2001/2003 Undergraduate Catalog
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Shippensburg University > Catalog2001/2003 Undergraduate Catalog

John L. Grove College of Business

Contents

Introduction

The John L. Grove College of Business offers programs leading to the Bachelor of Science in Business Administration (B.S.B.A.), the Bachelor of Arts (B.A.), and, in cooperation with the College of Education and Human Services, the Bachelor of Science in Education (B.S.Ed.), with certification to teach in the secondary schools of Pennsylvania. The B.S.B.A. degree programs are nationally accredited by the AACSB International. In order to maintain the high quality of our AACSB accredited program, students may be required to participate in student outcomes assessment efforts that are designed to continuously improve the quality of our programs and services.

Mission of the John L. Grove College of Business

The John L. Grove College of Business at Shippensburg University provides students with a high quality, internationally accredited education and offers an array of integrative learning opportunities within and outside of the classroom including team-oriented projects, student-managed clubs, and professional business internships. Classes are taught by qualified faculty in small, experiential, and interactive settings.

The primary mission of the College of Business is to provide a high quality teaching and learning environment. We strive to help our students gain the knowledge and skills to compete effectively for positions in a technologically advanced and global business environment, to engage in life-long learning, and to be productive and ethical members of a diverse society. In collaboration with the other academic units of the University and the business community, the College of Business provides students with a comprehensive and rigorous academic program oriented toward developing intellectual capacities, analytical and team skills, and written and oral communication proficiencies. The program exposes students to a common body of knowledge in the various functional areas of business and a set of in-depth skills in one of these areas.

It is also the mission of the College of Business to provide faculty with professional development and applied research opportunities to create and share knowledge for the benefit of the students, the University, the region, and their professional communities.

Departments

Accounting
Economics
Finance, Information Management & Analysis, Information Technology for Business Education, and Management Information Systems
Management and Marketing

Degree Programs

Bachelor of Arts
Economics

Bachelor of Science in Business Administration
Accounting
Economics
Finance
Information Management & Analysis
Information Technology for Business Education
Management
General Management
International Management
Human Resource Management
Management Information Systems
Marketing
Supply Chain Operations & Management
Bachelor of Science in Education
Comprehensive Social Studies–Economics Concentration

Business Administration—Major Undecided Option

The Business Administration—Major Undecided option is designed for students entering the John L. Grove College of Business who are undecided about the selection of a specific B.S.B.A. major. Since the course work in the B.S.B.A. degree program is basically the same for all majors through the sophomore year of study, the Business Administration—Major Undecided option provides students with an opportunity to take up to two years of study before officially declaring a specific B.S.B.A. major in the John L. Grove College of Business. Students are encouraged to select a specific B.S.B.A. major prior to beginning their junior year of study. Admission to a specific business major, at any given time, may be limited.

A student electing the Business Administration—Major Undecided option is assigned a full-time faculty member in the John L. Grove College of Business to assist with selecting a major, scheduling, and addressing other academic concerns. Students are also encouraged to utilize other services at the university to assist them in selecting a major, such as the Career Development Center’s Career Education program, the Alumni Office’s SU Career Contacts program, and involvement in academic student clubs in the John L. Grove College of Business.

Business Internship Program

Juniors and seniors in the John L. Grove College of Business, who are in good academic standing, are eligible to participate in the Business Internship Program. Interns do major related work in business or the professions for one to three hours of free elective credit during the academic year or during the summer. Internships must be approved by the department chair and internship director. Credit earned through the internship program may only be used as a free elective credit and may not be used as a substitute for major course requirements.

Benefits of internship include applying academic knowledge and skills to on-the-job experiences, communicating and interacting with professionals in the “world of work,” developing professional self-confidence, clarifying career goals through exposure to a variety of career opportunities, earning money for university and personal expenses, building a network of professional contacts, completing free elective credits for graduation, and returning to the university with renewed interest and a new perspective on learning.

Transfer Requirements

John L. Grove College of Business must meet the university’s minimum transfer grade point average requirements. In addition, transfer students must complete MAT108 College Algebra (or equivalent) and/or MAT181 Applied Calculus I (or equivalent) with a “C” grade or higher before being considered for admission into the B.S.B.A. degree programs.

