School of Business Administration

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The School of Business Administration provides academic programs focused on educating undergraduate and graduate students to be professionals and leaders in business and management, as well as tourism and hospitality.

Business Programs

All business administration programs are accredited by AACSB International—The Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business

Philosophy and Purpose of Programs

The School of Business Administration offers Business Programs that prepare students to excel and lead in the modern global economy. Both businesses and not-for-profit organizations have to respond to ongoing technological developments, emerging demographic and cultural trends, increasing global competition, and changes in social values and laws. To succeed and grow in this challenging environment, they need agile structures, managers who can lead effectively, and employees who have the skills to adapt and deliver high levels of performance.

Our Business Programs enable students to take on challenging situations and succeed as managers and employees in the for-profit corporate sector, in entrepreneurial ventures, and in non-profit institutions. Students can chose from a range of business majors to develop a customizable portfolio of skills that reflects their career aspirations. All majors provide a common body of critical business skills in the form of a core curriculum with courses covering a range of key business and quantitative disciplines. This business core is supplemented by arts and science courses that develop critical thinking, ethics and communication capabilities, and by a specialization program that enables students to take a deeper dive into courses that are more specific to their chosen career field.

Our courses deploy a hands-on learning-by-doing approach to teaching. This method engages students, enables greater proficiency in the subject matter, and produces graduates who are highly valued by employers for their ability to hit the ground running. Our students complete internships, co-op experiences, faculty-led research projects, and other experiential opportunities that give them an edge in the job market. Students participate in career planning activities at every stage of their program with a goal of achieving desired career outcomes upon graduation. Small class sizes and favorable advisor-student ratios allow our faculty and staff to afford individualized care and attention to each and every student. We are vested in and measure ourselves by the success of our students and the satisfaction of our stakeholders.  

Vision

Widener University School of Business Administration Business Program’s vision is to be a premier business school in the region recognized for challenging, trend-setting programs for educating future business leaders.

Mission

Widener University School of Business Administration Business Programs prepare students for successful careers and leadership positions in business. We provide a challenging educational environment that promotes lifelong professional and personal growth through experiential and service learning. Our commitment to ethics and to diversity of thought, experience, and background inspires our students, faculty, and staff to become proactive and socially responsible citizens. As teacher-scholars, we value scholarship and generate knowledge that is valuable to our profession and the business community. We embrace the interests of our stakeholders and engage them in our programs and activities.

Strategic Goals

The faculty of the School of Business Administration (SBA) Business Programs endorsed the following strategic goals, which align with and are intended to support Widener University’s 2020 Strategic Plan.

Goal 1: Through rigorous in-class and out-of-class experiences in graduate and undergraduate programs, prepare SBA business students for personal and professional growth leading to successful careers.

Goal 2: Through curricular, co-curricular, and extracurricular experiences, engage faculty and alumni in preparing SBA business students for career success.

Goal 3: Encourage and reward SBA business students, faculty, administration, and staff to take advantage of leadership development opportunities offered by the university.

Goal 4: Through encouraging SBA business faculty and staff to participate in diversity programming and through active recruitment of a diverse student body and faculty, prepare students for success in a diverse and global society and workplace.

Goal 5: Promote and support faculty and student scholarship.

Goal 6: Enhance student learning and SBA business program impact through civic engagement.

Goal 7: Create an agile and innovative environment, reflected in increased SBA business graduate and undergraduate enrollment.

Learning Goals:

The learning goals for students graduating from the School of Business Administration’s undergraduate business programs are:

• SBA business students will demonstrate the knowledge that is appropriate to the business discipline.
• SBA business students will apply leadership skills in the development of business decisions.
• SBA business students will be competent in the application of core business concepts and technologies.
• SBA business students will utilize social responsibility principles in decision making.

Academic Enrichment

Writing Enriched Courses

In addition to ENGL 101 , all undergraduate students must complete at least four courses (preferably one per year) that are designated as writing enriched.  Writing enriched courses employ a “writing to learn” approach: Students engage more deeply with course material through the writing process while also strengthening their writing skills. Students in the School of Business Administration typically take ENGL 102 , PRWR 215 , PHIL 352 , and MGT 452  at Widener University to meet this requirement. Additionally, accounting majors take ACCT 451 , a writing enriched course. Any course taken to satisfy the writing enriched requirement may not be taken on a pass/no pass basis.

