General Business - B.B.A.

4 Years On Campus Bachelors Program

Kent State University

Program Overview

Kent State’s General Business B.B.A. is designed for students who want a broad understanding of business rather than specializing in one area, combining accounting, finance, management, marketing, entrepreneurship, information systems and international business. It suits students who want flexibility across different business careers, while developing analytical, communication, leadership, digital and decision-making skills through a 120-credit curriculum.

Curriculum Structure

Year 1: Students begin by building a foundation in business and professional skills through BUS 10123 Exploring Business, COMM 15000 Introduction to Human Communication and MATH 11010 Algebra for Calculus. They then develop an understanding of digital business environments through CIS 24053 Introduction to Information Systems and Digital Technologies, alongside ECON 22060 Principles of Microeconomics and UC 10162 Introduction to Professional Development.

Year 2: The second year introduces students to core business functions and how organizations operate financially and strategically. Courses include ACCT 23020 Introduction to Financial Accounting, ACCT 23021 Introduction to Managerial Accounting, ENTR 27056 Introduction to Entrepreneurship, FIN 26074 Legal Environment of Business, MGMT 24163 Principles of Management and MKTG 25010 Principles of Marketing, giving students exposure to accounting, entrepreneurship, management, law and marketing.

Year 3: Students move into more advanced business applications, including BA 44062 Supply Chain Management, FIN 36053 Business Finance, HRM 34180 Human Resource Management, and MKTG 35035 Consumer Behavior or MKTG 45045 Advertising and Promotion Management. They also study BUS 30234 International Business and FIN 36063 Individual Investment Strategies, expanding their understanding of financial decision-making, people management, global business and consumer markets.

Year 4: The final year focuses on advanced analysis and integration of business knowledge through ACCT 33061 Financial Reporting Issues and Analysis, BA 34156 Business Analytics II and ECON 32025 Money, Credit and Banking. Students finish with MGMT 44299 Management Capstone, an experiential-learning and writing-intensive course that brings together the knowledge and skills developed throughout the degree.

Focus areas:

General business, accounting, finance, management, marketing, entrepreneurship, human resource management, business analytics, information systems, supply chain management and international business.

Learning outcomes:

Students develop management and leadership abilities, financial analysis skills, global business awareness, consumer-value creation, analytical and critical-thinking abilities, digital technology skills, written and oral communication, teamwork and ethical decision-making.

Professional alignment (accreditation):

The B.B.A. is offered through Kent State’s Ambassador Crawford College of Business and Entrepreneurship, whose B.B.A. accreditation is through AACSB International – The Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business. Kent State lists the B.B.A. as AACSB-accredited, with the next review year shown as 2027/2028.

Reputation (employability rankings):

Kent State states that its undergraduate business programs were ranked No. 1 among public universities in Northeast Ohio by U.S. News & World Report for 2026, while the college's current website reports the same No. 1 regional public-university undergraduate-business ranking for 2027.

Experiential Learning (Research, Projects, Internships etc.)

The General Business B.B.A. connects classroom learning with professional development, internships and employer interaction. Kent State specifically highlights internships as a way for General Business students to gain work experience, while the curriculum includes an Experiential Learning Requirement and courses such as BUS 40192 Internship in Business, where students undertake supervised work experience and prepare a research report connecting their coursework with their professional experience.

Students can also develop professional skills through business career events, networking activities and practical projects, while BUS 30062 Advanced Professional Development covers research and analysis, business proposals and reports, virtual and face-to-face teamwork, networking, negotiation, critical thinking and professional communication.

Specific opportunities include:

Business internships: BUS 40192 Internship in Business (ELR) provides supervised practical experience with a cooperating business or organization, combined with a research report connecting academic learning to workplace experience.
Professional development: BUS 30062 Advanced Professional Development develops workplace skills through business proposals, research and analysis, team-building, networking, negotiation, conflict resolution and professional etiquette.
Management capstone: MGMT 44299 Management Capstone carries the university's Experiential Learning Requirement and Writing Intensive Course designation, giving students a culminating opportunity to apply their business knowledge.
Career fairs and employer networking: The All Business Majors Career Fair welcomes General Business students and connects them with employers recruiting for internships and full-time positions.
International internships: Kent State offers information and funding opportunities for international internships available to business students, including scholarship opportunities.
Career resources: Crawford College Career Services supports students with career exploration, preparation, networking, skills development, experiences, recruiting events and employer engagement.
Digital business skills: The curriculum includes CIS 24053 Introduction to Information Systems and Digital Technologies, while the program's learning outcomes specifically include the ability to use digital technology to analyze business problems and develop solutions.

Progression & Future Opportunities

The General Business B.B.A. prepares graduates for a broad range of business careers because the curriculum combines management, finance, marketing, accounting, analytics, entrepreneurship, human resources and international business. Kent State's official program information identifies careers such as administrative services management, construction management, general and operations management, management analysis and sales management, with salary and occupational data sourced from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Typical job roles include: Management Analyst, General and Operations Manager, Administrative Services Manager, Sales Manager.

Students can further prepare for employment through:

Career Services: Crawford College Career Services provides career exploration, preparation, networking, skills and experience development, career fairs and employer recruiting opportunities.
Internship opportunities: Kent State encourages General Business students to gain work experience through internships, and notes that companies may use internships as an extended job interview.
Employment and salary information: Kent State's program page lists BLS-based occupational data. Examples include General and Operations Managers – $103,650 median annual wage, Management Analysts – $87,660, Administrative Services and Facilities Managers – $98,890, and Sales Managers – $132,290 in the catalog's cited occupational data. These figures are occupation-wide U.S. median wages rather than guaranteed salaries for Kent State graduates.
Employer networking: Business career fairs specifically invite General Business students to meet employers recruiting for internships and full-time positions.
Professional preparation: Students can use career resources for résumé and cover-letter reviews, mock interviews, job-search strategies, internship or shadowing searches, LinkedIn and networking preparation.
Industry engagement: The Ambassador Crawford College emphasizes meaningful engagement with the business community, while career events provide direct opportunities to connect with recruiting employers.
Accreditation value: The B.B.A. is covered by AACSB accreditation, providing an external quality framework for the business education delivered through the college.

Further Academic Progression: General Business students can apply early to Kent State's M.B.A. program. Eligible high-achieving undergraduate students can complete the B.B.A. and master's degree within five years, with 9 graduate credit hours eligible to count toward both degrees under the combined bachelor's/master's pathway.