Students are permitted to transfer any required 100- or 200-level business course from a community college or from an accredited four-year institution provided the course content is equivalent and a grade of “C” or better is earned. Courses in business at the 300- or 400-level will be considered for transfer credit only if they were earned at a four-year institution whose business programs are accredited by the AACSB - The International Association for Management Education, or if the transfer student passes a standard examination prepared by the department offering the course, or if a grade of “C” or higher is earned in a validating course approved by the department. This last validation method is limited to one course in any one discipline and a total of six credits. Arrangements for validating a course should be made through the dean’s office and the department which offers the course.

Refer to the Admissions Policies chapter for further requirements for transfer students.

Changing Majors

Students requesting transfer from another college within the university into the B.S.B.A. and B.S.Ed. degree programs in the John L. Grove College of Business are required to have completed a minimum of 12 credit hours with at least a 2.0 overall and business core cumulative quality point average, including a “C” or higher in MAT108 College Algebra and/or MAT181 Applied Calculus I, and must obtain the approval of the department chair of the new major and the dean. First semester freshmen, excluding individuals testing at the advanced level in mathematics, must follow university policy and wait until the second semester to request approval to transfer. Admission to a specific major, at any given time, may be limited.

Students requesting to transfer from one major to another within the John L. Grove College of Business are required to have a minimum 2.0 cumulative quality point average and must obtain approval of the department chair of the new major and the dean. Refer to the Academic Policies chapter under "changing majors" for further information.

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Bachelor of Science in Business Administration

The business administration curriculum at Shippensburg University is designed to prepare students for management careers in business and the professions. The curriculum also provides the basis for graduate study in business, public administration, and law.

Because effective managers must be cognizant of the societal and environmental contexts of their decisions, the study of business administration requires a thorough grounding in the humanities, social sciences, and natural sciences. Therefore, a significant portion of a student’s program is devoted to general education. Students are encouraged to seek advisement in developing a general education program which is suited to their individual needs and interests. Each student in the John L. Grove College of Business is assigned a faculty member through his or her departmental office for advisement purposes.

The completion of a minimum of 120 credit hours is required for graduation in the B.S.B.A. major degree programs, with the exception of the accounting and information technology for business education B.S.B.A. degree programs, which respectively require a minimum of 123 and 126 credit hours for graduation. The specific course requirements for each B.S.B.A. degree program of study are outlined under the following sections entitled “Course Work,” “B.S.B.A. Core Requirements,” and “Major Course Requirements.”

The first phase of the business administration curriculum is a required common core; the second phase is one of the following majors: accounting, business information systems, decision science, economics, finance, information technology for business education, management (general management, human resource management, international management), and marketing. The curriculum seeks to avoid narrow technical instruction; rather, the goal is to develop the analytical and conceptual skills necessary for successful management in a variety of situations. The core represents a consensus of what academicians and practitioners consider to be a common body of knowledge for managers of all types, while specialization majors permit the acquisition of more advanced knowledge in a selected area.
Quality Point Average Requirements

Students in the B.S.B.A. program are required to meet the following academic standards in order to be in good academic standing and to graduate. Refer to the Academic Policies chapter under “grading and graduation requirements” for further information.
1.  Maintain 2.0 or better cumulative quality point average in all courses taken.
2.  Maintain a 2.0 or better cumulative business quality point average which includes all the business core courses and the student’s major courses as outlined below under “Course Work.”
3.  Maintain a 2.0 or better cumulative major quality point average which includes all major course work and any business core courses within the major discipline.
English Requirements

All John L. Grove College of Business majors, including B.S.B.A., B.S.Ed., and B.A. candidates, must complete ENG101 College Writing or ENG110 Advanced Placement Writing, with a “C” grade or better before scheduling upper division business courses.
Qualifying for Upper Division Status

