Eberly College of Business

Geofrey Mills, Interim Dean

Prashanth N. Bharadwaj, Dean’s Associate
Amy Cook, Assistant Dean
Terry Appolonia, Assistant Dean

In the spring of 1994, the College of Business was renamed to commemorate the generous commitment of the Eberly family through the Eberly Family Trust to the developmental needs of the college. Departments within the Eberly College of Business include Accounting and Information Systems, Finance and Economics, Management, and Marketing.

College Majors

College Minors

Credit Certificate Programs:

Digital Marketing Certificate

Interdisciplinary Programs, Minors and Certificates

The interdisciplinary degree programs, minors, and certificates are multidisciplinary and are not specific to one university college. Visit Interdisciplinary Programs to view offerings and requirements.

Mission Statement

The mission of the Eberly College is to provide students with a broad range of high-value undergraduate and graduate business programs aimed at fostering ethical behavior and entrepreneurial spirit and developing skills vital to their success in today’s world.

The college enrolls a highly diverse student body from Pennsylvania, other states, and from many countries around the world. The college provides a student-centered and technologically integrated learning environment. The college maintains a global focus and provides opportunities for real-world exposure and cross-cultural experience.

The Eberly College is especially committed to high-quality instruction. It is committed to research activities which enhance the quality of instruction and contribute to both the applied and basic literature of business.

Committed to the economic vitality of the region, the Eberly College engages in service activities that include opportunities for involvement of both faculty and students with the business community.

Vision Statement

The Eberly College of Business aspires to be a premier business school, recognized worldwide for excellence through applied learning, leadership development, cross-cultural enrichment, scholarship, and service.

Accreditation

AACSB International—the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business—has accredited the undergraduate and graduate business degree programs offered by the ECOB. Accreditation shows that a school fulfills its mission, meets its objectives, and maintains the high standards set by AACSB International. The outcome is managers and business professionals who know how to think, communicate, solve problems, and provide leadership in the global marketplace.

Bachelor of Science and Bachelor of Arts Degrees

For those pursuing the bachelor of science or bachelor of arts degree, IUP’s training will provide a broad liberal background in the behavioral sciences; a keen perception of the socioeconomic world in which we live and work; a foundation of general professional education for personally fruitful and socially useful careers in the varied fields of business; and an opportunity to obtain the specialized knowledge and skills essential to future occupational growth and advancement. There are nine degree programs offered in business: Accounting, Economics, Hotel, Restaurant, Tourism, and Event Management, Finance, Human Resource Management, International Business, Management (General Management, Entrepreneurship and Small Business Management, and Supply Chain Management), Management Information Systems (Information Systems) and Marketing. Each program includes a variety of business and business-related courses designed to enrich the student’s understanding of the modern business system.

A student may not pursue course work in the ECOB with the expectation of graduating from the college unless he/she has been accepted as a degree candidate in the college.

Enrollment in all ECOB courses at the 300 and 400 level is restricted to students with junior or senior standing. All students, regardless of major or program affiliation, must meet course prerequisite requirements to enroll in a given course.

Students may, in consultation with their advisors, plan their program of study to obtain a minor in an area of business specialization other than their major or a related area outside the ECOB.

Students can also pursue a Bachelor of Science degree in all the ECOB’s majors and concentrations by completing the first 75 credits of the IUP BS program at the campus of PES University in Bangalore, India. Upon successful completion of these 75 credits, students can transfer these 75 PES credits to IUP and complete the remaining 45 credits at IUP and receive a BS degree in one of the majors offered by the ECOB at IUP. Contact the ECOB for further details.

ECOB Honors Program

The Eberly College of Business Honors Program is a highly selective academic track of 36 credits that provides accelerated and unique learning experiences. The program emphasizes integrated curricula, leadership development and student/faculty collaboration that intellectually advances students who possess the capacity and motivation to excel. A Business Honors application process is holistic in nature and considers SAT scores, secondary school GPA and business coursework, a letter of recommendation, a listing of leadership and service activities and a writing sample describing academic and career goals. Selection is made by an Honors Selection Committee comprised of students, faculty members and administrators. Each admitted student receives a merit-based academic scholarship commensurate with his or her application credentials. To remain in the program, a student must maintain a minimum 3.25 cumulative GPA, participation in prescribed campus leadership and engagement activities and abide by the Eberly Business Honors code of conduct.

Honors coursework is recorded on university transcripts and students completing the Business Honors Program are recognized at college commencement ceremonies.

ECOB Academic Policies

Academic Integrity Pledge

ECOB continually strives to strengthen the integrity and ethical conduct of both students and faculty. Students studying in the ECOB are required to sign a student pledge of academic honesty. The purpose of the student pledge is to build trust among students and faculty while fostering an academic environment of shared values.

Junior Standing

With the exception of Economics and Hotel, Restaurant, Tourism, and Event Management majors, all other Business majors are required to achieve junior standing before enrolling in 300- or 400-level courses in the ECOB. Students who have not completed the junior standing requirements may, with permission from the dean or dean’s designee, enroll in 300- or 400-level courses in ECOB; however, they may be expected to schedule courses during the winter and/or summer sessions to meet the requirements in a timely manner.

To achieve junior standing, a business major must have:

accumulated 60 credits or more of academic credit;
achieved a minimum 2.0 cumulative GPA; and
successfully completed the following courses: ACCT 201 , ACCT 202 , BLAW 235 , COSC 101 /IFMG 101 or IFMG 110 , ECON 121 , ECON 122 , ENGL 101 , ENGL 202 , MATH 107 /MATH 108 , MATH 214 , PSYC 101 , and QBUS 215 .

