2016-2017

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.

  • 8 competencies of liberal studies equaling 35 units of coursework. These competencies can also be satisfied with the transfer of a AGEC.
  • 15 competencies equaling 54-57 units of NAU major courses

  • 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.

  • Electives as needed to reach 120 units

Minimum Units for Completion 120
Highest Mathematics Required MATH 115
Additional Admission Requirements Required
Foreign Language Required
Some online/blended coursework Required
Progression Plan Link Not Available
Student Learning Outcomes

The SBA program is dedicated to the mission and goals of the university and the sustainability of continuing business education and industry collaboration, to integrate four major areas in business:

  • Business Functions – Examine, synthesize and apply Management & Administration, Finance, Marketing, Sales, Customer Service and strategic planning to the aspect of entrepreneurial real-life applications and essential for business success and performance.
  • Readiness Skills – Understand and critically apply a collection of competencies/performance principles in business for personal self-exploration, knowledge and skills that are prerequisites or co-requisites for the study of entrepreneurship.
  • Entrepreneurial Skills-the processes and traits/behaviors applicable to new ventures and ongoing ventures that create/drive/change economic activity - new markets, new products, new businesses within the limitations of environmental global economies, social, and cultural and dynamic community engagement.
  • Workplace Diversity & Sustainability- Explore and understand the importance of workplace functions as essential for personal, academic, general workplace and entrepreneurial competencies and the sustainable interconnectedness of an increasingly complex global world.

PL students will examine in-depth competencies-based in a variety of business areas, including foundational development skills associated with key entrepreneurship performance indicators, emerging trend in postsecondary entrepreneurial education and direct skills assessments as related to industry specific standards.
 
Small Business Administration Personalized Learning Graduates will be able to:

  • Analyze current trends and processes associated with successful entrepreneurial performance.
  • Explore fundamental business theory and practices
  • Apply comprehensive and foundational business knowledge and skills in context of related applications in ethics, group work relations and conflict resolution in the business workplace.
  • Demonstrate the economic principles and concepts fundamental to entrepreneurship competencies, management principles and small business ownership.
  • Integrate and examine application of basic business theory to real-world case study experience
  • Examine cost-profit relationships, economic indicators/global trends and business financial principles in context of real-life business case study.
  • Explore and apply strategic planning for personal professional development, career exploration, development and growth in context of real-life business functions

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 - 57 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 335   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)
    • PLD 450 Applied Project (3 units)
    • STAT 272  Applied Business Statistics (3 units)
    ** Students transferring in an applicable statistics course are not required to complete STAT 272. Work with an advisor to determine applicability of transfer course work.

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

    We encourage you to consult with your advisor to select the courses that will be most advantageous to you.

Additional Information
  • Any prerequisites not fulfilled with transfer credit may be met by successfully completing a pretest; however, credit will not be granted for that completion.