Students must meet the following requirements before enrolling in 300- or 400-level courses (except 300-/400-level economics courses) in the John L. Grove College of Business.
1.  Complete a minimum of 55 credits, including all 100- and 200-level business core courses as listed below under “B.S.B.A. Core Requirements.”
2.  Complete the library information skills workbook which is part of the university’s general education requirements.
3.  Maintain at least a 2.0 cumulative quality point average in all courses taken, a 2.0 cumulative quality point average in all business core courses, and a 2.0 cumulative quality point average in all major course work, which includes any business core courses within the major discipline.
4.  Complete ENG101 or ENG110 with a “C” grade or better.
Curriculum Requirements

Due to the quantitative nature of the business curriculum, it is recommended students complete at least three years of college preparatory mathematics in high school. Students seeking admission into the John L. Grove College of Business who lack the necessary mathematics skills may find it necessary to take some remedial course work in mathematics before enrolling in MAT108 College Algebra.

All B.S.B.A. students are required to complete 60 semester hours in non-business courses (including the General Education requirements), the “B.S.B.A. Core Requirements,” and at least one of the sequences listed under “Major Course Requirements.”
Course Sequencing

The subject matter of the business administration degree program is largely cumulative, i.e., a significant proportion of advanced course content presupposes reasonable mastery of more elementary concepts. (This is especially true in the areas which rely heavily on applied mathematics and the behavioral sciences.) As a result, many advanced courses have prerequisites which are indicated in the course descriptions. Early in their careers, students should develop, with the aid of their faculty advisor, a four-year course plan which ensures the appropriate prerequisites will be met and all graduation requirements will be satisfied.

For a variety of reasons, these plans will vary considerably from student to student. Nevertheless, there are some general rules which should be adhered to in developing the course plan:

1.  College algebra, if required, and applied calculus should be taken in the freshman year.
2.  The two introductory accounting and the three economics courses must be taken by the end of the sophomore year. It is recommended that ECN102 Principles of Microeconomics be taken during the freshman year before ECN101 Principles of Macroeconomics.
3.  The introductory business computer systems course should be taken in the freshman year, the introductory decision science course should be taken in the first semester of the sophomore year, and the introductory statistics course should be taken the second semester of the sophomore year.
4.  Any 300-/400-level B.S.B.A. core courses or 300-/400-level courses under the major sequences (excluding economics) listed below must be taken in the junior and senior years. Refer to the previous section entitled “Qualifying for Upper Division Status” for more specific requirements.
B.S.B.A. Core Requirements

All B.S.B.A. majors in the John L. Grove College of Business must satisfactorily complete the 100-/200-level business core courses during their freshman and sophomore years and must satisfactorily complete the 300-/400-level business core courses during their junior and senior years, as listed below. Refer to the previous section entitled “Qualifying for Upper Division Status” for more specific requirements.
Required Courses in Related Fields
MAT108 College Algebra*
MAT181 Applied Calculus I
PSY101 General Psychology
SOC101 Introduction to Sociology: Society and Diversity
Required Courses in the John L. Grove College of Business
ACC200 Fundamentals of Financial Accounting
ACC201 Managerial Accounting
BSL261 American Legal Environment
ECN101 Principles of Macroeconomics
ECN102 Principles of Microeconomics
ECN260 Intermediate Microeconomic Theory
FIN305 Financial Planning and Analysis
FIN306 Financial Policy and Capital Markets
INM210 Data, Modeling, and Statistical Analysis
INM220 Statistical Applications and Forecasting
INM330 Operations Management
ISM142 Business Computer Systems
MGT305 Organizational Behavior
MGT447 Business and Society
MGT497 Strategy Formulation and Implementation
MKT305 Principles of Marketing

*  Students who place at the advanced level in the math competency/placement test are not required to take MAT108. In lieu of MAT108, students are required to take a general education elective outside of the John L. Grove College of Business.
Major Course Requirements

Students should meet with their faculty advisor to plan the sequencing of their major program of study. Students interested in a double major and/or minor shall be required to take the prescribed courses in each respective major and/or minor. Students can double count one course with the permission of the respective department chair(s). Refer to the index under “double majors and minors” for further information.

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This page last updated: Tuesday, 04-Sep-2007 14:15:55 EDT