Bachelor of Science in Business in Business Administration
Students studying business administration receive a broad business education through high-level exposure to multiple business disciplines and areas of study. Aspiring business professionals pursuing the business administration major will develop communication and leadership skills that will make them competitive candidates for high-level management jobs across a variety of fields. The flexibility of the business administration major may appeal to students intending to combine business with a non-business degree program through a double major, to pursue a non-business graduate degree in fields such as law, dentistry, or medicine, or to pursue entrepreneurial opportunities in which the elective breadth of the major would be valuable.
Undergraduate Admission to the School of Business
There are two paths for admission to the School of Business:
- Freshman direct admission pathway
- Pre-business admission pathway
Freshman Direct Admission Pathway
Students applying to KU while completing high school can be directly admitted to the B.S.B. degree majors based on high school GPA and standardized test scores.
High school GPA plus ACT test score: Applicants accepted at KU with an interest in business are eligible for direct admission into the School of Business based on an index score calculated using high school GPA and ACT composite or SAT math and evidence-based reading and writing scores. The index score is calculated as ACT/10 + HS GPA = index score. The required index score is at least 5.55. Students should refer to the official ACT/SAT concordance table when comparing SAT scores to ACT scores.
Test-optional pathway: Students with high school GPAs greater than 3.4 are eligible for direct admission without submission of a standardized test score. However, all applicants to School of Business undergraduate programs are encouraged to prepare for and take standardized tests because some business employers and some external enrichment programs utilize test scores in screening applicants.
Directly admitted freshman must start the sequence of B.S.B. professionalism courses in their first semester.
Freshman direct admission is not an option for students who seek to change their major to business or pre-business after the start of their first semester of college at KU or elsewhere. Such students must apply for the pre-business admission pathway.
Pre-Business Admission Pathway
Students who do not meet direct admission standards, transfer students, and students who start out at KU pursuing other majors can be admitted to the B.S.B. degree program through the pre-business pathway. Current KU students applying for the pre-business admission process should apply for a change of school during the semester in which they will complete the minimum requirements for admission. Applicants who are not currently KU students must first apply to KU and submit official transcripts for all previous colleges and universities attended to the Office of Admissions along with the application. To facilitate advising, current KU students applying for competitive admission are encouraged to submit change of school requests by September 15 for spring admission and by February 15 for fall admission. Visit the Office of International Support Services for information about international admissions.
Admission to the B.S.B. program through the pre-business pathway is subject to the following requirements:
- Sophomore standing (>30 credit hours completed)
- Completion of three pre-admission foundation courses or their equivalents, which must be taken for a letter grade:
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| ACCT 200 | Fundamentals of Financial Accounting | 4 |
| ECON 142 | Principles of Microeconomics | 3 |
| or ECON 143 | Principles of Microeconomics, Honors | |
| BSAN 202 | Statistics | 3 |
- Greater than or equal to 2.50 GPA in overall, overall KU, professional, and KU professional coursework.
- When the School of Business must accept grades of credit/no credit (contrary to standing School policy), an assigned grade of "credit" will be treated as a "C" or 2.0 for admission purposes. Exceptions and petitions may be considered on a case-by-case basis.
- Upon admission to the B.S.B. program students must enroll in BUS 150 Foundations of Business and begin or continue the required B.S.B. professionalism course sequence.
Academic Probation Policy
Students admitted to the B.S.B. degree program by direct, pre-business, or transfer admission pathways whose overall GPA, overall KU GPA, professional GPA, KU professional GPA, or within-major GPA falls below 2.5 will be placed on academic probation. Following imposition of probation students must meet with their academic advisors to develop and implement an academic performance improvement plan. Probation will be rescinded after the subsequent academic term if relevant GPAs improve to above these thresholds; absent academic performance improvement students may be dismissed and may not register for School of Business courses with restricted enrollment except by special permission. Petitions for readmission will be evaluated on evidence of improvement in academic performance.
Transfer Students
Transfer students may find it to their advantage to enter KU before the junior year, because some required courses may be available only at KU. Students attending Kansas community colleges should consult their advisors and a KU School of Business academic advisor about course equivalents and articulation agreements to ensure progress toward the degree. The Office of Admissions provides a guide to how classes at a current or former school transfer to KU. Students must submit official transcripts of course work completed to the Office of Admissions before a final determination can be made.
