Business Management - B.B.A.

4 Years On Campus Bachelors Program

Kent State University

Program Overview

The Business Management B.B.A. at Kent State University prepares students to lead people, manage organizations and solve business problems across a wide range of industries. The program combines management, leadership, human resources, project management, global business, analytics and practical consulting experience, making it suitable for students interested in management careers or entrepreneurship.

Curriculum Structure

Year 1
Students begin with the foundations of business and develop an understanding of how different business functions work together. Courses such as BUS 10123 Exploring Business, COMM 15000 Introduction to Human Communication, and MGMT 24163 Principles of Management introduce business concepts, communication and management fundamentals.

Year 2
The second year develops students' understanding of business operations, financial information and analytical decision-making. Courses including ACCT 23020 Introduction to Financial Accounting, BA 24056 Business Analytics I, and BA 34156 Business Analytics II help students use financial and analytical information to understand and solve business problems.

Year 3
Students move into more specialized management and leadership topics while developing an international perspective. HRM 34180 Human Resource Management, MGMT 34165 Dynamics of Leadership, and BUS 30234 International Business focus on managing people, developing leadership abilities and understanding how business decisions operate in global markets.

Year 4
The final year emphasizes strategic decision-making and applying management knowledge to real organizational challenges. Students study MGMT 44153 Strategic Project Management, MGMT 44163 Global Business Management, and MGMT 44392 Business Consulting and Practicum, giving them opportunities to develop project-management, global-business and consulting capabilities before graduation.

Focus areas

Management and leadership, human resource management, organizational behavior, strategic project management, global business management, business consulting, business analytics, supply chain management, organizational change management, strategic management of innovation and entrepreneurship.

Learning outcomes

Graduates are expected to assess and recommend solutions to human-resource and global-business problems, understand project-management principles and apply leadership principles and theories. The B.B.A. also develops analytical skills, digital technology skills, written and oral communication, teamwork, business ethics and strategic business knowledge.

Professional alignment (accreditation)

The Business Management B.B.A. is offered through Kent State's Ambassador Crawford College of Business and Entrepreneurship, which holds AACSB International accreditation. Kent State states that the college has dual AACSB accreditation in business and accounting.

Reputation (employability rankings)

Kent State reports that its Ambassador Crawford College of Business and Entrepreneurship is ranked among the top business schools in the nation by U.S. News & World Report. For Business Management specifically, Kent State reports an average annual starting salary of $52,989, based on a three-year average of graduating cohorts from 2023–2025.

Experiential Learning (Research, Projects, Internships etc.)

Kent State's Business Management B.B.A. places strong emphasis on applying management knowledge in practical settings. Students work on projects for both profit and nonprofit organizations, can gain professional experience through an internship, and can participate in international-management experiences and consulting projects. The program also connects students with business leaders through the Global Management Center Speaker Series, giving them opportunities to learn from professionals beyond the classroom.

Students can develop practical management skills through:

Business Consulting and Practicum: MGMT 44392 Business Consulting and Practicum is an experiential-learning requirement that allows students to apply management knowledge to practical consulting situations.
Management internship: MGMT 44192 Internship in Management provides students with an opportunity to gain professional work experience while completing an experiential-learning requirement.
International experience: Students can select BUS 30189 International Business Experience or MGMT 44189 International Management Experience, providing an international dimension to their management education.
Hands-on organizational projects: Kent State specifically states that Business Management students gain hands-on experience by working on projects for profit and not-for-profit organizations.
Global Management Center: The Global Management Center (GMC) supports international initiatives, provides opportunities to learn from international speakers and facilitates study-abroad and international faculty-research activities.
Professional development: BUS 30062 Advanced Professional Development is part of the program curriculum and supports students' preparation for professional business environments.
Business Analytics: Students complete BA 24056 Business Analytics I and BA 34156 Business Analytics II, adding analytical skills to their management preparation.
Global business exposure: The university's Global Management Center provides opportunities involving international speakers and study abroad, complementing the program's global-business coursework.
Business community engagement: Kent State's Ambassador Crawford College also operates the John S. and Marlene J. Brinzo Center for Entrepreneurship, which supports entrepreneurial education, research and engagement with the business community.

Progression & Future Opportunities

The Business Management B.B.A. prepares graduates for management and business roles by combining leadership, human resources, project management, global business and analytical skills. Kent State lists potential occupations including general and operations manager, management analyst, project management specialist, sales manager, and transportation, storage and distribution manager.

Typical job roles include: General and Operations Manager, Management Analyst, Project Management Specialist, Sales Manager

Career services: Ambassador Crawford College's Career Services provides students with career education, training and services designed to support their professional development. The college also provides employer-relations support that connects business students with organizations for recruitment and hiring.
Starting salary: Kent State reports an average annual starting salary of $52,989 for Business Management graduates, based on a three-year average of graduating cohorts from 2023–2025.
Internship earnings: Kent State reports an average internship wage of $17 per hour for the Business Management B.B.A.
Potential employers: Kent State identifies employers connected with Business Management graduate employment, including Amazon, Cintas, Fastenal, Huntington National Bank, NASA, Park Place Technologies, PNC, Progressive Insurance, Sherwin-Williams, Swagelok and Union Home Mortgage.
Industry interaction: Students can interact with global business leaders through the Global Management Center Speaker Series presented by Citizens Bank, giving them direct exposure to business professionals.
Industry and community engagement: The Brinzo Center for Entrepreneurship connects entrepreneurial education with the wider business community and supports innovation and engagement.
Professional accreditation: The B.B.A. is delivered through an AACSB-accredited business college, providing an internationally recognized accreditation framework for business education.
Graduate outcomes: The curriculum is designed around management and leadership capabilities, including solving human-resource and global-business problems, understanding project management and applying leadership principles.

Further Academic Progression:
Business Management students can apply early to Kent State's M.B.A. program and double-count 9 credit hours of graduate coursework toward both the B.B.A. and M.B.A. degrees. This provides a structured route for students who want to continue from undergraduate business management into graduate-level business education.