Business Management Bachelor of Science in Business Administration

4 Years On Campus Bachelors Program

University of Arizona

Program Overview

The Business Management BSBA at the University of Arizona’s Eller College of Management prepares students for managerial roles by developing their understanding of hiring, training, coordination, business strategy and organizational decision-making. The flexible major allows students to tailor their studies to their interests while building practical business knowledge and experience for careers across a wide range of organizations and industries.

Curriculum Structure

First Year:
Students establish their business foundation through courses such as MIS 111: Computers and Internetworked Society, MIS 112: Computers and Internetworked Society Lab, and MATH 116: Calculus Concepts for Business Majors. BNAD 100: Language and Context of Business also introduces students to business industries and professional career fields, while general education and second-language requirements broaden their academic foundation.

Second Year:
Students develop core business knowledge through BNAN 276: Statistical Inference in Management, ACCT 200: Introduction to Financial Accounting, and ECON 200: Basic Economic Issues. They then progress to ACCT 210: Introduction to Managerial Accounting, BNAN 277: Analytical Methods for Business, and BCOM 214: Fundamentals of Business Communication, while beginning the process of applying for Eller Professional Admission.

Third Year:
After gaining Professional Admission, students move into the upper-division professional curriculum and focus more directly on management and organizational topics. Business Management electives can include subjects such as Human Resources Management, Production and Operations Management, Bargaining and Negotiation, International Management, Supply Chain and Logistics, and Managing Groups and Teams, allowing students to shape the degree around their career interests.

Fourth Year:
Students complete advanced professional and major coursework while applying their knowledge to strategic and organizational challenges. The degree concludes with MGMT 471, which the University of Arizona requires during the student's final semester of the professional program, alongside selected Business Management major electives and the required entrepreneurship and innovation component.

Focus areas

Business strategy, management and organizations, human resources, operations management, international management, supply chain and logistics, negotiation, entrepreneurship, organizational analysis, leadership and business communication.

Learning outcomes

Students learn to evaluate competitive positioning and organizational resources, analyze strategic business situations, understand how economic, social, political and technological forces influence organizations, address ethical and social issues, and develop workable solutions to complex business problems.

Professional alignment (accreditation)

The Business Management BSBA is offered through the Eller College of Management, which is AACSB accredited.

Reputation (employability rankings)

The University of Arizona's Management and Organizations department states that its Business Management major is ranked #16 among public programs and #32 overall by U.S. News & World Report. Eller also reports that 90% of undergraduates are employed or enrolled in graduate school full-time 60 days after graduation across the college's undergraduate programs.

Experiential Learning (Research, Projects, Internships etc.)

Business Management students gain practical experience through Eller’s career-development activities, internships, faculty research and employer engagement. The program also incorporates career preparation directly into the student journey, including company interaction, career fairs, externships, internships and opportunities to participate in real-world projects and case competitions.

Students can apply their classroom learning through:

Management internships: The Management and Organizations Department sponsors an internship program in which students gain practical experience, complete assigned materials, attend seminars and prepare an internship report.
Faculty research: Business Management students can participate in faculty research projects, giving them an opportunity to contribute to research beyond standard coursework.
Eller Externships: Students can participate in one-day job-shadow experiences to explore specific industries and professional environments.
Real-world projects and case competitions: Eller actively seeks employer participation in classroom projects, case competitions, mentoring and other experiential-learning activities.
Eller Expo: The annual Eller Expo connects Business Management students with corporations, government agencies and nonprofit organizations for internship and full-time opportunities; the 2024 event recorded approximately 1,600 check-ins.
Career Showcase and Career Days: Students can meet potential employers through Eller Career Showcase, Eller Expo and University of Arizona Career Days.
Eller Career Coaching: Students can meet with an Eller Career Coach to discuss career interests, internship goals and employment opportunities.
Student consulting organizations: Organizations such as Students Consulting for Nonprofit Organizations give students opportunities to develop professional skills and engage with organizations.
Management and professional student organizations: The Eller Management Association (EMA) and other Eller organizations provide networking, career information, leadership opportunities and professional activities.
Career technology and employer networking: Eller Career Coaches distribute internship and job opportunities through Handshake, including the weekly Tuesday Job Blast, while employers participate in career fairs and interviews.

Progression & Future Opportunities

The Business Management BSBA prepares graduates for management and organizational roles across industries including manufacturing, healthcare, hospitality, government, charities and other organizations. The University of Arizona identifies opportunities in project management, human resources, organizational analysis, operations, business development, sales and hospitality management.

Typical career roles include: Management Development Trainee, Project Manager, Human Resources Administrator, Business Development Specialist

Career development and graduate outcomes

Career coaching: Eller provides dedicated career coaching to help students with professional development, internships and job opportunities.
Employer networking: The Eller Expo brings corporations, government agencies and nonprofit organizations together with students seeking internships and full-time employment.
Internship preparation: Eller strongly encourages students to gain career-related experience before graduation and provides resources for finding internships and connecting with employers.
Employment/graduate-school outcome: Eller reports that 90% of undergraduates are employed or enrolled in graduate school full-time 60 days after graduation.
Salary information: Eller cites a $63,535 national mean starting salary for Business Administration/Management graduates, based on NACE data from Spring 2023. This is a national benchmark rather than a Business Management-specific University of Arizona salary figure.
Employer engagement: Eller incorporates business partnerships, real-world case studies, alumni interaction, classroom speakers, student projects, case competitions and mentoring into its experiential-learning approach.
Professional accreditation: The degree is delivered through Eller College of Management, an AACSB-accredited business school, providing an internationally recognised quality framework for business education.
Long-term career development: Students can build leadership experience through Eller organizations, professional workshops, networking activities and career-related experiences before graduation.

Further Academic Progression:
After completing the BSBA in Business Management, graduates can pursue master's-level study in business, management, finance, business analytics, information systems, economics or related fields. Eller also offers graduate business programs, allowing students to continue developing advanced management and specialist expertise.