Business Administration Undergraduate Major (BA, BS, HBA, HBS)
This program is available at the following locations:
- Corvallis
- Ecampus
- OSU-Cascades
Options available:
- Dean's Academy
- Digital Marketing
- Family Business
- Hospitality Management
- Innovation and Entrepreneurship
- International Business
- Sports Business
The business administration degree provides students with a broad overview of business; basic skills in accounting and quantitative methods; an understanding of the legal and social environment of business; a background in management and organizational behavior, marketing, finance, and operations management; an understanding of the entrepreneurial process; and the opportunity to integrate course work and further develop decision-making skills through the analysis of business cases.
Students may choose to complete one of the options offered by the College of Business for this degree program, or complete it without an option, providing flexibility to students in how they reach 180 credits.
Major Code: 181
Upon successful completion of the program, students will meet the following learning outcomes:
- Recognize entrepreneurial opportunities for new business ventures and evaluate their potential for business success.
- Understand the implementation issues including financial, legal, operational and administrative procedures involved in starting new business ventures.
- Communicate effectively and professionally in business situations through physical or virtual presence, writing, speaking, listening, and electronic media.
- Demonstrate the ability to lead by using team building skills and facilitating collaborative behaviors in the accomplishment of group goals and objectives.
- Recognize basic concepts and theories related to business ethics and social responsibility.
- Demonstrate knowledge of the ethical behavior appropriate to specific business situations.
- Identify and analyze business problems and opportunities and formulate recommendations for courses of action.
- Use quantitative and qualitative tools and methodologies to support organizational decision making.
- Assess how organizations create value in their global supply chains through the integrated production and distribution of goods, services and information.
- Describe the concept of competitive advantage and how it may be achieved through strategic and tactical methods.
- Analyze the information content of organizational processes.
- Define markets and apply marketing concepts and principles using a customer focus to effectively sell products and services.
- Recognize and appropriately respond to ethical, legal and strategic concerns relating to human resource and organizational management.
- Make basic investment and financing decisions for a business using financial management concepts, and methods.
Degree requirements include university core education, business and major curricula. The business curriculum provides students with a broad overview of business; basic skills in accounting and quantitative methods; an understanding of the legal and social environment of business; a background in management and organizational behavior, marketing, finance, and operations management; an understanding of the entrepreneurial process; and the opportunity to integrate coursework and further develop decision-making skills through the analysis of business cases. The lower-division business curriculum involves completion of courses within the first and second year that build a solid foundation for the upper-division curricula.
Transitions to OSU and Introduction to Business coursework will depend on student type. At registration, an academic advisor will determine the most appropriate path.
- Students entering OSU as their first college experience after high school will take a 100 Transitions course, BA 160, and a BA 16X series;
- Students entering OSU COB as a second-year transfer student (approximately three years to graduation) will take a 300 Transitions course, BA 160, and BA 101Z; or
- Students entering OSU COB as a third-year transfer student (approximately two years or less to graduation) will take a 300 Transitions course and BA 101Z.
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Summary of Requirements | ||
| Business Curriculum 1 | 102-106 | |
| Experiential Learning | 2 | |
| Unspecified Core Education 1 | 22-26 | |
| Unrestricted Electives 2 | 46-54 | |
| Total Credits | 180 | |
- 1
