College of Business

Dean Niclas L. Erhardt, Ph.D.
Associate Dean Matthew T. Luth, Ph.D.
Assistant Dean Deborah Singer, MBA

Professors Gingerich, Kumar, Pinar; Associate Professors S. Jha, Lewis, Liu, Luth; Assistant Professors J. Chen, Dong, Karbasi, Sariol, Van Solt; Instructors L. Chen, Monarch; Lecturers Y. Jha, Steele.

The College of Business offers two degrees: a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration with majors in accounting, business analytics, finance, management, and marketing and a Bachelor of Science in Integrated Business and Engineering. In addition, the college offers a Master’s in Business Administration (see the VALPARAISO UNIVERSITY GRADUATE CATALOG for details and description).

Accreditation

The college’s degree programs are fully accredited by AACSB International. AACSB is recognized by the Commission on Recognition of Post-Secondary Accreditation as the sole accrediting agency for degree programs in business administration and accounting.

Mission

The mission of the College of Business is to cultivate values-based global leaders who emphasize socially, environmentally, and financially responsible business practices. The general education curriculum exposes each student to a broad range of disciplines, problem-solving techniques, and methods of inquiry. The business curriculum introduces students to concepts, tools of analysis, and techniques of evaluation, which further develop skills in problem-solving and decision-making. These serve as a foundation for students’ growth into competent and ethically responsible business leaders prepared for work in the global environment. The undergraduate education in business is concerned not only with preparation for business careers but with preparation for life in general.

The Major Field for the Bachelor of Science in Business Administration

The business core provides background in the production and marketing of goods and/or services and the financing of the business enterprise; it builds on the knowledge gained in the general education component. The student becomes familiar with accounting and quantitative methods that have application to the solution of business problems. Attention is given to ethical and social issues that confront modern business organizations within an integrative, capstone, policy-determination course. In addition to taking certain prescribed courses in the core, the student must complete the requirements for the major in accounting, business analytics, finance, management, marketing, or sports management for the degree in business administration. The requirements for each major are set forth in the curricula described, beginning with Bachelor of Science in Business Administration .

The undergraduate degree requires that the students devote at least one-half of their time to required and elective courses outside the College of Business.

The Major Field for the Bachelor of Science in Integrated Business and Engineering

The BS in Integrated Business and Engineering degree allows you to combine your interest in both business and engineering in a way that creates multiple career pathways within technology and technical organizations. BSIBE graduates are prepared to enter careers in technical sales, new business development, technical support, brand management, production planning, purchasing, operations analysis and management, plant accounting, and project management.

The program incorporates engineering and business curricula. It includes coursework in math, science, engineering, business, and general education. Along with this major, students are able to earn up to two minors, one in engineering (Mechanical and Engineering) and one in business (Business Administration, Business Analytics, Entrepreneurship, and Supply Chain and Logistics Management).

Minor in Business Administration

The College offers this minor for non-business students who desire a more advanced preparation in business than is provided by the Fundamentals of Business Minor. For more information and the requirements of these two minors, see Minor in Business Administration and Fundamentals of Business Minor .

Minor in Business Analytics

The college offers this minor to all Valparaiso University students who want to enhance their skills through the effective use of data. For more information and the requirements of this minor, see Business Analytics Minor .

Minor in Entrepreneurship

The college offers this minor to all Valparaiso University students who want to acquire an understanding of the venture creation process, including how to generate and develop a new business concept, apply quantitative and qualitative methods and analytical tools to identify and evaluate entrepreneurial opportunities, use data and analysis to create and evaluate a business plan, and evaluate different funding sources for a new venture. For more information and requirements of this minor, see Entrepreneurship Minor .

Minor in Marketing

The college offers this minor to all Valparaiso University students who want to acquire an understanding of marketing concepts and consumer orientation for developing marketing strategy. For more information and requirements of this minor, see Marketing Minor .

