Bachelor of Business Administration

4 Years On Campus Bachelors Program

University of Houston

Program Overview

The Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) at the C. T. Bauer College of Business gives students a broad business foundation while allowing them to specialize in one of seven majors: Accounting, Entrepreneurship, Finance, Management, Management Information Systems, Marketing, or Supply Chain Management. Students develop practical knowledge in areas such as accounting, economics, statistics, business technology, communication, business law and ethics, globalization, and strategic business functions, with opportunities to add minors, certificates, learning-abroad experiences, and other specialized programs.

Curriculum Structure

First Year: Students establish the foundation required for the BBA through courses such as Business Principles (BUSI 1301), Business Computer Applications (BCIS 1305), and Finite Math (MATH 1324). They also begin Principles of Financial Accounting (ACCT 2301) and Principles of Macroeconomics (ECON 2301), building an understanding of business operations, technology, quantitative reasoning, accounting, and the wider economic environment.

Second Year: Students continue the business foundation with Principles of Managerial Accounting (ACCT 2302), Principles of Microeconomics (ECON 2302), and Business Statistics (BUSI 2305). Connecting Bauer to Business (BUSI 3302) introduces students to business careers, professional goals, employers, and workplace expectations while also incorporating projects, presentations, and professional communication.

Third Year: Students progress into the advanced business core through courses such as Principles of Finance (FINA 3332), Introduction to Organizational Behavior & Management (MANA 3335), and Introduction to Marketing (MARK 3336). They also study the Global Environment of Business (INTB 3355) and Professional Selling (MARK 3337), connecting financial, managerial, marketing, global, and professional skills across business functions.

Fourth Year: Students concentrate on their selected major and complete advanced business and general electives. Depending on the chosen major, coursework can include Investment Management (FINA 4320) and Corporate Finance (FINA 4330) for Finance, Marketing Strategy & Planning (MARK 4389) for Marketing, Information Technology Project Management (MIS 4374) for Management Information Systems, or Supply Chain Strategy (SCM 4390) for Supply Chain Management.

Focus areas: Accounting, Entrepreneurship, Finance, Management, Management Information Systems, Marketing, Supply Chain Management, with additional specialized tracks and certificates available within the BBA.

Learning outcomes: Business fundamentals, accounting and finance knowledge, quantitative analysis, business technology, communication, organizational and management skills, marketing, global business understanding, ethical decision-making, problem-solving, and specialized knowledge within the student's selected major.

Professional alignment (accreditation): The C. T. Bauer College of Business holds AACSB International accreditation. Bauer states that AACSB accreditation involves rigorous peer review focused on quality, continuous improvement, relevant curricula, qualified faculty, and achievement of specified learning goals.

Reputation (employability rankings): The official Bauer undergraduate page lists the college at #40 among Best Undergraduate Business Schools according to Poets&Quants 2025. Bauer also publishes BBA employment data: for Summer 2024–Spring 2025, the college reported a $70,103 average yearly base salary across reported BBA salaries, based on 512 voluntarily reported accepted salaries.

Experiential Learning (Research, Projects, Internships etc.)

Bauer places substantial emphasis on applying business knowledge to real situations through coursework, internships, case competitions, simulations, consulting projects, and industry engagement. Students can work with corporate and nonprofit sponsors, meet business leaders, participate in career-focused projects, and use specialized business facilities such as the AIM Center for Investment Management and its trading laboratory.

Students can gain practical experience through:

BUSI 3302 – Connecting Bauer to Business: Students meet business leaders and corporate recruiters, complete individual and team projects and presentations, and participate in case competitions or projects sponsored by corporations and nonprofits.
Internships and co-op: Bauer's Office of Experiential Learning supports undergraduate internships, including opportunities for students to receive academic credit and connect classroom learning with workplace experience.
SURE™ consulting projects: Undergraduate business students provide consulting services to Houston-based entrepreneurs, applying business knowledge to real ventures. The program has trained more than 370 student consultants and supported more than 400 businesses that were started or materially expanded.
Case competitions: Bauer provides case-competition opportunities in which students work on business problems and develop practical decision-making, teamwork, and presentation skills.
AIM Center for Investment Management: The center includes a 16-station trading laboratory, a 36-seat classroom, an executive conference room, and a lobby with an electronic ticker and real-time business and financial information.
Finance and investment exposure: The AIM Center provides business students with access to financial information technology supporting applied and experiential learning across business disciplines.
Technology-supported classrooms: Bauer classrooms use technologies including high-speed Wi-Fi, projection systems, cameras, and Zoom/Teams capabilities to support different teaching and learning formats.
Learning Abroad: BBA students can supplement their business education through learning-abroad opportunities focused on global expansion and cross-cultural business.
Career and employer engagement: Bauer's Rockwell Career Center provides access to employer recruiting, business career fairs, internship information, workshops, job postings, interview-preparation tools, and individual career counseling.

Progression & Future Opportunities

The BBA provides a flexible business foundation that can lead into careers across accounting, finance, management, marketing, information systems, entrepreneurship, and supply chain management. Students can combine their major with experiential learning, internships, employer engagement, and specialized certificates or programs to build experience alongside their academic preparation.

Typical career directions include Business Analyst, Financial Analyst, Marketing Specialist, Management Consultant.

Key opportunities and outcomes include:

Career services: The Rockwell Career Center provides Bauer students with the Bauer Career Gateway, job postings, career events and workshops, industry research, interview-preparation tools, on-campus recruiting, internship information, business career fairs, and individual career counseling.
Employment outcomes: Bauer's 2024–25 BBA report recorded 1,385 reported outcomes from 2,058 BBA graduates, giving a 67.3% knowledge rate. The salary portion was based on 512 voluntarily reported accepted salaries.
Salary figures: The reported 2024–25 average yearly base salary across BBA majors was $70,103. Reported averages by primary major included Accounting $72,805, Finance $69,703, Management $61,819, Management Information Systems $74,838, Marketing $64,797, and Supply Chain Management $72,352; the Entrepreneurship figure was $46,371, with Bauer noting that only a small percentage of salaries were reported for that major.
Industry engagement: Bauer's experiential-learning courses connect students with corporate and nonprofit sponsors, while the college's career infrastructure provides employer recruiting, career fairs, and internship opportunities.
Professional accreditation: Bauer's AACSB accreditation reflects a continuing framework of peer-reviewed quality assurance and continuous improvement for business education.
Specialized development: Students can add certificates such as Artificial Intelligence in Business and Business Consulting, while Bauer also offers an accelerated pathway allowing qualified students to take two graduate courses during senior year at undergraduate tuition and reduce the requirements of an MS in Business by six hours.
Entrepreneurship and leadership: Students interested in entrepreneurship can access Bauer's Wolff Center for Entrepreneurship, while the college also offers specialized opportunities in areas such as selling, investment management, and business consulting.

Further Academic Progression: After the BBA, students can continue into graduate-level business education, including Bauer's MS and MBA programs. Qualified BBA students can also use the accelerated BBA/MS pathway, taking two graduate courses during their senior year and reducing the subsequent MS requirement by six credit hours.