Why Students Choose the Rollins College of Business at UTC
UTC’s Gary W. Rollins College of Business offers students innovative instruction and real-world experience in a scenic setting.
Sponsored by: UTC Gary W. Rollins College of Business
The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga’s Gary W. Rollins College of Business offers undergraduate and graduate students the opportunity to receive innovative academic instruction and real-world experience, while they make connections to the region’s business community.
Surrounded by mountains and the Tennessee River, Chattanooga is known as the Scenic City and was twice named “Best Town Ever” by Outside magazine. The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga’s downtown campus offers more than 300 acres of lush green space and a wealth of amenities, including a state-of-the-art library, modern residence halls and more — all within walking distance of restaurants, shops and parks. Chattanooga is nationally recognized as an outdoor recreation hub where students can bike, hike, climb and paddle just a few minutes from campus.
Chattanooga is also a vibrant Southeastern business hub. Not only is the city home to a number of national and international companies, it also boasts a thriving entrepreneurial community with more than 250 companies in the region. Chattanooga is centrally located just a few hours from Atlanta, Nashville, Knoxville and Birmingham.
The best of both these worlds — the work and the play — is available to students at UTC’s Rollins College of Business. With approximately 2,300 majors spanning nine undergraduate programs, three graduate degree programs and six minors, this AACSB-accredited program helps business students gain knowledge and insight and produces more than 550 career-ready graduates each year.
“Our vibrant downtown coupled with the outdoor beauty of our location has such great appeal to students,” says Robert Dooley, Dean of the UTC Gary W. Rollins College of Business. “Once they’re here, we provide students with the tools and support they need to launch and grow successful careers.”
The Rollins College of Business was named in 2018 thanks to a $40 million gift from Gary W. Rollins and Kathleen Rollins. Mr. Rollins, a 1967 UTC graduate of the school, is the Chairman of the Board of Rollins, Inc., a New York Stock Exchange corporation with numerous holdings including Orkin, the world’s largest pest control company.
UTC’s Rollins College of Business has close connections with the business and entrepreneurial communities throughout the Chattanooga region and those connections provide real-world opportunities for students.
“The city is an extension of the classroom for our students,” Dooley says. “We have students going out into the business community through job shadowing, externships and internships. These experiences help them apply what they learn in the classroom in a real-world setting. We also have businesspeople coming into the college for networking events, resume reviews, in-class presentations and more.”
UTC is part of the state’s UT System and has around 11,300 students, an average faculty to student ratio of 18:1 and 83% of first-year students receiving financial aid or scholarships.
“We have a lot of big-university amenities, but our students get personalized attention,” Dooley says. “We don’t have teaching assistants. Our students work directly with the faculty, and our faculty are very invested in the success of our students.”
Undergraduate Programs
The Rollins College of Business offers a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration degree through nine undergraduate programs: accounting, business analytics, economics entrepreneurship, finance (business), finance (investments), human resource management, marketing and management. The college also offers a 100% online undergraduate degree in management.
Some other highlights for undergraduate students include:
The Joseph F. Decosimo Success Center: This is a one-stop location for advising, career development and other learning opportunities for all undergraduate business students. The Decosimo Success Center works to engage students through academic advisement, placement in internships and jobs, career-development skills, networking opportunities and guest speakers.
The Bloomberg Lab: Provides students hands-on knowledge of real-time trading with a live stock ticker, CNN market feeds and multiple Bloomberg terminals. All Rollins College of Business majors can become Bloomberg-certified through this program.
The Rollins Scholars Program: Offers high-performing students the opportunity to be leaders and scholars both in and out of the classroom. Rollins Scholars receive financial support, attend core classes together, live in the same residence hall and participate in enhanced educational experiences outside the classroom.
The Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship: This facility bridges the UTC campus and Chattanooga’s Innovation District and is designed to foster creativity, collaboration and innovation. The center supports the entrepreneurial community through pitch competitions, a commercialization program and community events.
Master’s Programs
The Rollins College of Business offers three master’s programs in accountancy, business administration and data analytics. The master of accountancy program is 100% online, while the master of business administration and master of data analytics are flexible programs that can be completed 100% online or as a combination of on-campus and online classes. These formats allow graduate students to balance personal, professional and academic commitments.
- Both the flexible and the 100% online Master of Business Administration programs offer a general MBA option or concentrations in accounting, analytics, finance and health care administration.
- The Master of Science in Data Analytics program is an example of the collaboration that exists at UTC to provide cutting-edge instruction for students. Offered in conjunction with the College of Computer Science and Engineering, the MSDA also has an Advisory Board that includes leaders from some of the region’s largest companies and provides program participants with hands-on learning opportunities such as internships, networking, and projects.
- The Master of Accountancy Program allows students to explore current and emerging issues in the accounting profession while preparing them for the CPA exam.
