Undergraduate Business Administration Degree Requirements

To earn a bachelor degree in business administration, students generally need to complete a “business core,” a term given to the group of classes every business administration student is required to complete. A degree is then rounded out through general education requirements (such as history, science, and English) and business electives. Most bachelor degree programs take four years to complete, though there are accelerated program options at many colleges and universities.

Associate degrees are also offered for business administration majors. Generally, an associate degree program lasts two years and is comprised of the business core and electives and does not include general education requirements.

The business core is typically comprised of management, communication, marketing, finance, and technology courses. Management classes include topics such as organization, leadership, business law, strategy, and operations. Business communication classes often emphasize business writing, while the financial component includes financial and managerial accounting, micro- and macroeconomics, statistics, and often, general math, such as algebra or calculus.

Many business administration degrees offer students the opportunity to select an area of concentration. Selecting a concentration forces students to focus their elective requirements in the desired concentration area. Common business administration concentrations include marketing, finance, accounting, human resources, and economics.

Another important component of the business administration degree is an internship. Some programs build an internship into one of the final semesters, while other programs offer elective credit to students who complete an internship during the summer before their senior year. Many programs offer three or even six credits for internship experience. Internships are widely available for business administration majors. For example, many major retail stores, such as Target, offer paid internship opportunities for those interested in management.

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