Mike Cottrell School of Business
The Mike Cottrell School of Business is an AACSB accredited institution that offers the Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) degree with majors in accounting, finance, management, and marketing. A Minor in Business Administration is available for non-business majors. At the graduate level, the School offers the Master of Business Administration (MBA) degree. Information about the graduate program is available in the Graduate Bulletin or online.
Mission
The mission of the North Georgia College & State University's School of Business is to produce skilled, ethical business leaders who are competitive in the regional and global environment by providing an atmosphere of personalized learning, conducting relevant research, and fostering active engagement experiences.
Becoming a Business Major or Minor and Advising
Upon admission to the University, any student can declare a major in business. Currently enrolled students who wish to change their major to business must have an overall GPA of at least 2.0; otherwise, they will be provided with specific suggestions for improving their academic record prior to making another request.
Students with a declared major in Business will be assigned a faculty advisor in the School of Business. The faculty advisor will assist in planning and sequencing coursework to progress toward a degree and provide career advice. Students seeking a Minor in Business Administration will be advised by the Director of Academic Services for Business.
In addition to faculty advisors, the School of Business maintains a website with advising information for BBA students. This site includes curriculum updates and information about the sequencing of courses for each major, Plan of Study sheets listing all of the requirements for each major, information about course prerequisites, and a long range schedule that indicates which semesters each course is expected to be taught. The website for undergraduate programs in business is at www.northgeorgia.edu/business
Enrollment Eligibility
The School of Business distinguishes between students who are declared as a business major and students who meet the requirements to take courses in the BBA degree program. Enrollment in many courses taught through the Mike Cottrell School of Business requires students to meet eligibility requirements beyond the specific course prerequisites identified in the course description. Each course falls into one of three groups: courses open to any North Georgia student meeting the stated prerequisites; courses restricted to any North Georgia student meeting the stated prerequisites and a set of foundation courses; and courses that are further restricted to students who meet additional course and grade requirements and are declared as a business major. These requirements are monitored through the registration system rather than requiring a separate application for admission to the School of Business.
Business courses at the 2000-level and a limited number of 3000-level courses are open to any North Georgia student who has passed the prerequisites prior to the start of the course. Even though a grade of D may be considered passing, students who plan to take upper level courses in business must earn a C or higher in the 2000-level business courses to be eligible to enroll in most upper level courses.
A limited number of 3000-level courses are restricted to any North Georgia students who meet the stated prerequisites with a grade of C or higher and have earned a grade of C or higher in ACCT 2101-Principles of Financial Accounting, ACCT 2102-Principles of Managerial Accounting, ECON 2105-Principles of Macroeconomics, and ECON 2106-Principles of Microeconomics. These courses are identified with the [R] symbol next to the course description.
Most 4000-level and major specific courses in business are further restricted to business majors who meet additional requirements. In addition to meeting the requirements for courses identified as [R], courses identified with the [BBA] symbol next to the course description require students to be officially declared as a Business major, have an overall GPA of at least a 2.1, have an institutional GPA of at least a 2.0, and have earned a grade of C or higher in ENGL 1102-English Composition II and MATH 2040-Brief Calculus.
Students who are enrolled in the last courses required to take [R] or [BBA] restricted courses at the time of preregistration will be allowed to preregister for the courses, but the requirements for enrollment must be successfully completed in order to remain in the courses. Students who were admitted to North Georgia prior to Summer 2010 should consult the Undergraduate Programs in Business website (www.northgeorgia.edu/business) to see how the new BBA requirements will apply to current students.
Location and Frequency of Course Offerings
All courses required for each major and for the minor are taught on the main North Georgia College & State University campus in Dahlonega. Business courses required in Area F and in the Common Professional Component are offered each semester. Courses specific to the major are offered at least once each year, and most majors include courses that must be taken in an established sequence. Students are expected to consult the long-range schedule and establish a logical sequence of courses that will allow them to complete prerequisites prior to the time that advanced courses are taught.
Many 3000- and 4000-level courses required for the BBA are taught in the evening on the Gainesville State College campus. Students must be admitted to North Georgia College & State University to take these classes. Courses in the Common Professional Component and 3000-level accounting courses are offered on the Gainesville State College campus at least once a year; and other 3000- and 4000-level courses required for a BBA degree are offered on an every other year basis. Part-time students who have completed an Associate of Arts degree in Business Administration, or the equivalent, can complete the BBA program on the Gainesville campus. A faculty member from North Georgia is available to advise students on the Gainesville State College campus.
Graduation Requirements
In addition to meeting the requirements specified under Academic Regulations for all degrees, candidates for the Bachelor of Business Administration degree must
- Complete at least half of the 51 semester hours required for the combined Common Professional Component and major specific courses at North Georgia; at least 12 of these semester hours must be in the major specific area;
- Complete at least three semester hours of business communications (This requirement can be met with ENGL 2238 in Area F or in the Common Professional Component or a business communication course accepted from a transfer institution.);
- Complete at least three semester hours of Legal Environment of Business or Business Law (This requirement can be met with BUSA 2810 Legal Environment of Business in Area F or the Common Professional Component, BUSA 3800 Perspectives in Legal Environment of Business in the Common Professional Component, BUSA 3810 Business Law in the Common Professional Component, or a legal environment/business law course accepted from a transfer institution);
- Earn a grade of C or better in each course in the Common Professional Component and the major specific area.