Master of Business Administration – College of Business /business UCA Fri, 24 Apr 2026 20:38:41 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=4.9.1 MBA Director McMurtrey Earns 2023 SWDSI Distinguished Service Award /business/2023/04/20/mcmurtrey-swdsi-2023/ /business/2023/04/20/mcmurtrey-swdsi-2023/#respond Thu, 20 Apr 2023 19:57:50 +0000 /business/?p=9745 °Őłó±đĚý (SWDSI) has named Dr. Mark E. McMurtrey as its 2023 Distinguished Service Award recipient in recognition of his achievements in research, teaching, and service. He was presented the award on March 9, 2023, in Houston, Texas at the SWSDI 52nd Annual Meeting. McMurtrey holds the appointment of Professor of Computer Information Systems and Analytics and MBA Program Director for the UCA College of Business.

The SWDSI is a division of the , a professional organization made up of those interested in sharing research on the study of decision processes and the application of quantitative and behavioral methods to the problems of society.

Dr. McMurtrey has also been recognized as the SWDSI 2020 Outstanding Educator; he also has been awarded the UCA College of Business “Excellence in Service” Award (2014) and the “Excellence in Teaching” Award (2017).

Dr. McMurtrey has been very active in service with DSI and SWDSI in conferences for over 30 years. Between the two he has well over 100 activities, ranging from author, discussant, reviewer, session chair, track chair, presenter, VP-Finance, Program Chair, President, and Past President. McMurtrey had a research study win the Distinguished Paper Award at the 2022 SWDSI Conference in March and competed with the winners from the other regions at the National DSI meeting in November, finishing as a runner-up. McMurtrey has also been a Council Member for SWDSI and serves on both the Strategic Planning Committee and Outstanding Educator Award Committee.

]]> /business/2023/04/20/mcmurtrey-swdsi-2023/feed/ 0 UCA College of Business Ranked Among Top 50 Most Affordable Master’s Programs in the Nation for 2023 /business/2023/02/10/mba-top50/ /business/2023/02/10/mba-top50/#respond Fri, 10 Feb 2023 19:31:51 +0000 /business/?p=8622

UCA has been ranked as one of the nation’s top 50 most affordable colleges for online master’s programs in business. Just six percent of regionally accredited postsecondary institutions earned a ranking position from OnlineMastersDegrees.org (OMD). UCA’s business programs earned top honors for overall quality, affordability and commitment to student success.

“This year, we focused on the schools making it easier for students to compete in today’s increasingly difficult job market,” said Kyle Darland, co-founder of OMD. “Each ranked school offers a fully or partially online master’s program in business at a time when earning a master’s has become a minimum barrier to entry for many.”

Darland is referencing a recent survey from CareerBuilder, which found that “thirty-three percent of employers are hiring workers with master’s degrees for positions that had been primarily held by those with four-year degrees.” These employers cited an evolution of the skills needed to perform the jobs as the cause of the shift, and an increase in work quality, productivity and employee retention as the result.

“Providing students with opportunities to get a master’s online is only part of our rankings,” said Darland. “Top-ranked schools also had competitive tuition rates and/or scholarships to help drive costs down. And with grocery, gas and other expenses on everyone’s mind right now, an affordable master’s is key.”

OnlineMastersDegrees.org analyzed more than 7,700 accredited universities by using data pulled from the schools themselves and from the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS). After the data was compiled, OMD’s data science team then applied a proprietary algorithm to rank all qualifying schools for each of the different master’s degrees specialties. Primary data points include:

  • Academic counseling services
  • Career placement services
  • Student/faculty ratio
  • Tuition
  • Percent of students receiving school-based aid
  • Amount of school-based aid per student

To be eligible for ranking, a university must hold active regional accreditation and have at least one partially online master’s program in the ranking subject.

About OnlineMastersDegrees.org
OnlineMastersDegrees.org began in 2020 to support online learning at the master’s level. Our user-friendly, research-backed content helps students find scholarships, resources, financial aid, and connect with accredited colleges and universities across the country.

