George Low, Ph.D., Dean
Kyle Hall 302, (540) 831-5187
http://www.radford.edu/cobe

Steve Beach, Ph.D., Associate Dean
Kyle Hall 305, (540) 831-5891

Gary Schirr, Ph.D., MBA Director
Kyle Hall 345, (540) 831-6712
MBA Office, (540) 831-6905

Nasim Schwab, Director of Advising
Kyle Hall 245, (540) 831-5074

Debbie Pauley, Assistant to the Dean
Kyle Hall 304, (540) 831-5382

Vision, Mission, and Values

Our vision is to be recognized for challenging minds, cultivating talents and connecting people in a technology-rich learning environment.

Our mission is to provide an active learning environment that develops analytical and innovative business professionals for the dynamic global economy. We emphasize intellectual contributions that advance practice, pedagogy, and knowledge of our disciplines.

Active learning environment means that we use experiences such as applied projects, interactive learning events, professional enrichment programs, and activities as we publish articles that contribute to business practices.

Develop analytical business professionals means that we work to develop experiences to impact skills in logic, ethical awareness, knowledge of business disciplines, analytical reasoning, communication, and cross cultural awareness. 

Develop innovative business professionals for the dynamic global economy refers to experiences in research, consulting, courses, study abroad, and other initiatives that increase the effectiveness of individuals and teams within a diverse society. It also suggests that we seek to create experiences that help people succeed within a changing global environment.

We value:
Collaboration
Collegiality
Cross cultural understanding
Clear communication
Analytical skills
Ethical interactions that respect the dignity of all peoples

Programs

The College of Business and Economics offers a wide range of programs that prepare graduates for careers in business or economics in both the private and public sectors of the economy. Business and economics programs have a liberal arts foundation and explore the theory and practice of modern business administration.

The college is comprised of four academic departments which offer a variety of combinations of undergraduate degrees and majors:

Accounting, Finance, and Business Law 
Economics 
Management 
Marketing  

Accelerated Master’s Program

The college also offers the Master of Business Administration (MBA) degree, an interdisciplinary program that involves course work in all four academic departments.

Students accepted for the bachelor’s/master’s accelerated programs may take up to 9 graduate credits while studying as undergraduates, and these may count toward both the bachelor’s and master’s degrees. The course(s) may count as a required discipline specific elective in the major or as an elective with approval of the department chair.

Accreditation

The graduate and undergraduate programs in business administration offered by the College of Business and Economics at Radford University are accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB-International). The AACSB is the premier accrediting agency for business schools, worldwide.

Student Organizations

The College of Business and Economics sponsors a variety of student organizations which permit students to pursue extracurricular activities related to business, economics, or a specific functional area of business. The student organizations and their primary areas of interest are the Institute of Management Accountants (accounting), Beta Alpha Psi (Accounting), Economics Student Association (economics), Omicron Delta Epsilon (economics), Alpha Mu Alpha American Marketing Association (marketing), Pi Sigma Epsilon (marketing), the Financial Management Association (finance), Society for Advancement of Management (management), Sigma Iota Epsilon (management), Beta Gamma Sigma (business), Phi Beta Lambda (business), Alpha Kappa Psi (business), Delta Sigma Pi (business), Collegiate Entrepreneurs (business), and the MBA Student Association. These student organizations are open to any interested student with the exception of Alpha Mu Alpha American Marketing Association, Beta Alpha Psi, Beta Gamma Sigma, Sigma Iota Epsilon, and Omicron Delta Epsilon, which are honorary societies and have special membership criteria. The Student Managed Investment Portfolio Organization, the COBE Ambassadors, and the Student Advisory Board each has a selective membership process.

Laptop Requirement

All students taking one or more courses in the College of Business and Economics (COBE) must have a portable computer. The computer shall:

• meet Radford University recommendations, as specified by the Division of Information Technology,
• run Windows operating system 8 or higher,
• be loaded with the most recent MS Office Suite of software applications for the Windows operating system,
• be compliant with RU security requirements for access to the RU computing network, including anti-virus software.

Advising

http://www.radford.edu/cobe-advising

All students with 56 or fewer credit hours seeking a Bachelor of Business Administration (B.B.A.) degree are advised by the Business Advising Center under the supervision of the college Director of Advising. Junior and senior B.B.A. majors who have met the pre-business requirements and all students seeking a Bachelor of Science (B.S.) degree in economics are advised by faculty within their major.

Undergraduate Degree Requirements

Undergraduates in the College of Business and Economics may earn a B.B.A. degree in Accounting (ACTG), Economics (ECON), Finance (FINC), Management (MGNT), or Marketing (MKTG). Students majoring in economics may also elect to earn a B.S. degree. During the semester in which they expect to successfully meet the pre-business requirements, students must complete an online application for admission into a business major in a selected field of study. Upon successful completion of all pre-business requirements with a minimum average grade point of 2.0 and an overall GPA of 2.25 or higher, students will be officially admitted into a major and permitted to take 300- and 400-level business courses. Students must also complete all courses required for their major as well as other courses required by the university. Non-business majors are allowed to take upper division business courses if they have completed at least 56 credit hours and meet all other course prerequisites.

Pre-Business Program Courses

All students, regardless of their major, who intend to earn a B.B.A. degree are required to take each of the following courses:

Business Core Courses

All students pursuing a B.B.A. degree are required to take the following nine courses:

Bachelor of Business Administration

Probation Policy

BBA students are required to maintain a Grade Point Average (GPA) no lower than 2.25 in their college major, as defined by the Catalog. If a student’s GPA falls below 2.25 in his or her college major, that student will have one semester plus wintermester (if student is on probation for the fall semester) or the summer terms (if student is on probation for the spring term) to raise his or her GPA to the minimum level. Failure to achieve the minimum level GPA in one semester plus the summer or wintermester term will result in removal from the College of Business and Economics (COBE).

Graduation Requirements

Students must have an overall grade point average GPA of at least 2.0 in all courses taken at Radford to graduate with the B.B.A. degree. In addition, students must have at least a 2.25 major GPA. For the purpose of computing the major GPA, the major is defined as all pre-business and business core courses and the 18 to 30 hours prescribed for the major by the department. In addition, at least 50 percent of the business courses required for the B.B.A. degree must be taken at Radford University. Business courses are defined as those having the prefix ACTG, BLAW, FINC, MGNT, or MKTG. Students earning a business minor must earn a GPA of at least 2.00 in the courses comprising the minor. Courses in a minor are defined under each category. At least 50 percent of the business courses required for a minor must be taken at Radford University.

Bachelor of Science in Economics

Probation Policy

Upon entry to the major, B.S. students are required to maintain a Grade Point Average (GPA) no lower than 2.25 in their college major, as defined by the Catalog. If a student’s GPA falls below 2.25 in his or her college major, that student will have one semester plus wintermester (if student is on probation for the fall semester) or the summer terms (if student is on probation for the spring term) to raise his or her GPA to the minimum level. Failure to achieve the minimum level GPA in one semester plus the summer or wintermester term will result in removal from the Bachelor of Science in Economics degree program.

Graduation Requirements

Students must have an overall grade point average GPA of at least 2.0 in all courses taken at Radford to graduate with the B.S. degree in Economics. In addition, students must have at least a 2.25 major GPA. For the purpose of computing the major GPA, the major is defined as all Required Courses, Economics Core courses and Basic Concentration credit hours prescribed for the major by the department.