School of Business
The Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs (ACBSP) is a leading specialized accreditation association for business education supporting, celebrating, and rewarding teaching excellence. The association embraces the virtues of teaching excellence and emphasizes to students that it is essential to learn how to learn. ACBSP offers programs, services, and an accreditation process uniquely focused on teaching excellence and student outcomes. And because they believe their success is driven by the success of their members, they align those programs and the accreditation process to meet the individual needs of each member. Albany State University is a “teaching centered” institution whose mission is to educate students to become outstanding contributors to society. The degree programs of ASU’s School of Business are accredited by ACBSP as well as by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC).
The following business programs at Albany State University are accredited by the Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs:
Undergraduate Programs
Graduate Programs
Mission and Goals
The mission of the School of Business is to prepare students for business and professional careers by providing a quality, real-world education.
- Student-first learning environment
- Applied and instructional research
- Serving the southwest and central Georgia areas
- Partnering with area business leaders
The primary goals of the department are to:
- educate students who will demonstrate the following knowledge, skills, and attitudes required for successful business/professional careers
- competent written and oral communication
- collaborative and productive team and professional behaviors
- analytical problem solving
- technological proficiency
- global, ethical, and environmental consciousness
- business acumen
- create a “students first” learning community for traditional, non-traditional, full-and part-time students reflecting:
- caring and accessible faculty
- small classrooms
- flexible delivery methods and offerings including online and technology enhanced
- experiential teaching and learning
- faculty advising and mentorship
- recruit and retain an increasingly diverse and academically qualified faculty
- partner with area employers through the School of Business Advisory Board
Core Values
- Integrity and mutual trust,
- diversity and inclusion,
- continuous improvement,
- collegiality and
- the pursuit of excellence.
Vision
We are the beacons in southwest Georgia for quality business education, preparing citizens for professional business leadership, promoting economic development, and providing relevant research and business expertise to the region and nation.
Honor Societies and Clubs
Professional development is a high priority of the college, and students have multiple opportunities to learn leadership and professionalism, including becoming members and leaders of the following honor societies, clubs, and service organizations:
- Delta Mu Delta
- the Accounting Club
- Enactus
- the Marketing Club
- the Healthcare Administration Club
- the Supply Chain club
Students may also conduct research with faculty and serve the community in service-oriented projects.
School of Business Prior Learning Assessment (PLA) Documentation
Prior Learning Assessment (PLA) is the process of assigning earned credit for prior learning that a student brings to their educational experience. The School of Business at Albany State has set forth the following guidelines for PLA in the School of Business.
Guidelines
To be eligible to apply for Prior Learning Assessment the student must:
- Be a currently enrolled ASU student
- Have a minimum GPA of 2.5
- Have not taken the course for which PLA is sought (more detail below)
- Have not exceeded the maximum number of non-residency credits required to earn a degree at ASU
PLA is not available to students for equivalent courses taken at ASU or another institution in which a student has already earned a grade (A, B, C, D, F, W, WF). PLA is not available if the student has registered for the course after the first day of the appropriate semester or term; the course has started.
PLA course credit appears on the academic transcript as a K grade. PLA course credit will not accrue academic quality points and will not have any effect on the student’s grade point average.
All PLA scores are final and cannot be appealed. If a student fails to earn the attempted Prior Learning Assessment credits they are required to take the applicable course.
Not all courses are eligible for PLA. The following is a list of eligible School of Business courses as of 01/2025:
- BUSA 2101: Survey of Computer Applications
- BUSA 2105: Communicating in the Business Environment
- MIST 2010: Fundamentals of Computer Applications
Courses for which credit is earned via PLA fulfill pre-requisite requirements the same as if the course was completed traditionally. In situations where courses are traditionally completed in a sequence, a student may complete a course from the sequence via PLA but must still complete all other courses in the sequence; in this situation the course for which PLA is used may be completed out of sequence.
Some courses and/or forms of PLA will require proctoring. Proctoring can be arranged via the ASU Testing Center, ProctorU, or the Subject Matter Expert who is overseeing the PLA of the course in question.
All Subject Matter Experts are certified in Prior Learning Assessment by the Council for Adult and Experiential Learning (CAEL) or similar organization.
