Engagement

Expand the Richards College of Business’ international participation by developing programs and partnerships that engage faculty and students in the global business community.

External Engagement

Increase external funding from private donations, grants, and/or contracts to help support student, faculty, and staff success.

Togetherness and Belonging

Maintain and enhance a culture where all students, faculty and staff feel valued, connected, and engaged.

Ethical Values

The Richards College of Business community (administrators, faculty, staff, students, and business partners) share a commitment to the principles of honesty and integrity in interactions and undertakings, accountability for personal behavior, and respect for the rights, differences, and dignity of others. In addition, we strive to continuously improve our abilities to recognize unethical behavior and to make ethical and moral decisions.

https://www.westga.edu/business/vision-and-mission.php

The Richards College of Business offers the Bachelor of Business Administration degree (B.B.A.) with majors in accounting, data intelligence and business analytics, economics, finance, management, management information systems, marketing, and real estate. The College also offers the B.S. degree with a major in economics, and the B.A. degree in international economic affairs.  Graduate programs are offered in business administration, professional accounting, applied business analytics, and strategic cybersecurity and information management (see the Graduate Catalog for information).

These programs are administered through four departments: (1) Accounting and Finance, (2) Economics, (3) Management, (4) Marketing.

The Richards College of Business at the University of West Georgia provides students a high-quality business education at both undergraduate and graduate levels, either to secure entry level managerial/professional employment or to continue graduate studies. A liberal arts based education is provided to undergraduate students.

Faculty members are committed to professional development through intellectual activities. The primary means by which instructors enhance and update the content of their present courses and design new ones is through research and other professional development activities. Intellectual activities are also essential to enhance the status of the Institution among accredited member schools, potential employers, and other publics.

Service to the Institution and to the professional community supports the activities necessary to accomplish the mission. This involvement promotes the design of a superior curriculum, placement of graduates, discovery of new ideas for intellectual activities and classroom instruction, and the procurement of external funding for College activities.

To provide the student with an awareness of the legal, social, political, and economic environment in which business functions, the first two years of study are devoted primarily to the arts, sciences, and basic business courses. The junior and senior years emphasize the development of skills, understandings, and knowledge in particular areas of business. Enrollment in upper division courses is reserved for students satisfying the criteria contained in the Policy for Business Majors.

Note: All Richards College of Business students must be advised in the Richards College Advising Center each semester before attempting to register.

Accreditation

The undergraduate B.B.A. and graduate M.B.A., M.P.Acc., MS.ABA, and MS.SCIM College of Business programs are accredited by AACSB International-The Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business. The B.B.A. and graduate M.P.Acc. accounting programs at the University of West Georgia are separately accredited by AACSB International.

Policy for Business Majors

All students seeking a business degree at the University of West Georgia must select a major. Business majors who wish to enroll in upper division courses (those numbered 3000 and above) must maintain a 2.0 GPA, complete 45 hours of academic coursework, and complete the following:

BBA - all majors: ENGL 1101  (C or better), MATH 1111  or MATH 1113  (C or better required for MATH 1413),  MATH 1413  , ECON 2105  or ECON 2106  , and ACCT 2101  (C or better).

BA International Economic Affairs: ENGL 1101  (C or better), ECON 2105  , and ECON 2106 .

BS Economics: ENGL 1101  (C or better), ECON 2105  , and ECON 2106 .

Any business major whose cumulative GPA falls below 2.0 will lose the opportunity to enroll in upper division courses except to repeat courses previously taken until the GPA improves to 2.0 or higher.

Students may be denied enrollment in the Richards College of Business for acts such as engaging in unprofessional behavior in a class or in any interaction with UWG faculty, staff, or students or engaging in dishonest or unethical conduct.

Non-business majors may enroll in up to 18 semester hours in selected 3000-4000 level business courses provided they have met the necessary prerequisites and have completed 45 hours of academic coursework with a 2.0 cumulative grade point average.

Business Core Requirements and Major Course Requirements for B.B.A. Majors are listed in each major.

The following Learning Goals and Objectives are applicable for all BBA degrees, regardless of major. Please see specific majors for additional learning goals for the major.

Learning Goal 1: Communicate effectively

Objective 1: Students will produce professional quality business documents.
Objective 2: Students will make a professional presentation.

Learning Goal 2: Apply basic quantitative skills to business problems

Objective 1: Students will construct and interpret tabular and graphical methods of presenting qualitative and quantitative data.
Objective 2: Students will use spreadsheet software to evaluate and use the results of regression models.
Objective 3: Students will solve and interpret quantitative business models using spreadsheet software.

Learning Goal 3: Use information technology to solve business problems

Objective 1: Students will effectively use a word processing program.
Objective 2: Students will effectively use a spreadsheet program.
Objective 3: Students will effectively use a presentation program.

Learning Goal 4: Possess a basic knowledge of accounting, economics, finance, the legal environment of business, management, management information systems, and marketing

Objective 1: Students will demonstrate a basic knowledge of the fundamental concepts of accounting, economics, finance, the legal environment of business, management, MIS, and marketing.

Learning Goal 5: Understand how ethical decision-making and globalization affect organizations

Objective 1: Students will demonstrate the ability to analyze issues and situations having ethical and legal implications for business.
Objective 2: Students will demonstrate a basic knowledge of international economic and business concepts.

