College of Business

Visit the COB website at uca.edu/business/ to learn more about our programs, experiences, and facilities.

[1] Vision, Mission, and Core Values

[1.1] Vision

Our vision is to be a recognized leader in developing business talent and ideas that create growth and opportunity in Arkansas and globally.

[1.2] Statement of Mission and Core Values

We educate a diverse population of current and future business professionals to successfully and ethically meet the challenges of the global business environment. Through active engagement with the local, regional, national, and global communities, our faculty strive to deliver a high-quality business education via experiential education, a relevant curriculum, and scholarly contributions. We pursue continuous improvement opportunities to add value for our College and its stakeholders.

In carrying out this mission, the College of Business is guided by the following core values and expects the following outcomes:

1. Intellectual Excellence
   1.1. Educate students: We promote intellectual and professional development of students by emphasizing communication, critical and analytical thinking, collaboration, information management and a broad exposure to key business disciplines.
   1.2. Scholarship: We believe that faculty and students should engage in professional development and scholarly endeavors that promote and impact the application, creation and dissemination of knowledge through contributions to business practice, learning and pedagogical research, and discipline-based scholarship.
   1.3. Cultural competence: We maintain and develop current and responsive curriculum that prepares students for the global business environment through broad exposure to key business disciplines.
   1.4. Physical learning environment: We strive to provide a physical infrastructure with appropriate technology that provides an environment in which our students and faculty can thrive professionally and intellectually.
2. Community
   2.1. Collegiality: We encourage transparency in our decision making practice through a process of shared governance based on interactions among faculty, staff, and students.
   2.2. Service: We pursue collaborative partnerships between our internal and external stakeholders to impact and promote life-long and experiential learning, research, service, and community engagement.
3. Diversity
   3.1. We value the opportunity to work, learn, and develop in a community that embraces the diversity of individuals and ideas.
4. Integrity
   4.1. Ethics: We are committed to ethical and responsible behavior in our own actions and to developing the same commitment in our students by promoting the awareness of professional ethical responsibilities.
   4.2. Responsibility: We commit to being responsible and accountable in our operations at all levels, including assessment and continuous improvement of our academic programs and transparency in our fiscal and operational proceedings.

[2] Accreditation

With fewer than 5% of business schools accredited worldwide, UCA’s College of Business received accreditation in 1984 and remains accredited at the undergraduate and MBA levels. Accreditation by The Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB) represents the highest standard of achievement for business schools worldwide. Institutions with this accreditation are committed to quality and continuous improvement through a comprehensive peer review.

The AACSB accreditation assures stakeholders and students that business schools will

• Manage resources to achieve a vibrant and relevant mission.
• Advance business and management knowledge through faculty scholarship.
• Provide high-caliber teaching, quality, and current curricula.
• Cultivate meaningful interaction between students and a qualified faculty.
• Produce graduates who have achieved specified learning goals.

[3] Administrative Structure

The College of Business consists of the following administrative units:

The College of Business currently operates multiple centers that connect faculty and students with businesses and industry leaders:

[4] Curricula

[4.1] Undergraduate Programs

Bachelor of Business Administration

Students pursuing a Bachelor of Business Administration may select from this list of majors. For details on major requirements, please refer to the department listed in parentheses.

Bachelor of Arts

Students pursuing a Bachelor of Arts in Economics should refer to the EFIRM department.

Bachelor of Science

Students pursuing a Bachelor of Science may select from this list of majors. For details on major requirements, please refer to the department listed in parenthesis.

Associate of Business Administration

The Associate of Business Administration degree:

• Validates the hard work and dedication of UCA students.
• Provides a strong foundation in business disciplines, including accounting, economics, computing, and introductory statistics.
• Provides a strong foundation in the core competencies of the UCA Core, including Critical Inquiry, Effective Communication, Responsible Living, and Diversity.

Certificate Programs

The College of Business offers a Certificate of Proficiency in:

Financial Literacy (EFIRM)

The College of Business offers two Technical Certificates in:

Accounting (ACCT)

Applied Data Analytics (CISA)

Minors

The following minors are offered by the College of Business:

Depending on major, some business students may not be allowed to also pursue certain minors. Advisors or department chairs should be consulted for the specifics:

1. BBA-seeking students may not minor in General Business or Actuarial Studies.
2. General Business majors may not minor in any business discipline.
3. Business majors are limited to one business minor but may choose additional minor(s) in other college(s).
4. Not every College of Business minor is open to students majoring in business. Refer to each department in this bulletin for minor offerings.

[4.2] Graduate Programs

The College of Business also offers these graduate programs:

For more information, see the Graduate Bulletin.

