“CSU’s College of Business’s vision is to use business to create a better world, ultimately helping us build bridges between the world we know and the world we can imagine”.
Disruptions like machine learning, big data, 3-D manufacturing, upgraded robotics, and many more have been the talk of businesses recently. Standing on the cusp of a transformation unlike any seen before, the fourth industrial revolution will change both the nature of industrial work and humanity. Colorado State University College of Business believes that business can initiate tremendous changes in society. This premier business school has been preparing students to be global leaders for a world in transition. It challenges contemporary business notions and has an educational approach that leans on data analytics while fostering creative thinking and innovation to solve our modern challenges.
Quality Academic Programs
CSU’s College of Business aims to transform lives. Focused on making high-quality education and business accessible for everyone, it believes that business has the power to inspire change and solve complex challenges both locally and around the globe. The college’s faculty and students are the catalysts that enable the college to give flight to its dreams.
The college builds on its strategically designed curriculum to prepare students to address the business needs of today’s world. Its commitment to making a difference is actualized in tangible ways—from the research conducted by faculty to using the latest technology to create a classroom experience for students no matter where they may be.
CSU’s College of Business has an undergraduate program offering nine concentrations as well as multiple certificate programs. The College has eight graduate programs, including its flagship Online MBA program, which is ranked number one in the state by the U.S. News and World Report. Financial Times also named the Online MBA program No. 15 in the world in 2018. The college offers on-campus, online, and hybrid options, including its Evening MBA and Executive MBA. The Global Social and Sustainable Enterprise MBA program is perfect for students who want to make an impact by building and managing sustainable global ventures. Students interested in specializing can pursue Masters of Accounting, Masters of Computer Information Systems, or a Masters of Finance degree, as well as a number of graduate certificates.
The AACSB-accredited college faculty go the “extra mile” to make sure that students feel welcomed during their time at the college. The 100-plus faculty members bring a dynamic and engaging teaching style and are thought leaders in areas ranging from accounting and finance to organizational behaviour, entrepreneurship, and marketing.
Preparing Students for the Future of Business
The nature of business is changing at an unprecedented rate, with new industries being born every day. Staying ahead of trends and equipping students for success in a rapidly changing business landscape is one of the College of Business’s top priorities. The college educates students about new developments in business while emphasizing evergreen principles such as a strong foundation in ethics. With a CSU College of Business education, students are able to adapt their learning and skills to changes in the workplace and across markets.
The Marketing Data Analytics specialization in the Online MBA program is one way the college is preparing its students for the future. This innovative program teaches students to use business intelligence methods and tools to uncover actionable insights and drive better business decisions. Graduates will be equipped to not only gather critical business data, but to model the data, interpret it, and use it to create effective marketing plans with actionable tasks.
Another distinctive area is the Online Master of Computer Information Systems program, which is ranked No. 1 in Colorado, No. 10 for Veterans, and No. 15 across all public schools. These figures are the latest rankings that attest to the high quality of a College of Business education.
Moreover, the college also has several “centers” of excellence that aim to help students develop practical skills and get a feel for life in the real business world. One of these centers is the Institute for Entrepreneurship, a hub for innovation that helps students from the college and around the university to develop an entrepreneurial mindset and launch businesses. The Everitt Real Estate Center provides students with valuable hands-on learning experiences with the Colorado real estate industry.
The college is continually enhancing the student experience and is at the forefront of online education. It is the first in the U.S. to implement a new “wall of the future” that allows remote students to be “present” in class through video technology. This revolutionary technology will change how students interact and engage with their peers and faculty in an online environment.
Engaging Students with Extracurricular Activities
The college’s extraordinary student opportunities do not end here. Along with an innovative and novel academic curriculum, the college also hosts over 50 events every year, including guest speaker lectures, corporate days, golf tournaments, and case competitions.
Student-run Business Day, one of the college’s most popular events, brings notable guest speakers and panellists to speak about trending business topics. This annual event was started over 40 years ago and first featured Ronald Regan. This year’s topic of International Business will feature speakers with global reach from companies such as Tyco Retail Solutions and Liberty Global.
The annual Building Bridges Dinner is yet another experience organized by the college. This event celebrates the first-generation students. Currently in its sixth year, the event brings together first-generation students, faculty, and staff for an evening that highlights their accomplishments. As a land-grant institution, Colorado State University is committed to providing access to excellent education for all, regardless of financial situation or economic status, and the Building Bridges Dinner celebrates that commitment. Additionally, the college recently launched the Dean’s Distinguished Leadership Series, which hosts influential speakers who have positively impacted the business world.
Dedicated Career Assistance
CSU’s College of Business degree opens doors to meaningful, fulfilling careers all over the world. The college has its own Career Management Center which hosts over 50 employer and networking events each year and offers personalized mentoring and career counseling services. The Career Management Center partners with local and international businesses to connect highly qualified candidates with positions and careers of choice. These partnerships are a win-win: employers find the brightest new talent and students find exciting, satisfying careers that put their knowledge to use. Over 600 companies, including notable organizations such as KPMG, Goldman Sachs, Lockheed Martin, and Otter Products, recruit the college’s students annually.
Remarkable Accomplishments
A mission this big does not go unnoticed by the world. CSU’s College of Business “brand” story began with its commitment to transform lives through business, ultimately creating a better world. This purpose means the college is always evolving to ensure that students are learning critical skills needed to solve the world’s most complex and pressing problems.
The college’s alumni reflect this ethos and purpose as they excel in careers of choice. Ray Boucher, one of the college’s most distinguished alumni, is a 1981 graduate of the Masters of Management program and the inaugural speaker at the Dean’s Distinguished Leadership Series. Boucher is a successful trial attorney who built his career around protecting human rights and the environment. Over a career that spans three decades, he has represented Cesar Chavez and the family of a poisoned farmworker, filed antitrust actions against wholesale electricity traders in California’s deregulated energy market, and successfully argued to protect consumers of organic produce in the California Supreme Court. Boucher’s successes have earned him significant honors, including Trial Lawyer of the Decade 2001-2010 from Los Angeles Daily Journal, California Attorney of the Year by California Lawyer magazine, and Consumer Attorney of the Year from Consumer Attorneys of California.
The impact of alumni such as Tran Trang and Zubaida Bai also contribute to the college’s reputation of creating a better world through business. Trang is the founder of Fargreen, a company based in Vietnam that reduces air and water pollution by using rice straw, a by-product of rice harvesting, to cultivate mushrooms instead of burning it. Bai founded Ayzh, an organization that improves women’s health in rural India by providing them with hygiene products such as birth kits.
An Influential and Progressive Dean
Completing the CSU College of Business community is Dean Beth Walker. Recently named one of the 25 Most Powerful Women in Colorado by Colorado Women’s Chamber of Commerce, Dean Walker’s strategic and collaborative approach to leadership fosters a forward-thinking, inclusive environment in which faculty, staff, and students feel empowered and are continually innovating to enhance the student experience.
Walker is the first female dean in the college’s 50-year history, and she continues its legacy of strong vision and leadership. Her people-first, solutions-oriented mindset focuses on student success and inclusivity. During her tenure, she has overseen an elevation in online MBA rankings; spearheaded the launch of the college’s Global Business Academy, which brings high school students to Colorado for a two-week experience that connects them with CSU faculty and global executives; doubled the number of female executives on the College’s Global Leadership Council; and increased undergraduate enrollment and diversity. Her commitment to innovation, inclusivity, and student success has made the College of Business one of the top-ranked institutions in the country.
