Program Description

This program develops a general management outlook toward organizations and the changing environment they face. The Public Policy and Business concentration focuses on coursework in Political Science and Economics to help prepare you to work at the intersection of commerce and government.

New Majors Onboarding

All newly admitted majors must attend this onboarding as an introduction to the School of Business, Government, and Economics. Please make note that there are no substitutions for this degree requirement. 

Entering and Completing the Major

Formal application and admission to the Business Administration major is required prior to enrollment in most Upper Division courses.

• To meet the minimum requirements for admission, you must:
  • Have attained at least sophomore standing (45 or more college credits).
  • Complete at least 15 credits in BUS, ACCT, and ECN at SPU (10 credits for transfer juniors and seniors).
  • Have either a 2.50 cumulative GPA and 2.50 major GPA at SPU, or a 3.0 major GPA. Major GPA does not include transfer work, only courses completed in program at SPU. Attainment of the minimum GPA standards does not guarantee admission, as the total number of students admitted is limited by capacity.
• Submit an online major application by following these instructions by Friday of the third week of Autumn, Winter, or Spring quarter, before 5:00 p.m. PST. SBGE does not accept major applications outside this window.
• Decisions will be sent to applicants via their SPU email address by Friday of the fifth week of the term, before 5:00 p.m PST. All applicants should be prepared to meet with their faculty advisor in case they are denied admission. All students are eligible to apply to this major up to three times.
• The University requires a grade of C- or better in all classes that apply to a major or minor; however, programs may require higher minimum grades in specific courses. You may repeat an SPU course only once for a higher grade.
• To advance in this program, you should meet with your faculty advisor regularly to discuss your grades, course progression, and other indicators of satisfactory academic progress. If your grades or other factors indicate that you may not be able to successfully complete the major, your faculty advisor can work with you to explore options, which may include choosing a different major.
• You must complete the major requirements in effect in the SPU Undergraduate Catalog for the year of admittance to the major.

Signature Experience Requirement

We require everyone who earns a Business Administration degree at SPU to take a deeper dive in one of the areas SBGE considers central to the practice of business: entrepreneurship, international experience, and spirituality in business. The Signature Experience Requirement guides students in first selecting and then completing one of the following options before graduation:​

Entrepreneurship

• Students who select entrepreneurship must:  Participate in SPU’s Social Venture Plan Competition (“SVPC”). Those who wish to participate in the competition may (but are not required to) enroll in BUS 3680 Social Enterprise (Autumn) and BUS 3682 Social Venture Planning (Winter).​

International Experience

• Students who select international experience must: Participate in an approved study abroad program or other approved international engagement opportunity for which they receive academic credit.​

Spirituality in Business

• Students who select spirituality in business must: Complete 3 credits of BUS 3950 Special Topics in Spirituality and Business. Each quarter, SBGE offers two or three sections of this (upper division, typically one-credit) seminar-style course meant to provide an in-depth study of some issue related to Christian faith and business. Topics and instructors change quarterly, and courses are scheduled either over the course of one weekend (usually Friday evening and all day Saturday) or for short weekly or bi-weekly sessions. Enrolling in the course once per quarter is ideal, but students who wish to enroll in multiple sections of BUS 3950 Special Topics in Spirituality and Business can do so with the approval of their faculty advisor.​

Honors

• Students who participate in the University Honors Program may complete an honors project to satisfy the Signature Experience requirement.​
• Students who wish to substitute some appropriate option which fulfills the spirit of the requirement should work with their faculty advisor to submit a substitution petition for approval by the Associate Dean of Undergraduate Students. Such petitions will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis. ​

Once a student selects and completes a Signature Experience, they must provide documentation and obtain final approval from their faculty advisor.

Business Administration: Public Policy (BA)

98 Credits Minimum, Including 66 Upper Division (UD)

Course List

Code	Title	Credits
General Core
ECN 2101	Principles of Microeconomics	5
ECN 2102	Principles of Macroeconomics	5
ACCT 2361	Financial Accounting	5
ACCT 2362	Managerial Accounting	5
BUS 1700	Spreadsheets	1
BUS 2414	Legal Environment of Business	5
BUS 2700	Statistics for Business and Economics	5
BUS 2910	Early Career Preparation	1
BUS 3250	Business Finance	5
BUS 3541	Marketing and Society	5
BUS 3614	Organizational Behavior for Managers	5
BUS 3620	Management Information Systems	5
BUS 3700	Quantitative Methods for Decision Making	5
BUS 3828	International Business	5
BUS 4644	Operations Management	5
BUS 4650	Data Analytics and Visualization	5
BUS 4690	Strategic Management	5
BUS 4899	Business Ethics	5
BUS 4942	Early Career Professional Development	1
Section Credits Required		83
Public Policy Track
POL 4000	Public Policy and Administration	5
Select one of the following:		5
ECN 3321	Money and Banking
ECN 3500	Environmental Economics
ECN 4010	Health Economics
Select one of the following:		5
ECN 3201	Intermediate Microeconomics
ECN 3202	Intermediate Macroeconomics
POL 4450	United States Constitutional Law
Section Credits Required		15
Total Credits		98

Additional Requirements and Information

• New Majors Onboarding
• Signature Experience Requirement

Suggested Course Sequence

This is a sample schedule of sequencing for the Business Administration Major. There is a bit of flexibility in class placement in your first 2 years as you navigate through the University’s Common and Exploratory Curriculum, and Business Core. Watch years 3 and 4 closely if you are pursuing an emphasis. These elective courses are offered just once a year and often build upon each other.