Learning Goal 6: Utilize general and management-specific knowledge and skills in the analysis of business and economic problems

Objective 1: Students will demonstrate a basic knowledge of relevant costs for decision making.
Objective 2: Students will incorporate strategic thinking, analyze the current situation of an organization, and develop a plan to ensure its viability.

Degree, Majors and Departments

Bachelor of Business Administration (B.B.A.)

The B.B.A. programs provide students with a high-quality business education based on a solid liberal arts foundation so they can secure entry-level positions in organizations and/or pursue graduate studies.

To accomplish this mission, faculty members are committed to educating students who upon graduation will (1) communicate effectively; (2) apply basic quantitative skills to business problems; (3) Use information technology to solve business problems; (4) Possess a basic knowledge of accounting, economics, finance, the legal environment of business, management, and marketing; (5) Understand how ethical decision making and globalization affect organizations; and (6) Utilize general and management-specific knowledge and skills in the analysis of business and economic problems.

The B.B.A. programs serve high school graduates as well as students transferring from two-year and four-year institutions of higher learning. The majority of students are from the local/regional area served by West Georgia. The programs also attract a small number of students from outside the University’s regional service area, including other states and countries.

Bachelor of Science (BS)

The B.S. degree in Economics provides students with the flexibility to build a foundation for further graduate study in business, economics, law, or other professional careers as well as offers a broad liberal arts and economics background for entry-level positions in business, government, and teaching.

The B.S degree in Economics serves students who want the flexibility to complete a variety of supporting courses in areas other than business but still have a solid understanding of the American economic system.

Bachelor of Arts (BA)

The B.A. degree in International Economic Affairs is a multidisciplinary undergraduate degree. The International Economic Affairs program offers a broad liberal arts education with careful attention to international economics, foreign language skills, geography, cultural anthropology, history, political science, and sociology. The major serves its graduates by providing them with both the skills necessary to secure employment upon graduation and the broad conceptual and analytical abilities that will give them the flexibility needed for personal and professional growth.

The B.A. degree in International Economic Affairs serves students who want a background in international affairs and international economics. The program is designed to stand alone as a major and also serve as a second major for students earning a B.A. in other areas, such as foreign languages. Graduates from all three Economics majors (B.B.A., B.S., and B.A.) find jobs in management training programs, banking, real estate, stock brokerage, and journalism to name a few. Majoring in Economics is also excellent preparation for graduate study in business, law, or the social sciences.

Requirements for a Minor

Non-Business Majors

Requirements for a minor in accounting, business administration, management information systems, economics, finance, management, marketing, or real estate (for non-business majors) students must earn a 2.0 grade point average in courses submitted for a minor in any of the disciplines listed below.

•  To minor in accounting, students must take ACCT 2101 , ACCT 2102 , and at least 9 hours above the 3000 level in accounting.
•  To minor in business administration, students must take ACCT 2101 ; ECON 2105  or ECON 2106 ; MGNT 3600 ; MKTG 3803 ; and one three (3) hour course in    business above the 3000 level.
•  To minor in management information systems, students must take CISM 2201 , CISM 3330 , CISM 3335 ,  CISM 3340 , and CISM 4330 .
•  To minor in economics, students must take 15 hours of economics courses, of which at least 9 hours must be at or above the 3400 level in economics.
•  To minor in finance, students must take ACCT 2101 , ACCT 2102  , and FINC 3511  and 6 hours of finance above the 3500 level.
•  To minor in management, students must take BUSA 2106 , MGNT 3600 , plus 9 hours of MGNT courses above the 3000 level.
•  To minor in marketing, students must take MKTG 3803  plus twelve (12) hours of MKTG courses above the 3000 level.
•  To minor in real estate, students must take RELE 3705  , plus twelve (12) hours in real estate courses from RELE 3701 , RELE 3711 , RELE 3730 , RELE 4705 , RELE 4706 , and RELE 4707 .

Business Majors

Requirements for a minor in accounting, management information systems, management, marketing, economics, real estate, or finance (for business majors)

To minor in a specialization other than the major, students must take 15 hours of courses above the 3000 level in the specialized area and earn a minimum 2.0 GPA in courses submitted for the minor. These classes cannot be used to satisfy the core and major requirements.

Requirements for a Second Major Within the Bachelor of Business Administration Degree

Requirements for a second major within the bachelor of business administration degree:

To specify a second major in business administration, students must contact the chair of both departments selected. The chair of each department will develop a program of study. Students must complete all major and degree requirements for both degrees.

Graduate Degrees

For a Master of Business Administration, Master of Professional Accountancy, Master of Education in Business Education, and Specialist in Education in Business Education, see the Graduate Catalog.

Business Intern Program

In cooperation with local, state, national and international organizations, the College of Business helps facilitate intern opportunities for students who wish to apply their academic training to on-the-job experiences.

Juniors and seniors with at least a 2.5 GPA and participating in the program may receive from 1 to 6 hours of elective credit.

Interested students should contact the chair of the academic department for their major.

Cooperative Education (Co-op) Program

Opportunities to combine classroom study and field experience related to students’ majors and/or career goals are available in the College of Business. For further details on co-op, consult each academic department and/or Career and Graduate School Connection for more information and an application.