Michael J. Coles College of Business

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The Michael J. Coles College of Business offers programs which respond to the needs of our rapidly changing environment. It is a major asset to the growth and economic development of metropolitan Atlanta and the region. The unique, innovative spirit of the Coles College of Business arises from an emphasis on building partnerships with the corporate world, other academic institutions, the community, government and nonprofit enterprises. Students benefit from these alliances, which enable the College to achieve its goals of continuous improvement and targeted program development.

The Coles College of Business enjoys national recognition in a number of areas. The Cox Family Business Center was cited by Family Business Review as “the nation’s premier model of college-based educational programs for family businesses.” Nation’s Business listed the center as one of the top college-based, family-business programs in the nation.

The College’s Entrepreneurship Program was recognized by Business Week and Success as one of the outstanding entrepreneurship programs in the nation. In addition, the Coles College has been highlighted in many publications as one that moves quickly and aggressively to meet the needs of its customers—students, the corporate world and the community.

Coles College Accounting graduates have competitive CPA pass rates. The School of Accountancy is the first Georgia educational institution to achieve Partner Level status in the Institute of Internal Auditors’ Internal Auditing Education Partnership. The BBA in Professional Sales has garnered national attention as it is one of only a few such programs in the United States. Coles College hosts the National Collegiate Sales Competition, which pits hundreds of the nation’s top sales students in a test of live role-play, one-on-one sales call challenges in front of Fortune 500 recruiters. The Econometric Center is the business and economic research arm of the Coles College. Its monthly Business Conditions Survey parallels the National Association of Purchasing Managers Survey and aggregates data from purchasing professionals in metropolitan Atlanta and northwest Georgia. The Econometric Center also conducts a quarterly Consumer Confidence Index for metropolitan Atlanta in conjunction with the Greater Atlanta Home Builders Association.

Students are attracted to the Coles College of Business for its innovative programs, career services, and co-ops and internships, as well as the faculty’s commitment to preparing students for professional success. Embracing evolving topics like the globalization of business, the management of technology, productivity, quality and information systems, the Coles College is committed to developing programs relevant to the ever-changing needs of society.

Accreditations

In addition to KSU’s accreditation by SACS, all degree programs in the Coles College of Business are nationally accredited by AACSB International—The Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business. The Coles College of Business was the first business school in Georgia to earn this recognition under the AACSB’s new mission-driven, continuous-improvement criteria.

Vision Statement - Michael J. Coles College of Business

The Coles College of Business aspires to be the preferred provider of flexible business education and relevant research and practice valued by the marketplace.

Mission Statement - Michael J. Coles College of Business

The Coles College of Business provides high quality, applied business education and knowledge creation in a collegial, stimulating, and supportive learning-centered environment. Predominantly serving residents and the business community of metropolitan Atlanta and the Northwest Georgia region, we strive to develop our students into highly effective and ethical business leaders who are prepared for an increasingly complex, technologically sophisticated and interdependent world. We offer innovative and flexible programs through a diverse and talented pool of faculty and staff who contribute to the professional and ethical standards of their respective disciplines. In all our activities, we treat individuals with integrity and respect and we are focused on the continuing development of our students, faculty, staff, and communities.

Undergraduate Advising Center

Advising for all business majors is coordinated by the Office for Undergraduate Business Programs through the Business Undergraduate Advising Center. The Center is located on the fourth floor of the Burruss Building. The Mission of the Undergraduate Advising Center is to help students understand what is required to earn a BBA (Bachelor of Business Administration degree) at Kennesaw State University. The Advising Center uses an Advising Team rather than assigning individual advisors. The Team approach provides better information in a more efficient manner. The Advising Team is made up of both staff and faculty advisors who are committed to helping students succeed. Students can expect the Advising Team to provide information on the following topics:

• The Coles College Sophomore GPA Requirement and requirements for admission to the Coles College Professional Program.
• Required Business Core courses for all business majors.
• Required and Elective courses within your Major.
• Options for your Business Electives, including co-ops, internships, and minors.
• Options for your Non-business Electives.
• How to sequence the courses in the B.B.A. program.
• General KSU policies, such as the number of course withdrawals allowed, residency requirements, and graduation requirements.
• Where to go for KSU procedures, such as petitioning to graduate.

Bank of America Career Services Lab

The Bank of America Career Services Lab is located in the heart of the Coles College of Business, on the first floor of the Burruss Building. It provides hands-on career management tools and resources. Coles career services are provided to you as part of our commitment to helping you achieve your personal and professional goals.

Tutoring Services

The Coles College provides free one-on-one and group tutoring services for most of the required Business Core courses, including Accounting, Economics, Statistics, and Finance.

