Start-up your future.

Are you a purpose-driven independent thinker? A problem-solver? Do you have a passion for finding and building constructive ways to make a difference? If so, consider the entrepreneurship major in the UAB Barefield Entrepreneurship Program. Our students learn how the functional areas of business interact and merge with one another in the context of an entrepreneurial venture or project.

Our innovative and relevant curriculum is based on how entrepreneurial ventures emerge, grow, and perform. Courses emphasize the organic and cross-functional nature of entrepreneurial operations, the radical uncertainties of entrepreneurial environments, how to find and raise resources, and the universe of human capital that drives entrepreneurs. We offer an unmatched blend of theory-based learning and outreach-based practice through our strategic alliance with Innovation Depot opens a new website, Birmingham's flagship co-working hub.

[00:00] My name is Evan Gove. I'm majoring in entrepreneurship. So from a young age, I knew that I wasn't really cut out to fit into a classic corporate culture. I really don't like rules that much and I really don't like a lot of structure. So it put me in this unique position where I had to find something that I was uniquely qualified for, but also had the flexibility I was looking for. 

[00:26] So probably one of the biggest struggles I've faced in my entire life so far is deciding if I should go to college and find a job that I might not like, or if I should go ahead and go straight into being an entrepreneur and starting my own business. It wasn't until recently that I really made a decision to commit to college because of this entrepreneurship program here at UAB. 

[00:50] So the thing that really surprised me was when I heard the entrepreneurship major was coming, that came with an endowed chair, Dr. Murphy, which is a huge deal. For those that don't know what an endowed chair can do, it's the cream of the crop. It's the best you can get. The faculty themselves, the faculty that's here is really second to none. There's such a wide range of experiences. They come from all backgrounds and they really understand what an entrepreneur needs to succeed. 

[01:19] So Birmingham is really unique and it has one of the nation's largest incubators, Innovation Depot. It's also the largest in the Southeast for tech startups. We've actually had the opportunity through the program, through the ENT major program, to work with the clients directly out of Innovation Depot. Just to describe what that means to an entrepreneur like myself, it's very inspirational. We get to see so many entrepreneurs coming from so many different backgrounds, working on so many different companies. It really helped me get really well connected with them to learn from them. 

[01:52] So getting connected as an entrepreneur is huge because those connections can bring you knowledge, they can bring you business. I think that's why Birmingham and UAB is possibly the best entrepreneurial environment that I could be in at this point my life because we have programs like gatherings every Wednesday at noon where entrepreneurs come from far and wide. We've had entrepreneurs from out of state come over just to visit with us as students, and they don't see us as students, they see us as fellow entrepreneurs. Which is really important because it's not about students, it's not about entrepreneurs, it's about helping students understand what entrepreneurship is all about and helping them grow.

[02:30] I think the traditional idea about getting an education is getting a degree to get that piece of paper. So now you can go do a job. Well, as an entrepreneur, that's not what I need. The program gives me exactly what I need. That is the knowledge, the tools, the connections and the mindset that it takes to be an entrepreneur. Having the right mindset is probably the most important thing that you can get from a degree in entrepreneurship. It teaches you how to commit and be okay with uncertainty. It teaches you how to understand risk and weigh it against the uncertainty. Ultimately, it teaches you how to understand what failure is and understand how to learn from it so that you are truly a successful entrepreneur. 

[03:09] My ultimate goal for myself and as an entrepreneur is to reach my fullest potential so that I have the opportunity to give back, and the way I want to give back is by helping others understand and achieve their fullest potentials.

Entrepreneurial ventures – both standalone businesses and subsidiaries of larger companies – are a principal job creator and innovative economic driver for Alabama and the nation. A BS in Entrepreneurship degree from UAB helps prepare individuals to step into related roles and immediately start contributing.

• Title: Entrepreneurship program opens new space, Link: https://www.uab.edu/business/home/collat-news/barefield-entrepreneurship-program-opens-new-space, Image:
• Title: UAB Barefield Entrepreneurship Program's first alumni define success, Link: https://alumni.uab.edu/s/1881/alumni19/interior.aspx?sid=1881&gid=2&pgid=3089&cid=7261&ecid=7261&crid=0&calpgid=2999&calcid=7099, Image:
• Title: Collat students find perfect internships through UAB’s ASBA Project, Link: https://www.uab.edu/business/home/collat-news/collat-students-find-perfect-internships-through-uab%E2%80%99s-asba-project, Image:

A big-picture program for big-picture thinkers.

While other majors look at specifics, economics is all about the big picture. Economics impacts every area of our lives and addresses the collective behaviors of businesses, industries, governments, international relations, and the world as a whole.   

Our economics degree is an excellent starting point for anyone interested in the complex study of how businesses and governments balance resources in relation to human capital, land/property, income, investments, taxes, and expenditures. The economics major is designed to provide students with a solid grounding in economic analysis and quantitative decision-making skills that allow students to follow various career paths in business and government.

[00:00]  My name is Rebecca Slowinski, and I'm double majoring in math and economics. So I took an economics class just to get an elective out of the way. And looking at the research and talking to my professor about that class I realized how cool the practical application of math it was. 

[00:17]  I started thinking about majoring in it and realized that it fit so well with the math major, I just decided to go for it and do the double major. And it's been one of the best decisions I've made in college. As soon as I became an economics major, I knew research was something that I was interested in.

[00:32] So I asked one of my professors if I could do an independent study for econometrics which is basically the research methods that you use in economics. I just love being able to like figure these things out on my own and then go to my professor with question and really feel like I was ironing out the issues and understanding what I was doing, but going at my own pace.