Types of Prior Learning Assessment
The School of Business utilizes the following types of Prior Learning Assessment
Portfolio
The portfolio method of assessment requires the student to create a portfolio of artifacts/examples that show that they have mastered all required student learning objectives of the course for which they are seeking PLA credit. This portfolio will be submitted electronically to the Subject Matter Expert for their review.
A portfolio may include documents, videos, reflection essays, or other forms of artifacts that provide proof of prior learning. A student seeking to complete a portfolio should meet with the Subject Matter Expert to discuss a timeline and other requirements for completion of the portfolio.
Portfolios are assessed via a rubric created by the Subject Matter Expert. Students will be given a copy of the rubric when they are approved for the PLA process to ensure they know the standards of portfolio assessment for the given course.
Challenge Exam
The challenge exam method of assessment requires the student to complete a challenge exam to provide proof of mastery of all required student learning objectives of the course for which they are seeking PLA credit. This challenge exam would be timed (generally two-hours) and may include multiple choice, true-false, short answer, or other similar testing-style questions.
A student seeking to complete a challenge exam should meet with the Subject Matter Expert to discuss specific parameters for the challenge exam in question.
Process
A student who has reviewed the above guidelines and would like to attempt PLA must complete the following process to apply:
- All PLA attempts must be started by:
- September 10th for fall semesters
- February 10th for spring semesters
- To begin an attempt, the student must send an email from their RAMmail account to the department PLA organizer, FirstName Lastname at xxx.xxx@asurams.edu. This email should include the following:
- Subject Line: PLA APPLICATION
- Body Text:
- Student Name
- Student RamID number
- Course name and number
- Semester in which student wants to complete PLA
- Student will receive an email from the PLA organizer connecting them with the Subject Matter Expert for the course. This reply should be received before:
- September 20th for fall semesters
- February 20th for spring semesters
- The Subject Matter Expert will review the requirements with the student before:
- October 1st for fall semesters
- March 1st for spring semesters
- Student will complete all requirements in the method and timeframe provided by the Subject Matter Expert before:
- November 15th for fall semesters
- April 15th for spring semesters
Once a student has completed the PLA, the Subject Matter Expert will notify the PLA organizer of the students results to be filed in the department records. The PLA organizer will submit all passing results to the Registrar's Office to be recorded on the student’s transcript.
ACCT 2101 - Accounting Principles I (3 Credits)
A study of the underlying theory and application of financial accounting concepts.
Prerequisites: MATH 1001 or MATH 1111 or MATH 1113
Lecture hours: 3
Offered: Spring, Summer, and Fall
ACCT 2102 - Accounting Principles II (3 Credits)
A study of the underlying theory and application of managerial accounting concepts.
Prerequisites: ACCT 2101
Lecture hours: 3
Offered: Spring, Summer, and Fall
ACCT 3101 - Intermediate Accounting I (3 Credits)
Financial accounting and reporting related to the development of accounting standards, financial statements, cash and receivables.
Prerequisites: ACCT 2102
Lecture hours: 3
Offered: Spring and Fall
ACCT 3102 - Intermediate Accounting II (3 Credits)
Financial accounting and reporting related to inventory, property, plant and equipment, intangibles, liabilities and stockholders' equity.
Prerequisites: ACCT 3101
Lecture hours: 3
Offered: Spring and Fall
ACCT 3103 - Intermediate Accounting III (3 Credits)
Financial accounting and reporting related to investments, leases, income taxes, pensions, accounting changes, errors, earnings per share, and financial reporting and analysis.
Prerequisites: ACCT 3102
Lecture hours: 3
Offered: Fall
ACCT 4101 - Cost Accounting I (3 Credits)
A study of cost concepts and cost flows, cost behavior and cost estimation, job order costing, process costing including new developments.
Prerequisites: ACCT 2102
Lecture hours: 3
Offered: Spring
ACCT 4102 - Cost Accounting II (3 Credits)
A study of budgeting, standard costing, cost-volume-profit analysis, performance evaluation, and variable costing including new developments.
Prerequisites: ACCT 4101
Restrictions:
Enrollment limited to students with a semester level of Senior.
Lecture hours: 3
ACCT 4111 - Auditing I (3 Credits)
Principles and problems of auditing financial statements with emphasis on GAAS, Rules of Conduct, Code of Ethics, Internal Control and Audit Report.
