Program Overview
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The Bachelor of Science in Business Administration (BSBA) degree, and the Bachelor of Science (BS) degree, are composed of a curriculum that ensures college-level competence in business and the arts and sciences. The business degree provides ample opportunities for prior learning to be recognized and used in meeting many, if not all, of its degree requirements.
To attain the business degree, students in most areas of study must earn 120 credits distributed as follows: 45 credits in general education, 42 credits in business, 18-24 credits in the area of study, with 18 credits at the 3000 level or above, and 9-15 credits of electives. In addition, students pursuing the BS or BSBA are required to take College Algebra, Statistics, and Quantitative Skills for Business.
Download our Degree Program Profile Sheet for an overview of our Business Administration program.
Outcomes-Based General Education
Thomas Edison State University’s institutional outcomes are closely mapped to the Liberal Education and America's Promise Essential Learning Outcomes (LEAP Outcomes) as documented by the Association of American Colleges and Universities www.aacu.org/leap.
All Thomas Edison State University students who graduate from bachelor’s degree programs will complete 45 semester hour credits of general education, by demonstrating general education competencies and completing general education electives, taken directly from the LEAP Outcomes www.aacu.org/leap. Some of these credits must fulfill specific category requirements and others allow students to tailor a general education experience to their own needs and interests. The categories include intellectual and practical skills with institutional outcomes in communication; information literacy; quantitative literacy and technological competency; human cultures; and the physical and natural world through study in areas including the sciences and mathematics, social sciences, humanities, histories, languages, and the arts. Knowledge of personal and social responsibility with institutional outcomes in diversity/global literacy and responsible global leadership and lifelong learning and integrative and applied learning, including synthesis and advanced accomplishment across general and specialized studies integrated throughout general education and Capstone courses are also included.
Degree Requirements
- College Algebra or Quantitative Business Analysis within Intellectual and Practical Skills section of general education requirements
- Statistics within the requirements of the Professional Business Requirements section
Professional Business Requirements 42 Credits
The business core is composed of 12 business subjects that represent the foundation courses that support the student’s chosen area of study.
Area of Study 18-24 Credits
The area of study is the component of the degree that focuses on the specific business area in an in-depth way.
School of Business and Management Upper Level Degree Policy
Require that baccalaureate students complete a minimum of 18 credits at the upper level (3000 level or higher). Complete 12 upper-level credits in the area of study, the Capstone, and one additional 3 credit course, which can be completed in the area of study or the Business Core.
Students may earn a Bachelor of Science (BS/BSBA) in Business Administration degree in one of the following programs:
• Accounting (BSBA)
• Entrepreneurship (BS)
• Finance (BSBA)
• Healthcare Management (BS)
• Human Resources/Organizational Management (BSBA)
• Marketing (BSBA)
• Operations Management (BSBA)
Students may earn a Bachelor of Science (BS) degree in one of the following areas of study:
• Accounting/CPA* (BS)
• Computer Information Systems (BS)
• General Management (BS)
• International Business (BS)
*Accounting/CPA area of study: This area of study is 24 credits to allow for additional required accounting courses. There are no electives within the Accounting/CPA area of study.
Electives
The elective category may be satisfied by almost any college credits. Academic policies should be reviewed for limitation of credits.
Business Transfer Credits
Within the BS/BSBA areas of study, up to 50 percent of the courses may be older than 10 years from the most current date of application to the University and still apply toward the area of study. The remaining area of study credits must be current, completed within 10 years of the most current date of application to the University. Within the Business Core, the Business Administration Capstone course, has a currency limitation of no more than five years old in order to apply toward the Core requirement. If the course is older than five years, students are required to retake the current version of the course.
NOTE: The University offers a host of ways to earn credit for knowledge obtained in non-collegiate settings. Examples include:
- Courses and examinations approved through National College Credit Recommendation Service (NCCRS) and the American Council on Education (ACE) College Credit Recommendation Service.
- Military service
- License and certifications
- Prior learning assessment (PLA)
The BS/BSBA program is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs (ACBSP).