Degree Requirements
The Bachelor of Science in Business Administration degree is awarded to students by recommendation of the faculty. Standards established by the faculty for recommendation are as follows:
- Satisfactory completion of requirements regarding required and elective courses, accumulation of a minimum of 120 credits of coursework, and satisfactory fulfillment of other requirements established in accordance with the rules and regulations of the Olin Business School.
- Completion of the last 30 credits in residence at Washington University for entering first-year students. Transfer students must complete a minimum of 60 credits in residence at Washington University.
- Students must earn a minimum 2.0 overall grade-point average and a 2.0 GPA in all professional coursework taken at Olin Business School.
- Students must be recommended by Olin Business School faculty for degree confirmation by the Board of Trustees.
Regulations
- Students must complete a minimum of 120 credits, including 48 credits outside of Olin Business School and 60 credits from within the Olin Business School. Students who substitute a non-business course for a business requirement will still be required to enroll in another business course, as a minimum of 60 credits must be earned in Olin Business School.
- BSBA students may earn a maximum of two majors to include two professional majors or one professional major and one major outside of Olin Business School.
- BSBA students may earn one or two minors, depending on the number of majors they pursue. The options are two majors and one minor or one major and two minors.
- BSBA students may enroll in one physical education course per semester.
- BSBA students may transfer up to 6 credits per summer toward their BSBA degree requirements. Olin Business School does not accept any online course work for transfer credit (exceptions were granted for Summer 2020 and 2021).
- BSBA students must complete 54 of the 60 professional credits in residence. Course work taken as part of an approved Washington University international program will satisfy this residency policy.
- BSBA students must complete all professional courses for each business major in residence. Course work taken as part of an approved Washington University international program will satisfy this residency policy.
- BSBA students may double count only one course between two business majors. For example, if a BSBA student is majoring in both Marketing and Entrepreneurship, they could not count MKT 3780 Marketing Research and MKT 4820 Brand Management toward both majors.
- ROTC credits numbered 3000 or above will count toward the student's 120 credits required for graduation. These credits may count toward the advanced non-business requirements if the course is taken for a grade.
- Students are obligated to complete the requirements and adhere to the policies in place at the time of matriculation into the BSBA program. However, faculty has and reserves the right to make changes to degree requirements, policies, and procedures — including modifying or adding new requirements, policies, and procedures — at any time.
- For more policies, visit the Academic Regulations page of this Bulletin.
General Requirements (a minimum of 48 credits)
Each student must complete a minimum of 48 credits outside of Olin Business School to include the following specific requirements:
- College Writing (3 credits): Students must demonstrate proficiency in the reading and writing of the English language by satisfactorily completing one College Writing Program themed writing course with a grade of C– or better.
- Calculus (3-6 credits): Students must complete MATH 1510 Calculus I and MATH 1520 Calculus II or other calculus courses approved by the Olin Business School.
- Distribution Requirements (18 credits): Students must complete 3 credits of physical and life sciences, 3 credits of humanities, 6 credits of international studies, 3 credits of behavioral analysis, and 3 credits of ethics and values. Approved course selections are available in the university's course listings.
- Advanced Electives (12 credits): Students must complete at least 12 graded credits of advanced coursework. Advanced electives are defined as any course numbered 3000 or higher that is offered as any day division course (excluding Olin courses). Advanced electives may also satisfy a distribution requirement.
Professional Requirements (a minimum of 60 credits)
Core Requirements (42 credits)
| Code | Title | Units |
|---|---|---|
| ACCT 2610 | Principles of Financial Accounting | 3 |
| ACCT 2620 | Principles of Managerial Accounting | 3 |
| DAT 1200 | Managerial Statistics I | 3 |
| DAT 1201 | Managerial Statistics II | 3 |
| FIN 3150 | Capital Markets and Financial Management | 3 |
| MEC 2900 | Microeconomics | 3 |
| MEC 2920 | Global Economy | 3 |
| MGT 1000 | Individual in a Managerial Environment | 3 |
| MGT 1500 | Foundations of Business | 2 |
| MGT 2010 | Management Communication | 4 |
| MKT 3150 | Principles of Marketing | 3 |
| OB 3150 | Organization Behavior Within the Firm | 3 |
| SCOT 2000 | Quantitative Business Decision Making | 3 |
| SCOT 3150 | Operations and Manufacturing Management | 3 |
| Total Units | 42 | |
- *
Transfer students entering Olin Business School must take MGT 1000 Individual in a Managerial Environment or MGT 3800 Business Strategy to satisfy this requirement.
- **
Transfer students entering Olin Business School after their first year are not required to take MGT 1500 Foundations of Business. However, a minimum of 60 credits must be earned in Olin Business School.
Professional Electives (a minimum of 18 credits)
Professional electives are non-required business courses offered by Olin Business School that may or may not lead toward a specific business major. Additional information about the specific requirements for each business major is available on the Olin Business School Majors page.
