The School of Business Administration offers programs at the undergraduate and graduate level.

Mission  The College of Business and Communication has a two-pronged mission. First, as leaders in the education of adults, we prepare students to develop and/or advance in their careers and lives through challenging, convenient, educational opportunities. Second, we are also committed to the development of young women as future leaders through our traditional program. In both cases, we focus on improved critical thinking, communication and technological skills, and subject matter knowledge, to equip students to thrive and adapt in a rapidly changing world.

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• Undergraduate Business Administration Information
• Graduate Business Administration Information

Undergraduate Business Administration Information

Disciplines and Degrees Offered  Programs and courses offered are listed at the end of this section.

Graduation Requirements  In addition to the requirements listed below, students are reminded that all majors will demonstrate oral and written communication competency within the context of writing and/or speech intensive courses in the major. Undergraduate students for all majors within the Department of Business Administration must maintain a 2.5 grade point average in the major and earn a grade of “C” or better in all common business core and major classes.

BA 480 Internships  It is the objective of the Department of Business Administration to complement each student’s academic experience with practical field experience. Internships of one to six credit hours are available. Students may complete more than one internship, but the total internship hours of credit may not exceed six hours.

School of Business Administration Outcomes Statement  The program of study is premised on the philosophy that the best preparation for students to lead extraordinary lives is a firm grounding in the liberal arts combined with a strong professional education. In addition to technical and managerial training, students must master ethical reasoning and sensitivity to global issues. The course requirements for the undergraduate program are intended to implement this philosophy. A variety of assessment methods are used to measure the learning outcomes for each course and program.

ROTORACT  All students are encouraged to participate in this student group and academic course. It is designed to introduce students to practical realities of the business world and to provide opportunities for community service. The Brenau chapter is part of a national organization which promotes knowledge about sound business practices and connects students with those of other colleges and universities. Local chapters compete annually for national recognition.

ACBSP Accreditation  The Business programs offered are accredited by the Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs (ACBSP). ACBSP, a nationally recognized international accrediting body, awards specialized accreditation for business programs only. B.B.A. programs with the following majors have ACBSP accreditation: Business, Accounting, Marketing, and Human Resource Management. Accreditation is pending for B.B.A., Financial Economics. The B.A. degree in Organizational Leadership is not accredited by ACBSP.

This accreditation provides program validity conducted by an external accrediting body and helps the Department establish relationships with fellow institutions around the world who are also accredited through ACBSP.

Graduate Business Administration Information

Dr. Bill Laing, Chair

Admissions Requirements 

In addition to the general requirements for admission stated in the Graduate Admission section of this Catalog, all applicants for admission to the M.B.A. and M.Acc. must have an undergraduate G.P.A. of 3.0 or above and submit a current resume which reflects a minimum of two years of full-time employment. Applicants to the M.S. in Organizational Leadership must have an undergraduate G.P.A. of 2.5 or above and submit a current resume which reflects a minimum of two years of full-time employment.

Generally applicants for the graduate business programs are expected to meet the stated admissions requirements. However, Brenau may consider an applicant who does not meet [all] stated requirements, but who, in the opinion of the department, may be a good candidate for admission to the University. In such cases an applicant’s credentials will be reviewed by the graduate department chair to determine if the applicant is qualified for admission.

ACBSP Accreditation  All M.B.A. programs offered by the School of Business at Brenau University are accredited or have accreditation pending by the Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs (ACBSP). This nationally recognized international accrediting body awards specialized accreditation for business programs only. (M.B.A. majors Business Analytics, Information Assurance, and the M.Acc. have ACBSP accreditation pending.) The M.S. in Organizational Leadership, and the M.S.N. in Leadership and Management programs are not accredited by ACBSP. Accreditation of the Business Department at Brenau University provides program validity conducted by an external accrediting body and helps the department establish relationships with fellow institutions around the world who are also accredited through ACBSP.

M.Acc. Program

Goals:

1. Analyze financial information to solve a complex business problem;
2. Research a specific tax issue;
3. Investigate occurrences of fraud and recommend improvements in internal control to prevent future frauds.

