Soderquist College of Business

Fast, Gatlin, Heinrich, Jackson, Ladner (dean), McCollum, Pierce, Reimer, Togami, Waldron, Walenciak

The Soderquist College of Business at John Brown University consists of the Departments of Undergraduate Business, Online Undergraduate Business, and Graduate Business. The Soderquist College of Business has adopted the following vision, mission, and core values, which have been embraced by each department within the College.

Vision of the College of Business

To be nationally recognized as a leader in Christian higher education in business through the accomplishments of our students, our contributions to the academy and industry, and our impact on the world.

Mission of the College of Business

We provide challenging, practical business education from a Christian perspective, equipping students to succeed in their lifework and impact their world.

Core Values of the College of Business

Christian Faith - We are committed to John Brown University’s Articles of Faith.

Relationships - We value our relationship with God which guides collaboration, respect, and trust among all.

Teaching and Learning - We are passionate about excellence in teaching and lifelong learning.

Global Focus - We value global perspectives and experiences that stretch our understanding of business and provide opportunities to impact the world.

Intellectual Curiosity - We value an active investigative pursuit of knowledge.

Gratitude - We promote a culture of being thankful to God and each other.

Program - Level Outcomes and Assessment of Student Learning

The College of Business is committed to the following four program-level outcomes for our traditional undergraduate programs:

Effective Communication: Communicate effectively and professionally in various contexts using diverse techniques and contemporary media.

Critical Reasoning and Research: Conceptualize, apply, analyze, synthesize, and evaluate information to address questions, perform analyses, understand and apply results, reach conclusions, and assess impact.

Business Skills and Knowledge: Demonstrate skills and knowledge relevant to a business focus necessary for professional growth and success in global and culturally diverse contexts.

Ethical and Legal Issues and Christian Worldview: Anticipate, identify, and resolve moral, ethical and legal dilemmas through an understanding and application of the Christian worldview.

In addition to the program-level outcomes are program-specific outcomes for each major. They include:

Accounting Knowledge and Skills: Apply advanced accounting concepts to financial information in order to analyze and communicate the financial position and performance of organizations.

Entrepreneurship and Innovation Skills and Knowledge: Formulate hypotheses, design and conduct experiments to test assumptions about customers and develop innovative business models that demonstrate product-market fit.

Finance Skills and Knowledge: Demonstrate understanding of financial principles by applying knowledge and skills to personal and organizational challenges in the field of finance.

International Business Skills and Knowledge: Develop cultural intelligence and cross-cultural leadership skills that enable engagement at the interpersonal level within a business context.

Management Skills and Knowledge: Construct logical and creative solutions to complex management problems through synthesis and evaluation of both qualitative and quantitative data.

Marketing Skills and Knowledge: Design a customer-centric multi-channel marketing strategy to define opportunities, solve problems, and measure performance in a way that creates value for stakeholders.

The College of Business is committed to the assessment of student learning and to the continuous improvement of its programs. The undergraduate Department of Business uses formative, summative, and comparative assessments of student learning to ensure that each program is effectively preparing students to be responsible business professionals in the world they are entering. Assessments include internship evaluations, portfolios, capstone reviews, mid- and post-program surveys, competitions, embedded assessments, and nationally-normed exams. Faculty meet regularly with the dean to review and assess outcomes measures, identify issues, define areas of opportunity, and revise the program accordingly.

The College of Business offers two undergraduate degrees: the Bachelor of Science (B.S.) and the Bachelor of Business Administration (B.B.A.).

The Bachelor of Science degree features majors in Accounting and General Business. The Bachelor of Business Administration features majors in Accounting, Entrepreneurship and Innovation, Finance, International Business, Management, and Marketing. Students not pursuing one of the two undergraduate degrees may choose from the following areas as minor fields of study: Accounting, Applied Programming in Business, Business Administration, Economics, Entrepreneurship and Innovation, Finance, International Business, Leadership Studies, Management, and Marketing. Students who are pursuing one of the two undergraduate degrees offered by the College of Business may choose a minor in the following areas: Applied Programming in Business, Economics, and Leadership Studies.

Graduation Requirements

Students must achieve a cumulative grade point average of 2.25 in all College of Business course work and in each minor to be eligible for graduation.

Accreditation

All business degree programs of the College of Business are accredited or are in candidacy for accreditation by the Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs (ACBSP), www.acbsp.org, (913) 339-9356.

Preparation for the MBA or MS Degree

The undergraduate degree programs at John Brown University are excellent preparation for JBU’s Master of Business Administration (MBA) and business-related MS degrees. The College of Business offers a general MBA degree and specialized MBA degrees in the areas of International Business, Marketing Research and Consumer Insights, and Design Thinking and Innovation. The College also offers MS degrees with specializations in Leadership, Design Thinking and Innovation, and Outdoor Program Management. All master’s level programs are described on the web site www.jbu.edu/grad/business.

Students planning to enter graduate studies at another university should check the specific prerequisite requirements of that program.

4+1 Program

The College of Business also offers the ability for students to complete up to 12 credit hours of graduate courses during their junior and/or senior year that will count toward both undergraduate and graduate degrees. Students must meet certain requirements (including prerequisites) and should meet with their advisor for more information.