Department of Finance, Economics, and Accounting

Department Head: Mrs. Julie Staples

245 Merrill Hall

Accredited by The Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB)

Mission Statement

Our mission is to provide our learners with a career-focused education emphasizing responsible judgement, innovative thinking, entrepreneurial skills, and service to their communities.

Vision Statement

Our vision is to serve the Southeast by being an integral, cooperative partner of the business community by assessing needs and providing the human and intellectual resources for the future.

The Department of Finance, Economics, and Accounting carries out its mission through its commitment to the following four core values:

Teaching

We seek to provide our students with a learning-centered environment through which they become literate, articulate, and broadly educated individuals, who are knowledgeable in fundamental economic principles, the business disciplines, and the impact of global forces on domestic affairs. The curricula prepare baccalaureate and MBA graduates to be literate with information technology, ethically and globally aware, as well as analytical decision-makers who possess fully developed oral, written, and interpersonal communication skills. Graduates should be able to adapt to rapidly changing technologies and to adapt to a diverse work-place environment. The faculty seek to be recognized as excellent teachers and scholars, dedicated first and foremost to the development of students, through quality teaching, advising, and mentoring.

Intellectual Contributions

The College of Business and Industry values basic research, applied research, and instructional development activities of the faculty, with primary focus on applied scholarship (contribution to practice) and instructional development (learning and pedagogical research). The faculty believe that teaching and scholarly activity are interdependent, and that research enhances faculty effectiveness in the classroom and provides students with state-of-the-art business knowledge.

External Interaction

The College of Business and Industry seeks to take a leadership role in the economic development of the State of Alabama, specifically its Northeast region. The College promotes excellence in service activities consistent with academic and professional strengths of faculty and staff. Faculty and staff are expected to be a resource for the economic development of the State and region by extending their knowledge, skills, and values to society. Interaction with external constituents is fostered through a variety of efforts to include the Center for Economic Development, the Environmental Policy and Information Center, guest speakers, executives-in-residence, and advising groups.

Continuous Improvement

The College strives to provide quality undergraduate and graduate management education through traditional, as well as distance, delivery. The faculty, staff, and administration of the College of Business and Industry are committed to continuously improving the quality of our academic programs, our student support activities, and our service to the local and regional community.

Upper Division Assessment Policy for Business Majors

In addition to meeting the general admission requirements of the University, students wishing to pursue a business degree from the College of Business and Industry must adhere to the following:

1. All Bachelor of Science business students enrolling in the college will list their major as “Undecided-MGMT” until the completion of all lower division (freshman and sophomore) courses. Upon completion of these 60 hours with a GPA of 2.00 or higher, students will be reclassified to one of the five business degree majors (accounting, business economics, finance, management, or marketing).
2. While taking lower division courses, all students should schedule English composition and math courses each semester until such course requirements are completed.
3. Students who complete the 60 hours of lower division courses without attaining a 2.00 GPA will be required to repeat courses in order to bring the GPA up to the required 2.00. For the purposes of calculating the lower division GPA, only the highest grade for repeated courses will be included. Students not meeting the conditions to be reclassified will have one semester to bring the GPA up to the required 2.00. During this one semester, students will be allowed to continue in only nine (9) hours of CBI core courses selected from the following upper division courses: FIN 301 Business Finance (3); EC 303 Money and Banking (3), EC 321 Intermediate Microeconomics (3), or EC 322 Intermediate Macroeconomics (3); MKT 301 Principles of Marketing (3); MGT 301 Principles of Management (3); CBA 350 Business Communications (WI) (3), ST 345 Data Analytics for Business (3), and MGT 375 Introduction to Management Information Systems (3) (all prerequisites must be adhered to). Students who attempt to enroll in classes without appropriate prerequisites will be dropped from these classes.
4. Students who begin their program at JSU will follow the program of study outlined in the JSU catalog that is current at the time they initially enroll. However, if at some later date a student wishes to change to a more recent catalog, this is permissible. Students electing to change to a more recent catalog will need to satisfy all requirements of the selected catalog. See appropriate section of the university catalog for Catalog Requirements and Time Limits.
5. Students transferring from any two-year college or other four-year institution must abide by all rules and regulations as specified in the appropriate JSU catalog relative to their admission, both into the university as well as into the College of Business and Industry. Transfer students also have the right to move to a more current catalog, if desired.
6. Students planning to transfer from other junior or senior level colleges should consult with the Senior Lead Advisor in the Dr. Louise J. Clark Advising Center for information relative to degree requirements.

