Helzberg School of Management

Academic Administration

Dean		Cheryl McConnell, Ph.D.
Associate Dean		Richard D. Graham, M.B.A., M.A.
Discipline Group Coordinator, Accounting, Economics, Finance		Anthony L. Tocco, Ph.D.
Discipline Group Coordinator, Management, Marketing		Martin H. Stack, Ph.D.
B.S.B.A., B.A. in Economics Program Director		Anna C. Lampe, Ph.D.
Nonprofit Leadership Studies Program Director		Jennifer Rinella, Ed.D.
Leadership Studies Minor Program Director		Kenneth Mellard, M.Ed., M.B.A.

Full-time Faculty

Professor of Production Operations Management		Shahid Ali, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor of Marketing		Tracy Blasdel, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor of Management		James F. Dockins, Ed.D.
Professor of Finance		Brian D. Fitzpatrick, Ph.D.
Professor of Economics		Laura E. Fitzpatrick, Ph.D.
Professor of Management		Myles P. Gartland, Ph.D.
Executive Professor of Management		Anna C. Lampe, Ph.D.
Associate Professor of Management		Jeremy J. O’Connor, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor of Management		Xuan Pham, Ph.D.
Associate Professor of Management		Kelly A. Phipps, J.D., Ph.D.
Professor of Finance		Sudhakar Raju, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor of Management and Nonprofit Leadership Studies		Jennifer Rinella, Ed.D.
Associate Professor of Management		Craig M. Sasse, Ph.D.
Associate Professor of Management		Randolph E. Schwering, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor of Accounting		Jamison Shipman, J.D., C.P.A.
Professor of Management		Martin H. Stack, Ph.D.
Professor of Economics		Michael J. Stellern, Ph.D.
Associate Professor of Marketing		Wenbin Sun, Ph.D.
Professor of Accounting		Anthony L. Tocco, Ph.D.
Associate Professor of Accounting		David B. Vicknair, D.B.A., C.P.A.
Assistant Professor of Economics		Richard Wagner, Ph.D.
Executive Professor of Management		J. Turner White, M.B.A.
Executive Assistant Professor of Accounting		Jeffrey R. Wright, M.B.A., C.P.A.

Helzberg School of Management Vision, Mission, and Core Values

The Helzberg School of Management exists to prepare leaders to make a positive difference in the world. Our mission is to be the driving force in the community to educate and develop leaders of competence and conscience, based upon the Jesuit tradition of learning, leadership and service.

We will teach, practice, and be guided by:

Commitment to the community and its progress;
Honesty, integrity, and ethics in every aspect of the educational endeavor; and
Commitment to engaged learning and applied business interactions.

Program Overview

Since 1933, Rockhurst business education and leader development have been characterized by innovation and responsiveness to a changing environment. Significant “firsts” include Kansas City’s first co-educational business degree for working adults (1933), the city’s first part-time MBA program (1976) and first executive MBA program (1978), and participation in the Kansas City University of Medicine and Biosciences’ groundbreaking DO/MBA Dual Degree program featuring a Rockhurst MBA in Health Care Leadership (2001). For more than 70 years, Rockhurst has met the demand for competent, confident leaders with management skills necessary to lead successful organizations in dynamic, rapidly changing environments.

Helzberg School of Management (HSOM) undergraduate program integrates a broad liberal arts-based education with focused study in specific areas, producing leaders of competence and conscience with the skills necessary to excel professionally and serve others meaningfully. The undergraduate degree program provides excellent preparation for subsequent study in graduate or professional schools and further the Jesuit ideal of educating men and women for others. The Helzberg School of Management grants the Bachelor of Science in Business Administration (BSBA). The BSBA is offered with a business administration major and concentrations in accounting, corporate accounting and finance, financial markets and economic analysis, international business, management, and non-profit administration.

The Helzberg School of Management offers an accelerated or part-time evening Master of Business Administration (MBA), with concentration areas in accounting, business intelligence, finance, health care management, international business, and management. Rockhurst BSBA students with a concentration in accounting may use the accelerated MBA to meet CPA exam requirements. For information on the accelerated evening, part-time evening, dual degree DO/MBA, please see Graduate Studies in the Helzberg School of Management in the graduate section of this catalog.