SBA Business Honors Program

The School of Business Administration Business Honors Program is experientially focused and challenges students to study traditional business topics and current topics at a more intense, deeper level than in the traditional business curriculum. Students are admitted to the SBA Business Honors Program at two points: as first-semester freshmen (based on high school rank and SAT scores), and, subject to program capacity, at the end of freshman year (based on GPA). SBA business honors students take a minimum of five business honors courses and two business honors experiences. Business honors students must maintain a minimum 3.25 GPA. Honors experiences include Oskin Leadership certification, research with a faculty member, graduate courses, and international study trips.

Cooperative Education

The Cooperative Education (co-op) program provides students with a well-balanced combination of classroom study and work experience. The opportunity for practical application in a career related job complements the classroom learning. Widener’s program allows students to gain up to twelve months of full-time work experience through two separate placements, while maintaining a four-year graduation timeline. Students earn, on average, $28,000 over the two co-op terms. Please contact the director of cooperative education for more information.

Internships

Students interested in gaining practical experience while pursuing an academic degree are strongly urged to perform an internship in the junior or senior year. The experience of working in a career related field significantly improves students’ understanding of the field and improves job prospects upon graduation. Internships may be paid or unpaid, and are usually completed during an academic semester. Some internships may qualify for academic credit for use as a free elective. Economics and finance majors are required to participate in an internship for academic credit. To enroll in an internship for academic credit, students must be in good academic standing and follow all course registration procedures prior to the start of the internship. Additional information on internships may be attained by contacting the School of Business Administration’s department heads.  

Service Learning

The School of Business Administration provides opportunities for students to serve the community while learning business concepts. These opportunities range from class projects and assignments with local nonprofit organizations to assisting entrepreneurial start-up operations in the area and preparing income tax returns for low-income taxpayers. Students interested in engaging in discipline-specific community service activities will be appropriately trained and placed in structured experiences that include a reflective component such as a journal or group discussion.

Sustainability and Global Awareness

Sustainable development meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. Students interested in examining the network of dependent relationships that exist between the environment, the economy, and the culture, and understanding that these interrelationships exist on the local, regional, national, and global levels may choose their general education electives to focus on these areas. General education electives include humanities, social science, and math/science courses.

Bloomberg Certificate

Upon the completion of the Bloomberg Market Concepts (BMC) eight-hour self-paced e-learning course, students are given the Bloomberg Certificate, indicating that students learned the essential parts in business through the Bloomberg and also familiarized themselves with the high-end Bloomberg Professional Service and they are comfortable and confident with the market data platform. The Bloomberg Certificate is not just an addition to the student’s résumé, it is also an indication of the student’s capability and comparative advantage over other competitors. To be awarded the Bloomberg Certificate, students should complete four modules as follows:

• Economic Indicators
• Currencies
• Fixed Income
• Equities

Modules in the BMC are woven with presentations and lectures on how to read, understand, and utilize the Bloomberg data, analysis, and graphs for topics in the four modules. Students interested in the Bloomberg Certificate should contact Assistant Professor of Finance YoungHa Ki.

Microsoft Office Excel Certification

For students, Microsoft Office Excel Certification boosts academic performance, prepares them for the demands of a job, opens doors to career opportunities. Students can digitally broadcast their accomplishments with an online badge that verify certification.  Students who complete the MIS 180  are eligible to qualify for Excel certification.  See instructor for more information.

SAP Recognition Award

The SAP Undergraduate Recognition Award is presented to students who have successfully completed three courses at Widener University, designated as SAP approved. This recognition is made possible through Widener University’s alliance with SAP AG, a German-based software solutions company specializing in enterprise systems. The SAP courses include:

• ACCT 330 - Accounting Information Systems  
• FIN 403 Financial Analytics  
• MIS 290 - Management Information Systems  (grade of C or above required)
• MIS 430 - ERP Systems and Workflow Management  
• MIS 363 Object-Oriented Design and Development  
• MKT 409 Customer Relationship Management  
• OPM 460 - Supply Chain Management  

The courses currently listed as having SAP content are updated and modified on a regular basis. The list above is subject to change. Please consult the department head of Management to confirm that a listed course does have the appropriate SAP content in a given semester.