Course Transfer Policy for Business Majors

Business students transferring to JSU from other accredited institutions must satisfy specified course and GPA requirements prior to eligibility for upper division courses. Also, business students may transfer into JSU from another institution no more than 50 percent of the business credit hours required for the business degree (CBI core plus major requirements). Transfer credits for 300/400 level business courses will be accepted only from AACSB-International accredited schools. This applies only to courses that are approved for transfer once a student has enrolled as a business student at Jacksonville State University and not to credits that have been completed at another institution prior to enrolling in JSU’s business program. See appropriate section of the university catalog for Transfer Student Admissions.

Business Core Requirements

The following courses are included in the core:

A student must earn a minimum “C” average (2.00 GPA) in business core subjects and business core subjects taken in residence.

Grade Requirements for Major and Minor Courses

The student must earn a grade of at least a “C” in all major and minor courses required for degree completion.

Business Graduation Requirements

In addition to successfully completing all course requirements for the major, students graduating with a degree from the Department of Finance, Economics, and Accounting or the Department of Management and Marketing must meet all requirements listed below for graduation:

1. Attain an overall GPA of 2.00 or higher on all courses attempted.
2. Attain a GPA of 2.00 or higher on all courses attempted at JSU.
3. Attain a GPA of 2.00 or higher on all business core courses (See Core Requirements above).
4. Attain a GPA of 2.00 or higher on all CBI core courses at JSU.
5. Apply to graduate the semester before graduation. Business students should consult with their Academic Advisor for instructions. 
6. Complete the Major Field Assessment Business Test. This is an assessment tool that is used to measure students’ understanding of the basic business subject areas to include: accounting, economics, management, quantitative business analysis, finance, marketing, legal and social environment, and international studies.

Students are encouraged to incorporate internships and practical field experiences in their degree plans. These field experiences may or may not be credit bearing, but are considered integral to the learning process. Students should consult their academic advisors for prior approval and guidance.

Eligibility of Business Majors to Upper Division Business Courses

In order to enroll in upper division (300 and 400 level) business courses, business students must have completed at least 50 semester hours to include:

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Students who are enrolled in ACC 210 Principles of Accounting II (3), EC 222 Principles of Macroeconomics (3) {having completed EC 221 Principles of Microeconomics (3)}, and/or ST 261 Statistics/Quantitative Methods II (3) may request special permission to enroll simultaneously in upper division business core courses. This permission, if granted, will be allowed only once per student; failure to successfully complete prerequisite courses will result in the student not being allowed to enroll in additional core courses until such prerequisite course(s) have been successfully completed.

In order to enroll in major courses, students must have completed all requirements for the upper division eligibility and be reclassified from “Undecided-MGMT.”

Eligibility of Non-Business Majors to Upper Division Business Courses

Non-business majors having completed at least 50 semester hours may be eligible for upper division courses if they have met all prerequisites for each course. Others may be admitted only with the written permission of the appropriate department head.

Note: FIN 311 Personal Financial Planning (3), FIN 341 Principles of Real Estate (3), FIN 343 Real Estate Appraisal (3), and FIN 344 Legal Aspects of Real Estate (3) are exceptions to the requirements stated above; these courses are open to all students. FIN 343 Real Estate Appraisal (3) and FIN 344 Legal Aspects of Real Estate (3) require FIN 341 Principles of Real Estate (3) as a prerequisite.

Minors

Students earning a Bachelor of Science degree in accounting, business economics, finance, management, or marketing are not required to have a minor. Those wishing to add a minor will be required to complete more than the 120 hours required for the BS degree to accommodate the additional hours required for the minor. At least six (6) credits toward completion of a minor must be taken at JSU. All course prerequisites stated in the course descriptions in this catalog must be met.

Finance

Economics

Accounting

Statistics