At least 30 hours of junior/senior professional course work must be completed at KU (courses in residence) for the student to be eligible for graduation. Only transfer grades of C- or higher apply toward graduation from the KU School of Business.
75-Hour Rule
A maximum of 75 hours of community college course work can be applied toward a KU business degree. All subsequent credit hours earned at a community college or other 2-year institution add an equivalent number of hours to the 120-hour minimum required to graduate.
10-Year Rule
Transfer business credits are limited to a 10-year span in which they can be considered equivalent to a KU School of Business course and satisfy any corresponding requirement. This 10-year limit begins on the date of completion of the credit. After 10 years, transfer business credits are treated as elective business credit, and a course repeat or update may be necessary.
Tentative Evaluation of Credit
Students are advised to work with an academic advisor if they are considering enrolling in a class outside of KU. Before enrolling in any non-KU courses, students should confirm the course transfers over properly in Credtran or submit course syllabi for approval by using the transfer credit evaluation form for business classes located here.
Readmission
Students must submit an application for readmission to KU if their lapse in attendance is one semester or more. See the Office of Admissions for more information. Students may be readmitted to the School of Business if they left the school in good standing and it has been less than 5 years since they last attended.
5-Year Rule
If a student does not complete the business degree within 5 years of last attendance, the student must reapply through the pre-business admission pathway. Students also must complete degree requirements in effect at the time of readmission to the business school regardless of the initial program.
Dismissal
Students who have been dismissed from the school must reapply through the pre-business admission pathway.
Bachelor of Science in Business Degree Requirements
The School of Business offers a Bachelor of Science in Business (B.S.B.) with majors in accounting, business administration, business analytics, finance, information systems, management and leadership, marketing, and supply chain management. Also offered are a co-major in international business and various discipline-specific minors and certificate programs. In addition to core curriculum courses, each major requires foundation and core classes in business and related fields, required major classes, and advanced business electives to satisfy requirements of specific majors, minors, and certificates.
Graduation Requirements
Hours Required for Graduation
A minimum of 120 credit hours is required for graduation. Of the 120 hours, a student must earn at least 45 junior/senior hours and 30 residency hours (business courses numbered 300 or higher) completed within the KU School of Business.
- The 120-hour minimum to graduate is increased by the following:
- More than 4 hours in physical education courses.
- More than 4 hours of music organization courses.
- Any repeated courses for which a student has already received credit.
- All subsequent credits earned at a community college or other 2-year institution after a student has completed a total of 75 community college credit hours.
Grade-Point Average Required for Graduation
To be eligible to graduate from the School of Business with any major, a student must earn a grade-point average of 2.5 in
- Total hours attempted from all schools (including Independent Study through KU Continuing Education),
- All professional courses (business courses including microeconomics) attempted from all schools,
- Total hours attempted at KU, and
- All professional (business courses including microeconomics) hours attempted at KU.
Students majoring in accounting, business analytics, finance, information systems, management and leadership, marketing, and supply chain management majors and co-majors in international business also must earn minimum grade-point averages of 2.5 in their respective major courses. Students majoring in business administration must earn a minimum grade-point averages of 2.2 in their courses toward the major.
