Business

The HTC program in business offers exceptional students the opportunity to study aspects of business in one-on-one relationships with business faculty members. Maximum opportunities will be afforded for the student to progress well beyond the material found in conventional courses. Recent topics that students have investigated include sustainable business practices, socially responsible investing, the slow food movement, budgeting in varsity athletics, and female entrepreneurs. Students will receive a degree of Bachelor of Business Administration from the Honors Tutorial College.

Business Tutorials

Students are required to complete nine tutorials within The College of Business, including two devoted to the thesis. The first three tutorials are organized as small seminars. This develops a strong team dynamic among the freshman students. The first seminar introduces students to a variety of important business concepts and functions. The next two seminars teach students research methods to investigate a topic in preparation for writing a thesis. A student will normally select other tutorials from his or her major area of interestl.

In addition to the tutorials, the student must complete the Tier I English requirement, MATH 163A, MATH 250B, ECON 103, ECON 104, an approved upper level ECON course, all core courses not covered by tutorials, and an appropriate number of approved electives. Internships and/or study abroad may be included within the program with special permission from the Director of Studies (credit will be given only once). Honors Tutorial students take a minimum of 16 hours per quarter.

Advising and Monitoring

Each student receives ongoing advice from the Director of Studies regarding selection and sequencing of courses, choice of a thesis advisor, and other procedural matters. A committee is composed of the Director of Studies and the Advisor will monitor the thesis work. A typical tutorial will meet on a weekly basis for a minimum of one hour. The student and the tutor will discuss the current reading and written assignments, discuss problems and solutions, debate and offer critical analysis, and the tutor continuously evaluates the progress of the student. A final grade is made based on many facets of evaluation available to the tutor: written assignments, written exams, oral exams, discussions, presentations by the student, field work, etc.

The Honors Thesis

The Honors Thesis is a reflection of the student's special interests. It is expected that this major paper will constitute work of the highest quality in investigating a problem of concern to both scholars and practitioners. Although an intensive study of relevant theoretical and research literatures is the underpinning of the thesis, students are encouraged to augment this scholarly base with field data whenever possible.

Evaluation

Students throughout the program earn letter grades consistent with the university grading system and are expected to maintain a GPA of 3.5 or higher. Students who earn less than a B, or who maintain less than a 3.5 GPA will need to confer with the Director of Studies and/or the Dean of the College. In addition to letter grade assessments, tutors complete quarterly course descriptions and evaluations of each student's work. In these assessments both the student's academic standing and academic attitude are evaluated. The senior thesis must be approved by the student's advisor, the Director of Studies, and the Dean of the College.

Eligibility

Students are selected by the Director of Studies of the Business Tutorial Program and the Honors Tutorial College on the basis of superior ability and sustained motivation. We look for good scores on standardized tests (30 composite score on the ACT or a combined score of 1300 on the SAT), but we also require a good high school record (class standing in the top 10%). An interview with a representative of the College of Business is required for acceptance into our program. Two recommendations, preferably fromhigh school teachers, are required. The personalized aspects of the tutorial system occasionally make it possible for us to accept students who have not performed well on standardized measures of ability but who demonstrate exceptional aptitude in other ways.

Application Deadline

The deadline for application for admission is December 1st, and admission interviews are held in January.

Further Information

Dr. Raymond Frost
Director of Studies
Dept. of Management Information Systems
Ohio University
214F Copeland Hall
Athens, OH 45701
(740) 597-2902
frostr@ohio.edu

Additional information can be found on the College of Business web site: www.cob.ohiou.edu.