Department Chair Travis Simkins – BB 303B	Faculty & Staff
MSBA Program Director Alexander Chaudhry – BB 303D	Undergraduate & Graduate Advisors
Entrepreneurship Program Director Tyler Stillman – BUS 226
Professional Sales Program Director Kurt Wankier – BB 303G
Administrative Assistant Heather Jones – BUS 229

Overview of Programs

Marketing

The marketing program teaches students how to develop, promote, and sell products and services for businesses. Students who study marketing will learn how to conduct market research, develop products, create value for market segments, and apply the marketing mix to products. Marketing students learn how to strategically and tactically apply the 4Ps (product, price, place, and promotion) in a business. Students graduating in marketing can find careers in digital marketing, market research, advertising, and professional sales. 

Entrepreneurship

The entrepreneurship program benefits students from all majors by teaching them how to start, run, and exit a business. The program emphasizes hands-on startup experience, a robust mentoring program, and cutting-edge insights taught in the classroom.

Professional Sales

Professional Sales is an on-campus program that offers students the opportunity to advance their careers by becoming better equipped to sell themselves, their products and services, or their businesses. Through the program, students learn the fundamentals of selling, how to manage sales, entrepreneurial skills, and participate in competitions and networking events that can be applied to a variety of different careers.

Analytics

The Master of Science in Business Analytics (MSBA) program at SUU trains students to use data, statistical analysis, and mathematical models to solve business problems, improve business processes, and make better business decisions. The program aims to achieve the optimal balance between technical expertise and real-world applications, to produce graduates who can apply sophisticated methodologies in practical ways. In addition, the program provides a well-rounded education by giving students experience with both Data Analytics, the science of transforming data into insights, and Operations Research, the application of quantitative methods to problems involving complex systems. By acquiring a strong foundation in these areas, our graduates are prepared to make a significant impact on organizational performance. 

The MSBA program at the Dixie L. Leavitt School of Business is accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business, the highest standard of achievement for business schools worldwide.

Mission

Marketing

The mission of the marketing program is to develop and deliver quality marketing programs and to foster an educational culture that helps students to excel at developing, implementing, and controlling strategies and tactics. These fall into the areas of markets, products and services, distribution, promotion, and pricing. Students should thus be capable of achieving their goals and meeting the needs and wants of employers, customers, and society.

A secondary role, pertaining to the marketing faculty, is to provide marketing information, advice, and efforts to the University and other groups where their knowledge and abilities can provide value.

Entrepreneurship

The three guiding principles of the Larry H. and Gail Miller Entrepreneurship Program at SUU are to educate, experience, and elevate. Entrepreneurship students are educated in the basic mechanics of starting a business, as well as learning cutting-edge techniques for getting the business off the ground. Students gain experience by actually starting a business and by participating in our business pitch competitions. Our team of carefully vetted mentors have demonstrated the capacity to be financially successful while remaining principled, honest, and charitable. These mentors seek to elevate entrepreneurship students and aims to elevate student while remaining principled, honest, and charitable.

Professional Sales

Southern Utah University Professional Sales provides critical education for students to develop the skills and abilities necessary to succeed in sales-oriented professionals at the highest levels of compensation. We achieve our mission through in-class and real-life educational experiences that connects them with industry partners to pursue careers after graduation.

Analytics

The MSBA program at Southern Utah University’s Dixie L. Leavitt School of Business develops proficient business analysts who understand and can apply key analytical methods and technologies to solve business problems, improve business processes, and make better business decisions.

Department/Program Learning Outcomes

Marketing

1. Students will demonstrate a basic knowledge of each major functional area of business, including accounting, economics, finance, information systems, international, legal and social environment, management, and marketing.
2. Students will demonstrate a basic proficiency in fundamental professional skills, including written communication skills, oral communication skills, critical thinking skills, analytical skills, and ethical decision-making skills.
3. Understand and apply steps in strategic marketing process, including situation analysis, market segmentation and targeting, and product positioning.
4. Understand and apply appropriate marketing research tools across steps in strategic marketing process.
5. Understand and apply principles related to consumer decision making across steps in strategic marketing process.

Entrepreneurship

1. Entrepreneurship minors will be able to identify entrepreneurs who achieved entrepreneurial success while demonstrating good character.
2. Entrepreneurship minors will be able to sell their ideas, their businesses, and themselves.
3. Entrepreneurship minors will have basic financial literacy.

Professional Sales

1. Students will become proficient in creating and executing professional sales transactions.
2. Students will become foundationally sound in basic negotiation skills and techniques.
3. Students will become qualified as top hiring prospects due to training and experience selling in business-to-business and business-to-consumer environments.
4. Students will improve selling and communication skills by participating in real world cases studies, competitions, and in-class training with industry professionals.

Analytics

Graduates of this program will:

1. Be able to apply the fundamental methods of Management Science to improve business decision making and solve business problems.
2. Be proficient in applying and interpreting the essentials of statistics and econometric analysis.
3. Be able to compile, process, visualize, and manage big data sets for analysis using relevant programming languages and specialized software.

Undergraduate Admission and Graduation Information

To major in a business field (Accounting, Finance, Management, or Marketing) in the Dixie L. Leavitt School of Business, students must meet certain requirements and apply for admission to the School as outlined below. 

Standard Admission Requirements

The standard requirements for full admission to business programs in the School of Business are the following:

1. Complete all five (5) pre-business foundation courses (see below) with a grade of “C-” (1.7) or better;
2. Achieve a cumulative GPA of 2.5 or higher in all pre-business foundation courses overall; and
3. Complete at least 36 college credit hours with an overall GPA of 2.5 or higher.

Students who met these requirements are assured admission.

