Walker College of Business
Mission Statement
The Walker College of Business prepares engaged learners for successful careers. This is accomplished by offering undergraduate and graduate business programs of distinction, delivered by a talented and caring faculty, with an emphasis on academic rigor, ethical integrity, individual attention, and performance excellence.
Core Values
The faculty and staff of the Walker College of Business believe in the value of intellectual curiosity, the importance of critical thinking and in a sustained commitment to excellence in teaching, scholarship and service. We will strive to foster ever-improving learning through direct engagement in learning activities. Through engagement in original research, both independently and with our students, we will build a culture of discovery that will enhance the delivery of a relevant, timely curriculum. By continuing to partner with local organizations we will allow our students to apply and enhance the skills they have acquired and to develop an appreciation for community development.
Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs (ACBSP)
The Walker College of Business received national accreditation in November 2007 and is reaccredited through 2029 from the Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs (ACBSP) for both the undergraduate and graduate business programs. ACBSP’s mission is to establish, promote, and recognize educational practices that contribute to the continuous quality improvement of business education programs, teaching of business courses, and student learning outcomes in colleges and universities throughout the United States and abroad.
Goals
Undergraduate Program Goals
Students graduating with an undergraduate business degree will have developed:
- A working knowledge of the functional areas of business
- An ability to use critical thinking skills
- An ability to perform research
- An engaged attitude toward business education activities.
The Undergraduate Business Program
Undergraduate students enrolled in the Walker College of Business work toward either a Bachelor of Science degree with a major in business administration or a Bachelor of Science in Accounting. The major in business administration requires 13 business core courses (39 semester hours), 3 specific courses (9 semester hours) from the general education requirements, plus 7 courses (21 semester hours) from a business concentration. Concentrations are available in business analytics, digital marketing, finance, logistics and global operations, management, and marketing. The major in accounting requires 20 courses (60 semester hours) of core business courses and accounting courses. There are no distinct concentrations within this major.
The business faculty believes that university freshmen should be able to access different career paths without risking on-time graduation. We recognize that many entering freshmen do not have enough information to choose a major/concentration. Therefore, we have altered the curriculum and adjusted our scheduling of courses so that students can choose to become Pathfinders. During the first two years, Pathfinders will take at least one course in each of the five "foundational" business areas (accounting, business analytics, finance, management, marketing) before they declare a concentration. Pathfinder is a term that implies not just searching, but searching and finding the path to a bright future. Add a caring business faculty advisor and the term Pathfinder becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy.
The program for the business administration and accounting majors has been developed with the assistance of local business leaders who continue to serve as advisors and who help provide linkages to the business world. Near the conclusion of the program, each business administration student is encouraged to participate in an internship with a business or other organization. The internship program is designed not only to provide the student with direct application of academic training but also to enhance future employment opportunities.
Course Scheduling for Business Programs
In many small colleges, numerous courses appear in the catalog leading students to conclude that course offerings are more diverse than may actually be the case. Accrediting bodies have become sensitive to this issue because it is an easy and unethical way to misrepresent the program offerings at a given institution. The Walker Business College’s program offerings support residential students on the Demorest campus. A fully online program is available, but requires a student to complete the Bachelor of Science in Business Administration with concentrations in either management or digital marketing. Additionally, the master schedule addresses the particular needs of both the four-year and degree-completion students. The following plan addresses this diverse set of needs with the following plan. Obviously, a course may be offered but may not be taught due to lack of demand; however, this has occurred less than 5% of the time over the past five years.
The Walker College of Business offers two types of courses: core courses and specialty courses.
All business majors take core courses. Specialty courses are taken by students specializing in various concentrations (e.g., business analytics, marketing, management, logistics, global operations, etc.). On the Demorest campus, where traditional four-year residential students constitute the greatest density of students, we offer core courses every semester and once per year in the evening or online.
Specialty courses are generally offered once per year on the Demorest Campus. A few specialized courses, with historically low demand, are offered once every two years. By using these guidelines any student, whether online or in person, can meet the requirements for a major in business administration in two years.