Minor in Supply Chain & Logistics Management

The college offers this minor to all Valparaiso University students who want to acquire an understanding of every element of an organization, including purchasing, planning, transportation, production, storage, and all the threads that connect all the different elements of business. A supply chain manager is someone who impacts the overall success of a business to ensure the organization can control its expenses, increase its sales, and effectively maximize profits. For more information and requirements of this minor, see Supply Chain and Logistics Management Minor .

Credit by Examination

Credit through the College Level Examination Program (CLEP) can be earned for the following courses:

For ACC 205 with the subject examination in Financial Accounting
For BLAW 204 with the subject examination in Introductory Business Law
For non-business majors only: MGT 304 with the subject examination Principles of Management
For non-business majors only: MKT 304 with the subject examination Principles of Marketing

Minors/Certificates for Business Students

In addition to minors in programs outside the College of Business, business students may complete the requirements for a minor in Business Analytics (see Business Analytics Minor ), Marketing (see Marketing Minor ), or in Supply Chain and Logisitics Management (see Supply Chain and Logistics Management Minor ). In addition, business students may pursue one of the two minors in the Reserve Officer Training Core - Military Leadership: Air Force Minor or Military Leadership: Army Minor (see Military Leadership Minor - Air Force Minor and Military Leadership Minor - Army Minor ). Business students may also pursue the Business Spanish Certificate to communicate to employers their ability to converse with Latinx customers, employees, and/or managers; see Marketing Minor for a description and requirements for this certificate.

A business student may declare a minor in the College of Arts and Sciences. No more than two courses of specified non-business courses required for a College of Business degree may be used in fulfilling the requirements of a minor except for interdisciplinary minors, the minor in mathematics, and the minor in computer science, where three courses may be used to simultaneously satisfy the requirements of the major and the minor. Students must earn a 2.250 grade point average in a minor for it to be noted on the student’s official academic record.

Honors College

The College of Business encourages those students who are qualified to participate in the Christ College Honors program. Business students enrolled in Christ College also have an advisor in Christ College. A College of Business student in Christ College may graduate as a Christ College Scholar (see Christ College - The Honors College ).

Double Major in the College of Business

Students may earn a double major by completing all the requirements for two majors. No course used to fulfill the requirements for one major (including major field requirements) may be used to fulfill requirements for a second major unless the course is required for both majors or the course fulfills the international business requirement for each major. There cannot, however, be any more than a seven-credit overlap between the two majors.

Double Degree

Students may earn double degrees by earning 30 credits and 60 quality points in excess of the total number of semester credits required for the first degree and, in addition, must fulfill all the specific course requirements for the second degree. None of the additional 30 credits for the second degree may be used to fulfill the requirements for the first degree.

Assessment Center

The CoB Assessment Center is not a place, but an event. It evaluates each student in the major soft skills of business management. Students are assessed on their problem solving, communication, leadership, teamwork, and interpersonal skills. Students receive individualized results. The College uses group results to assess the business curriculum.

For freshman and transfer students, the Assessment Center is offered as a lab to BUS 100 , required of all incoming students. For senior students, the Assessment Center is required as a lab to the capstone course BUS 475 . A $60-75 fee is required of all students per lab, to be paid to the Collegiate Assessment Partners, who administer the materials and results.

Cooperative Education

Cooperative Education in the College of Business is a program in which students combine full-time, professional, paid work experience with academic coursework. Employment may occur in a business, not-for-profit, or government setting. Each student is required to complete a Cooperative Education (or Internship; see following section) experience during their junior or senior year. The following policies govern Cooperative Education within the College of Business:

A student may participate in Cooperative Education after achieving junior standing with a minimum cumulative grade point average of 2.250.
A student works under the advisement of the CoB’s advising and practical experience coordinator, who monitors the work experience, evaluates the required written journal and oral presentation, and assigns the course grade taking into account the employer’s evaluation of the co-op student.
Placements require prior approval of both the CoB advising and practical experience coordinator and the director of the Career Center. Interested students should meet with the coordinator early in their academic careers.
A student registers for two credits for each co-op experience.
Retroactive credit will not be granted.

