|
| 2007-2008 UHCL Catalog |
|
|
| 2007-2008 UHCL Catalog |
|
The mission of the School of Business (BUS) at the University of Houston-Clear Lake is to provide quality lifelong education at the junior, senior and master's level for the Houston/Galveston metropolitan population. Undergraduate business programs primarily serve the region's community college systems by providing transfer students the opportunity to complete a four-year degree. Graduate programs serve both full-time students and working professionals in the region. Instruction is designed for small classes and flexible hours and fosters development of business skills with global applicability. Faculty pursue a blend of research contributing to knowledge in professional practice, innovative pedagogy and discipline-based scholarship.
The graduate and undergraduate accounting and business administration degrees in the School of Business are accredited by the AACSB International - The Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business. The school's graduate degree in Healthcare Administration is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Management Education. A variety of undergraduate and graduate degrees are offered in the business and public administration disciplines. Students are eligible to apply for jobs through the Cooperative Education Program, which is designed to prepare students for careers by integrating paid work experience with academic study. UNDERGRADUATE REQUIREMENTS FOR ALL BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION DEGREES A minimum of 60 upper-level hours and a total of 129 hours are required for the baccalaureate degree. A minimum of 65 semester hours of non-business courses must be included in this total. Principles of Economics courses may count as non-business courses. To assist students in obtaining sufficient background prior to transferring to UHCL, the following curriculum is required:
1Students majoring in Management Information Systems must complete Computer Literacy plus 3 hours of Computer Programming. 2Students majoring in Accounting and Professional Accounting must complete Finite Math plus either Business or Applied Calculus. 3Beginning in fall 2007, students majoring in business disciplines must complete Finite Math and Business or Applied Calculus. Many of these preparatory courses are not taught at University of Houston-Clear Lake (UHCL) and must be taken at a community college. Accounting Principles, Economic Principles, College Algebra and Finite Math are only offered at the freshman/sophomore level. Without completion of these specific prerequisites, very few courses required for business plans can be taken at UHCL. UPPER-LEVEL REQUIREMENTS FOR BUSINESS PLANS (MAJORS) Upon acceptance as a degree candidate, a student's Candidate Plan of Study (CPS) will be prepared during the first semester. The BUS requires a minimum of 60 upper-level credits. The plans in Business Administration prepare students to assume administrative, managerial and professional positions in their respective fields. Undergraduate degrees are offered in accounting, finance, management information systems, healthcare administration, management, marketing and general business. Core Requirements comprise 33 hours; Plan Requirements vary from 15 to 27 hours, depending upon the specific business plan. Non-Business, BUS and General Electives are added to each CPS as needed to provide a total of at least 60 upper-level hours, as well as 129 total hours required for graduation. No more than six hours of grades in the range of "D+," "D" or "D-" are permitted in upper-level Core Requirements. All courses in Plan Requirements must be completed with a grade of "C-" or better. Core Requirements for Business Majors The following courses, or their approved equivalents, together with accounting and economics principles and business law, constitute the business core and are required of all business students:
1All Accounting majors are required to substitute ACCT 3333 Cost Accounting for ACCT 3331. Finance majors may take either ACCT 3331 or ACCT 3333. 2B.S./M.S. in Professional Accounting majors are required to substitute a FINC elective for MGMT 4132. Undergraduate students majoring in accounting have two options: the bachelor of science degree in Accounting and the integrated bachelor of science/master of science degrees in Professional Accounting. The objective of the bachelor of science degree in Accounting is to provide basic conceptual accounting and business knowledge as a foundation for entry level positions in industry, financial institutions and non-profit organizations, as well as to provide a basis for further study to pursue a career in public accounting. Plan requirements consist of these courses:
Plus three hours of accounting elective, three hours of BUS elective and three hours non-business elective. Integrated B.S. and M.S. in Professional Accounting The integrated bachelor of science and master of science degrees in Professional Accounting are designed for focused entering undergraduate students who know they want to meet the requirements to sit for the CPA examination and pursue a professional career in accounting. The objective of the integrated plan is to provide students with the required background to sit for the CPA examination and to provide a basis for exercising judgment in accounting-related and business decisions within administrative, managerial and professional positions as well as enhance rapid career development. Students must apply to the graduate program, take the GMAT exam and meet all graduate accounting entrance requirements by the first semester of their senior year (i.e., after they have completed their first 36 hours of the integrated plan). In addition, students in the integrated plan will be required to have a cumulative UHCL GPA of at least 3.000 for admission to the M.S. in Professional Accounting. The B.S. in Professional Accounting will not be awarded until all requirements for the M.S. are completed. Students failing to be admitted into the graduate Professional Accounting plan will revert to the 129-hour B.S. in Accounting degree plan and proceed in the normal manner to graduation. Students planning on taking the CPA examination after July 1, 2005 are required to have a 3-semester credit hour ethics course, which has been approved by the Texas State Board of Public Accountancy. Check with the Office of Academic Advising for approved course. The Candidate Plan of Study for the integrated B.S. and M.S. in Professional Accounting will include 123 hours of undergraduate and 36 hours of graduate course work.
