Being well-prepared for the world of business is more important than ever, given how rapidly, as well as unexpectedly, circumstances can change. While we can’t predict the future, it is possible to build a solid foundation of business skills to have the right tools ready to effectively navigate change.
You can build this valuable foundation at Marshall University in Huntington, West Virginia. In Marshall’s well-respected Lewis College of Business (LCOB), the Brad D. Smith Undergraduate School of Business offers a Bachelor of Arts (BA) in General Business. Delivered 100% online, the BA in General Business degree is a unique way to learn and prepare for tomorrow’s volatile environment.
Marshall’s online bachelor’s in business degree does not require you to choose a major. Instead, you’re able to take 24 credit hours in any combination of upper-level LCOB classes, in addition to required courses in general education (34 credits) and the business core (42 credits). This means that for your business major, you can take classes in any of these areas and create your own major—management, marketing, accounting or economics/finance. Your goal is to build broad business knowledge to gain a professional advantage in a wide variety of careers.
Why Study General Business at Marshall?
The focus of Marshall’s online business major is on degree completion. The LCOB developed this degree because only half of college students complete a degree in six years. This program is geared toward nontraditional students including adult learners who have started a business degree but never finished it or students who cannot otherwise attend face-to-face classes.
Marshall’s General Business bachelor’s degree provides better value than a specialized degree if you hope to work in many different company departments, oversee various aspects of the business environment, and want to maximize your potential for career advancement. In addition, earning your General Business bachelor’s degree leads to more options to pursue advanced education at the graduate level.
Online Flexibility and Quality
This bachelor’s in business degree is delivered 100% online. As a result, students can complete the entire business degree online without coming to campus and without have to meet at designated times to complete course lessons. This accredited online business degree program at Marshall is flexible and convenient.
Career Outlook for General Business Majors
Graduates from Marshall’s online business degree program are well-prepared to be more employable, more valuable to their current organizations, and more competitive in finding new opportunities. Marshall’s General Business graduates are ready to contribute to the economic development of their communities and regions.
What Can You Do with a Business Degree?
Employment in business and financial operations occupations is projected to grow 5 percent through 2029, faster than the average for all occupations, adding about 476,200 new jobs, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).
Globalization, a growing economy, and a complex tax and regulatory environment are expected to continue to lead to strong demand for accountants and auditors. In addition, increasing use of data and market research in order to understand customers and product demand, and to evaluate marketing strategies, will lead to growing demand for market research analysts.
Business jobs and salaries. According to the BLS, business and financial occupations include the following, along with their 2020 median (or midpoint) salaries:
Marshall graduates with an online degree in General Business are hired by a wide range of employers in the region and beyond, including: EY, Arnett Carbis, Toothman, Oracle, PepsiCo, Brown Edwards, Intuit, American Income Life, Dixon Hughes Goodman, City National Bank, Coalfield Development Corporation, Service Wire Company, N3, Liberty Mutual Insurance, Huntington Housing Authority, United States Army Corps of Engineers, Chase Bank, Cabell Huntington Hospital, Northwestern Mutual, Charleston Area Medical Center and many others.
Graduate Schools or Programs
Many Lewis College of Business students choose to continue on to graduate school at Marshall University. The LCOB offers an online MBA program that would be a natural fit for graduates of the online bachelor’s in General Business program. The LCOB also offers six other master’s degree programs that students are encouraged to explore.
Opportunities for General Business Majors
Students in Marshall’s fully online General Business bachelor’s degree program still can take advantage of University services and support.
Skill-building Opportunities
General Business students who are completing the program 100% online can also choose to use University computers on campus, if they wish, and get help from the Writing Center and Tutoring Services.
Online General Business students also can attend the Cohen Business Professionalism Speaker Series, offered by the LCOB. This series allows students from the Brad D. Smith School of Business to make the connection between classroom teachings and real-world business applications through meeting experienced and successful professionals, including Marshall alumni. Students who complete the program will receive a formal printed certificate, an engraved padfolio and an official lapel pin.
Internships
Students in the Lewis College of Business have access to many internships to gain hands-on experience. Companies such as Amazon, Enterprise and Steel of West Virginia are among many that offer internships to Marshall students.
