Mike Cottrell College of Business

The Mike Cottrell College of Business (MCCB) is an AACSB accredited institution that offers the Master of Business Administration (M.B.A.) and the Master of Accountancy (M.Acc) at the graduate level as well as several undergraduate degree programs. Information about the M.B.A. and M.Acc is available in the Graduate Academic Catalog or online. Undergraduate degrees include the Bachelor of Business Administration (B.B.A.) degree with majors in accounting, finance, information systems, management, and marketing. In addition to the B.B.A. degree, the MCCB offers the Bachelor of Applied Science (B.A.S.) in Technology Management and Paralegal Studies, the Bachelor of Science (B.S.) Degree in Computer Science and the Bachelor of Science in Cybersecurity. The MCCB offers the Associate of Arts (A.A.) with an advising pathway in Business Administration, the Associate of Science (A.S.) with an advising pathway in Computer Science, the Associate of Applied Science (A.A.S.) in Paralegal Studies, and a Certificate in Paralegal Studies. The Paralegal degrees (B.A.S., A.A.S., and Certificate) are approved by the American Bar Association. The MCCB offers ten minors, including the Minors in Economics, Entrepreneurship, FinTech, Machine Learning, Mobile App Development, Cybersecurity, Information Assurance and Security (IAS), Computer Science, and Computer Information Systems. The Minor in Business Administration is available for non-business majors.

Mission

The Mike Cottrell College of Business leads in the exploration, creation, and dissemination of knowledge. We empower students to become innovative and ethical business and technology professionals. We create value for individuals, organizations, and communities.

Selecting a Program and Major

The Mike Cottrell College of Business offers the B.B.A. degree on the Dahlonega and Gainesville campuses. Certain majors or concentrations may be campus-specific. The A.A., A.S., A.A.S., and B.A.S. degrees are available on the Dahlonega and Gainesville campuses. The A.A. is available on the Oconee and Cumming campuses. The A.A. and A.S. degrees offered by the College of Business allow students to transition to the B.B.A., B.S., or B.A. four-year degrees. The A.A.S. degree is considered a career associates degree and is the foundation for B.A.S. programs. Students may apply to the B.B.A. or the B.S. program as a freshman or can start in the A.A. or A.S. program and apply to internally transfer to a four-year program.

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

Almost all 3000 and 4000 level courses designated as ACCT, BUSA, CIS, FINC, MGMT, or MKTG are limited to students who are designated in a major in the B.B.A. or B.A.S. 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 courses exempt from the Admission to Upper Division requirement are ACCT 3310 Intermediate Accounting I, BUSA 3108 Business and Managerial Communication, CIS 3130 Business Information Systems, FINC 3440 Principles of Finance, MGMT 3661 Fundamentals of Management, MKTG 3700 Principles of Marketing, and courses with the ECON, ENTR, and FTA prefixes. These courses are open to any students who have met the stated prerequisites with grades of C or higher before enrolling.

Admission to Upper Division

Students admitted to UNG before 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 before 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
- Math requirement (MATH 2040 for B.B.A. or MATH 1401 for B.A.S. in Technology Management)
- Completion of PROS Acknowledgment quiz (B.B.A. only) which is available online
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

Professional 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 Professional Roadmap to Ongoing Success (PROS) program 90 days before graduation with a B.B.A. degree. PROS allows students to explore career options, investigate business majors available through the Mike Cottrell College of Business, prepare for job interviews, and build their professional network. Students participate in activities. The PROS program is a 4-step process and each step should be completed during the preferred timeframe (freshman, sophomore, junior and senior years). However, all requirements of the PROS program must be completed 90 days before graduation with a B.B.A. degree.

Graduation Requirements

In addition to meeting the requirements specified under Academic Regulations for all degrees, B.B.A. 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