Bachelor of Science in Business Administration – General Business

4 Years On Campus Bachelors Program

San Diego State University

Program Overview

The Bachelor of Science in Business Administration – General Business at San Diego State University is designed for students who want a broad understanding of how different areas of business work together, while still having the flexibility to explore subjects such as accounting, finance, management, information systems and marketing. It suits students who want versatile business knowledge for careers across retail, sales, services and other business environments, with opportunities to build more specialized knowledge through their elective choices.

Curriculum Structure

Year 1: Students begin by developing the core academic foundation needed for business study through subjects such as ACCTG 201: Financial Accounting, ACCTG 202: Managerial Accounting, ECON 101: Principles of Economics (Macro) and ECON 102: Principles of Economics (Micro). They also build quantitative, communication and technology skills through MATH 120/150: Calculus for Business Analysis, STAT 119/ECON 201: Elementary Statistics for Business or Statistical Methods, MIS 180: Principles of Information Systems and RWS 290: Business Communications.

Year 2: Students move into the Fowler College of Business core, developing knowledge across major business functions through BA 300: Ethical Decision Making in Business, BA 310: Foundations of Business in a Global Environment, BA 323: Fundamentals of Finance, BA 350: Management & Organizational Behavior and BA 370: Marketing. BA 360: Introduction to Operations & Supply Chain adds an understanding of how organizations manage operations and supply networks.

Year 3: Students begin tailoring the General Business degree to their interests by selecting courses from areas such as accountancy, finance, management, management information systems and marketing. Options include ACCTG 325: Intermediate Managerial Accounting, FIN 327: Investments, MGT 352: Human Resource Management, MIS 306: Information Systems Analysis and MKTG 371: Consumer Behavior, allowing students to develop focused knowledge while retaining the broad business perspective of the degree.

Year 4: In the final stage, students can strengthen their professional direction through BA 404: Small Business Consulting, MGT 405: International Business Strategy & Integration or BA 458: Management Decision Games, alongside 400- and 500-level Fowler College of Business electives. This flexible structure allows students to combine knowledge from multiple business disciplines and prepare for roles requiring an overarching understanding of business operations.

Focus areas: Accounting, finance, management, management information systems, marketing, operations and supply chain, international business, entrepreneurship, small business consulting

Learning outcomes: Broad understanding of business functions, cross-disciplinary business knowledge, financial and accounting understanding, management and organizational knowledge, marketing knowledge, information-systems awareness, operations and supply-chain understanding, ethical and global business awareness

Professional alignment (accreditation): The BSBA General Business program is offered through SDSU's Fowler College of Business, which has maintained AACSB accreditation since 1959. AACSB accreditation provides an external quality framework for business education and connects the college with internationally recognized standards in business education.

Reputation (employability/business rankings): Fowler College of Business is ranked #41 among public undergraduate business programs and #64 nationally in the 2026 U.S. News & World Report rankings. Fowler also reports #38 for Career Outcomes among public business schools and #91 nationally in the 2025 Poets & Quants rankings.

Experiential Learning (Research, Projects, Internships etc.)

The Bachelor of Science in Business Administration – General Business gives students opportunities to connect broad classroom knowledge with practical business situations. Fowler's curriculum includes applied options such as BA 404: Small Business Consulting and BA 458: Management Decision Games, while students can also use internships, business competitions, student organizations and career-development resources to practise communication, analysis, decision-making and professional skills.

Students can build practical experience across several business disciplines through the following opportunities:

Small Business Consulting: BA 404: Small Business Consulting provides an applied option within the General Business curriculum, allowing students to explore business issues through a consulting-oriented course.
Management Decision Games: BA 458: Management Decision Games gives students an opportunity to develop decision-making skills in an applied business setting.
Business internships: Fowler provides internship opportunities where students can gain professional experience and connect classroom learning with workplace practice. The Management Department specifically notes that internships may be in general business, marketing, HR and other business areas.
Career preparation through Handshake: The Partrick-Clayes Center for Career Development provides Fowler students with Handshake, career resources, events and employer connections, while working with employers to facilitate connections with students and alumni.
Industry-facing sales experience: Fowler's Undergraduate Sales Competition has students work through a real-world business-to-business sales scenario created by Fastenal, with representatives from Fastenal, Cintas, E. & J. Gallo Winery, Triad Components Group and Rite-Hite providing feedback and coaching.
Case competitions: Fowler students participate in case competitions that require teams to analyze business situations, develop solutions and present their work to professional judges, giving students experience in teamwork, analysis and presentation.
Financial Markets Lab: General Business students can also access Fowler's Financial Markets Lab, which provides 12 Bloomberg Terminals and real-time financial-market data. The lab is available to students regardless of major and supports academic projects and financial literacy.
Business student organizations: Fowler offers more than 27 business student organizations, providing additional opportunities for networking, leadership, professional events and business-related activities.
Management Consulting Club: Students interested in consulting can participate in activities such as speaker events, case-interview preparation, resume workshops, networking events and recruitment activities.
Marketing and community projects: The American Marketing Association at SDSU has provided students with opportunities to work on marketing advice and rebranding projects for local businesses.

Facilities and student resources: Fowler College of Business provides career-development resources, business student organizations, the Financial Markets Lab, internship support and employer-engagement activities that complement classroom learning.

Progression & Future Opportunities

The Bachelor of Science in Business Administration – General Business is designed for graduates seeking roles that require broad business knowledge rather than specialization in one business discipline. SDSU specifically identifies retailing, sales and other service industries as examples of career areas for General Business graduates, while the degree's cross-functional curriculum can also support opportunities across management, operations, marketing and business services.

Typical career roles: Sales Representative, Retail Manager, Management Analyst, Business Development Specialist

Students can further develop their professional opportunities through:

Career services: The Partrick-Clayes Center for Career Development helps Fowler students develop career and professional readiness through business-focused resources, Handshake, events and employer connections. The center also works with employers to build their presence on campus and connect them with Fowler students and alumni.
Employment outcomes: Fowler reports that 68% of undergraduate students are employed or continuing education after graduation, with an average full-time salary of $54,000 listed in its current college statistics. These figures are for Fowler undergraduate students overall rather than specifically for General Business graduates.
Employer engagement: Fowler provides career fairs, on-campus recruiting, job and internship postings, information sessions and employer engagement opportunities. The college's recruiter resources also allow organizations to connect with Fowler students and alumni.
Industry-connected internships: Fowler's internship activities connect students with organizations across areas including business development, marketing, human resources, operations and entrepreneurial ventures, providing opportunities to work on practical projects such as market research, lead generation, event planning and strategy development.
Professional networking: Fowler's business organizations and career activities provide opportunities to interact with alumni, professionals and employers. For example, the Management Consulting Club offers industry speaker events, networking and recruitment activities.
Long-term accreditation value: Fowler College of Business has been AACSB accredited since 1959, providing an established external quality framework for its business education.
Graduation and progression: Fowler reports a 77.8% six-year graduation rate for first-time freshmen and an 87.6% four-year graduation rate for community-college transfer students; these are college-level figures rather than outcomes specifically for General Business majors.

Further Academic Progression: After completing the Bachelor of Science in Business Administration – General Business, students can consider graduate-level business education at SDSU, including programs offered through Fowler College of Business. Graduate study can allow students to develop deeper expertise in areas such as management, finance, marketing, information systems or other business disciplines depending on the graduate program selected.