Prerequisites: ACCT 3101
Lecture hours: 3
Offered: Spring
ACCT 4121 - Tax Accounting I (3 Credits)
A study of the income tax law, especially as it is applied to individuals. Includes the concepts of gross income, business and personal deductions, filing status, gains and losses, cost recovery, and tax determination.
Prerequisites: ACCT 3101
Lecture hours: 3
Offered: Fall
ACCT 4142 - Not-for-Profit Accounting (3 Credits)
Fund theory, generally accepted accounting principles, and accounting practice and reporting for hospitals, colleges and universities, and other not - for - profit entities.
Prerequisites: ACCT 3101
Lecture hours: 3
Offered: Fall
ACCT 4205 - Accounting Information Systems (3 Credits)
Principles of accounting systems investigation, design and installation. Procedures for electronic data processing, information retrieval, and application of quantitative tools in systems.
Prerequisites: ACCT 3101
Lecture hours: 3
Offered: Spring and Fall
BUSA 1100 - Financial Planning and Investment Management (2 Credits)
Provides the foundation for studying and applying personal financial planning techniques for a lifetime.
Lecture hours: 2
Offered: Spring, Summer, and Fall
BUSA 1105 - Introduction to Business (3 Credits)
An integrative study of the functional areas of business (finance, operations, marketing, human resources, etc.)
Lecture hours: 3
Other hours: 3
Offered: Spring, Summer, and Fall
BUSA 2101 - Survey of Computer Applications (3 Credits)
An introduction to computers and computer applications at a level appropriate for basic academic and professional needs.
Lecture hours: 3
Offered: Spring and Fall
BUSA 2105 - Communicating in the Business Environment (3 Credits)
A course emphasizing both interpersonal and organizational communications; to include written and oral exercises appropriate to business practice.
BUSA 3100 - Business Internship I (3 Credits)
This course introduces junior or advanced sophomore business students to working environments in their aspiring professional careers with an opportunity to gain valuable insights into actual organizational and managerial practices and operations. Through such experiences students can better correlate their academic experiences with their future professional careers.
Lecture hours: 3
Offered: Spring, Summer, and Fall
BUSA 4100 - Business Internship II (3 Credits)
This course provides the senior business students with supervised professional career-related work experience to acquire valuable skills and management specific knowledge and training in business or business-related organizations. Students will be required to submit portfolios of their internships directly related to their future professional careers and make presentations to business professionals for evaluations.
Prerequisites: BUSA 3100
Restrictions:
Enrollment limited to students with a semester level of Senior.
Lecture hours: 3
Offered: Spring and Fall
BUSA 4105 - International Business (3 Credits)
Contemporary problems, issues, and opportunities in international business from conceptual and practical viewpoints. Extensive use of case studies to develop the students' ability to diagnose and develop solutions to management situations facing the multinational executive.
Prerequisites: ECON 2105
Lecture hours: 3
Offered: Spring, Summer, and Fall
BUSA 4200 - Project Management (3 Credits)
This course addresses the main topics of project management such as project scope, project planning, resource planning, budget analysis, risk analysis, and project control. The course also emphasizes project management tools such as Gantt charts, critical path analysis, and project management software.
Prerequisites: MGMT 3106
Lecture hours: 3
Other hours: 3
Offered: Spring and Fall
FINC 3105 - Foundations of Financial Management (3 Credits)
Techniques of financial analysis, including working capital management, capital budgeting dividend, and capital structure decisions.
Prerequisites: ACCT 2101
Lecture hours: 3
Offered: Spring, Summer, and Fall
LOGM 3220 - Supply Chain Management (3 Credits)
This course explores the concept of logistics from a managerial and global perspective. Participants will study a broad range of logistical areas ranging from supply chain management to transportation and warehousing.
Prerequisites: ECON 2106
Lecture hours: 3
Offered: Spring and Fall
LOGM 3230 - Transportation Security and Legal Issues (3 Credits)
This course explores the concept of Logistics Security from a managerial and a global perspective. Participants will study a broad range of existing Logistics Security strategies in areas such as warehousing, inland distribution, marine and port operations and global freight transportation.
Prerequisites: LOGM 3220
Lecture hours: 3
Offered: Spring
LOGM 4210 - Transportation Management (3 Credits)
This course provides a broad overview of transportation systems primarily throughout the U.S. including how they are developed, optimized and managed.
