College of Business

College of Business

 
  • Dan W. French, Dean
    232 Galloway Business, (409) 880-8603
  • Kakoli Bandyopadhyay, Associate Dean, Undergraduate Programs/Administration
    ​232 Galloway Business, (409) 880-8627
    • Jennifer Touchet Burnett, Administrative Specialist Dean's Office,
      232 Galloway Business, (409) 880-8603
  • Soumava Bandyopadhyay, Associate Dean, Graduate Programs/Research
    ​231 Galloway Business, (409) 880-8630
    • Jana Austin, Coordinator, Graduate Studies
      231 Galloway Business, (409) 880-8368
  • J Don Warren, Director, School of Accounting & Information Systems 
    236 Galloway Business, ph (409) 880-8062
  • Marleen Swerdlow, Interim Chair, Department of Business,
    ​237 Galloway Business, (409) 880-8639
    • Laura Bowman, Administrative Associate, Sr.,
      204 Galloway Business, (409) 880-7804
  • Seokyon Hwang, Director, Reese Construction Management Program 
    235 Galloway Business, (409) 880-7557
  • Shannon Klutts, Director, Accreditation and Assessment
    228 Galloway Business, (409) 880-7673
  • David Mulcahy, Director, Small Business Development Center, (409) 880-2367
  • Advising and Student Success: All Freshman and Sophomore students are advised through the Undergraduate Advising Center. Please contact them at (409) 880-8822.
  • Juniors and Seniors are advised in the CoB Student Success and Retention Center by two professional advisors.  Please contact them at:
    • Megan Cochran, 106A Galloway Business (409) 880-7106 (MKTG, FINC, ECON, MGMT, HRM)
    • Nathan Sanders, 106B Galloway Business (409) 880-1708 (ACCT, CMGT, General Business, MISY)
    • Toni P. Mulvaney, Director of Student Success, 209 Galloway Business (409) 880-8640

The university established the College of Business in 1972. Prior to this time, the Division of Business, established in 1951, and the School of Business, established in 1954, granted degrees in business and economics. All undergraduate and graduate degree programs of the College of Business are accredited by AACSB International

The School of Accounting and Information Systems and the Department of Business make up the College of Business.  The Bachelor of Business Administration is granted in all areas. The Reese Construction Management Program is also housed in the College of Business and offers a Bachelor of Science in Construction Management.

The Master of Business Administration (MBA), Master of Science in Management Information Systems (M.S. in MISY), and the Master of Science in Professional Accounting (MSPA) degree programs are also offered.

Mission

In a spirit of shared learning, Lamar University College of Business prepares

Principled Leaders who are Responsive to social and environmental concerns; mentored by faculty in Ethical business standards; enriched by Personal relationships and experiential learning; Adaptable and resilient to be Ready on Day 1; and Engaged in life-long learning impacting Southeast Texas and the world.

Strategic Values

Lamar University’s College of Business focuses on the following strategic concepts in the daily execution of its Mission:

  • Ethics & Integrity
  • Personal Relationships & Experiential Learning
  • Principles & Responsiveness
  • Resilience & Adaptability
  • Diversity & Accessibility
  • Community Engagement
  • Career-Ready Lifelong Learners

Degrees Offered 

The Bachelor of Business Administration curriculum consists of three distinct phases:

  1. business core,
  2. major specialization, and
  3. electives.

The business core requirements are patterned to develop an understanding of the social, legal, political, economic, ethical, and global frameworks within which business organizations exist and operate. A common body of fundamental business and economic theory and principles is also represented in the business core. These theories and principles are developed along with certain basic quantitative tools of analysis and communication skills as preparation for the specialized major courses. Understanding of the interaction of all areas and functions of business operations is the objective of the core courses.  We cultivate the intellectual capabilities and professional competencies required to successfully and ethically meet the challenges of a rapidly-changing global and technological environment.

The major specialization provides opportunities for study in a particular field of interest. This specialized study should enable a graduate to assume a position of responsibility in business, public service, or education. Finally, the student may choose electives that complement and supplement the specialization area.

  1. The Bachelor of Business Administration degree will be awarded upon completion of the university core curriculum (section 6.4.1) plus:
  2. Major Specialization (18-30 semester hours)
  3. Approved electives to complete a minimum of 120 semester hours, including the 3 hour International/Cultural Component course
  4. A minimum grade point average of 2.00 in all College of Business coursework
  5.  A minimum cumulative grade point average of 2.00
  6. Application for the degree must be made through the office of the chair or director of the department or school of the student's major.
1

Slightly different business core requirements exist for accounting majors.

2

BUAL 2305 Business Statistics also fulfills the University Core Component Area Option II requirement. Completion of either ECON 2301 Principles of Economics I Macro,  ECON 2302 Principles of Economics II Micro, or BULW 1370 Business Environment and Public Policy fulfills the University Core Social and Behavioral Sciences requirement.

