based in Troy
, Michigan
, "offering a broad range of business and related technology degree programs, the college grants degrees at the bachelor's, master's, and doctoral levels that are responsive to student, employer, and community needs."
Founded in 1922, Walsh College offers upper-division undergraduate and graduate business and technology degrees and certificate programs at locations in Troy, Novi, Harper Woods, Clinton Township, and Port Huron, as well as online. "Walsh College is accredited by The Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools, the International Assembly for Collegiate Business Education (IACBE), and The Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs (ACBSP)."
History
The College began with the founding of the Walsh Institute of Accountancy and the introduction of the Pace Accounting Method, at the time an innovative way of teaching accounting. Mervyn B. Walsh, a certified public accountant, purchased a Pace & Pace franchise to offer the Pace Accounting Method exclusively in Detroit. He founded the Walsh Institute of Accountancy on July 7, 1922, and on September 18 of that year, 23 students were enrolled in the first Institute courses.When Mervyn Walsh retired in 1965, the State of Michigan had adopted a new bachelor’s degree requirement for candidates to sit for the Uniform Certified Public Accountant (CPA) Examination. At this time, Michigan’s community college system was developing and a pivotal decision was made to build upon, rather than compete with, the community colleges by becoming an upper-division college.
On December 31, 1968, Walsh Institute became an upper-division college offering a business education to juniors and seniors who had finished two years of college. The new Walsh College of Accountancy and Business Administration forged partnerships with Oakland and Macomb community colleges and in 1970 broke ground for a 10,000-square-foot building in the Michigan City of Troy, near both colleges. Community college partnerships continued to flourish over the next two decades, and business leaders were invited to teach and develop curriculum.
The College offered its first bachelor degrees, a Bachelor of Accountancy and Bachelor of Business Administration, in 1970. The first graduate degree, the Master of Science in Taxation, was offered in 1974. The following year, the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools (NCA) accredited Walsh College. Over the next several years, Walsh introduced Master of Science degrees in Professional Accountancy (1980), Finance (1986), and Management (1989). During the 1990s, the College continued to enlarge its facilities, offer classes at other locations in metropolitan Detroit, and introduce new degrees and online technology. The Master of Science in Information Management and Communication (MSIMC) degree was introduced in 1996.
In 1998, a western campus was built and opened in Novi, Michigan, and the Master of Business Administration (MBA) degree was introduced. The first online courses were offered in 1998.
In 2001, the NCA granted Walsh approval to offer full online degree programs and provided the College with a full ten-year extension on its accreditation. The first fully online degree, the Master of Science in Information Assurance, was offered in 2005. Walsh information assurance curriculum maps to industry standards and National Security Agency and the Department of Homeland Security specifications. Since 2003, these agencies have renewed the College’s designation as a U.S. Center of Academic Excellence for Information Assurance Education.
In 2006, the NCA gave the College approval to offer its first doctoral degree, the Doctor of Management (DM) in Executive Leadership. In the fall of 2007, the first student cohort entered the program.
The College also received national recognition in April 2010 for a major grant to promote entrepreneurship among students and alumni. The Blackstone Charitable Foundation of New York announced that it had selected Walsh College and Detroit’s Wayne State University to share a $2 million grant to initiate Blackstone LaunchPad.
Facts
Walsh College is:
- Southeast Michigan’s only freestanding, upper-division all-business college.
- One of Michigan’s largest graduate business schools.
- A provider of high-quality programs in accounting, finance, information technology and assurance, management and leadership, marketing, and taxation.
- One of the area’s first colleges to cater primarily to working adults. More than 90 percent of Walsh on-ground courses are offered in the evenings and on weekends.
- Attended by undergraduate students whose average age is 30 and by graduate students whose average age is 34.
- One of the first institutions to establish transfer articulation agreements with area community colleges.
- Eighty-seven percent of Walsh undergraduates transfer from a community college, completing a bachelor’s degree in an efficient and cost-effective way. Walsh requires a minimum of 60 semester credit hours (30 of which must be in liberal arts) from all entering undergraduate students.
