Bachelor of Science in Business in Business Administration

4 Years On Campus Bachelors Program

University of Kansas

Program Overview

The University of Kansas Bachelor of Science in Business in Business Administration gives students a broad, flexible business education while building communication, leadership, analytical and problem-solving skills across multiple business disciplines. It is particularly well suited to students who want flexibility to explore areas such as finance, marketing, management, information systems, supply chain, business law and accounting while preparing for diverse careers, entrepreneurship or further study.

Curriculum Structure

Freshman Year: Students begin by developing a strong foundation in business and quantitative skills through courses such as BUS 150 – Market Foundations of Business, ACCT 200 – Fundamentals of Financial Accounting, MATH 115 – Calculus I, and ECON 142 – Principles of Microeconomics. They also start the Business Professional Development Program with BUS 110 – Introduction to Professionalism, giving them an early focus on professional preparation alongside their KU Core 34 studies.

Sophomore Year: The second year broadens students' understanding of organizations and business decision-making through subjects including MGMT 310 – Principles of Management, BSAN 202 – Statistics, BUS 205 – Business Writing and Communication, and SCM 310 – Management Science and Operations Management. Students also take BUS 210 – Career Management and Planning and begin shaping their professional direction through the School of Business professional development sequence.

Junior Year: Students move into more advanced business study, combining areas such as MKTG 310 – Marketing, BSAN 310 – Introduction to Business Analytics, BLAW 301 – Legal Aspects of Business, BE 301 – Managerial Economics, and FIN 310 – Finance. The Business Administration major then gives students considerable choice, requiring 21 hours of advanced business coursework at the 320 level or above across at least three business disciplines.

Senior Year: The final year focuses on advanced business electives and integration of the knowledge gained throughout the degree. Students complete additional 320-level or higher business courses and finish with MGMT 498 – Business Strategy Capstone or MGMT 499 – Business Strategy Capstone, Honors, bringing together strategic thinking, collaboration and business problem-solving.

Focus areas: Accounting, business analytics, business law, finance, information systems, management and leadership, marketing, supply chain management, entrepreneurship and interdisciplinary business decision-making.

Learning outcomes: Effective oral and written communication, analytical problem-solving, collaboration and leadership, knowledge across multiple business disciplines, and the ability to understand how different areas of business integrate.

Professional alignment (accreditation): The KU School of Business and its B.S.B. programs are accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB), an internationally recognized business-school accreditation.

Reputation (employability/rankings): KU School of Business is ranked No. 44 among public undergraduate business programs by U.S. News & World Report for 2026. KU reports that 83% of 2024–25 BSB graduates were employed within six months of graduation, while Business Administration graduates specifically had a $50,000 median starting salary and 82% employment rate six months after graduation.

Experiential Learning (Research, Projects, Internships etc.)

Students in KU's Business Administration program can connect classroom learning with professional experience through the School of Business's required experiential-learning component. Opportunities include internships, micro-internships and undergraduate research, while Handshake, career advising, KU Connect mentoring and study-abroad opportunities help students identify and prepare for practical experiences. Students can also take advantage of specialized business facilities such as Capitol Federal Hall and the McCarthy APM Finance Lab, where eligible students can work with Bloomberg terminals and real financial-market data.

Specific opportunities and facilities include:

Internships and micro-internships: The Business Professional Development Program requires qualifying experiential learning before students can enroll in the MGMT 498 Business Strategy Capstone. Students can use Handshake to submit and manage approved experiences.
Undergraduate research: Research can count toward the School of Business experiential-learning requirement, allowing students to gain experience beyond regular classroom coursework.
Business Career Services: Students receive support with internship and job searches, resume development, interview preparation, networking and professional development through advisors based in Capitol Federal Hall.
Applied Portfolio Management: Students from business administration and other majors can participate in a student-managed investment experience involving company analysis, stock recommendations, valuation work and presentations to professionals.
McCarthy APM Finance Lab: The lab provides access to Bloomberg terminals, giving students hands-on exposure to financial-market data, analytics and business information tools.
Study abroad: KU Business provides a dedicated Business Administration study-abroad guide, and 485 KU Business students participated in study abroad during 2025–26.
Employer engagement: Students can interact with employers through business career fairs, classroom and student-organization presentations, employer panels, mock interviews, mentoring and other recruiting activities.
Capitol Federal Hall: The School of Business's dedicated facility houses career services and specialized business learning spaces and provides the main environment for many professional and academic activities.

Progression & Future Opportunities

The Business Administration major is designed around flexibility, allowing graduates to pursue careers across management, sales, human resources, customer service, real estate, entrepreneurship and other business functions. KU's most recent Business Administration data reports an 82% employment rate six months after graduation and a $50,000 median starting salary for 2024–25 graduates, while the broader BSB cohort recorded 83% employment within six months.

Typical career roles include Branch Manager, Customer Service Manager, Human Resource Administrator and Property/Real Estate Manager, with additional opportunities in sales, entrepreneurship, recruiting and general management.

Career development and progression are supported through:

Business Career Services: Individual career advising covers choosing a major, resume preparation, interview preparation, internship and job searches, networking and LinkedIn strategies.
Employer connections: The School of Business hosts career fairs and employer engagement activities, with 100+ employers attending the 2025 Business Career Fair and 75 employer guest speakers during fall 2025.
Industry engagement: Employers including Koch Industries, KPMG, RSM US and Forvis Mazars were listed among the 2026 Business and Accounting Career Fair sponsors, while KU also facilitates employer interviews, panels, mock interviews and the Kansas Micro-Internship Program.
Professional development: The six-course Business Professional Development Program includes BUS 110 – Introduction to Professionalism, BUS 210 – Career Management and Planning and BUS 230 – Introduction to Professions in Business, connecting academic study with career preparation.
Accreditation value: AACSB accreditation provides an internationally recognized quality framework for the KU School of Business and its undergraduate business programs.
Graduate outcomes: KU reports that 83% of 2024–25 BSB graduates were employed within six months, while Business Administration graduates specifically reported an 82% six-month employment rate.

Further Academic Progression: After completing the B.S.B. in Business Administration, students can use the degree's flexible elective structure to pursue further study. KU's School of Business offers graduate programs including the Master of Business Administration, Master of Accounting, Master of Science in Business Analytics, Master of Science in Organizational Leadership, Master of Science in Supply Chain Management and Logistics, and Ph.D. in Business; the broad undergraduate curriculum can also support students planning non-business graduate study such as law, dentistry or medicine.