College of Business

JoEll Bjorke, Interim Dean
309 Somsen Hall (507.457.5014)
College of Business

Vision

The business college of choice among our region’s students.

Mission

WSU’s College of Business (COB) offers high value undergraduate business programs preparing students to communicate effectively, think critically, work collaboratively, and to act responsibly to meet the challenges of a global community.

AACSB Accreditation

WSU’s College of Business (COB) is accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB). Accreditation by AACSB International represents the highest standard of achievement for business schools worldwide. Institutions that earn accreditation confirm their commitment to quality and continuous improvement through a rigorous and comprehensive peer review. AACSB International accreditation is the hallmark of excellence in management education.

College of Business (COB) Admissions Policy

Admission to the College of Business (COB) for College of Business BS majors and minors is required before students may enroll in 300- and 400-level classes.†

College of Business Admission Requirements

30 or more earned credits at the time of application.
Cumulative GPA of 2.5 (includes transfer credits).
Completion of the following courses with a minimum grade of “C” is required:

† Non-College of Business majors and minors must have junior status and instructor’s permission to take COB 300- and 400-level courses.

‡COB minors with non-COB majors: Completion of math and statistics courses required by their major or if none are required, any college-level math and statistics course. Note: Check your major to see what mathematics and statistics courses are required.

College of Business Application Process

The Application for Admission to the College of Business is available on the Admission Policy page.

Provisional Admission

A student may apply for provisional admission in order to pre-register for 300 or 400 level COB courses. In order to qualify for provisional admission, the student must be completing all of the requirements for admission in the current semester. To apply for provisional admission, contact the COB Dean’s Office in Somsen 309 prior to preregistration. Once the grades are in for the current semester, the student must immediately apply for admission. If not granted admission prior to the beginning of the next semester, the student will be dropped from the 300 or 400 level COB courses.

College of Business Common Core (33 S.H.)

Accounting (6 S.H.)

Business Administration (15 S.H.)

Economics

Finance (3 S.H.)

FIN 360 - Corporate Finance

Marketing (3 S.H.)

MKTG 300 - Principles of Marketing

Faculty

Over 85 percent of College of Business faculty hold terminal degrees in their respective fields of study. In addition to their dedication to teaching, the majority engage in significant ongoing research in business. Faculty members also bring to their teaching the knowledge they gain from regularly consulting with businesses and nonprofit organizations and from attending professional conferences, seminars, and workshops. Many business faculty participate in developing innovative and interdisciplinary approaches to teaching that help to broaden student perspectives. A number of faculty members promote and encourage collaborative projects engaging business partners.

Career Opportunities

The career opportunities for business majors continue to be strong and varied. Many graduates of the College of Business are employed by top accounting firms and leading international and domestic corporations. Some work in government agencies and nonprofit organizations. A significant number of WSU business majors attend graduate school sometime during their professional career.

Internships

All departments in the College of Business offer internship opportunities that allow students to gain valuable business experience before they graduate. Many of these internships lead to job opportunities immediately after graduation.

Scholarships

In addition to general university scholarships, a number of scholarships are designated for majors in the College of Business. These scholarships are awarded on a competitive basis. Students should watch for the application deadlines during the spring semester and apply through the university’s online application process.

Student Organizations

Student organizations are available for majors and minors in the College of Business. These organizations provide students with numerous opportunities to prepare for their profession through attendance at conferences and workshops, interaction with practitioners in their field, and social networking. Student organizations are actively involved in bringing speakers to campus who present a broad range of business topics.

COB Speaker Series

The series features individuals who share their career paths, business expertise and their successes and sometimes failures in the business world. The presentations occur on a regular basis in both the fall and spring semesters and are open to College of Business students, faculty and other individuals who may be interested in the topic. The series is co-sponsored by the College of Business, the College of Business Student Advisory Board and Delta Sigma Pi.

College of Business Connections

COB alumni and invited students share informal conversation in a small group setting. During the 90-minute dialog students are able to connect with alums, ask questions and seek advice regarding their particular career interests. COB Connections is co-sponsored by the College of Business and a featured College of Business student organization.