BSBA Degree Requirements

The completion of the Bachelor of Science in Business Administration (BSBA) degree includes:

• a minimum of 124 semester hours of coursework and satisfaction of all degree requirements;
• a 2.0 overall cumulative average;
• a 2.0 average in major and minor fields of study; and,
• a minimum of 30 semester hours of business coursework must be completed at Suffolk University.
• an overall minimum of 45 semester hours of coursework must be completed at Suffolk University to be eligible to be considered for degree. 

Full-time students normally complete their degree requirements in four years. A student may shorten the time required by attending Summer Sessions. Part-time students normally take five to seven years to complete the requirements, depending on the course load carried.

Students are responsible for knowing and complying with specific degree requirements. Any exception to the Program of Study requires written approval from the Sawyer Business School Undergraduate Programs Office.

Please note that all of the information concerning undergraduate degree requirements for Sawyer Business School students is also available on the Sawyer Business School website.

General Education Requirements
48 credits

Freshman and Sophomore Courses (Credits)

*SU 101 Freshman Year Experience (1)
ENG 101 Freshman English I (4)
ENG 102 Freshman English II  (4)
ISOM 120 IT and Productivity Tools  (3)
EC 101 Principles of Microeconomics (4)
EC 102 Principles of Macroeconomics (4)
CJN 177 Professional Communication (4)

 * SU 101 Freshman Year Experience, a mandatory one-credit course, prepares and enhances BSBA students’ first year at Suffolk. In a small class environment, students develop the skills and mindsets necessary for success in the Sawyer Business School through hands-on sessions on creativity techniques, library research, team coordination and communication skills including impactful presentations. Students collaboratively develop, research and pitch a new product. Students explore campus organizations and major and minor programs, learn about academic advising, and gain practical transitional tips and access to personal and academic campus resources geared toward their needs.

Math Requirement (4)
MATH 130 Topics in Finite Mathematics (4) OR
MATH 134 Calculus for Management & Social Science (4) OR
MATH 165 Calculus I (4)
Accounting and Finance Majors are required to complete a calculus course (134 or 165) for their programs and may NOT use MATH 130 toward the Math requirement.

Statistics Requirement (4)
STATS 240 Introduction to Statistics (4) OR
STATS 250 Applied Statistics or equivalent (4)
Additional courses may satisfy this requirement. Please see the Undergraduate Programs Office for more information.

Globalization Requirement (3)
Select one: HST 149(4), HST 150(4), SIB 101(3). New courses that meet this learning goal may be announced by the Undergraduate Programs Office after they are approved. Students who entered Suffolk prior to Fall 2010: requirement was 4 credits. Students who entered prior to Fall 2010 may need to add a 1 credit course to their Programs of Study if they chose the 3 credit course option.

Any Year     (Credits)

Humanities and Social Sciences Req  (4)
Select one course from the College of Arts and Sciences Humanities/History requirement options OR the Social Science requirement options OR any course from Modern Languages.
See the College Degree section of this catalog for details.

Social Change U.S. and Abroad Req (4)
Select one: CHIN 311(4), CJN 385(4), CJN 485(4), GVT 203(4), GVT 204(4), GVT 420(4), GVT 465(4), GVT 467(4), HST 122(4), HST 224(4), HST 247(4), HST 263(4), HST 275(4), HST 283(4), HST 293(4), HST 306(4), HST 307(4), HST 328(4), HST 372(4), HST 414(4), HST 441(4), HST 494(4), PAD 201(3), SOC 326(4).
New courses that meet this learning goal may be announced by the Undergraduate Programs Office after they are approved. Students who choose the 3 credit course option should meet with the Undergraduate Programs Office to determine how to best complete the 4th credit for this requirement.

Science Requirement (4)
Choose any science lecture/with lab (3 credits/1 credit) OR any 4-credit science course.

Business Core Requirements
35 credits

Freshman and Sophomore Courses (Credits)

*SBS 101 Business Foundations (3)
BLE 215 Business Ethics and Law (3)
MGT 200 Leadership and Social Responsibility (1)
BLE 214 Principles of Business Law (3)
ACCT 201 Accounting for Decision Making I (3)
ACCT 202 Accounting for Decision Making II (3)
ISOM 201 Data and Decision Analysis (3)
MKT 210 Principles of Marketing  (3)

*SBS 101 (3) introduces the concepts and practices of managing profit seeking firms, as well as the challenges of managing not-for-profit and public sector organizations. Students develop an initial understanding of organizational stakeholders, the global, economic, legal, and regulatory environments, ethical challenges faced by management, and the strategic coordination of various internal functions of organizations. Students develop an integrative approach to analyzing organizations and are coached on effective presentation skill, culminating in a group presentation of a business analysis to a panel of outside executives.

