Overview
Welcome to the Grace College major in general business. This major allows for integrative study of the disciplines necessary for understanding and managing organizations. A biblical understanding of business permeates this major. The major in General Business allows students to craft a program that is specific to their needs and career aspirations.
The curriculum builds a foundational understanding with coursework that transitions to an interdisciplinary approach. The curriculum culminates with internships, simulations, and other applied learning opportunities that smooth the transition from the classroom to the workplace. A biblical understanding of business helps students understand that economic growth and prosperity are maximized when economic activity is organized through a decentralized, market-based approach. Given this, a proper appreciation of the net benefits of the free enterprise system is foundational to this major.
Grace College has received specialized accreditation for its business programs through the International Assembly for Collegiate Business Education (IACBE), located in Olathe, Kansas.
Course Requirements for B.A. or B.S. General Business
Course Requirements for General Business Minor
Courses
Examples of courses in this major:
BUS223 Economics
The role of Christians in the marketplace is discussed with consideration of economic reasoning and methodology through examination of fundamental concepts in micro- and macroeconomics and through extension and applications of economic theory.
BUS243 Principles of Management
Surveys the four major managerial functions: planning, organizing, leading and controlling. Within a biblical framework examines developments from scientific management to ethics, diversity, social responsibility and globalization.
BUS340 Organizational Behavior
This course deals with human behavior in organizations. Conceptual frameworks, case discussions, and skill-oriented activities are applied to course topics which include: motivation, learning and development, group dynamics, leadership, communication, power and influence, change, diversity, organizational design, and culture.
FIN324 Corporate Finance
The study of such topics as capital budgeting, cost of funds, stock and bond valuations, and capital structure. A theoretical as well as a practical approach to the discipline.
MKT215 Marketing Principles
This course provides a decision-oriented overview of marketing management in modern organizations. The objectives of the course are to provide a broad introduction to marketing concepts, the role of marketing in society and in the firm, and the various factors that influence marketing decision making.
Faculty
The individuals who will challenge you to learn:
-
William P. Gordon, B.S., M.S.
Associate Professor of Business
Education History
B.S. in Business and Economics, Manchester College; M.S. in Educational Management, University of Dayton
About
Professor Gordon retired from full-time teaching at Grace College in 2009 after chairing the Business Department for nearly 25 years. He then founded & developed the Institute for Enterprise Development, which is housed on the Grace College campus. The Institute is dedicated to enabling Grace College students, faculty, employees, friends, and alumni to creatively interact with enterprises in the local, national, and international community in order to develop synergistic educational relationships and experiences. Professor Gordon is also a founding member of the Christian Business Faculty Association which promotes integration of Biblical principles into the business curriculum. He enjoys applying his experience from industry.
-
Richard Koontz, B.S., M.B.A.
Associate Professor of Computer Information
Education History
B.S. in Computer Science and Business Administration, Grace College; M.B.A., Stetson University
About
Prior to coming to Grace in 1998, Professor Rick Koontz spent nine years as Manager of Information Systems for Scholastic Book Fairs in Lake Mary, Florida. In addition to his teaching, he is academic director of the Management of Information Systems program. He is currently working on a D.B.A. in management from Anderson University.
-
Brad Lemler, B.S., M.A., M.S., M.B.A., Ph.D., CPA
Professor of Accounting and Finance
Education History
B.S. in Business, Indiana University; MBA, Ph.D. in Business, Indiana University; M.S. in Interdisciplinary Studies, Texas Tech University; M.A. in Economics, University of Notre Dame Master of Ministry; M.A. in Theological Studies, Bethel College CPA, State of Indiana
About
Dr. Brad Lemler teaches accounting, finance, economics, and statistics for the School of Business. His teaching background includes online and on-ground delivery, and in both undergraduate and graduate programs. He is an active member of the Christian Business Faculty Association through which he has presented and published papers on faith integration, reviewed papers and proposals, served on committees, and served as the secretary/treasurer for the CBFA board. These experiences have enhanced his capacity to teach his business courses from a distinctly Christian perspective.
-
Roger L. Stichter, B.A., M.B.A., D.B.A., CPA
Associate Professor of Accounting
Education History
B.A. in Business, Goshen College; M.B.A., Indiana University; D.B.A., Anderson University; South Bend C.P.A.
About
Having worked in public accounting (staff accountant), health care accounting (corporate controller), and non-profit accounting (chief financial officer), Professor Roger Stichter has a broad accounting background at various levels of responsibility. He has taught at Grace College for over 14 years. He enjoys spending time with his wife and 7 children, bicycling (he has biked from San Diego to Savannah and recently took a 750+ mile trip around Michigan), fishing, and spending time researching the lifestyle of generosity. He recently completed his D.B.A. in accounting at Anderson University.
-
John A. Teevan, A.B., M.Div., D.Min.
Director of Prison Extension Program
Education History
A.B. in Economics, Princeton University; M.Div. and D.Min., Grace Theological Seminary
About
Dr. John Teevan has taught business and Bible courses at Grace since 1998. In 2006, he began directing the Prison Extension Program for Grace. This undergraduate program has grown to over 350 Indiana prison students. Dr. Teevan has been involved with various community boards and service projects over the last 20 years. He and his wife, Jane, have three grown sons and live in Winona Lake.
