2010-2011 Catalog 
    
    Mar 28, 2024  
2010-2011 Catalog [ARCHIVED CATALOG]

Business, BS


The student bears primary responsibility for the fulfillment of degree requirements.

General Requirements

Total Credits

A minimum of 120 semester hours of academic credit required.

RESIDENCY

Candidates for the Bachelor of Science (Business) must complete a minimum of 30 credits of business course work (to include the 18 credit hours in the area of emphasis and BUAD 4000 & 4500) after the student has been accepted into the College of Business and Administration.

UPPER DIVISION

A minimum of 45 credits must be upper-division (3000 or 4000-level) course work.

COMMUNITY COLLEGE TRANSFER HOURS

A maximum of 60 credit hours of appropriate academic credit taken at a junior or community college may be applied toward the undergraduate degree in business. The College reserves the right to disallow any credit that is not appropriate academic degree credit.

Model Degree Program for Business BS


(pdf version)

The following four-year plan lists all the specific course requirements for the Bachelor of Science in Business degree for the academic year of this catalog. Equivalent courses taken at other institutions prior to admission to this degree program may satisfy some requirements, subject to College of Business and Administration policies regarding the transfer of academic credit. The order in which these courses are taken may vary with course availability; however, normal degree progress requires that students complete the degree in a freshman, sophomore, junior, senior sequence in order to complete prerequisites as required. Course prerequisites and class standing requirements are strictly enforced by the College of Business and Administration.

Model Degree Program Notes


  1. SAT/ACT scores will be used for placement into English and Math courses.
  2. Admission to the College of Business is required for all courses beyond the first semester sophomore year (except MKTG 3000 and MGMT 3300).
  3. Writing Portfolio - All students must complete the University Composition Competency requirement prior to graduation.  After completing both ENGL 1310 and ENGL 2080, students must submit a Writing Portfolio or enroll in an additional qualified upper division writing course.
  4. Prerequisites and class standing are strictly enforced for all business courses.

Undergraduate Curriculum Notes


Skills Courses


Skills courses are completed in the freshman and sophomore years and provide students with a foundational knowledge of business skills and competencies. Skills courses must be completed with a C- or better and are the following courses: ACCT 2010, ACCT 2020, BUAD 3000, ECON 1010, ECON 2020, ENGL 1310, MATH 1040, MATH 1120, QUAN 2010, and QUAN 2020.  (See course descriptions by clicking on the hyperlinks in the model degree program.)

General Education Courses and Open Electives


The business degree requires 27-30 hours of general education courses and open electives.  General education courses must be chosen from the College of Business general education list for the current catalog year. Students must choose one Humanities, one Social Science, one Natural Science (4 hours) and three additional courses from the list. Open electives are any courses numbered 1000 and above. These credits provide a means to take courses geared toward expanding the breadth of students’ education. These courses should be chosen carefully based upon the student’s interests and objectives.

Business Courses


Twelve hours of business courses are required beyond the core curriculum. These business courses can be used for a second area of emphasis, a business minor, or to explore business topics other than those required in the students’ area of emphasis. Students may also elect to utilize these business courses for minors offered through the Letters, Arts and Sciences, Engineering, and/or Nursing Colleges (a maximum of 14 hours upper division Military Science/ROTC credit can be applied to the business degree if the student completes the Military Science minor).

The Professional Program


The professional program consists of the junior core courses, the area of emphasis and the senior capstone courses.  The professional program begins in the junior year and allows students to begin focused study in their chosen discipline. Business students must declare an Area of Emphasis (major) and must follow the sequence of courses listed in the Model Degree Plan for their catalog year of acceptance.

Area of Emphasis

An area of emphasis requires 18 hours of specific course work. Business students will select one of the following Professional Program Areas of Interest: Accounting, Business Administration, Finance, Human Resources Management, Information Systems, International Business, Management, Marketing, Professional Golf Management*, Service Management or Sport Management*, (*these programs have unique degree requirement, please see the following Emphasis sections for more details).

