Alton W. and Lois H. Overton Graduate School of Business

Scott Hicks, B.S., M.B.A.
Dean, School of Business
Assistant Professor of Business

Anita Satterlee, B.S., M.A., Ed.D.
Associate Dean, School of Business
Professor of Business

Keith Wargo, C.P.A., B.S., M.B.A., Ed.S.
Associate Dean, School of Business
Interim Chair, Department of Management, International Business, Human Resources and Marketing
Assistant Professor of Business

Melanie Hicks, B.S., M.B.A., D.B.A.
Chair, Graduate Business Programs
Director of Accreditation
Professor of Accounting

Gene Sullivan, B.S., M.S., M.R.E., Ph.D.
Chair, Department of Accounting, Finance, and Economics
Professor of Accounting

Terrence Conner, B.S., M.A.
Chair, School of Business
Assistant Professor of Business

David Calland, B.S., M.B.A., Ph.D.
Chair, School of Business
Associate Professor of Business

David Duby, B.S., M.S., Ph.D.
Chair, School of Business
Associate Professor of Business

Brian Satterlee, B.S., M.S., Ed.D., D.B.A.
DBA Program Director
Professor of Business

Mark Shaneck, B.S., B.A., M.S., Ph.D.
Interim Chair, Business Management Information Systems
Assistant Professor of Computational Sciences

RESIDENTIAL FACULTY
Professor
George; Hicks, M.; Light, A.; Moore; Preacher; Satterlee, A.; Satterlee, B.; Shelton; Sones, Sullivan, G.

Associate Professor
Brunson; Duby; McLaughlin; Tucker; Young, G.; Young, P.

Assistant Professor
Shaneck

DISTANCE EDUCATION FACULTY
Assistant Professor
Boyce; Corum; Erickson; Hinton; Johnson, D.; Jose; Karaffa; Kippenhan; Maddox; Marin; Matthews, A.; McCarty; McChesney; McFaul; Perry; Poirier; Quigg; Rauch; Richmond; Saez; Saunders; Schultz, J.; Sette-Roach; Smith, G.; Spotts; Sullivan, A.; Waldo; White, D.; White, W.; Willert; Wilson

PURPOSE
To educate our business students with the values, knowledge, and skills they need in the development of the whole person to enable them to impact their world. Inherent in this mission are the following fundamental imperatives:

1. That all teaching be given within a distinctively Christian worldview.
2. That the Word of God be honored as the final authority for life and practice.
3. That justice and ethics be exalted within a context of limited government and a free market system in a global economy.
4. That all of life’s tasks are sacred and are to be done as unto the Lord.
5. That the education process be a collaboration with faculty and staff, helping to transform students into self-sufficient, lifelong learners.
6. That courses of instruction be designed and delivered to provide our graduates with a competitive advantage as they pursue their chosen careers.

TRANSFER OF CREDIT
Applicants may transfer coursework based on the program to which they are applying. Please refer to the transfer section of this Catalog for specific hour amounts.  In order for a transferred course to replace a Liberty University core course, the following requirements must be met:

1. The school at which the course was taken must be appropriately accredited.
2. The course credit must be at least three semester hours or five quarter hours.
3. The student must have earned a grade of B or better in the course.
4. The course must overlap one of Liberty’s core courses by at least 80%.
5. The course(s) to be transferred must have been completed within seven years of the start date of the student’s program at Liberty University.
6. Credits from a prior degree earned through Liberty University are considered transfer credits.

Courses related to business administration that meet all but criterion #4 above may be transferred in as elective courses.  Transfer credit for BUSI 690 – Policy and Strategy in Global Competition will not be given. Courses from an earned master’s degree will not transfer.

Students having graduated with the Master of Science in Management (M.S.M.) degree or the Master of Science in Accounting (M.S.A.) degree may not transfer credits into the Master of Business Administration program (M.B.A.).  Students having graduated from the Master of Arts in Management and Leadership (M.A.M.L.) program may transfer a total of 12 credit hours into the Master of Business Administration program (M.B.A.). Students desiring the M.B.A. degree will need to complete a Change of Program form in the Registrar’s office before completion of the M.S.M. or M.S.A. degrees.

Master of Arts in Management and Leadership (M.A.)

PURPOSE
The Master of Science in Management and Leadership is a 30-hour graduate program that will provide students with a foundation in business, leadership and management and is for those from any academic background. The goal is to develop management, leadership and business knowledge within the Christian worldview.  In pursuit of this purpose, the M.A. in Management and Leadership degree faculty seeks the following student learning outcomes:

PROGAM LEARNING OUTCOMES
The student will be able to:

1. Incorporate Christian worldview perspectives when solving management and leadership ethical dilemmas.
2. Evaluate and present scholarship relevant to management and leadership contexts.
3. Solve complex management and leadership issues within various contexts.
4. Examine effective management and leadership practices.