]]> /business/2023/02/10/mba-top50/feed/ 0 UCA College of Business Names 2020-2021 Outstanding Students /business/2021/06/03/uca-college-of-business-names-2020-2021-outstanding-students/ /business/2021/06/03/uca-college-of-business-names-2020-2021-outstanding-students/#respond Thu, 03 Jun 2021 16:10:03 +0000 /business/?p=3650 On April 8, 2021, the UCA College of Business held its annual Student Honors Banquet to celebrate the academic achievements of the College’s students and recognize the outstanding students for the 2020-2021 academic year.

Outstanding students are those who take advantage of educational opportunities and show exemplary academic performance through internships, professional development and experiential education, volunteerism, and participation in clubs and activities.

The following students were awarded an outstanding status, chosen from over 1600 undergraduate and graduate students:

OUTSTANDING STUDENT FOR THE COLLEGE OF BUSINESS: ELSA MATTSON

Elsa Mattson was named the overall Outstanding Student for the College of Business because of her many academic achievements.

A triple major with a 3.95 GPA, Elsa earned a BBA in Economics with International Trade Concentration, a BBA in Management Information Systems with a Business Analysis Concentration, and a BA in Chinese. Elsa also earned a Certified Associate in Project Management (CAPM).

As a Research Fellow for the Arkansas Center for Research in Economics (ACRE) for two years, she published a refereed journal article about occupational licensing requirements and its effect on workers during the Great Recession; published an Op-ed about Pennsylvania’s licensing requirements, which was noticed by their Governor’s office; ˛ą˛Ô»ĺĚýpresented her studies at the International Academy of Business Disciplines conference. She also earned a Mainframe Apprenticeship at in summer 2020.

She served as President of Team Global at UCA ˛ą˛Ô»ĺĚýwas selected to represent the College at recruiting and accreditation events during her senior year.

Elsa will begin a Master of Science in Business Analytics at William & Mary on a merit-based scholarship starting in the fall.
ACCOUNTING
OUTSTANDING MASTER OF ACCOUNTANCY STUDENT: DEVIN GILBERT

Devin Gilbert completed his BBA in Accounting at UCA and did two internships. He is currently a Graduate Assistant and tutors students in our “Principles of Accounting” and “Intermediate Accounting” courses. Devin has proven to be cool under pressure.

After graduation with his Master of Accountancy (MAcc), Devin is going to work for , the largest accounting firm in the world.
OUTSTANDING ACCOUNTING STUDENT: CLAIRE DeBUSK

Claire DeBusk just completed her BBA and is starting the UCA Master of Accountancy program this summer. While she was an undergraduate, she did five internships, served as an officer of Beta Alpha Psi, placed second with her team for Best Practices in Investing in Yourself, and was involved in service opportunities in Conway and overseas.
ECONOMICS, FINANCE, AND INSURANCE & RISK MANAGEMENT
OUTSTANDING ECONOMICS STUDENT: ELSA MATTSON

A triple major with a 3.95 GPA, Elsa Mattson earned a BBA in Economics with International Trade Concentration, a BBA in Management Information Systems with a Business Analysis Concentration, and a Bachelor of Arts in Chinese. Elsa also earned a Certified Associate in Project Management (CAPM). She served as President of Team Global at UCA and a Research Fellow for ACRE, earned a Mainframe Apprenticeship at in summer 2020, and was selected to represent the College at recruiting and accreditation events during her senior year. Elsa will begin a Master of Science in Business Analytics at William & Mary on a merit-based scholarship starting in the fall.
OUTSTANDING FINANCE STUDENT: DARYL ADOPO

Daryl achieved a 4.0 GPA, majoring in Finance with a minor in Honors Interdisciplinary Studies. While at UCA, he co-authored a paper with Dr. Chen and presented it at the 2021 International Academy of Business Disciplines conference; worked as a Life Peer Coach for Housing and Residence Life; and volunteered for several organizations and events, including the Big Event, Team Global and others. Daryl would like to pursue an MBA in Finance and earn a Data Analytics Graduate Certificate or a Masters of Science in Business Analytics, after which he may then work toward a Doctorate.  He wants to eventually work as a financial analyst at the African Bank of Development.
OUTSTANDING INSURANCE & RISK MANAGEMENT STUDENT: BETHANY ARNOLD

