College of Business

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

Vision - We will positively affect the future by developing leaders who model Jesus by growing in “wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and man.” (Luke 2:52) These leaders will possess the business competence to influence others, organizations, and society.

Values and Virtues
A purposeful leader is determined and disciplined, striving to achieve an organization’s most important and meaningful objectives, while being a good steward of the resources with which he or she has been entrusted. (Luke 14:28; Matthew 25:14)

A bold leader is strong and courageous, seeking to be influential and willing to challenge the limits of conventional thought. (Deuteronomy 31:6, 1 Corinthians 16:13, 2 Timothy 1:7)

A credible leader is truthful and trustworthy, displaying both competence and confidence. (Matthew 6:21, 1 Corinthians 13:6, Luke 16:10-12)

A creative leader is imaginative and adaptive, embracing change and creating opportunities from that change. (John 8:1-11, Luke 10)

A servant leader is humble, compassionate, and approachable, encouraging others to be their best through the personal example they set. (Philippians 2:3-11, Matthew 5)

For 125 years, it has been the purpose of the university 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 skills and the integrity to succeed and to lead.

The College of Business at Lipscomb University is nationally ranked by Bloomberg/Businessweek and seeks to provide students with the knowledge, skills and competencies they need to be successful in today’s global business environment. Students may choose from excellent academic programs that are delivered in a Christian environment by exceptional faculty whose passion is helping students achieve their goals.

Lipscomb offers the Bachelor of Business Administration (B.B.A.) degree for its business majors. This degree is designed specifically for business majors, beginning with the Entrepreneurs’ Introduction to Business course that students take as freshmen and culminating with our capstone Business Policy and Strategy course taken by graduating seniors. The academic program consists of a broad liberal arts component, followed by the business core, and ending with specialized courses in the major of study. The B.B.A. degree integrates decision-making, technology, communication skills, ethics and a global emphasis into our academic programs. Practical applications can be achieved through business clubs and organizations, global travel, a mentoring program and internship opportunities.

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

Electives

Students pursuing the B.B.A. typically have 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.

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.

During this program, which runs for 12 continuous months, students will complete 37 hours of academic credit in an integrated format that removes the walls between traditional classes.  The integrated courses will substitute for designated Business Core courses.

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 we 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 begins in January of the students’ junior 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 should focus their business studies on the following courses in preparation for the program. Students must successfully complete these courses prior to the start of the program.
   • An Entrepreneur’s Introduction to Business
   • College Algebra
   • 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.
   • Applications to the program will open to all COB sophomores on October 15 of the students’ sophomore year.
   • The COB will conduct applicant interviews between January 15 and February 15 of the students’ 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

• 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.