Mike Cottrell College of Business

The Mike Cottrell College of Business (MCCB) is an AACSB accredited institution that offers the Master of Business Administration (MBA) and the Master of Accountancy (MAcc) at the graduate level as well as a number of undergraduate degree programs. MBA and MAcc information is available in the Graduate Academic Catalog or online. Undergraduate degrees include the Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) degree with majors in accounting, finance, information systems, management, and marketing. In addition to the BBA degree, the MCCB offers the Bachelor of Applied Science (BAS) in Technology Management and Paralegal Studies, the Bachelor Science (BS) Degree in Computer Science and the Bachelor of Science in Cybersecurity. The MCCB offers the Associate of Arts (AA) in Business Administration, the Associate of Science (AS) in Computer Science, the Associate of Applied Science (AAS) in Paralegal Studies and a Certificate in Paralegal Studies. The Paralegal degrees (BAS, AAS and Certificate) are approved by the American Bar Association. The MCCB offers six minors, including the Minors in Entrepreneurship, Mobile App Development, Cyber Security, Information Assurance and Security (IAS), Computer Science, and Computer Information Systems. The Minor in Business Administration is available for non-business majors.

Mission

The mission of the Mike Cottrell College of Business at the University of North Georgia is to produce skilled, ethical business leaders who are competitive in the regional and global environment by providing an atmosphere of personalized learning, conducting relevant research, and fostering active engagement experiences.

Selecting a Program and Major

The Mike Cottrell College offers the BBA degree on the Dahlonega (full-time or part-time; primarily day) and on the Gainesville campuses (primarily part-time and evening); the AA, AS, AAS, and BAS degrees are available on the Gainesville campus; and the AA is available on the Oconee and Cumming campuses. The AA and AS degrees offered by the College of Business allow students to transition to the BBA, BS or BA four-year degrees. The AAS degree is considered a career associates degree and is the foundation for BAS programs. Students may apply to the BBA or the BS program as a freshman or can start in the AA or AS program and apply to internally transfer to a four-year program.

The BBA degree and the BAS in Technology Management are four-year business degrees that share many courses. The BBA degree is appropriate for the student seeking a traditional college degree with a major in Accounting, Finance, Information Systems, Management, or Marketing. The BAS in Technology Management is appropriate for students who have earned the career associate degree (AAS) and want to complete a four year applied degree. The BS in Computer Science and Cybersecurity are four-year program available on the Dahlonega campus. The BAS in Paralegal Studies is available on the Gainesville campus and builds on the AAS in Paralegal Studies.

Advising

Students with a major housed in the College of Business will be assigned a faculty or staff advisor within the college based on their degree program, major, and campus. The advisor will assist in planning and sequencing coursework to progress toward a degree and provide career advice. Students seeking a minor in Business should contact the College of Business staff advisor on their home campus.

In addition to faculty and staff advisors, the College of Business maintains a website with advising information for all degree programs. The site includes information for current students including curriculum information, forms, and answers many frequently asked questions.

Enrollment Eligibility

Most courses taught within the College of Business are limited to students meeting additional criteria beyond admission to UNG and selection of major. The specific additional criteria depend on the level and subject of the course as well as when the student was admitted to UNG.

All courses taught within the Mike Cottrell College require that students earn a grade of C or higher in any stated prerequisite. This includes all courses with subject identifiers of ACCT, BUSA, CSCI, CIS, ECON, ENTR, FINC, MGMT, MKTG, and PARA. In addition, PARA courses are limited to students admitted to a Paralegal program.

Almost all 3000 and 4000 level courses designated as ACCT, BUSA, CIS, ECON, FINC, MGMT or MKTG are limited to students who are designated in a major in the BBA or BAS in Technology Management degree and meet the Admission to Upper Division requirements for the Mike Cottrell College of Business. Students enrolled in non-business programs that require a specific advanced business course that was approved (by MCCB) will need to seek an override for the course once they have met all of the admission course requirements that are included in their degree program. The only courses except from the Admission to Upper Division requirement are ACCT 3310 Intermediate Accounting I, CIS 3130 Business Information Systems, FINC 3440 Principles of Finance, MGMT 3661 Fundamentals of Management, and MKTG 3700 Principles of Marketing. These five courses are open to any students who have met the stated prerequisites with grades of C or higher prior to enrolling.

Admission to Upper Division

Students admitted to UNG prior to Fall 2016 will continue to use the prerequisites listed in the 2015/16 Undergraduate Bulletin. Effective for students admitted to UNG Fall 2016 or later, enrollment in most 3000 and 4000 level ACCT, BUSA, CIS, ECON, FINC, MGMT, and MKTG courses in the Mike Cottrell College of Business will be restricted beyond prerequisites. Bachelor’s degree seeking students may declare a Business major (Accounting, Finance, Information Systems, Management, Marketing, or Technology Management) at any point, but must successfully meet the following admission requirements prior to enrolling in any restricted advanced 3000/4000 level course:

Earned a grade of C or higher in each of the following:
- ACCT 2101, ACCT 2102, ECON 2105, ECON 2106, and
- Math requirement (MATH 2040 for BBA or MATH 2400 for BAS in Technology Management)
Meet at least one of the following GPA requirements:
- Cumulative GPA of 2.5 or higher based on at least 40 semester hours
- GPA of 2.75 or higher based on the ACCT, ECON and MATH courses required for admission

Personal Roadmap to On-going Success

Students admitted to the Mike Cottrell College of Business Bachelor of Business Administration program Fall 2015 or later are required to complete the Personal Roadmap to Ongoing Success (PROS) Professional Development Program 90 days prior to graduation with a BBA degree. PROS participation will begin during the student’s sophomore year, requiring students to explore professionalism, investigate business majors available through the Mike Cottrell College of Business and determine their career direction through an introductory seminar and eLearning coursework in D2L. In their junior year, students will participate in activities to gain exposure to business leaders and gain a better understanding of the business world. During a student’s senior year, students will build upon their experiences in college thus far and begin to practice leadership, communication, and networking skills. The PROS program is a 4-step process and each step should be completed during the preferred timeframe (sophomore, junior and senior years). However, all requirements of the PROS program must be completed 90 days prior to graduation with a BBA degree.

Graduation Requirements

In addition to meeting the requirements specified under Academic Regulations for all degrees, BBA degree seeking students must:

Meet residency requirements related to the degree
Meet residency requirements related to the major
Earn a “C” or higher in all Area F and beyond required courses
Complete the Student Professional Development Program (PROS) as specified by the College of Business