The Majors

The first two years of study emphasize general education by providing fundamental courses in the humanities, mathematics, and social sciences. In addition, basic courses in accounting, economics, management information systems, and the legal and social environment of business prepare the student for further work in the Isenberg School of Management. During the final two years, all students enroll in business courses in accounting, finance, operations and information management, marketing, management, and business communication. For B.B.A. degree candidates, the junior and senior years emphasize a greater degree of specialization in the student’s major as outlined below. For B.S. degree candidates, specialization begins in the freshman year. A total of at least 120 credits is required for graduation.

The B.B.A. Curriculum
The recommended sequence of courses for a student pursuing the B.B.A. degree is as follows:

Freshmen Year
ENGLWRIT 112 College Writing
ECON 103 Introduction to Microeconomics
ECON 104 Introduction to Macroeconomics
MATH 127 Calculus for the Social Sciences
SCH-MGMT 191T Freshman Transitions and SCH-MGMT 192T Dean's Leadership Seminar

Sophomore Year
SCH-MGMT 200 Career and Professional Development
ACCOUNTG 221 Introduction to Accounting I
ACCOUNTG 222 Introduction to Accounting II
OIM 240 Business Data Analysis
OIM 210 Introduction to Business Information Systems
MANAGMNT 260 Introduction to Law

Students can “declare” a departmental major and begin a more concentrated program of study during their first semester. Information about the declaration process is available in the Undergraduate Programs Office.

All students must complete the required core of introductory courses:

FINANCE 301 Corporate Finance
OIM 301 Introduction to Operations Management
MANAGEMENT 301 Principles of Management
MARKETING 301 Fundamentals of Marketing
SCH-MGMT 310 Management Communications
SCH-MGMT 494BI Business Policy and Strategy, the senior year capstone course

All except 494BI are typically taken in the junior year.

Students must complete 21 credits (the Breadth Requirement) of non-business electives beyond the University’s required General Education credits. No more than three credits of Economics or Resource Economics can count toward these electives.

Students must be enrolled in a departmental major in the Isenberg School for a minimum of one academic year to receive a B.B.A.

Courses and programs for the junior-senior years are listed under the departments of Accounting, Finance, Operations and Information Management, Management, and Marketing.

The B.S. Curriculum
B.S. degree students in the Hospitality and Tourism Management and Sport Management departments pursue major courses as early as freshman year. Detailed information on courses and programs for these majors is listed under the relevant departments.

Additional Guidelines
Course Availability: Not all courses are offered every semester, including some required courses. Students are urged to consult their Isenberg School academic advisor each semester to plan completion of their Isenberg School requirements.

Pass/Fail Limitation: No Isenberg School core or major requirement will be fulfilled by a course for which a grade of “P” is recorded. (This includes ECON 103 and 104, MATH 127, and OIM 240.) Students should not use the Pass/Fail grading option in any required course.  The Pass/Fail option is best applied to courses fulfilling the Breadth Requirement.

Study Abroad: Students are encouraged to consider spending one or two semesters studying abroad. This experience offers a valuable opportunity to enrich students’ perspectives on their chosen field of concentration. The Isenberg School has exchange agreements with a number of foreign institutions in addition to several short-term (2-4 week) faculty led international study programs during semester interim periods. Opportunities exist for study in Australia, Brazil, China, England, the Netherlands, France, India, Japan, Spain, Denmark, Canada, and other countries. For further information, contact the International Programs Office, (413) 545-2710 for exchanges and short-term Isenberg programs.

Internships: The Isenberg School encourages students to take advantage of the opportunity to expand their educational experience with a summer or semester internship. Only students admitted to a departmental major within the Isenberg School may register for internship credits within that department. Departmental internships may be sponsored only by full-time faculty in that department, and may not generally exceed three credits. More information is available from the Director of Internships in the Chase Career Center, Kim Figueroa, (413) 577-0418.

Transferring from Off-Campus
The Isenberg School of Management welcomes transfer applications. With the appropriate qualifications and/or prerequisite coursework, students may qualify for transfer of credits and be able to enter the Isenberg School directly. For more information, contact a transfer admissions counselor in Undergraduate Admissions, (413) 545-0222.

Transferring into the Isenberg School from Other Majors
Competitive and restricted, on-campus admissions to the Isenberg School are evaluated on the basis of the student’s overall academic record and performance. For the B.B.A. degree program, courses include a calculus course, two courses in economics, one course in statistics, and two courses in accounting. While students are not required to complete all of these courses prior to application for transfer admission, students must be able to complete them prior to their senior year. Detailed information on the requirements to transfer into Hospitality and Tourism Management and Sport Management can be found under the relevant departments. A detailed explanation of transfer requirements is available from the Undergraduate Programs Office, and online at https://www.isenberg.umass.edu/programs/undergraduate/on-campus/admissions/internal-transfers.