Requirements: BS Business Administration
Bachelor of Science in Business Administration Requirements
The School of Professional Studies: Undergraduate, Online
The accelerated 7 week semester online Professional Studies undergraduate Business Administration Degree Program offers a Bachelor of Science (BS) degree that requires 120 credits (40 courses) including:
Major Courses: 42 credits (14 courses).
Major Elective Courses: 24 credits (8 courses).
Major Concentration Courses: 15 credits (5 courses). For a traditional Bachelor of Science Business Administration degree with no specialized area of concentration, work with an advisor to select 5 courses (15 credits) found across the three available BS Business degree concentrations below. A concentration consists of at least twelve credits in a particular area of study within a major. A minimum 3.00 cumulative grade point average is required to complete the concentration.
• Business Communications: 0-15 credits (0-5 courses).
• Leadership Studies: 0-15 credits (0-5 courses).
• Organizational Development: 0-15 credits (0-5 courses).
Professional Studies Core Curriculum Senior Capstone Course: 3 credits (1 course). This Core Curriculum course requirement is offered within a student’s Major.
Professional Studies Core Curriculum Courses: 36 credits (12 courses). Students will be able to count three (3) classes in their major toward Core Curriculum.
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Transfer Credits: Our generous transfer policy allows students to transfer up to 90 credits required for a Bachelor degree, or up to 45 credits required for an Associate level degree as well as 6 credits of related graduate study. Credits presented for transfer must be from an accredited institution and a final course grade of a C or higher is required for undergraduate and a B or higher on the graduate level. Discuss with your advisor.
Prior Learning Assessments: Receive college credit for learning acquired through life experience. By evaluating a portfolio, we determine whether your experience qualifies as college level learning. Pay for one credit and receive three credits per course successfully challenged. You may challenge up to fifteen courses.
Credit by Examination: After enrolling in the School of Professional Studies, you may seek approval from your program to receive credit by examination. Contact your program's director or the Office of the Registrar for more information.
Transfer credit or credit by examination is acceptable in lieu of all Core Curriculum requirements except College Writing I (ENG-0160) and College Writing II (ENG-0170). These two courses are required of all students enrolled in the School of Professional Studies.
Business Administration Major Courses (42 Credits)
ACC 0100: Financial Accounting I
Prerequisite: None
An introduction to the theory and fundamental concepts of the financial reporting process in modern business organizations. The course focuses on the accrual method of accounting and an introduction to GAAP theory. Topics covered include analyzing and recording business transactions, periodic determination of income and financial position, and preparation and understanding of financial statements.
Offered fall semester. (3 Credits)
ACC 0200: Managerial Accounting
Prerequisite: ACC 0101 Financial Accounting II
A course that focuses on providing information to managers through the use of internal applications of accounting. Topics include job-order costing, process costing, cost-volume-profit relationships, variable costing, profit planning, standard costing, flexible budgets, and overhead analysis.
Offered fall semester. (3 Credits)
BUS 0215: Principles of Budget and Finance
Prerequisites None
This course is intended to help a broad base of people become familiar with the basic building blocks of budget and finance. The course is designed to deal with the study of annual business budgeting processes including projections, forecasts, and reconciliation. Income statements, balance sheets, and budget cuts will also be studied.
Offered fall/spring semester. (3 Credits)
BUS 0220: Statistics I
Prerequisite: MAT 0115 College Algebra
An introduction to statistics, including descriptive statistics (measures of central tendency, dispersion, and frequency distributions) graphic presentations, Probability Theory, Sampling Theory, normal curve applications and the use of computers. Emphasis given to interpretation and application of descriptive statistics.
Offered fall semester. (3 Credits)
BUS 0454: Organization Behavior
Prerequisite: None
This course presents an overview of individual behavior, group behavior, and organizational structures and processes that impact the effectiveness of organizations. The course emphasizes the analysis and application of knowledge to improve performance and organizational effectiveness and to manage organizational change.
Offered spring semester. (3 Credits)
BUS 0461: Management
Prerequisite: None
This course surveys managerial principles, theory, and functions applicable to a variety of organizational settings and conditions. Specific techniques related to each of the managerial functions will be explored as well as general issues and trends that influence the practice of contemporary management.
Offered fall semester. (3 Credits)
BUS 0479: Managing Technology for Business Strategy
Prerequisite: None
This course is a managerial approach to information systems concepts and applications for students. Computers have become a part of our lives. Managers have a responsibility to determine organizational needs and work with professionals to design and implement information systems that meet those needs. The student will develop an understanding of the issues underlying information systems for planning, development, and implementation.
Offered spring semester. (3 Credits)
BUS 0481: Business Law
Prerequisite: None
This course introduces the American legal system with emphasis on legal process, civil dispute resolution, business law, contracts, and government regulation of business and commerce.
Offered spring semester. (3 Credits)
BUS 0488: Introduction to Business Research
Prerequisite: None
The overall objective of the course is for participants to learn the fundamentals of developing credible research in all areas of business. Accordingly, this course is intended to provide a clear and practical methodology for creating research proposals, developing data collection plans, and evaluating research designs. Participants will develop and present, both orally and in written form, a credible research proposal for a problem or issue that is relevant to business.
