Adopting the latest business strategies has become instrumental to all industries and sectors as they bring ideas and game-changing solutions to the market. Leveraging the importance of evolving business ideologies, several B-schools around the world are focusing on providing comprehensive business education to offer promising career opportunities to individuals according to their latest education requirements.
Being one of the top-ranked business schools, Colorado State University’s College of Business is focused on using business for a better world. Its role in educating future professionals covers a vast range of disciplines from marketing and finance to organizational learning and information management. The college teaches the cutting-edge skills sought by employers and empowers graduates to make a difference in their communities by leading tomorrow’s businesses in solving the social, environmental and economic challenges of the 21st century.
Commitment to Educational Values and Offerings
Established in 1966, Colorado State University’s College of Business was founded with the intent to move business education beyond typing and transcription. The college has always set its sights on providing students with access to quality education, producing exceptional scholarship, and positively impacting communities. Moreover, its progression over the last 55 years proves its commitment to these values.
In the 1970s, CSU’s College of Business pioneered MBA distance learning via VHS tape, and in the ‘90s, it made courses available online as more households gained access to the internet. In 2019, CSU’s College of Business became the first business school to provide three learning experiences in one environment—in-person, on-demand and synchronous live video learning through its customized Mosaic experience.
Vast Array of Academic Plans
Students seeking a Bachelor of Science in business administration at CSU can choose from ten concentrations offered through its accounting, computer information systems, finance and real estate, management, and marketing departments. The college also offers three minors in general business, real estate, and entrepreneurship and innovation, providing other CSU majors with the opportunity to expand their expertise.
Students may choose to further specialize and gain additional skills in areas as wide-ranging as the business of music to cybersecurity with one of the college’s 17 undergraduate certificates. At the graduate level, students can pursue a master of accountancy, computer information systems, finance, and of course, an MBA, with 12 certificate options available as standalone or complementary credentials.
The College continuously works to improve and update courses, engaging with alumni and industry leaders to ensure that students are building the skills they need to succeed in the ever-changing career landscape. As a Carnegie Research I university, CSU’s College of Business prioritizes scholarship among faculty who bring their findings into the classroom, so students learn from top business minds producing cutting-edge research in their disciplines. In addition, the college modifies and updates its courses and programs according to the new findings and industrial changes.
The college’s nationally recognized MBA is offered in three formats: online, evening and live video. The degree is 42-credits built on five competencies required by employers in today’s business graduates—innovation, financial, leadership, data analytics and using business for a better world. Students have the flexibility to choose when they want to start, which format best suits them, and can further customize more than 40% of required credits to suit their interests and career goals.
Advancing Business for a Better World
The CSU College of Business’s vision of using business for a better world propels its programs forward. The college prepares students to move beyond singular, profit-focused strategies to instead create solutions that address the environmental, social and economic needs faced by communities around the world.
CSU’s College of Business is accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB), a standard for excellence in business education that is achieved by less than 5% of business schools worldwide. The accreditation evaluates schools based on community engagement, societal impact, education quality and continuous improvement to their programs, demonstrating a commitment to the highest caliber of academic experiences by those who achieve it.
The college has continually innovated to meet student and employer needs before they become market mandates. From flexible learning options, including on-demand live lecture recordings to real-world learning experiences, its degrees exceed educational standards to prepare students to make a difference.
Real-World Experiences
CSU’s College of Business extends learning beyond the classroom to encourage students’ engagement in extra-curricular activities with real-world applications. The college’s student organizations are a significant part of its experience, providing students with a space to explore their niche interests, connect with like-minded individuals and make a difference.
Students can participate in more than 24 organizations, connecting their personal interests and building valuable experience ranging from managing investment funds and promoting business ethics, to using business to achieve environmental action. The College also actively participates in case competitions, advising students where necessary and collaborating with business partners to create meaningful learning experiences.
CSU’s College of Business embraces the responsibility to create a welcoming community for all. The college continually strives to establish and adapt an academic experience that is inclusive of diverse experiences, ideas and identities. To make meaningful progress, the college recently appointed its first Assistant Dean of Social & Cultural Inclusion and Director of JEDI Initiatives for Undergraduate Programs. They are leading the way with new initiatives such as the college’s first diversity, equity and inclusion case competition, and a new week-long event series, representing student-driven efforts around Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, Accessibility and Leadership (IDEAL).
Comprehensive Student Engagement
With an in-person student-faculty ratio of 33:1, CSU’s College of Business leads the path when it comes to ensuring maximum student engagement. The compact class sections enable students to highly engage in group discussions and projects while learning from each other. The space created by the college also ensures students can forge supportive relationships with their professors who are top contributors in their fields.
Many of the faculty serves as editors for academic journals while others maintain close ties to their industries by serving and supporting professional organizations. These connections keep the college ahead of the curve and serve as an opportunity for students to get involved early with corporate partners and industry leaders, creating meaningful connections as they embark on their career journeys.
Centers of Excellence
The programs offered by CSU’s College of Business teach the latest business skills while providing experiential opportunities such as case competitions to apply and hone skills in real-world settings with industry partners and employers. Additionally, the college houses several centers of excellence, including its own dedicated Career Management Center (CMC) to which students and alumni have access throughout their careers. The CMC provides students with support such as professional mentoring, practical LinkedIn profile development, interview coaching and much more.
The College also encourages students to think about how they can leverage their business degree to achieve one of the American dreams of business ownership. Its faculty inspires an entrepreneurial mindset across undergraduate and graduate courses to foster their possibility.
The college is also home to the Center for Marketing and Social Impact, Everitt Real Estate Center, and Institute for Entrepreneurship, which serves as a hub for innovation and takes a zero-barriers approach to entrepreneurship by offering free programming to students, CSU affiliates and the Colorado community. The institute’s three-stage venture development program helps launch successful ventures and builds the entrepreneurial mindset. Further, it facilitates connections with established business leaders and strategic partners to validate, incubate and accelerate startups.
An Ideal Choice for Change-Makers
CSU’s College of Business is an ideal choice for students in the following ways:
- Providing a purpose-driven mission, focused on using business for a better world. The College provides an environment where bright ideas and minds thrive, as well as where solutions balance achieving the best of social, environmental and economic outcomes.
- Earning the highest accreditations awarded to business programs, from AACSB to top rankings.
- Enabling strategic access and internships to key employers, helping students step ahead in starting their new careers.
Note to Students:
Read full magazine: The 10 Most Recommended B-Schools in the USA to Watch in 2022
