Areas of Emphasis: Leeds School of Business Programs
All business students pursuing a bachelor's degree in business administration must complete the prescribed courses in at least one area of emphasis. The school offers programs in five areas of emphasis: accounting, finance, systems, management, and marketing. An area of emphasis consists of a minimum of 15 semester hours taken at the University of Colorado at Boulder. A cumulative grade point average of 2.00 is mandatory for the required area of emphasis courses and all courses must have a grade of C- or higher.
In addition to the area of emphasis, students also may complete an area of application. The school offers the following areas of application: entrepreneurship and small business management, international business, and real estate. An area of application consists of a minimum of 9 semester hours taken at the University of Colorado at Boulder. A 2.00 cumulative GPA is required for the required area of application courses. Successful completion of additional requirements in some of these areas of application entitles students to a certificate issued by the dean of the college.
The school also offers a minor program in business for nonbusiness students.
Accounting +
The accounting area of emphasis prepares students for careers in which they will develop, analyze, and interpret complex financial data. Accounting majors become experts in "the language of business." This expertise prepares them for careers in CPA firms, business consulting, industry (from Fortune 500 companies to small entrepreneurial enterprises), not-for-profit enterprises, or government. Accountants who develop careers in public accounting become partners in the Big-4 or other consulting firms. Those who make their careers in industry may have positions as a chief executive officer (CEO), chief financial officer (CFO), chief accounting officer (CAO) or controller, tax specialist, internal auditor, accounting systems analyst, financial analyst, or managerial accountant. Many students begin their careers in CPA firms and move to industry or government after several years of experience. Employers seek students with skills in communication, interpersonal interactions, analytical thinking, problem solving, and integrity.
There are four major areas of study in the accounting area of emphasis: Financial Accounting and Analysis, Tax Planning and Compliance, Managerial Accounting, and Auditing and Assurance Services. Basic course work in accounting focuses on developing a comprehensive understanding of the theory and concepts underlying the presentation of financial and operating information about an enterprise to external and internal users. Additional coursework exposes the student to income taxation of business enterprises and individuals, the practice and principles of auditing and assurance services, and cost management. Specialization is available through graduate work.
Most accounting students from the University of Colorado earn professional credentials within a few years of completing their degrees. The two major types of professional certification are certified public accountant [CPA] and certified management accountant [CMA]. The CPA's expertise focuses on presentation and analysis of financial information for an external user. The CMA's primary focus is on the internal user. Professional accountants' expertise in financial matters and their understanding of company operations through financial information prepare them to become key players and critical decision makers for all aspects of business creation, operation, and transformation.
Requirements for the CPA license vary significantly by state. Every state requires that the candidate pass the Uniform CPA Examination (a standard national exam), but the requirements regarding educational background and work experience are state-specific. Colorado is one of the few states that requires only a bachelor's degree (at least 120 hours) to sit for the CPA exam. Most states have passed rules requiring 150 hours of university education. All states write their own rules about the number of hours, specific courses, and experience required for becoming a CPA in that state. It is very important that the accounting student obtain the guidelines for the relevant state to ensure proper development of his or her degree plan.
The degree options are:
1. The bachelor of science in business administration with an emphasis in accounting. This degree may be earned by a student who takes 15 hours of accounting beyond the core. The 15-hour requirement for the degree does not qualify the student to sit for the CPA exam in any state. This option may be chosen by a student who does not want to become professionally certified but who seeks a career involving accounting and financial analysis in industry, government, or not-for-profit enterprises.
2. The bachelor of science in business administration with an emphasis in accounting, enhanced by additional coursework required to sit for the CPA exam in various states. The student who aspires to earn the CPA credential must go beyond the basic college requirements for earning an area of emphasis. These requirements vary by state, but always include significantly more hours in accounting. Each student is responsible for determining the relevant requirements for the desired state of residence following graduation.
3. The concurrent bachelor of science/master of science degree in business administration with a concentration in accounting or taxation. This program allows the student to earn both a bachelor's and a master's degree. Both concurrent degrees may be in accounting, but many students who choose the concurrent degree option plan their programs so that they are awarded a bachelor's degree in finance or systems and a master's degree in accounting. This program includes an optional (but highly recommended) for-pay/for-credit internship. This degree plan best prepares the student for becoming a CPA. Details on this program are provided under the Graduate Degree Programs section.