Internships

Internships enable students to apply concepts and skills learned in their business courses to situations encountered in actual organizational settings. Each student is required to complete an Internship (or Cooperative Education; see previous section) experience during their junior or senior year. The following policies govern Internships within the College of Business:

A student may participate in Internships after achieving junior standing with a minimum cumulative grade point average of 2.250.
A student works under the advisement of the CoB’s advising and practical experience coordinator, who monitors the work experience, evaluates the required written journal, and assigns the course grade taking into account the employer’s evaluation of the interning student.
Placements require the prior approval of the CoB advising and practical experience coordinator. Students should meet with the coordinator early in their academic careers.
Internships may be paid or unpaid work experiences.
A minimum of 100 hours of work experience during each internship placement is required to receive academic credit for the internship. A student registers for a total of one credit for each internship placement.
Retroactive credit will not be granted.

Admission

The general requirements for admission to the University and to the college are found beginning on Admission .

Transfers

Students currently enrolled at Valparaiso University and wishing to transfer into the College of Business, as well as those from other universities who wish to enter, must have a minimum cumulative grade point average of 2.250. Transfer students should refer to Admission regarding theology requirements and to page 11 for the First Year VUE requirement.

Business courses completed by transfer students may or may not fulfill major requirements. Evaluation of such credit is made by the dean and may be articulated as elective credit only. Any coursework completed at other colleges or universities with a grade lower than C- does not transfer. At least fifty percent of the business credit hours required for the business degree must be taken at Valparaiso University.

Residence Requirements

In addition to the general residence requirements specified by the University for all bachelor’s degree programs (see Academic Policies ), all candidates for baccalaureate degrees from the College of Business must satisfy the following residence requirements:

At least one-half of the number of total combined credit hours required for the Business Core and declared Business Major must be taken in residence.
At least one-half of the number of total credit hours required for the declared major must be taken in residence.

Progression Standards

The College of Business requires each student to maintain a minimum University cumulative grade point average of 2.250, a minimum business cumulative grade point average of 2.250, and a minimum major or minor cumulative grade point average of 2.250. Courses to be included in the business grade point average are those identified with the prefix ACC, BLAW, BUS, ENT, FIN, IDS, MGT, MKT, or SCM. Courses to be included in the major grade point average are those specifically identified under the major. Students must earn a grade of C- or better in all business prefix courses to graduate.

A student shall receive a Letter of Academic Deficiency at the end of the first semester in which he or she has a grade point average of less than 2.250 in either overall cumulative, business cumulative, or major cumulative.
A student shall be placed on college probation if he or she had a grade point average of less than 2.250 in either overall cumulative, business cumulative, or major or minor cumulative, and the student has received a Letter of Academic Deficiency within the last two regular semesters.
A student shall be suspended from the college for at least one semester if he or she has a grade point average of less than 2.250 in overall cumulative, business cumulative, or major or minor cumulative, and the student has been placed on probation within the last two regular semesters.
A suspended student will not be allowed to enroll in courses within the college except repeated courses to raise the business and/or major grade point average(s), provided he or she meets the course prerequisites. A suspended student must wait a minimum of one semester to apply for readmission to the College of Business. To be readmitted to the college after suspension, the student must have a minimum University cumulative grade point average of 2.250, a minimum business cumulative grade point average of 2.250, and a minimum major or minor cumulative grade point average of 2.250. A student suspended from the College of Business may apply for admission to another college within the University. A copy of all deficiency, probation, and suspension letters shall be placed in the student’s folder, and a copy given to his or her advisor.
If a student’s overall cumulative grade point average falls below 1.000 during any semester, the dean of the College of Business will evaluate the student’s situation to determine if the student should continue in the college (under deficiency or probation) or be suspended immediately.

Graduation Requirements

To be eligible for the Bachelor of Science in Business Administration degree, a student must complete one of the prescribed curricula on the following pages. The student must also satisfy the grade point requirements stated above and must meet all additional requirements for graduation established by the University (see the Graduation section Tuition and Fees ).

