Department of Business Administration

Faculty

R. Joseph Childs
- Dean, College of Business and Legal Studies
- Professor of Business
Lyle L. Bowlin
- Professor of Finance
- Chair, Department of Business Administration
William H. Hahn
- Professor of Accounting
Christopher M. Fairchild
- Associate Professor of Accounting
Mark Harrison
- Associate Professor of Finance
Carolyn Holton
- Associate Professor of Management Information Systems
- Director of MBA
Joseph W. Kilpatrick
- Associate Professor of International Business
Beth Leslie
- Assistant Professor of Business
John David Royer
- Associate Professor of Marketing
Gordon Storholm
- Associate Professor of Marketing
Jennifer Stukey
- Assistant Professor of Management
Natasha Ware
- Assistant Professor of Accounting

Additional Accreditation

The Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs (ACBSP) has awarded our College of Business & Legal Studies accreditation of its business programs and separate accreditation of its accounting program. These accreditations certify that the teaching and learning processes within our undergraduate and graduate business programs meet rigorous educational standards established by the ACBSP. For more information about the ACBSP, visit acbsp.org.

Mission

The College of Business and Legal Studies is dedicated to providing high-quality, relevant, and global learning experiences that emphasize moral and ethical practices within a Christ-centered environment. We prepare students with technical knowledge, essential skills, and leadership abilities that enable them to succeed in their professional and personal lives. We are committed to serving God and our stakeholders through stewardship, leadership and scholarship.

We Value

1. Providing a high-quality learning experience within a Christ-centered environment.

2. Integrating moral and ethical components in each course.

3. Maintaining academically and professionally qualified faculty consistent with the mission of the university.

4. Contributing to meaningful scholarship, particularly practical and pedagogical.

5. Assisting our constituents and community through education and acts of service.

6. Evaluating the need for new and innovative programs and implementing them as appropriate.

7. Engaging in continuous program improvement by enhancing the personal and professional excellence in our faculty and students.

Program Objectives

Our undergraduates will be able to:

1. Understand and use fundamental concepts related to accounting, business law, decision sciences, economics, financial analysis, information systems, management and marketing for business decision making.

2. Identify domestic and global trends that will have a significant impact on how businesses function to provide goods and services.

3. Describe how organizations should encourage ethical business behavior and practice social responsibility.

4. Articulate a personal and practical philosophy of ethical leadership and vocation.

5. Demonstrate the ability to prepare, plan and search for a career and lifelong learning opportunities.

6. Demonstrate the ability to communicate professionally in a variety of business styles and contexts including interpersonal, collaborative, written, and spoken.

7. Demonstrate the ability to apply critical thinking, problem solving skills, and economic reasoning to resolve real or simulated cases.

Minimum Grade Requirements

A student completing a major or minor in the business disciplines must earn a 2.50 average in the business and major core.

Additional Requirements for Sitting for the CPA Exam

For those accounting majors seeking a certificate as a Certified Public Accountant (CPA), most State Boards of Accountancy require approximately 30 additional hours of university courses beyond the traditional four-year accounting degree. In Florida, for example, if a student desires to sit for the CPA Exam, he or she will be required to take the 30 extra hours of university credit, to include 9-12 hours of additional accounting courses and 9-12 hours of additional upper level business courses, specifically including Business Law II. The Department of Business and Legal Studies offers the necessary courses. Alternatively, a properly planned Master of Business Administration or related degree can meet the requirements. The students pursuing a career in public accounting and/or CPA certification should contact their local State Board of Accountancy for specific requirements and meet with their business faculty advisor to plan the fifth year of university work.

Programs

Suggested Four Year Plan

General Education

Pre-Business

Major

Minor

Online Programs

Other Programs

Web Design & Development Certificate