Southwest Minnesota State University

Degree Program Information

The Bachelor of Applied Science is a four-year Baccalaureate degree with a strong occupational component. The fundamental building block for this degree is an A.A.S, diploma or A.S degree from an accredited technical or community college. Sixty-four (half) of the 128 semester hour credits a student needs to complete the Bachelor's degree are accepted from the technical or community college where the A.A.S. or A.S. or two-year diploma degree was completed. Information to review your credit acceptance is available from your Program Coordinator.

Often a two-year diploma, A.A.S. or A.S. graduate working a technical field wishes to shift into a management position either within the company there he/she is presently employed or with a new employer. Many times the management position requires a minimum of a bachelor's degree.

Companies are very interested in finding personnel who have a strong technical or vocational background, along with the desired management skills, to fill management positions.

Assuming that you have your two-year diploma, A.A.S. or A.S. degree, you will need to consider the two available options to acquire the remaining credits necessary for the Bachelor of Applied Science degree:

• Complete the Minnesota Transfer Curriculum (MnTC) at your local site
• Work with your Program Coordinator to complete Southwest Minnesota State's general education course credits to fulfill your Liberal Arts core (LAC) and MnTC.

The remaining credits consist of core courses and electives from the Major and are planned in cooperation with your Site Coordinator.

The business administration major from Southwest Minnesota State University is based on a strong traditional curriculum which includes a broad range of business courses. A concentration in management is offered in Austin and Owatonna.

Business administration graduates have numerous career choices, including careers in banking, sales, manufacturing, financial services, computer-related firms, and others. Many graduates have chosen to start their own businesses, while some have gone on to graduate or professional school and received advanced degrees such as an MBA or law degree.

Business careers require knowledge in disciplines such as accounting, economics, management, finance, marketing, and law as well as basic skills in mathematics and statistics. Graduates of the Business Administration Program at Southwest develop skills in each of these areas and demonstrate their knowledge while completing their coursework and by taking a Senior Examination. S.S.U. business administration students rank high on a national scale.

A degree in Business Administration/Management prepares students to pursue a career in human resource management, operations or to start and run their own business. Typical entry-level jobs in human resource management carry such titles as human resource specialist, compensation or benefits administrator, personnel manager, or training specialist. Operations jobs may include production or service manager.

Business managers formulate the policies and direct the operations of corporations, nonprofit institutions, and government agencies. General managers and top executives hold over three million jobs in the U.S. They are found in every industry, but wholesale and retail trade, and service industries employ over six out of ten.

Employment of general managers and top executives is expected to grow about as fast as average for all occupations through the year 2005 as new companies start up and established companies seek managers who can help them maintain a competitive edge in domestic and world markets.