When students complete the M.Acc. program they should:

1. Be prepared to take the CPA exam;
2. Be knowledgeable of accounting rules, laws, and functions to enter a CPA firm or accounting position in a company;
3. Be able to prepare and analyze financial statements for business, non-profits, and governmental units;
4. Be able to complete individual and corporate income tax returns;
5. Be able to research and make recommendations for accounting and tax issues;
6. Be able to plan and participate in an audit;
7. Be able to recognize fraudulent behavior and plan controls to prevent it;
8. Be able to prepare consolidated financial statements in GAAP or IFRS.

M.B.A. Program

Purpose  The purpose of the M.B.A. program is to provide men and women with the key management, financial, marketing and operational principles needed for effective management of an organization. Students can expect a strong theoretical foundation with practical applications to enhance their professional qualifications. Programs and courses offered by the Department of Business are listed at the end of this section.

Graduates of the Brenau M.B.A. program will

1. Be prepared to hold positions that entail or lead to managerial responsibility in organizations.
2. Be prepared to make significant contributions to organizational problem-solving and decision-making.
3. Encourage an ethical business environment.
4. Be prepared to lead in a global marketplace.

Outcome Statements  Upon completion of the M.B.A. program, students should be able to

1. Conceptualize, organize and resolve complex business problems using technology and people resources;
2. Use financial information to make decisions and evaluate alternatives;
3. Communicate (written and oral) effectively in an organizational setting;
4. Develop an awareness of the major challenges facing contemporary global business. The challenges include the need for innovation, integrity, ability to manage change, globalization and effective management of technology.

M.S. Program

Purpose  The M.S. degree in Organizational Leadership is designed for individuals from a variety of academic and work backgrounds who desire to positively influence the human dynamics within organizations. Coursework provides students with the opportunities to learn about and apply contemporary theory in organization change and development, critical and creative thinking, organizational learning, leadership, conflict resolution and strategic planning.

Outcome Statements Upon completion of the M.S. in Organizational Leadership program, students should be able to

1. Demonstrate critical thinking related to executive-level business applications;
2. Communicate (written and oral) effectively in an organizational setting;
3. Diagnose an organization’s culture and understand its relationship to organizational change;
4. Diagnose an organization’s readiness for change;
5. Develop interventions for change readiness;
6. Express ethical responsibility related to organization leadership;
7. Discuss current issues of concern to organizations’ leaders.

Programs

• Accounting (M.Acc.)
• Accounting-Managerial (M.B.A.)
• Accounting-Public (M.B.A.)
• Business Analytics (M.B.A.)
• Entrepreneurship (M.B.A.)
• Finance (M.B.A.)
• General Business (M.B.A.)
• Health Care Management (M.B.A.)
• Human Resource Management (M.B.A.)
• Information Assurance (M.B.A.)
• Management (M.B.A.)
• Marketing (M.B.A.)
• Nonprofit Leadership (M.B.A.)
• Organizational Leadership (M.S.)
• Project Management (M.B.A.)
• Strategic Thinking and Innovation (M.B.A.)

• Accounting Certificate
• Business Analytics Certificate
• Finance Certificate
• Health Care Management Certificate
• Human Resource Management Certificate
• Information Assurance Certificate
• Management Certificate
• Marketing Certificate
• Nonprofit Leadership Certificate
• Project Management Certificate
• Strategic Thinking and Innovation Certificate

• Accounting (B.B.A.)
• Business (B.B.A.)
• Human Resource Management (B.B.A.)
• Marketing (B.B.A.)
• Operations Management (B.B.A.)
• Organizational Leadership (B.A.)