The Helzberg School of Management offers a unique focus on executive education within the greater Kansas City area through its executive program, the Executive Fellows MBA. As part of its commitment to lifelong learning within the Catholic, Jesuit tradition, the Helzberg School of Management also provides educational and developmental programs for managers within the metropolitan area. For information on this program please see Graduate Studies in the Helzberg School of Management in the Graduate Section of this catalog.

Undergraduate Studies in the Helzberg School of Management

Quality in the educational experience is a hallmark of Catholic, Jesuit education. The undergraduate curriculum of the Helzberg School of Management is designed to integrate a broad liberal arts-based education with specialized study within a specific area, resulting in graduates who demonstrate both competence and conscience. The core curriculum is meant to shape the entire undergraduate experience, particularly in the integration of leadership, corporate social responsibility and ethics, information analysis, communication, and globalization. In a variety of classroom settings, students are confronted with “real world” choices in developing business and managerial skills which are relevant to the contemporary business environment.

A Helzberg School of Management degree provides excellent preparation for further study in graduate or professional schools, such as business and law, as well as providing skills for many professional fields. The degrees further the Jesuit educational ideal of educating men and women for others. The Jesuit educational mission emphasizes the combination of liberal and professional education to prepare individuals to be leaders in the contemporary world and to be lifelong learners.

Bachelor of Science in Business Administration

The basis for developing an appreciation of the role of business as a societal institution is provided by a broad knowledge of business: its history, its impact upon individuals, its economic importance and its social responsibilities. In addition, a full appreciation requires knowledge of the various environments (financial, economic, technological, governmental, social and cultural, and global) within which firms must operate. The degree includes an understanding of the complexities of problem solving and the ethical implications of managerial decision-making at the enterprise level and provides the basis for further studies.

Minor Areas of Study

The Helzberg School of Management offers minors in general business, business administration (pre-MBA), economics, leadership studies, and nonprofit leadership studies. The minor in business administration is available to all Rockhurst University majors not seeking a BSBA degree. The minor in economics is available to all Rockhurst University students who are not seeking an economics major. The minor in nonprofit leadership studies is available to all Rockhurst University students who are not seeking a nonprofit leadership studies major. The Helzberg School of Management also offers a Certificate in Business Administration for students pursuing a degree other than the BSBA.

Leadership Studies Minor

The Leadership Studies Minor is not a business minor and is open to all students attending Rockhurst. This minor consists of 12 hours of upper-division coursework (4 courses), selected from LS 3000 , LS 3200 , LS 3210 , LS 4100 , LS 4600 , LS 4920 . The student should consult closely with their advisor when arranging their required coursework. Note: A grade of C or better is required of each upper-division course of the minor. (A grade of C- will not fulfill the requirement.)

Admission

Undergraduate students are admitted to Rockhurst University by the Office of Admission and Financial Aid. Students who are interested in a business degree as freshmen are directly admitted into the Helzberg School while they complete the liberal arts core requirements and BSBA prerequisites. All students are eligible to declare a major in the Helzberg School of Management upon completion of 60 semester hours with a minimum 2.0 grade point average. In order to file a declaration of major, students submit an unofficial transcript and declaration of major form (available from the Registrar) to the Helzberg School of Management Director of UG Advising. Students must declare their concentration upon completion of 21 hours of Helzberg School coursework and also have completed the lower-division business prerequisites.

Transfer Students

The Helzberg School of Management welcomes transfer students. Students considering transferring to Rockhurst University from another institution should have their academic records evaluated by the Helzberg School of Management’s Director of UG Advising to determine the transferability of courses. The Helzberg School of Management requires that at least 50 percent of the business credit hours required for the business degree be earned at Rockhurst University.

Academic Student Services

The Helzberg School of Management’s Director of UG Advising assists students by providing information about degree programs, initial credit evaluations and course preregistration. Undergraduates must be advised every semester in order to preregister for classes. Freshmen students are also assigned faculty advisors in their major area of study. Parttime students are also advised by the Helzberg School of Management academic advising staff with faculty available to provide academic and career guidance.

