Bachelor of Science in Business Administration

Bachelor of Science in Business Administration

Define Your Future

Pursue your own unique path. Perhaps that’s toward management, marketing, information systems or human resources. Or, you picture yourself driving growth every step of the way as an entrepreneur. In all directions, Clarkson University’s Bachelor of Science in Business Administration (BSBA) embraces your inquisitiveness, paves the way toward an impactful career and sets you up for long-term success.

Why Major in Business Administration?

Every field requires coordinators, decision-makers, motivators and analyzers. In Clarkson’s BSBA program, get a glimpse of what your future could look like. Our collaborative community of doers devises forward-thinking solutions to address existing problems. We not only invite your perspective and welcome your curiosity, but we also supply you with the skills and experiences to go forth and rethink traditional business practices.

The David D. Reh School of Business designed the BSBA as a flexible, customizable program. A core sequence introduces you to business fundamentals. From there, you select from our undergraduate business offerings, which include courses in areas such as finance and accounting, global supply chain management, business analytics, marketing and entrepreneurship. Explore something that interests you, develop one or more specializations and graduate as a take-charge professional with a broad skill set that impresses employers.

Along this path, all BSBA majors acquire an entrepreneurial mindset — in the classroom and via Clarkson’s experiential opportunities. Enter the workforce ready to make a difference or get your own ideas off the ground.

In either direction, the program’s structure equips you to analyze data, communicate your results, identify problems and formulate solutions, think critically and make informed decisions. At the same time, you get to know the tools existing professionals use to track trends and learn more about where business, innovation and sustainable development overlap.

What You'll Learn

All business majors learn to:

  • Use industry-recognized business systems such as SAP and other analysis tools such as Microsoft Excel and R.
  • Communicate the results of data analysis to organizational decision-makers and other stakeholders in different forms, including reports, tables and graphs, as well as through real-time visualization tools and dashboards.
  • Think critically and use data and information to identify problems, propose solutions and make informed decisions.
  • Start and run their own businesses, including making sound financial decisions and managing resources.
  • Develop effective marketing strategies to promote products and services.
  • Adapt to different environments, industries and situations.
  • Work closely with business practitioners across all disciplines to present the necessary data and analysis to organizational decision-makers in internship and co-op opportunities.
  • Make ethical decisions and apply these principles to business situations.
     

The BSBA consists of 120 credit hours, including the following: 

  • 33 credit hours of Clarkson Common Experience requirements, including the Clarkson Seminar, two mathematics courses, two science courses (one of which must include a lab), five knowledge area courses and a technology course.
  • 42 credit hours of foundation coursework in business.
  • 45 elective credit hours consisting of 18 credit hours of business/professional electives and 27 credits of free electives.

For electives, business administration majors select from courses in accounting, finance, information systems, operations management, marketing analytics, organizational studies and entrepreneurship.

Roll your sleeves up to see what it takes to run a business. All first-year business students get a taste in Small Business 113: Entrepreneurship and Innovation.

In this course, student teams form real companies and later pitch their business plans to investors for funding. Understand how to develop a product or service, use resources, identify areas for growth and manage finances. From here, many Clarkson students run with their aspirations at the Reh Cup and other entrepreneurial opportunities available on campus or present their ideas in regional and national entrepreneurship competitions for funding.

You’ve got aspirations — and we support you all the way to graduation. For Reh School of Business undergraduates, AACSB-endorsed advising ensures you stay on track toward this goal and get familiar with all applied opportunities on campus and beyond.

Advising for BSBA students uses a two-part structure:

  • Work closely with two professional advisors to discuss graduation requirements, academic progress and experiential opportunities like internships and co-ops. Advisors direct those struggling, requiring enforcement or needing accommodations to Student Support Services, the Career Center, the Writing Center or the Office of Accessibility Support Services.
  • Meet with a faculty advisor to further talk about your aspirations, including career paths and graduate school, and how to get there.

What do you see yourself doing? Do more than picture it — immerse yourself in the business world, get familiar with potential roles and begin to map out your future with an internship or co-op assignment. 100% of our students complete at least one internship or co-op before they graduate. 

Learn More About Internships & Co-ops

At Clarkson, we think about how we can do business better — whether that’s through more sustainable operations or a streamlined supply chain. The Reh School of Business opens up research opportunities to undergraduates starting from their first year, with many students working directly with faculty on research publications. 

Explore Research Areas & Recent Discoveries

Connect across professional interests and begin to develop a network of like-minded, equally driven peers. Or, veer in a different direction — including outdoors to the nearby Adirondacks — to broaden your horizons. In all cases, try something new, explore your passions and collaborate with other innovation-minded individuals in Clarkson’s 200-plus student groups. 

See Where You Might Fit

Expand your boundaries and your mindset as you understand the role of business in our increasingly globalized marketplace.

In response to this trend, the Reh School of Business requires all undergraduate students to complete at least one international experience. Study abroad for a semester at one of Clarkson's partner institutions, sign up for a course that culminates in traveling with your professor on a two-week Global Business Program trip or head to Canada for a series of four long weekend trips. 

Learn More

As a business administration major, develop a curriculum that’s specific to you and your goals. Within the program’s flexible structure, consider adding a minor to either specialize or build on your skills. 

Explore Minors

Accelerate your career by earning your bachelor's in business and MBA in just 4 years.

Learn More

Business professionals create structure and direction for organizations and government agencies. Reflecting demand, the Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts above-average growth across business and management occupations through 2032.

Harness this trend to establish yourself. The BS in Business Administration prepares students for the following roles in industry and government:

  • Business analyst
  • Contract administrator
  • Department manager
  • Entrepreneur
  • Financial analyst
  • Information systems manager
  • Management consultant
  • Marketing coordinator
  • Operations manager
  • Production planner
  • Sales manager
  • Supply chain manager
  • Training supervisor

Employers and Graduate Schools

Reflecting where you can innovate the future, Reh School of Business undergraduates have started their careers with:

  • Accenture
  • Amazon
  • Anheuser-Busch Companies
  • Apple
  • BNY Mellon
  • BOSE
  • British Petroleum
  • Epic
  • Corning
  • ExxonMobil
  • Deloitte
  • Fidelity Investments
  • GE
  • General Dynamics
  • Goldman Sachs
  • IBM
  • Johnson & Johnson
  • Northwestern Mutual
  • Veritas Prime

Many of our graduates also choose to pursue advanced degree programs. Many have pursued graduate degrees through Coulter School of Engineering and Applied Sciences or Reh School of Business programs, including the accelerated MBA, or Clarkson's other graduate programs. Other graduate schools where our students have recently enrolled include:

  • Boston College
  • Carnegie Mellon University
  • Duke University
  • IESEG School of Management
  • New York University
  • University of Michigan

Innovation Hub

Get your hands dirty, experiment and learn more about what it means to be an entrepreneur at the Innovation Hub, home to the Shipley Center for Innovation, the Digital Content Creation Suite and other facilities that help you develop your own business. 

Explore the Innovation Hub


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Contact Us

Reh School of Business
Email: rehbusiness@clarkson.edu
Phone: 315-268-6613

Interested in learning more about the Bachelor of Science in Business Administration? Contact the Reh School of Business today with your questions.

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2023 Undergrad University Placement Rate

Ignite Your Future Here

Design a path that’s yours in Clarkson’s flexible, technology-driven Bachelor’s in Business Administration program. Take the next step toward your future.