Regardless of the degree program, all students must earn at least 50 percent of the business credit hours required for any College of Business degree at Lamar University.

Admission and Policies

All newly entering freshmen who meet the university's general entrance requirements will be admitted to the College of Business.

Prerequisite Policy – College of Business students registering for business courses must meet all course prerequisites, including the implicit prerequisite indicated by the course level. The chair of the department offering the course must approve any exceptions.

  • 2000-level courses – Student must have 30 hours1
  • 3000-level courses – Student must have 60 hours1
  • 4000-level courses – Student must have 90 hours1
1

These hours include the hours in which a student is currently enrolled.

Minors

Business

Non-business students may minor in business. In keeping with the spirit of a minor, the students must have less than 25 percent of their total curriculum in business subjects. This 25 percent restriction also applies to all students who are not registered for a major in the College of Business, but who wish to have any kind of a business emphasis or concentration.

Management Information Systems

The minor in Management Information Systems (MIS) is available to any student at Lamar University. 

Economics

Non-business students may minor in Economics.  

Business Law

Non-business and business students may minor in Business Law.  

Master of Business Administration

Lamar University's MBA is fully accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB). Students with degrees in non-business fields as well as business undergraduates are encouraged to earn the Master of Business Administration degree through Lamar University's Traditional MBA which is offered both on-campus and online.

Strategic Role

The strategic role of the Lamar MBA is to deliver a dynamic, integrated management education to a variety of student groups. Our students range from those who are exploring their career goals to students who want to advance their existing business knowledge and to students who have a focused career path. These different student needs are met through either the flexible part-time or the full-time Lamar MBA.

The Lamar MBA places a heavy emphasis on an experiential-based approach to problem-solving, including the knowledge, skill and ability to incorporate ethical considerations, leadership, teamwork, and a global perspective into the decision-making process. Lamar University blends its students' MBA education with passionate teaching, active learning, specialized knowledge, and professional development to enhance their career potential.

MBA

Students with undergraduate degrees in business and those from non-business disciplines are equally encouraged to apply for a Lamar MBA. The MBA is a highly respected vehicle for enriching undergraduate study in science and engineering, liberal arts, and the social and behavioral sciences as well as for adding depth to the traditional undergraduate business disciplines.

For students without any previous undergraduate study in business, the Lamar MBA consists of 36 semester hours (12 courses). The program consists of two leveling courses, a required core of seven courses, and three elective courses that will allow a student to develop a concentration.

The two leveling courses may be completed after admission to graduate study or before admission when registering as a post-baccalaureate student. Undergraduate students are limited to nine semester hours of graduate work before completing their undergraduate degrees.

Students entering the Lamar MBA with undergraduate degrees in business from an accredited business school will likely have satisfied the graduate leveling work, and both leveling courses may be waived. The MBA will then consist of 30 semester hours (10 courses), including seven core courses and three elective (concentration) courses.

Prior transcripts are reviewed during the admission process. Admission letters contain information about the specific leveling courses required.

Dual Degrees offered:

  1. Master of Science in Nursing/Master of Business Administration
  2. Master of Science in Professional Accounting/Master of Business Administration
  3. Master of Science in Professional Accounting/Master of Science in Management Information Systems
  4. Master of Business Administration/Master of Science in Management Information Systems

BSIE/MBA Industrial Engineering undergraduates are eligible to participate in a 5-year academic program that leads to two degrees: a BSIE and MBA. Industrial Engineering students will complete all of the normal INEN degree requirements, with one exception: INEN electives are replaced with MBA leveling courses. The program is designed to be completed in 5 years with a general structure as follows:

  • Years 1, 2, 3 and 4 are spent in pre-engineering and industrial engineering coursework.
  • Years 5 is spent taking MBA courses.

BSEE/MBA Electrical Engineering undergraduates are eligible to participate in a 5-year academic program that leads to two degrees: a BSEE and MBA. Electrical Engineering students will complete all of the normal ELEN degree requirements, with one exception: ELEN electives are replaced with MBA leveling courses. The program is designed to be completed in 5 years with a general structure as follows:

  • Years 1, 2, 3 and 4 are spent in pre-engineering and electrical engineering coursework.
  • Years 5 is spent taking MBA courses.

Students interested in either of these dual degrees should make an advising appointment with the MBA office early in their academic career to ensure proper course enrollment

Admission Requirements

Admission

Applicants must meet the general university requirements for admission. In addition, applicants must meet one of the following requirements for admission to the MBA program:

  • Hold a bachelor’s degree from an accredited university with a GPA of 2.5 or higher (cumulative or in the last 60 hours).
  • Hold a Bachelor’s degree with an undergraduate grade point average and GMAT (or the GMAT equivalent of GRE) scores totaling at least 1,000 points based on the formula: 200 times the undergraduate GPA (cumulative or last 60 hours, 4.0 system) plus the GMAT (or the GMAT equivalent of GRE) score.