Offered fall semester. (3 Credits)
BUS 0495: Ethical Decision Making in Business
Prerequisite: None
This course examines a variety of ethical theories and applies a moral philosophy to a range of business issues such as corporate responsibility, whistle-blowing, equal employment opportunity, affirmative action, employee privacy, conflict of interest, advertising and marketing, product liability, employee safety, and international business.
Offered spring semester. (3 Credits)
Capstone Course (3 Credits)
BUS 0496: Business Capstone
Prerequisites: Senior Title
This course focuses on previous business knowledge and courses to introduce students to real-world problems dealing with strategic management in all types of organizations and policy formulation and implementation. This integration of knowledge will rely heavily on the student’s previous learning in Business Research, Management, Organizational Behavior, Human Resource Management, Technology in Organizations, Financial Policy, Ethics, Marketing, and other courses. This course also concentrates on the organization’s successful adaptation to its environment. Students apply qualitative and quantitative methods of analysis to integrate the management functional areas of the organization. There will be a strong emphasis on written, as well as oral, communication skills in developing and defending strategic plans.
Offered fall and spring semester. (3 Credits)
BUS R420: Marketing
Prerequisite: None
An analysis of the activities and functions performed by manufacturers, service operators, distributors, and retailers to make products and services available to customers. The marketing variables, which consist of product, place, promotion, and price, are discussed in detail, as they apply to for-profit, and/or governmental organizations.
Offered spring semester. (3 Credits)
ECO 0106: Microeconomics
Prerequisite: None
An introduction to the economic theories which explain the workings of the marketplace in a capitalist system. Topics include the behavior of consumers, businesses, the public sector, labor market, discrimination, poverty, and pollution. The course emphasizes techniques of analysis that will continue to be useful in comprehending a changing economic world.
Offered spring semester. (3 Credits)
ECO 0320: Principles of Economics I Macroeconomics
Prerequisites: None
This course is an introduction to the study of macroeconomics and will examine how an economy works as resources are combined to produce the goods and services that people want. Macroeconomics deals with the study of the economy in the aggregate or the economy in general.
Offered spring semester. (3 Credits)
BS Business Administration Elective Courses (24 Credits)
Choose 8 of the Following Courses:
Any Core Curriculum Elective
Prerequisite: None
Course description coming soon.
Offered fall/spring semester. (3 Credits)
Business Administration Concentration Courses (15 Credits)
*For a traditional Bachelor of Science Business Administration degree with no specialized area of concentration, work with an advisor to select 5 courses (15 credits) out of the following 15 courses (45 credits) found across the three available BS Business degree concentrations of Business Communications, Leadership Studies and Organizational Development.
A concentration consists of at least twelve credits in a particular area of study within a major. A minimum 3.00 cumulative grade point average is required to complete the concentration.
Choose 1* of the Following Concentrations:
Business Communications Concentration Courses (0-15 Credits)
COM 0285: Communications: Theories and Strategies
Prerequisites: None
This course is designed to introduce students to contemporary concepts about the meanings and functions of communication in organizations. In addition, this class will consider the theories that are the foundation of communication. The focus of the course is strategic communication – how to analyze an organizational situation, select appropriate strategies from among various options, and carry out those strategies effectively. To understand how to solve communication problems, students must have a firm grasp of the theories that are the backbone of communication behavior.
Offered [fall/spring] semester. (3 Credits)
COM 0400: Intercultural Communication
Prerequisites: None
Intercultural communication examines discourse between individuals who have different backgrounds, beliefs, goals, and behaviors. Students will develop the skills to understand the nature of various cultures through study, research, and personal experience. The goal is to understand the communication process and apply the elements of this model to interaction with other cultures.
Offered fall and spring semester. (3 Credits)
COM 0410: Critical Thinking and Writing
Prerequisites: None
This is a course in argument and persuasion. It asks the student to consider and develop critical thinking and writing skills and then apply the newly learned skills to well-constructed, well-organized essays that argue points and explain a particular point of view.
Offered [fall/spring] semester. (3 Credits)
COM 0418: Organizational Communication
Prerequisites: None
This course is designed to introduce students to contemporary concepts about the meanings and functions of communications in organizations. The focus of the course is strategic communication – how to analyze an organizational situation, select appropriate strategies from among various options, and carry out those strategies effectively.
Offered [fall/spring] semester. (3 Credits)
COM 0485: Positional Bargaining and Principled Negotiation
Prerequisites: None
This course intends to offer learners a multi-layered approach to resolving the most natural, and often the most pernicious of human interaction, conflict. Regardless of the parties involved, conflict is ever present and must be resolved. As such, this course takes a perspective assuming that everyone, every day, is presented with conflicting ideas, data, information, positions, and decision-making. This relentless conflict calls on the use of cognitive and communication skills that appropriate the proper strategy needed to reach resolutions between the differing parties. Beginning with Roger Fisher and William Ury’s seminal work (1981) on principled negotiation, and including the traditional technique of positional bargaining (win/lose), this course encourages learners to challenge their assumptions, identify alternative techniques, and discuss the fundamental components inherent in all negotiations, i.e., issues versus interests. This course goes beyond the principles associated with the investigation of the many intricacies of negotiations and bargaining. Since negotiation is considered an artistic skill, classroom time is reserved for exercises to practice developing the skills necessary to negotiate successfully.
