Michael J. Coles College of Business, Kennesaw State University in Kennesaw, GA - Kennesaw State University in Kennesaw, GA

History

Kennesaw State University, founded in 1963, is a public, coeducational institution. The 185-acre campus is located in a suburban area 30 miles north of Atlanta. Total undergraduate and graduate enrollment is 19,800.

The Michael J. Coles College of Business was founded in 1985 and is located on the main campus, in its own building, Burruss Building. Courses also are offered at Dalton State College (Career Growth MBA) and Cobb Galleria (Career Growth MBA). The basic educational approach is to apply both theory and case method in a part-time program designed for businesspeople who cannot interrupt their careers for full-time degree programs.

Coles College of Business is the second-largest business school in Georgia, and is regularly recognized as a leading business school in national college surveys.

Information Summary

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Enrollment Total (all students)	558

Academics

The Coles College of Business offers graduate and undergraduate degrees in business. Graduate programs include the Master of Business Administration (MBA), Doctor of Business Administration, Master of Accounting (MAcc), and an Executive MBA program. Undergraduates can earn bachelor’s degrees in any of several business-related concentrations, including marketing, economics, and accounting. The school also offers an Online BBA (Bachelor of Business Administration) degree. The strongest areas of study are general management and leadership, finance, and marketing. The most popular courses are general management and leadership. Regular programs bring distinguished speakers and visiting professors to campus, including a lecture series. In addition, visiting international faculty teach and collaborate on research.

Business and Accounting programs at Coles are accredited by AACSB International.

Thirty-six total credits are required to complete both the MBA and the MAcc, including 18 elective credits. Required courses for both the MBA and the MAcc include:

Accounting Insights for Managers
Resource Allocation and Decision Analysis
Business Finance
Managing the Value Chain
Strategic Management
Leading Work Behavior, Effectiveness, and Change
Strategic Marketing
6 electives

Students may eliminate or substitute prerequisites by taking advanced standing exams and transferring up to 3 applicable graduate courses completed at AACSB-accredited institutions.

The minimum time permitted to complete the master’s degree program attending part time is I year; maximum, 6 years.

There are 64 total full-time graduate business faculty, all of whom hold a doctorate; there are 4 part-time faculty, 2 of whom hold a doctorate. Faculty salaries are rated below average for Category IIA institutions, based on the AAUP rating system. Average number of courses faculty teach is 5; average business class size is 29.

Unique Programs

Library

The Horace W. Sturgis Library houses a collection of more than 608,472 volumes, 1,679,401 microform items, and 100,000 special business collections, and subscribes to 4203 periodicals. Students have access to such databases and networks as ABI/INFORM, Datext, Investext, and CIRR. Other opportunities for research consist of membership in the Atlanta Regional Consortium for Higher Education, which provides cooperative library access in metropolitan Atlanta and Statewide University network GALILEO.

Computers

Graduate business students must have their own PCs. Available computer facilities consist of 78 networked PCs in an open laboratory, which can access mainframes in all state institutions. Any work associated with instruction is legitimate. Local software includes Lotus 1-2-3, dBASE III Plus, LOGO, PG Write, and specific instructor software. In addition, there are 2 classrooms with 100 PCs dedicated for selected courses.

Career and Job Placement

Placement services are limited, since most students are already employed full time. Placement services for alumni include job fairs and access to employment search and consulting services retained by the business school. Placement is available through the university placement office.

International Students

International students must take the TOEFL. International students must score 550 on the Paper-Based TOEFL (PBT) or 80 on the Internet-Based (iBT) version. They also must submit a translation of their transcripts, proof of health consisting of immunization against measles, mumps, and rubella, and proof of adequate funds to cover 9 months of study. There are special feesfor health insurance. The application deadline for fall entry is July 1.

Calendar

The school operates on a traditional semester basis. Semesters are 15 weeks long; summer sessions, 4 weeks. Graduate programs are offered during the evening only and weekends.

Admissions

For admission to graduate programs, a bachelor’s degree is required, along with a GPA of 2.80 and a GMAT score of 500. Most important admissions factors are GMAT results, grades in upper-level courses, and work experience. A strong mathematics background is not required.

Admission to the Doctor of Business Administration (DBA) program is highly selective, and is based upon professional as well as academic achievement. The school offers informational seminars throughout the year for students who wish to learn more about the DBA program.

The number of applicants for the 2006-2007 class was 285; 147 were accepted; 102 enrolled. The average GPA was 3.18; average GMAT score was 528. Transfers are accepted. Minority students are actively recruited by participation in job fairs specifically designed for minority student groups.

Students may begin the MBA program in the fall, spring, and summer. To apply, students must submit an application form, a transcript, GMAT scores, a nonrefundable application fee of $50, and immunization certificates for measles, mumps, and rubella. The application deadlines are July 1 for fall entry; November 1, spring; April 1, summer. Students are notified on a rolling basis of the admissions decision. The latest acceptable test date for fall entry is July 1.

Financial Aid

About 10% of graduate business school students receive financial aid from scholarships, loans, and graduate assistantships, for a total average of $7500 annually; maximum $18,500. Stipends and programs available for minority students include Regents’ Opportunity Scholarships. The FAFSA is required. The application deadlines are April 1 for fall entry; September 1, spring; March 1, summer.

Tuition for in-state residents is $127 per credit, or $3044 per year. Nonresidents pay $508 per credit, or $12,172 per year. Books and supplies cost approximately $500; and other fees, $706, for an estimated annual total of $4250 for in-state residents and $13,378 for out-of-state residents. Graduate student housing consists of apartment-style housing for single, full-time students. There is a referral service to help procure off-campus housing.

Students

All of the current graduate business school class are enrolled part time: all have had an average of 8 years of full-time work experience prior to entering graduate school, a factor preferred by the school. The greatest percentage of students are from Georgia (92%). Forty-five percent are women, 31% are minorities, and 19% are foreign nationals. The average age at entrance is 32; ages range from 21 to 67. Five percent enter directly from undergraduate school; 5% already have a graduate degree. In 2006, 264 graduate business degrees were awarded.

Michael J. Coles College of Business