Course work at the 3000- or 4000-level and graduate foundation courses may not be included in the 15 hours of graduate ACCT, MKTG or BUS electives. Professional Accounting Sub-plan (Concentration) in Management Information Systems Students in the integrated Professional Accounting Plan may complete a sub-plan (concentration) in Management Information Systems by completing the following combination of undergraduate and graduate course work.
Undergraduate Non-Business Elective Graduate Courses:
The plan in Finance leads to the bachelor of science degree. The plan requirements consist of these courses:
and three hours of finance electives to be selected from FINC 3531- Real Estate Investment Analysis, FINC 4531- International Financial Operations, FINC 4631- Treasury Management or FINC 4931Selected Topics in Finance, in addition to a minimum of six hours of general electives and three hours non-business elective. General Business Plan Requirements The plan in General Business leads to the bachelor of business administration degree. The plan requirements consist of 18 hours in business administration course work with no more than six hours of course work from any one of the following areas: accounting, business and public administration, decision sciences, economics, finance, healthcare administration, information systems, management or marketing, a minimum of six hours of general electives and three hours of non-business elective. Healthcare Administration Plan Requirements The plan in Healthcare Administration leads to the bachelor of science degree. Plan requirements consist of these courses:
and three hours of healthcare administration elective and three hours non-business elective. The plan in Management leads to the bachelor of business administration degree. The plan requirements consist of 15 hours of management electives, a minimum of nine hours of general electives and three hours of non-business elective. Management Information Systems Plan Requirements The plan in Management Information Systems leads to the bachelor of science degree. The objective of the degree coursework is to prepare students to pursue careers such as business application developer, database application developer, network administrator, web designer, technical support, etc. The plan requirements consist of these courses:
The plan in Marketing leads to the bachelor of business administration degree. The plan requirements consist of these courses:
Plus nine hours of marketing electives, a minimum of six hours of general electives and three hours non-business elective. UNDERGRADUATE REQUIREMENTS FOR ALL PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION DEGREES A minimum of 60 upper-level hours and a total of 129 hours are required for the baccalaureate degree. These professional plans offer a blending of private and public sector administration. The objective of these plans is to create an understanding of basic administrative skills and an appreciation of the social, economic and political environment of public administration. To assist students in obtaining sufficient background prior to transferring to UHCL, the following curriculum is required:
1Students in the Environmental Management plan may replace the 6 hours of Accounting Principles with Biology, Geology, Physics, Ecology, Environmental Science or Chemistry beyond the 6 hours required for admission. Students in the Political Science plan may replace the 9 hours of Accounting Principles and Business Law with Foreign Language and/or English beyond the 6 hours of required composition. Once a student is accepted as a degree candidate, a Candidate Plan of Study (CPS) will be prepared. In some degree plans, sufficient hours of electives are added to the course requirements on the CPS to meet the 60 upper-level hour requirement and/or the 129 total hour requirement. Undergraduate Candidate Plans of Study in public administration must contain no more than 25 percent of their credit hours from the business fields of accounting, business and public administration (BAPA), decision sciences, economics, finance, healthcare administration, information systems, management and marketing. The undergraduate plan in Environmental Management leads to the bachelor of science degree. The objective of the plan is to prepare students for positions involving the management of natural resources in a variety of public and private settings. Students are expected to complete six hours of course work in chemistry before enrolling. Plan requirements consist of these courses:
a minimum of 21 hours of general and non-business electives. The undergraduate plan in Legal Studies leads to the bachelor of science degree. The Legal Studies plan provides undergraduate students with a working knowledge of American law and related legal processes within the framework of a professional education. Students desiring paraprofessional legal careers in private law firms, government and community agencies, corporate legal departments, insurance companies, banks and other financial institutions will find this major appropriate. This degree is also relevant for students planning to enter law school. The core requirements for this degree include the following courses:
