Business Administration Major: Student Designed Option (B.S.)

A Student-Designed Option (SDO) in Business Administration is for highly motivated and disciplined students to pursue a course of study that is not available through any of the other current options in Paul College. The SDO should be different from any of the existing options and should serve to further the students’ intellectual development and future career goals.

The SDO cannot be used to avoid portions of existing options that are presumed to be uninteresting or difficult. For example, the SDO cannot consist of all courses from an existing option with one or two substitutions. The SDO will consist of courses from Paul College, and courses from outside of Paul College from existing disciplines (e.g., Psychology, Art, Homeland Security, etc.).

Students should begin planning for their designed major in their sophomore year by finding a faculty advisor and work with them to draft the proposal. All proposals should be submitted by the fall of the student's junior year. 

If you are considering this option you should begin your proposal no later than the second semester of your sophomore year. The formal application deadline is Oct. 15 of your Junior year.  To be eligible you must have a cumulative grade point average of at least 3.0.

Degree Requirements

All Major, Option and Elective Requirements as indicated.
*Major GPA requirements as indicated.

Major Requirements

A typical plan of study follows, showing the major-required courses. Students take 16-18 credits per semester. Discovery Program requirements (including the Inquiry requirement in the first two years) and elective courses are taken as well. Students are expected to follow this course plan. In the first three semesters, students cannot take more than two major courses in a single semester. The options have additional requirements as noted. For an individual schedule/plan of study, students should check with the Paul College Undergraduate Programs and Advising Office for specific recommendations.

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This is the capstone course in the business administration  program, and satisfies the capstone requirement of  the Discovery Program. Students may be required to concurrently enroll in ADMN 700 PAUL Assessment of Core Knowledge (zero credits) for AACSB accreditation purposes.

Depending of the choice of option and the specific requirements thereof, students may be able to take PAUL or non-PAUL electives in their junior or senior year.

Student-Designed Option

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Students interested in the Student Designed Option must meet with their advisor to discuss their interest and obtain the proposal application. 

Sample Degree Plan

This sample degree plan serves as a general guide; students collaborate with their academic advisor to develop a personalized degree plan to meet their academic goals and program requirements.

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Students can explore a second option, second major, minor, or general electives.

Program Learning Outcomes

• Analyze organizational challenges and opportunities using core business concepts.
• Apply data-driven reasoning to business decisions using appropriate analytical approaches.

• Communicate original thoughts clearly and professionally in written and oral formats.
• Contribute effectively to teams, demonstrating individual and collaborative accountability.

• Evaluate ethical and social responsibility issues and recommend actions from multiple stakeholder perspectives.
• Analyze how global and cultural factors shape responsible business decisions.