Required Coursework for All B.S.B. Majors
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| KU CORE 34 | 34 | |
| BUSINESS PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM | ||
| BUS 110 | Introduction to Professionalism | 1 |
| BUS 210 | Career Management and Planning | 1 |
| BUS 230 | Introduction to Professions in Business | 1 |
| or ACCT 230 | Introduction to the Accounting Profession | |
| or BSAN 230 | Introduction to Business Analytics and Information Systems Professions | |
| or FIN 230 | Introduction to the Finance Profession | |
| or IST 230 | Introduction to Business Analytics and Information Systems Professions | |
| or MGMT 230 | Introduction to the Management Profession | |
| or MKTG 230 | Introduction to the Marketing Profession | |
| or SCM 232 | Introduction to Supply Chain Professions | |
Or any alternative discipline-specific course equivalent to BUS 230 as offered. | ||
The Business Professional Development Program also requires engagement in co-curricular and extra-curricular enrichment activities and experiences in order to qualify for enrollment in the capstone course MGMT 498. | ||
| FOUNDATION & CORE B.S.B. CURRICULUM | ||
| MATH 115 | Calculus I | 3 |
| or MATH 125 | Calculus I | |
| or MATH 145 | Calculus I, Honors | |
| ECON 142 | Principles of Microeconomics | 3 |
| or ECON 143 | Principles of Microeconomics, Honors | |
| ACCT 200 | Fundamentals of Financial Accounting | 4 |
| BSAN 202 | Statistics | 3 |
| BUS 150 | Foundations of Business | 3 |
| ACCT 201 | Managerial Accounting I | 3 |
| BUS 205 | Business Writing and Communication | 2 |
| or BUS 305 | Business Writing | |
| BUS 215 | Applied Excel for Data-Driven Decision Making | 2 |
| or IST 310 | Introduction to Information & Management Productivity Systems | |
| BE 301 | Managerial Economics | 3 |
| or BE 302 | Managerial Economics, Honors | |
| BLAW 301 | Legal Aspects of Business | 3 |
| or BLAW 302 | Legal Aspects of Business, Honors | |
| BSAN 310 | Introduction to Business Analytics | 3 |
| or BSAN 311 | Introduction to Business Analytics, Honors | |
| FIN 310 | Finance | 3 |
| or FIN 311 | Finance, Honors | |
| MGMT 310 | Principles of Management | 3 |
| or MGMT 311 | Principles of Management, Honors | |
| MKTG 310 | Marketing | 3 |
| or MKTG 311 | Marketing, Honors | |
| SCM 310 | Management Science and Operations Management | 3 |
| or SCM 311 | Management Science and Operations Management, Honors | |
| B.S.B. CAPSTONE COURSE | ||
| MGMT 498 | Business Policy and Strategy | 3 |
| or MGMT 499 | Business Policy and Strategy, Honors | |
| ELECTIVE CREDITS | 15 | |
B.S.B. students may utilize elective credit to pursue double majors, minors, and certificate programs in the School of Business or other academic units. Elective credit can also be utilized in approved study abroad programs. | ||
| MAJOR-SPECIFIC REQUIREMENTS | 21 | |
Each B.S.B. major requires 21 hours of major-specific required and elective courses. | ||
| Total Hours | 120 | |
Business Administration Major
This major offers a broad interdisciplinary approach. Discovering solutions to complex problems in a globalized marketplace requires a multidisciplinary and integrated approach. The major prepares students for a variety of job markets and career paths. The program is flexible, allowing students to develop in-depth skills in such areas as accounting, business law, finance, information systems, management and leadership, marketing, and supply chain management.
The major requires 21 hours of advanced business credit from courses numbered 320 or above. The 21 hours must be distributed across at least three of the following prefixes, with a minimum of 3 hours in each of the three prefixes selected: ACCT, BE, BLAW, BSAN, ENTR, FIN, IBUS, IST, MGMT, MKTG, and SCM.
The student must satisfy all business graduation requirements for the B.S.B. and have a grade-point average of at least 2.2 in the 21 advanced business credit hours selected for the major.
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| 21 Hours of Advanced Business Electives | 21 | |
Students must complete 21 hours of coursework at the 320-level or higher in at least three (3) of the following course prefixes: ACCT, BE, BLAW, BSAN, ENTR, FIN, IBUS, IST, MGMT, MKTG, and SCM. | ||
| Total Hours | 21 | |
Students seeking a B.S.B. degree with a major in Business Administration have the flexibility to chart alternative paths to a four-year degree. Students’ paths may vary based on a number of factors including:
- Initial math placement based on a student's math aptitude and pre-admission math coursework. The four-year plan outlined below is for a student seeking a who starts at KU with a placement in MATH 101 College Algebra -- the designated math pathway class for B.S.B. majors and the prerequisite for the required MATH 115 Calculus. Students eligible to enroll immediately in MATH 115 to satisfy the KU Core 34 should do so as soon as possible in their degree plan;
- Transfer credits that satisfy elements of the KU Core 34 or requirements for B.S.B. degree;
- Sequence of business foundation and core coursework based on student’s chosen major;
- Pursuit of complementary academic programs such as a double-major, minor or certificate;
- The timing and duration of participation in short-term, summer-, semester-, or year-long study abroad programs;
- The timing and duration of internships and other co-curricular enrichment experiences; and
- Intended career specialization within an academic field affecting choice of elective coursework.
- A student earning a B.S.B. in Business Administration has flexibility to compose a plan combining seven three-hour courses from three distinct business disciplines. Students should exercise this flexibility wisely to develop a purposeful plan of study that allows them to acquire the diverse skills adaptable to their intended career path.
