DEPARTMENT OF BUSINESS AND COMMUNICATIONS

Information

Patrick Williams, Ph.D. | Chair
Department of Business and Communications
Morrison Hall Room 19, lower level

Washington Adventist University
7600 Flower Avenue
Takoma Park, MD 20912-7796

Business Programs: 301-891-4071 | Fax: 301-891-4067

Faculty

Andrea Baldwin, Ph.D.
John Okon, D.A.
Satyanarayana Ramella, Ph.D.
Patrick Williams, Ph.D.

MISSION STATEMENT

The mission of the Department of Business and Communications is to provide quality, market-driven business educational programs that foster the development of learners to become technically competent leaders in their respective fields, while nurturing strong spiritual, ethical and moral values within the Seventh-day Adventist Christian vision of excellence and service.

INTRODUCTION

The Department of Business and Communications stands for quality, leadership, service and a commitment to excellence in education. The department’s goal is to graduate students who combine a high degree of technical competence and preparedness to assume positions of interest and responsibility with a well-rounded and ethical approach to people, work and life.

PROGRAMS FOR ADULT STUDENTS

The department offers special programs in business administration (both a Bachelor of Science and a minor) for working adult students through the School of Graduate and Professional Studies. The programs are available on campus and via distance learning. Please refer to the SCHOOL OF GRADUATE AND PROFESSIONAL STUDIES for requirements.

OBJECTIVES/CORE COMPETENCIES

Across the curriculum the department seeks to instill fundamental knowledge, skills and abilities known as core competencies. These core competencies will allow graduates of the program to perform in a variety of business and personal settings at a level befitting a leader. Department graduates will have:

Business Analytical Skills

Be able to demonstrate comprehension of the basic foundational principles of business administration.
Demonstrate thorough knowledge of their chosen area of concentration.
Demonstrate business decision-making through the analysis of available data sets.
Demonstrate strategic thinking, policy development and implementation in a business environment.

Ethical Skills

Be able to recognize and analyze ethical problems and choose and defend resolutions for practical situations.

Interpersonal Skills

Understand the principles of today’s leadership, teamwork and changing business environment.

Communication Skills

Through the General Education curriculum and reinforcement in the Business curriculum, demonstrate effective communication skills through reading, writing, speaking and listening and mastery in business presentations.

SPECIAL DEPARTMENTAL REQUIREMENTS

Statement of Student Policies

All Accounting/Business students and all students taking Accounting/Business classes, are required to show awareness of and respect for the policies and procedures as set forth in all of the Business program’s syllabi and the current Department of Business Student Handbook.

Eligibility to Remain in the Program

The Department of Business and Communications reserves the right to administratively withdraw a student if, for any reason, the student’s scholastic achievement, mental health, physical health, ability to work with people or academic integrity proves unsatisfactory.

Progression Requirements

All Accounting/Business Program students are required to maintain a cumulative college GPA of 2.50 or higher at all times.
Accounting/Business Program students may not remain in the Accounting/Business Program when a final Accounting/Business major GPA of 2.50 is mathematically unattainable.
All Accounting/Business Program students must achieve a “C” or above in all Accounting, Business and cognate courses.
A student cannot repeat an Accounting/Business course more than once and may not repeat more than one Accounting/Business course in the Accounting/Business Program.

Immediate dismissal will result if a student receives:

A grade of “D” in any Accounting/Business Program course or cognate course that is repeated.
A grade of “D” in any two Accounting/Business Program courses (cumulative throughout the program).
A grade of “F” in any repeated course in the Accounting/Business Program or cognate area.

CLEP CREDIT

No College Level Examination Program (CLEP) credits will be accepted by the Department of Business and Communications for any course with a business prefix.

EXPERIENTIAL EDUCATION | Internships Requirement

All students majoring in Accounting/Business are required to complete two full semesters or the equivalent of relevant work experience (800 hours for students who have fewer than 60 semester-hour credits when they first attend WAU, 400 hours for students who have 60 or more semester-hour credits when they first attend WAU) under the direction of the Experiential Education Program and the Department of Business and Communications.

Some concentration areas have unique Experiential Education requirements. Check each concentration area section for any such requirements.

COMMUNITY SERVICE REQUIREMENT

The Business Administration and Accounting majors require the students to serve, under supervision, a total of 100 clock hours in community-oriented service programs. This requirement will be prorated for transfer students and associate degree students at the rate of 25 clock hours per academic year in residence at WAU. Supervision for this program is provided jointly by the department chair and the chaplain’s office.

GRADUATION REQUIREMENTS

Receipt of a Bachelor of Science degree in accounting or business requires the student to:

Meet all graduation requirements as stated in the Academic Catalog.
Achieve an Accounting or Business major GPA at or above 2.50.
Achieve a passing score on the Educational Testing Service (ETS) exam of business knowledge. Note that some concentration areas, within the Business Administration degree, may require passage of concentration area specific knowledge tests.

REPETITION OF BUSINESS COURSES

Business majors may repeat a business course once to obtain a higher or passing grade. If a student wishes to repeat a course more than once, he/she must petition the business faculty. Permission to repeat a business course more than once is solely at the discretion of the business faculty.

SIGMA BETA DELTA

This international honor society was established to recognize scholarship and achievement among students of business, management and administration and to encourage and promote personal and professional improvement and a life distinguished by honorable service to humankind.

To be eligible for membership, a business student must rank in the upper 20 percent of the junior, senior or master’s class and have a cumulative GPA of at least 3.4. The WAU chapter was chartered in 2011.

ENACTUS

ENACTUS is an international nonprofit organization that brings together student, academic and business leaders who are committed to using the power of entrepreneurial action to improve the quality of life and standard of living for people in need.

Guided by academic advisers and business experts, the student leaders of ENACTUS create and implement community empowerment projects around the globe. The experience not only transforms lives, it helps students develop the kind of talent and perspective that are essential to leadership in an ever more complicated and challenging world.

The WAU chapter is open to any major across campus and requires a minimum of 10 hours of service each year to be an active member.

Programs

Baccalaureate Degree

Minors