Offered [fall/spring] semester. (3 Credits)
Leadership Studies Concentration Courses (0-15 Credits)
LDS 0300: Foundations of Leadership
Prerequisites: None
The course will focus on an Introduction to the history and theory of leadership, critical thinking, and methods of inquiry as they bear on the basics of leadership, the ethics of leadership, and relevant leadership contexts. The focus will be on the analysis of the historical concepts, evaluating contemporary theories of leadership, and then applying the theoretical concepts to actual leadership situations.
Offered [fall/spring] semester. (3 Credits)
LDS 0320: Leadership in Organizations and Society
Prerequisites: None
Focus on leadership theory and research within and across formal organization settings such as public/private, profit/non-profit, professional/non-professional, and unitary/multi-divisional. This course examines rational, natural, and open systems and how leadership differs in each system.
Offered [fall/spring] semester. (3 Credits)
LDS 0340: Multicultural Issues in Leadership
Prerequisites: None
The course will examine cultural styles of leadership and various leadership styles that can be employed in different cultural settings. Students will examine the role of culture in attitudes toward society, family, and work.
Offered spring semester. (3 Credits)
LDS 0360: Leadership Decision Process
Prerequisites: None
The course will focus on models and techniques that support effective and efficient decision processes. An experiential focus will be placed on the identification and avoidance of known cultural and cognitive biases, and other process pitfalls that can seriously hinder successful leadership decision-making.
Offered fall semester. (3 Credits)
LDS 0380: Leadership Systems: Strategy and Process
Prerequisites: None
The course will focus on strategic planning methodologies and issues leaders must address. Emphasis will be on the application of contemporary theory, methods, and techniques for developing and sustaining organizational strategies.
Offered [fall/spring] semester. (3 Credits)
Organizational Development Concentration Courses (0-15 Credits)
BIT 0380: Information Systems Project Management
Prerequisites: None
Teaches students software life cycle project management including estimating, project planning, project monitoring, and use of standards, reviews, and software control mechanisms.
Offered [fall/spring] semester. (3 Credits)
BUS R440: Labor Relations and Economics
Prerequisites: None
This course is an examination of labor-management relations under a variety of market conditions. The course explores the dynamics of labor markets, the emergence of labor unions, collective bargaining under modern labor laws, and the impact of labor market issues and collective bargaining on wages and labor utilization in the workplace.
Offered [fall/spring] semester. (3 Credits)
BUS 0452: Management of Human Resources
Prerequisites: None
This course provides the student with a working knowledge of the human resource management system. Since all managers have human resource responsibilities, the interrelationships of the various functions of human resource management will be examined. How these functions contribute to the success of an organization will also be explored. Course topics include an introduction to human resource management and the environment of human resource management analysis, planning and staffing, performance evaluation and compensation, training, and development of human resources, labor relations, employee safety, health and quality of work life, and social responsibility in a culturally diverse workplace.
Offered [fall/spring] semester. (3 Credits)
BUS 0456: Building and Managing a Diverse Workplace
Prerequisites: None
This course intends to provide learners with a forum for identifying, assessing, and analyzing the demographics that influence the workplace. Learners, using data from the US Census Bureau, international agencies, and their workplaces, discuss and write about the multiple factors facing management, labor, and the community at large relative to employment. With 6.3 billion people worldwide, and the United States having a little less than 5 percent of that total population, employers and employees must know demographics to plan and strategize with relevancy and reduced risk. This course takes a databased perspective toward the countless challenges and opportunities of a diverse workplace. Some of the issues learners discuss are the typical diversity demographics of age, gender, and race. Under the category of age, for example, learners identify and discuss the composition of a first-time workplace phenomenon, i.e., four distinct generations (Veterans, Baby Boomers, Generation X’ers, and Generation Y’ers (aka Millennials)) being in the workforce at the same time. In addition, this course addresses other demographics such as education, religion, and socioeconomic influencers.
Offered fall semester. (3 Credits)
FIN 0300: Financial Institutions and Markets
Prerequisites: None
This course will focus on the study of contemporary financial institutions, practices, and legislative developments and how they relate to the Federal Reserve System and contemporary monetary theory. Also includes money and capital markets, mutual funds, insurance companies, and pension funds.
Offered [fall/spring] semester. (3 Credits)
Strengthen Your Degree with a Concentration
Professional Studies Concentrations
Students enrolled in Undergraduate Professional Studies (PS) Bachelor's programs have the option to add one or more concentrations, to further enrich their educational experience. This additional focus provides specialized knowledge and experience tailored to both students career and personal goals.
