Business Administration
The global economy offers a vast array of career opportunities for professionals with a collegiate education in business. Businesses need individuals who not only understand the fundamentals of business practice, but who are adaptable in rapidly changing business environments. The business administration program has evolved to meet the needs of business firms and students by providing our students with a broad knowledge base in accounting, finance, management, marketing, entrepreneurship, management information systems, and business law – with a blend of theory and practice. A broad understanding of business is particularly of value for individuals who operate in entrepreneurial firms, smaller enterprises, and organizations that need flexibility and multi-functional knowledge from their employees. Individuals who aspire to own their businesses or go on to graduate studies (e.g., law school) would also benefit from such broad business knowledge base. A success measure of this program is the successful placement of our graduates in business and non-profit organizations, the pursuit of their own businesses and graduate studies, and their enhanced abilities to manage business operations, analyze business opportunities/challenges, work as a team, and make sound decisions.
Background Information
The Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB International) accredits the undergraduate and graduate programs in the College of Business at North Dakota State University. Our College of Business is one of only two AACSB-accredited schools of business in North Dakota.
AACSB International is one of higher education’s most prestigious and rigorous accrediting bodies, emphasizing a commitment to continuous improvement, innovation, engagement, and impact in business education. Less than 10 percent of business programs worldwide have this accreditation, highlighting the academic excellence of our College of Business at NDSU.
The Program
The Business Administration major is a four-year program with a curricular blend of general education, pre-professional course work, fundamental business knowledge (accounting, finance, management, marketing, and information systems), international business, and business elective courses. The curriculum of this major is also designed with a 21-credit business elective block plus 3 credits of 300/400 level free electives built into the program. These electives allow students to pursue their personal or professional interest in certain business domains, which can be in forms of a specific track (e.g., Supply Chain Management), certificate/minor (e.g., Professional Selling and Sales, Entrepreneurship, and Finance), and/or topic-based courses fitting the business knowledge/skills they want to develop. The program nurtures important business skills and administrative competencies including managing/overseeing business enterprises, ability to analyze business opportunities/challenges, legal and international awareness, interpersonal skills, and teamwork. Business Administration students are thus prepared to perform and manage various administrative and functional activities in business enterprises and non-profit organizations.
Admission to the Professional Program
Students enter the College of Business as a pre-major student. Admission into the professional program requires the completion of the following pre-College requirements with a grade of ‘C’ or higher: ENGL 120, MATH 144, ECON 201 or 202, SOC 110 or PSYC 111, and COMM 110 and an institutional cumulative grade point average (GPA) of 2.5. Once enrolled in the Business Professional Program, students are assessed a differential tuition rate. This differential tuition helps cover additional expenses associated with the professional program(s).
The Faculty
To provide a rigorous and relevant educational experience to our students, faculty in our program are highly qualified in their respective areas of expertise. Our faculty have been recognized for their teaching excellence by their students and colleagues and for their outstanding research by their peers. They employ a wide variety of instructional techniques and embed both classical and cutting-edge knowledge into their classes. They remain current in their fields by actively engaging in research and/or with firms and business professionals regarding their business practice, challenges, and issues.
The Practicum
Business administration majors are encouraged to complete practicum experiences, ideally at the end of sophomore and junior years. The practicum is designed to enable our students to connect business concepts learned in the classroom with live business situations and to broaden their horizons beyond the classroom setting. The practicum also gives students a competitive edge in job placement.
Career Opportunities
Graduates with a business administration major have career opportunities in business, industry, government service and the non-profit sector, both regionally and globally. Employment opportunities for business administration majors are significant as business-related activities and administrative functions are needed in every type of business and organization, whether for-profit or not-for-profit. Major job categories include business operations, business analyst, human resource management, product/service management, retail management, small business owner, and entrepreneurship venture.
Minor in Business Administration
A minor in business administration can be a perfect choice for students with non-business majors who want to enhance their marketability through business knowledge and skills. The curricular details are available at https://www.ndsu.edu/business/programs/. This minor is not available to students with majors in the College of Business.
The College
In addition to the business administration major, the College of Business offers undergraduate majors in accounting, finance, global business (second major only), management, marketing and management information systems. The College of Business also offers five graduate programs including Master of Business Administration, Master of Accountancy, Master of Managerial Logistics, Master of Transportation and Urban Systems, and Doctorate in Transportation and Logistics.
