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> MSU
Catalog
College
of Business
Dan Moshavi, Ph.D.,
Interim Dean
Bruce Raymond, Ph.D., Associate
Dean for Administration and
Finance
Susan Dana, J.D., Associate
Dean for Academic Affairs
and
Director,
The Bracken Center for Excellence
in
Undergraduate
Business Education
Christine Lamb, Ed.D.,
Assistant Dean
Undergraduate Programs
Available:
General Information:
The College of Business
at Montana State University
is a vibrant and exciting
place where the academic and
professional success of students
comes first. An extraordinary
faculty offers both an innovative,
nationally recognized curriculum
and a unique learning environment
for undergraduate students.
Distinguishing features of
the program include small
classes, exceptional faculty
members in every classroom
(no graduate student instructors),
rigorous course work, an interactive,
personalized learning environment,
and high-performing students.
Each student has a faculty
advisor who is available to
mentor the student on both
academic and career choices.
The College is fully accredited
by AACSB International-the
Association to Advance Collegiate
Schools of Business (AACSB),
the premium accrediting association
for business programs. AACSB
has awarded its mark of distinction
to only fifteen percent of
all business programs worldwide.
Not only does this accreditation
certify that the College meets
AACSB's rigorous standards
for business education, but
it also signals to local,
regional and national employers
that the College's graduates
are well-prepared for careers
in business.
The College's commitment
to student-centered learning
is articulated in the College's
vision and mission statements:
Vision Statement: The
College of Business at Montana
State University will provide
a locally revered and nationally
recognized business education
for undergraduate students
and in selected areas of graduate
study. The programs
of study will be distinguished
by the personalized attention
accorded to students, a diverse
and contemporary curriculum,
and the dedication of the
faculty to create an extraordinary
classroom environment and
facilitate career opportunities
for students.
Mission Statement: The
mission of the College of
Business is to provide excellence
in undergraduate and select
graduate business education.
To accomplish this, the
College:
- Fosters an integrated
and experiential learning
environment
- Encourages critical thinking,
quantitative reasoning, effective
communication, ethical decision
making, social responsibility
and life-long learning.
The College is committed
to the teacher-scholar model
in which faculty members are
simultaneously engaged in
the creation and dissemination
of knowledge. In keeping with
the University's land-grant
mission, the College provides
service and outreach to a
variety of stakeholders.
Learning Objectives
Based on the College's
mission, the College has established
the following learning objectives
for its students:
- Knowledge of Business: Students
will have strong working knowledge
of fundamental concepts in
accounting, finance, management,
marketing, information technology,
strategy and law.
- Critical Thinking: Students
will learn to effectively
and persuasively assimilate
and evaluate information to
solve business problems.
- Effective Written Communication: Students
will be able to develop and
organize ideas; adopt an appropriate
tone; employ correct grammar,
sentence structure and mechanics;
use appropriate vocabulary;
and correctly cite sources
for facts, quotations and
ideas.
- Effective Oral Communication: Students
will be able to develop and
organize ideas; successfully
employ technology in support
of a message; speak extemporaneously
with minimal hesitations and
fillers; adopt an appropriate
tone; use appropriate vocabulary;
employ correct grammar and
sentence structure; and manage
presentation pacing and timing
effectively.
- Ethical Decision Making
and Social Responsibility: Students
will recognize the ethical
and societal implications
of proposed actions; employ
decision-making tools to evaluate
the ethical and societal effects
of a variety of options; and
make sound decisions in accordance
with the analysis and evaluation
of options.
- Life-Long Learning: Students
will be immersed in an environment
that encourages life-long
learning through extensive
opportunities to learn in
team settings and to develop
effective team skills; to
develop research skills to
advance learning; and to strengthen
critical thinking skills.
Throughout the business
curriculum, students receive
significant exposure to each
of these learning objectives.
The level of student learning
related to each objective
is assessed in the senior
year.
The College's commitment
to undergraduate student success
is embodied in The Gary
K. Bracken Center for Excellence
in Undergraduate Business
Education, which is both
a physical place and a philosophy.
The Bracken Center is physically
located within the College
of Business in Reid Hall,
where it offers access to
internship and career information,
employer interviews, state-of-the-art
conference rooms for student
use and the Bracken Business
Communication Clinic (BBCC).
The BBCC is staffed by business
writing professionals who
coach students on oral presentations
and written assignments, including
basic grammar, punctuation,
sentence structure and tenses,
and business themes, content
and organization of material.
The philosophy of the Bracken
Center is reflected in its
mission to facilitate excellence
in undergraduate business
education through a high quality
learning environment. The
foundation for student success
is based on "Three Pillars."
- "Learning to Do" -
Excellent Academic Preparation
- Innovative, challenging,
and practical curriculum
- Small classes taught
exclusively by faculty, not
by graduate students
- Focus on experiential,
hands-on learning
- "Learning to Act" -
Developing Professional Skills
- Student commitment to
the student PRIDE Code of
Excellence
- Emphasis on team work
and oral and written communication
- Guidance in finding internships
and jobs, including "Meet
the Recruiters" events
and resume and interviewing
assistance.
