Jones College of Business

The Jennings A. Jones College of Business seeks to provide the intellectual foundation for students’ lifelong learning and success. Drawing students extensively from the regional population with an increasing emphasis on national and international diversity, the Jones College utilizes traditional and technology-based pedagogies to create a positive teaching/learning environment. In addition to a sustaining emphasis on quality teaching and learning through classroom research, student professional organizations, and advisory activity, the faculty of Jones College also contributes to business, professional, and civic affairs through public service and intellectual pursuits.

The mission of the Jennings A. Jones College of Business is to

• foster student success in a large business school with a small school feeling; created by caring, professional faculty interacting with students as individuals, in relatively small classes; through proactive student organizations; and in a broad range of other settings, with students’ needs constantly of prime consideration;
• capitalize on its extensive alumni network-80 percent of Jones College graduates live in Middle Tennessee-to provide career opportunities to its students;
• cultivate a global understanding and perspective among students that enables them to succeed in the international business community;
• build the base of knowledge about business-related theory and practice through basic/discovery scholarship; integration/application scholarship; and teaching/learning scholarship; and
• participate in impactful service activities that better the University, the broader profession, and the greater community; and
• produce graduates from its bachelor’s, master’s, doctoral, and executive/continuing education programs who are well prepared for challenges and advancements in their chosen careers.

Jones College will produce graduates from its bachelor’s, master’s, doctoral, and executive/continuing education program who are well prepared for challenges and advancements in their chosen careers.

Undergraduate Admission

Pre-Business Admission

Students who plan to major in Jones College are designated “pre-business” in the departments of their majors until they have met the following requirements and have been fully admitted. Majoring in business is a two-step process: (1) admission to MTSU (Admissions and Registration ), and (2) completion of the following requirements:

• Complete a minimum of 30 semester hours of degree credits (excluding learning support).
• Complete all learning support course requirements.
• Achieve at least a 2.25 inclusive GPA on all attempted college-level coursework.
• Complete ACTG 2110 , BIA 2610 , ECON 2410 , and ECON 2420  with a passing grade and a minimum 2.25 GPA across the four courses.

Full Admission

After completing pre-business requirements, students planning to major in business must complete the Jones College application for admission, available at the advising office in Business and Aerospace Building N233.

Jones College majors who have attained junior status (60 or more semester hours completed) may register for the following courses prior to full admission: BCED 3510 , BLAW 3400 , BUS 3000 , FIN 3010 , INFS 3100 , MGMT 3610 , MKT 3820 , and BIA 3620 . Registration in these courses does not guarantee admission to the Jones College. Jones College majors may not register for other upper-division business courses until they have been fully admitted to the Jones College.

Nonbusiness Majors in Upper-Level Courses

Students from other colleges at MTSU may enroll in 3000-4000 level Jones College courses under the following conditions:

1. They have attained junior status.
2. They have obtained permission from the Jones College office of the dean.
3. They have met course-specific prerequisites.
4. They have an inclusive GPA of 2.25.

Graduation Requirements

1. Students majoring in business must attain a 2.00 GPA in their major courses and in all Jones College courses to graduate. Jones College courses include those with the prefixes ACTG, BIA, BUAD, BLAW, BCED, BUS, ECON, FIN, INFS, MGMT, and MKT.
2. Students majoring in business must be admitted to Jones College at least one semester prior to their graduation date.
3. Jones College majors must complete a business minor with a minimum 2.00 GPA.
   1. All business majors (except those majoring in Business Administration) have the courses for a Business Administration minor incorporated into the program of study. Those who opt for an elective business minor must take additional courses which may exceed 120 hours for graduation.
   2. Business Administration majors have the courses for an Economics and Finance minor incorporated into the program of study by selecting an upper-division ECON and upper-division FIN elective. Those who opt for an elective business minor must take additional courses which may exceed 120 hours for graduation.
   3. All business core courses required  must be completed regardless of minor selected.
   4. Students may not major and minor in the same program.
4. Students choosing minors in the Jones College must attain a minimum 2.00 GPA in their selected business minors to meet graduation requirements.