None of the degree options described above qualifies the student for the Colorado "education in lieu of experience" CPA licensing rule. Additional planning and course work is necessary to meet this rule.
The undergraduate area of emphasis in accounting consists of at least 15 semester hours of course work beyond the undergraduate core requirements.
| Required Courses | Semester Hours |
| ACCT 3220 Financial Reporting and Analysis 1 | 3 |
| ACCT 3230 Financial Reporting and Analysis 2 | 3 |
| ACCT 3320 Cost Management | 3 |
| Plus at least 6 credit hours from the following courses: | |
| ACCT 4240/5240 Advanced Financial Accounting | 3 |
| ACCT 4250/5250 Financial Statement Analysis | 3 |
| ACCT 4330/5330 Advanced Cost Management | 3 |
| ACCT 4440/5440 Income Taxation | 3 |
| ACCT 4540/5540 Accounting Information Systems | 3 |
| ACCT 4620/5620 Auditing and Assurance Services | 3 |
| ACCT 4800/5800 Government and Non-Profit | 3 |
Finance +
The finance area of emphasis is designed to provide students with in-depth exposure to the theoretical concepts and applied tools and techniques necessary for entry-level positions in various areas of financial management. The principal areas of study include financial management, money and capital markets, investments and derivative securities, and financial institutions.
Finance is an applied discipline with an analytical orientation. Effort is made to develop students' ability to think logically about financial problems and to formulate sound financial decisions and policies. Although the emphasis is on financial management of profit-oriented organizations, the principles and concepts developed are also applicable to not-for-profit and governmental organizations.
It is strongly recommended that finance students take additional accounting (such as ACCT 3220 and ACCT 3230) beyond the business core requirements.
| Required Courses | Semester Hours |
| FNCE 3010 Corporate Finance | 3 |
| FNCE 3020 Financial Markets and Institutions | 3 |
| Plus any three of the following six courses: | |
| FNCE 4000 Financial Institutions Management | 3 |
| FNCE 4020 Applied Business Finance | 3 |
| FNCE 4030 Investment and Portfolio Management | 3 |
| FNCE 4040 Derivative Securities | 3 |
| FNCE 4050 Capital Investment Analysis | 3 |
| FNCE 4060 Special Topics in Finance | variable credit |
Management +
The management area of emphasis addresses the effective management of people, organizations, and technology to improve the performance of diverse public and private organizations. The area provides the managerial skills necessary for success in entry-level positions, and builds the foundations required for success in management positions of greater responsibility, authority, and leadership. Students completing the management area of emphasis are viewed by potential employers as having the broad-gauged education required in the team-oriented, horizontally organized, and globally competitive environments of the 21st century. The management area of emphasis prepares students for careers in general management or can serve as a strong secondary major to complement another functional area.
The management area of emphasis begins with three required courses covering modern theories of quality management and the development of critical managerial skills.
Students must choose one of two tracks, one emphasizing the management of human resources, and the other emphasizing the management of operations. Cross-over courses are also possible with students in one track taking elective courses in the other track.
Human Resource Management Track +
| Required Courses | Semester Hours |
| MGMT 3030 Critical Leadership Skills | 3 |
| MGMT 4000 Strategic Management | 3 |
The human resource management track provides students with the knowledge and skills necessary to earn certification in human resources from the Society of Human Resources, the principal professional society in the field. Graduates are qualified to act as human resource generalists in small- to medium-sized companies; specialists in organizations with more diverse human resource units; or well-rounded general managers in any organization. Under the human resource track, students must select three of the following courses:
| MGMT 4010 Employee-Employer Relationship | 3 |
| MGMT 4020 Hiring and Retaining Human Resources | 3 |
| MGMT 4030 Managing Employee Reward Systems | 3 |
| MGMT 4040 Individual, Team, and Organizational Development | 3 |
Operations Management Track +
| Required Courses | Semester Hours |
| MGMT 3030 Critical Leadership Skills | 3 |
| MGMT 4000 Strategic Management | 3 |
| SYST 3030 Total Quality Systems | 3 |
The principal function of any organization is the efficient creation and delivery of products and services to its customers. The operations management track focuses on this creative process and identifies how organizations use productivity, quality, flexibility, timeliness, and technology to compete and prevail in their markets. Students graduating from the operations management track will have a broad understanding of the importance of operations in the success of any organization, and will be qualified to serve in entry-level line management positions and as general managers later in their careers. Under the operations management track, students must select two of the following courses:
| MGMT 4070 International Operations Management | 3 |
| MGMT 4080 Environmental Operations | 3 |
| SYST 4060 Business Process Design | 3 |
| SYST 4101 Supply Chain Systems | 3 |
Marketing +
The marketing area of emphasis hones skills in analysis and decision-making for a wide spectrum of marketing careers in fields such as advertising, market research, brand management, e-business, selling and sales management, distribution, industrial and business-to-business marketing, international marketing, the marketing of services, and marketing for not-for-profit organizations.