Junior and Senior Courses (Credits)

ISOM 310 Management Information Systems (3)
FIN 310 Business Finance (3)
MGT 317 Organizational Behavior (3)
ISOM 319 Operations Management (3)
*SBS 400 careerLINKS (1)

*SBS 400 (1) is the culminating career and professional experience for seniors. It focuses on career entry and transition, networking for career and job success, impression management concept and skills, and related life-long learning skills. Students articulate and reflect on academic, work, and co-curricular experiences from the perspective of professionals entering or advancing their careers. Assignments are tailored to the students' needs and career or graduate school plans.

Senior Capstone (Seniors Only) (Credits)

SIB 429 Strategic Management (3)

Major Requirements and Free Electives

Credits vary; see below.

Students must complete 6– 8 major courses in a specific area of study. The number of required courses is determined by the specific discipline selected by the student and outlined in that major's Program of Study. The number of required free elective courses is determined by the specific major discipline selected. Students may use their free electives to minor in a business or liberal arts discipline, to earn a second major or to take courses for personal interest. The minimum number of courses and credits for each student’s Program of Study must be met to become eligible for graduation. Currently, the major requirements and free electives associated with each major are:

The Business School’s curriculum is designed to enable students to acquire knowledge and skills cumulatively, building from introductory material to more specialized or advanced study in areas of major concentration. Prerequisites have been established for courses that require preparation in order for students to benefit fully from the learning experience.

Students are responsible for taking courses in the prescribed sequence. This means:

• All prerequisites must be satisfied;
• Students must have satisfactorily completed 54 credits in order to register for upper division courses in the Business School (Business School undergraduate courses numbered 300 or higher, unless otherwise stated).
• Students must have completed all freshman and sophomore required courses prior to registering in junior-level courses. In particular, students are expected to have completed required English and Quantitative courses before the junior year.

Math Assessment and Placement Policy

Incoming students to the University (who have not transferred in the math requirement) take the University math assessment for placement in an appropriate math course. Students may be placed in prerequisite math courses based upon their assessment results in order to prepare for their Math requirement.

Recommended Four-Year Course Sequence

Suggested course sequences for each business major are available through the Undergraduate Programs Office.

Minors for BSBA Students

The Sawyer Business School offers ten minor fields of study: accounting, legal studies, information systems, international business, electronic commerce systems, entrepreneurship, finance, management, marketing and public service. Requirements for each minor are listed within the specific Business School major.

In making choices about minors, students should consider their intellectual interests and the academic requirements of particular programs. It is expected that students will consult with their academic advisors in selecting a minor.

Minors for CAS Students

The Sawyer Business School offers two types of business minors to College of Arts and Sciences students: (1) the General Business Minor for students wanting a basic understanding and appreciation of business administration and (2) several Functional Business Minors for students who would like to focus on a specific business discipline such as: Accounting, Legal Studies, Information Systems, International Business, Entrepreneurship, Finance, Management, Marketing, Public Service, and Real Estate Development.

CAS students interested in pursuing an MBA or MPA should consult with the Dean's Office for custom advising on the selection of minor business courses.

General Business Minor Requirements(for CAS)

5 courses, 15 credits

Required Course (1 Course, 3 Credits)

SBS 101  Business Foundations must be taken before any other business courses.

Electives (4 Courses, 12 Credits)

Select four courses from the list below. Higher-level business courses that are not on this list are allowed on a case by case basis if prerequisites have been satisfied.

Restrictions

All 300-level Business School courses (except MGT 317) require junior status (54 credit hours). All prerequisites must be satisfied. This minor can be tailored to the student’s interests.

ACCT 201 Accounting and Decision Making I
BLE 214 Principles of Business Law
BLE 215   Business Ethics and Law
ENT 110 Do You Want to Start a Business?
FIN 210 Personal Finance
SIB 101 Globalization
SIB 321 Introduction to International Business
ISOM 120 IT and Productivity Tools
ISOM 201 Data and Decision Analysis
MGT 313 Human Resource Management
MGT 317 Organizational Behavior
MGT 322 Managing Diversity in the Workplace
MGT 330 Interpersonal Effectiveness
MGT 335 International Management
MKT 210 Principles of Marketing
PAD 321 Functions and Practices of Public Management
PAD 322 Management of Public Organizations
PAD 325 Public Service Organization and Groups
PAD 326 Public Policy Analysis
PAD 360 Public Labor/Management Relations
PAD 361 Public Human Resource Management

Functional Business Minors for CAS Students

4– 6 courses, 12– 18 credits

In general, College of Arts and Sciences students may undertake a functional business minor when they have achieved junior standing and have completed SBS 101. Many of the courses require prerequisites. Please review the appropriate business department section for functional minor requirements.