These admission standards have been established by the Jones College faculty and administration.

Degree Requirements

The Jennings A. Jones College of Business offers undergraduate programs leading to the Bachelor of Business Administration (B.B.A.) and the Bachelor of Science (B.S.) degrees. Each program includes courses for a specific minor. Specified minors cannot be omitted, but additional minors outside the Jennings A. Jones College of Business may be elected. The same courses may not be used to meet degree requirements in more than one major or minor. B.B.A. degrees are accredited by AACSB International, the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business. Degree programs are offered in

• Accounting (B.B.A.)
• Business Administration (B.B.A.)
• Business Education (B.S.)
• Commerce (B.S.)
• Economics (B.B.A.)
• Economics (B.S.)
• Entrepreneurship (B.B.A.)
• Finance (B.B.A.)
  Real Estate concentration
• Information Systems (B.B.A.)
• Management (B.B.A.)
  Supply Chain concentration
• Marketing (B.B.A.)
  Professional Selling concentration
• Risk Management and Insurance

The Jones College does not currently offer an online business degree.

Bachelor of Business Administration (B.B.A.) Degree

Each candidate for a Bachelor of Business Administration (B.B.A.) degree must meet the following:

1. the Undergraduate Degree Requirements ;
2. the General Education  requirements;
3. the following business courses:
   • ACTG 2110 - Principles of Accounting I , ACTG 2120 - Principles of Accounting II , 6 hours
   • ECON 2410 - Principles of Economics, Macroeconomics , ECON 2420 - Principles of Economics, Microeconomics , 6 hours
   • BIA 2610 - Statistical Methods , 3 hours
   • BLAW 3400 - Legal Environment of Business , 3 hours*
   • BUS 3000 Dale Carnegie Communications and Human Relations Seminar , 3 hours*
   • FIN 3010 - Principles of Corporate Finance , 3 hours*
   • INFS 3100 - Principles of Management Information Systems , 3 hours*
   • MGMT 3610 - Principles of Management , 3 hours*
   • MKT 3820 - Principles of Marketing , 3 hours*
   • BIA 3620 - Introduction to Business Analytics / BIA 3621 - Introduction to Business Analytics Lab , 3 hours
   • BUAD 4980 - Strategic Management , 3 hours
4. a writing intensive course approved for the student’s major. Students should consult with their advisors for a list of approved writing intensive courses.
5. a major consisting of a minimum of 24 semester hours of courses as specified by each college department;
6. a minimum of 50 percent of required business hours must be taken at MTSU;
7. a minimum of 50 percent upper-division hours in the major and 3 upper-division hours in the minor must be taken at MTSU;
8. Strategic Management, BUAD 4980 , must be taken at MTSU during the last semester of coursework (students will not be permitted to enroll until they complete courses marked with an asterisk [*] in item 3 above);
9. two separate majors in business may not be completed simultaneously.

Bachelor of Science (B.S.) Degree

Each candidate for a Bachelor of Science (B.S.) degree must meet the following:

1. the Undergraduate Degree Requirements ;
2. the General Education  Requirements;
3. the specific requirements for the B.S. degrees as listed under departmental sections of the catalog for the following programs:
   1. Business Education major includes a minor in Secondary Education leading to licensure to teach business subjects;
   2. Business Education major with a required minor in the Jones College for students not seeking licensure to teach business subjects. The courses for a Business Administration minor are incorporated into the program of study. Those who opt for an elective business minor must take additional courses which may exceed 120 hours for graduation.
   3. Economics major requires a minor.

Second Bachelor’s Degree

Students seeking a second bachelor’s degree should review Second Bachelor’s Degree in this catalog (Academic Policies and Procedures ).

All students seeking a second bachelor’s degree in business should

• obtain program approval and upper-division forms from the Jones College Academic Advising Center;
• meet the degree requirements shown on the upper-division form for the specific major and catalog year selected;
• complete MATH 1630  and a minimum of 15 hours of upper-level accounting courses in residence for a second degree in Accounting.