Marketing strategies are essential to the communication and sale of both products and services. They are applied across consumer and business markets, across domestic and global boundaries, and across traditional and electronic business environments. Key concepts focus on identifying customer needs and wants, developing products and/or services to satisfy these needs and wants, establishing channels and communications to move products and services through intermediaries to end users, and monitoring transactions and customer responses to guide future activities.
Students should choose from one of the following two plans for taking required marketing courses. Students with a marketing emphasis must take 15 hours of marketing courses beyond BCOR 2400. These students should select Plan A. Plan B is intended for those students wishing to take marketing courses as part of their business electives.
Students pursuing a marketing emphasis (Plan A) will need three semesters to complete the required course work (beyond BCOR 2400).
Plan A +
| (For students with marketing as their area of emphasis) | |
| Required Courses | Semester Hours |
| MKTG 3250 Buyer Behavior | 3 |
| MKTG 3350 Marketing Research | 3 |
| (Students planning on graduating in four years must take both MKTG 3250 and MKTG 3350 in their junior year.) | |
| Three of the following courses must be taken after the completion of MKTG 3250 and MKTG 3350. Two must be completed before enrolling in BCOR 4004. Students must have completed MKTG 3250 and 3350 prior to enrollment in any marketing elective. | |
| MKTG 4150 Sales Management | 3 |
| MKTG 4250 Product Strategy | 3 |
| MKTG 4350 Services Marketing Strategy | 3 |
| MKTG 4400 International Marketing | 3 |
| MKTG 4550 Advertising and Promotion Management | 3 |
| MKTG 4650 Institutional Relationships and Strategy | 3 |
| MKTG 4820 Special Topics | 3 |
Plan B +
Systems +
The systems area of emphasis focuses on high-performance solutions to critical business problems. Students are exposed to a range of tools, methods, and techniques for addressing issues such as the design of business operations, the selection and implementation of new technologies, and the creation of processes that effectively connect with customers, suppliers, and distributor channels. The systems area provides students with the tools they will need to participate effectively in these decisions even early in their careers in any type of organizations - large or small, public or private.
For the systems area of emphasis, students take a common core of three courses, and choose between one of two specialty tracks: information systems or supply chain. While not required, all systems students are encouraged to take either project management or IT and business strategy as a capstone business elective:
| SYST 4040 IT and Business Strategy | |
| SYST 4080 Project Management Systems | |
Information Systems Track +
The information systems track prepares students to be the leaders in the effective utilization of information in business. Given the complexities and uncertainties of today's global economy, information is essential for the management of any successful enterprise. Technology-based systems, when used properly, can deliver the right information to the right people at the right time so that both strategic and operational decisions are made properly and quickly are required. The following five courses are required to complete the information systems track:
| Required Courses | Semester Hours |
| SYST 3000 Systems Thinking | 3 |
| SYST 3100 Business Intelligence | 3 |
| SYST 4060 Managing Business Processes | 3 |
| SYST 3101 Enterprise Technologies | 3 |
| SYST 4510 Design of Usable Business Systems | 3 |
BS/MS Program +
In addition to the information systems track, the Leeds School of Business offers a unique program that allows undergraduates the opportunity to earn a bachelor's and master's degree simultaneously. The joint program graduates students with a bachelor's degree from the Leeds School of Business and a master's degree from the College of Engineering in telecommunications.
Career Possibilities +
Students completing the systems curriculum with an information systems emphasis will find jobs as information systems analysts, systems designers, management consultants, project managers, systems integration specialists, security specialists, outsourcing coordinators, among many similar jobs. When combined with a second area of emphasis in accounting, finance, management, or marketing, additional opportunities exist for technology analyst positions within these other business areas.
In addition, students inclined to more technical information systems careers are encouraged to take programming courses as business or non-business electives (such as: SYST 2010 Visual-Language Programming, CSCI 1300 Programming, or ATLS 3519 Applied Java Programming).