[4.3] Requirements for the Bachelor of Business Administration

The Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) degree emphasizes professional development based on a general education background of liberal arts and business courses. Degree requirements are divided into five groups: UCA Core, Business Foundation, Business Core, major, and electives.

UCA Core. Complete 38 hours to meet lower-division UCA Core requirements and complete upper-division UCA Core requirements using major, minor, or elective courses. (See the UCA Core requirements.) Courses in English, history, humanities, culture and language, government, the sciences, mathematics, and health prepare students with basic speaking, reading, writing, and analytical skills as well as the time-management and self-discipline skills needed for advanced study.

Mathematics Pathways: First-time, first-year students who are declared business majors enter the Business Mathematics Pathway and must enroll in MATH 1395 during their first year of study, unless they have been awarded credit for a MATH course in the Lower-Division UCA Core.

Business Foundation. Complete 33 hours of freshman and sophomore courses in economics, accounting, statistics, and personal computing to prepare for study in the core functional areas of business and to develop computer skills.

Notes on the Business Foundation:

¹ BUAD 1300 is required for first-year students. The course may be waived for the following students: transfer students with more than 30 hours of coursework completed (including verified 2+2 agreements); student declaring a business major after completing 30 hours as a non-business major; post-baccalaureate students; students with more than 30 hours who are returning to complete a degree; and students with significant business experience in their chosen field. Consult with your academic advisor about waivers for BUAD 1300, which must be approved by the Department Chair for the student’s degree program.

² Innovation and Entrepreneurship majors take MKTG 2376 Business Innovation & Creative Thinking in place of MGMT 2301 Business Communications and ACCT 2376 Business Law for Entrepreneurs in place of ACCT 2321 Legal Environment of Business.

³ MATH 1395 is the preferred mathematics course for all business majors. Students who have already earned credit for another course that fulfills the UCA LD Core Quantitative requirement may substitute that course in place of MATH 1395.

^ Students may select 4 courses that fulfill both Lower-Division UCA Core and Business Foundation requirements. These courses are MGMT 2301 (or MKTG 2376) for oral communication, ECON 2310 for diversity in world cultures, ECON 2320 or 2321 for social science, and MATH 1395 for quantitative. Using these Business Foundation courses to fulfill lower-division UCA Core requirements allows more credit space to take electives that could apply toward a minor or second major.

Business Core. Complete 18 hours of upper-division (3000-4000 level) courses to provide the student with functional business skills.

Notes on the Business Core:

* Accounting majors take ACCT 3320 Accounting Information Systems in place of CISA 3321 and ACCT 3315 Cost Accounting in place of MGMT 3344.

** MGMT 4347 [UD UCA Core: Z] should be taken in the student’s last semester. FINA 3330, MGMT 3340, MGMT 3344 (or ACCT 3315), and MKTG 3350 are prerequisites for MGMT 4347.

Major. Complete 24 hours of upper-division courses designated by the department administering the major.

Electives. Students must complete the appropriate number of electives to ensure a minimum of 120 credit hours required for graduation. All BBA majors are reminded that graduation requirements include a minimum of 40 hours of upper-division courses.

[4.3.1] Progression Requirements

BBA-seeking students must meet certain progression requirements to enroll in more than nine (9) hours of upper-division business courses:

1. Obtain a 2.0 or higher cumulative grade point average, and
2. Earn at least a 2.0 grade point average in these five courses: ACCT 2309, ACCT 2310, ECON 2320, ECON 2321, and CISA 2330.

[4.3.2] Grade Requirements

Candidates for the BBA degree must satisfy the following minimum grade point average requirements in order to graduate:

1. a 2.0 grade point average overall
2. a 2.0 grade point average in all courses used in the foundation and core areas
3. a 2.0 grade point average in all major courses taken as determined by the department (for each major individually)
4. a 2.0 grade point average in all minor courses (for each minor individually, and only if a minor is selected)

[4.4] Requirements for the Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Science

The College of Business offers Bachelor of Science and Bachelor of Arts degrees in select disciplines. Specifications outlined in the Degree Requirements section of this Undergraduate Bulletin will apply to business students pursuing Bachelor of Arts or Bachelor of Science degrees. For further degree requirements and information, students should refer to the department listed in parentheses.

Bachelor of Arts

Bachelor of Science

[4.5] Requirements for the Associate of Business Administration

The Associate of Business Administration (ABA) degree emphasizes the core competencies and foundational business knowledge necessary for success in a diverse and ever-changing world. Degree requirements are divided into three groups: UCA Core, Business Foundation, and electives.