Equivalent courses completed at other institutions will not be required for the second bachelor’s degree in business. At least 50 percent of the total business hours and 50 percent of the required major hours required for a second degree must be taken at MTSU.

Prerequisites

All students must complete or be enrolled in all lower-division requirements before enrolling in upper-division business courses. Courses may have additional prerequisites; see the course descriptions in this catalog.

Transfer Credit

Middle Tennessee State University accepts all transfer college credit  from institutions of higher learning. After transcripts from other institutions are evaluated, applicants are notified by email to review the transfer evaluation online. The transfer evaluation is available to the applicant identifying how transfer courses were equated to MTSU courses.

Applicants should meet with an advisor in the Jones College for assistance in identifying which courses apply toward a business degree and to determine if prerequisite courses and grade point average requirements have been met for full admission into the college. Some transfer credits may not meet specific course requirements.

Students from other State of Tennessee institutions following Tennessee Transfer Pathway are encouraged to seek advice from a Jones College advisor as early as possible to assure a smooth transfer and application of credits earned.

The Jones College permits a lower-division transfer course to satisfy a specific upper-division business course requirement after a student successfully passes an MTSU comprehensive examination on the course under consideration.

Approval to take a comprehensive exam is granted by the department chair. The decision is based on a review of the educational background of the student to assess the probability that the student has gained enough knowledge from a similar course or courses to be likely to pass the exam. A proficiency level of 70 percent or higher must be attained to pass such an exam. A copy of the exam results will be retained in the department office. When a student passes such an exam, the department chair will recommend a course substitution using the lower-division transfer course or courses to meet an upper-division course requirement.

Students may attempt the test two times provided at least four months have passed since the last test was attempted. Comprehensive exams are available for the following courses:

• BLAW 3400 - Legal Environment of Business , 3 hours
• BCED 3510 - Business Communication , 3 hours
• BCED 4510 - Business Report Writing , 3 hours
• BLAW 3400 - Legal Environment of Business , 3 hours
• ECON 3210 - The Financial System and the Economy , 3 hours
• FIN 3010 - Principles of Corporate Finance , 3 hours
• INFS 3100 - Principles of Management Information Systems , 3 hours
• MGMT 3610 - Principles of Management , 3 hours
• MGMT 3620 - Supply Chain Operations , 3 hours
• MKT 3820 - Principles of Marketing , 3 hours
• Other courses at the discretion of the department chair.

Programs

The Jennings and Rebecca Jones Business and Economic Research Center is an integral part of the Jennings A. Jones College of Business. The center coordinates research studies for the college; publishes the journal Tennessee’s Business and newsletters Mid-State Economic Indicators and Global Commerce, monographs, and conference papers; acts as a repository of business and economic data; and assists faculty, students, and the broader community with research needs.

The Political Economy Research Institute (PERI) is a cross-disciplinary entity involving both the Jennings A. Jones College of Business and the University Honors College. The PERI engages undergraduate and graduate students with faculty in research that furthers the understanding of business and economic principles, as well as their impact on regional, national, and international public policy issue and the wellbeing of society. In doing so, the PERI facilitates research, analysis, and teaching of principles of public choice, economics, and management as applied to government, business, and not-for-profit organizations. The PERI recognizes the achievements of Nobel Laureate James Buchanan, an MTSU graduate who built an international reputation as an economist and whose family funded the prestigious Buchanan Scholarship program at MTSU.

In addition to the Business Economics Research Center (BERC) and the Political Economy Research Institute, the college also supports or houses the following centers, projects, and endowments:

• Stock Market Game
• Tennessee Small Business Development Center
• Tommy T. Martin Chair of Insurance
• Jack O. Weatherford Chair of Finance
• Economic Education Center
• Jennings A. Jones Chair of Excellence in Free Enterprise
• Jennings and Rebecca Jones Chair of Excellence in Urban and Regional Planning
• Pam Wright Endowed Chair in Entrepreneurship

Jones College business and accounting programs are accredited by AACSB International, the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business.

Following are the college departments with a listing of programs offered.