Additional note to non-ECON and HOSP Business Majors: All business core classes must be successfully completed before MGMT 495 - Business Policy can be taken. These classes include ACCT 201 , ACCT 202 , BCOM 321 , BLAW 235 , COSC 101 /IFMG 101 or IFMG 110 , FIN 310 , IFMG 300 , MGMT 310 , MGMT 330 , MKTG 320 , and QBUS 215 .

Residency Requirement

All of the college’s majors must take a minimum of 50 percent of their required business* credits in IUP course work. IUP credits earned by examination, such as CLEP, are counted toward IUP residency.

Restriction for Nonbusiness Majors

Students not majoring in business may count a maximum of 30 credits in business* coursework toward the 120-credit-degree minimum. Business credits in excess of 30 will be permitted only as credits beyond the 120 for graduation.

*For purposes of all policies above, “business” coursework consists of all ECOB courses except IFMG 101 and QBUS 215 . ECON 434 is also treated as a “business” course. “Nonbusiness” coursework consists of IFMG 101 , QBUS 215 , and all non-ECOB courses except ECON 434 .

The Corporate Relations and Internship Office

IUP offers one of the largest business internships programs in Pennsylvania. Students can choose from a wide range of organizations to gain real-world experience while earning academic credit. Internship advisors are available to counsel students regarding internship prerequisites, procurement of the internship position, and scheduling.The Eberly College of Business partners with the IUP Career and Professional Development Center for Career Fairs, networking programs, and professional development programming.

Academic Support Center (ASC) and Center for Leadership and Academic Student Success (CLASS)

ASC and CLASS provides academic support and leadership opportunities designed to support, enhance and strengthen the undergraduate student experience. Included among them are the Eberly Business Honors Program, the College of Business Student Advisory Council, the Business Living-Learning Community, and the GPS Mentoring Project. CLASS staff members also provide a full range of academic support services including academic recovery, course drop/add/withdrawal, course substitutions, scholarships, tutoring, and support referrals.

School of International Management

With the increasing demand for cross-cultural knowledge and international competence, the ECOB has committed itself to a comprehensive strategy of providing future business leaders with a global foundation so they may become the world-class managers of tomorrow. The School of International Management offers a rich program that will strengthen business students and provide regional businesses with personnel who have a global perspective and internationally competitive management skills. This global perspective is provided to students through broad exposure to cross-cultural course work, integration of international concepts in selected business courses, direct exposure to individuals from other cultures, and a period of residency in another country.

Business Advisory Council

Eberly College’s Business Advisory Council is a select group of more than 80 business leaders. The council helps the college in its educational and service mission through counsel and feedback on matters such as program objectives, curriculum development, program development and promotion, and recruitment of students, retention, and placement of students.

College of Business Student Advisory Council (COBSAC)

Unique at IUP, COBSAC facilitates communication and collaboration among the 16 departmental student organizations and honorary societies within Eberly College. COBSAC also serves as a representative body for Eberly College students and an organizing body for college-wide activities and events.

COBSAC Member Organizations

American Marketing Association
Association for Operations Management
Association of Management Information Systems
Club Managers Association of America (CMAA)
Economics Club
Eta Delta Sigma (ESD)
International Business Association
Management Association
Meeting Professionals International (MPI)
National Association of Black Accountants
National Society of Minorities in Hospitality (NSMH)
Phi Gamma Nu
Society for Human Resource Management
Student Accounting Association
Student Finance Association
Student Managed Investment Portfolio

Service Units

The Management Services Group (MSG) is a confederation of consulting units instituted in 1991 by the ECOB in support of ongoing and start-up businesses in the Indiana County region. An integral objective of the group is to provide educational opportunities through an ongoing schedule of seminars and workshops for local businesses. The MSG consulting units are listed below.

The Small Business Development Center offers free business consulting to existing and start-up businesses in the preparation of business plans. The staff helps pull together a business plan suitable for presentation to a bank. This includes working with the client to put together a complete set of financial projections.

The Small Business Institute (SBI) was established to assist existing small businesses with various types of problem resolution. Through the SBI, undergraduate and graduate business students work under close supervision of faculty members to assist clients with accounting systems, market studies, computer system installation, business planning, and operations management.

The Government Contracting Assistance Program helps area businesses identify and respond to federal and state requests for bids for products and services. The program is funded by the Department of Defense. Contract sales generated through this program add to the vitality of the local economy.

The Center for Family Business was designed to serve the unique needs of family-owned businesses. Issues such as performance compensation, establishment of an effective corporate board, conflict resolution, management of siblings and cousin teams, succession, and estate planning are critically important and virtually ignored by other educational forums. The center provides an educational program consisting of four meetings per year that focus on the topics outlined.

The IUP ExcEL Center (Excellence in Entrepreneurial Leadership) was established to enhance the culture of entrepreneurship, innovation, and new venture creation through IUP and the local community. The center provides students across all academic disciplines with opportunities to pursue an entrepreneurial path while continuing their education. The center allows IUP students to have a full range of entrepreneurial experiences through delivery of undergraduate and graduate entrepreneurship course work, student involvement in entrepreneurial activities, and entrepreneurial community outreach programs.

Minor in Business Administration for Nonbusiness Majors

The ECOB offers, as a joint effort of its departments, a 21 credit Business Administration (for Nonbusiness Majors) Minor . The program is designed to give nonbusiness majors a general background in business with 12 credits of prescribed Liberal Studies courses and 21 credits of required business courses.