Required Electives (nine hours): three hours from ACCT, DSCI, ENVR, FINC, POLS, HADM, ISAM, MGMT or MKTG rubrics; three hours from ARTS, HIST or HUMN rubrics; three hours from WRIT 3035, WRIT 3037, WRIT 3132 or WRIT 3135. And a minimum of twelve hours of general and non-business electives. The undergraduate plan in Political Science leads to the bachelor of science degree. The Political Science plan is for students seeking a broad understanding of government and the political process. It is especially relevant to students wishing to teach government, enter graduate programs in political science or attend law school. The core requirements for this degree include the following courses:
Electives (nine hours): three hours from DSCI, FINC, LEGL, MGMT, or POLS rubrics; three hours from HIST rubric; three hours from SOCI or PSYC rubric.And a minimum of 18 hours of general and non-business electives. GRADUATE REQUIREMENTS FOR ALL BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION DEGREES GENERAL DEGREE REQUIREMENTS Students applying for one of the School of Business graduate plans must have a bachelor's degree. Applicants whose undergraduate degrees are in fields other than the graduate degree they are seeking, or those with business degrees from schools lacking AACSB International accreditation, may have graduate level foundation courses added to their plan requirements. All 5000- and 6000-level courses, including foundation courses, are reserved exclusively for graduate degree-seeking students. All graduate plans require the completion of a minimum of 36 hours, including a required capstone course, which is designated in the plan listing. Students seeking a master of science (MS) degree in Accounting, Finance or Management Information Systems, the master of business administration (MBA) degree or the master of arts (MA) in Human Resource Management are required to submit applications, transcripts for all prior college coursework, and GMAT scores in accordance with these deadlines:
Deadlines for international students are two months earlier (June 1, October 1 and March 1). Students who lack records, transcripts or GMAT scores will not be considered for admission or permitted to register. In addition, graduate courses taken outside the School of Business, or courses taken in a non-degree-seeking or post-baccalaureate status prior to acceptance into the graduate plan, may not count toward degree credit. Students desiring to apply such courses must petition the associate dean or director of the MBA, depending upon degree objective. The degrees in business administration prepare students to assume administrative, managerial and professional positions in their respective fields. Graduate degrees in business administration include the master of science degree in Accounting, the master of science degree in Finance, the master of arts degree in Human Resources Management, the master of science degree in Management Information Systems and the master of business administration (MBA) degree. In order to function effectively, it is assumed that all students will have completed 3 hours of College Algebra (evidenced on a college transcript) and have computer skills in the use of database/spreadsheet software, creation of professional looking documents, and exploration of the Internet for business purposes. Foundation requirements are graduate-level courses designed for BUS graduate students whose prior academic study lacked adequate coverage of specific basic principles critical for advanced studies in business. These courses provide the business background necessary for successful pursuit of the student's chosen plan. Foundation courses eliminate the need for a student to complete undergraduate business courses prior to acceptance into a graduate field of study in the School of Business. Foundation courses may be waived by presenting equivalent courses taken at an accredited university. Equivalent courses must have a grade of C or better. International students should obtain a subject analysis evaluation from Educational Credential Evaluators, Inc. (http://www.ece.org) and have the results sent to the School of Business prior to matriculation for foundation courses to be reviewed for possible waiver. Students are strongly urged to contact their academic advisor before registration to verify which foundation courses may be waived to avoid taking classes unnecessarily. Under no circumstances may any of the foundation courses be used as electives or to satisfy the extended course work requirements under Master's Degree Option 4. Some or all of the following foundation courses may be required for each of the master's degrees in business administration, depending on the plan and the student's academic history.