Prerequisites: LOGM 3220
Lecture hours: 3
Offered: Fall
LOGM 4220 - Introduction to Global Logistics (3 Credits)
This capstone brings together the role of the supply chain, key strategic drivers of supply chain performance and the techniques of supply chain analysis and operations all within global context.
Prerequisites: LOGM 3220
Lecture hours: 3
Offered: Spring
LOGM 4225 - Warehouse Management (3 Credits)
Warehouses are critical components of logistics and supply chain systems. This course focuses on the design and operations of warehouses. Students will learn the main components of a modern warehouse and the different techniques used to operate and manage a warehouse efficiently.
Prerequisites: LOGM 3220
Lecture hours: 3
Offered: Fall
LOGM 4230 - Logistics Information Systems (3 Credits)
This course involves the identification, analysis and design of information systems necessary for effective operation and management of logistics systems and emphasizes how to use such systems to gain competitive advantage and to enhance profitability.
Prerequisites: LOGM 3220
Lecture hours: 3
Offered: Fall
LOGM 4270 - Global Supply Chain Management (3 Credits)
This course analyzes logistics and supply chain management from a global perspective. It integrates practical and strategic elements that are key components of international logic systems. The concepts covered in the course are illustrated with a good range of international cases.
Prerequisites: LOGM 3220
Lecture hours: 3
Offered: Spring
MGMT 3105 - Legal Enviroment of Business (3 Credits)
This course provides an overview of the statutory, case, and regulatory laws that impact the relationship between law and business. The course provides insight into the elements that are critical to analyzing and understanding the relationship between law and business.
Lecture hours: 3
Offered: Spring and Fall
MGMT 3106 - Management Science and Operations Management (3 Credits)
This course covers the principles, concepts, modeling, and decision making techniques for business operations management. The typical topics include issues and tasks of operations management, operations strategy, decision making and optimization, total quality management, capacity planning, facility layout, and materials planning.
Prerequisites: ECON 3205
Lecture hours: 3
Offered: Spring, Summer, and Fall
MGMT 4110 - Organizational Behavior (3 Credits)
This course is designed for students to learn individual and group skills required for effective functioning in an organizational context. Topics include global competition, leadership, motivation, diversity, decision making, group dynamics, culture, organizational development, and systems.
Lecture hours: 3
Offered: Spring, Summer, and Fall
MGMT 4125 - Human Resource Management (3 Credits)
Explores the process of forecasting and identifying resources in the labor market, determining staffing needs, developing budgets, and employment plans. Emphasis is on program evaluation and legal considerations, equal employment opportunity, performance appraisal, compensation management, training, and development.
Prerequisites: MGMT 3105 or MGHC 3120
Lecture hours: 3
Offered: Spring and Summer
MGMT 4127 - Small Business Management (3 Credits)
This course is about the issues and opportunities involved in starting, operating, and managing a successful small business.
Prerequisites: MGMT 4110 and (FINC 3105 or MGHC 4410)
Lecture hours: 3
Offered: Spring, Summer, and Fall
MGMT 4128 - Contemporary Business Issues (3 Credits)
A discussion of major issues such as environmental pollution, prohibitive labor cost, loss of competitive ability, shift from manufacturing to service, business ethics, rising costs of Social Security, medical care, etc.
Restrictions:
Enrollment limited to students with a semester level of Senior.
Lecture hours: 3
Offered: Spring and Fall
MGMT 4199 - Business Policy (3 Credits)
A capstone course that integrates knowledge acquired in accounting, economics, finance, operations management, information systems, management, and marketing in the formation of business strategies. Case study method is emphasized.
Prerequisites: BUSA 4105 and ECON 3205 and FINC 3105 and (MGMT 3105 or MGHC 3120) and MGMT 3106 and MGMT 4110 and MKTG 3120
Restrictions:
Enrollment limited to students with a semester level of Senior.
Lecture hours: 3
Offered: Spring, Summer, and Fall
MIST 2010 - Fundamentals of Computer Applications (3 Credits)
An introductory hands-on course designed to cover word processing, spreadsheets, database, presentations, e-mail and world wide web.
Lecture hours: 3
Offered: Spring, Summer, and Fall
MIST 3330 - Human-Computer Interaction and Innovation (3 Credits)
This course is a study of development and implementation processes, tactics, and strategies based upon systems planning results. Special attention is devoted to the development of end-user support systems.
Restrictions:
Students with a semester level of Freshman may not enroll.
