Program Requirements
A minimum of 57 credits is required, including the 21-credit Base Curriculum, the 15- credit Business Administration Nucleus (students must take BUAD 333 Organizational Behavior in the Nucleus):
| 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 courses:
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| BUAD 275 | Design Your Life | 3 |
| BUAD 311 | Business Analytics | 3 |
| BUAD 350 | Human Resource Management | 3 |
| BUAD 491 | Strategic Management | 3 |
| Select three of the following electives: | 9 | |
| Business of Life 1 | ||
| Introduction to Sustainable Tourism & Hospitality 1 | ||
| Business Ethics | ||
| Advanced Business Law | ||
| Marketing Communications | ||
| Global Business | ||
| Consumer Behavior | ||
| Internship in Business Administration 1 | ||
| International Economics and Globalization | ||
| Total Credits | 21 | |
- 1
No more than three credits from BUAD 101 Business of Life, BUAD 150 Introduction to Sustainable Tourism & Hospitality, or BUAD 499 Internship in Business Administration may be used to satisfy the elective requirement.
Capstone Course Requirement
The following courses in the Business Administration Major fulfill the capstone course requirement: BUAD 491 STRATEGIC MANAGEMENT.
Law School
Western has a 3+3 agreement with the Vermont Law and Graduate School. The Business Administration Comprehensive Major: Management Emphasis (with a 3+3 Juris Doctor from Vermont Law and Graduate School) is for highly qualified and motivated students who are interested in combining their undergraduate education with a professional program in law with a seamless transition from the Business undergraduate program to law school at Vermont Law and Graduate School (VLGS). Students will have the opportunity to achieve a bachelor’s degree and a Juris Doctor (JD) Degree in six years. To participate in this dual degree program, students must:
- complete the Business Administration Comprehensive Major: Management Emphasis 3+3 curriculum, the 37 credit WWGE program, and complete a minimum of 90 credits at Western by the end of their junior year.
- apply for this dual degree program to the BUAD faculty coordinator with a letter of interest no later than the end of their sophomore year (completion of 60 credits) and may not apply until the end of one semester of college is completed. Application includes a letter of interest and development of a degree plan with their advisor that shows that they can meet the BUAD Management emphasis and Western Watershed General Education requirements by the end of their junior year (94 credits).
- apply to VLGS no later than March 31 of their junior year, after taking the LSAT exam no later than February of their junior year.
- once in the program, students must maintain a 3.3 cumulative GPA at all times.
- Students will gain admission to VLGS by meeting the above requirements and earning a GPA above the prior year's median GPA and prior year's median LSAT of their entering class.
- Dual degree students who have matriculated to VLGS transfer up to 30 law school credits back to Western to complete their graduation requirements and receive a bachelor’s Degree.
- Students who meet or exceed the median GPA and LSAT score of the first-year class in residence at VLGS at the time of admission will be granted a Merit Scholarship for at least $30,000 annually at Vermont Law and Graduate School. They may be eligible for additional VLGS institutional aid at the discretion of Vermont Law and Graduate School.
Students who do not meet these standards may not matriculate to VLGS as a dual degree student but are still eligible to apply for admission to VLGS once a bachelor’s degree at Western is completed. Similarly, if students do not complete the undergraduate portion of the Business Administration Comprehensive Major: Management Emphasis (with a 3+3 Juris Doctor from Vermont Law and Graduate School), they will be able to complete the BUAD Comprehensive Major: Management Emphasis to complete a bachelor’s degree at Western and then have the opportunity to apply to VLGS or other law schools of their choice.
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 185 | Business Communication | 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 210 | Foundations of Business Law | 3 |
| BUAD 275 | Design Your Life | 3 |
| BUAD 311 | Business Analytics | 3 |
| Elective | 6 | |
| Credits | 15 | |
| Spring | ||
| BUAD 333 | Organizational Behavior | 3 |
| BUAD 350 | Human Resource Management | 3 |
| Elective | 3 | |
| Western Watershed Course(s) | 6 | |
| WWGE: Delta 301/302/303/304 | 1 | |
| Credits | 16 | |
| Year Four | ||
| Fall | ||
| BUAD 360 | Managerial Finance | 3 |
| Elective | 3 | |
| Western Watershed Course(s) | 9 | |
| Credits | 15 | |
| Spring | ||
| BUAD 491 | Strategic Management | 3 |
| Electives | 9 | |
| Western Watershed Course(s) | 3 | |
| 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.