Major in Business
Choose your specialty • Impact your community
John Brown University
2000 W. University St.,
Siloam Springs, AR 72761
479-524-9500
jbuinfo@jbu.edu
What are you looking for?
Choose your specialty • Impact your community
If you are unsure which area of business you are interested in, the general business major gives you the opportunity to explore all of them. You can then decide to stay in general business or choose from one of our 10 specific majors in the Soderquist College of Business.
Start your applicationThe business department at JBU offers 10 unique majors that can be combined with other programs to develop marketable skills. Many of our students double major in various combinations.
Group projects are popular in JBU's business program because they allow you to work with many different people. Through this, you will realize your strengths, improve your weaknesses, and gain experience working with people that learn and think differently than yourself.
The knowledge and processes you learn in business classes can be used in your personal life, starting your own business, or working in the corporate world.
At JBU, you will learn how to write successful marketing plans, develop important financial statements, and approach business in a way that honors God, serves others and impacts the world.
Through student organizations, your classes and the professors you encounter, you will have a chance to meet innovative people who are dedicated to transforming business.
Students majoring in other fields can bring unique skills to business courses when they minor in business and can learn valuable skills that will help them in their major field.
Accounting equips students with the skills they need to succeed by teaching them how to help an organization understand its financial standing and advise the organization on achieving financial goals.
The top companies in the world use data to make decisions every day. In JBU’s data analytics program, students will learn the skills to research, analyze and present information to impact those decisions.
Economics equips students with a broad understanding of how resources are used to produce the goods and services we purchase and the major impact this has on society.
Entrepreneurship & innovation students will practice identifying opportunities, designing models, creating prototypes, and pitching ideas to customers so that they can succeed in the fast-paced world of entrepreneurship.
The finance program teaches students to be strategic problem-solvers who can communicate clearly. With financial management, financial planning, and portfolio analysis skills, you'll be prepared to get the certifications you'll need for numerous career path options.
IMC students will learn a unique combination of marketing, communications, graphic design, and data analytics. They will learn to create a cohesive message that resonates with consumers, drive effective ad campaigns, and measure effectiveness.
International business equips students with the skills to succeed in international and multicultural business contexts while developing a global perspective.
In the management program, students learn from experienced and knowledgeable faculty about how to balance the "things of production" with the "humanity of production."
JBU's marketing program combines real-world experience with the study of contemporary marketing and retailing theory.
Dr. Joe Walenciak holds a Ph.D. in Strategic Management from the University of Arkansas and has been a member of the business faculty at John Brown University since 1982. During that time, he has taught business classes in the undergraduate, online and graduate programs. He has also chaired the undergraduate, graduate and online business programs and is currently serving as the Dean of the College of Business.
Professor of Business
JWalenci@jbu.edu
Dr. Joe Walenciak holds a Ph.D. in Strategic Management from the University of Arkansas and has been a member of the business faculty at John Brown University since 1982. During that time, he has taught business classes in the undergraduate, online and graduate programs. He has also chaired the undergraduate, graduate and online business programs.
While at JBU, Dr. Walenciak has developed and led mission trips and studies programs in Guatemala, Mexico, Honduras, Jordan, China, Brazil, and several other countries. He has received recognitions as SIFE USA Sam Walton Fellow of the Year, SIFE USA Hall of Fame, CBFA Richard C. Chewing Award, Teacher of the Year, and Outstanding Alumnus. He has also been named Ambassador of the Peace of Guatemala by the Guatemalan Government on two separate occasions.
With interests in community development and business accreditation, Dr. Walenciak has held national leadership roles with the Christian Business Faculty Association and with the Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs.
Distinguished Professor of Business
Mr. Gerald Reimer teaches both graduate and undergraduate courses in accounting for the College of Business. He has a B.S. in Accounting from JBU, an M.B.A. from Washburn University in Kansas, and is also a licensed Certified Public Accountant in Arkansas.
Prior to teaching, Mr. Reimer spent 13 years in the professional world of accounting with over 11 of those years in public accounting at a national CPA firm in Kansas. His main focus was in leading audits and reviews for construction industry and financial institution clients. Then, Mr. Reimer made both a career and culture change by moving with his wife and two young daughters to Morocco to teach accounting at Al Akhawayn University in Ifrane, a university that follows the American system. He spent 11 years there on the business faculty and also coordinated the MBA program before leaving Morocco and coming full circle back to JBU in 2017, his alma mater. He enjoys bringing real-life experience in accounting and an international perspective into the classroom.