Lecture hours: 3
Offered: Fall
MIST 4205 - Management Information Systems (3 Credits)
An overview course designed to introduce students to the area of management information systems. It emphasizes concepts, components, and structures of information systems and their applications in business and managerial decision making.
Prerequisites: MIST 2010
Lecture hours: 3
Offered: Spring, Summer, and Fall
MIST 4206 - Database Management Systems (3 Credits)
An introduction to database management and its system implementation techniques, this course covers the structure of database management systems, database design, Entity-Relationship modeling, normalization, relational database system development and management using an industrial leading database system such as ORACLE. Optional topics may include object-oriented databases, distributed databases, database programming, and advanced database management issues.
Prerequisites: MIST 2010
Lecture hours: 3
Offered: Spring and Fall
MIST 4207 - Systems Analysis & Design (3 Credits)
Covers all major phases of a complete systems development life cycle (SDLC), business modeling techniques such as Entity-Relationship diagramming, data flow diagrams, and the use of Integrated Computer-Aided Software Engineering (I-CASE) tools to support systems development. Optional topics may include forms and report development using rapid applications development (RAD) tools, client/ server development, and web-based systems deployment.
Prerequisites: MIST 2010
Lecture hours: 3
Offered: Spring and Fall
MIST 4220 - Special Topics and Research in Information (3 Credits)
Designed to provide senior students with an opportunity to conduct research projects for publication in journals. Students will investigate new trends in Information Systems business and industry, Information Systems curricula, and Information Systems research.
Restrictions:
Enrollment limited to students with a semester level of Junior or Senior.
Lecture hours: 3
Offered: Spring
MIST 4240 - Computer Programming in Business (3 Credits)
This is an introductory course to computer programming using an object-oriented language; top-down design; structured programming; debugging; testing and implementation techniques. Business students will learn how to apply problem-solving skills via computer programming scenarios. Skills learned may be transferrable to other computer programming courses.
Prerequisites: MIST 2010 or BISE 2010 or BUSA 2101
Lecture hours: 3
Other hours: 3
Offered: Summer and Fall
MIST 4260 - E-Commerce (3 Credits)
The course investigates the evaluation, implementation, and disadvantages of electronic-commerce systems; and introduces students to the concepts of electronic commerce.
Restrictions:
Enrollment limited to students with a semester level of Junior or Senior.
Lecture hours: 3
Offered: Spring
MKTG 3120 - Principles of Marketing (3 Credits)
A course designed to show the characteristics, history, and functions related to marketing. Emphasis is on product definition, promotion, distribution, and pricing.
Prerequisites: ECON 2106
Lecture hours: 3
Offered: Spring, Summer, and Fall
MKTG 3130 - Consumer Behavior (3 Credits)
Study of the theories of consumer behavior with contribution from social sciences, and the implications on human consumption including decision-making factors which impact consumer purchasing patterns.
Prerequisites: (MKTG 3120 or MKTG 330)
Lecture hours: 3
Offered: Spring
MKTG 3132 - Fundamentals of Selling (3 Credits)
This course covers each aspect of the sales process. Attention is devoted to such sales activities as prospecting planning, product demonstrations, responding to objections, obtaining commitment, and relationship building. Each student is required to develop a sales presentation.
Prerequisites: MKTG 3120
Lecture hours: 3
Offered: Spring
MKTG 3134 - Marketing Research (3 Credits)
An introduction to methods used in market research, types of research, research design, and application of research results. Includes hands-on application of research methodology.
Prerequisites: MKTG 3120
Lecture hours: 3
Offered: Fall
MKTG 3136 - Promotion & Advertising (3 Credits)
A course intended to provide an understanding of promotion and advertising, their functions in our way of life, and their role in business.
Prerequisites: MKTG 3120
Lecture hours: 3
Offered: Fall
MKTG 4140 - Retail Management (3 Credits)
An introduction to the structure of retailing and problems associated with the management of retail stores and other channels of distribution.
Prerequisites: MKTG 3120
Lecture hours: 3
Offered: Spring, Summer, and Fall
MKTG 4170 - Marketing Management (3 Credits)
Management of marketing function, management skills and strategies applicable to management of marketing functions and their interrelationships within the environment of the firm.
Prerequisites: MKTG 3120
Restrictions:
Students with a semester level of Freshman or Sophomore may not enroll.
Lecture hours: 3
Offered: Spring