PROGRAM SPECIFIC ADMISSIONS REQUIREMENTS
In addition to the general admission requirements, admission to candidacy in the M.A. in Management and Leadership program requires:

1. Earned baccalaureate degree or its equivalent from an institution accredited by an agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education (e.g., SACS, TRACS, ABHE, etc.)
2. An undergraduate cumulative GPA of 2.50 or above (on a 4.00 scale)
3. Technology Questionnaire: Computer access and literacy for word processing, Internet, and e-mail are required for all graduate students. This form is available online.
4. TOEFL (if applicable)

Students who do not meet all of the above requirements may be admitted on a provisional basis for nine hours of graduate coursework. Students who do not meet the minimum GPA requirement may be admitted on Academic Probation status; these students must take and pass GRST 500 – Introduction to Graduate Writing in their first semester. Students who have less than an undergraduate 2.00 GPA will not be admitted to the program.

GRADUATION REQUIREMENTS
In addition to other regulations governing graduation, as stated in the Liberty University catalog, M.A. in Management and Leadership students must meet the following requirements:

1. Complete 30 total hours.
2. A minimum of 24 hours must be completed through Liberty University, not to include credits from a prior degree earned through Liberty.
3. A maximum of six (6) hours of transfer credit, including credit from a degree on the same academic level previously earned through Liberty, may be applied to the degree.
4. Maintain a 2.50 GPA to remain in the program. While all course grades are averaged into the GPA, credit toward degree completion is not granted for a grade of D or F.
5. All Online students admitted on Academic Probation are required to enroll in and pass GRST 500 in their first semester.
6. Degree must be completed within five years from the date of admission.
7. Liberty University credits earned towards a degree must have been earned within the past seven years of the completion date, or students will be required to retake the course.
8. Submit a Graduation Application to the Registrar’s Office at the beginning of the final semester.

Program of Study

Master of Business Administration (M.B.A.)

PURPOSE
The Master of Business Administration is a 45-hour program that provides master’s level training to prepare persons for business leadership. In addition to a strong core curriculum, students are able to specialize in one of ten key business areas: Accounting, Criminal Justice Administration, Healthcare Management, Human Resource Management, International Business, Leadership, Marketing, Project Management, Public Administration, and Public Relations.  Alternatively, a student may choose to pursue the general program.  In accordance with the mission of Liberty University, the graduate faculty seeks to educate the whole person, developing the values, knowledge, and skills individuals need to impact their business world.  The context for all instruction is the Christian worldview.  In pursuit of this purpose, the M.B.A. faculty seeks the following program learning outcomes:

PROGRAM LEARNING OUTCOMES
The student will be able to:

1. Incorporate Christian worldview perspectives when solving management and leadership ethical dilemmas.
2. Evaluate and present scholarship relevant to management and leadership contexts.
3. Solve complex management and leadership issues within various contexts.

PROGRAM SPECIFIC ADMISSIONS REQUIREMENTS
In addition to the general admission requirements, admission to candidacy in the M.B.A. program requires:

1. Earned baccalaureate degree in a business discipline or its equivalent from an institution accredited by an agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education (e.g., SACS, TRACS, ABHE, etc.)
2. An undergraduate cumulative GPA of 3.00 or above (on a 4.00 scale)
3. Technology Questionnaire: Computer access and literacy for word processing, Internet, and e-mail are required for all graduate students. This form is available online.
4. TOEFL (if applicable)
5. Fifteen hours of upper-level undergraduate business courses from an institution accredited by an agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education (e.g., SACS, TRACS, ABHE, etc.)

Students who do not meet the minimum GPA requirement may be admitted on Academic Probation status; these students must take and pass GRST 500 – Introduction to Graduate Writing in their first semester.  Students who do not have the 15 hours of upper level undergraduate business courses will be denied admission and automatically moved to the M.A. in Management and Leadership program. Once the student has completed BUSI 520, BUSI 530, BUSI 561 and BUSI 604 with a minimum 3.00 GPA, they may request admission to the M.B.A. program.

Additional prerequisites for admission to the Master of Business Administration – Accounting program include:

ACCT 211      Principles of Accounting I
ACCT 212      Principles of Accounting II
ACCT 301      Intermediate Accounting I
ACCT 302      Intermediate Accounting II
ACCT 311      Cost Accounting I
ACCT 404      Auditing
ACCT 401      Taxation I
       OR
ACCT 412      Taxation II

Students without an accounting undergraduate degree are recommended to take ACCT 403 Advanced Accounting II in order to meet the governmental accounting course requirement for the CPA exam.

