About the College of Business
Getting Students ‘Career Ready and Connected’
The College of Business was established as a professional college at The University of Akron in 1953. Today we have set ourselves apart as a nationally ranked and globally recognized institution for developing business professionals and leaders.
Invested Area Professionals
Our active business network truly sets us apart. College of Business students instantly join a business network of 33,000 alumni—900+ in top executive posts. More than 270 professionals are especially connected to the College of Business through service on Advisory Boards that meet regularly to provide expertise and guidance on curriculum decisions and strategic direction. Advisory board members helped develop our market-relevant undergraduate majors and impactful graduate programs that further students’ careers. Advisory Board members also bring their organizations’ business internships and co-ops, projects, and competitions to UA business students every year.
Professional Development Readies Students
Robust, career-focused professional development and hands-on learning opportunities—from hundreds of internships to in-class real-world projects—distinguish the College of Business from other institutions. Our EDGE Professional Development Designation program offers dozens of extra-curricular opportunities each semester that take learning beyond the classroom and place students on the path to career readiness. Through these, students can network with professionals who are active on our Advisory Boards. These efforts help ensure students are Career Ready and Connected by the time they graduate. Beginning in 2019, our professional development staff will be housed in a new $5.2 Million Professional Development Center that will bring all of the College’s professional development resources together in one central location.
Faculty Teach in the College—Not Teaching Assistants
Our mission to ensure our students graduate Career Ready and Connected is fueled by our highly qualified and passionate instructors. While our business professors perform quality research, they also instruct students full-time, often in state-of-the-art facilities and learning labs. They frequently engage with area professionals and partner with dozens of companies each semester to seek out real-world projects that provide hands-on learning opportunities, connecting classrooms to boardrooms.