S/U Grading Option

Business students may not take business courses required for their business degree or declared business major using the S/U grade option unless

the course is only graded on the S/U basis or
the course is a free elective not from the student’s declared business major.

The S/U option is not permitted in the nonbusiness courses of ECON 221 , ECON 222 , ECON 223, MATH 124 , PHIL 145 , PSY 110 , PSY 111 , and any nonbusiness course used in the

Certificate in Business Spanish. See Academic Policies for the University guidelines for the S/U grading option.

Course Intensification Option

Any junior or senior student in good standing with a business grade point average of 2.700 or above may enhance one course in the major or a major field requirement for one additional credit. The general procedures for filing for course intensification are found on Academic Policies .

Advisement

Advisement of students admitted to the college is under the direction of the academic advisor, who assists freshmen in selecting courses and interpreting the requirements for an orderly progression toward a degree. During sophomore year, a business student is assigned a faculty advisor from the department they are majoring in. This faculty advisor will help them prepare for their junior and senior years, as well as transition to graduate school or the workforce. It is each student’s responsibility to know curriculum requirements, prerequisites for courses, academic policies and procedures, and deadline dates.

Student Organizations

Students are encouraged to join one or more of the following College of Business organizations.

Accounting Club

The Accounting Club at Valparaiso College of Business was established in 2021. The Accounting Club seeks to engage students with accounting-related activities and accounting homework support from senior peers. Trips to large and small accounting firms are organized annually, and accounting professionals are regularly invited to speak to students on a one-to-one basis about the profession. Students are supported by an Accounting faculty member and are encouraged to take positions of responsibility in the club, encouraging leadership and growth as they mature into young professionals.

Business Analytics Club

The Business Analytics Club was established in 2021. The Business Analytics Club engages with local businesses and provides opportunities for students to consult on real business problems. Students in the club identify a real-world business problem, discuss it, analyze data, examine findings, converse on possible solutions, and present analysis to companies. Additionally, the club occasionally hosts local business speakers on campus.

Kappa Phi Chapter of Delta Sigma Pi

This selective professional business fraternity of men and women worldwide has been organized to foster the study of business in universities, encourage scholarship and social activity, and promote closer affiliation between the commercial world and students of business.

Epsilon Nu Tau (Entrepreneurship Fraternity)

This coed professional organization was founded in the spring of 2008. Epsilon Nu Tau is based on the principles and ideals of entrepreneurship, brotherhood, professionalism, sales, and ethical business practices.

Future Business Leaders of America/Phi Beta Lambda

Phi Beta Lambda is the postsecondary nonprofit education association dedicated to preparing students for careers in business and business-related fields. FBLA-PBL’s National Awards Program recognizes and rewards excellence in a broad range of business and career-related areas. Through state-based competition at the spring State Leadership Conferences, students compete in events testing their business knowledge and skills. Top state winners are then eligible to compete for honors at the National Leadership Conference each summer.

Financial Management Association

The FMA was created in order to give students the opportunity to apply their knowledge and sharpen their skills in finance-related fields. This will allow the students to work on their skills in an environment where the costs of mistakes are low and where they will receive equal support for their growth in addition to their performance.

Society of Women in Business

The SWIB was established in 2021 to empower diverse women to grow professionally and achieve success through professional development workshops, mentoring events, and community outreach. SWIB hosts alumnae guest speakers each semester and partners with student organizations across campus to provide students with networking and professional development opportunities.

Honor Societies

Beta Gamma Sigma

Beta Gamma Sigma is a national honor society that recognizes outstanding academic achievements of students in AACSB-accredited business programs. The upper ten percent of the senior class and the upper seven percent of the junior class are invited into its membership. Members are entitled to wear blue and gold honor cords at commencement.

Decision Sciences and Information Systems Honor Society-Alpha Iota Delta

Sponsored by the Decision Science Institute to recognize academic excellence in the field of decision sciences and information systems.