We prepare future business professionals within a student-focused environment to succeed within the global business community. We offer a highly qualified and experienced faculty, small class sizes, and multiple opportunities for engagement in the field both inside and outside of the classroom.

Located one hundred miles south of Kansas City, the Kelce College of Business is one of the four academic colleges of Pittsburg State University, a public regional university serving approximately 7,000 students from its residential campus in southeast Kansas. The college is among the nation’s accredited business schools for quality, high standards, and value.

The university campus is filled with historic architecture, state-of-the-art technology and magnificent artwork. Pitt State provides a foundation for life-long learning and a spirit of engagement by delivering affordable, high-value undergraduate and graduate programs. Here, students feel the history surround them as they enter stately buildings such as McCray, Porter, and Russ Halls. They experience the brilliance of modern design and engineering in the Kansas Technology Center, Robert W. Plaster Center, and Bicknell Family Center for the Arts. As seen here, the Kelce College plans to break ground on a major renovation and expansion in 2020.

For more than twenty years the academic programs of the Kelce College have been accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB) placing it in the top 5% of business schools worldwide. The Kelce college offers a full range of undergraduate and graduate programs in business.  The college’s MBA program has received several notable rankings in recent years including:

• Top3 Most Family Friendly MBA from The Princeton Review (2018)
• The #2 Most Affordable AACSB-accredited MBA Program from Top Management Degrees (2016).
• The specialized program in fraud examination received the national #6 ranking for Top Forensic Accounting Programs by The Accounting Review (2018).

Experienced Leadership

Dr. Paul W. Grimes is the Dean of the college, serving since 2011. He is a two-time alum of the college having earned his bachelors and masters degrees in economics from Kelce. During his tenure as dean, Dr. Grimes has successfully led the college through two AACSB reaccreditation reviews and overseen a major administrative reorganization of the college to enhance efficiencies and ensure fiscal responsibility.

Dr. Grimes is also a coauthor of Economics of Social Issues, an introductory college economics textbook published by McGraw-Hill, and Editor-in-Chief of The American Economist, the academic journal published by Omicron Delta Epsilon, the International Honor Society in Economics.

A Multitude of Offerings

The college offers seven undergraduate majors: Accounting, Business Economics, Computer Information Systems, Finance, International Business, Management, and Marketing.

• Accounting

Kelce accounting graduates play crucial roles in the financial success of small businesses and large corporations. Strong demand exists for corporate accountants, auditors, budget analysts, tax managers, and controllers. Student seeking the CPA may now choose to enroll in the new 4+1 Master of Professional Accountancy (MPAcc) program and graduate with a bachelors and masters degree in five years.

• Business Economics

A major in Business Economics is designed for students who desire careers in, business analytics and forecasting, labor relations, operations analysis, bank management, or who wish to pursue managerial positions in governmental and corporate organizations.

• Computer Information Systems

The major in Computer Information Systems prepares students for high-paying careers in designing, implementing, and managing information technology within businesses and organizations.  Graduates are employed as data analysts, system administrators, cyber security specialists, database administrators and software engineers.

• Finance

A major in Finance prepares students for careers in corporate finance, banking, investment firms, credit management, and for financial managment. The study of finance requires a blend of analytical, evaluative, and descriptive skills and can be very rewarding.

• International Business

The goal of the International Business major is to provide high-quality, in-depth education in international business affairs and to cultivate foreign language and inter-cultural communications skills to prepare students for leadership positions in the global economy..

• Management

A Management degree provides students a broad background in organizational behavior, human resources, and field operations, a background suitable for professional careers and managerial positions in business, government, or non-profit organizations.

• Marketing

Marketing students learn how to analyze the demand for goods and services and how to promote them to consumers.  Career opportunities abound for marketing majors in sales, market research, product management, public relations, social media, and advertising.

In 2019, the Kelce College introduced a new Professional Online MBA program designed for place-bound professionals seeking to advance their careers.  Graduate students in both the traditional residential MBA and the Professional Online MBA may concentrate in General Administration, Accounting, International Business, or Human Resource Development.