Supply Chain Systems Track +
Efficiently running a complex organization or operation requires the precise coordination of materials, equipment, people, and information. This track is concerned with the design, analysis, and operation of supply chains. Students in this track learn methodologies and strategies to design and effectively manage supply chain and service processes. The following five courses are required to complete the supply chain track:
| Required Course | Semester Hours |
| SYST 3000 Systems Thinking | 3 |
| SYST 3100 Business Intelligence | 3 |
| SYST 4060 Managing Business Processes | 3 |
| SYST 3030 Management of Service Operations | 3 |
| SYST 4050 Supply Chain Management | 3 |
Career Possibilities +
Students completing the systems curriculum with a supply chain management emphasis will be sought after for challenging careers in manufacturing, transportation and logistics, service operations, health care, financial operations, management consulting, retail operations, and government. Organizations rely on operations professionals to provide solutions to important problems of productivity, profitability, and competitiveness for a variety of business systems. Completing the supply chain systems emphasis will help students to earn a Supply Chain Management certificate from the Association of Operations Management (APICS) and a Project Management certificate from the Project Management Institute (PMI).
Systems Certificate Program +
The proliferation in the use of information technologies has resulted in drastic changes in the way that organizations buy and sell goods and services, integrate their supply chain and logistic systems, structure for competition and alliances, and reach and retain customers. Advances in technology have transformed entire markets, industries, and even nations. Managers must not only understand how technology plays a pivotal role in their businesses but they must also formulate the appropriate policies, strategies, and tactics to maximize performance based on the use of information.
To address these issues, the Leeds School of Business offers systems certificates in both information systems and supply chain management for current business students who are not completing the systems area.
Information Systems Certificate +
When combined with an area of emphasis in accounting, finance, management, or marketing, students can receive a certificate in Information Systems. This certificate requires students to complete any three systems courses (3 credits each, a total of 9 credits), and either a faculty-supervised systems project (SYST 4900 Independent Study) or internship (SYST 4910 Academic Internship in Systems).
In addition, students are required to maintain an overall GPA of 3.00 or higher for the selected course sequence and receive a letter grade of B- or higher in each course. Successful completion of the certificate program will appear on the student's transcript.
Recommended course sequences for:
| Accounting Students | |
| SYST 3000 Systems Thinking | |
| ACCT 4540 Accounting Information Systems | |
| ACCT 4820 Accounting Information Systems II | |
| Finance Students | |
| SYST 3000 Systems Thinking | |
| SYST 3100 Business Intelligence | |
| SYST 4080 Project Management Systems | |
| Management Students | |
| SYST 3000 Systems Thinking | |
| SYST 3100 Business Intelligence | |
| SYST 4040 IT and Business Strategy | |
| Marketing Students | |
| SYST 3000 Systems Thinking | |
| SYST 3100 Business Intelligence | |
| SYST 4510 Design of Usable Business Systems |
Supply Chain Management Certificate +
When combined with an area of emphasis in accounting, finance, management, or marketing, students can receive a certificate in Supply Chain Management. This certificate requires students to complete a course in supply chain management (SYST 4050 Supply Chain Management) and two other courses (3 credits each, a total of 9 credits) selected from the list of courses described below, and either a faculty-supervised systems project (SYST 4900 Independent Study) or internship (SYST 4910 Academic Internship in Systems).
In addition, students are required to maintain an overall GPA of 3.00 or higher for the selected course sequence and receive a letter grade of B- or higher in each course. Successful completion of the certificate program will appear on the student's transcript.
Recommended course sequences for:
| Accounting Students | |
| SYST 3000 Systems Thinking | |
| SYST 4050 Supply Chain Management | |
| SYST 4060 Managing Business Processes | |
| Finance Students | |
| SYST 3000 Systems Thinking | |
| SYST 4050 Supply Chain Management | |
| SYST 4080 Project Management Systems | |
| Management Students | |
| SYST 3000 Systems Thinking | |
| SYST 3030 Management of Service Operations | |
| SYST 4050 Supply Chain Management | |
| Marketing Students | |
| SYST 3000 Systems Thinking | |
| SYST 3030 Management of Service Operations | |
| SYST 4050 Supply Chain Management |
Students who wish to pursue a certificate should contact the faculty advisor of the Systems Department to set up their independent study or internship.
