Bachelor of Business Administration

4 Years Online Bachelors Program

Iowa State University

Program Overview

The Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) at Iowa State University’s Ivy College of Business is a flexible, fully online degree-completion program designed for students who have already earned at least 45 college credits and want to strengthen their business knowledge while balancing work or other commitments. Students build a broad foundation across accounting, economics, finance, marketing, management, information systems and supply chain management, then deepen their expertise through upper-level Business Administration coursework focused on managerial and leadership skills.

Curriculum Structure

Early Program: Students establish their business foundation through courses such as BUSAD 1020 Business Learning Team Orientation, BUSAD 2030 Professional Development in Business, MATH 1500 Discrete Mathematics for Business and Social Sciences, COMS 1130 Introduction to Spreadsheets and Databases, ECON 1010 Principles of Microeconomics, STAT 2260 Introduction to Business Statistics, and ACCT 2840 Financial Accounting. These courses strengthen quantitative, analytical and professional skills while preparing students for advanced business study.

Middle Program: Students move into the 27-credit business core, gaining a cross-functional understanding of organizations through ACCT 2850 Managerial Accounting, FIN 3010 Principles of Finance, MKT 3400 Principles of Marketing, MGMT 3710 Organizational Behavior, MIS 3010 Management Information Systems, SCM 3010 Supply Chain Management, and ENTSP 3100 Entrepreneurship and Innovation. MGMT 3720 Responsible Management & Leadership in Business further develops an understanding of ethical leadership and responsible decision-making.

Advanced Program: The Business Administration major provides 21 credits of upper-level study combining required and elective coursework. Students complete MIS/SCM 3400 Project Management, MGMT 4220 Negotiation and Conflict Resolution, and MGMT 4710 Introduction to Human Resource Management, while elective choices such as SCM 4240 Process Management, Analysis, and Improvement, FIN 3300 Financial Markets and Institutions, MGMT 4140 International Management, MKT 3420 Foundations of Personal Selling, and MKT 4470 Consumer Behavior allow students to align their studies with their professional interests.

Final Stage: Students complete advanced business communication and strategic coursework while satisfying the program's graduation requirements, including ENGL 3020 Business Communication, SPCM 3120 Business and Professional Speaking, and MGMT 4780 Strategic Management. The program requires a minimum of 120 credits, with at least 42 credits at the 3000 level or higher from a four-year institution and a cumulative GPA of at least 2.0.

Focus Areas

Business administration, accounting, finance, marketing, management, organizational behavior, entrepreneurship, management information systems, supply chain management, project management, human resource management, negotiation, international management, business communication, strategic management, responsible leadership

Learning Outcomes

Students develop broad business knowledge, analytical and quantitative abilities, professional communication skills, leadership capabilities and the ability to evaluate business problems from multiple functional perspectives. The curriculum also develops practical knowledge in project management, negotiation, human resources, finance, marketing, information systems, supply chain management and strategic decision-making.

Professional Alignment (Accreditation)

The Ivy College of Business curriculum is accredited by AACSB International (Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business). The college states that its AACSB accreditation supports a professional business education covering the major functional areas of business, analytical methods, ethical and global considerations, innovation and leadership.

Reputation (Employability & Official Statistics)

Ivy College of Business reported 4,501 undergraduate business students in spring 2025 and 180 participating organizations at its Fall 2024 Business, Industry and Technology Career Fair. For the 2023–24 BBA graduating group, Iowa State reported 25 graduates with salary information withheld because the sample was too small for reporting, so no BBA-specific average salary should be inferred from the available data.

Experiential Learning (Research, Projects, Internships etc.)

Although the BBA is delivered online as a degree-completion program, students can connect their coursework with professional development, employer engagement and practical business activities through Ivy College of Business resources. The curriculum itself includes applied subjects such as Project Management, Negotiation and Conflict Resolution, Entrepreneurship and Innovation, Management Information Systems and Strategic Management, while Ivy's broader career ecosystem provides opportunities to interact with employers, prepare for internships and develop professional skills.

Students can strengthen their professional experience through these opportunities:

Project Management: MIS/SCM 3400 Project Management gives BBA students dedicated upper-level study in planning, organizing and managing business projects.
Negotiation & Conflict Resolution: MGMT 4220 Negotiation and Conflict Resolution develops practical skills relevant to workplace negotiations, collaboration and managing organizational disagreements.
Management Information Systems: MIS 3010 Management Information Systems introduces students to the role of information systems within modern business organizations, while COMS 1130 Introduction to Spreadsheets and Databases builds practical digital business skills.
Entrepreneurship & Innovation: ENTSP 3100 Entrepreneurship and Innovation gives students exposure to entrepreneurial thinking and innovation within the business curriculum.
Career Fair & Employer Networking: Ivy's Business, Industry and Technology Career Fair connects students with employers; the Fall 2024 fair had 180 participating organizations and 3,385 student attendees.
Career Fair Preparation: Business Career Services offers resume reviews, elevator-pitch practice and career-fair strategy sessions to help students prepare for employer interactions.
Internship Exposure: Ivy promotes internships and co-ops as part of its business career ecosystem and provides events specifically designed to help students learn from current and former interns, including students whose internships converted into full-time positions.
Gerdin Leadership Academy: Ivy students can develop leadership and professional capabilities through the Gerdin Leadership Academy, an opportunity highlighted across Ivy's major-specific career resources.
LinkedIn Learning: Ivy's career resources highlight LinkedIn Learning as a way for students to strengthen professional and technical skills alongside their degree studies.

Progression & Future Opportunities

The BBA provides a broad business foundation that can support careers across management, sales, procurement, human resources, operations and business coordination. Recent BBA graduates listed by Ivy have moved into positions such as Account Coordinator, Inside Sales Representative, Learning and Development Coordinator, Loan Processor, Manager and Procurement Associate, reflecting the program's flexible business focus.

Typical Career Roles: Account Coordinator, Inside Sales Representative, Learning and Development Coordinator, Loan Processor

Career Development & Industry Exposure:

Business Career Services: Students can access career-fair preparation, resume reviews, elevator-pitch practice, networking opportunities and employer-facing career events through Ivy's Business Career Services.
Employer Engagement: Ivy's Fall 2024 Business, Industry and Technology Career Fair brought together 180 participating organizations and 3,385 students, while the Spring 2025 fair included 81 organizations and 1,563 students.
BBA Employment Data: Ivy reported 25 BBA graduates in its 2023–24 employment dataset; salary figures were not reported because the sample size was too small. This should be recorded as NA rather than estimated for a BBA-specific salary figure.
Professional Development: BUSAD 2030 Professional Development in Business is part of the BBA curriculum, giving students dedicated preparation for professional growth alongside their business studies.
Leadership Development: Students can complement their degree with leadership development through the Gerdin Leadership Academy, which Ivy highlights as a way to build professional skills.
Industry Networking: Career Nights and employer events connect students with organizations in areas including finance and technology, sales, accounting, supply chain and management.
Accreditation Value: AACSB accreditation provides an internationally recognized quality framework for business education and covers Ivy College of Business's business curriculum.
Graduation Preparation: The curriculum combines professional development, business communication, strategic management and upper-level functional business study, helping students transition from degree completion into professional roles or further education.

Further Academic Progression:
After completing the BBA, graduates can pursue advanced study in areas such as an MBA, Master of Business Analytics, Master of Finance, Master of Entrepreneurship, Master of Accounting, Master of Accounting Analytics or Master of Science in Information Systems. Ivy College of Business currently lists these graduate programs among its master's-level offerings, allowing BBA graduates to further specialize in business, management, analytics, finance, accounting, entrepreneurship or information systems.