Program Requirements
The Design Thinking and Innovation Emphasis prepares students to think and act as a leader who challenges the status quo. Students experience cutting edge innovation and design-thinking techniques necessary for solving the ever changing commercial, social, and environmental challenges of tomorrow. Design Thinking and Innovation students master the ability to recognize opportunity, frame problems, think creatively, manage risk, and launch organizations.
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Base Curriculum | ||
| ACC 201 | Introduction to Financial Accounting | 3 |
| ACC 202 | Introduction to Managerial Accounting | 3 |
| ECON 201 | Macroeconomics (GT-SS1) | 3 |
| ECON 202 | Microeconomics | 3 |
| Select one of the following mathematics courses: | 3-4 | |
| College Algebra (GT-MA1) | ||
| Precalculus (GT-MA1) | ||
| Calculus I (GT-MA1) | ||
| One of the following: | 3 | |
| Spreadsheets and Analysis | ||
| Professional Computer Skills | ||
| One of the following: | 3 | |
| Probability and Statistics (GT-MA1) | ||
| Statistics for Business and Economics | ||
| Total Credits | 21-22 | |
The 15-credit Business Administration Nucleus forms the core for each of the emphasis areas and also comprises the bulk of the Standard Program. It is important that the student achieve a high level of understanding of the basic fundamental concepts represented by these courses to be successful in the completion of the required upper- level course work and in their business career. If BUAD 350 Human Resource Management Human Resource Management is used to satisfy the requirements of the Business Administration Nucleus, then it cannot be used to satisfy the elective requirement within the major.
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Business Administration Nucleus | ||
| BUAD 185 | Business Communication | 3 |
| BUAD 210 | Foundations of Business Law | 3 |
| BUAD 270 | Principles of Marketing | 3 |
| BUAD 360 | Managerial Finance | 3 |
| One of the following: | 3 | |
| Organizational Behavior | ||
| Human Resource Management | ||
| Total Credits | 15 | |
And the following:
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| ACC 255 | Business Structure and Taxes | 3 |
| BUAD 275 | Design Your Life | 3 |
| BUAD 375 | Applied Design Thinking & Innovation | 3 |
| BUAD 382 | Creative Design, Prototyping, and Testing | 3 |
| BUAD 406 | Design Thinking and Innovation Immersion | 3 |
| BUAD 494 | Business Model and Organizational Strategy Design | 3 |
| Select nine credits of the following electives: | 9 | |
| Strategic Negotiations | ||
| Business Analytics | ||
| Advanced Business Law | ||
| Social Media Marketing | ||
| Organizational Behavior | ||
| Marketing Communications | ||
| Global Business | ||
| Sales I | ||
| Consumer Behavior | ||
| Total Credits | 27 | |
Capstone Course Requirement
The following courses in the Business Administration Major fulfill the capstone course requirement: BUAD 494 Business Model and Organizational Strategy Design.
Western Watershed General Education Requirements
Students must complete all Western Watershed General Education requirements to graduate.
Graduation Requirements
Undergraduate programs require a minimum of 120 semester credits for graduation. Of those 120 credits, 40 credits must be in upper-division courses (those marked 300 and above). Fifteen of these 40 upper-division credits must be earned in courses that are part of the standard or comprehensive major program being pursued.
Students are expected to review all graduation requirements, which can be found in the Western Undergraduate Catalog: Graduation Requirements.
Degree Plans are for planning purposes. They reflect a suggested plan to complete the degree in a projected timeframe per program of study.
"Western Watershed Course(s)” refers to a course from the Tributaries area of the Western Watershed program. These courses should be chosen in consultation with the student’s advisor.
Sample Plan
| Year One | ||
|---|---|---|
| Fall | Credits | |
| WWGE: Headwaters 101/102/103/104 | 2 | |
| ENG 102 | Writing and Rhetoric I (GT-CO1) | 3 |
| MATH 140 | College Algebra (GT-MA1) | 3 |
| BUAD 101 | Business of Life | 3 |
| Western Watershed Course(s) | 3-4 | |
| Credits | 14-15 | |
| Spring | ||
| ACC 201 | Introduction to Financial Accounting | 3 |
| ECON 201 | Macroeconomics (GT-SS1) | 3 |
| ENG 103 | Writing and Rhetoric II (GT-CO2) | 3 |
| Western Watershed Course(s) | 6-7 | |
| Credits | 15-16 | |
| Year Two | ||
| Fall | ||
| ACC 202 | Introduction to Managerial Accounting | 3 |
| ECON 216 | Statistics for Business and Economics | 3 |
| BUAD 275 | Design Your Life | 3 |
| Western Watershed Course(s) | 6 | |
| Credits | 15 | |
| Spring | ||
| BUAD 220 | Spreadsheets and Analysis | 3 |
| BUAD 270 | Principles of Marketing | 3 |
| ECON 202 | Microeconomics | 3 |
| Western Watershed Course(s) | 6 | |
| Credits | 15 | |
| Year Three | ||
| Fall | ||
| BUAD 185 | Business Communication | 3 |
| BUAD 210 | Foundations of Business Law | 3 |
| BUAD 375 | Applied Design Thinking & Innovation | 3 |
| Elective | 3 | |
| Western Watershed Course(s) | 3 | |
| Credits | 15 | |
| Spring | ||
| ACC 255 | Business Structure and Taxes | 3 |
| BUAD 333 or BUAD 350 |
Organizational Behavior or Human Resource Management |
3 |
| Elective in major | 3 | |
| Elective | 3 | |
| Western Watershed Course(s) | 3 | |
| WWGE Delta 301/302/303/304 | 1 | |
| Credits | 16 | |
| Year Four | ||
| Fall | ||
| BUAD 360 | Managerial Finance | 3 |
| BUAD 382 | Creative Design, Prototyping, and Testing | 3 |
| BUAD 406 | Design Thinking and Innovation Immersion | 3 |
| Western Watershed Course(s) | 3 | |
| Elective | 3 | |
| Credits | 15 | |
| Spring | ||
| BUAD 494 | Business Model and Organizational Strategy Design | 3 |
| Electives | 12 | |
| Credits | 15 | |
| Total Credits | 120-122 | |
Western is committed to doing our part to provide each student a clear path to graduation. This four‐year degree plan is a sample map for fulfilling requirements in the major and General Education. The pathway that you take to your degree may differ somewhat from this illustration, depending on where you start and the detours and side trips you may take along the way. You are responsible for ensuring your overall, upper division, and major‐specific credits as well as GPA requirements are fulfilled for graduation.