Senior Capstone Courses

Registration in BUAD 4500 is restricted to business seniors only; ENGL 2080, all skills courses, and  junior core courses must be completed prior to registration in BUAD 4500.  Registration in BUAD 4000 is restricted to second semester juniors.

Professional Program Areas of Emphasis


Each candidate for the Bachelor of Science-Business degree in the Professional Program must complete the prescribed courses in an area of emphasis comprising a minimum of 18 semester hours taken at UCCS.

To earn a professional area of emphasis, a grade point average of 2.5 is required for the area of emphasis courses, with no grade below a C-; a 2.5 cumulative GPA is required for all business courses; and a 2.0 GPA is required overall. Students who graduate with area of emphasis and/or business grade point averages from 2.0 to 2.49 will not earn an area of emphasis.

By completing extra courses, a student can earn a second area of emphasis. In order to earn a double area of emphasis, a student must fulfill all the requirements for both areas. If there are not at least 15 hours of unique courses in the areas, then the student cannot earn a double area of emphasis.

Accounting


Students who earn a degree in accounting are prepared for careers in financial accounting, managerial accounting, accounting systems, taxation, and auditing. The emphasis is designed to prepare students to work in public accounting, business and industry, and not-for-profit and governmental organizations.

Course work in accounting at UCCS conveys a comprehensive understanding of the theory and concepts that underlie practice. Emphasis is placed on logical reasoning and critical thinking to enable students to solve problems in accounting and to make sound policy decisions in the context of social, legal, and political environments.

(4-year Accounting Model Degree Program .pdf)

The undergraduate area of emphasis in accounting consists of a minimum of 18 semester hours in upper division accounting courses. All accounting majors are required to complete the following four courses:

Note:

While students may take as many hours in accounting as they wish, no more than 30 hours can be applied toward the total requirements for an undergraduate degree in business. Accounting students should work closely with faculty, the Student Success advisors, and the undergraduate program director in planning a degree program that is congruent with their career goals.

 To be eligible to sit for the Certified Public Accountant (CPA) examination, students must complete ACCT 4610 (Auditing). As of 2009, those wishing to be licensed as CPAs in the State of Colorado must complete at least 27 hours of accounting and 21 additional semester hours in other areas of business administration such as business law, management, marketing, statistics, business communications, economics, and finance. No more than six semester hours in any single area may be used to satisfy this requirement.

Students who hold graduate-level degrees are receiving greater interest from professional accounting firms and other employers. Thus, students who meet graduate admission criteria may find it advantageous to continue their education beyond the bachelor’s degree. In Colorado, as of 2009, individuals may currently be licensed as CPAs without professional apprentice experience if they have 30 semester hours of course work beyond the credits applied for the bachelor’s degree and 45 hours of accounting courses in their combined undergraduate and graduate studies. In addition, many states other than Colorado now require a minimum of 150 semester hours to be eligible to take the CPA exam and be licensed. Students who plan to leave Colorado should check the specific requirements of the states to which they may relocate. Students also should be aware that a proposal to require Colorado residents to complete 150 semester hours of credit to sit for the CPA examination is expected to be considered by the state legislature in 2010. It is not known whether this legislation will pass or, if it does pass, when it will take effect and exactly what requirements it will create or eliminate.

Business Administration


The Business Administration area of emphasis allows students to select 18 semester hours of upper division business course work based on the individual’s particular interests and objectives. These courses must be three-credit hour upper division business courses and must be selected from at least two different subject areas to provide a solid business foundation. Course work selected for the area of emphasis must be pre-approved via a contract  and cannot duplicate an existing area of emphasis.  See a business advisor in the Student Success Center to complete a contract. (4-year Business Administration Model Degree Program .pdf)

Finance


Finance encompasses both the science and the art of managing money and investments. The finance curriculum is divided into three primary areas: financial management, financial markets and institutions, and investments. The study of finance provides students with an understanding of numerous financial theories such as the relation between risk and return, the factors that determine asset values, and strategies for minimizing the risk exposure of both corporations and investors. An understanding of these theories helps students develop the ability to make sound and practical business and personal investment decisions. The importance of finance in the economy and the functions and purposes of monetary systems, credit, prices, money markets, and financial institutions are stressed throughout the area of emphasis. Students are trained to think logically regarding financial problems and to formulate sound financial decisions, policies, and practices.

The finance emphasis prepares students for jobs in a corporate industrial setting or in the financial services industry. Students who study corporate finance prepare for careers managing corporate assets. Specific jobs in the corporate setting can include cash and receivables management, capital budgeting decision making, short- and long-term financial planning and analysis, risk analysis and management, and financing decisions. Financial services careers include positions in investment counseling, insurance, personal asset management and other financial planning careers.

(4-year Finance Model Degree Program .pdf)

To meet the 18 credit hours of upper division course work in the finance emphasis, students must complete the following required courses and one of the elective courses listed below.

Human Resources Management


The goal of the human resources management function in organizations is to develop and maintain effective relationships between employers and employees. Human resource (HR) managers achieve this in a number of ways—matching people’s skills to job requirements, developing fair compensation practices, appraising employees’ performance levels, developing employees’ skills and abilities through training and career planning, implementing productivity improvement programs, and many other activities. HR managers perform these roles ethically and legally in an ever-changing environment. These changes include new employment laws, the changing skills and demographics of the work force, people expecting more and different things from their employers, and companies becoming increasingly globalized in their operations. The HR manager’s job is challenging. HR managers are in high demand.

The human resources management emphasis prepares students for careers in HR by covering such topics as recruiting, staffing, training and development, performance appraisal, evaluation, compensation, career planning, safety and health, equal employment opportunity and affirmative action, and labor relations.

(4-year Human Resource Management Model Degree Program .pdf)

Information Systems


The use of information technology is pervasive in the business world today. No matter what career is chosen, virtually all students will have to work with and understand the basics of information technology to be successful. The information systems area of emphasis helps prepare students for this technology-centric world.

The information systems curriculum includes an introduction to basic computer hardware and software, programming, databases, networking, along with the fundamentals of analysis and design and project management. The continuous advances in the use of decision support systems and management information systems make the field one from which to build a productive career in business.

(4-year Information Systems Model Degree Program .pdf)

International Business


Economies are intertwined as never before, and inmost industrial sectors competition is increasingly global. Simultaneously, there are a number of new and dynamic events and processes that influence the world economic, cultural, and political arenas. It is essential that managers understand the implications of these changes. They affect managers in at least three ways. First, firms that see themselves as primarily domestic companies are facing increased competition by foreign firms in their domestic market. Secondly, foreign markets and resources are becoming increasingly important in terms of incremental revenue, profitability, sources of technology, and capital. And third, U.S. world-wide economic influence has diminished in a relative sense, and it has become more important than ever for executives to be aware of international influences.

This area of emphasis addresses these issues and introduces students to the challenges and basic skills required for effective international business management.

Management


Today’s highly competitive, constantly changing global environment places a premium on skilled managers who know how to lead and motivate people, build high performance teams, develop world class organizations, and understand the dynamics of organization behavior. Organizations of all sizes and types need skilled managers.

The management curriculum provides a foundation for careers in management, human resource management, small business management and entrepreneurship, and public agency management. This area of emphasis addresses contemporary issues in management and the changing roles of managers and leaders at all levels of the organization.

Marketing


Global and national economies are directly influenced by marketing, a dynamic and challenging activity relevant to profit and nonprofit organizations alike. Marketing is the guiding force in conceiving and designing products and services, pricing them according to perceived value in the marketplace, promoting them through advertising and personal selling to potential buyers, and providing acceptable distribution arrangements for customers. Customer-oriented planning and implementation provide the cornerstone of modern marketing techniques and strategies.

Marketing is a vital ingredient in an organization’s formula for success in effecting mutually beneficial exchanges between buyers and sellers. Because marketing is a synthesis of a wide variety of disciplines, including management, economics, psychology, statistics, and sociology, marketing classes tend to attract students that excel in creative areas, problem-solving capabilities, and strategic thinking.

Our graduates typically find career opportunities in sales, advertising,marketing research, product development, retailing, wholesaling, e-commerce and related endeavors, both domestically and internationally.

PGA Golf Management


The purpose of the PGA Golf Management program is to prepare students to be professional managers in the golf industry, while holding the distinction of membership in the Professional Golfers’ Association of America (PGA). These individuals will be qualified to fill any of a number of roles in a variety of positions and specific entities.

The program involves a three-part preparation process: (a) completion of the requirements for a bachelor’s degree in business, (b) completion of 16-18 months of supervised internships, and (c) completion of the PGA’s Professional Golf Management Training Program (PGA/PGMTM), including passing the Playing Ability Test (PAT).

Individuals will generally enter the PGM Program as freshmen business students; in addition to meeting standard academic entrance requirements, these students must have a documented handicap of no greater than 12. Qualified transfer students are also accepted into the program; applicants must also meet the handicap requirement and must understand that their transfer credits shorten only the time allocated to the academic portion of the program. They must complete the internships and the PGA/PGMTM training on the same schedule as other students.  Because there are relatively few electives in the program, it is possible that not all transferred courses will count toward graduation.

All new PGM students must start their program in the fall semester.

PGM Program Notes


On top of required courses and required internships, PGM students must complete all requirements included in the BS Business degree.  Many of the PGM required courses satisfy the different electives throughout the BS program.  Please see an academic advisor for questions about PGM program progression.

PGMT 1100 is to be taken in the summer following the freshman year. PGMT 2100 and 2110 are to be taken in successive Summer and Fall semesters following the sophomore year. PGMT 4100 and 4110 are to be taken in successive fall and spring semesters after the junior year.

All internships occur under the supervision of members of the PGA of America at facilities approved by the PGM Program staff. The facilities can be located virtually anywhere in the country or, in some circumstances, outside the country. Placement is assisted by the Internship Coordinator in cooperation with each student. Internships typically provide compensation directly to the student. Each student will submit a post-internship report and will receive a grade based on demonstrated progress toward completing specified work experiences.

PGM students also must enroll in the PGA/PGMTM during their freshman year, which is accomplished through their enrollment in PGMT 1000. The cost of the program is in addition to regular tuition and student fees. It is collected from students as special course-related fees and is passed along intact to the PGA of America. Completion of the PGA/PGMTM also requires passing three checkpoints (during the sophomore, junior, and senior years) as well as the Playing Ability Test administered by the Colorado Section of the PGA or other sections in other states. Students are encouraged to pass the PAT as soon as possible, even before enrollment and preferably before the second internship. PGA standards require freshmen to attempt the PAT at least once, sophomores at least twice, and all others at least three times per year until it is passed. Additional information about the PGA/PGMTM and the PAT is available at www.pgalinks.com. Students who participate in the PGM Program are subject to additional unique academic and professional policies as described in the PGM Student Handbook. Copies of the handbook are available from the program’s Director.

Service Management


In the U.S., approximately 82% of the labor force and 80% of the GDP are accounted for by services. Virtually every organization has a significant service component. The Service Management area of emphasis is an integrated collection of courses designed to provide the unique skills and knowledge required to succeed in the service economy. This emphasis is especially valuable for those who plan to work in a management or professional capacity in the service sector, including professional service organizations (e.g. law, accounting), customer service departments, call centers, help desks, insurance etc.

Sport Management


The Sport Management area of emphasis is designed to prepare students to become the next generation of leaders in the sport management industry through education and training that imparts the knowledge, skills, and experience essential for providing increased enjoyment and rewarding participation within the wide and varied world of sport.
Sport Management Model Degree Program .pdf