Plan of Study Grid

Freshman
Autumn		Credits
UCOL 1000	University Colloquium	1
WRI 1000	Academic Inquiry and Writing Seminar	5
Exploratory Curriculum		5
Major		5
	Credits	16
Winter
WRI 1100	Disciplinary Research and Writing Seminar	5
Exploratory Curriculum		5
Major		5
	Credits	15
Spring
UFDN 1000	The Christian Faith	5
Exploratory Curriculum		5
Major		5
	Credits	15
Any Quarter
ACCT 2361	Financial Accounting	5
ECN 2101	Principles of Microeconomics	5
ECN 2102	Principles of Macroeconomics	5
BUS 1700	Spreadsheets	1
BUS 2910	Early Career Preparation	1
	Credits	17
Sophomore
Autumn
BUS 2700	Statistics for Business and Economics	5
Select 10+ Credits		10+
	Credits	5-15
Winter
ACCT 2362	Managerial Accounting	5
Select 10+ Credits		10+
Apply to major!
	Credits	5-15
Spring
Select 15+ credits		15+
	Credits	0-15
Any Quarter
UFDN 2000	Christian Scripture	5
UCOR 2000	The Emergence of the Modern Global System	5
BUS 2414	Legal Environment of Business	5
Exploratory Curriculum		10+
	Credits	15-25
Junior
Autumn
Select 15+ Credits		15+
	Credits	0-15
Winter
Select 15+ Credits		15+
	Credits	0-15
Spring
Select 15+ Credits		15+
Apply to graduate!
	Credits	0-15
Any Quarter
UFDN 3100	Christian Theology	5
UCOR 3000	Faith, Philosophy, and Science	5
BUS 3250	Business Finance	5
BUS 3541	Marketing and Society	5
BUS 3614	Organizational Behavior for Managers	5
BUS 3620	Management Information Systems	5
BUS 3700	Quantitative Methods for Decision Making	5
BUS 3828	International Business	5
Exploratory Curriculum		10+
	Credits	40-50
Senior
Autumn
Select 15+ Credits		15+
	Credits	0-15
Winter
Select 15+ Credits		15+
	Credits	0-15
Spring
Select 15+ Credits		15+
	Credits	0-15
Any Quarter
BUS 4644	Operations Management	5
BUS 4650	Data Analytics and Visualization	5
BUS 4690	Strategic Management	5
BUS 4899	Business Ethics	5
BUS 4942	Early Career Professional Development	1
Electives		15
Complete any remaining university requirements
	Credits	36
	Total Credits	164-309

Freshman Notes

• If you have not satisfied the Foreign Language Requirement, complete this year for your Exploratory coursework.
• Take BUS 1700 Spreadsheets Autumn or Winter quarter at the latest.
• Join BEGIN Student Club.
• BUS 2000 Purpose and Practice of Business is a great way to explore the Business major, and it counts as a WE course in your Gen Ed requirements!

Sophomore Notes

• You must complete 15 credits in the major to be eligible to apply to the major. Applications are accepted in the fall, winter, and spring quarters.
• Prerequisite note: ACCT 2361 Financial Accounting and BUS 2700 Statistics for Business and Economics are prerequisites for ACCT 2362 Managerial Accounting.
• Once admitted to the major, you’ll need to attend the New Majors Onboarding.
• Discuss with your faculty advisor how you plan to complete the signature experience requirement. 
• Begin looking for an internship over the summer after your sophomore year. Recruiting often begins 6 to 12 months prior to an internship start date. 

Junior Notes

• If pursuing more than one concentration, start electives this year.
• Signature Experience Requirement.
• Complete SBGE approved internship or be looking for one over the summer.
• Consider Mentor Program participation this year.
• Consider Study Abroad program.

Senior Notes

• BUS 4690 Strategic Management has prerequisites, be sure it’s placed at the end!
  • ​BUS 3250 Business Finance, BUS 3541 Marketing and Society,BUS 3614 Organizational Behavior for Managers, and BUS 3700 Quantitative Methods for Decision Making, must be completed before BUS 4690 Strategic Management.
  • BUS 4644 Operations Management may be taken concurrently.
• Business electives (courses in tracks) are offered just once a year. Watch prerequisites and plan in advance!
• Don’t forget that Signature Experience!