Caldwell School of Business
Business Administration Bachelor of Business Administration
- 4 years
- On campus · optional co-op · evening sections in upper years
- September + January intakes
- First-year core classes capped at 60
Most business degrees save the real work for a capstone. Caldwell's BBA puts you in front of an actual Arden Falls small business in first year, and every year after that. By graduation you have four consulting projects on your résumé, not one.
Why this program is built this way
- A real client project every year through the Arden Falls Small Business Studio
- Concentrations in marketing, finance, or people & operations from third year
- Optional co-op adds three paid four-month work terms
- Evening sections of most upper-year courses for students who work
The four years, year by year
Year 1
Foundations, plus your first real client
- BUSN 101: How Organizations Work
- ACCT 110: Financial Accounting Fundamentals
- ECON 120: Markets & Decision-Making
- COMM 115: Persuasive Business Communication
- STUD 100: Small Business Studio I (client project)
Year 2
The functional toolkit
- MKTG 210: Marketing Principles & Research
- FINC 220: Corporate Finance I
- MGMT 230: Managing People & Teams
- DATA 215: Business Analytics with Spreadsheets & SQL
- STUD 200: Small Business Studio II
Year 3
Choose your concentration
- Concentration core (marketing, finance, or people & operations)
- BUSN 310: Business Law & Ethics
- OPNS 320: Operations & Supply Fundamentals
- STUD 300: Small Business Studio III
- Open elective or first co-op work term
Year 4
Strategy and the exit ramp
- BUSN 410: Strategic Management Capstone
- Concentration seminars (two)
- ENTR 420: New Venture Planning
- STUD 400: Small Business Studio IV (lead consultant role)
What it takes to get in
- High-school diploma with senior-level math (example minimum: 70% average)
- Transfer applicants: minimum 2.5 GPA on prior post-secondary work
- Mature applicants (21+, two years out of school): a résumé and letter of intent replace the average requirement
- International applicants: English proficiency (for example, IELTS 6.5 overall, no band below 6.0)
Full requirements by applicant type (transfer, mature, international) are on the admissions page.
Where graduates actually land
- Marketing coordinator
- Financial analyst
- Operations & logistics coordinator
- Account manager
- Founder (about 6% of grads start something within two years)
Reported starting salary (example) $48,000 to $58,000 Middle half of reported full-time starting salaries, Class of 2024.
Class of 2024 survey, 71% response rate. Business outcomes vary widely by concentration and co-op participation; co-op grads reported offers roughly 15% higher. Illustrative figures.
Outcomes are what graduates reported, not a promise of a job or a salary. See how we survey graduates on the student outcomes page.
Applicants to Business Administration also compare
Technology
Data Science & Analytics
Bachelor of Science · 4 years
Statistics you can defend, code you can ship, and a domain minor (health, business, or civic data) so your analysis is always about something.
$9,600/yr domestic, example* September + January intakes
Design
User Experience Design
Bachelor of Design · 4 years
A studio program, not a lecture program: 18 hours a week at the wall, real users in the testing lab from second year, and a graduating portfolio show that employers actually attend.
$9,400/yr domestic, example* September intake