GRADUATION REQUIREMENTS
In addition to other regulations governing graduation, as stated in the Liberty University Catalog, M.B.A. students must meet the following requirements:

1. Complete 45 total hours, if completing a cognate; 33 hours must be completed through Liberty University. Complete 36 hours if completing a general MBA; 30 hours must be completed through Liberty University.
2. Maintain a 3.00 GPA to remain in the program, with no more than two C’s permitted. While all course grades are averaged into the GPA, credit toward degree completion is not granted for a grade of D or F.  Students may petition the School of Business to repeat up to two courses in which a C or below was earned.  The most recent grade will be calculated into the GPA.
3. Additional requirements, beyond those listed on the degree completion plan, may be necessary depending upon the student’s academic background, and the degree being pursued (i.e. course prerequisites at the undergraduate level may be required before enrollment in graduate course work can take place).
4. Resident students are required to pass GRST 500 or the graduate writing assessment.
5. Online students will be required to take the graduate writing assessment.
6. Degree must be completed within five years from the date of admission.
7. Liberty University credits earned towards a degree must have been earned within the past seven years of the completion date, or students will be required to retake the course.
8. Submit a Graduation Application to the Registrar’s Office at the beginning of the final semester.

Program of Study

In a cooperative agreement with the Liberty University School of Law, the School of Business will accept the transfer of 15 hours of approved Law courses to allow currently enrolled Liberty University School of Law J.D. students or Liberty University School of Law alumni to earn a General Cognate in the M.B.A. program.  Please see the School of Law section of this Catalog for more information.

Program of Study

Master of Science in Accounting (M.S.)

PURPOSE
The Master of Science in Accounting is a 30-hour graduate program that, in accordance with the mission of Liberty University, serves to educate the whole person, developing the values, knowledge, and skills individuals need to impact their business world. The goal is to develop accounting knowledge and expertise, within the Christian worldview, essential for functioning in a variety of accounting and business contexts.

PROGRAM LEARNING OUTCOMES
The student will be able to:

1. Incorporate Christian worldview perspectives with the profession’s established code of professional conduct, when solving accounting ethical dilemmas.
2. Evaluate and present scholarship relevant to accounting contexts.
3. Solve complex accounting issues within various contexts.

PROGRAM SPECIFIC ADMISSIONS REQUIREMENTS
In addition to the general admission requirements, graduation from the M.S. in Accounting requires:

1. Earned baccalaureate degree or its equivalent from an institution accredited by an agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education (e.g., SACS, TRACS, ABHE, etc.)
2. An undergraduate cumulative GPA of 3.00 or above (on a 4.00 scale)
3. Technology Questionnaire: Computer access and literacy for word processing, Internet, and e-mail are required for all graduate students. This form is available online.
4. TOEFL (if applicable)

Students who do not meet all of the above requirements may be admitted on a provisionary basis for nine hours of graduate coursework. Students who do not meet the minimum GPA requirements may be admitted on Academic Probation status; these students must take and pass GRST 500 – Introduction to Graduate Writing in their first semester. Students who do not have course work in accounting, or do not have a Bachelor’s degree in accounting, will be required to take up to 21 credits of undergraduate prerequisites before beginning graduate level accounting course work.

PREREQUISITES FOR ADMISSION
Prerequisites for admission to the Master of Science in Accounting program are:

ACCT 211      Principles of Accounting I
ACCT 212      Principles of Accounting II
ACCT 301      Intermediate Accounting I
ACCT 302      Intermediate Accounting II
ACCT 311      Cost Accounting I
ACCT 404      Auditing
ACCT 401      Taxation I
       OR
ACCT 412      Taxation II

Students without an accounting undergraduate degree are recommended to take ACCT 403 Advanced Accounting II in order to meet the governmental accounting course requirement for the CPA exam.

GRADUATION REQUIREMENTS
In addition to other regulations governing graduation, as stated in the Liberty University Catalog, M.S. in Accounting students must meet the following requirements:

1. Complete 30 total hours.
2. A minimum of 24 hours must be completed through Liberty University, not to include credits from a prior degree earned through Liberty.
3. A maximum of six (6) hours of transfer credit, including credit from a degree on the same academic level previously earned through Liberty, may be applied to the degree.
4. Maintain a 3.00 GPA to remain in the program, with no more than two C’s permitted. While all course grades are averaged into the GPA, credit toward degree completion is not granted for a grade of D or F.  Students may petition the School of Business to repeat up to two courses in which a C or below was earned.  The most recent grade will be calculated into the GPA.
5. Additional requirements, beyond those listed on the degree completion plan, may be necessary depending upon the student’s academic background, and the degree being pursued (i.e. course prerequisites at the undergraduate level may be required before enrollment in graduate course work can take place).
6. All Online students admitted on Academic Probation are required to enroll in and pass GRST 500 in their first semester.
7. Degree must be completed within five years from the date of admission.
8. Liberty University credits earned towards a degree must have been earned within the past seven years of the completion date, or students will be required to retake the course.
9. Submit a Graduation Application to the Registrar’s Office at the beginning of the final semester.

Program of Study

DEGREE COMPLETION PLANS (DCP)
The Degree Completion Plans for the graduate programs in the School of Business are available online at http://www.liberty.edu/dcps.

Highlighted text indicates a change from the official version of the catalog.