Western Carolina University’s College of Business offers high quality, small classes, at a great value. Students may attend classes at the main campus in Cullowhee, the satellite campus in Asheville at Biltmore Park, or online. The Princeton Review ranks the COB among the “296 Best” Business Schools in the nation. The undergraduate tuition rates were reduced in the fall of 2018 as part of a state-wide initiative to make higher education more affordable, called NC Promise. The student to faculty ratio is 17:1, and professors are dedicated to preparing business-ready graduates, through experiential learning projects. All programs in the business school are accredited by the AACSB.
Education
Bachelor’s degrees offered through the COB include Accounting, Business Administration and Law, Computer Information Systems, Entrepreneurship, Finance, Hospitality and Tourism, Management, Sales and Marketing, and Sport Management. Graduate students can obtain a master’s degree in Accountancy, Business Administration, Innovation Leadership and Entrepreneurship, Project Management, Project Management, or Sport Management. A Graduate Certificate in Project Management is also available. Part-time MBA students enrolled in the in-person program will meet one night every other week at the Asheville location, allowing ample time for employment and other commitments. Students will also participate in company tours, attend guest speaker lectures, and networking events. The MBA program can be completed by part-time students in three semesters and by full-time students in six semesters.
Student Life
Students have opportunities to participate in co-op programs, internships, community service projects, and take study abroad trips. Students with a part-time job related to the field of business can earn three elective credit hours for 200 hours of work in a semester. Students can also enhance their resume by completing an internship in Argentina, Australia, Chile, England, Ireland, New Zealand, Portugal, Scotland, or Spain. Numerous international educational trips are also available for course credit. For example, accounting students can spend two weeks in the summer learning about the Amsterdam Stock Exchange. COB students also compete in many international competitions, such as the International Association of Registered Financial Consultants’ National Financial Plan Competition. In the 2019 conference, two WCU students were named semifinalists. Students can also attend monthly business luncheons and professional development. Graduate students can join the Graduate Business Student Association.
Online Programs
BSBA degrees offered online include Innovation Leadership and Entrepreneurship and Business Administration and Law. Online master’s degrees include the MBA, Master’s of Innovation Leadership and Entrepreneurship, Master’s of Project Management, and Master’s of Sport Management. All professors for the Innovation Leadership and Entrepreneurship programs are self-entrepreneurs, operating a wide variety of businesses. Students in these programs are given the flexibility to complete class assignments based on the type of business they would like to open. The MPM degree was the first in the nation to be accredited by the Project Management Institute.