College of Business
Dr. Thomas M. Martin Dean
Business and Technology Center 214
(859) 622-8111
Dr. Patricia Isaacs, Associate Dean
Business and Technology Center 214
(859) 622-7701
Dr. Jim Blair, Assistant Dean and Chair of Faculty
Business and Technology Center 214
(859) 622-1377
Dr. Faridah Awang, Assistant Dean for Academic Affairs
Business and Technology Center 214
(859) 622-7701
Vision of EKU’s College of Business
"Leading transformative education, preparing innovative professionals for global impact."
Foundational to our vision is the motto of former EKU Professor of Accounting, Dr. Jack L. Dyer, “We change lives for the better.” A transformative education prepares students to be innovative, creative, and entrepreneurial in their professional and personal endeavors. Graduates enter the world with a global focus in order to serve the service region of EKU, the Commonwealth of Kentucky, and the world. This focus helps develop self-awareness of one’s identity, culture, and beliefs, appreciating diverse cultures and perspectives that will make EKU graduates more competitive and successful.
Mission of EKU’s College of Business
"We are a School of Opportunity with a student-centered commitment to developing leaders through applied and interdisciplinary instruction, research, and collaboration, that positively impacts the world."
Our mission defines our purpose. We are a School of Opportunity, valuing who we include, not exclude. We provide access to education in business disciplines, delivering experiences that transform students into leaders with integrity and knowledge, adapting to changes in the global environment.
Our commitment to excellence is student-centered and made possible through collaboration and research with students, faculty, and the community.
College of Business Core Values
As we accomplish our mission, we cultivate meaningful connections and collaborations, and we are guided by:
- Excellence
- Strive for the highest standard in all we do with a spirit of innovation and entrepreneurship
- Integrity
- Maintain a culture of acting ethically, honestly, inclusively, and respectfully to all
- Service
- Commit to the good we can do for others through educational opportunities and community engagement
College of Business Core Competencies
Throughout the Business curriculum, students will be developing and building the following core competencies:
- Functions of Business - Demonstrate knowledge base and acumen in the functional areas of business with an interdisciplinary approach
- Sustainable Innovation – Apply quantitative analysis, critical thinking, and creative thinking in decision-making to design sustainable innovation.
- Interactive Communication – Communicate effectively and interactively with consideration of audience, message, and delivery
- Authentic Professional Brand – Achieve an authentic professional brand through self-development and the cultivation of emotional intelligence and a moral compass
- Systems Thinking – Recognize the impact of macro environment (global, societal, and regulatory) factors and trends
AACSB International
Graduates of EKU’s College of Business (the undergraduate and graduate programs in business administration at Eastern Kentucky University) have joined the ranks of the nation’s top business schools. EKU’s College of Business has received accreditation by the AACSB International for its undergraduate and graduate programs in business administration. Less than six percent of the world’s business schools have achieved this elite distinction.
AACSB International accreditation represents the highest standard of achievement for business schools worldwide and is the hallmark of excellence in business education. Institutions that earn accreditation confirm their commitment to quality and continuous improvement through a rigorous and comprehensive peer review process. Founding members of the agency include many Ivy League Schools, including Columbia, Cornell, Dartmouth, Harvard, and Yale; and such top-ranked schools as the University of California at Berkeley, the University of Chicago, and Northwestern also hold AACSB accreditation.
To achieve accreditation, EKU’s College of Business satisfied a wide range of quality standards related to strategic management of resources, interactions of faculty and students in the educational process, and achievement of learning goals in degree programs.
Beta Gamma Sigma
Founded as a national organization in 1913, Beta Gamma Sigma is an international honor society that provides the highest recognition that a business student anywhere in the world can receive in an undergraduate or master’s program at a school accredited by AACSB International. With the global expansion of accreditation by AACSB International, membership is no longer limited to those who have studied in the U.S. or Canada.
The mission and objectives of Beta Gamma Sigma are to encourage and honor academic achievement in the study of business and personal and professional excellence in the practice of business, to foster an enduring commitment to the founding principles and values of honor and integrity, to encourage the pursuit of wisdom and earnestness, to support the advancement of business thought and practice to encourage lifelong learning, and to enhance the value of Beta Gamma Sigma for student and alumni members in their professional lives.
To be eligible for Beta Gamma Sigma, students must be in the top 7 percent of the junior class, top 10 percent of the senior class, or top 20 percent of the MBA program.
Bachelor of Business Administration Degree Requirements
General University requirements, as well as specific course requirements set forth in the description of curricula, must be met by students completing baccalaureate business programs administered by the College of Business. See programs under each department for major requirements. BUS 100 Professional Development One, is the Student Success Seminar for the College of Business, and it is required in all Business programs. The requirements for the Bachelor of Business Administration Degree (BBA) are as follows:
- An institutional 2.0 GPA must be maintained in all work taken in the BBA program.
- At least 50 percent of the business course credit hours required for the BBA degree must be completed at EKU.