Pre-Business Foundation Courses

The following courses constitute the Pre-Business Foundation, which must be completed before full admission to business programs in the School of Business:

• ACCT 2010 - Accounting Principles  
• ANLY 2500 - Introduction to Business Analytics  
• ECON 2010 - Principles of Microeconomics  
• CSCY 2100 - Spreadsheet Applications  
• MATH 1040 - Statistical Inference  

Alternative Paths to Admission

Students may apply for admission after completing all pre-business foundation courses OR during the semester in which they will complete their pre-business foundation courses, which would normally be the first or second semester of the sophomore year. Students meeting the conditions listed below will be conditionally admitted. To maintain admission, the Standard Admission Requirements must be fully met upon completion of the five (5) pre-business foundation courses.

Conditional Admission

• Complete at least three (3) of the pre-business foundation courses with a grade of “C-” (1.7) or better;
• Be enrolled in the remaining pre-business courses;
• Achieve a cumulative GPA of 2.5 or better in all pre-business courses completed; and
• Complete at least 24 college credit hours with a total GPA of 2.5 or higher.

Students who do not meet the conditions for automatic or conditional admission but do meet the conditions specified below may apply for admission by committee review. The School Admission Committee will evaluate applications and grant or reject admission on a case-by-case basis.

Admission by Committee Review

• Complete all five (5) pre-business foundation courses with a grade of “C-” (1.7) or better in each course; and
• Complete at least 36 college credit hours with a total GPA of 2.0 or higher.

Along with the regular application materials, students seeking admission by committee review must submit an essay, of no more than 1,000 words, describing why they want to major in business and why they believe they can be successful.

Required Application Materials

1. Complete application form
2. Complete admission questionnaire
3. Resume
4. Application essay (for applicants requesting admission by committee review)

Repeating Failed Business or Pre-Business Courses

Students will be allowed to repeat a failed course only once. If the course is not passed with a minimum grade after the second attempt, that student will not be admitted into advanced standing or allowed to graduate with a composite degree in any of the other business majors. The required GPA for the upper division major core is a 2.5. Every student must meet the minimum GPA standard to graduate with any business major.

Transfer Students

Transfer students, either from another college within the university or from another institution, must meet with a business advisor before enrolling in any upper-division courses to determine the extent to which the pre-business core has been fulfilled. No more than 9 credit hours in upper-division major courses will be allowed prior to achieving Advanced Standing status. For transfer information or equivalents, refer to the following web site: www.suu.edu/business/transfer.html.

Undergraduate Graduation Requirements

Marketing

To graduate with a major in Marketing from SUU, the student must:

• Be accepted to the School of Business.
• Successfully complete the required business foundation, business core, and upper-division major classes, as listed in the catalog, with a GPA of 2.5 or better.
• Meet the other requirements for graduation as defined by the University.
• Complete the General Education  requirements. Transfer students can meet this requirement by the following means:
  1. Complete the GE requirements at one of the other four-year colleges in the Utah System of Higher Education (USHE), or
  2. Complete the associate of science or associate of arts degree from a community college within the USHE. (Transfer students from other community colleges must have the general education requirements evaluated by the Registrar.) Students pursuing a bachelor’s degree must take the American Institution requirement to graduate. (This course may be taken at a junior college or at SUU. See the Academic Advisement Center or Registrar’s Office for a suitable equivalent.)
• Complete a minimum of 120 semester hours.
• Complete a minimum of 40 upper-division semester hours (course number 300 or above from an accredited four-year college or university).
• Have an overall GPA of 2.0 or better.

Graduate Admission and Graduation Information

Requirements for Admission into the M.S.B.A.

Admission to the MSBA program requires a bachelor degree from a regionally accredited U.S. institution, or the equivalent, and a GPA of at least 3.0 on the last 60 credit hours of undergraduate coursework. In addition, certain prerequisites must be satisfied prior to beginning the program, as indicated in the Program Prerequisites section below.

The following materials must be submitted to apply to the program:

1. A completed application form, along with a non-refundable application fee.
2. Official transcripts from all colleges or universities attended.
3. A professional resume.
4. International students must submit additional materials described at www.suu.edu/international/graduate-admission-requirements.html.

Students must submit all materials through the online application portal (www.suu.edu/apply) by May 31th of the year they wish to begin (generally, new students start the program each fall semester). Late applications may be considered based on applicant qualifications, timing, and space availability. As students prepare their application submission, they should plan sufficient time to complete any program prerequisites that may be required prior to registration, as described below.

Program Prerequisites

The MSBA program is designed for students with strong quantitative abilities and some educational background in quantitative methods and business. Prospective students with bachelor degrees in business disciplines or in fields related to Business Analytics such as Computer Science, Economics, Information Systems, Math, or Statistics are encouraged to apply. In addition, prospective students should be proficient in Python.

For prospective MSBA students lacking prerequisites in business, or needing more experience with Python or programming, accelerated online courses can be taken prior to beginning the program to satisfy the background requirements in these areas. Through the admission process, specific instructions will be provided for meeting any applicable prerequisite requirements.

Graduate Graduation Requirements

• Graduate students must complete their program within six (6) years of matriculation. Full-time students may complete this program in as little as one (1) year.
• All courses must be passed with a “C” (2.0) or better to be counted in the program.
• Students must earn a minimum overall GPA of 3.0 to graduate. Students who fail to maintain a 3.0 GPA average may be dismissed from the program.
• Graduate courses cannot be repeated more than once.

Programs

• Marketing (B.A., B.S.)

• Business Analytics (Certificate)
• Marketing (Certificate)

• Business Analytics (Minor)
• Entrepreneurship (Minor)
• Marketing (Minor)
• Marketing Education (Minor)
• Professional Sales (Minor)

• Business Analytics (M.S.)