The College of Business was established in 2007, based on demand from the University's relationships in the global market place.

Today the college is proud to offer an array of programs for undergraduate and graduate students. Courses are taught by experienced business leaders and learned scholars from around the world. The College provides students with an innovative and world-class learning experience.

Mission

The mission of the College of Business is to develop ethical leaders who think critically, communicate effectively, and promote socially responsible business practice that is grounded in Christian faith, and is innovative, and entrepreneurial in spirit. We strive to prepare students who positively impact the global society they serve through an academically rigorous and relevant business education.

Vision

We seek to be a globally recognized Christian-based business college that creates authentic, innovative leaders who transform the lives and organizations they serve.

Values

As part of a university that values Christian faith, the Individual, excellence, integrity and service, the College of Business at Concordia University Chicago values our Lutheran heritage of teaching excellence, leading by serving, innovative and entrepreneurial thinking, ethical decision making, intellectual and individual diversity, and sustaining a dynamic curriculum based on the needs of our students, community, and stakeholders.

Four Pillars of Knowledge

The College of Business Difference

Whether you are taking courses face-to-face or online, our business programs offer a competitive edge as you move forward in your career, both while you are pursuing your degree program and after completion. A distinguishing feature of our business programs is that the curriculum is built upon the Four Pillars of Knowledge: Ethics and Social Responsibility, Critical Thinking and Entrepreneurial Mindset, Communication and Human Relations, and Global Interconnectedness and Inclusiveness.

Ethics & Social Responsibility

We all can agree that acting ethically is important and that we all have a responsibility to society to act in its best interest. However, do we know…

  • What is the best way to create management systems to promote ethical and socially responsible behavior within organizations?
  • Do we know how to look at an ethical issue through a global perspective?

Learning how to recognize and resolve ethical issues is an important step in evaluating ethical issues in business and making informed and socially responsible decisions.

Our commitment to you:

The College of Business goes beyond offering one course in ethics, integrating ethics and social responsibility throughout our course work. This is a distinct advantage for our business students.

Business leaders must understand how the success of their organizations is inextricably linked with broader ethical and social issues, not only within their local community but also on a global scale.  

We prepare business students to serve and lead with integrity, demonstrating ethical and social responsibility to their community, organization, country and the planet.

Critical Thinking & Entrepreneurial Mindset

Do these words describe your entrepreneurial skills?

  • willingness to take risks
  • possessing a creative way of thinking
  • the ability to lead, understanding value creation
  • openness to diverse ways of thinking
  • the knowledge to critically evaluate opportunity
  • innovativeness

Our commitment to your future: 

At the College of Business, we believe it is vital that students possess the ability to develop an entrepreneurial mindset to solve business problems.

We believe that with a solid foundation of critical and creative thinking skills, students can learn to think entrepreneurially whether they plan to start their own business, work within a family owned business, or climb the corporate ladder.

The ability to think critically and creatively, in order evaluate opportunity, manage risk, and learn from outcomes is integral to sustaining success.

The themes of critical thinking and entrepreneurial mindset are threads within the curriculum that will help you develop a career advantage.  

Communication & Human Relations

The ability to communicate effectively is a hallmark of an effective leader. In all aspects of life, personal and professional, we interact with others. Business leaders and academics alike agree that one of the most frequently cited areas of weakness in managerial practice is in failing to understand the importance of managing human relations. when a human relations problem occurs in the workplace, you can be confident that miscommunication is involved. 

Within the business environment, more problems and conflicts emerge from the inability to communicate. Changes occur and no one takes the time to inform the stakeholders. 

Examples include:

  • Diversity is encouraged, but steps for communicating how to be inclusive are overlooked.
  • Teams are organized but divergent learning and communication styles are not considered. 
  • Multiple generations are working together, yet no consideration is given to differences in work styles and values. 
  • Organizations merge and cultures of each organization clash.

All of these problems can result in decreased morale, low employee retention and loss of productivity. The ability to communicate effectively can give you the competitive edge in your organization.

Throughout the business curriculum, students have opportunities to build their communication skills, learning what effective communication is, and how to maximize their communication style for their professional growth. 

Global Interconnectedness & Inclusiveness

At the College of Business, we believe that embracing diversity and promoting inclusivity in all forms supports good organizational practice and decision-making.

Our commitment to your future:

While global business is reflected in the curriculum, the diversity of our student body is a better representation of our understanding and commitment to global interconnectedness. With students from fourteen different countries, the College is a microcosm of the global marketplace.

While we are geographically located in River Forest, Illinois we are 10 miles from downtown Chicago, a diverse and multicultural business hub.

Our partnerships with academic institutions and multinational corporations across the globe extend our reach well beyond the borders of Chicago, the Midwest and the United States.

We are a local treasure with a 150-year-old history steeped in the tradition of Lutheran education that has emerged and is rapidly growing as a global educational provider preparing today’s leaders for the global marketplace.

College Newsletters

Check out the latest editions of the College of Business newsletters. 

January 2023 (PDF) *latest edition

August 2022 (PDF) 

April 2022 (PDF)

January 2022 (PDF) 

Undergraduate Core

Prepare for the demanding and changing world with a dynamic curriculum from CUC's College of Business.

See how the College of Business upgraded its core curriculum:

As we continue to add innovative programs, minors and specializations this Viewbook serves as a window to view our progress and growth.

There are special items to take note of as you peruse the Viewbook:

  • As part of the ACBSP accreditation and the University’s strategic planning process, we have adopted a college-specific Mission, Vision and Value statements.
  • As part of an academic program review, the college developed Four Pillars of Knowledge as guiding principles. From those principles flow the college’s overarching goals, along with MBA and undergraduate program outcomes.

Download College Viewbook

Concordia Business Group (C.B.G.) is a student run group that assists undergraduate students in their entrepreneurial ventures. C.B.G. enables students to build leadership skills, develop innovative ideas and strengthen confidence in American and global business.

Students can:

  • Learn about entrepreneurship and business start-ups
  • Explore potential career opportunities in business
  • Practice money management
  • Collaborate with students to create new business ideas
  • Develop personal and professional growth

Mission Statement

The C.B.G provides opportunities for undergraduate college students to develop business - career related pathways, both in terms of a professional careers and entrepreneurial opportunities.

  • Assist students in determining their career interests and goals
  • Develop proficient, creative, and ethical business leadership skills
  • Explore and pursue entrepreneurial opportunities
  • Strengthen appreciation and understanding of business in a global context

Our speaker series is aimed at integrating classroom activities and lessons with real time, world events and business practices. The focus is to enhance our student’s perspective of business in the world today. The impact of technology and the rate of change within business require the college to partner with Chicago-based corporations to provide key insights into current best practices.

Meet our faculty

Faculty

Lynn Hunnicutt

Dean of the College of Business

Faculty

Laura Pollom

Professor of Communication & Assistant Dean

Faculty

Rachel Ferguson

Professor of Business & Assistant Dean

Faculty

Claudia Santin

Professor of Leadership

Faculty

Karen Calendo

Assistant Professor of Accelerated Degree Programs

Faculty

Svetlana Mitereva

Associate Professor of Business

Faculty

Elisabeth Dellegrazie

Assistant Professor of Marketing and Leadership