Business (Business Administration), BA

4 Years On Campus Bachelors Program

Arizona State University Tempe

Program Overview

The Business Administration BA at Arizona State University’s W. P. Carey School of Business gives students a broad foundation in business operations while developing practical skills in areas such as forecasting, purchasing, negotiation, strategy, finance, people management and risk. It suits students who want the flexibility to explore different areas of business and prepare for management and leadership roles across a wide range of industries.

Curriculum Structure

Year 1: Students begin with core business and quantitative subjects that establish the foundations for later study, including ECN 211 Macroeconomic Principles, ECN 212 Microeconomic Principles and WPC 150 Business and Society. They also begin developing professionally through WPC 148 First-Year Introduction to Career Development, alongside composition and mathematics coursework.

Year 2: Students strengthen their analytical and business knowledge through subjects such as ECN 221 Business Statistics, while continuing their professional development through WPC 248 Sophomore Career Narrative Design. The curriculum builds the quantitative, communication and problem-solving abilities needed to understand business decisions and organizational performance.

Year 3: Students move further into upper-division business study and develop knowledge of how organizations operate and compete. Key subjects include MGT 300 Principles of Management and Leadership, MKT 300 Marketing and Business Performance and SCM 300 Global Supply Operations, while WPC 348 Junior Networking Foundations helps students connect their academic learning with professional opportunities.

Year 4: Students bring their business knowledge together through advanced coursework including FIN 300 Fundamentals of Finance, LES 305 Business Law and Ethics for Managers and WPC 470 Business Administration Capstone. The final year also emphasizes the transition into professional life through WPC 448 Senior Career Transition Management, upper-division electives and opportunities such as an internship.

Focus Areas

Business operations, management and leadership, finance, marketing, economics, business analytics, forecasting, purchasing, negotiation, strategy, people management, risk management, supply operations, business law and ethics, career development

Learning Outcomes

Students develop the skills to manage business operations, make informed decisions, analyze business information, understand markets, manage people and finances, develop strategies, negotiate effectively and respond to business risks. The program also builds professional communication, networking, problem-solving and career-management skills through dedicated W. P. Carey courses and experiential opportunities.

Professional Alignment (Accreditation)

The Business Administration BA is offered through ASU’s W. P. Carey School of Business, which has maintained AACSB accreditation since 1962. The degree itself is also accredited by the Higher Learning Commission, and ASU states that its accredited programs meet established academic standards and undergo continuous improvement.

Reputation (Employability Rankings)

ASU’s W. P. Carey School of Business is ranked No. 24 nationally for undergraduate business programs in the 2026 U.S. News & World Report Best Colleges Rankings. W. P. Carey also reports that its students are highly sought after by leading companies and provides dedicated career coaching, career fairs, networking opportunities and professional-development programming.

Experiential Learning (Research, Projects, Internships etc.)

The Business Administration BA at ASU's W. P. Carey School of Business is designed to connect classroom learning with practical business situations. Students complete a dedicated WPC 484 Internship for academic credit, while the four-course career-development sequence — WPC 148, WPC 248, WPC 348 and WPC 448 — progressively develops career planning, networking and transition-to-employment skills. Students can also participate in the W. P. Carey Undergraduate Co-op Program, where they work full-time for six months with a partner company on real projects and receive mentoring and professional experience.

Students can gain practical experience through:

WPC 484 Internship: A 3-credit internship included in the current Business Administration BA curriculum, giving students the opportunity to apply business knowledge in a professional setting.
W. P. Carey Undergraduate Co-op Program: Students can work full-time for six months with a W. P. Carey partner company, contributing to real projects, working with mentors and building professional networks.
Business Leadership Capstone – WPC 470: The senior-level capstone brings together students' business knowledge as they approach graduation.
Problem Solving and Actionable Analytics – WPC 300: Students develop practical approaches to solving business problems and using actionable analytics.
Business Operations and Planning – BUS 384: Students explore operational planning and apply business concepts to organizational decision-making.
Career development sequence: WPC 148 introduces career development, WPC 248 develops students' career narratives, WPC 348 builds networking skills and WPC 448 focuses on the transition into professional employment.
Global Education: Business Administration students can undertake international study and internships to gain experience with global business practices, communication and managing people, finances and risk across different cultures.
Employer networking: W. P. Carey hosts business-specific career fairs, mixers, panels and company events where students can interact with recruiters and explore internship and full-time opportunities.
Professional organizations: Students can participate in W. P. Carey business student organizations to develop leadership, networking and professional skills alongside their academic studies.

Progression & Future Opportunities

The Business Administration BA prepares graduates for a broad range of business careers by combining business operations, finance, marketing, leadership, negotiation, project management and people-management skills. ASU identifies career pathways including business analysis, general management, customer service management, human resources and employee training, while W. P. Carey provides structured career support and connections with hundreds of employers.

Typical career roles include Business Analyst, General Manager, Human Resources Manager and Employee Training Manager.

Students can progress toward employment through:

Career Services: The W. P. Carey Career Services Center provides career coaching, resume resources, interview preparation, networking events, career fairs and employer connections. Its Career Management Model covers strategy, market research, product development and operations.
Employer partnerships: More than 650 employers across 35+ industries partner with W. P. Carey to recruit students. Sample employers reported by the school include Amazon, Charles Schwab, Starbucks and Vanguard.
Employment and salary: The W. P. Carey undergraduate Class of 2025 reported an average salary of $59,112. The school's reported top industries include hospitality, financial services, government, real estate and technology.
Professional networking: Students can attend business-specific career fairs, employer mixers, company panels and recruiting events throughout their degree, creating opportunities to meet hiring organizations before graduation.
Co-op opportunities: The six-month W. P. Carey Undergraduate Co-op provides paid, full-time professional experience with partner companies and can help students build relationships that may continue into internships and full-time employment.
Long-term accreditation value: The program is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission, providing institutional recognition and demonstrating that the program meets established academic standards and is subject to continuous improvement.
Alumni network: W. P. Carey reports more than 140,000 alumni, providing a substantial professional community for students and graduates.

Further Academic Progression: After completing the BA, students can pursue graduate study in areas such as management, business analytics, finance, supply chain management, accounting, public administration or an MBA. ASU also offers accelerated bachelor's-plus-master's pathways for eligible high-achieving students, allowing qualifying students to share coursework between undergraduate and graduate programs and potentially complete both degrees in as little as five years.