What do you learn in a bachelor's in business administration?

Are you interested in carving out a space for yourself in the business world? See how a bachelor's in business administration can prepare you to find success in any part of an organization.

What to expect from a business administration bachelor's program

The goal of a bachelor's program in business administration is to prepare you for a leadership role in the business world. To accomplish that goal, these programs often focus on teaching students how to understand and determine business objectives and steer an organization toward achieving them.

Like many full-time degree programs, students can expect to complete at least 120 credit hours over eight semesters (four years). Your cost is likely to be roughly equal to that of any other bachelor's degree program.

What do you learn in a bachelor's in business administration? You will likely take courses on a wide range of business and management topics, including finance, economics, human resources and behavior, operations, marketing, and ethics.

To graduate, you may need to choose a concentration, maintain above-average grades, and complete an internship or real-world project.

Bachelor's in business administration curriculum

Some core courses that a candidate for a bachelor's in business administration may be required to take include:

• Project management: Students can learn a structured process for managing projects from start to finish, including defining the project scope, planning deliverables and milestones, and controlling the project to deliver within quality, cost, and timeline specifications.
• Operations management: Students may learn the basics of using a systems approach for production and operations management, including supply chain management, inventory and quality control, production methods, and work and productivity measurement.
• Organizational behavior: Students can understand what drives people's behavior in an organization and what influences group dynamics in project completion so that they improve both individual performance and organizational effectiveness.

Specializations and concentrations

Bachelor's in business administration programs may offer specializations and concentrations in different areas of business, including:

• Accounting: Students can learn how to use specific finance and accounting principles to help companies manage risk and increase cash flow.
• Marketing: Students may learn marketing from a business perspective to create successful strategies for product development, pricing, and promotion.
• Entrepreneurship: Students can understand how to properly manage all aspects of a business, creating a viable strategy for building a competitive organization.

Many schools offer a broad range of concentrations for a bachelor's of business administration — including finance, economics, sales management, information technology, and more — to cater to varying career interests.

Graduation requirements for a business administration bachelor's degree

Often, students in a business administration bachelor's degree program are required to select a concentration to complete. This allows you to specialize in a particular field and ensures you have the expertise to do well in that chosen arena.

Additionally, you may be required to take high-level business courses and maintain a grade of “C" or better (and, in some cases, a “B" or better). Doing so helps the faculty ensure you have the knowledge necessary to be successful in a business role.

Finally, some programs require you to either complete an internship or a final project. Both the internship and project are designed to help you bring together all of the business theories you have learned and apply them in a practical way.