SAS Joint Certificate

The SAS Joint Certificate is awarded by Widener and the SAS Institute, which is a leading producer of analytics and data management software. Four of the following courses must be successfully completed to receive this certificate:

• FIN 403 FIN 403 - Financial Analytics  
• MATH 119 - Elementary Statistics for Business Majors  or QA 251 - Elementary Statistics  
• QA 251 - Elementary Statistics  
• MIS 290 Management Information Systems  
• MIS 358 - Database Management Systems  *
• MIS 370 - Business Analytics *

*Must be completed at Widener University

Pre-Law Preparation

Business students with a well-organized selection of electives in the College of Arts and Sciences will be well prepared for law school. Law schools do not suggest any single curriculum path as an ideal preparation. Business students considering the study of law should pursue the Legal Studies and Analysis Minor offered by the College of Arts and Sciences as part of their preparation. Widener University School of Law offers a special admittance program for Widener undergraduates. Students who graduate in the top 50 percent of their class and score in the top 50 percent on the LSAT are guaranteed a seat in the Widener Law School program. Students seeking further information on these programs and on preparation for law school admission should contact pre-law advisor Professor Suzanne Mannes (Arts and Sciences).

Accelerated BS/MBA and BS/MS Program

For outstanding students in business undergraduate programs, the School provides an accelerated path to obtaining a bachelor’s degree and a master’s degree. Qualified students in their junior year or first semester senior year may apply for acceptance to the MBA, MSBPI, or MSTFP programs. In most instances, this allows a student to complete the BS and MBA or an MS in five years.

• All foundation courses should be completed in the bachelor’s degree program.

• The GMAT must be taken before the completion of the bachelor’s degree.  Students may be eligible to waive the GMAT based upon the cumulative GPA. Students should contact the Office of SBA Graduate Business Programs for eligibility requirements for each program.

• Upon acceptance to the accelerated program, two graduate courses can be taken to complete the bachelor’s degree and be counted toward the master’s degree. This results in savings of both time and cost.

Any interested students may contact the Office of SBA Graduate Business Programs for more information.

The Curricula

The business curricula includes core coursework in accounting, business law, economics, finance, management, business analytics, and marketing. Additional major specific requirements and course sequences will be found in the Areas of Study section of this online catalog.

Students should declare majors, concentrations, and minors prior to preregistration for the junior year. Coursework in the chosen area(s) of specialization should begin no later than the first semester of the junior year.

Transfer students may receive credit for required courses taken at other accredited institutions but must complete a minimum of 50 percent of their major program at Widener and meet the university’s academic residency requirement.

Note: Students outside the School of Business Administration Business Programs are not permitted to take more than eight School of Business Administration courses (24 credits).

Minimum Class Standing Requirements

To graduate in four years (eight semesters), students should complete 15–16 credits per semester.

Academic Regulations

Students must maintain a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.0 in SBA courses and an overall cumulative GPA of 2.0 to maintain academic good standing. Both are required for graduation. Upon graduation, students will earn a bachelor of science in business administration.

Overload Policy

Business students are allowed to carry an overload if they have earned a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or above, or have earned senior standing, defined as successful completion of 89 or more credits. An overload in the school is defined as 18 or more academic credits (including military science credits) with a maximum of six academic courses.

Available Minors

Students may attain a minor in accounting, economics, finance, human resources, international business, management, marketing, business analytics, operations management, sports management, and events management. Students should meet with their faculty advisor and the chairperson of the department of their minor for guidance.

Business Minors for Majors Outside of SBA Business Programs

Students who are majoring outside the School of Business Administration Business Programs may benefit from an opportunity to take a series of courses in business to enhance their academic programs. To provide this option, the School of Business Administration (SBA) has approved a series of structured minor programs that provide a sequence of courses that will enrich other disciplines, can be monitored by the administrative staff, and meet AACSB guidelines.

Students outside the School of Business Administration Business Programs may not take more than 24 credits in business (excluding EC 101   and EC 202  , which count toward the general education requirement).

Students working toward a minor in business must take at least 15 credits from the School of Business Administration Business Programs (residency requirement).

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