2012-2013

Small Business Administration, Bachelor of Arts

Personalized Learning

Extended Campuses

This major will provide you with knowledge, skills, and resources to start, manage, and grow a small business. Specifically, this program will help turn an initial business idea into a reality through a series of 'must-do' actions and learning activities. This program includes placement in an internship, where you will gain real-world experience in small business management. As a capstone project, you will synthesize all of the program's learning experiences by completing a thorough and well-written business plan for a business idea.

This plan will not be available to new students after Summer 2020

  • To receive a bachelor's degree at Northern Arizona University, you must complete at least 120 units of credit that minimally include a major, the liberal studies requirements, and university requirements as listed below.

    • All Northern Arizona University requirements.
    • All requirements for your specific academic plan(s).
    • At least 30 units of upper-division courses, which may include transfer work.
    • At least 30 units of coursework taken through Northern Arizona University, of which at least 18 must be upper-division courses (300-level or above). This requirement is not met by credit-by-exam, retro-credits, transfer coursework, etc.
    • A cumulative grade point average of at least 2.0 on all work attempted at Northern Arizona University.

    The full policy can be viewed here.

You may be able to use some courses to meet more than one requirement. Contact your faculty mentor for details.

  • 34 competencies of liberal studies equaling 35 units of coursework. These competencies can also be satisfied with the transfer of a AGEC. Major coursework may not be multiply used in the liberal studies requirements.
  • 15 competencies equaling 54 units of NAU major courses

  • 6 competencies of a minor in Computer Information Technology equaling 18 units, or, 7 competencies of a minor in Liberal Arts equaling 18 units. A student transferring in a completed associate's degree is not required to do a minor.

16 competencies in modern language courses equaling 16 units of NAU language courses. SPAN 102, SPAN 103, SPAN 202, SPAN 203, are available through Personalized Learning; other modern languages may be accepted through test or transfer credit.

Minimum Units for Completion 120
Highest Mathematics Required MATH 115
Additional Admission Requirements Required
Foreign Language Required
Progression Plan Link Not Available

Additional Admission Requirements
  • Individual program admission requirements over and above admission to NAU are required.

  • Admission requirements to Personalized Learning include NAU's undergraduate admission standards as well as the completion of a Readiness Assessment.  Prior to admission to the University, a Personalized Learning admission specialist guides prospective students through a series of steps to determine admissibility, applicable prior credit, preparedness via the Readiness Assessment, and degree selection. After these steps are complete, admissible students are directed to complete an account information form. This form replaces the traditional NAU application.

    Students may demonstrate competency through performance on pre-tests. Some courses may have departmental prerequisites required by students in other majors. Any prerequisites not fulfilled with transfer credit may be met by successfully completing a pretest; however, credit will not be granted for the completion.

    This degree is offered only through the Personalized Learning program. Work with a faculty mentor for any questions regarding the applicability of coursework completed through Personalized Learning to any other plan of study at NAU.

Major Requirements
  • Personalized Learning Competencies for the Bachelor of Arts in Small Business Administration

    Completion of the competencies will result in the awarding of credit for NAU classes.

    C.1  Demonstrate concepts and processes associated with successful entrepreneurial performance
    C.2  Examine the personal traits/behaviors associated with successful entrepreneurial performance
    C.3  Examine fundamental business concepts that affect business decision making
    C.4  Employ concepts, strategies, and systems needed to interact effectively with others to ensure high performance in the workplace
    C.5  Acquire concepts and procedures needed for basic computer operations in a small business setting
    C.6  Evaluate the economic principles and concepts fundamental to entrepreneurship/small business ownership
    C.7  Analyze personal money management concepts, procedures, and strategies
    C.8  Explore concepts and strategies needed for career exploration, development for corequisites for becoming a successful entrepreneur
    C.9  Examine the financial concepts and tools used in making business decisions
    C.10 Investigate the concepts, systems and strategies needed to acquire, motivate, develop and terminate staff
    C.11 Break down the concepts, systems and tools needed to access, process, maintain, evaluate, and disseminate information for business decision making
    C.12 Explore the concepts, processes, and systems needed to determine and satisfy customer needs/wants/expectations, meet business goals/objectives, and create new product/service ideas
    C.13 Employ and audit the processes and systems implemented to facilitate daily business operations
    C.14 Examine and integrate the concepts, strategies, and systems that businesses implement and enforce to minimize loss
    C.15 Understands the processes, strategies, and systems needed to guide the overall business organization

  • Course Credit Earned (54 units)
    • BBA 290   Managerial Accounting and Financial Analysis (3 units)
    • BBA 291   Economic Analysis and Business Law (3 units)
    • BBA 300   Principles of Management in a Global Economy (3 units)
    • BBA 320   Managerial Finance (3 units)
    • BBA 330   Supply Chain Management (3 units)
    • BBA 405   Entrepreneurship and Small Business Management (3 units)
    • BBA 408   Internship (3 units)
    • BBA 440   Human Resource Management (3 units)
    • ENTY 240  Introduction to Entrepreneurship (3 units)
    • ENTY 320  Innovation and Creativity (3 units)
    • ENTY 360  New Venture Creation, Growth and Strategy (3 units)
    • ENTY 380  Entrepreneurial Funding and Plan Development (3 units)
    • ENTY 430  Entrepreneurship and New Media Marketing (3 units)
    • ENTY 440  Project Management (3 units)
    • NAUY 300W  Dynamic Organizations (3 units)
    • NAUY 310  Leadership in the 21st Century (3 units)
    • NAUY 470C Capstone (3 units)
    • STAT 272  Applied Busines Statistics (3 units)
  • Students transferring an applicable statistics course are not required to complete [STAT 272]. Work with an advisor to determine the applicability of transfer course work.

Minor Requirements
  • If you have completed an Associate of Arts (AA) degree or an Associate of Science (AS) degree you will have fulfilled all minor requirements for a Personalized Learning degree. An Associate of Applied Science (AAS) will fulfill minor requirements for your degree except where precluded by degree program policy. The requirement is waived for students who transfer in 64 units from a regionally accredited institution.
Foreign Language Requirement
General Electives
  • Additional coursework is required if, after you have met the previously described requirements, you have not yet completed a total of 120 units of credit.

    You may take these remaining courses from any of the academic areas, using these courses to pursue your specific interests and goals. We encourage you to consult with your faculty mentor to select the courses that will be most advantageous to you.

    You may also use prerequisites or transfer credits as electives if they weren't used to meet major, minor, or liberal studies requirements.

Additional Information
  • Some courses have departmental prerequisites required of students in other majors. Any prerequisites not fulfilled with transfer credit may be met by successfully completing a pretest; however, credit will not be granted for that completion.