1Required of MS in MIS students only. Students pursuing the master of science degree in Accounting must also meet these requirements or their equivalents:
A minimum of a 3.000 cumulative grade point average on course work taken at UHCL. No grade lower than a "C" is acceptable toward a graduate degree; this includes foundation work as well as the plan requirements. Grades of "C-" or lower are not acceptable. The objective of the master of science degree in Accounting is to provide students with a broad-based background in business, and depth and breadth in accounting. This will provide students with a basis for exercising judgment in accounting-related decisions within administrative, managerial and professional positions and enhance rapid career development. The course of study satisfies the required preparation for the Certified Public Accountant (CPA) examination. In addition, requirements for other professional certifications may be met within this plan. Students planning on taking the CPA examination after July 1, 2005 are required to have a 3 semester credit hour ethics course which has been approved by the Texas State Board of Public Accountancy. Check with the Office of Academic Advising for approved course. Students seeking a master of science degree in Accounting must meet the business foundation courses (ACCT 5031, DSCI 5031, ECON 5031, FINC 5031, MGMT 5032and MKTG 5031) or their equivalents, and the accounting foundation requirements (ACCT 5131, 5133, 5134, 5137) or their equivalents. Students who have not completed a college-level course in either business or applied calculus will have DSCI 5030added to their plan foundation requirements. It is anticipated that students with three different academic backgrounds may choose to pursue a master of science degree in Accounting. These differing academic backgrounds are best described as: Category A: No prior academic work in business Category B: Prior academic work in business, but does not have the equivalent of a major in accounting; Category C: Undergraduate degree in accounting or degree in business with a major in accounting. The Candidate Plan of Study for all three categories of students will include a minimum of 36 semester hours. Students selecting the master's thesis option will receive six semester hours credit for the thesis. Students in Category A may not elect the thesis option. The availability of the thesis option for Category B students will depend upon their previous academic work in accounting and/or business. The specific degree requirements vary depending on academic background. The requirements are: Category A Foundation Requirements:
Students desiring the Management Information Systems sub-plan must take ISAM 5030 (Fundamentals of Business Programming). Plan Requirements:
Course work at the 3000- or 4000-level may not be included. Category B The course of study will be designed to meet the student's educational needs in light of previous academic work and career objectives. Students in Category B must meet requirements of Category A. However, courses taken in a student's previous academic work determined to be equivalent to foundation requirements may result in waiver of foundation requirements. If courses taken in a student's previous academic work are determined to be equivalent to degree requirements, other courses may be substituted with approval. Of the 36 semester hours of plan requirements, Category B students must complete at least 15 semester hours of accounting at the graduate level. Course work at the 3000- or 4000-level may not be included. Category C The course of study will be designed to meet the student's educational needs in light of previous academic work and career objectives. Category C students must complete 36 semester hours, which must include at least twelve semester hours of accounting at the graduate level. Course work at the 3000- or 4000-level may not be included. Accounting Sub-plan (Concentration) in Management Information Systems Students may choose an information systems sub-plan in their Master of Science Degree in Accounting. These students will be required to take ISAM 5030Fundamentals of Business Programming (waived for students with six hours of college-level programming) plus Three of the following 4 courses (9 hours):
Business Administration (MBA) Plan Requirements The graduate plan in Business Administration leads to the master of business administration (MBA) degree. The Candidate Plan of Study for the MBA degree will include a minimum of 36 semester hours, plus any required foundation course work.