All B.S.B. majors are advised to enroll in the degree-required ECON 142 Microeconomics (or ECON 143) to satisfy three of the six required credit hours toward the KU Core 34 Social and Behavioral Science requirement.
Each student should regularly meet with a Jayhawk Academic Advisor to discuss how these factors can be incorporated into a personalized degree plan. Area industry mentors (AIMs) associated with each academic area in the School of Business should also be consulted to help tailor elective coursework toward the student’s career plans.
| Freshman | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours |
| Core 34: English (SGE)010 | 3 | Core 34: Arts and Humanities (SGE)060 | 3 |
| BUS 150 | 3 | Core 34: Natural and Physical Sciences (SGE)040 | 4 |
| ACCT 200 | 4 | MATH 115 | 3 |
| MATH 101 (Core 34: Math and Statistics (SGE))030*** | 3 | ECON 142 or 143 (Core 34: Social and Behavior Science (SGE))050* | 3 |
| BUS 110 | 1 | ACCT 201 | 3 |
| 14 | 16 | ||
| Sophomore | |||
| Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours |
| Core 34: English (SGE)010 | 3 | Core 34: US Culture (SGE)070 | 3 |
| Core 34: Arts and Humanities (SGE)060 | 3 | COMS 322 (Core 34: Communications (SGE))020** | 3 |
| Core 34: Social and Behavior Science (SGE)050 | 3 | MGMT 310 or 311 | 3 |
| BSAN 202 | 3 | BUS 205 or 305 | 2 |
| BUS 210 | 1 | SCM 310 or 311 | 3 |
| BUS 215 or IST 310 | 2 | BUS 230, ACCT 230, BSAN 230, FIN 230, IST 230, MGMT 230, MKTG 230, or SCM 232 | 1 |
| 15 | 15 | ||
| Junior | |||
| Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours |
| Core 34: Global Culture (SGE)070 | 3 | BLAW 301 or 302 | 3 |
| MKTG 310 or 311 | 3 | BE 301 or 302 | 3 |
| Advanced Business Elective 320+ | 3 | FIN 310 or 311 | 3 |
| BSAN 310 or 311 | 3 | Advanced Business Elective 320+ | 3 |
| Elective | 3 | Elective | 3 |
| 15 | 15 | ||
| Senior | |||
| Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours |
| Advanced Business Elective 320+ | 3 | Advanced Business Elective 320+ | 3 |
| Advanced Business Elective 320+ | 3 | MGMT 498 or 499 (Capstone Course) | 3 |
| Advanced Business Elective 320+ | 3 | Elective | 3 |
| Advanced Business Elective 320+ | 3 | Elective | 3 |
| Elective | 3 | Elective | 3 |
| 15 | 15 | ||
| Total Hours 120 | |||
Notes:
* ECON 142 is a required course for a B.S.B. degree and is also part of Core 34: Systemwide General Education. If this course is not taken to fulfill the KU Core 34 Social and Behavioral Science SGE requirement then it must be taken in place of elective hours.
** COMS 322 is a recommended Core 34: Systemwide General Education course. This specific course is not required but is recommended by the program’s faculty.
*** MATH 101 is the required Core 34: Systemwide General Education math pathway course for the B.S.B. degree. However, students eligible to enroll immediately in MATH 115 to satisfy the KU Core 34 should do so as soon as possible in their degree plan.
At the completion of this program, students will be able to:
- Demonstrate effective, focused, and disciplined communication in both oral and written form.
- Demonstrate critical thinking with an increased capacity for analytical problem solving.
- Student is a trained collaborator capable of creating value in a team and progressing into a leadership role.
- Student is knowledgeable across several core business disciplines with an appreciation for where and how they integrate.
University Honors Program
Prebusiness majors who meet admission requirements for the University Honors Program are strongly encouraged to participate in it. Its small, challenging classes provide an excellent opportunity for business majors to develop a strong base in liberal arts and sciences. Because its requirements fit well with the school’s distribution requirements, the program fits easily into the normal 4-year program.
Undergraduate Business Honors Program
The Business Honors Program allows an elite cadre of undergraduate business school students to participate in a special set of enrichments. Graduating with business honors requires that the students admitted to the programs complete at least 12 hours of business honors classes. They will also be expected to be deeply involved in the life of the school, routinely assuming leadership positions and taking advantage of experiential learning opportunities.