• Business Minor
• Human Resource Management Minor
• Organizational Leadership Minor
• Small Business Management Minor
• Sport Management Minor

Courses

• AC 200 - Survey of Accounting
• AC 201 - Accounting Principles I (Financial)
• AC 202 - Accounting Principles II (Managerial)
• AC 202L - Accounting Principles II (Managerial) Lab
• AC 323 - Taxation
• AC 325 - Cost Accounting
• AC 331 - Intermediate Accounting I
• AC 331L - Intermediate Accounting I Lab
• AC 332 - Intermediate Accounting II
• AC 333 - Intermediate Accounting III
• AC 439 - Auditing and Assurance Services
• AC 440 - Fraud Examination
• AC 641 - Governance, Risk Management and Compliance
• AC 721 - Budgeting for Managers
• AC 722 - Advanced Accounting
• AC 724 - Taxation
• AC 725 - Fraud Prevention & Internal Control
• AC 726 - Advanced Accounting II
• AC 727 - Partnership and S-Corporation Taxation
• AC 728 - Estate and Trust Taxation
• AC 729 - State and Local Taxation
• AC 739 - Advanced Auditing and Assurance Services
• AC 740 - Accounting Theory
• AC 745 - Accounting Information Systems
• AC 746 - Advanced Cost Accounting
• AC 755 - Financial Statement and Business Analysis

• BA 102 - Introduction to Business *
• BA 107 - Personal Finance *
• BA 200 - Survey of Economics *
• BA 203 - Critical & Creative Thinking *
• BA 206 - Microeconomics *
• BA 207 - Macroeconomics
• BA 208 - Business Communications *
• BA 223 - Principles of Leadership *
• BA 303 - Business Statistics
• BA 316 - Legal Environment of Business
• BA 327 - Managerial Finance
• BA 330 - Cultural Diversity in the Business Environment
• BA 331 - Business of Sport
• BA 340 - Strategic Thinking and Innovation
• BA 401 - Directed Independent Study
• BA 403 - Rotaract
• BA 417 - Business Ethics
• BA 447 - International Business
• BA 470 - Value Chain Management
• BA 480 - Internship
• BA 490 - Special Topics in Business
• BA 499 - Business Capstone
• BA 500 - MBA Foundations
• BA 507 - Introduction to Business Communications
• BA 508 - Applied Economics for Managers
• BA 514 - Business Essentials for Managers
• BA 601 - Principles of Information Assurance
• BA 603 - Computer Network Security
• BA 604 - Disaster Recovery and Business Continuity
• BA 642 - Cross-Cultural Business Challenges
• BA 670 - Integrated Business Operations
• BA 701 - Special Topics
• BA 708 - Business Statistics
• BA 710 - Applied Regression
• BA 711 - Spreadsheet Modeling
• BA 712 - Data Mining
• BA 717 - Business Law and Ethics
• BA 723 - Financial Management
• BA 731 - Financial Policy
• BA 749 - International Finance
• BA 751 - Entrepreneurship
• BA 752 - Entrepreneurial Finance
• BA 753 - Investments
• BA 754 - Corporate Risk Management
• BA 756 - Valuation
• BA 759 - Advanced Entrepreneurship
• BA 780 - International Business Experience
• BA 787 - Global Economics
• BA 798 - Research Project
• BA 799 - Strategic Management and Policy

• CR 710 - Organizational Conflict and Confict Management Systems
• CR 720 - Negotiation: Theory and Practice
• CR 730 - Mediation: Theory and Practice
• CR 740 - International and Cross-Cultural Conflict Resolution

• FI 401 - Money, Banking and Financial Markets
• FI 402 - Econometrics
• FI 403 - Corporate Financial Policy
• FI 404 - Business Forecasting
• FI 405 - Investment Analysis and Portfolio Management
• FI 406 - Financial Risk Management

• HC 750 - Ethics and Leadership in Health Care
• HC 760 - Law and Policy Development in Health Care
• HC 770 - Organizational Systems in Health Care
• HC 780 - Financial Management in Health Care
• HC 790 - Advanced Topics in Health Care

• HR 301 - Research Methods in Organizations
• HR 312 - Recruiting and Selection
• HR 331 - Labor Management Relations
• HR 333 - Human Resource Management
• HR 401 - Benefits and Compensation
• HR 414 - Designing Training Programs
• HR 422 - HR Strategic Planning
• HR 428 - Measurement of Human Resource Management
• HR 486 - HRM Applied Project
• HR 737 - Employment Law