Student Clubs and Organizations

For further enhancement of student life on campus, a variety of clubs and organizations are available. Students can enrich their college experience by seeking clubs or organizations based on community service, academic achievement, fraternity, sorority, sports, politics, religion, etc. Examples of business organizations are:

• Beta Alpha Psi
• Beta Gamma Sigma
• Delta Sigma Pi
• International Business Student Association
• Kennesaw Marketing Association
• National Association of Black Accountants
• Omicron Delta Epsilon
• SHRM - Society for Human Resources Management
• SIFE - Students in Free Enterprise
• Student Managed Investment Fund

Academic Departments

The Coles College of Business houses four academic departments:

• The School of Accountancy
• The Department of Economics, Finance & Quantitative Analysis
• The Department of Management & Entrepreneurship
• The Department of Marketing & Professional Sales

 Minors

• Accounting
• Business Law
• Economics
• Finance
• Management
• Marketing
• Operations and Purchasing
• Professional Sales

Programs of Study

The Coles College of Business offers the following undergraduate degrees:

• Bachelor of Business Administration in Accounting
• Bachelor of Business Administration in Economics
• Bachelor of Business Administration in Finance
• Bachelor of Business Administration in International Business
• Bachelor of Business Administration in Management
• Bachelor of Business Administration in Marketing
• Bachelor of Business Administration in Professional Sales

These programs include foundation courses in the humanities, natural and behavioral sciences, and mathematics before advanced courses in business and the major field are undertaken. The Coles College offers upper division courses in the business disciplines of Accounting, Economics, Finance, Management and Marketing, in addition to specialized courses in the areas of business law, business information systems, entrepreneurship and family business, international business, operations management, quality, real estate, sales and strategy.

Requirements for BBA Degree

All business majors should take the following courses as part of their KSU General Education requirements:

All business majors must take a calculus course, which is part of the Coles College Sophomore GPA Requirement and also a prerequisite to several business courses. Most students will take the MATH 1111 and MATH 1106 sequence. Students with stronger math aptitudes or backgrounds, or students considering graduate school, should take MATH 1113 and MATH 1190. All students must take ECON 2300 (Business Statistics) and not MATH 1107.

International Business majors should take FL 1002 and Geography as part of their General Education requirements.

Sophomore GPA Requirement

Before a business major can be admitted to the Coles Professional Program and enroll in any upper-division business courses (3000-4000), she or he must meet the Coles Sophomore GPA Requirement. This involves earning an adjusted GPA of 3.00 or greater for the following eight courses:

Regardless of whether the courses are taken at Kennesaw State University or at another acceptable accredited institution, the grades earned will be used to check this GPA requirement. If any of these courses are transferred in and are not awarded three credit hours by KSU, that difference in hours will affect the GPA calculation. A course may be repeated if necessary.

Admission to the Coles Professional Program

Admission to the Coles College Professional Program is separate from admission to Kennesaw State University. The Sophomore GPA Requirement must be met prior to application for admission. Application forms and details about admission requirements may be obtained from the Business Undergraduate Advising Center. Business majors must apply for and be accepted for admission into the Coles College of Business Professional Program in order to take upper-division business courses and to graduate with a B.B.A. degree.  A non-refundable application fee is required.

The BBA degree will not be awarded to anyone who has not met the Sophomore GPA Requirement and been admitted to the Coles Professional Program.

Other KSU Requirements

In order to receive a degree from Kennesaw State University, a student must meet KSU’s residency, grade, and graduation requirements. Some of those requirements are summarized here. Students are encouraged to check other sections of the KSU Undergraduate Catalog for a complete listing of KSU requirements.

Students must earn a minimum of 45 hours of credit in upper-division business courses. At least 33 hours of business courses must be taken in residence at KSU. At least 12 hours of the Major Field Requirements and Major Field Electives must be taken at KSU. At least 20 of the last 30 semester hours preceding graduation must be taken at KSU.

Credit for courses taken at other colleges and universities will be given only:

1. if the institution has an acceptable accreditation,
2. if those courses were taken at the same or higher level than comparable courses offered at Kennesaw State University, and
3. if the courses are not too old.

If the courses are taken at a lower level than offered by Kennesaw State University, students may possibly earn credit for a course by passing an Advanced Standing Examination. Advanced Standing Examinations are not available for all courses.

Students must earn a grade of “C” or better in the courses that constitute the Lower Division Major Requirements (the lower division business core courses) and the Upper Division Major Requirements (including the upper division business core courses, the information technology requirement, the major field requirements, and the major field electives).

Students must always meet current course prerequisites, regardless of when they first started at KSU. Check the most recent KSU Undergraduate Catalog for current course prerequisites.

Timeliness of Degree Completion

Business majors must successfully complete the BBA degree requirements within no more than six (6) calendar years after first being admitted to the Coles College Professional Program. If a student does not complete the degree within six calendar years, courses will have to be repeated.

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