College of Business Course Catalog - the University of Houston ...

usiness curriculum that emphasizes analytical,
communication and interpersonal skills and knowledge
that enhance students’ long-term employability and
opportunities for advanced degrees. The college has a
regional focus with emphasis on responding to the needs
of the business and professional community in the
Greater Houston area. Faculty maintain a close affiliation
with the community through a variety of activities,
including participation in local professional associations,
leadership in professional development programs,
supervision of student projects benefiting local businesses
and organizations, and consulting.
The College of Business serves urban students in a small
class setting that encourages interaction and draws upon
the strengths of diversity in student age, ethnicity, work
experience and cultural background. Excellence in
teaching is the first priority of the college. Excellence is
achieved through innovative pedagogy that emphasizes
the application of theory and the development of
discipline-based skills. In addition, research and scholarly
activities are encouraged as essential components in
maintaining faculty excellence.
The College of Business is committed to maintaining highquality
instruction by regularly examining its educational
offerings and its delivery processes. Faculty,
administrators and staff believe that the development of
policies, programs and personnel that support excellence
are most likely to emerge in a collaborative work
environment. The college seeks to create a culture built
upon mutual respect and appreciation for each person’s
contributions.
• Enhancing the partnership of the academic
community with the business community and the
public at large.
Consistent with the college’s mission and objectives, each
of the major programs is designed to prepare graduates to
make immediate contributions as employees and to
develop in them skills, knowledge and attitudes to deal
effectively with the technological, economic and social
uncertainties of the future.
One way by which the commitment of the business
community to the quality of programs offered by the
College of Business is demonstrated is by the funding of
professorships. The college is honored to be the recipient
of three such funds. In 1983, the Houston Association of
Professional Landmen endowed the Petroleum Land
Management Professorship. In 1987, a grant from Fiesta
Mart was matched by the University of Houston System to
establish the Fiesta Professorship in Accounting. In 2002,
a grant from Marian and Speros Martel established the
Martel Professorship in Computer Information Systems.
Beta Gamma Sigma
The College of Business is privileged to have a student
chapter of Beta Gamma Sigma, the national business
honorary society recognized by the AACSB-International.
Its mission is to encourage and honor academic
achievement and personal excellence in the study and
practice of business. Each year, the University of
Houston-Downtown Chapter invites to membership the
juniors in the college who rank in the top 7% of their class
and the seniors who rank in the top 10% of their class
who are not already members.
Objectives
To carry out this mission, the faculty of the College of
Business has adopted objectives to guide the college’s
planning related to teaching, research and service. The
teaching objectives have the highest priority and include:
• Providing a curriculum appropriate to the business
environment and to the students’ educational and
career needs.
• Implementing the curriculum by means of a highly
qualified faculty.
• Supporting students through quality courses,
academic advising and flexible scheduling.
The objectives related to research and service have
approximately equal weight. The research objectives
include:
• Providing the organization, facilities and support to
assist faculty research and publication.
• Encouraging presentation of research by written and
oral means.
The service objectives include:
• Fulfilling responsibilities as members of the university
faculty community in performance of assignments
from university management.
• Encouraging faculty membership and active
participation in professional organizations.
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Academic Requirements–Admission, Declaration of
Major, Advising, Graduation
In order to declare a major in the College of Business, the
student must first be admitted to the College. The
admission policy is described in the “Academic
Requirements for the College of Business,” which is
available in the Office of Business Student Services in
Room 1041-North. The Application for Admission to the
College of Business is obtained from the University
College in Room 380-South. A student may be admitted
to the College of Business as early as the completion of
30 hours of college-level work. Once admitted, the student
must declare a major by the completion of 60 hours of
college-level credit.
Information concerning requirements for admission to the
college, declaration of major, transferability of courses
and requirements for graduation are available from the
Office of Business Student Services in Room 1041-North.
An advisor must authorize registration for any course in
the college that has a course prerequisite. A student may
register by telephone if eligible. A student generally will
not be allowed to register for any junior- or senior-level
course in the College of Business until he/she has been
admitted to the College of Business and has completed
60 hours of college-level work. Students not admitted to
the College of Business who desire to take junior- and
senior-level courses in the College of Business must have
an overall grade point average of 2.0 on course work
completed at the University of Houston-Downtown and be