Some courses in the Business Curriculum double-count with Core Education categories. Unspecified Core Education credits are not shared with the Business Curriculum
- 2
Options and minors are available to provide specializations and fulfill unrestricted elective credits
Business Curriculum
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Foundations of Business | ||
| Introduction to Business | ||
| Third-year transfer students may be eligible to waive BA 160. | ||
| BA 160 | +COB CAREER AND MAJOR EXPLORATION | 1 |
| Dependent on entry level, students will take one of the following: | 4-6 | |
| INNOVATION NATION--AWARENESS TO ACTION and INNOVATION NATION--IDEAS TO REALITY | ||
| LAUNCH PAD I and LAUNCH PAD II | ||
| INTRODUCTION TO BUSINESS | ||
| Communications | ||
| COMM 114 | +*ARGUMENT AND CRITICAL DISCOURSE | 3-4 |
| or COMM 111Z | +*PUBLIC SPEAKING | |
| or COMM 218Z | +*INTERPERSONAL COMMUNICATION | |
| Economics | ||
| ECON 201Z | +*PRINCIPLES OF MICROECONOMICS | 4 |
| ECON 202Z | +*PRINCIPLES OF MACROECONOMICS | 4 |
| Mathematics | ||
| MTH 241 | +*CALCULUS FOR MANAGEMENT AND SOCIAL SCIENCE | 4 |
| Writing | ||
| WR 323 | +*ADVANCED WRITING & ARGUMENTATION | 3-4 |
| or WR 227Z | +*TECHNICAL WRITING | |
| Business Core | ||
| BA 169Z | DATA ANALYSIS USING MICROSOFT EXCEL | 4 |
| BA 211Z | PRINCIPLES OF FINANCIAL ACCOUNTING | 4 |
| BA 213Z | PRINCIPLES OF MANAGERIAL ACCOUNTING | 4 |
| BA 223 | PRINCIPLES OF MARKETING | 4 |
| or BA 390 | PRINCIPLES OF MARKETING | |
| BA 226Z | INTRODUCTION TO BUSINESS LAW | 4 |
| BA 240 | FINANCE | 4 |
| or BA 360 | INTRODUCTION TO FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT | |
| BA 252 | MANAGING INDIVIDUAL AND TEAM PERFORMANCE | 4 |
| BA 260 | FOUNDATIONS OF THE ENTREPRENEURIAL MINDSET | 4 |
| or BA 267 | INTRODUCTION TO ENTREPRENEURIAL MARKET OPPORTUNITIES | |
| BA 275 | FOUNDATIONS OF STATISTICAL INFERENCE | 4 |
| BA 270 | BUSINESS PROCESS MANAGEMENT | 4 |
| BA 347 | INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS | 4 |
| BA 354 | ^MANAGING ETHICS AND CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY | 4 |
| BA 357 | OPERATIONS AND SUPPLY CHAIN MANAGEMENT | 4 |
| BA 370 | BUSINESS INFORMATION SYSTEMS OVERVIEW | 4 |
| BA 375 | APPLIED QUANTITATIVE METHODS | 4 |
| BA 396 | +MARKETS AS SOCIAL STATUS SYSTEMS | 3 |
| or BA 398 | +SUSTAINABLE CAPITALISM: EXPLORING POWER, PROSPERITY, AND JUSTICE | |
| BA 466 | INTEGRATIVE STRATEGIC EXPERIENCE | 4 |
| Blueprint: Personal & Professional Development | ||
| Second Year | ||
| Third-year transfer students may be eligible to substitute BA 381 for second year Professional Development and Blueprint coursework. | ||
| BA 281 | PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT | 3 |
| BA 282 | DRAFTING YOUR CAREER BLUEPRINT | 1 |
| BA 283 | NAVIGATING CRUCIAL CONVERSATIONS IN THE WORKPLACE | 1 |
| BA 284 | FOUNDATIONS OF PERSONAL FINANCE I | 1 |
| Third Year | ||
| BA 311 | +FRAMING YOUR CAREER PLAN | 1 |
| BA 312 | FOUNDATIONS OF PERSONAL FINANCE II | 1 |
| BA 313 | A CASE FOR CIVIL DISCOURSE IN BUSINESS | 1 |
| Fourth Year | ||
| BA 411 | NAVIGATING CAREER TRANSITIONS | 1 |
| BA 412 | FINANCIAL PLANNING I | 1 |
| BA 413 | FINANCIAL PLANNING II | 1 |
| Experiential Learning | ||
| Select 2 credits from the following courses: | 2 | |
Any COB 004 Internship (e.g. BA 004) 1 | ||
Any COB 403 Thesis (eg. BA 403) | ||
Any COB 405 Reading & Conference (eg. BA 405) | ||
Any COB 406 Projects (eg. BA 406) | ||
Any COB 409 Practicum (eg. BA 409) | ||
Any COB 410 Internship (eg. BA 410) | ||
| INTERNATIONAL EXCHANGE ORIENTATION and IMPACT OF CULTURE ON BUSINESS | ||
| Total Credits | 104-108 | |
- *
- Baccalaureate Core course. Applies to general education requirements for undergraduate students in a catalog year up to 2024-2025
- +
Core Education course. Applies to general education requirements for undergraduate students in catalog year 2025-2026 and beyond
- ^
Writing Intensive Curriculum (WIC) course
- 1
Students may substitute a COB 004 Internship course for the experiential learning requirement if they do not need an additional 2 credits to meet their 180 credit degree total
Major Code: 181
Degree plans are subject to change and the following is only an example of how students may complete their degree in four years. Students should consult their advisor to determine the best degree plan for them. Contact details for advisors can be found on the Academic Advising page.