Bethany is a first-generation student completing a BBAĚýľ±n Insurance and Risk Management with expected graduation in December 2021. She is the Vice President of Gamma Iota Sigma and currently an intern at while maintaining a 3.82 GPA. She plans to begin her career in the insurance industry after graduation.
MANAGEMENT INFORMATION SYSTEMS
OUTSTANDING GENERAL BUSINESS STUDENT: ASHLEY PHIPPS

Ashley Phipps is a non-traditional student who completed her BBA in General Business completely online while raising two boys under the age of five. She graduated in May 2021 with a 3.36 GPA. She plans to begin a career in banking.
OUTSTANDING MANAGEMENT INFORMATION SYSTEMS STUDENT: KAYLA DEAN

In May 2021, Kayla Dean completed her BBA in Management Information Systems with a Programmer/Analyst Concentration. She finished with a 3.94 GPA and earned a MainframeĚýľ±nternship at in summer 2020. Kayla also was active in volunteer work serving in the AmeriCorps Urban Safety Program from fall 2018 to spring 2019, as a UCA Peer Coach from fall 2018 until graduation, and as an AmeriCorps BearsServe Member at the UCA Food pantry from fall 2020 to spring 2021.
OUTSTANDING INFORMATION SYSTEMS STUDENT: ROHAN SAXENA

Rohan Saxena graduated with a 3.49 GPA in May 2021, earning a BS in Information Systems with a Computer Science minor. He stayed busy during his UCA undergraduate career by studying abroad at The Hague University, earning an internship at , serving as Housing & Food Services Committee Chairman for the UCA Student Government Association, and working at UCA International Engagement and the Department of Biology. Rohan has accepted a job as Tableau Administrator at , a Silicon Valley luxury electric car company.
MARKETING & MANAGEMENT
OUTSTANDING INNOVATION & ENTREPRENEURSHIP STUDENT: LOGAN TRIBBLE

Logan Tribble is working toward his BBA in Innovation & Entrepreneurship. He is not only a great student in the classroom but also an active participant in the activities of our partner, , and the activities of the “Central Arkansas Entrepreneurial Ecosystem.”
OUTSTANDING LOGISTICS & SUPPLY CHAIN MANAGEMENT STUDENT: JACK BORNHOFT

Jack Bornhoft, the Outstanding Logistics & Supply Chain Management student, has a 3.83 GPA, is the student representative on the board of the , and completed an internship with .
OUTSTANDING MANAGEMENT STUDENT: LUCAS SOUTHARD

Lucas Southard has 3.84 GPA as he works toward a BBA in Management with a concentration in Human Resources Management.
OUTSTANDING MARKETING STUDENT: LAURA LANE & EMMA McKNIGHT

This year we have two winners for the BBA in Marketing. Both Laura Lane and Emma McKnight are outstanding students in the classroom earning GPAs of better than 3.8, and both have demonstrated tremendous potential to achieve success in their chosen field of marketing.
OUTSTANDING MASTER OF BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION STUDENT: BRANDON SCOTT PHIPPS

Brandon Scott Phipps is the Outstanding Student of the Master of Business Administration (MBA) program. Phipps received his undergraduate degree in Computer Science from UCA and has excelled in the MBA program. In addition to being a veteran, Brandon is launching a new Homewell Health Services franchise in Conway with the help of College of Business Professor Dr. Jeff Standridge.  Phipps was also recently named a member of the new class for the .
ABOUT THE COLLEGE OF BUSINESS

The UCA College of Business includes:

The goal of the UCA College of BusinessĚýľ±s to provide a hands-on, experience driven, education that prepares graduates to take on global issues. Through our diverse programs of study and distinguished faculty and staff, we take creative, engaged students and give them the tools to succeed when they earn their degrees. Our students travel the world, start their own innovative businesses, and join established businesses across the country.  Whatever their next step, our students are ready to make a positive impact.

Learn more about our programs of study and distinguished faculty and staff.

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