Business Administration - Business and Commerce

Choose an accredited business program with the flexibility to meet your educational and professional goals. PennWest California’s interdisciplinary studies in business and commerce degree positions you for the business career you envision.

In this on-campus business major, you will:

Complete core business courses that teach the fundamentals of accounting, economics, finance, management, marketing and quantitative analysis.
Dig deeper into one business discipline, completing a minor specialization in the area you choose.
Customize your program by working with a faculty adviser to select 27 credits of advanced business coursework tailored to your individual interests and goals.

This 120-credit bachelor’s degree program can be completed in four years (eight semesters) of full-time study.

Build your future in business and commerce.

Countless career options are open to students who major in business. The interdisciplinary studies program allows PennWest California business students to match their upper-level coursework with their plans for the future.

For example, a student planning a career in banking might choose courses in accounting, economics and finance. Someone who’s interested in consumer behavior could select marketing and economics courses. A student who wants to help businesses create effective messaging may select the concentration in corporate communication.

Once core requirements have been satisfied, the possibilities are limited only by the student’s interests.

Request Info Apply Now Visit Campus

View student learning outcomes

Explore all of Cal U's business programs

Program Highlights: Interdisciplinary Studies in Business and Commerce

Accredited program: PennWest California’s interdisciplinary studies in business and commerce degree is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs, an assurance of quality in business-focused education. Faculty members in this on-campus program have real-life corporate experience, so they can serve as role models and mentors, as well as expert educators.

Explore and discover: In the interdisciplinary studies business program, you’ll complete core courses in a wide range of business disciplines. This allows you to explore various aspects of the business world and discover your strengths, abilities and interests. By the time you’re ready for upper-level courses, you’ll have a stronger sense of which ones are right for you.

Get ready for success: PennWest California business programs empower students to succeed in corporate and industrial settings, nonprofit organizations, and government agencies. Internship opportunities allow students to experience the business environment firsthand, and the University’s Career and Professional Development Center supplements coursework with practical advice and skills training, so students graduate career-ready.

Learn more about applying

27

Number of credits available to customize the interdisciplinary studies degree in business and commerce.

10^%

Projected growth in all business and financial occupations from through 2026, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Degree Benefits

Strong job demand in a variety of specialties makes a B.S.B.A. degree a good choice for students seeking careers in corporate and industrial settings, government, or the nonprofit sector. PennWest California’s interdisciplinary business program gives students a strong foundation in business principles and practices, in addition to building skills that employers value, such as critical thinking, problem-solving and teamwork. The flexibility to select upper-level courses in an area of interest makes the interdisciplinary business degree a superior option for students seeking a customized program.

Graduate Outcomes

Globalization, a growing economy and increasing use of data and market research are among the factors fueling job growth in financial and business occupations, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reports. Wages for business program graduates varies depending on job title and location, but the median annual wage for business and financial occupations – $68,350 in 2018 – is substantially higher than the median for all occupations nationwide.

Interdisciplinary Studies in Business and Commerce (B.S.B.A.)

Why choose an interdisciplinary business degree?

The world of business is broad and complex. Success requires a basic understanding of business principles and practices – but there is room to follow your passion, too. Would psychology courses enhance your study of human resource management? Are you interested in the connection between data science and marketing? An interdisciplinary studies degree may provide the flexibility you need to create the future you envision.

You achieve, and we applaud.

PennWest California and its Department of Business, Economics and Enterprise Sciences are proud to recognize your accomplishments! Qualified students can become members of Delta Mu Delta, the International Honor Society in Business, or Omicron Delta Epsilon, the International Honor Society in Economics. Outstanding graduating seniors also may receive awards for excellence.

Interdisciplinary Studies in Business and Commerce (B.S.B.A.) Courses

Curriculum

Course	Credits
General Education Courses	40 or 41
Building a Sense of Community UNI 100 First-Year Seminar	1
Composition ENG 101 English Composition I	3
Public Speaking CDC 101 Public Speaking OR COM 250 Oral Communication: Management	3
Mathematics and Quantitative Literacy MAT 181 College Algebra	3
Health and Wellness Any Health and Wellness Course	3
Technological Literacy MIS 201 Management Info Systems	3
Humanities Any Humanities Course	3
Fine Arts Any Fine Arts Course	3
Natural Sciences Any Natural Science Course	3
Social Sciences PSY 100 General Psychology	3
General Education Options Any Ethics and Multicultural Awareness Emphasis Course ENG 211 Business Writing OR ENG 102 Composition II MAT 225 Business Statistics BUS 281 Management Science I	12

Business Core Courses	30
ACC 200 Financial Accounting	3
ACC 321 Managerial Accounting	3
BUS 242 Business Law I	3
BUS 381 Management Science II	3
BUS 499 Integrated Strategic Capstone	3
ECO 201 Principles of Microeconomics	3
ECO 202 Principles of Macroeconomics	3
FIN 301 Financial Management	3
MGT 300 Principles of Management	3
MKT 300 Principles of Marketing	3

Required Major Courses	18
With approval of their adviser, students choose ACC, BUS, ECO, FIN, HRM, MGT, MIS or MKT courses, 300-level or above not already included in the "Required Major Courses" above or ACC 491, BUS 492, ECO 492, FIN 491, HRM 492, MGT 492, MIS 492 or MKT 492	18

Required Minor/Certificate*	12

Free Electives	19 to 20

Total	120

Additional requirements, not counted toward the General Education requirements, include:

Special Experience Course (1 course required): Any Special Experience Course
Writing-Intensive Component Courses (2 courses required): BUS 499 Integrated Strategic Capstone AND Any ECO, MGT or MKT Upper-Division Writing-Intensive Course
Laboratory Course (1 course required): BUS 381 Management Science II

* Required Minor/Certificate: Students select one of the following minors or certificates: Accounting, Economics, Finance, Forensic Accounting, Human Resource Management, Management, Management Information Systems, or Marketing or the Certificate in Innovation & Entrepreneurship or Certificate in Spanish for Business. Students may select a different minor or certificate, with the approval of their adviser.

These minors are 21 credits; however, 9 of these credits are required in the “Business Core Courses” above. The Innovation & Entrepreneurship Certificate requires 15 credits; however, 3 credits are included in the major courses above.

Program Note: Students who complete dual degrees or dual majors do not have to complete a minor or certificate.

B.S., Business Administration Programs

Majors

Minors

Accounting
Arts Administration
Business
Economics
Finance
Forensic Accounting
Management
Management Information Systems
Marketing

Interdisciplinary Studies in Business and Commerce Bachelor of Science in Business Administration (B.S.B.A.)

About the interdisciplinary business degree