General Business, B.S.B.AD.

4 Years On Campus Bachelors Program

West Virginia University

Program Overview

The General Business, B.S.B.A. at West Virginia University is designed for students who want flexibility rather than a highly prescribed business specialization, allowing them to combine upper-level courses from areas such as accounting, finance, marketing, management, business data analytics, entrepreneurship, human resources and management information systems. The program builds broad business knowledge while allowing students to customize their coursework around their career interests, preparing them for corporate management training and a variety of business careers.

Curriculum Structure

Year 1
Students begin with the fundamentals of business, accounting, economics and quantitative reasoning. Courses such as BCOR 199 Introduction to Business, ENTR 102 Fundamentals of Entrepreneurship, and ACCT 201 Principles of Accounting 1 introduce how businesses operate, how entrepreneurial ideas are developed and how financial information supports business decisions.

Year 2
The second year develops students' understanding of communication, technology, marketing and management. BCOR 299 Business Communication, BCOR 330 Information Systems and Technology, and BCOR 350 Principles of Marketing help students communicate business recommendations, understand technology's role in organizations and examine how businesses create value for customers.

Year 3
Students move into finance, supply chain management, ethics and their individualized upper-level business electives. Courses such as BCOR 340 Principles of Finance, BCOR 360 Supply Chain Management, and BCOR 380 Business Ethics develop knowledge of financial decisions, business operations and ethical considerations, while the major electives allow students to begin specializing in areas aligned with their career interests.

Year 4
The final year gives students substantial flexibility to complete advanced business and economics electives while bringing their business education together through BCOR 460 Contemporary Business Strategy. Students can select upper-division courses in areas such as Business Data Analytics, Finance, Human Resource Management, Management Information Systems, Marketing, Organizational Leadership, Entrepreneurship and Innovation, and Global Supply Chain Management, with no more than nine credits applied from one discipline.

Focus areas

General business, accounting, business ethics, business data analytics, business cybersecurity, economics, entrepreneurship and innovation, finance, global supply chain management, human resource management, hospitality and tourism management, management, management information systems, marketing and organizational leadership.

Learning outcomes

Graduates are expected to think critically and solve business problems, work effectively with individuals and teams, use computer and information technology to solve organizational problems, recognize global-market opportunities and challenges, understand ethical, legal and regulatory considerations, and communicate recommendations effectively in oral and written formats.

Professional alignment (accreditation)

The General Business B.S.B.A. is offered through WVU's John Chambers College of Business and Economics, whose business programs are accredited by AACSB International. WVU reported in 2025 that the Chambers College received a further six-year AACSB accreditation extension.

Reputation (employability rankings)

WVU's General Business page reports a 92% placement rate within six months of graduation, based on the class of 2022 with an 80% response/knowledge rate. The same page reports that 32% of General Business students go into sales, while the Chambers College reported an overall 78.1% post-graduation placement rate for undergraduate students in June 2025. These figures represent different populations and time periods and should not be treated as interchangeable.

Experiential Learning (Research, Projects, Internships etc.)

The General Business B.S.B.A. gives students considerable scope to connect classroom learning with practical business situations because the major can include upper-level electives and professional field experience. WVU's Chambers College also provides experiential-learning opportunities through internships, employer projects, industry exposure and collaborative facilities in Reynolds Hall, giving students ways to apply business knowledge beyond traditional coursework.

Students can build practical experience through:

Customized business projects: Students participating in Data Driven WV can work with external organizations on real-world projects under WVU faculty and staff guidance, gaining exposure to business problems, data-driven solutions and industry contacts.
Professional field experience: The General Business major permits up to three credits of Professional Field Experience to count toward major electives, with additional credits potentially applying toward unrestricted electives.
Internships: Chambers College supports internships and co-ops that allow students to apply classroom concepts in real workplace settings; students can receive academic credit when the internship meets the college's requirements and has faculty sponsorship.
WV Internship Program: WVU's program connects students with public- and private-sector employers and provides opportunities to apply classroom learning through real work situations and projects.
Career and employer exposure: The Center for Career Development organizes career fairs, networking events, employer meetings, company site visits and on-campus interviews with employers recruiting for internships and full-time positions.
Handshake: Students can use WVU's Handshake platform to search for internships and full-time positions, prepare for career fairs and interviews, and connect with employers.
Hayhurst Ideation Hub: Located in Reynolds Hall, this space supports group work, workshops, meetings, presentations and events, providing a collaborative environment for business learning.
Sheedy Experiential Learning Pavilion: This facility is designed to replicate a modern professional business environment and connect corporate partners with student learning. It houses resources including the Encova Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship, Robbins Center for Global Business and Strategy, Professional Sales Institute and Bureau for Business and Economics Research.
Data Analytics Lab: Reynolds Hall includes a dedicated Data Analytics Lab, supporting the college's data-focused learning and research environment.
Becker Academic Engagement Success Center: Students have access to private study rooms, collaborative workspaces, computers and staff support for writing, study skills and tutoring in core business subjects.
Study abroad: BCOR 200 Faculty-Led Study Abroad provides first-hand experience examining business practices in foreign countries and communicating with business professionals and business-school students.

Progression & Future Opportunities

The General Business B.S.B.A. is structured for students who want to keep their career options broad while building a customized business profile. WVU states that graduates can move into areas including government, real estate and business services, with opportunities in sales, project management, business analysis and management.

Typical job roles include: Business Analyst, Management Trainee, Project Management Specialist, Sales Representative

Career development: The Chambers College Center for Career Development provides individualized career exploration, job-search strategies, resume and cover-letter support, mock interviews, career fairs, networking events, company site visits and on-campus interviews.
Handshake career platform: Students can search nationwide full-time positions and internships, connect with employers, prepare for interviews and career fairs, and continue using Handshake after graduation.
Employment outcomes: WVU's General Business page reports 92% of undergraduates placed within six months of graduation, based on the class of 2022 and an 80% response/knowledge rate.
College-wide outcomes: Chambers College reported that 92% of its undergraduate students were employed or enrolled in graduate school six months after graduation in its 2023 outcomes report; the college also reported a 78.1% post-graduation placement rate in June 2025. These are college-wide figures rather than General Business-specific figures.
Industry connections: The Chambers College works with organizations through experiential projects, internships, employer recruitment and career programs. WesBanco, for example, supports Data Driven WV and participates as a core employer for the Chambers College Externship Program.
Real-world business projects: Data Driven WV connects WVU students and faculty with businesses, nonprofits and government organizations to develop data-driven solutions to real-world problems.
Alumni network: Chambers College alumni participate in guest lectures, career coaching, mentoring, resume development, practice interviews and recruitment activities.
Accreditation value: The Chambers College's AACSB accreditation provides an externally recognized quality framework for its business education, and WVU reported a six-year AACSB re-accreditation in 2025.
Graduate outcomes: The flexible General Business structure can support different career directions because students select 30 credits of upper-division business and economics electives across multiple disciplines rather than being restricted to one business specialization.

Further Academic Progression:
After completing the B.S.B.A., students can pursue graduate-level business education at WVU or elsewhere. WVU's General Business program specifically notes graduate-study pathways such as a master's degree in Human Resource Management or an MBA, while the Chambers College offers graduate programs across several business disciplines.