[00:50] One of the best things I think about the economics major is the faculty that they have. When there are times that I'm completely lost and feel like my future is hopeless, I can just go to their office. Their door is always open, they will sit down and talk with me for hours and just encourage me and get me through it. 

[01:08] So I'm actually working with Collat Tutoring Lab now. And it's actually a resource that provides free tutoring to students. And it's just a walk-in service so they can come in and get tutoring in any of their business core classes that they'll be taking. I think another great asset to the business school is the advising</a> that we have.

[01:25] While my adviser has to advise probably 200 students, I never feel like she doesn't have time to sit down and help me. Being able to have someone that I feel like is always there for me has been a really great resource for me. My ultimate goal is to get a PhD in economics and then go into academia where I can do research and teach other students economics.

Economists are hired by manufacturing companies, financial services, advertising agencies, research organizations, and consulting firms. Common job titles include market research analyst, economic consultant, actuary, policy analyst, business reporter, compensation, and benefits manager. Economics also provides an excellent foundation for law school and graduate school.

• Title: Collat students honor professors with teaching awards, Link: https://www.uab.edu/business/home/collat-news/collat-students-honor-professors-with-teaching-awards, Image:
• Title: Economics student balances classes, political website, Link: http://www.uab.edu/business/home/collat-news/economics-student-balances-classes,-political-website, Image:
• Title: Collat student earns acceptance into summer institute for expanding diversity in economics, Link: https://www.uab.edu/news/people/item/13606-uab-business-student-earns-acceptance-into-summer-institute-for-expanding-diversity-in-economics, Image:

• Name: Kayla Gonzalez, Testimonial: I chose to major in accounting because numbers and business have always fascinated me. When I researched the accounting field, I found there is an abundance of jobs and opportunities to advance your career. Accounting is also a great personal investment because we all deal with our own personal finances. What I have learned in this major will never cease to be valuable to me.
• Name: Doreen Agyin-Birikorang, Testimonial: I chose to study accounting at UAB because I wanted to become fluent in the language of business to better equip my community with the tools to prosper economically. The Collat School of Business has provided me with countless support and opportunities to advance my accounting career and my commitment to service.
• Name: Drew Hollis, Testimonial: The reputation of the accounting program stood out to me. The faculty and staff are focused on preparing you for long-term success and a career in accounting.
• Name: Miles Alston, Testimonial: I chose accounting because of the various opportunities that are given to students to help in the accounting world. I also chose accounting because of how integrated UAB is in Birmingham, especially with the accounting firms in the area., Headshot:

Choose UAB, and make your degree count.

Accounting is the language of business, and employees who can produce and communicate relevant financial information are in high demand at companies across the globe. At UAB, our accounting major offers a high-quality, practice-oriented educational experience to students who know where they want to be. If you're an aspiring accountant seeking an innovative, technology-driven learning environment, then you're in the right place.

[00:17] My experience at UAB has been really great with the accounting program. Especially with the professors, when you have a really large school like UAB, to have a professor that knows your name. And is able to meet with you one-on-one and help you on things you don't understand in accounting has been a really great thing.

[00:31] Beta Alpha Psi has had a huge impact on my time as an accounting major. It's an honor organization not only for accounting, but there are finance and information systems majors. So I'm able to connect with a lot of different majors and learn a lot of different career options.

[00:45] I got my internship at PwC through Beta Alpha Psi. Our faculty advisor, he has really great relationships with a lot of different employers, including the big four accounting firms. And he was one of the main reasons I was able to recruit with PwC. I learned a lot at my internship, it was a really hands-on experience, I gained a lot of exposure to what it's like to work in auditing.

[01:04] And I got to apply a lot of what I learned in class to my internship. All the support from our local business communities and alumni provide us with so many networking opportunities and scholarships. Which really benefit us, because having these opportunities is so important for us to start our careers, and be successful.

[01:21] One of the awesome things about Beta Alpha Psi is that we host our own accounting career fair, called Meet the Firms. Where about 20 and 25-ish accounting firms come and they network with accounting students. It was definitely an important step in recruiting and really helped me get my foot in the door.

[01:37] Having UAB located in the city is a really great advantage for students. Especially because employers can come to our student organization meetings and meet students and network with them. So when I was looking at colleges, I wasn't sure where I wanted to go. I went to a lot of different campus tours, and when I went on the tour, I just really fell in love with the campus.

[01:57] I could tell that the business school really wanted to have each student have a unique experience. Ever since I chose UAB, I feel like it's everything I thought it was going to be. My ultimate goal after I leave UAB is to be a CPA and work in auditing. My internship really helped me see that I wanted to work at a big four accounting firm. And I'm really excited to start at PwC and see where my career goes from here.

A BS in Accounting can lead to a wide variety of career choices in business, finance, insurance, investing, tax, or auditing. Because of their extensive knowledge of business activities, accountants have the flexibility and knowledge for branching out into management and entrepreneurial roles.

Due to the complexity of technical changes in the business world, accounting professionals' expertise is needed now more than ever. Accountants are able to specialize as a Certified Public Accountant (CPA), a Certified Management Accountant (CMA), a Certified Internal Auditor (CIA), a Certified Fraud Examiner (CFE), and/or a Certified Financial Planner (CFP). These are just of few of the many certifications available in the field of accounting. 

• Title: Beta Alpha Psi appoints Collat alumnae to task force, Link: https://www.uab.edu/business/home/collat-news/beta-alpha-psi-appoints-collat-alumna-to-taskforce, Image:
• Title: Alumni Profile: Emily Pruett, Link: http://www.uab.edu/business/home/collat-news/alumni-profile-emily-pruett, Image:
• Title: Collat student named PCAOB Scholar, Link: https://www.uab.edu/business/home/collat-news/collat-student-named-pcaob-scholar, Image: