Business Undeclared

2 Years On Campus Bachelors Program

University of Illinois Urbana Champaign

Program Overview

Business Undeclared at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign gives first-year Gies College of Business students the flexibility to explore different areas of business while building a strong foundation through the Business Core and General Education requirements. It is particularly suited to students who want a broad introduction to business before choosing a specific major such as Finance, Management, Marketing, Information Systems, Operations Management, or Supply Chain Management by the end of their sophomore year.

Curriculum Structure

First Year:
Students begin developing their business foundation through courses such as BUS 101: Professional Responsibility and Business, CS 105: Intro Computing: Non-Tech, and ECON 102: Microeconomic Principles, while also completing General Education requirements. The curriculum introduces professional responsibility, computing, economics and quantitative thinking, helping students understand how different areas of business connect.

Second Year:
Students continue building the Gies Business Core through subjects such as BADM 210: Business Analytics I, BADM 211: Business Analytics II, and BADM 275: Introduction to Operations and Supply Chain Management, alongside remaining General Education coursework. Business Undeclared students can remain in the program for their first two years, but they must declare a Gies major no later than the end of their sophomore year and then complete the remaining requirements for that major.

After Major Declaration:
Once students select their major, they complete the remaining Business Core, General Education and major-specific coursework required for their chosen 124-credit bachelor's degree. The Gies Business Core covers areas including accounting, analytics, economics, finance, marketing, management, operations, strategy, law, computing and professional development.

Focus areas: Business foundations, accounting, business analytics, economics, finance, marketing, management and organizational behavior, operations and supply chain management, business strategy, computing, professional responsibility

Learning outcomes: Students develop a broad understanding of business disciplines, quantitative and analytical skills, professional communication, computing knowledge, ethical and responsible business perspectives, and the ability to identify an appropriate Gies major and apply business concepts to practical situations.

Professional alignment (accreditation):
Gies College of Business is accredited by AACSB International and holds both business and accounting accreditation. AACSB accreditation evaluates areas including faculty qualifications, teaching effectiveness, research contribution, societal impact and student learning outcomes, providing an established quality framework for business education.

Reputation (employability/rankings):
Gies College of Business was ranked #12 nationally and #6 among public undergraduate business schools in the latest U.S. News & World Report undergraduate business rankings reported by Gies in September 2025. Gies also reports nationally ranked specialty areas including management, marketing, management information systems, supply chain and analytics.

Experiential Learning (Research, Projects, Internships etc.)

Gies Business places hands-on learning throughout the undergraduate experience, including a four-year undergraduate cohort sequence designed to connect purpose, professionalism and practical business application. Students can work on real client projects, participate in student consulting, explore entrepreneurship, study internationally and use specialist business facilities such as the Margolis Market Information Lab and the Business Instructional Facility.

Students can build practical experience through opportunities such as:

Undergraduate Cohort Sequence: A four-year hands-on experience that connects classroom learning with professional and real-world business applications.
Illinois Business Consulting (IBC): Students work on project-based consulting assignments for real organizations; IBC reports more than 1,250 completed projects for over 500 clients.
Disruption Lab: Students work with faculty and industry partners on real-world business disruption, emerging technologies and innovation, with the Lab powered in partnership with EY US.
Student Consulting Projects: Projects can involve data and technology, data visualization, financial modelling, market analysis, customer profiling, competitive benchmarking, strategy and go-to-market planning.
Margolis Market Information Lab: Students can access financial research platforms, analytics software and market data used by investment firms, consulting companies and Fortune 500 organizations, with dedicated computer workstations and instructor-led workshops.
Gies Global Programs: Students can take part in semester programs, faculty-led short-term programs and international internships, with opportunities for international study, projects and research.
Business Instructional Facility: BIF provides tech-enhanced classrooms, cooperative laboratories and student-focused facilities including the Margolis Market Information Lab, MakerLab, Office of Career and Professional Development and Undergraduate Success Lab.
Undergraduate Success Lab: Students can access peer advising, tutoring, workshops, study resources and a lending library containing textbooks and technology supporting Business Core coursework.
Wymer Hall: The facility includes dedicated team workspaces, flexible classrooms, collaboration areas, sound stages and content-production studios that support collaborative and project-based learning.

Progression & Future Opportunities

Business Undeclared gives students time to explore different business disciplines before selecting a specific Gies major, after which their career direction becomes more specialized. Depending on the major selected, graduates can pursue roles across areas such as finance, consulting, marketing, information systems, management, operations and supply chain, while Gies provides structured career support, employer connections and practical experiences throughout the undergraduate journey.

Typical career directions after declaring a major include: Business Analyst, Financial Analyst, Marketing Analyst, Operations Analyst

Career & Professional Development: The Office of Career & Professional Development supports students with career exploration, personal branding, interview preparation, employer and industry insights, internship searches and job-search preparation. Students can also meet individually with career advisors to review applications, prepare for interviews and develop a professional strategy.
Employment and salary outcomes: For the 2024–2025 Gies undergraduate cohort, 96% achieved a successful outcome within six months of graduation through employment or continuing education. Gies reports an average starting salary of $81,621 and an average signing bonus of $7,180; 91% of undergraduates completed an internship. These figures apply to Gies undergraduate graduates overall rather than specifically to students while they are Business Undeclared.
Industry-connected learning: Gies' Disruption Lab works in partnership with EY US, while Illinois Business Consulting has worked with organizations including Busey Bank, Heartland Coca-Cola and other corporate and nonprofit clients. Student consulting projects cover areas such as financial modelling, market analysis, data and technology, and strategy and growth.
Internship and global opportunities: Gies Global offers international internships, semester programs and faculty-led experiences, while the college's experiential-learning ecosystem connects students with practical projects and industry-facing experiences.
Long-term accreditation value: Gies holds AACSB business and accounting accreditation, with the accreditation process evaluating faculty qualifications, teaching effectiveness, research, societal impact and student learning outcomes.
Graduation pathway: Business Undeclared itself is not a graduation program. Students must select a Gies major by the end of their sophomore year and then complete the requirements of that major, with Gies bachelor's degrees requiring 124 credits.

Further Academic Progression:
After completing a Gies bachelor's degree, students can continue into graduate-level study at the University of Illinois or another institution. Gies offers graduate programs across areas such as business analytics, management, finance, accountancy and other business disciplines, allowing students to build deeper expertise aligned with their chosen undergraduate major and career direction.