Mar 28, 2024  
2020-2021 Catalog 
    
2020-2021 Catalog [ARCHIVED CATALOG]

Business Administration, Management Option, B.S.


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Program of Study


After successful completion of the Lower-Division Pre-Business Core, students take an associated set of Foundation of Business and Core courses for their selected option/track. Each option/track has numerous required and elective courses from which a student can tailor a program to satisfy individual career goals. Students in the College of Business Administration (CoBA) will find that their program of study is both rigorous and relevant to real-world business problems. The curriculum is designed to help students develop a wide range of skills and abilities applicable to both for-profit and not-for-profit sectors of the economy. The program’s focus on problem identification and problem solving allows students to develop analytical and critical thinking skills that gives Cal State San Marcos business graduates a distinctive advantage in today’s job market.

Senior Experience is a one-semester, 3-unit capstone course. This course challenges students to integrate and apply their business education by participating in real-world consulting engagements. This project is conducted while working in a team with fellow students. The goals for the first two weeks of the semester are to have students form into teams, match teams with projects, and provide them with the tools needed to successfully complete projects during the remainder of the semester. Topics to be covered during these first two weeks are: the problem-solving process, primary and secondary research, critical thinking, consultation, project management, and strategies for team effectiveness. Senior Experience is offered each semester, Fall and Spring.

For additional information, please contact the Director of Senior Experience at (760) 750-4266, or email seniorexperience@csusm.edu. Throughout the curriculum, the program emphasizes intellectual, ethical, and social issues likely to affect business in the 21st Century. Global issues and the realities of demographic diversity in the workplace are an integral part of the coursework. In summary, the goal of the program is to help students apply their critical thinking skills to solve problems encountered in the business world in innovative ways using team-based approaches.

Program Student Learning Outcomes


The goal of CoBA is to ensure that our graduates have learned and are able to demonstrate the knowledge, skills, competencies, and values they will need to achieve their personal and professional goals. Students who graduate with a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration will be able to:

  1. Effectively and professionally communicate both orally and in writing;
  2. Demonstrate critical thinking and problem-solving skills;
  3. Demonstrate interpersonal and collaboration skills;
  4. Apply analytics to business situations;
  5. Demonstrate proficiency in the use of information technology;
  6. Apply ethical and socially responsible perspectives/viewpoints and demonstrate an understanding of their consequences;
  7. Identify and apply global perspectives in making business decisions; and
  8. Describe and apply foundational business concepts, theories, processes, and strategies.

Program Requirements


The undergraduate program leads to a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration. Careful planning is the key to efficiently meeting program requirements. There are General Education and university-wide graduation requirements, lower-division pre-business core, and upper-division requirements for the major.

All students applying for admission to the CoBA are initially classified as Pre-Business status. Students need to submit a Business Status Application (available at www.csusm.edu/coba) to the CoBA Advising Office in person, or via online, fax, or U.S. mail, along with complete copies of unofficial transcripts for all non-CSUSM coursework in the pre-business core. This is in addition to the official transcripts that are required by the Office of Admissions. Upon verification of successful completion of the pre-business core requirements, a student will be accepted in the Business Program (i.e., attain business status).

Completion of the pre-business core (Business Status) is a prerequisite for all upper-division CoBA business courses.

The CoBA requires that at least 50 percent of the upper-division major coursework required for each of its options be earned at Cal State San Marcos. Completion of the Senior Experience at Cal State San Marcos is required of all students.

Transfer Credit


Lower-division courses clearly equivalent in scope, content, and level will be accepted for transfer credit (if taken from a regionally accredited U.S. institution or from a foreign institution recognized by Cal State San Marcos and the CoBA).

Transfer credit will be granted for upper-division courses only in those cases where the course content and level are equivalent to Cal State San Marcos courses and/or where the courses were taken in a program accredited by AACSB International - The Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business. Exceptions will be made on an individual basis only where a review of the proposed transfer credit course indicates content and depth at least equal to the equivalent of a Cal State San Marcos course. An Upper-Division Transfer Credit Approval Form is available on the CoBA website. A student requesting such a review will be required to provide supporting documentation, such as course syllabi and required texts, along with complete copies of unofficial transcripts. This is in addition to the official transcripts that are required by the Office of Admissions.

Requirements


In order to receive a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration, a student must earn a minimum of 120 units. All courses counted toward the major must be completed with a grade of C (2.0) or better. Students interested in this major must apply to the College of Business Administration for admission. Eligible applicants will be admitted for available spaces based on the grade point average in the Lower-Division Pre-Business Core.

Students should refer to the College of Business Administration Advising web site (csusm.edu/coba/advising) for Business Status application and the Pre-Business Core GPA requirement in any given semester.

Management (51 Units)


The Management Option courses concentrate primarily on relationships among members of organizations as well as organization decision-making behavior and cultures. The courses draw on many facets of the social and behavioral sciences to guide students in their intellectual development. A common theme is the use of people skills. There are currently three tracks in the Management Option:

  • Management and Organizations Track
  • Entrepreneurship Track
  • Human Resources Track

Management and Organizations Track (51 Units)


The Management and Organizations track is designed to help students become effective leaders and managers in any organizational context. Courses in the track relate specifically to developing leadership and management competencies,  understanding essential human resources practices, as well as building effective teams and organizational cultures. Required and elective courses also expose students to business and cross-cultural issues that are common in the global business environment. Most courses focus on both theory and application of management and organizational principles. The courses draw on many facets of the social and behavioral sciences to guide students in their intellectual development. Common themes are the use of people skills, the ability to analyze complex situations, and make effective decisions to achieve success in today’s competitive environment.

Foundation of Business Courses (14 Units)


*Equivalent 4-unit courses can be substituted, but the excess units cannot count towards electives.

Electives (14 Units)


A minimum of 10 units must be selected from the list of electives below. The remaining 6 units can be taken from courses in ACCT, FIN, GBM, OM, MIS, MGMT, or MKTG. Students in the track cannot take ACCT 308  for credit. A maximum of 4 units may be taken outside the College of Business with prior approval from CoBA.

Entrepreneurship Track (51 Units)


The Entrepreneurship track is specifically designed to help students incubate a business idea, learn the different components essential to starting and managing a start-up business, and evaluate closely the viability of their idea. The program is designed to help students develop their ideas into a well-conceived business plan that can lead to a start-up business.

In order to accomplish these objectives, students will move through a sequence of courses that build upon one another. Students begin by exploring their personal creativity, turning creative thought into innovative new products and services, developing their idea, understanding the challenges of entrepreneurship, and completing a first-level analysis of the viability of their business idea. Students then take courses in new venture marketing, management, and finance to increase their understanding and functional skills to further develop their business idea and determine its potential. Students will also benefit significantly from the experiences of entrepreneurs in the community and learn from their successes and failures.

Human Resources Management Track (51)


Program of Study


The Human Resources Management Track within the Management Department is designed to equip students with the necessary knowledge and competencies needed for employment within the HRM field.  These essential HR functions include HR planning, recruiting/selection, job design, training, employment law, performance appraisal/management, labor relations, compensation/benefits, employee retention/development and international management.  Successful completion of the recommended courses should enable graduates to compete effectively with graduates from other universities for positions within the HRM field.  The HRM Track also strives to prepare our students to pass the HRM certification exams offered through the Society for Human Resource Management.

Foundations of Business Courses (12 Units)


Human Resource Management Track Core Courses (18 Units)


Human Resource Management Track Electives (14 Units)


Note:


Option Checklists and Suggested Course Sequence Sheets are on the CoBA Advising website (http://www.csusm.edu/coba/advising/optionchecklists.html). 

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