Why Major in General Business?
Given the general nature of the a General Business degree, there are a wide variety of career opportunities available for our graduates, including positions in management, sales, insurance, banking, real estate and human resources, to name a few!
Belmont alumni have accepted offers from such employers as Asurion, Affinion Group, Caterpillar Financial, Cumberland Heights, Hospital Corporation of America (HCA), Keller Williams, Lifepoint Hospitals, Tennessee Golf Foundation and Tyson Foods Inc.
Approximately, 30 percent of our new freshmen will come in as General Business because they know they want to study business, but they are not sure of which area. While students can certainly graduate with a General Business degree, students are able to easily change their major within the Jack C. Massey College of Business once they begin to take coursework in the other areas of business and realize they have an interest in a specific discipline.
What You'll Learn
- Basic negotiation skills for business
- Law fundamentals related to business transactions
- Venture Management
- Marketing research techniques and their applications
- Economic principles to labor markets
- Wide variety of financial topics
Career Possibilities
Earning a General Business degree from Belmont University opens many doors, and no industry is off limits. The principles in marketing, economics, finance and negotiation that graduates learn give them the foundation to pursue the following career paths (and more).
Marketing Specialist
A marketing specialist is a business professional specializing in one or more marketing fields, such as SEO, branding, influencer marketing, event and field marketing, content, email, digital marketing and more. Aside from having an educational background in marketing, marketing specialists can combine skills like advertising, communication and sales to create and boost public interest in a company’s services or products. They sometimes have to design creative marketing strategies and campaigns with catchy advertising messages.
Customer Account Specialist
An account specialist is a business professional with an educational background in accounting, business administration or finance. They possess analytical skills and relish working with numbers. A BBA in accounting prepares you to craft and maintain accurate accounting records for proper finance management. Accounting specialists are versatile enough to thrive in many industries and roles, including management, public finance and taxes.
Project Manager
Project managers are professionals who consciously organize, design and execute projects within organizational settings. A project manager might be tasked with successfully launching new projects, products or marketing campaigns within tight scheduling and budgetary constraints. As a project manager, you can gain employment in sectors like engineering, manufacturing, insurance, information technology, construction, healthcare, finance, energy and more.
Recruiter
A recruiter is a professional tasked by an organization with finding the right person for the job. They rely on the organization's vision and mission to conduct interviews, recruit employees and create a culture of excellence where skills match responsibility. Besides identifying top talents, recruiters represent their firms or clients as brand ambassadors and even customer service reps. As a recruiter, you can find employment in banks, auditing and tax firms, tech startups, law firms, insurance companies, healthcare organizations and sports franchises, among others.
Human Resources Administrator
An HR administrator is a qualified and certified problem solver who hires staff, manages employee benefits and designs in-house human relations policies. When you pursue a human resources administrator degree, you will learn the basics of workplace safety, talent management, compliance, compensation, benefits, development and training. If you have a knack for helping others organize and complete tasks or achieve defined goals, this might the right career path for you. Job opportunities for HR administrators are available in any industry you can think of.
Purchasing Manager
A purchasing manager procures goods and services for a company to use or resell. Their job is to define the purchasing policy of their organization and find the best quality at the lowest price possible. Earning a BBA prepares you for the future by mastering financial management, market research, marketing, communication and negotiation skills. A purchasing manager role offers you the chance to consistently use your excellent negotiation skills at a professional level. Any big business that constantly sells or buys goods requires a purchasing department and a competent purchasing manager.
Financial Analyst
A financial analyst evaluates financial data and market trends to provide insights and recommendations for businesses and individuals. Numerical proficiency, analytical skills and attention to detail are important skills for individuals in this field. Financial analysts often specialize in areas like investment banking, corporate finance, or portfolio management. They use various tools and software to analyze complex financial information and help guide strategic decision-making.
Program Details
Curriculum
The general business major leads to the Bachelor of Business Administration (B.B.A.) and requires a total of 128 credit hours of coursework:
- BELL core requirements: 50 hours
- Business courses: 22 hours
- B.B.A. core technical requirement: 3 hours
- General Business Concentration: 18 hours
- General electives: 22 hours
Courses You'll Take
MGT 4310: Negotiations
This is a course in basic negotiation skills for business. Areas addressed include interests, options, alternatives, legitimacy, communication, relationships and commitment. There is a combination of theoretical knowledge and practical skills around conflict management and resolution in the workplace.
MGT 4220: Business Law II
A second course in law fundamentals related to business transactions. Topics include: the Uniform Commercial Code, bankruptcy, agency, property and forms of business organization.
ETP 3400: Venture Management
Entrepreneurs need to develop basic systems and processes for their businesses as they start-up and begin to grow. This course examines how entrepreneurs effectively develop control processes and human resource systems. There are a variety of legal issues that entrepreneurs face related to the launch and growth of their ventures. Students learn to apply these legal issues to new and growing ventures. Finally, students will explore how the entrepreneur begins the transformation from running the business alone to building a professionalized organization.
MKT 4440: Market Research
A study of modern marketing research techniques and their applications. Topics include research design, questionnaire design, sampling, data collection and analyses and report preparation and presentation. This course normally includes a major project.
ECO 3000: Labor Economics
An extension of economic principles to labor markets. Primary emphasis is placed on household and firm decision-making units within the labor market. Topics to be studied include: labor demand and supply, wage differentials, minimum wage legislation, unemployment, investment in human capital, worker mobility, effects of labor unions, gender, race and ethnicity in the labor market and earnings inequality.
FIN 4410: Advanced Business Finance
This course covers a wide variety of financial topics including capital budgeting, options, cost of capital and free cash flow analysis. Students implement financial topics with a computer spreadsheets.
MGT 3270: Human Resources Management
Personnel policies, procedures, practices and administration from the perspective of the administration of the employee in the business organization and the personnel department. Techniques to research, create and maintain organizational relations are covered.
Accelerated MBA 4 +1
The MBA-Accelerated (A.M.B.A.) program is a full-time M.B.A. designed for individuals with little or no full-time business work experience. Individuals admitted to the A.M.B.A. program begin course work in the fall term and complete their studies in the following summer - a total program length of 12 months from start to finish. Through active learning and scholarly exploration, the A.M.B.A. degree is designed to prepare students for entry-level administrative and managerial positions in both the private and public sector. Students will be equipped with comprehensive business skills, analytical tools, and moral clarity to effectively manage diverse teams and lead organizations in today’s rapidly changing and dynamic, global business environment.
The A.M.B.A. is a non-thesis degree consisting of 36 hours, of which 30 hours are required core courses and 6 hours are elective courses that are chosen by the student. M.B.A. elective courses may be related to a specific area (e.g. FIN, ETP, BSA, etc.) or may be independent of each other providing students with a broader point of view.
Whether you want to launch your own startup, consult with Fortune 500 companies or explore investment banking, you'll get an early start on building your career. As an Accelerated MBA student, you’ll enjoy small class sizes and outstanding faculty who bring industry experience to every class they teach. Classes meet four evenings a week on a full-time basis, giving you flexibility during workday hours to complete internships, graduate assistantships or part-time jobs. And you can complete the program in less than a year.
Learn more about Belmont's AMBA
Integrated Degree, M.ACC./B.B.A.
Belmont University’s integrated M.ACC. and B.B.A. degree program is designed to meet today’s needs of those wishing to make accounting a career choice. Today’s accountants must possess much more than just technical accounting knowledge; they must also have a broad understanding of various business activities and possess strong communication, intellectual, and interpersonal skills. In recognition of those additional skills most states, including Tennessee, have passed laws or issued regulations requiring at least 150 hours of higher education to sit for the uniform CPA examination. Also the AICPA requires new members to possess 150 hours of higher education.
Increasingly, businesses are hiring new professionals who have master’s degrees. These include public accounting firms, manufacturing companies, and service providers in healthcare, finance, and insurance, as well as governmental organizations. Belmont’s integrated accountancy degree is a program which meets employer needs and provides graduates with exceptional career opportunities.
The integrated program is only for accounting concentration students in the Undergraduate School of Business Administration at Belmont University and is designed to be completed in a five-year time period.
You’ll learn far beyond the classroom at Belmont. Here are just a few of the opportunities in store for you:
- Engage in monthly professional development events
- Attend lectures featuring top business professionals
- Travel to Budapest, Buenos Aires, Dubai, Prague or another international destination as part of our Global Practicum
- Complete a professional field experience
- Get customized career guidance from the Jack C. Massey College of Business Career Development Center
Belmont University’s MBA programs are accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB), the premier agency for bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degree programs in business administration and accounting.
Fewer than 5 percent of business schools worldwide achieve AACSB accreditation, and Belmont is the only private college or university in Tennessee that is accredited by AACSB International for BBA, MBA and accounting programs.
Frequently Asked Questions
If you have more questions about our General Business program and where it may take you in your career, this section should be helpful. Review the questions and answers below and if you need more assistance, feel free to reach out to us directly.
The application for a business administration degree costs a non-refundable fee of $50.
There is no minimum GPA to be accepted into Belmont University, but most students enter at around a 3.83 GPA.
The average cost of tuition at Belmont University before aid (grants and scholarships from federal and state sources) is $60,480, and after aid, it averages $31,519. The total estimated tuition and fees for first-year students for 2024-2025 is $57,590.
Belmont University is one of the most prestigious institutions of learning and excellence in Nashville, Tennessee. It was ranked #236 in the National Universities 2024 edition. Belmont University offers 12 colleges and more than 180 majors and programs.
The institution posts an acceptance rate of 96%, with successful students having SAT scores between 1150 and 1340. This means that according to its acceptance rate, Belmont University consistently welcomes students from all walks of life.
No, Belmont University is test optional, so neither the SAT or ACT are required.
The career opportunities with a business administration degree are limitless. Here are some jobs you can get with a business administration degree:
- Account manager
- Accountant
- Auditor
- Banker
- Business analyst
- Business consultant
- Business development manager
- Data analyst
- Financial advisor
- Health administrator
- Human resources specialist
- Business development manager
- Data analyst
- Marketing manager
- Market research analyst
- Sales manager
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Contact Us
Jack C. Massey College of Business
Amy Bennett
Assistant Director of Admissions
615.460.6920
Email Amy