- Meeting market demand by offering approximately 42 percent of all course credit hours online.
- Accredited by the Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs (ACBSP) and the International Assembly for Collegiate Business Education (IACBE).
- Investing its intellectual capital back into the local community: 84 percent of its 22,000 alumni work or own businesses in southeast Michigan.
- Reaching out to Michigan’s workers in transition by offering free “Take Charge” skill-building workshops. Since January 2009, more than 2,000 people attended 95 free workshops and classes.
- Well-respected by employers. During the 2009-10 academic year, 900 companies recruited at Walsh College. Students and alumni could access more than 1,800 job opportunities posted through Career Services.
- Committed to green design and building practices. In June 2010, the U.S. Green Building Council certified the Troy campus Jeffery W. Barry Center to the LEED Gold Level. The building is named for the late Jeffery W. Barry, the third president of Walsh College (1970-1991).
- Capturing several advertising industry awards for its “Live. Breathe. Business.” campaign.
- Named a Crain’s Detroit Business “Cool Place to Work” for each of the years the award was given.
- Using Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter to connect with students and its community as part of its mission to model the global business environment.
Campus Locations
The college currently has 2 main campuses and offers classes at three other university center locations, plus online. . The main campusis located in Troy, MI. This campus has undergone an expansion which was open for the Winter 2008 semester. The second campus is located in Novi, MI. Classes are also offered in Clinton Township, Michigan
at the University Center at Macomb Community College
, in Harper Woods, Michigan at the University Square location of Wayne County Community College District, and in Port Huron at the University Center at St. Clair County Community College.
Walsh College is accredited by The Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools, the International Assembly for Collegiate Business Education (IACBE), and The Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs.
Academic Profile
Average Class Size | 21 |
Full-time Faculty | 21 |
Adjunct Faculty Teaching Each Semester | 113 Average |
11-week semesters (not quarters) | 4 |
Undergraduate Degrees | 3 |
Graduate Degrees | 9 (includes doctoral degree) |
For-Credit Certificate Programs | 11 |
Non-Credit Certificate Programs | 1 |
Undergraduate Degrees
Bachelor of Accountancy (BAcct)
Bachelor of Business Administration (B.B.A.)
Bachelor of Science in Business Information Systems (BSBIS)
Graduate Degrees
Master of Science in Taxation (MST)
Master of Science in Accountancy (MAC)
Master of Science in Finance (MSF)
Master of Business Administration (MBA)
Master of Science in Information Systems (MSIS)
Master of Science in Information Assurance (MSIA)
Doctor of Management (DM) in Executive Leadership
Dual Master of Business Administration/Master
of Science in Finance (Dual MBA/MSF)
Master of Management (MM)
The Higher Learning Commission, A Commission of the
North Central Association of Colleges and Schools, renewed Walsh College’s
accreditation through 2020.
Accreditation by the Accreditation Council for
Business Schools
and Programs (ACBSP)
Walsh College received ACBSP accreditation in June of 2010.
The ACBSP, which has been accrediting business schools since the mid-1980s, is a
leading specialized accreditation association for business education and
business programs that emphasize teaching as a primary component of their
missions. ACBSP acknowledges the importance of scholarly research and believes
that such activities facilitate improved teaching.
Accreditation by the International Assembly for
Collegiate Business Education (IABCE)
Walsh College received IACBE accreditation in August
of 2008. The International Assembly for Collegiate Business Education accredits business programs at the
undergraduate and graduate levels. Applying for IACBE specialized business
program accreditation is voluntary.
Student Life
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Notable Graduates
- Patrick Campbell, retired Chief Financial Officer and senior vice president, 3M
- Margaret Kelly, CEO, REMAX
- Laura Soave, head of Fiat Brand, North America Chrysler Group LLC
- Kevin Murphy, Manager of Accounting and Finance, Volt Workforce Solutions