Accolades

Whether from the Undergraduate School of Business or the Graduate School of Business, Kelce students find career success upon graduation in a variety of fields. Recent graduates have been employed as: Accountants, Application Developers, Business Consultants, Consulting Analysts, Customer Service Representatives/Managers, Financial Managers/Advisors, Human Resource Managers, Inside Sales Representatives, Internal Auditors, Management Trainees, Marketing Specialists, Operations Manager, Outside Sales Representatives, Project Analyst/Managers, Sales Managers, and Technical Solution Analysts.

Each academic year, in addition to those available through the university, the Kelce College provides nearly $300,000 in business student scholarships. Some scholarships cover the entire tuition for the entire academic year as well as fees, books, and other student expenses. Scholarships are most often awarded on academic performance, student need, and other criteria set by the donor. The Pitt State Office of Student Financial Assistance assists students in obtaining financial aid to support their educational endeavors. Financial aid is provided through a combination of sources including scholarships, grants, loans, and part-time employment opportunities. The university participates in all federal aid programs including PELL Grants, Supplemental Education Opportunity Grants; TEACH Grant, Army ROTC Scholarships, the College Work Study Program, and the Federal Direct Loan Program.

Graduates impact the college’s primary services region as well as the global economy through a 93 percent placement rate immediately after graduation.  Exmples of employers who routinely hire Kelce graduates include: BKD, Blue Cross & Blue Shield, Caterpillar, Cerner Corporation, Crossland Construction Company, Enterprise, Fastenal, Garmin International, H&R Block, Koch Industries, Leggett & Platt, Miller’s Professional Imaging, Moss-Adams, NPC International, Phillips 66, Sherwin Williams, State Street, Wal-Mart, and Watco Companies. Most of these employers afford graduates the opportunity to work both domestically and internationally. Starting salaries for BBA graduates vary but the majority range from $39,000-$54,000 depending on location.

Extracurricular Opportunities

There are numerous engagement opportunities for students at Pittsburg State University – from the annual Homecoming Celebration to Broadway productions of plays and musicals at the Bicknell Center to Student Government to the International Student Association and to many more.  Pitt State is a national leader in both men’s and women’s athletics at the NCAA Division II level.  The Pitt State Gorillas have won national championships in football and track.  Within the Kelce College, there are student organizations for each major as well as honor societies. The college also sponsors Enactus, an international organization that aims to solve societal issues using principles from business and entrepreneurship. The Pitt State Enactus team regularly competes at the national level. The college hosts numerous events including picnics for all students in August and in May. Faculty members regularly bring guest speakers from industry into their classrooms.

All of the degree programs in the Kelce College offer rigor and relevance for the business community. The curriculum in each of the seven major undergraduate programs and the MBA has been revised and enhanced to reflect current and emerging trends in business. Each program within the college enjoys healthy enrollment and a dedicated faculty who are experts in their fields. Faculty members work to ensure that the respective programs keep current with the latest trends in business. For example, the computer information systems faculty has recently integrated the SAP system into the classroom, and the marketing faculty has developed a new social media marketing course.

Words of Trust

“The Kelce College of Business and the PSU community is rooted in its togetherness and this creates a place where students feel free to expand their knowledge, connect with people from all walks of life, and cultivate relationships and connections that will last a lifetime. The Kelce College of Business has a well-earned reputation for producing future leaders in all fields. I find myself often citing back to things I learned from my professors and in the class room, and for that, I’m appreciative.”

– Avery Adair, BBA 2014, MBA 2015, Federal Reserve Bank, Kansas City, Missouri

“Coming from a small town in Kansas, I was worried about getting lost in the shuffle at one of the bigger schools. Choosing Pitt State was one of the best decisions I’ve made. The sense of community is very strong. There were so many opportunities to get involved and to build leadership skills. Instructors in the Kelce College of Business made the classes fun and interesting. As my career has evolved, I’ve been surrounded by Ivy Leaguers…and I’d still choose to be a Gorilla if I had to do it all over again. A million times!”

– Maria Pacheco, BBA, 1998, Google, Mountain View, California

“Graduating from Pittsburg State’s Kelce College of Business enabled me to select from multiple job offers from national brands coming out of college. I was awarded multiple advancement opportunities my first few years out of college, and I credit much of that to the education and experience I gained at Pitt State. The professors cared about me and invested in my university experience. The course work was relevant and prepared me for the real world I experienced after graduation.”

– Brandee Johnson, BBA 2001, Limelight Marketing (Owner), Pittsburg, Kansas