Business Department
Why Study Business at UNC Asheville?
Earn a Bachelor of Science in Business from the University of North Carolina Asheville and prepare for a successful career in finance, management, global business, marketing, entrepreneurship, and beyond. Students can also explore business-related minors to complement other fields of study, or enroll in individual courses as non-degree seeking students to pursue professional development or earn certificates. With flexible options and a strong liberal arts foundation, UNC Asheville’s Business program empowers students at every stage of their educational journey.
Business Department Programs
Accounting
B.S. Minor
Through a comprehensive curriculum with built-in hands-on learning, you’ll be prepared to become a thoughtful leader and effective decision-maker in the field of accounting.
Business
B.S. Minor
Earn a Bachelor of Science in Business from the University of North Carolina Asheville and prepare for a successful career in finance, management, global business, marketing, entrepreneurship, and beyond.
Career Outcomes
Career Outcomes
With a degree from UNC Asheville, you can pursue a variety of careers that require skills in financial literacy, management, communication, and problem-solving. Our breadth of courses, combined with experiential learning opportunities, equips students with the competency to become effective leaders in their chosen fields.
Business Internships
Business Internships
Every student in the business program at UNC Asheville completes a project-based internship with a regional or national organization, gaining hands-on experience in designing and implementing real-world solutions. These internships provide valuable insight into the innovation process and prepare students for the dynamic challenges of today’s workforce.
Outside the Classroom
Outside the Classroom
Study Abroad
With options to study abroad during the summer, a semester, or an entire academic year, UNC Asheville students have abundant opportunities to connect with peers around the world. As a partner institution to numerous colleges and universities across the globe, we empower students to build meaningful international relationships and broaden their global perspectives.
Scholarships
Scholarships
We offer a range of need-based and merit scholarships in the Department of Business to support students in achieving their academic goals. Scholarships are awarded each spring for the following academic year.
I am grateful for the education and level of care I received from professors in the Business Department at UNC Asheville. The professors consistently went above and beyond to help me in my undergraduate experience, staying late to answer all of my meticulous questions, writing recommendations, and even helping me with my grandparent’s taxes. The tight-knit community and close relationships I had with my professors made them more than instructors. They were role models.
Business Department Faculty
At UNC Asheville, business faculty are more than educators—they're mentors, researchers, and community partners. Through hands-on teaching, applied scholarship, and service that extends beyond campus, business department faculty lead by example, helping students develop into thoughtful professionals ready to make a difference in the workplace and their communities.
Leah Greden Mathews, Ph.D.
Chair and Professor, Department of Economics Chair, Department of Business
Office: 147 Karpen Hall
Phone: 251-6551
Email: lmathews@unca.edu
Joanne Creech
Administrative Assistant
Office: 118 Delany Hall
Phone: 251-6554
Email: jcreech@unca.edu
Susan Clark, Ph.D.
Associate Professor of Business
Office: 128 Delany Hall
Phone: 216-5011
Email: smuntean@unca.edu
Office Hours
- Thursday 12:00 pm – 1:00 pm
Ebenezer Nana Banyin Harrison, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor of Business
Office: 125 Delany Hall
Phone: 251-6855
Email: nharris5@unca.edu
Office Hours
- Tuesday 1:00 pm – 2:00 pm
- Thursday 1:00 pm – 2:00 pm
Elizabeth Harvey, JD
Associate Chair, Lecturer of Business
Office: 111 Delany Hall
Phone: 251-6850
Email: eharvey1@unca.edu
Office Hours
- Monday 12:30 pm – 1:30 pm
- Thursday 3:15 pm – 5:00 pm
- Virtual: email for link
Carol Hughes
Lecturer of Accounting
Office: 126 Delany Hall
Phone: 6286
Email: chughes@unca.edu
Office Hours
- Monday 4:00 pm – 5:30 pm
- Wednesday 4:00 pm – 5:30 pm
- Friday 11:00 am – 12:30 pm
Jeff Shields, Ph.D.
Associate Professor of Accounting
Office: 114 Delany Hall
Phone: 251-6843
Email: jshields@unca.edu
Office Hours
- Monday 2:00 pm – 4:00 pm
- Wednesday 2:00 pm – 4:00 pm
Ramin Vandaie, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor of Business - Strategy
Office: 116 Delany Hall
Phone: 251-6846
Email: rvandaie@unca.edu
Office Hours
- Monday 9:00 am – 9:30 am
- Wednesday 9:00 am – 9:30 am
- Friday 9:00 am – 9:30 am
Drake Thomas
Lecturer of Business
Office: 113 Delany Hall
Phone: 284-9200
Email: dthomas2@unca.edu
Office Hours
- Monday 8:30 am – 9:30 am
- Tuesday 9:30 am – 12:30 pm
- Wednesday 8:30 am – 9:30 am
Crissa Sinkovic
Adjunct of Business, Director of University Marketing
112 Delany Hall
Phone: (828) 251-6526
Email: csinkovic@unca.edu
Brad Bilsky, D.B.A
Assistant Professor of Accounting
127 Delany Hall
Phone:
Email: bbilsky@unca.edu
Office Hours:
Monday 2:00 pm – 3:00 pm
Wednesday 2:00 pm – 3:00 pm
Friday 2:00 pm – 3:00 pm
Note: And by appointment
Derek Hoffman
Adjunct Professor, Entrepreneurship
120 Delaney Hall
Phone:
Email: dhoffman@unca.edu
I’m a father, husband, and entrepreneur who has called Asheville, North Carolina home for over 17 years. My professional journey has been shaped by curiosity, experimentation, and learning through experience. After college, I helped launch a fast-casual burrito restaurant and later co-founded a record label in New York City, early ventures that taught me the realities of building something from the ground up. I then gained valuable perspective within a large corporate environment before embarking on a 15-year entrepreneurial journey as a co-founder of a successful digital publishing venture that achieved a top-50 website traffic ranking in the United States. Today, I am a
limited partner at Range Ventures, where I invest in innovative, early-stage technology startups.
Community service has been a central part of my life and work. For more than a decade, I’ve mentored student-athletes through the UNC Asheville Leaders for Leaders program and currently serve on the Hanger Hall School Board of Directors. I also co- founded a nonprofit supporting families of pediatric cancer patients and served on its board for ten years. In addition, I’m a certified 200-hour yoga teacher with a deep passion for holistic well-being, personal growth, and the transformative benefits of the practice.
I hold a BA from the University of Michigan and studied abroad at the University of Melbourne in Australia. Outside of work, I love spending time with my family, cooking, watching basketball, walking my dog, enjoying live music, playing sports, and traveling the world whenever possible.
Ready for what's next?
Earn a Bachelor of Science in Business from the University of North Carolina Asheville and prepare for a successful career in finance, management, global business, marketing, entrepreneurship, and beyond