Creating tomorrow's leaders today
Are you interested in the exciting and ever-evolving world of business and commerce? Are you curious about the how management, marketing, finance, human resources, technology, accounting, and economics fit together in the daily operations of a business? A bachelor’s degree in business prepares students for the workforce by providing the necessary business training and skills to be successful in any industry and role.
Bachelor of Science in Business
The Bachelor of Science in Business is a professional degree program designed to add valuable experience to a resume and a wealth of applicable skills for a range of workplaces. Students begin with a broad foundation in the functional areas of business before building on this foundation with a deeper investigation into key business areas. Finally, students focus their advanced coursework in an area of concentration that matches their career interests. During the program, students also take courses in the arts, sciences, and humanities as part of their general education requirements. The program includes opportunities for experiential learning and internships, as well as for career exploration and preparation.
CURRICULUM
Below is a summary of the courses typically taken by students to complete the Bachelor of Science in Business degree program. This should be used to provide an overview of the program rather than a complete list of requirements. To verify program requirements and establish a plan of study, please speak with an advisor in the School of Business and Economics. Additional information about our undergraduate programs can also be found in the latest University bulletin.
Number of credit hours varies, typically 30-34 credit hours.
The following Business Foundation courses (33 credit hours) provide students with an introduction to the key functional areas of Business:
- BUS-W 100 Business Administration Intro (3 cr.)
- ECON-E 111 U.S. Economic History (3 cr.)
- BUS-F 260 Personal Finance (3 cr.)
- ECON-E 201 Introduction to Microeconomics (3 cr.)
- ECON-E 202 Introduction to Macroeconomics (3 cr.)
- ECON-E 270 Introduction to Statistical Theory in Economics and Business (3 cr.)
- BUS-A 201 Introduction to Financial Accounting (3 cr.)
- BUS-A 202 Introduction to Managerial Accounting (3 cr.)
- BUS-K 221 Introduction to Information Systems for Business (3 cr.)
- BUS-L 201 Legal Environment of Business (3 cr.)
- BUS-X 255 Classroom to Career (variable topic) (3 cr.)
The following Business Core courses (35 credit hours) build off the Business Foundations courses to provide the student a deeper understanding in the core areas of Business:
Business Core Functional Skills:
- BUS-F 301 Financial Management (3 cr.)
- BUS-M 301 Marketing Management (3 cr.)
- BUS-P 301 Operations Management (3 cr.)
BUS-D 301 International Business Environment (3 cr.)
Teamwork and Team Leadership Skills:
- BUS-Z 302 Managing and Behavior in Organizations (3 cr.)
- BUS-Z 442 Leading and Motivating Individuals and Teams (3 cr.)
Information Systems, Analytics and Decision Modeling
- BUS-K 321 Management of Information Technology (3 cr.)
- BUS-K 353 Business Analytics & Modeling (3 cr.)
Business Ethics, Diversity, Critical Thinking and Career Skills
- BUS-W 320 Leadership and Ethics (3 cr.)
- BUS-X 410 Career Planning (1 cr.)
- BUS-Z 440 Personnel - Human Resource Management (3 cr.)
Capstone
- BUS-J 403 Management Capstone (4 cr.)
In addition to completion of the Business Foundations and Business Course courses, students choose and complete a concentration (18 credit hours) which allows them to extend their studies deeper into a specific area of interest. A list of available concentrations in provided below.
As needed to total 120 credit hours.
After all other curriculum requirements are met, students may take additional open electives, if necessary, to reach the campus requirement of 120 total credit hours.
Available Concentrations
All students completing the Bachelor of Science in Business program are required to complete a concentration. The Business Administration concentration also allows additional focus through several minors. Currently the School of Business and Economics offers the following concentrations:
For students who wish to pursue a broad general program, the Business Administration concentration provides a vehicle for organizing their studies. The focus is on understanding the administration and operation of the firm as a subsystem within a rapidly changing environment. For the Business Administration concentration, students must complete:
Course Requirements
The following courses are required to complete the Business Administration concentration (18 credit hours):
- Six 3-credit 300- or 400-level business (BUS) and/or economics (ECON) courses.
These courses allow additional opportunities to gain specialized knowledge in such fields as accounting, economics, finance, management, or marketing. Students are encouraged to consult with faculty in these areas to best meet their professional and educational objectives.
Minors
Students pursuing the Business Administration concentration have the additional option of earning a minor. Courses required as part of the foundations, core or concentration may not count towards a minor. Coursework to complete a minor may count towards electives within a concentration. A minimum of C (2.0) is required in all coursework for the minor. The available minors in the Business Administration are:
- Marketing Minor - Requirements: three 3-credit 300-400 level-business courses in Marketing (BUS-M).
- Human Resources/Management Minor - Requirements: three 3-credit 300-400 level business course in Human Resources/Management.
The Accounting concentration prepares students for positions as accountants, auditors, controllers, income tax accountants, financial statement analysts, cost accountants, budget officers, and governmental or institutional accountants. In addition, it equips the prospective business executive with a tool for intelligent analysis, prediction, decision making, and control.
Concentration requirements
The following courses are required to complete the Accounting concentration (18 credit hours):
- BUS-A 311 Intermediate Accounting I
- BUS-A 312 Intermediate Accounting II
- BUS-A 328 Introduction to Taxation
- Three 3-credit 300- or 400-level accounting electives.
If intending to complete the CPA exam, BUS-A 424 is strongly recommended as an elective.
The Financial Economics concentration provides students an opportunity to study economics and finance more deeply while broadly preparing them for the context and practice of business. Many economics students go on to do additional work at the graduate level.
Concentration Requirements
The following courses are required to complete the Financial Economics concentration (18 credit hours):
- ECON-E 321 Intermediate Microeconomics (or equivalent)
- ECON-E 322 Intermediate Macroeconomics (or equivalent)
- BUS-F 420 Equity and Fixed Income Investment
- BUS-F 494 International Finance
- Two 300-400 level ECON-E or BUS-F elective (6 credit hours)
The Digital Marketing and Graphic Design concentration features interdisciplinary curriculum with courses in both Marketing and Graphic Design. This concentration equips students with knowledge in digital marketing outlets, research techniques that inform decisions about digital marketing channels and visual presentations of marketing messages, and the marketing strategy process.
Course Requirements
The following courses are required to complete the Digital Marketing and Graphic Design concentration (18 credit hours):
- BUS-M 303 Marketing Research (3 cr.)
- BUS-M 432 Digital Marketing (3 cr.)
- BUS-M 450 Marketing Strategy (3 cr.)
- FINA-S 351* Typography (3 cr.)
- FINA-S 352 Production for Graphic Design (3 cr.)
- One 3-credit 300- or 400-level business (BUS) and/or economics (ECON) course or graphic design (FINA-S) course.
Students interested in a further background in Marketing are encouraged to take their elective in topics such as Social Media Marketing or Consumer Behavior (BUS-M 405). Students interested in a further background in Graphic Design are encouraged to take their elective in Graphic Design (such as FINA-S 353).
* FINA-S 351 requires FINA-S 250: Introduction to Design Practice (3 cr.) as a prerequisite. Students interested in this concentration are strongly encouraged to complete FINA-S 250 early and as part of their general education requirements.
