Bauer Undergraduate Program Concentrations

The learning goals of the undergraduate program are to provide graduates with…..

1. the skills to identify legal and ethical issues in business as well as a framework for resolving them,
2. disciplinary competence,
3. the ability to communicate effectively in a business environment utilizing proper structure, language, and grammar, and
4. the aptitude to think critically and apply problem-solving models to a given business situation.

Accounting & Taxation

A concentration in Accountancy & Taxation (ACCT) prepares students for measuring and analyzing the income, costs, sources and uses of funds of an organization on the basis of certain generally accepted principles. Such measurements and analyses are helpful to those directly responsible for attaining production, marketing and financial objectives. Although there are several options for preparing for the Certified Public Accountant (CPA) exam, the 153-hour PPA degree is specifically designed to prepare students in this way.

Careers are available in corporate, non-profit and government organizations, as well as in the field of public accounting.

Management Information Systems

This concentration provides an exposure both to the functional business areas and the various managerial and analytical skills required in any organization. Building upon this foundation, the overall objective of the MIS area of concentration is to offer the student the skills to operate successfully in a computer-oriented environment. The content of the courses in the MIS area of concentration is designed to provide a balanced coverage of technical, managerial, analytical and behavioral topics.

Studies in this area prepare students for positions in design, implementation and administration of an organization's information systems. Emphasis is placed on managerial aspects of computer systems .Without experience, students generally enter organizations as systems analysts or programmers. Graduates with work experience often take administrative positions related to the organization's information systems.

Supply Chain Management

This concentration provides students with knowledge of the total operations of an organization, emphasizing the activities and decisions required of line management. Areas of interest include supply chain management, capacity planning, aggregate output or service levels, staffing, inventories, and quality and cost control.

Career opportunities are widespread in both product-oriented and service-oriented organizations. Graduates may be employed in any operating area of the organization, including project management, manufacturing, materials management, logistics and distribution, operations planning and control, purchasing and operations analysis. Career paths generally lead through line management.

Finance

The field of Finance (FINA) offers studies in the theory and application of activities related to the financing and investment decisions of individuals, corporations and non-profit entities. This includes the analysis of risk, investment cost and benefits, and securities management, as well as the study of financial institutions and their operations. Emphasis is given to understanding decision processes and financial markets and developing optimal decisions.

Management

This concentration is excellent preparation for students who wish to study administrative sciences or are interested in general management and management trainee positions. Elective courses in human resource management and industrial relations are available to those interested in this specialized area.

It focuses on the behavior of individuals and groups within formal organizations, with particular emphasis upon the application of theory and research to management practice. Topics receiving primary emphasis include leadership and motivation of personnel, decision making, the adaptation of organizations to their environment and the planning for and use of human resources in both the public and private sectors.

Marketing

The marketing concentration is appropriate for students who plan careers in fields such as (a) selling and sales management, (b) retail merchandising or retail operations, (c) market research and analysis, and (d) marketing communications. Topics covered in marketing (MARK) courses include how to conduct market research and analyze buyers, how to price goods and services, how to sell, how to advertise and promote, and how to develop a marketing plan.

Further information for students with interests in (a) selling and sales management, (b) retailing, (c) market research and analysis, or (d) marketing communications may be found at BBA Marketing Interest Areas.

Entrepreneurship

This concentration is designed for students who hope to open or expand businesses. Many of the students who have gone through this program have started businesses, and the others are in demand as employees for entrepreneurial companies. Courses in Entrepreneurship (ENTR) provide students with information regarding all aspects of entrepreneurship.
Specific topics include revenue estimation, cost budgeting, capitalization and funding, and the development and implementation of the business plan.