Pre-MBA

Students who have a minimum 2.50 undergraduate GPA are welcome to begin as a Pre-MBA student. The post-baccalaureate designation allows students to take up to 9 hours of graduate-level credit toward the MBA degree plan while preparing to take the GMAT exam. Upon completion of these hours, students must provide a GMAT score that meets the traditional admission criteria to continue.

GMAT/GRE Waiver

The GMAT or the GRE will be waived for applicants who have a Bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited university with a minimum 2.5 undergraduate GPA (cumulative or last 60 hours).

A student whose native language is not English is expected to meet university requirements for the TOEFL or IELTS exams.

Post-baccalaureate students are not permitted to enroll in business courses for graduate credit without the prior consent of the MBA Director.

All applications will be reviewed on the basis of the profile material required and submitted for admission consideration. Each required document contributes to the overall profile of the candidate for admission. Qualified applicants for graduate study must provide evidence of good standing at the college or university from which they earned their undergraduate degrees. No single application element will be either an automatic qualifier or disqualifier for admittance

Graduate ERP Certificate

Students must have a bachelor's degree with a minimum 2.5 GPA to be eligible for the ERP Certificate. Students choose four of five courses (12 hours), all offered completely online. No GMAT is required. SAP ERP Academy TS/410  Certification is also offered. Students must obtain a 3.0 GPA for four courses with a "C" or better in each class.

MBA students who have completed three ERP courses or more are encouraged to take the SAP TS/410 ERP Academy Certification exam. 

Graduate Leadership Certificate

Students must have a bachelor's degree with a minimum 2.5 GPA to be eligible for the Leadership Certificate which consists of five courses (15 hours). No GMAT is required. Students must obtain a "C" or better in each course and maintain an overall GPA of 3.0.

Graduate Construction Management Certificate

Applicants must have a bachelor’s degree with a 2.50 GPA from an accredited university. Students who graduated from Lamar University with a Bachelor of Science in Construction Management are not eligible for this certificate. No GMAT is required. Students take five courses (15 hours) to complete the Certificate. Students must obtain an overall 3.0 GPA for all of the required classes, with a “C” or higher in each class.

Graduate Business Analytics Certificate

Applicants must have a bachelor’s degree with a 2.50 GPA from an accredited university. No GMAT is required. The Certificate consists of five courses (15 hours).Students must obtain an overall GPA of 3.0 across all courses, with a “C” or higher in each class.

Certification courses will apply to the MBA degree once an applicant has gained admission to the MBA program (GMAT/waiver required).

Graduate Certificate in Professional Accounting

The Graduate Certificate in Professional Accounting (GCPA) allows students to take advanced accounting and other coursework which helps them satisfy the requirements of the CPA examination established by the Texas State Board of Public Accountancy.

Students must meet the general university requirements for admission. In addition, this program is only available to students who have completed an undergraduate degree in accounting from a domestic accredited university, or students currently enrolled as an undergraduate accounting students at Lamar University.

If students successfully complete the GCPA with a minimum letter grade of “C” in each certificate course and maintain a cumulative GPA of 3.0 in the five certificate courses, they may be admitted to the M.S.P.A. program, and the certificate courses will be applied toward M.S.P.A. degree requirements.

MBA Degree Requirements

Leveling Courses (designed primarily for students whose undergraduate degree is not business) ACCT 5315 Financial & Managerial Accounting Foundations, FINC 5300 Foundations of Finance & Econ. 

Core Courses ACCT 5370 Managerial Accounting, BUAL 5380 Managerial Decision Making or MISY 5340 ERP Overview , ECON 5370 Managerial Economics, FINC 5310 Financial Management, MKTG 5310 Marketing Management, MGMT 5340 International Business or BUSI 5380 Global Enrichment, MGMT 5380 Strategic Management

Additional three courses within one of the following concentrations:

Accounting (On Campus or Online)

The Accounting concentration will help students further the pursuit of a career in accounting. The program will provide students with the necessary critical thinking abilities, communication and team skills, and knowledge of ethics and professionalism for successful careers in public accounting, industry, government and not-for-profit organizations.

Business Analytics (On Campus or Online)

The U.S. has one-third of the world’s data. The vast wealth of digital information harnessed through data analytics can raise productivity of US organizations and give them a sustainable competitive advantage. This concentration offers courses in Business Intelligence, Healthcare Information Systems, Accounting Data Analytics, Data Mining and Predictive Analysis and Analyzing Market Research Data.

