Business Administration Comprehensive Major: Business Management Emphasis (with a 3+2 Outdoor Industry, Master of Business Administration)

The Business Management emphasis allows students to complete the B.A. in Business Administration (BUAD) and the Outdoor Industry Master in Business Administration (OI MBA) at Western in five years. To remain qualified for the 3+2, upon earning 66 credits each student must have:

• maintained at least a 3.0 cumulative GPA;
• provided three letters of recommendation, at least one of which is to be a professional reference and at least one of which is to be an academic reference from the student’s major at Western;
• written a Statement of Purpose to the OI MBA program, detailing work experience in the outdoor industry, early career ambitions, and ideas and connections for the eventual master’s capstone.

At this point, if any aspect of a student’s performance is found to be insufficient, the OI MBA Director may reject a 3+2 student from the OI MBA program, in which case the student will need to find a new emphasis or minor in order to complete the undergraduate degree. Upon meeting the requirements above, and after Junior Year holding to the same GPA and general performance standards outlined above, the School of Graduate Studies will designate students as “OI MBA candidates with provisional acceptance.” Students who have completed all other requirements of the 3+2 program and all Western undergraduate requirements, yet choose to leave the OI MBA program before Year 5, will still have completed the undergraduate emphasis in Business Management and have earned the 120 credits necessary for a Western undergraduate degree.

The Business Management Emphasis requires a minimum of 48 credits including the 21-credit Base Curriculum, the 15-credit Business Administration Nucleus, BUAD 491 Strategic Management, and nine credits of Business Administration electives. 

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.

At least six credits of the nine credits must be upper-division Business Administration electives, and no more than three credits may be from: BUAD 101 Business of Life and BUAD 150 Introduction to Sustainable Tourism & Hospitality. An internship, BUAD 499 Internship in Business Administration, is required. Electives should be chosen in consultation with an advisor. BUAD 397 Special Topics or BUAD 497 Special Topics courses are allowed to count toward the nine-credit requirement only with Business School approval.

Upon successful completion of the prescribed courses listed above, University defined General Education, and elective requirements totaling 120 credits (with 40 at the 300-level or higher), students are eligible for their B.A. conferral. Students electing to complete the MBA program must follow the balance of their declared emphasis curriculum.

For a full description of the required Graduate coursework, please see the appropriate MBA program in the Western Graduate Catalog.

Capstone Course Requirement

The following courses in the Business Administration Major fulfill the capstone course requirement: BUAD 491 STRATEGIC MANAGEMENT.

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. 

Sample Plan

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.