UCA Core. Complete 38 hours to meet lower-division UCA Core requirements and complete upper-division UCA Core requirements using major, minor, or elective courses. (See the UCA Core requirements.) Courses in English, history, humanities, culture and language, government, the sciences, mathematics, and health prepare students with basic speaking, reading, writing, and analytical skills as well as the time-management and self-discipline skills needed for advanced study.

Mathematics Pathways: First-time, first-year students who are declared business majors enter the Business Mathematics Pathway and must enroll in MATH 1395 during their first year of study, unless they have been awarded credit for a MATH course in the Lower-Division UCA Core.

Business Foundation. Complete 30 hours of freshman and sophomore courses in economics, accounting, statistics, and personal computing to develop foundational business knowledge and computer skills.

Note: Courses marked with ^ fulfill both lower-division UCA Core and Business Foundation requirements.

Electives. Students must complete the appropriate number of electives to ensure a minimum of 60 credit hours required for graduation.

[4.5.1] Grade Requirements

Candidates for the ABA degree must satisfy the following minimum grade point average requirements in order to graduate:

1. a 2.0 grade point average overall
2. a 2.0 grade point average in these five courses: ACCT 2309, ACCT 2310, CISA 2330, ECON 2320, and ECON 2321
3. a 2.0 grade point average in all courses used in the business foundation

[5] Additional College Policies

[5.1] Transfer of Credit Policies

In addition to relevant university policies, transfer students are subject to the following policies for work applied to any undergraduate business program:

1. Transfer students seeking a BBA degree are subject to the same progression [§4.3.1] and grade requirements [§4.3.2] listed above.
2. A transfer student is expected to arrange for a degree check by his/her College of Business advisor to ascertain remaining requirements.
3. A transferred course cannot carry more degree hours than are available in a similar University of Central Arkansas course. For example, a four-hour principles of accounting course transfers to UCA as three hours.
4. Credit earned at a two-year college cannot be used to meet upper-division requirements in the College of Business.
5. Courses taken at any institution of higher education where the course content is remedial are not acceptable for degree credit.
6. The student should be prepared to submit course descriptions, syllabi, or other course-related information for transfer course work if there is any question as to whether the College of Business will grant degree credit for such work.

[5.2] Limitation on Business Courses Taken by Non-Majors

Students majoring outside of the College of Business may not take more than 30 hours of business courses.

[5.3] Prerequisites Policy

Credit is not granted toward a degree for any business course taken without the prerequisites required by the College of Business. Students who enroll for courses for which they do not have the prerequisites may be administratively dropped from these courses. All students are subject to prerequisite requirements. See the course descriptions for details.

[6] Experiential Learning

Experiential learning combines direct experience with focused reflection to develop students’ knowledge and skills outside a traditional academic setting. At UCA, business students can benefit from numerous experiential learning opportunities, such as internships, student organizations, study abroad, undergraduate research, and service learning.

[6.1] Internships

College of Business internships are open to all business majors, minors, and graduate students. Internships provide an opportunity to gain specialized experience across all facets of business. This opportunity allows students a practical way to explore a career field, enhance their communication skills, and build a network of contacts. Internships bring clarity to career direction as students explore various areas of career interest. In some cases, internships may lead to job opportunities.

Students should review the COB Internship webpage and contact the Department Chair of their major field for more information. No more than six hours of internship credits may be counted toward a business major.

[6.2] Student Organizations

The College of Business offers numerous student organizations to help students engage in their chosen business field, develop their professional skills, make friends with common interests, network with professionals, and become career ready.

[6.3] Study Abroad

Students and faculty in the College of Business have the opportunity to participate in numerous business and cultural study abroad programs. These opportunities include semester exchange, faculty-led trips, language immersion, and independent study abroad. Students should review the Office of Study Abroad website for more information.

[6.4] Undergraduate Research

Through undergraduate research, students learn to critically analyze advanced concepts, gain clarity on their graduate school or career paths, and build stronger relationships with faculty mentors. Students may apply to join recurring programs, such as Honors in the Major or ACRE Undergraduate Research Fellows.

Beyond these recurring programs, undergraduate business students are encouraged to connect with faculty mentors to learn what research is and how it is conducted in their focal field(s). Students may conduct research or complete significant projects while earning independent study course credit. Students should check with their faculty mentors or department chair for more information.

[6.5] Service Learning

Academic service-learning is a teaching and learning strategy that integrates meaningful community service with instruction and reflection to enrich the learning experience, teach civic responsibility, and strengthen communities. Students should review the UCA Service-Learning website for more information.

[7] COB Technology Services

COB Technology Services provides support for the instructional, research, and technological needs of the faculty, staff, and students in the College of Business. The office maintains networked computer labs for instructional and student use.