-
Jeffery K. Fawcett, B.A., M.B.A., D.B.A.
Professor of Marketing
Education History
B.A. in Business Administration, Cedarville University; M.B.A., University of Baltimore; D.B.A., Cleveland State University
About
Dr. Fawcett serves as Dean of the School of Business and Professor of Marketing. He came to Grace College in 2011 bringing 24 years of experience in Christian higher education. Prior to beginning his teaching career he worked as a consultant in Washington, D.C. on contracts with Naval Sea Systems Command and the Federal Aviation Administration. Dr. Fawcett is very active in the Christian Business Faculty Association.
-
Alan E. Grossnickle, B.A., M.P.A., M.B.A.
Assistant Professor of Business/Director of the William P. Gordon Institute of Enterprise Development
Education History
B.A. in Political Science and History, Parsons College; M.P.A. in Public Administration, Ball State University; M.B.A. in Finance, University of Saint Francis
About
Prior to coming to Grace in 2012, Professor Grossnickle spent five years at the University of Saint Francis where he developed the Entrepreneurship program and taught business courses. He has extensive experience as the former CEO/President and founder of Caremet, Inc. dba Miller's Merry Manor health care facilities which was the largest independent health care organization in Indiana. He lives in Warsaw with his wife and has two sons and three grandchildren. He is presently completing a doctorate in Business Administration at Northcentral University.
Careers
Some of the positions you can obtain:
Management Trainee
The Business Administration degree at Grace College provides a strong background in management thought, accounting, economics, marketing, and finance helping graduates who pursue management positions understand the big-picture of business. Group work during business courses aids students in developing relational skills. Recent graduates report they were well prepared for management training programs.
Financial Planner
Financial planners help individuals and groups plan the use of their savings, income, and investments. Some are self-employed consultants who offer workshops that teach people how to analyze their own financial situations. Other financial planners operate financial planning businesses or are employed by insurance companies and financial institutions—savings and loan companies, investment services companies, and banks—to sell their company's financial products. Such products might include family budgeting schemes, mutual funds, individual retirement accounts (IRAs), insurance, real estate, or tax-sheltered investment plans.
Financial planners help individuals examine their immediate and long-term financial situations. The job of the financial planner is to help each investor decide what kinds of investments are best. They advise people on what types of investments to put their money in as well as the timing of major expenditures, such as buying a house or starting retirement.
General Manager
A general manager directs and coordinates the operations of a small business or a department in a company. Medium-sized and large companies are divided into production, sales, promotion, purchasing, and other departments, and a general manager is typically in charge of each of these divisions. In a small company the general manager may be responsible for all operations. General managers usually report to the chief operating officer or to a vice president. They may report to the chief executive officer.
Sales Representative
A sales representative can have many duties and responsibilities, depending on the industry they are working in. To be a successful sales representative, you have to be energetic, friendly and enthusiastic, and you must have a positive attitude.
Administrative Executive
Using exceptional organizational and multi-tasking skills, Administrative Executives generally provide full support for leaders or sales members within an organization. Such duties typically include: calendar management, expenses and travel arrangement, presentations, organizing team meetings, monitoring timesheets, ordering supplies, and processing HR requests.
Small Business Owner
Entrepreneurship is a focus on principles and applications of starting and managing a small business. The business curriculum prepares graduates well to begin their own businesses. The broad overview of courses in the curriculum combined with professors who have run business provides an excellent background for students who wish to start and/or manage a business.
Testimonials
What others are saying:
Grace College's School of Business flat out prepared me for the next stage of my life. The professors always set aside time to talk with me about choosing an appropriate major that fit me and to encourage me academically and spiritually. Professors openly shared in class how God was directing in their lives, and wanted to encourage us to follow Him whole-heartedly. I even got a chance to take a summer internship in China through the business program! Because of the quality teachers, relevant classes, and wonderful classmates, I feel ready and confident for whatever God has in store for me!
—Caleb Roth, B.S., Business Administration/General Business, 2010
As a Finance Executive with one of the local orthopedic companies where Grace is based, I've found the School of Business at Grace College to be unique in many ways. First and foremost, I find the passion for education and commitment to personal relationships that the faculty have with their students to be second to none that I've encountered in my many years of recruiting across college campuses. Second, the biblical integration into the curriculum by the faculty and members of the administration of the college is highly identifiable by the integrity and moral convictions exhibited by the students. Finally, the internship and eventual job opportunities available to the students in the School of Business include some of the best companies in the world as it relates to the area of accounting, finance, and business.
—Bob Vitoux, VP of Finance, Biomet Orthopedics, Warsaw, Indiana
I have been impressed with the level of commitment and enthusiasm of the School of Business faculty to the Grace College business students. It is refreshing to know that they are not only equipping our future business leaders with the knowledge and tools they need, but also instilling in them a value system based on biblical principles. We greatly need outstanding business leaders who reflect the values of the men and women of the Grace College School of Business, especially now in this current economic environment.
—Joan Darr, COO/CNO, Kosciusko Community Hospital, B.S. Nursing, 1967