Associate Professor of Accounting
Dr. Melanie Peddicord holds MBA and DBA degrees from Anderson University in Indiana. She also holds a CPA license and has worked as a staff auditor for Ernst & Young LLP and as manager of financial reporting at The Finish Line, Inc.. Most recently, Dr. Peddicord served as an Associate Professor of Accounting and the Assistant Director of the DBA program at Anderson University. She and her husband, Todd, are the parents of three children.
Program Director, Online Undergraduate Business; Professor of Accounting
Dr. Ryan Ladner moved to Northwest Arkansas in 2015 to teach at JBU and lead the undergraduate department in the College of Business. In 2017, he transitioned from the department head for undergraduate studies to the department head for the Graduate Business Programs. He has a B.S.B.A., in Personal Financial Planning from The University of Southern Mississippi, an M.B.A., from Mississippi College, an M.A., in Theological Studies from Liberty University, and a D.B.A., in Marketing from George Fox University.
Before his role at JBU, Dr. Ladner was a District Sales Leader in the Frito-Lay division of PepsiCo North America. After leaving PepsiCo, he served in various roles in higher education including Director of Enrollment and Assistant Professor of Business at Bryan College and Assistant Professor of Marketing at Palm Beach Atlantic University.
Dr. Ladner teaches courses in strategy and marketing at the undergraduate and graduate levels and he conducts research as well as presents in the areas of active learning, college choice theory, team-based learning, and digital marketing. He also earned the online marketing certified associate designation and serves as the Director of Marketing for the Christian Business Faculty Association.
Dr. Ladner enjoys working out, playing sports and competing in intramurals. He is married and has two children – one boy and one girl. He and his family reside in Siloam Springs.
Vice President for Enrollment Management, Professor of Marketing
As a JBU alum, Dr. Sam Heinrich returned to JBU in 2014 to accept a position as Associate Professor of Business and Department Head for Online Undergraduate business programs. He now focuses solely on teaching traditional and graduate courses in the areas of Finance, Economics and Marketing. Along with a B.S. from JBU, Dr. Heinrich has an M.B.A. in Finance from the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs and a D.B.A. in Marketing from George Fox University.
Prior to coming to JBU, Dr. Heinrich spent 20 years in management and the financial services industry. He worked in commercial lending, as a banker, during the first half of his industry related career and then transitioned into the role of President for a medium-sized electric utility contracting firm. His industry experiences include leading and supporting small, mid and large business enterprises in private and public forums both as a banker/lender/consultant and in a management role.
In 2001, Dr. Heinrich left industry to pursue his passion for teaching. Initially, he taught in a private Christian high school and then moved into Christian higher education in 2007 where he’s able to bring his real-life experience in the business world into the classroom.
Professor of Finance & Economics
Dr. Brad Gatlin joined the faculty of John Brown University in 2016 as Associate Professor of Management. In 2023, he assumed the role of Dean of the Soderquist College of Business after serving as the Associate Dean and Department Chair for Undergraduate Business.
Prior to his move to Northwest Arkansas, Dr. Gatlin served at Bryan College in Tennessee, where he held positions as Assistant Professor and Associate Dean of Adult and Graduate Studies. He has a B.S. and MBA from Bryan College and a D.B.A. in Management from Anderson University (IN).
Dr. Gatlin teaches courses in the management department including strategic management, production and operations management, and project management. He holds certifications from the Project Management Institute and is a certified Scrum Master.
Dean of the College of Business; Professor of Business
Equip yourself for a successful career and a life of purpose.
John Brown University
2000 W. University St., Siloam Springs, AR 72761
479-524-9500 jbuinfo@jbu.edu
JBU does not unlawfully discriminate based on race, color, national or ethnic origin, sex, age, disability, marital status, military status, or age in the administration of its educational policies, admissions, financial aid, employment, educational programs, or activities.
John Brown University is a leading private Christian university, training students to honor God and serve others since 1919. Arkansas’ top-ranked university (The Wall Street Journal) and top-ranked regional university (U.S. News), JBU enrolls more than 2,200 students from 37 states and 42 countries in its traditional undergraduate, graduate, online and concurrent education programs. JBU offers more than 50 undergraduate majors, with top programs including nursing, psychology, construction management, graphic design, family and human services, and engineering. Eighteen graduate degrees are available in business, counseling, cybersecurity, and education.