High School Preparation
It is recommended that high school students interested in studying business administration at the university level take mathematics courses at least through pre-calculus. High school electives in the social sciences, communication, and English also would be of benefit. Students who have satisfactorily completed Advanced Placement courses in Calculus, Economics, English, Communication, and Psychology or Sociology may directly apply for admission to the professional program. Please speak with a professional advisor for more information.
Business Administration Plan of Study
Please note this is a sample plan of study and not an official curriculum. Actual student schedules for each semester will vary depending on start year, education goals, applicable transfer credit, and course availability. Students are encouraged to work with their academic advisor on a regular basis to review degree progress and customize an individual plan of study.
| Freshman | |||
| Fall | Credits | Spring | Credits |
| ENGL 110 College Composition I | 4 | COMM 110 Fundamentals of Public Speaking | 3 |
| MATH 144 Mathematics for Business | 4 | ENGL 120 College Composition II | 3 |
| PSYC 111 Introduction to Psychology | 3 | MIS 116 Business Use of Computers | 3 |
| ECON 201 Principles of Microeconomics | 3 | ECON 202 Principles of Macroeconomics | 3 |
| Gen Ed Wellness | 2 | Non-major Elective | 3 |
| 16 | 15 | ||
| Sophomore | |||
| Fall | Credits | Spring | Credits |
| ACCT 200 Elements of Accounting I | 3 | ACCT 201 Elements of Accounting II | 3 |
| PHIL 216 Business Ethics | 3 | STAT 331 Regression Analysis | 2 |
| SOC 110 Introduction to Sociology | 3 | Gen Ed Humanities & Fine Arts | 3 |
| STAT 330 Introductory Statistics | 3 | Gen Ed Science & Technology (w/lab) | 4 |
| Gen Ed Science & Technology | 3 | Non-Major Elective | 3 |
| 15 | 15 | ||
| Junior | |||
| Fall | Credits | Spring | Credits |
| ENGL 320 Business and Professional Writing | 3 | BUSN 430 Legal and Social Environment of Business | 3 |
| FIN 320 Principles of Finance | 3 | MIS 320 Management Information Systems | 3 |
| MGMT 320 Foundations of Management | 3 | BUSN 340 International Business | 3 |
| MRKT 320 Foundations of Marketing | 3 | MGMT 470 Entrepreneurial/Small Business Management | 3 |
| Gen Ed Cultural Diversity | 3 | 300-400 Level Business Elective (1) 1 | 3 |
| 15 | 15 | ||
| Senior | |||
| Fall | Credits | Spring | Credits |
| BUSN 431 Business Law I-Contracts, Property and Torts | 3 | BUSN 489 Strategic Management | 3 |
| 300-400 Level Business Electives (3) 1 | 9 | 300-400 Level Business Electives (3) 1 | 9 |
| Non-major Elective | 2 | 300-400 Level Elective | 3 |
| 14 | 15 | ||
| Total Credits: 120 |
| 1 | These 21 credits (7 business elective courses) must include at least 3 different course prefixes within the College of Business (i.e., ACCT, BUSN, ENTR, FIN, MGMT, MIS, and MRKT). |
| Note: Business Administration majors can pursue a supply chain management track as part of their program, provided that the 300-400 level business and free electives taken meet the track requirements. |
View NDSU equivalencies of transfer courses at: www.ndsu.edu/transfer/equivalencies
Barry Hall
Room 300
Barry Hall is located in downtown Fargo at 811 2nd Ave. N. (Campus Map)
Contact Information
College of Business
NDSU Dept 2400
PO Box 6050
Fargo, ND 58108-6050
DEPT PHONE: (701) 231-8651
DEPT WEBSITE: https://www.ndsu.edu/business/programs/undergraduate/majors/
Office of Admission
North Dakota State University
Ceres 114
Dept #5230, PO Box 6050
Fargo, ND 58108-6050
Tel: (701) 231-8643 / Fax: (701) 231-8802
Email: NDSU.Admission@ndsu.edu
Web: www.ndsu.edu/admission/
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