- "Learning to Be" -
Nurturing Personal Growth
- Individualized attention
to help students recognize
their strengths and interests
- Faculty advisors/mentors
assigned to all students from
their very first day on campus
- Study abroad opportunities
supported by fellowships to
help pay for travel expenses
The
College considers student
professionalism and personal
development to be essential
complements to academic excellence.
Business students in conjunction
with the faculty have therefore
developed a Student PRIDE
Code of Excellence to help
guide students in their academic,
professional and personal
choices:
Student PRIDE
Code of Excellence
We, the students of the
MSU College of Business, understand
that in choosing to enroll
at MSU we are investing in
our professional futures.
Therefore, we proudly commit
to the following Code of Excellence:
Performance
- I am accountable for and
take pride in my own learning
and conduct.
- Respect
- I treat with respect all
members of my community, including
peers, staff and faculty.
Integrity
- I am ethical in all that
I do.
- Diligence
- I do my best work at all
times.
Engagement
I challenge myself to
invest proactively in my academic,
professional and personal
development.
The College offers a wide
array of opportunities for
students to develop their
academic, professional and
personal skills, including:
- First Year and Senior
Seminars consisting of no
more than 20 students.
- Courses in which students
serve as consultants for real
firms and not-for-profit organizations
- Minors in Accounting;
Business Administration; Entrepreneurship
and Small Business Management;
International Business; and
Management of Information
Technology (see below for
more detail on these minors)
- Student clubs, including
Accounting/Beta Alpha Psi,
Beta Gamma Sigma, Finance,
International Business, HR/Management,
Marketing, and Students in
Free Enterprise (entrepreneurship)
- Internships at local,
regional and national companies
and government agencies
- Study abroad opportunities
and short term international
programs, including a most-expenses-paid
internship in Tokyo, Japan.
The Bracken Center offers
scholarships specifically
to support international activities.
- David B. Orser Executive
Speakers Forum which brings
several high-profile professionals
to the College annually to
interact with students and
offer insights into business.
The Bracken Center also
provides assistance to faculty
members to support their teaching
and research activities.
The Alderson Program
in Entrepreneurship enables
students to study entrepreneurship
through the College's minor
in Entrepreneurship and Small
Business Management. The culmination
of the Program is a course
through which students gain
valuable experience working
with start-up or growth technology
companies through the Center
for Entrepreneurship for the
New West, which assists
scientists at MSU in commercializing
their scientific discoveries.
This partnership not only
allows students to apply knowledge
gained from their academic
work to businesses, but also
makes a significant contribution
to the economic development
of the state of Montana. The
Alderson Program has been
recognized by Entrepreneur
Magazine as one of the
top 10 entrepreneur-emphasis
programs in the U.S.
The College grants two
degrees: a Bachelor of Science
in Business, with options
in Accounting, Finance, Management,
and Marketing; and a Master
of Professional Accountancy.
For information about the
College's Master of Professional
Accountancy program, please
see the Division
of Graduate Education section
elsewhere in this catalog.
The College of Business
undergraduate curriculum is
structured on a four-stage
model. The four stages include
the University Core, the Business
Pre-Core, the Business Core,
and the option courses. Courses
are numbered to reflect their
position within the curriculum.
100-level courses are generally
taken in the freshman year,
200-level courses in the sophomore
year, 300-level courses in
the junior year, and 400-level
courses in the senior year.
The University
Core, which is required
of all MSU students, is described
elsewhere in this catalog.
The Business Pre-Core consists
of 100- and 200-level courses
that are necessary to develop
fundamental knowledge and
skills in business, accounting,
Mathematics, statistics, economics,
information technology, and
communication. Completion
of the Business Pre-Core is
required for formal admission
to the College. The Business
Pre-Core includes:
BUS
101 Freshman
Seminar*
BUS 201 Managerial
Communication
BUS 211 Business
Software Applications
ACTG 201 Principles
of Accounting I
ACTG 202 or Managerial
Accounting (MGMT and MKTG
students)
ACTG 223 Principles
of Acct II (ACTG and FIN students)
M
161 Survey
of Calculus
ECNS 202 Principles
of Macroeconomics
ECNS 204 Microeconomics
STAT 216 Introduction
to Statistics
STAT 217 or Intermediate
Statistical Concepts
MGMT 231 Business
Research Methods
*Students transferring
into the College of Business,
either from another institution
or from another MSU department,
who have already earned credit
for a University Seminar (US)
course must take MGMT 204
instead of BUS 101.