| First Year | ||
|---|---|---|
| Fall | Credits | |
| BA 160 | +COB CAREER AND MAJOR EXPLORATION | 1 |
| COMM 111Z | +*PUBLIC SPEAKING or +*ARGUMENT AND CRITICAL DISCOURSE or +*INTERPERSONAL COMMUNICATION | 3-4 |
| MTH 111Z | +*PRECALCULUS I: FUNCTIONS | 4 |
| Core Ed: Transitions | 2 | |
| Core Ed: Arts & Humanities General | 3-4 | |
| Credits | 14 | |
| Winter | ||
| BA 161 | INNOVATION NATION--AWARENESS TO ACTION | 3 |
| BA 169Z | DATA ANALYSIS USING MICROSOFT EXCEL | 4 |
| ECON 202Z | +*PRINCIPLES OF MACROECONOMICS | 4 |
| MTH 241 | +*CALCULUS FOR MANAGEMENT AND SOCIAL SCIENCE | 4 |
| Credits | 15 | |
| Spring | ||
| BA 162 | INNOVATION NATION--IDEAS TO REALITY | 3 |
| ECON 201Z | +*PRINCIPLES OF MICROECONOMICS | 4 |
| WR 121Z | +*COMPOSITION I | 4 |
| Core Ed: Scientific Inquiry & Analysis | 4 | |
| Credits | 15 | |
| Second Year | ||
| Fall | ||
| BA 226Z | INTRODUCTION TO BUSINESS LAW | 4 |
| BA 252 | MANAGING INDIVIDUAL AND TEAM PERFORMANCE | 4 |
| BA 275 | FOUNDATIONS OF STATISTICAL INFERENCE | 4 |
| BA 284 | FOUNDATIONS OF PERSONAL FINANCE I | 1 |
| Core Ed: Difference, Power & Oppression Foundations | 3-4 | |
| Credits | 16 | |
| Winter | ||
| BA 211Z | PRINCIPLES OF FINANCIAL ACCOUNTING | 4 |
| BA 260 or BA 267 | FOUNDATIONS OF THE ENTREPRENEURIAL MINDSET or INTRODUCTION TO ENTREPRENEURIAL MARKET OPPORTUNITIES | 4 |
| BA 270 | BUSINESS PROCESS MANAGEMENT | 4 |
| BA 283 | NAVIGATING CRUCIAL CONVERSATIONS IN THE WORKPLACE | 1 |
| Elective | 2 | |
| Credits | 15 | |
| Spring | ||
| BA 213Z | PRINCIPLES OF MANAGERIAL ACCOUNTING | 4 |
| BA 223 or BA 390 | PRINCIPLES OF MARKETING or PRINCIPLES OF MARKETING | 4 |
| BA 240 or BA 360 | FINANCE or INTRODUCTION TO FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT | 4 |
| BA 281 | PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT | 3 |
| BA 282 | DRAFTING YOUR CAREER BLUEPRINT | 1 |
| Credits | 16 | |
| Third Year | ||
| Fall | ||
| BA 311 | +FRAMING YOUR CAREER PLAN | 1 |
| BA 347 | INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS | 4 |
| BA 357 | OPERATIONS AND SUPPLY CHAIN MANAGEMENT | 4 |
| WR 323 or WR 227Z | +*ADVANCED WRITING & ARGUMENTATION or +*TECHNICAL WRITING | 3-4 |
| Core Ed: Scientific Inquiry & Analysis | 4 | |
| Credits | 16 | |
| Winter | ||
| BA 312 | FOUNDATIONS OF PERSONAL FINANCE II | 1 |
| BA 354 | ^MANAGING ETHICS AND CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY | 4 |
| BA 375 | APPLIED QUANTITATIVE METHODS | 4 |
| Core Ed: Arts & Humanities Global | 3-4 | |
| Electives | 2 | |
| Credits | 15 | |
| Spring | ||
| BA 313 | A CASE FOR CIVIL DISCOURSE IN BUSINESS | 1 |
| BA 370 | BUSINESS INFORMATION SYSTEMS OVERVIEW | 4 |
| Core Ed: Seeking Solutions | 3-4 | |
| Electives | 6 | |
| Credits | 15 | |
| Fourth Year | ||
| Fall | ||
| BA 411 | NAVIGATING CAREER TRANSITIONS | 1 |
| BA 396 or BA 398 | +MARKETS AS SOCIAL STATUS SYSTEMS or +SUSTAINABLE CAPITALISM: EXPLORING POWER, PROSPERITY, AND JUSTICE | 3 |
| Electives | 10 | |
| Credits | 14 | |
| Winter | ||
| BA 412 | FINANCIAL PLANNING I | 1 |
| Experiential Learning | 2 | |
| Electives | 12 | |
| Credits | 15 | |
| Spring | ||
| BA 413 | FINANCIAL PLANNING II | 1 |
| BA 466 | INTEGRATIVE STRATEGIC EXPERIENCE | 4 |
| Electives | 9 | |
| Credits | 14 | |
| Total Credits | 180 | |
- *
Baccalaureate Core course. Applies to general education requirements for undergraduate students in a catalog year up to 2024-2025
- +
Core Education course. Applies to general education requirements for undergraduate students in catalog year 2025-2026 and beyond
- ^
Writing Intensive Curriculum (WIC) course