Construction Project Management (On Campus or Online)

Knowledgeable managers are crucial to the success of any construction project. By integrating an advanced construction project management curriculum with comprehensive business education, Lamar University's MBA in Construction Project Management prepares business leaders to run projects that meet performance, operational, scope and sustainability goals on a national or international scale.

Criminal Justice Management (Online)

The Lamar University MBA with a concentration in Criminal Justice Management offers students an extensive business management background while preparing them to apply management principles in a criminal justice setting. Students gain insight on how business management can be applied to the highest-ranking positions in the field of criminal justice.

This is an excellent degree for those who are already employed in the field of law enforcement, correctional administration or security management and would like to reach new levels of management and leadership within their current organizations.

Enterprise Resource Planning (On-Campus or Online)

The Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) concentration in the MBA program is about familiarizing our MBA students with the concept of integrating different business functional areas such as marketing and sales, supply chain management, accounting and finance, and human resources to achieve company goals of improving business processes by using ERP software. An ERP software such as SAP can support the integration of business processes that cut across different functional areas. This concentration will demonstrate how ERP systems can help a company cut costs and improve efficiencies of business processes by providing managers with accurate, consistent, and real-time data across all business functions. 

Financial Management (On Campus or Online)

The Financial Management specialization provides the student with advanced skills in corporate finance and investments. Students study how to select different instruments for investments, financing business activities, and managing financial risk. (Available to all MBA students)

General MBA (Online)

Students who seek a personalized approach to their education often want to choose courses that are applicable to their career aspirations. The General concentration allows students to choose from a variety of MBA courses to create the best selection specific to their needs.

Healthcare Administration (On Campus or Online)

The Lamar University MBA Healthcare Concentration Program is uniquely suited to graduate students planning a career in health care administration, management, or entrepreneurial investment. The program augments general MBA graduate courses in strategic planning, finance, management, information technology, and economics by concentrating the student's business acumen to the specific entities and conditions of the healthcare market structure. 

Leadership (On Campus)

The MBA leadership concentration focuses on personal and organizational development. Students learn how to unleash the contributions of their teams towards their organization's critical priorities and create a work environment where individuals want to devote their best efforts. Students completing the leadership track will better manage decisions, attention, and energy so that they can create extraordinary value for themselves and their organizations.

Marketing (On Campus or Online)

Learn about marketing functions that add value to organizations. The marketing concentration gives you an understanding of how to use various marketing tools including CRM (Customer Relationship Management) market research, international marketing and various modes of digital marketing to enhance and improve the company in which you lead.

Management (On Campus and Online)

The landscape of business has shifted from leaders who exercised formal authority and faced low conflict to leaders who are required to achieve results through influence in the face of greater conflict. According to BIZ ED magazine, a leading publication on programs in higher education, "Most MBA programs give scant attention to soft skill development, generally confining it to electives on writing and presentations. MBAs need enhanced interpersonal skills. These include the ability to serve a wider range of audiences - such as customers, employees, and stockholders - while tolerating intense scrutiny and relinquishing command and control leadership approaches. Most MBA programs do not understand or know how to teach the relationship-building skills required for contemporary business leadership."

The focus of the Lamar University MBA Organizational Management concentration is personal and organizational development. This concentration emphasizes the values, integrity and emotional intelligence necessary for students to become successful organizational leaders. It features proven world-class organizational leadership training delivered by passionate instructors that realize that emotional and social intelligence is as important to a student's leadership role as their knowledge of finance and marketing. Graduates of our program understand what it takes to motivate people and lead an organization.

Management Information Systems (On Campus or Online)

Management Information Systems (MIS) is the study of people, technology, organizations, and the relationships among them. MIS professionals help firms realize maximum benefit from investment in personnel, equipment, and business processes. MIS is a people-oriented field with an emphasis on service through technology. 

MIS professionals create information systems for data management (i.e., storing, searching, and analyzing data). In addition, they manage various information systems to meet the needs of managers, staff and customers. By working collaboratively with various members of their work group, as well as with their customers and clients, MIS professionals are able to play a key role in areas such as information security, integration, and exchange.

Port Management (On Campus)

This concentration offers an industry-relevant curriculum taught by Business and Engineering College faculty augmented by experts in the field, which can help accelerate your career path in the dynamic port and marine terminal operating industry. Courses in this program give you a deeper understanding of core business disciplines along with the skills necessary to lead and manage in this sector. Subjects covered include international trade and economics, logistics, legal issues, strategic and capital planning, operations, safety, and security, as well as management, competitive positioning, leadership and team building.

Thematic (On Campus)

For students who seek a tailored approach to their degree, the MBA program at Lamar University offers a thematic concentration. The thematic concentration allows students to choose their elective courses from a list of elective courses offered in the MBA program. To develop a thematic concentration, students develop a plan of study, including courses to be taken, and then submit them to the director of the MBA program for approval.

Departments