Business Administration Bachelor of Science in Business Administration

4 Years On Campus Bachelors Program

University of Arizona

Program Overview

The Bachelor of Science in Business Administration at the University of Arizona's Eller College of Management gives students a broad business education across accounting, marketing, management, finance, economics, operations, business technology and strategy. The program is designed for students who want flexible online study while developing practical business skills through applied projects and advanced coursework in areas such as marketing analytics, project management, human resources, innovation and real estate.

Curriculum Structure

First Year:
Students begin with foundational university and business preparation, studying subjects such as WRIT 101 First Year Composition, MIS 111 Computers and Internetworked Society, MIS 112 Computers and Internetworked Society Lab, MATH 112 College Algebra Concepts and Applications, and BNAD 100 Language and Context of Business. These courses establish communication, quantitative, technology and business-context skills needed for the professional business curriculum.

Second Year:
The second year develops students' economic, quantitative, accounting and career skills through courses including ECON 200 Basic Economic Issues, BNAD 200 Career Management in Business, BNAN 276 Statistical Inference in Management, and ACCT 200 Introduction to Financial Accounting. Students also continue their general education and language requirements while preparing for the professional phase of the BSBA.

Third Year:
After Professional Admission, students enter upper-division business coursework and begin developing broader expertise across the business disciplines. Business Administration major study includes areas such as Intermediate Accounting, Marketing Analytics, Economic Strategy for Business Decisions, Human Resources Management, Project Management, and Real Estate Finance and Investment, allowing students to connect analytical and managerial concepts with practical business decisions.

Fourth Year:
In the final stage, students complete advanced professional-core and Business Administration major courses while strengthening their abilities in innovation, strategy, analytics and management. Courses such as MKTG 376 Marketing Analytics, MIS 478 Project Management, ECON 400 Strategy & Game Theory, ENTR 420R Innovation Principles, MGMT 330 Human Resources Management, and FIN 460 Real Estate Investment provide opportunities to apply business concepts to complex organizational and market challenges.

Focus Areas:
Business administration, innovation and strategy, accounting, marketing analytics, finance, economics, management, human resources, project management, real estate, management information systems, operations, business communication, entrepreneurship and business ethics.

Learning Outcomes:
Students develop broad business knowledge, critical thinking, data analysis, business communication, financial analysis, marketing, project management, organizational skills, teamwork and the ability to evaluate global business trends and apply business concepts to real-world organizational challenges.

Professional Alignment (Accreditation):
The Eller College of Management is accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB), an internationally recognized business-school accreditation. The college states that this distinction is held by fewer than 5% of business schools worldwide.

Reputation (Employability Rankings):
For the 2027 U.S. News & World Report rankings released in September 2026, Eller is ranked No. 21 among public undergraduate business programs and No. 33 overall in the United States. Eller also reports that 90% of undergraduates are employed or enrolled in graduate school full-time within 60 days of graduation.

Experiential Learning (Research, Projects, Internships etc.)

The Business Administration major combines online academic study with applied projects designed to develop practical business skills. Students work with real-world cases and datasets, collaborate in teams, complete project-management deliverables, and develop analytical skills using statistical packages and marketing technologies. Eller also provides dedicated career coaching, internship opportunities and employer engagement through career fairs and recruiting activities.

Students can build practical experience through:

Marketing Analytics projects: In MKTG 376 Marketing Analytics, students use statistical packages and work in groups on two Annotated Data Analyses using real-world cases and datasets. Students take the role of a small marketing insights team and present their findings to classmates.
Project-management group work: Business Administration students completing project-management coursework work in groups through deliverables including a SMART Goal, Project Plan, SWOT Analysis, Progress Report, Major Deliverable Paper and After Action Review.
Real-world projects: Eller specifically incorporates real-world projects into the Business Administration curriculum, allowing students to apply the broad business framework to practical organizational situations.
Internships: Eller strongly encourages undergraduate internships, which typically range from approximately three months to one year and provide work-related learning in an occupational field.
Eller Business Careers Institute: Business majors, including online students, can participate in the Eller Business Careers Institute, a summer professional-development opportunity combining independent work with live virtual sessions.
Career coaching: Business Administration students have access to an Eller success coach who provides professional coaching related to internship and job opportunities.
Employer engagement: The Eller Expo connects students with corporations, government agencies and nonprofit organizations seeking interns and full-time employees. The September 2026 event included Business Administration among the participating majors.
Career preparation: BNAD 200 Career Management in Business helps students assess their interests and skills and learn how to communicate with businesses about internships and jobs; students can also attend Eller Expo and Career Showcase events.

Facilities and learning environment:
Eller's McClelland Hall provides business learning and collaboration spaces, while specialized Eller facilities include the Arizona Public Service Technical Classroom, which contains networked computers, collaborative and process-modeling software, multimedia equipment and video-conferencing capabilities for collaborative meetings, research, modeling and training.

Progression & Future Opportunities

The Business Administration BSBA provides a broad foundation that can lead to roles across management, project management, business development, human resources, operations, sales and organizational analysis. Eller states that the major is designed to give graduates flexibility across different professional environments, while its career infrastructure connects students with internships, employers, career fairs, coaching and professional-development opportunities.

Typical Career Roles:
Management Development Trainee, Project Manager, Business Development Specialist, Human Resources Administrator

Key progression opportunities include:

Career services: Eller provides a Professional Development Center, career coaching, Handshake job postings, career fairs, employer events and career-development programming. Students can also use the Eller Expo and Career Showcase to connect directly with potential employers.
Employment outcomes: Eller reports that 90% of undergraduates are employed or enrolled in graduate school full-time within 60 days of graduation.
Salary information: Eller cites a $63,535 national mean starting salary for Business Administration/Management, based on NACE data from Spring 2023; this is a national benchmark rather than a salary figure specifically for University of Arizona Business Administration graduates.
Industry connections: Employers listed by Eller as having hired Business Administration majors in recent years include Accenture, BNSF Railway, Coca-Cola, Deloitte, Enterprise Rent-A-Car, General Mills, Intel, JPMorgan Chase, PIMCO, Raytheon, Stryker, Travelers Insurance, Vanguard and Wells Fargo.
Internship opportunities: Eller strongly encourages internships and provides employer recruiting channels through Handshake and career events, giving students opportunities to gain workplace experience before graduation.
Accreditation value: AACSB accreditation provides an internationally recognized quality framework for the Eller College's business education and is relevant to the long-term professional recognition of the business degree.
Graduation outcomes: Eller reports that its undergraduate students have a 90% combined outcome of employment or full-time graduate-school enrollment within 60 days, while its current employer network spans consulting, finance, technology, manufacturing, healthcare, retail and other sectors.

Further Academic Progression:
Graduates can continue into advanced education in areas such as management, finance, law, government, hospitality, sales, human resources and education. Eller specifically identifies Business Administration as preparation for advanced education across these fields, allowing graduates to build on their broad undergraduate business foundation through relevant master's, professional or other graduate-level study.