Experiential Learning Degree Requirement (3 credits)
Beginning with the Class of 2029, all BSBA degree students are required to complete 3 credits of experiential coursework. Experiential learning immerses students in real-world scenarios that mirror the complexity and ambiguity of modern business. Unlike case-based or simulated learning, this hands-on approach bridges the gap between theory and practice, preparing students for dynamic, evolving industries.
With guidance from their four-year advisors, students will explore experiential learning opportunities that align with their purpose, discipline, career goals, and/or industry focus while also meeting their degree requirements. The following courses satisfy the experiential learning degree requirement. Experiential learning credits cannot be applied to major or minor requirements.
Courses
| Code | Title | Units |
|---|---|---|
| FIN 4024 | Venture Capital Practice (formerly FIN 400X) | 1.5 |
| FIN 4026 | Private Equity Practice (formerly FIN 400M) | 1.5 |
| INTL 3230 | Business of Art: The European Capitals of Culture (formerly INTL 323) | 3 |
| INTL 4200 | Business Research Internship (formerly INTL 420) | 3 |
| MGT 2002 | ISBA: Venture Creation (formerly MGT 200C) | 3 |
| MGT 3501 | European Study Tour (formerly MGT 450Z) | 1.5 |
| MGT 4101 | CELect (STL, Domestic, & INTL) (formerly MGT 401C) | 3 |
| MGT 4103 | CEL Practicum (formerly MGT 401P) | 3 |
| MGT 4104 | Small Business Initiative (formerly MGT 401S) | 3 |
| MGT 4105 | Taylor Community Consulting (formerly MGT 401T) | 3 |
| MGT 4504 | Honors Thesis - Research (formerly MGT 450D) | 3 |
| MGT 4505 | Honors Thesis - Writing and Presentation (formerly MGT 450E) | 3 |
| MGT 4990 | CEL Experiential Learning | .75 |
| MGT 4991 | CEL Experiential Learning | 1.5 |
| MGT 4992 | CEL Experiential Learning | 3 |
| MKT 4315 | Marketing Metrics (formerly MKT 431E) | 1.5 |
| SCOT 2850 | Operations Consulting via Experiential Projects | 3 |
Global Mindset Component (1.5-3 credits)
For the BSBA class of 2025-2028, the Global Mindset component for the undergraduate BSBA degree is designed to support the Olin Pillars of providing world-changing business education, research, and impact. Through a Global Mindset experience, students will have the opportunity to expand their intellectual curiosity, gain confidence in their ability to make decisions under pressure, and enhance their leadership advantage in a rapidly changing global society. Students will be able to satisfy the Global Mindset component of their degree through a variety of experiences that expose them to new academic and professional ideas, peoples, cultures, and philosophies. This could be done through an Olin-approved study abroad program or with a carefully curated set of experiences completed on campus and in the St. Louis community, including INTL 3500 Glocal Learning, a 1.5-credit course.
Electives (credits will vary)
Students must take enough electives to earn the minimum of 120 credits.
Typical Four-Year Curriculum for a BSBA Student
Typically, students must earn 30 credits per year to stay on target with a four-year graduation plan and to earn the 120 minimum credits required.
First Year
| Fall | Units | Spring | Units |
|---|---|---|---|
| MGT 1000 Individual in a Managerial Environment | 3 | MEC 2900 Microeconomics | 3 |
| MGT 1500 Foundations of Business | 2 | Electives | 6 |
| MATH 1510 or higher* | 3 | DAT 1200 Managerial Statistics I | 3 |
| English Composition** | 3 | MATH 1520 or elective | 3 |
| Electives | 3-6 |
Sophomore Year
| Fall | Units | Spring | Units |
|---|---|---|---|
| ACCT 2610 Principles of Financial Accounting | 3 | Core requirement(s) | 3-6 |
| DAT 1201 Managerial Statistics II | 3 | SCOT 2000 Analytics and Modeling for Business Decisions | 3 |
| MGT 2010 Management Communication | 4 | Electives | 6-9 |
| Core requirement(s) | 0-3 | ||
| Electives | 3-6 |
Junior Year
| Fall | Units | Spring | Units |
|---|---|---|---|
| Core/Professional requirements | 6-12 | Core/Professional requirements | 6-12 |
| Electives | 3-9 | Electives | 3-9 |
Senior Year
| Fall | Units | Spring | Units |
|---|---|---|---|
| Professional electives | 6 | Professional electives | 6 |
| Electives | 9 | Electives | 9 |
- *
Students may enroll in a higher level of calculus if their academic preparation suggests a different level of calculus would be appropriate.
- **
BSBA students are assigned to enroll in their College Writing Program course in either the fall or spring semester of their first year. Some students may start at a different level of English preparation and may take their writing course as late as sophomore year.