College of Business

Mission - The College of Business will develop business leaders who embrace the values and virtues of Jesus.

Values and Virtues - Purposeful, Bold, Credible, Creative, Serving

Vision - To become the leader in Christian business education.
 

For 100 years, it has been the purpose of the Lipscomb business program to teach our students how to do things right and to challenge them daily to consider what the right thing to do should be in each and every demanding circumstance of business and life. The words of Psalm 78:74 - “And David shepherded them with integrity of the heart; with skillful hands he led them.” - exemplify our objective to train our students to have both the business skills and the integrity to succeed and to lead.

It’s an exciting time to be part of the College of Business. We have received recent national recognition through Bloomberg BusinessWeek Best Business Schools - Part-time MBA program is ranked in the top 50 in the nation. The Undergraduate programs are ranked in the top 100 in the nation. As you dive deeper, these rankings show Lipscomb Business programs to be the #1 undergraduate program in Tennessee and the #2 part-time MBA program in the state. Also recently named one of the top 50 programs in the nation by College Choice as part of its 2017 Best Bachelor’s in Marketing ranking and 2016 Best Bachelor’s in Human Resources Degree programs ranking.

Lipscomb offers the Bachelor of Business Administration (B.B.A.) degree for its business majors. The B.B.A. degree integrates leadership, team work, decision-making, technology, communication skills, ethics and a global emphasis into our academic programs. Hands-on practical applications can be achieved through the unique “Aspire” Program, internships, competitions, consulting, alumni engagement, formal mentoring, business clubs and global travel.

Bachelor of Business Administration

General Education

The general education requirements for the B.B.A. degree are shown under general education requirements in the Academic Program section of the catalog.

1. EC 2403  must be taken to fulfill the social science requirement.
2. The mathematics requirement will be satisfied only with MA 1113 , MA 1123 , MA 1135 , MA 1314 , or MA 2053 .

Business Core (48 hours*) and Other Required Courses for B.B.A. Degree

Major 

Each student earning a BBA selects a major (Management, Marketing, Accounting or Finance) of 21-24 hours. Within each major students also select a concentration

Electives

Students pursuing the B.B.A. typically have at least 12 hours of general electives in order to complete the required 126 credit hours to graduate. The College of Business encourages students to use these hours in areas such as:

1. Minor - Based on their interests, students may use their open electives to pursue any of the minors offered by Lipscomb University.
2. Foreign language - As globalization increasingly affects businesses, students are strongly encouraged to consider studying foreign languages.
3. Computing and informatics - Information technology is a key enabler in the business world. Courses in the School of Computing and Informatics can be extremely valuable to business students.
4. Psychology and sociology - Students in management may find advanced study in psychology and sociology to be a valuable addition to their major course work.

Business As Mission

A recurring theme throughout the undergraduate BBA program is “Business As Mission”.  BAM is real, sustainable and profitable business.  This exciting new way of thinking about the intersection of business and mission is a means of advancing the kingdom of God by leveraging the strengths of entrepreneurship, economics, and commerce for the common good of others. It is a way to bless lives, develop sustainable solutions, and break poverty cycles.

ASPIRE Program - Integrated Undergraduate Experience

Beginning in January 2018, the College of Business will offer a select group of students the opportunity to complete part of the Business Core in an experiential learning program. In this selective program, students will integrate academics, real world experience, and personal development.

Each Aspire Fellows cohort runs for 12 continuous months. During that time students will complete 37 hours of academic credit in an integrated format.  In addition, students will participate in 800 hours of paid Master Apprenticeships (MA) with premier Nashville companies. This MA will serve as a learning lab through which Aspire Fellows can apply the program’s academic content.  Other unique features of this program include a month-long global experience and focused mentorship to accelerate personal growth.

The program runs from January of the students’ junior year through fall of senior year.  The COB will receive applications beginning October 15 of the students’ sophomore year and will deliver acceptances before Spring Break of the students’ sophomore year. (See below for admissions requirements, process, and timetable.) Special scholarship funding may be available for participants.

1. Interested students must successfully complete the following courses in preparation for the program. 
   • An Entrepreneur’s Introduction to Business
   • College Algebra (or other approved math course listed above)
   • Business Statistics
   • Macroeconomics
   • Financial Accounting
   • Business Analytics
   • Principles of Management
   • Principles of Marketing
2. Admissions Process
   • There will be a competitive admissions process designed to select 25 students for the program’s cohort.
   • COB students meeting the Aspire Fellows admission criteria will receive an email with the admission packet by early October sophomore year.
   • Accepted students will receive notice prior to Spring Break of the students’ sophomore year.
3. Admissions Requirements
   • Applicants must have a 3.0 cumulative GPA through the fall semester of the students’ sophomore year. If accepted, students must maintain a 3.0 cumulative GPA on all coursework prior to the program start date.
   • Submit an application to the COB Dean’s office by February 1 of the applicants’ sophomore year.
   • Complete an interview with the program admissions committee.
   • Submit an essay as required by the admissions committee.
   • Complete the designated COB Core Courses prior to the program start date.
4. To remain enrollment in the program, students must
   • Maintain a 3.0 average GPA in all program courses.
   • Earn a minimum grade of “C” in all program courses.
   • Successfully complete the required MA hours in a given semester.  Successful completion requires the employer’s satisfactory evaluation of the students’ performance.

Undergraduate Certificate in Business Leadership

The Undergraduate Certificate in Business Leadership is designed to prepare undergraduate business majors to build and reinforce the interpersonal skills that are essential to the management role. Leadership has always been recognized as a desirable trait in many domains and critical to advancement in the business community. Adding a foundation of leadership skills will enhance prospects and abilities in any business-focused discipline. Students will take 12 credit hours related to leadership and participate in designated Leadership forums and events, and practice leadership in co-curricular activities. Upon successful completeion of all certificate and graduation requirements, student will receive an Undergraduate Certificate in Business Leadership in addition to the B.B.A. degree. Please see Advisor for details.

Approved options for 12 leadership credit hours:

Global Business, Culture, and Travel to (insert destination) XX4803
Internship XX 4803
Servant Leadership MG 3403
Organizational Behavior: Global Perspectives MG 4403
Applied Workplace Skills Assessment and Development  CORE 3404
Career Planning and Competencies OGLD 363V
CORE competencies at the 3000 level or above CORE XXX4

Policies

• Effective in the Fall, 2017 term the College of Business will no longer count transfer credit from two year institutions for upper division business courses (3000 or 4000 level) unless we have a specific articulation agreement with the two-year institution. 
• At least 12 hours in a student’s major department and which apply to the major requirements must be taken at Lipscomb.
• At least 9 hours in a student’s minor department and which apply to the minor requirements must be taken at Lipscomb.
• At least 24 hours in a student’s business core courses and which apply to the degree requirements must be taken at Lipscomb.
• A business major whose minor is also in business must have at least 12 hours in the minor that are different from hours satisfying the major requirements.