The Office of Career Education provides students with guidance in finding internships, creating a resume and practicing interview skills. The Center for Stakeholder Engagement helps connect students with employers that are seeking business majors for internships and jobs. General Business majors are also encouraged to talk with faculty members who often hear about internships in their fields.
Student Organizations
The LCOB believes that participating in student organizations can provide valuable interaction, knowledge, experience and networking to increase job opportunities after graduation. Students can choose from various student organizations including: American Marketing Association, Collegiate Entrepreneurs’ Organization, Society for Human Resource Management and more.
TE: Students who have a declared major in a B.B.A. program cannot also declare the General Business B.A.
Plan of Study
| First Year | ||
|---|---|---|
| First Semester | Credit Hours | |
| FYS 100 | First Yr Sem Critical Thinking | 3 |
| ENG 101 | Beginning Composition | 3 |
| STA 225 | Introductory Statistics (CT) | 3 |
| PSY 201 | Introductory Psychology (CT) | 3 |
| CMM 207 | Bus & Prof Communication | 3 |
| Credit Hours | 15 | |
| Second Semester | ||
| Critical Thinking 1 | 3 | |
| ECN 250 | Principles Microeconomics | 3 |
| MIS 200 | Bus Computer Applications | 3 |
| LE 207 | Legal Environ of Business | 3 |
| Core II Fine Arts 1 | 3 | |
| Credit Hours | 15 | |
| Second Year | ||
| First Semester | ||
| ACC 215 | Intro Financial Accounting(CT) | 3 |
| ECN 253 | Principles Macroeconomics | 3 |
| ENG 201 | Advanced Composition (grade of "C" or better) | 3 |
| Core II Physical or Natural Science 1 | 4 | |
| CMM Studies Elective 2 | 3 | |
| Credit Hours | 16 | |
| Second Semester | ||
| ACC 216 | Intro Managerial Accounting 1 | 3 |
| MGT 218 | Business Quantitative Methods | 3 |
| ENG 204 | Writing for the Workplace | 3 |
| Critical Thinking 1 | 3 | |
| Core II Humanities 1 | 3 | |
| Credit Hours | 15 | |
| Third Year | ||
| First Semester | ||
| FIN 323 | Principles of Finance | 3 |
| MGT 320 | Principles of Management | 3 |
| MKT 340 | MKT Concepts and Applications | 3 |
| MIS 290 | Prin Management Info Systems | 3 |
| Free Elective | 3 | |
| Credit Hours | 15 | |
| Second Semester | ||
| General Business Elective 3 | 3 | |
| General Business Elective 3 | 3 | |
| General Business Elective 3 | 3 | |
| General Business Elective 3 | 3 | |
| Free Elective | 3 | |
| Credit Hours | 15 | |
| Fourth Year | ||
| First Semester | ||
| General Business Elective 3 | 3 | |
| General Business Elective (400 Level) 3 | 3 | |
| International Business Elective 4 | 3 | |
| Free Elective | 3 | |
| Free Elective | 3 | |
| Credit Hours | 15 | |
| Second Semester | ||
| MGT 460 | Strategic Management 5 | 3 |
| General Business Elective (400 Level) 3 | 3 | |
| General Business Elective (400 Level) 3 | 3 | |
| Free Elective | 3 | |
| Free Elective | 2 | |
| Credit Hours | 14 | |
| Total Credit Hours | 120 | |
- 1
For options to satisfy the Core curriculum requirement, please visit https://www.marshall.edu/gened/introducing-the-core-curriculum.
- 2
The Communication Studies Elective can be met by taking one of the following courses: CMM 302, 308, 315, 319, or 322.
- 3
General Business electives can be any 300 or 400 level courses offered in the College of Business (under the following course designators: ACC, ECN, ENT, FIN, LE, MGT, MIS, MKT, STHM). Students must complete courses in at least two separate alpha designators. Internship credit may not count as a General Business Elective. In order to meet the College of Business graduation requirement of 12 hours of 400-level courses completed in the College of Business at Marshall, nine (9) hours of General Business Electives should be 400 level.
- 4
The International Business Elective can be met by taking one of the following courses: ECN 408, 420, 421, 460, FIN 440, MGT 445, or MKT 371. The course selected for the International Business Elective CANNOT double-count as a General Business Elective.
- 5
This is the capstone course for all Management majors. It can only be taken during the senior year after all prerequisites are met.
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