B.S. in Business, concentration in management / business administration

4 Years On Campus Bachelors Program

Virginia Commonwealth University

Program Overview

The B.S. in Business with a concentration in Management/Business Administration at Virginia Commonwealth University develops a broad understanding of management, leadership and business operations, preparing students to help organizations achieve strategic goals and coordinate people and resources effectively. The flexible curriculum combines core business knowledge with management-focused study and electives in areas such as finance, global business, business analytics, marketing and entrepreneurship, giving students room to shape their studies around their career interests.

Curriculum

Year 1: Students begin by developing a foundation in business, accounting, economics, quantitative problem-solving and university-level communication. Courses such as BUSN 201 Foundations of Business, ACCT 203 Introduction to Financial Reporting, ECON 210 Principles of Microeconomics and BUSN 212 Business Problem Solving and Analysis introduce the fundamentals needed for later management study.

Year 2: The second year moves further into organizational and managerial concepts while strengthening students' analytical and professional skills. Students study courses such as MGMT 310 Managing People in Organizations, MGMT 303 Creativity and Ideation, MGMT 319 Leadership, MGMT 321 Survey of Entrepreneurship and SCMA 301 Business Statistics I, alongside business communications and career development.

Year 3: Students build greater depth across management and related business functions, with coursework covering human resources, marketing, operations, finance, information systems and advanced statistics. Key courses include MGMT 331 Human Resource Management, SCMA 302 Business Statistics II, SCMA 320 Production/Operations Management, FIRE 311 Financial Management and INFO 360 Business Information Systems, while major electives allow students to explore areas such as analytics, supply chain, consulting or international business.

Year 4: The final year emphasizes strategic decision-making, negotiation and application of business knowledge. Students complete MGMT 405 Negotiation, Influence and Conflict Management and MGMT 434 Strategic Management, together with major and open electives that can be selected to align the degree with their intended career direction.

Focus Areas

Management and leadership, organizational behavior, human resource management, strategic management, entrepreneurship, negotiation and conflict management, business analytics, operations management, financial management, business information systems, marketing, global business, consulting and supply chain management

Learning Outcomes

Students develop general management competencies for managing people and resources toward organizational goals, together with analytical and quantitative skills for solving managerial problems. The program also develops students' understanding of management concepts, leadership communication, human resource management and the use of data to make informed management decisions.

Professional Alignment (Accreditation)

The B.S. in Business is offered through the VCU School of Business, which is accredited by AACSB International. This accreditation reflects the School of Business's established standards for business education and provides an internationally recognized framework for the quality of its business programs.

Reputation

VCU's School of Business describes itself as a nationally ranked and globally recognized business school with more than 40,000 alumni working in Fortune 500 companies, investment firms, startups and other organizations. The school reports that its AACSB accreditation places it among approximately the top 6% of business schools worldwide.

Experiential Learning (Research, Projects, Internships etc.)

Students can connect classroom learning with practical business experience through internships, consulting projects, student leadership and innovation activities. The curriculum includes MGMT 493 Internship in Management, a three-credit elective that allows students to gain experience in a professional management setting while applying concepts learned in the classroom.

Students can also participate in VCU Business's International Consulting Program, where undergraduate students earn six credits while completing consulting projects for real clients in Richmond and abroad. The program currently includes a consulting project in Richmond followed by an international project in Rome, Italy, providing experience in strategic problem-solving, teamwork, client communication and cross-cultural business environments.

Additional opportunities include student organization leadership, the VCU da Vinci Center for Innovation, Venture Creation University and the International Consulting Program. Students can also use VCU Business Career Services for internships, resume development, interview preparation, career coaching and employer networking through Handshake.

Management internship: MGMT 493 Internship in Management
Consulting experience: International Consulting Program with real-client projects
Innovation experience: VCU da Vinci Center for Innovation
Entrepreneurship exposure: Venture Creation University
Student leadership: Leadership roles in business student organizations and honor societies
Career preparation: Handshake, one-on-one career coaching, resume support and interview preparation
Professional networking: VCU Business Internship & Career Fair and employer events

Progression & Future Opportunities

The B.S. in Business, Management/Business Administration concentration provides a broad business foundation that can support careers across private companies, public organizations and government agencies. Students graduate with transferable skills in leadership, communication, decision-making, data analysis and strategic thinking, allowing them to pursue roles across management, operations, sales, human resources, finance and business analysis.

Typical career paths include Business Analyst, Management Analyst, Operations Analyst and Project Manager, with additional opportunities in client relations, finance, human resources, purchasing, hospitality and government services.

Career development is supported by VCU Business Career Services, which provides one-on-one career coaching, resume and interview support, Handshake access, employer events and internship opportunities. The School of Business also hosts an Internship and Career Fair each semester, connecting students with employers for internships, externships and full-time positions.

Career services: One-on-one coaching, resume support, interview preparation and job-search guidance
Internships: Academic internships can provide professional experience and may count toward degree requirements
Employer connections: VCU Business Internship and Career Fairs bring employers to campus for recruitment and networking
Professional development: Students can access Handshake, LinkedIn Learning, Forage, Parker Dewey and VCU Link
Industry exposure: International Consulting Program projects provide experience working with real clients
Accreditation value: The School of Business is AACSB accredited, providing an internationally recognized business-education credential
Career flexibility: Electives allow students to build additional knowledge in analytics, finance, marketing, entrepreneurship, global business and supply chain management

Further Academic Progression: Graduates can continue into graduate-level business education, including VCU's MBA options such as the Evening MBA, Executive MBA and Online MBA. Students interested in academic research can also pursue advanced study in management, including VCU's Ph.D. in Business with a concentration in Management.