The Business Core courses,
most of which are 300-level
courses designed for juniors,
establish the basis for business
education in management, marketing,
finance, information technology,
production and operations
management, law, and strategy
and policy. The Business Core
courses are prerequisites
for most upper-level option
courses. The Business Core
courses include:
BUS 301 Management
and Organization
BUS 302 Career
Perspectives
BUS 311 Information
Systems
BUS 331 Operations
Management
BUS 341 Principles
of Marketing
BUS 351 Finance
BUS 361 Introduction
to Law
BUS 474 Business
Senior Seminar
The option courses, most
of which are 400-level courses
designed for seniors, enhance
the depth of understanding
in one area of business: accounting, finance, management or marketing.
Please see the descriptions
of the option requirements
for more detail on the option
courses.
All business majors must
be formally admitted to the
College of Business in order
to enroll in all upper-division
(300-400 level) option courses
(ACTG, FIN, MGMT, MKTG) and
BUS 474, Business Senior Seminar.
The performance criteria
for formal admission to the
College of Business are as
follows:
- Junior Standing (completion
of 60 semester credits)
- Completion of all Business
Pre-Core Courses with no grade
less than a C-
- Score of at least 3 on
the ACT Workkeys Written Exam
- Minimum 3.00 cumulative
MSU GPA (grade point average)
for Priority Admission
Admission to the College
of Business is competitive,
and the number of students
admitted each term is limited
by the instructional, classroom
and resource constraints of
the College. To be considered
for admission, students must
submit a completed admission
application prior to the deadlines
below. Students who meet all
performance criteria and have
a 3.00 or higher cumulative
MSU GPA will be given priority
admission. Applications from
transfer students and students
with cumulative grade point
averages less than 3.00 will
be considered on a case-by-case
basis with preference based
on academic performance. Applications
from students with a cumulative
grade point average less than
2.50 will not be considered.
To graduate with a Bachelor
of Science degree in Business,
a student must earn a C- or
better in all required business
courses.
Applications for formal
admission to the College will
be considered twice a year.
The application deadlines
for admission are as follows:
Admission for Fall/Summer
Term On or before
May 1st
Admission for Spring
Term On or before
December 1st
Applications are available
in the College of Business
Student Services Office, 338
Reid Hall. Notification of
admission decisions will be
made via the student's official
MSU e-mail.
The Montana Board of Regents
has established a common policy
on minimum course grades across
all campuses in the Montana
University System. According
to the policy, a grade of C- or
better is required to satisfy
requirements for pre-requisite
and required courses in majors,
minors, and certificate programs
and for all core requirements.
Further, a grade of C- or
better is required in all
courses that will be counted
toward the 42 upper-division
credits required in all degrees.
Courses with a passing grade
of D-, D, or D+ may
only be counted toward the
overall 120 credit requirement.
This policy creates a minimum
requirement, which may be
superseded by more stringent
requirements within specific
majors. Any such requirements
are explained within the descriptions
of those curricula.
The College's Office of
Student Services coordinates
new and transfer student orientation,
continuing student registration,
formal admission to the College,
and certification of College
degree requirements. Each
student is also assigned a
faculty advisor to consult
about the student's career-related
goals and objectives.
University undergraduate
programs in business administration
normally concentrate professional
business courses in the last
two years of a four-year program.
The objective is to allow
students the opportunity to
build a foundation of work
in the arts, sciences, and
humanities prior to beginning
professional course work.
As a result of this approach
and because of the standards
and requirements of AACSB
- International, most students
transferring into the College
from another university should
do so no later than the end
of their sophomore year.
Students taking their first
two years of work at a junior
college or at another four
year institution should take
only those business courses
offered at the freshman or
sophomore level at Montana
State University. Lower-division
business courses may not be
used to satisfy upper-division
course requirements of the
College of Business.
If at all possible, students
should complete courses which
will transfer to Montana State
University as the equivalent
to the Business Pre-Core.
All students transferring
to the College of Business
must meet the College of Business
residency requirement. Students
are required to complete at
least the following 25 credits
in residence at MSU.
Minimum
of 9 credits of upper division
required
option courses/3 courses |
|
|
9 |
Plus
a minimum of 12 credits of
upper division required
BUS and/or option courses/4
courses |
|
|
12 |
| BUS
474, Senior Seminar |
|
|
4 |
| Total |
|
|
25 |
For additional guidance
on transferring to Montana
State University, see the Admissions section
of this catalog and contact
the Office of Student Services,
College of Business at business@montana.edu .
The College does not offer
a Master of Business Administration
degree. The following courses
are recommended for non-business
undergraduate students who
are considering graduate study
in business at another institution.
These courses provide the "common
body of knowledge" required
for most MBA programs. Completion
of these courses can reduce
the time required to obtain
an MBA, but students should
correspond with the Graduate
Admissions Officer at their
intended graduate school to
confirm the acceptability
of these courses.
The College of Business
offers the Master of Public
Accountancy degree. This demanding
and highly reputed program
should be considered by students
who are interested in pursuing
CPA certification or advanced
financial positions. Information
about this program can be
found in the Division
of Graduate Education section
of the catalog.
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