Colby-Sawyer College is a private higher education institution that was founded in 1837 as a school for girls. The school has grown to offer many reputable academic programs, including business degrees from the School of Business and Social Sciences. The SoB emphasizes the importance of human interactions in the business world.
Since the entire student body population of Colby sits at approximately 1,000 students and the student-to-faculty ratio is just 9:1, professors are able to practice what they preach by creating a personalized experience for each student, just like the students will one day do for their customers. Every incoming freshman receives a scholarship ranging from $15,000 to $27,000. Within six months of graduation, 100% of SoB students are gainfully employed or attending graduate school.
Education
The SoB offers undergraduate students the opportunity to major in Business Administration, Healthcare Administration, or Sport Management. Students even have the choice to create a self-designed major. Previous self-designed majors have included Global Affairs and Social Justice. Additional minors are available in Accounting and Finance, Contemporary Marketing, and Entrepreneurship. The Business Administration program is accredited by the ACBSP, and other programs will receive accreditation after the two-year wait period.
Experiential learning is embedded in the curriculum, such as case studies and financial analyses. All students are required to complete a 5-credit hour internship, which consists of 200 hours of on-the-job experience. Seniors complete a capstone simulation, where all students are assigned a role within a company based on their future career aspirations, such as CEO and Human Resource director. Professors also take students on field trips to Wall Street firms to give them a glimpse into corporate offices. Students graduate with impressive learning portfolios.
Student Life
Business students have a busy agenda with co-curricular activities. The Investment Management Fund was originally started with $25,000 in 2010, and with diligence, students have grown the fund to more than $400,000. This organization also travels to influential firms to get a behind-the-scenes look at the Federal Reserve Bank and Fortune 100 companies. Enactus students work with industry mentors on entrepreneurial projects. These hard-working students are three-time 1st place champs for their regional projects and have advanced to nationals.
The CFA Institute Research Challenge and the College Fed Challenge are additional competitions students can participate in, and gain feedback from a panel of professional judges. Investment students can attend the two-day Global Asset Management Education Forum to network and learn about financial careers. This forum also features many competitions, and SoB undergraduate students have earned the title of International Champions in the Value Investing category. Students can further their leadership potential through the Emerging Leaders Program. This program hosts workshops on Personal Development/Team Building, Leadership Skills, Student Leadership, and Community Development.
The Harrington Center for Experiential Learning helps students develop professional skills and provides career development opportunities. In recent years, an accounting student interned with Dow Jones, Sports Management students gained experience with the San Francisco 49ers, and other internship sites have included Enterprise Holdings, Fidelity Investments, and the Mayo Clinic.