Goppert Cooperative Education Program (Co-op)

Helzberg School of Management students are eligible to participate in the Goppert Cooperative Education Program (Co-op). See section in “College Life .”

Curriculum Requirements

The Helzberg School of Management (HSOM) requires that at least 50 percent of all business credit hours required for the BSBA degree be earned at Rockhurst University. This policy excludes the lower-division economics, mathematics, and statistics courses.

A maximum of all business credit hours earned toward the BSBA may not exceed 50 percent of the total credit hours required for graduation. Upper-division economics courses that are required for any of the BSBA majors cannot be applied towards the BA in Economics and vice versa.

Liberal Core Requirements

All Helzberg School of Management students are required to complete the liberal core requirements of Rockhurst University. See section on “Liberal Core Curriculum .”

Bachelor of Arts in Economics

The goal of Rockhurst University’s BA in Economics is to prepare future leaders with the proper analytical, ethical, and communication skills which are necessary to succeed within all areas of economics. This is accomplished through offering students a solid foundation in economics to understand the complexities of the economy and how it impacts and is impacted by all other aspects of society. This is then complemented by selection of a track of study in economics and related courses that are more focused on a student’s individual interests and career aspirations. Upon completion students will be able to engage in evaluative and critical analysis of economic issues and determination and evaluation of relevant policies both in the general economic contexts as well as those in their chosen track. This prepares them for careers in their designated areas of interest as well as preparation for continued graduate study. The BA degree is conferred at commencement through the College of Arts and Sciences.

Bachelor of Arts in Nonprofit Leadership Studies

Rockhurst University’s Nonprofit Leadership Studies program prepares students for careers and leadership roles with nonprofit organizations. Students achieve foundation and professional development competencies through coursework, community-based research and service-learning projects, and a 300-hour supervised internship with a nonprofit organization. Rockhurst’s Nonprofit Leadership professors are highly credentialed professionals who bring their extensive nonprofit sector experience and networks to the classroom. Small class sizes provide a comfortable, interactive learning environment and foster rich discussions. Day and evening courses are offered for students’ convenience.

With 1.4 million 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations in the U.S. and 7,500 in Kansas City alone, employment and leadership opportunities abound. Nonprofit organizations need talented, creative people with diverse skills and experiences to lead and manage programs, staff, volunteers, and resources. This work is more than a job—our graduates find it to be part of a life of meaning and a career that makes an impact for good. The BA in Nonprofit Leadership Studies is conferred at commencement through the College of Arts and Sciences.

Through the Helzberg School of Management, Rockhurst University offers:

Bachelor of Arts degree with a major in Nonprofit Leadership Studies
Bachelor of Arts degree in Nonprofit Leadership Studies with Fundraising Concentration. This concentration is offered in partnership with the Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP) Mid-America Chapter, and further prepares students for careers and leadership roles in fundraising and development.
Minor in Nonprofit Leadership Studies
Certificate program in Nonprofit Leadership Studies
Certificate program in Fundraising Leadership
Undergraduate program leading to the National Certificate in Nonprofit Management/Leadership awarded by Nonprofit Leadership Alliance. Nonprofit Leadership Alliance is an alliance of colleges, universities and nonprofit organizations dedicated to educating, preparing and certifying professionals to strengthen and lead nonprofit organizations.

Graduation Requirements

The Helzberg School of Management BSBA degree requires students to earn a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.5 in Helzberg School Core Courses and earn a grade of C or above in the 15 hours of upper-division courses required for the degree or concentration. In addition, students must successfully complete a senior capstone course with a grade of C or above. This satisfies the senior comprehensive examination requirement of the Helzberg School of Management.

Additional degree requirements and policies are described in the Undergraduate Academic and Administrative Policies section of the catalog.

Note: The Bachelor of Arts degree with a major in Economics, or Nonprofit Leadership Studies, is not a Business degree, nor is the minor in Leadership Studies.

Programs

Bachelor of Arts

Bachelor of Science in Business Administration

Minor

Certificate

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