Twelve hours of electives are required. Electives should be selected from courses taught in the School of Business. Students desiring to use their electives in courses taught by other schools in the university must petition the associate dean for approval prior to enrolling. Course work at the 3000- or 4000-level may not be included. MBA Sub-plans (Concentrations) Students may complete sub-plans (concentrations) within the MBA degree plan. The Candidate Plan of Study for the MBA degree with a sub-plan will contain a minimum of 36 semester hours. In addition to the completion of 24 hours of required MBA course work, all sub-plans require the completion of 12 semester hours of course work in the concentration. For the sub-plan in Environmental Management, students will be required to complete the following courses:
The other two courses can be chosen from any graduate environmental management course listed in the university catalog with the exception of:
For the sub-plan in Finance students will be required to complete 12 hours as follows:
Six additional hours of Finance which may be either a master's thesis or six hours of course work excluding FINC 5031 and 5133. For the sub-plan in Human Resource Management, students will be required to complete 12 hours as follows:
Three hours from the following courses:
For the sub-plan in International Business, students must complete 12 hours in a minimum of three different rubrics. Courses may be selected from the following list:
Management Information Systems For the sub-plan in Management Information Systems, students will be required to take ISAM 5030Fundamentals of Business Programming (waived for students with six hours of college-level programming) plus 12 hours of graduate level ISAM courses (excluding ISAM 5030). For the sub-plan in Management of Technology, students will complete the following two courses:
The other two courses may be chosen from the following list. Or, students are encouraged to elect courses which will develop their knowledge of a specific science or technology domain such as software engineering, information systems, systems engineering, biotechnology or engineering management. If you want to substitute courses the faculty coordinating this concentration must approve the 6 elective hours.
Ex. Reengineering (MOT), Total Quality Mgmt (MOT) For the sub-plan in Marketing, students will complete 12 hours of graduate marketing electives, excluding MKTG 5332, which is required of all MBA students. The Candidate Plan of Study (CPS) for the Master of Science degree in Finance will include up to 18 hours of business foundation course work plus a minimum of 36 semester hours.
Nine semester hours of approved BUS electives are required. Course work at the 3000- or 4000-level may not be included. Students selecting master's thesis will receive six semester hours credit for the thesis and will take an additional three hour approved BUS elective. Concentration in Healthcare Administration Students may complete a twelve-hour sub-plan in healthcare administration within the MS in Finance. In the graduate course work listed above, FINC 6531International Finance and electives or Master's Thesis are NOT required for the sub-plan. In their place, the following Healthcare Administration courses are required:
The plan in Human Resource Management leads to the master of arts degree. This plan allows students to prepare for careers in human resource management, personnel administration training and/or human resource planning. The core requirements provide exposure to workforce planning, quality of work life, human resource development and the legal environment of personnel. In addition to any necessary foundation courses, each Candidate Plan of Study requires a minimum of 42 hours, including the master's degree option. Foundation Requirements (or equivalent) 12 hours
Core Requirements 30 hours
The remaining nine or 12 hours are selected from four options in consultation with a faculty advisor. Course work at the 3000- or 4000-level may not be included. Management Information Systems (MIS) Plan Requirements The plan in MIS leads to the master of science degree. The degree coursework prepares students for positions such as system analyst, business application developer, database administrator, web designer, technical support, etc. Students also complete a number of industry-recognized external certifications as part of the coursework requirements. Foundation Graduate Courses 12 hours
Required Graduate Courses 36 hours
Course work at the 3000- or 4000-level may not be included. GRADUATE REQUIREMENTS FOR DEGREES IN HEALTHCARE ADMINISTRATIONAND ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT Students seeking a graduate degree in these plans must have a bachelor's degree and are required to submit their applications and credentials in accordance with these deadlines:
Deadlines for international students are two months earlier (June 1, October 1 and March 1). Prior to consideration for admission, applicants also must submit transcripts for all prior course work and scores on the Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT). Students who lack records, transcripts or test scores by the deadline will not be considered for admission or permitted to register in graduate classes. All graduate degrees require the completion of one of the Master's Options 1, 2, 3 or 4. In plans where Option 4: Extended Course Work is used, the required capstone course is designated in the plan listing. In addition, graduate courses taken outside the School of Business prior to acceptance into the graduate program as well as graduate course work completed in a non-degree-seeking or post-baccalaureate status may not count toward a degree. Graduate Candidate Plans of Study must contain no more than 50 percent of their course credit hours from the business fields of accounting, BAPA, decision sciences, economics, finance, management, information systems, marketing and decision sciences. Under no circumstances may any of the business foundation courses be used as electives or to satisfy the extended course work requirements under Master's Degree Option 4. Foundation courses may be waived by presenting equivalent courses taken at an accredited university. Equivalent courses must have a grade of "C" or better. International students should obtain a subject analysis evaluation from Educational Credential Evaluators, Inc. (http://www.ece.org) and have the results sent to the School of Business prior to matriculation for courses to be reviewed for possible waiver. A minimum of a 3.000 cumulative grade point average on course work taken at UHCL. No grade lower than a "C" is acceptable toward a graduate degree; this includes foundation work as well as the plan requirements. Grades of "C-" or lower are not acceptable. The plan in Environmental Management leads to the master of science degree. The graduate degree in Environmental Management requires a minimum of 36 hours including the master's degree option. Depending on academic background, additional course work in economics, chemistry and statistics may be required. Foundation Requirements (or equivalent) are:
Plan Requirements are:
The remaining 18 hours of the degree requirements will be chosen in consultation with a faculty advisor to fit the career interests of the students. Course work at the 3000- or 4000-level may not be included. The graduate plan in Healthcare Administration leads to the Master of Healthcare Administration degree (MHA). In addition to the grade point average and GMAT requirements, entrance into this plan also requires the submission of a résumé, three letters of recommendation, one writing sample, a statement of career goals and a personal interview with healthcare faculty. All materials must be received by the application deadline so that the applicant can be considered for admission. A faculty committee will meet three times per year to consider program applicants. Only completed applications will be considered. The faculty committee will recommend prospective students to be invited for on campus interviews. International students may elect to participate in telephone interviews. The résumé, three letters of recommendation, writing sample, and statement of career goals should be sent to the Director of the Healthcare Administration program. The following foundation courses or their equivalents are required.
These courses constitute the core requirements of this plan:
Healthcare Administration/Business Administration The joint degree in Healthcare Administration and Business Administration leads to the Master of Healthcare Administration/Master of Business Administration degree (MHA/MBA). In addition to the grade-point average and GMAT requirements, entrance into this plan also requires the submission of a résumé, three letters of recommendation, one writing sample, a statement of career goals and a personal interview with healthcare faculty. All materials must be received by the application deadline so that the applicant can be considered for admission. A faculty committee will meet three times per year to consider program applicants. Only completed applications will be considered. The faculty committee will recommend prospective students to be invited for on campus interviews. International students may elect to participate in telephone interviews. The résumé, three letters of recommendation, writing sample and statement of career goals should be sent to the Director of the Healthcare Administration program. In order to function effectively, it is assumed that all students will have completed 3 hours of College Algebra (evidenced on a college transcript) and have computer skills in the use of database/spreadsheet software, creation of professional looking documents and exploration of the Internet for business purposes. The following foundation courses or their equivalents are required.
The following are the required MHA courses (27 hours):
The following are the required MBA courses (24 hours):
There are three options for the final six or seven hours of degree requirements. Students are expected to fulfill Option 1, which is HADM 6519, followed by practicum training through a 12-month residency immediately following completion of all academic course work. Options 2 and 3 allow alternatives for students who already have extensive administrative healthcare work experience. Approval of the Director of Healthcare Administration is required. These options may be started after the completion of 15 hours of course work. Option 2 is completion of a master's thesis. Option 3 involves taking the following two courses in sequence, beginning with HADM 5332 Evaluation of Health Services, followed by HADM 6739 Internship in Healthcare Administration. |