Business Administration

The Undergraduate Business Program at Saint Mary’s College is committed to preparing students for successful careers in a world of commerce that is ever-changing and increasingly complex. Students who major in Business Administration gain technical expertise in a liberal arts learning environment where intellectual inquiry, ethical sensitivity, and communication skills are nurtured by an accomplished and caring faculty.

Saint Mary’s Undergraduate Business Program offers an exciting curriculum, grounded in responsible leadership and global business. The general business program gives students an understanding of all functional areas of business. For those interested in an in-depth study of a particular discipline, the Undergraduate Business Program, also offers a variety of concentrations: Business Analytics, Digital Media, Entrepreneurship, Finance, Global Business, Intercultural-Interfaith Leadership, and Marketing. All of these programs prepare students for careers in business, including: financial analyst, business intelligence analyst, marketing manager, project manager, organizational and global business leader, social media analyst, and client services manager. Additionally, some students pursue graduate business degrees, law school or other graduate study.

SEBA Undergraduate Career Services offers career exploration, job search strategies, and resume/cover letter preparation for students. Internships are one of the best ways to gain valuable work experience during an undergraduate career with numerous opportunities to be pursued. Additionally, many business students engage in study abroad opportunities to expand their global perspective and cultural awareness. Extracurricular engagement in SEBA student clubs and national honor societies give students leadership development experience and recognition.

Faculty

Berna Aksu, PhD, Professor

Marco Aponte, PhD, Associate Professor, Management Department Chair

Jyoti Bachani, PhD, Associate Professor

Caroline Burns, PhD, Associate Professor

Kim Clark, PhD, Associate Professor, Associate Dean, Graduate Programs

Jake Cowan, PhD, Assistant Professor

Barry Eckhouse, PhD, Professor

Michael Hadani, PhD, Professor

Jivendra Kale, PhD, CFA, Professor

Eric J. Kolhede, PhD, Professor

Nancy Lam, PhD, Associate Professor

Kimberly Legocki, DBA, Adjunct

Yuan Li, PhD, Associate Professor, Organizational Behavior and Responsible Business Department Chair

Tee Lim, PhD, Adjunct

Barbara A. McGraw, JD, PhD, Professor

Mary Alice McNeil, MA, Adjunct, Associate Professor

Kevin Okoeguale, PhD, Associate Professor, Finance Department Chair

George Papagiannis, Adjunct

Mina Rohani, PhD, Assistant Professor

Grant Rozenboom, Assistant Professor

Michal Strahelivitz, PhD, Associate Professor

Saroja Subrahmanyan, PhD, Professor, Marketing Department Chair

Jan Warhuus, PhD, Associate Professor

Lili Yan, JD, PhD, Associate Professor

Xiaotian Tina Zhang, PhD, Professor

Norman S. Bedford, PhD, Professor Emeritus

David Bowen, PhD, Professor Emeritus

James Hawley, PhD, Professor Emeritus

Program Learning Outcomes

Graduates will be:

Effective business analysts.
Effective business communicators.
Ethically conscious and socially responsible business people.
Leaders who understand the impact of globalization.

Structure of the Business Programs

The business major consists of the Common Business Core plus either the requirements for General Business or the choice of one of the available Concentrations: Business Analytics, Digital Media, Entrepreneurship, Finance, Global Business, Intercultural-Interfaith Leadership, and Marketing. The Business Analytics concentration cannot be taken with a Data Science minor.

Business Program in Brief

*Note: Common Business Core required courses are listed below under “Major Requirements”

Developing a Graduation Plan

Faculty Advising and Course Availability

Common Business Core courses are offered every semester and some courses are offered less frequently. Annual course offerings will be published on the website. Students must develop a graduation plan with their faculty advisors to schedule classes in order to complete their program of study.

Advising and Special Action Petitions

Successful completion of the Business major by the expected graduation date requires careful planning. Students are responsible for their own program plan, which includes meeting with their advisors to go over the students’ plan for completion of their degree programs. Special accommodations to modify the program are unlikely (e.g., waiver of prerequisites or substitution of courses). Requests will be reviewed for approval by the Business Administration Program Director. Students may submit a Special Action Petition through the Registrar’s Office for review by the BUSAD Program Director.

Prerequisites:

Students should finish all lower division Common Business Core courses before starting most of their general business or concentration required courses. Students must earn a C- or higher grade in all prerequisites and corequisites. If a course that acts as a prerequisite or corequisite to another course is not earned at a C- it must be repeated. Also, students must pay careful attention to course prerequisites or corequisites, which affect how courses must be sequenced. (A prerequisite table is available on the SEBA resources webpage). For example, to be eligible to take BUSAD 196 , which is the Business program capstone course, students must have previously (not concurrently) completed all lower division Common Business Core courses, the SMC core curriculum math requirement and at least BUSAD 123 , BUSAD 124 , and BUSAD 132 .

Saint Mary’s Business Program Residency Requirements:

The majority of the courses required for the major must be taken at Saint Mary’s College. All concentration courses must be taken at Saint Mary’s College, unless taken in conjunction with study abroad or taken as an elective and not to fulfill a concentration requirement. Seven of the last 9 courses must be taken at Saint Mary’s.

Students may transfer credit for a maximum of two upper-division business courses.

Math Requirement:

Math is an SMC core requirement. The Business Department highly recommends that students complete MATH 003 , MATH 026 or MATH 027 to be sufficiently prepared for business courses and a business career. Please refer to the major and minor requirements for additional information on math,

Major Requirements

Students must complete the “Common Business Core” and courses for either General Business or one of the following concentrations: Marketing, Finance, Entrepreneurship, Global Business, Business Analytics, Digital Media, or Intercultural-Interfaith Leadership. The Business Analystics concentration cannot be taken with a Data Science minor.

The concentrations are designed for students motivated to explore critical business disciplines in greater depth, focus, and intensity for preparation for careers or graduate education in the field of the concentration. Students may choose to complete more than one concentration; however, doing so may require additional time beyond the usual four years.

Internships

Students who want to combine study with practical experience in business should contact the SEBA Career Services Office for information on a variety of opportunities available in both the private and public sectors. Course credit for internships may be available through enrollment in BUSAD 195 (1 credit or .25 credit) prior to beginning the internship. Before the end of the dropp/add period of the semester during which a student wants to enroll in BUSAD 195 the student’s must submit an academic plan developed with a faculty sponsor for approval by Associate Dean.

Programs

Bachelor of Science

Minor

Business Administration Minor

Courses

Business Administration - Lower Division

Business Administration - Upper Division