Coles College of Business at Kennesaw State University is consistently featured in the news as a premier business school. Coles only admits upper-level and graduate students who are ready to commit to excelling in the business world. As of 2019, the WebMBA was ranked 23rd globally by QS World University Rankings, 21st by U.S. News and World Report, and a Top 50 program by Bloomberg Businessweek. In the 2020 Best Grad School rankings, the part-time MBA was ranked among the top 100 in the nation by U.S. News and World Report. Additionally, the Executive MBA is designated as a Tier One program and ranked 7th in the world by CEO Magazine. After earning so many accolades, it’s not surprising that Coles is accredited in business and accounting, a distinction held by only 2% of business schools worldwide.
Education
Students can declare a business interest right away, and upon reaching sophomore status, specify a major in Accounting, Economics, Entrepreneurship, Finance, Information Systems, Information Security and Assurance, International Business, Management, Marketing, or Professional Sales. High-achieving students who maintain a 3.5 GPA can participate in the Coles College Scholars program. This program offers its own minor, comprised of the following five courses: Applied Leadership in Business, Decisions and Critical Thinking, International Immersion, Consulting and Change Movement, and Business Intelligence. Other benefits of this program include networking with former Scholars, consulting projects, and company visits. Graduate students can advance their career with a Master of Accounting, Master of Business Administration, Executive MBA, or Master of Science in Healthcare Management and Informatics or Information Systems. A Doctor of Philosophy with a major in Business Administration is also available.
Student Life
The business calendar is packed with speaker engagement events, such as the popular Lunch ‘n Learn, All Access Speaker Series, and the Distinguished Leader Lecture Series. Students can broaden their network through participation in nearly 20 business organizations, such as Enactus, Sales Club, Entrepreneurship Club, Student Managed Investment Fund, and Women in Technology. There are also 16 centers and institutes to bring together the local business community and business students. Students have the opportunity to demonstrate their business skills through four competitions. The KSU Top 100 is a really unique competition where students and their mentors solve different business challenges until the pool is narrowed down to three teams. The final three teams pitch their business ideas to a team of executives, and the winning team receives $100,000 to start their business venture. The other competitions include the National Collegiate Sales Competition, Southeast Regional Cyber Defense Competition, and the Student Management Investment Fund.
Online Programs
The Online Bachelor of Business Administration is offered in Information Security and Assurance, Management, or Marketing. The Master of Business Administration requires students to attend a two-day orientation, but the remainder of the coursework can be completed 100% online. Students will graduate with this 30-credit hour degree in approximately 20 months by taking two courses for five terms. Teamwork is emphasized, and professors receive training on delivering high-quality online courses.