- The BBA degree will accept credits for business courses transferred from other colleges and universities accredited by the International AACSB. As completely as possible, it will apply these credits to the student’s degree program. To ensure that they earn appropriate credits, students are strongly advised to see the College of Business Advising Office and also obtain the Dean’s approval prior to enrolling in any course work they plan to transfer. The University will not take responsibility for courses transferred without prior approval.
- For the BBA program, a “C” or better is required for the courses in the student’s major.
Bachelor of Business Administration
EKU’s College of Business Core is designed with a beginning, middle, and end. During the first year, business students are provided historical perspective for modern business and introduced to professional development. They then focus on a foundation of the environment and tools of business, which equips them for the functions of business. The culmination of the Business Core is the capstone course, which integrates content from each of the functions of business. Core courses provide breadth in business topics, and major/concentration courses provide depth in a particular discipline. The Business Core is required for all Business majors. It provides foundational knowledge and understanding of the environment and functions of business, and it provides opportunities for students to develop professional skills. The Business Core includes the following:
Professional Development Series
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| BUS 100 | Professional Development One | 1 |
| BUS 200 | Professional Development Two | 1 |
| BUS 300 | Professional Development Three | 1 |
| BUS 400 | Professional Development Four | 1 |
Opportunities for skill-building in four particular content areas needed for successful working professionals: business etiquette, financial literacy, job readiness, and personal productivity
Nature of Business
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| BUS 101 | Nature of Business | 3 |
Introduction to business and its functions from a historical and holistic perspective
Fundamentals Series
Environment and Tools of Business and Supporting Courses
Environment of Business
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| ECO 230 | Fundamentals of Microeconomics (Element 5B) G | 3 |
| ECO 231 | Fundamentals of Macroeconomics | 3 |
| BUS 204 | Fundamentals of Business Law and Ethics | 3 |
- G
Course also satisfies a General Education element. Hours are included within the 36 hr. General Education requirement above.
Understanding of fundamental economics and the legal and ethical environment of business
Tools of Business
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| MAT 112A | Algebra: Polynomials (Element 2) G | 1.5 |
| MAT 112B | Algebra: Functions & Matrices (Element 2) G | 1.5 |
| MAT 114 | College Algebra (Element 2) G | 3 |
| or MAT 211 | Applied Calculus | |
| STA 260 | Business Statistics | 3 |
| BUS 206 | Fund of Prob Solving w Excel | 3 |
| BUS 207 | Fund of Interpersonal Bus Comm | 3 |
| BUS 209 | Fundamentals of Financial and Managerial Accounting | 3 |
- G
Course also satisfies a General Education element. Hours are included within the 36 hr. General Education requirement above.
Mathematical tools of business, reasoning, and problem-solving skills
Essentials Series
Functions of Business:
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| BUS 301 | Essentials of Formal Communication | 3 |
| BUS 302 | Essentials of Finance | 3 |
| BUS 303 | Essentials of Org Behavior and Human Resource Management | 3 |
| BUS 304 | Essentials of MIS | 3 |
| BUS 305 | Essentials of Marketing | 3 |
| BUS 306 | Essentials of Supply Chain Mgt | 3 |
Foundational courses in the functional areas of business (communication, computer information systems, finance, management, and marketing)
Application of Business
Though not required for the BBA, all business majors are strongly encouraged to pursue opportunities to apply content learned in their business courses through experiences such as internship/co-op and international travel/study abroad.
Mastery of Business
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| BUS 402 | Integrated Strategic Mgmnt | 3 |
Synthesizes knowledge, skills, and abilities learned in previous Business Core courses to prepare students to manage, lead, and make business decisions
Enrollment in Upper-Division EKU’s College of Business Courses
To enroll in other upper-division business courses, students are required to have met the specific prerequisite(s) for each course and have earned an overall 2.0 GPA. Students majoring in other departments whose planned curriculum includes selected business courses (by virtue of agreements of sponsoring departments with a business program) must also adhere to all specified course prerequisites. Students majoring in programs other than business cannot earn more than 25 percent of their total degree requirements in courses with business prefixes.
Course Repeat Policy
Courses may be repeated once. Second or subsequent repeats (maximum of three enrollments) must be requested on a College Exception form approved by the Dean of the College. Exceptions will only be considered under unusual circumstances. An enrollment is counted as a repeat if a previous enrollment in the course resulted in a passing or failing grade or a “W” due to withdrawing from the course.
Transfer Students and Students from Other EKU Colleges
BBA program requirements for transfer students are the same as those for students enrolling initially at EKU. Transfer students must have completed all the requirements listed above to be eligible for upper-division business courses.
EKU’s College of Business considers lower-division credits transferred to EKU as lower division, even if EKU offers what appears to be a comparable course at the upper-division level. However, the Dean of the College of Business may accept individual courses at EKU if the courses are validated using acceptable validation techniques. CLEP® and departmental exams are examples of possible validation techniques. With specified courses in accounting, the successful completion of advanced courses in the subject field for which the transfer course is a foundation or supporting requirement is an acceptable validation method. A successfully validated lower-division transfer course may not be utilized to fulfill the 43-hour upper-division graduation requirement.