Undergraduate Degree
The undergraduate Business degree is offered in three instructional formats.
- 16-week traditional semester - primarily face-to-face class meetings with up to 25 enrolled students.
- 8-week hybrid course format in weekday evenings from 6:00 pm - 8:45 pm - combining eight face-to-face class meetings along with additional learning online. Class sizes vary.
- 8-week totally online course format - Students rarely required to be online synchronously. Class sizes do not exceed 20 students.
Courses
Class sizes are small and interactive. NDMU faculty are committed to helping students succeed and value greatly student experiences and contributions. Students should expect their thinking to be challenged in a productive and respectful manner. Per Federal guidelines and university policy, each 3 credit course, regardless of course length or format, involves a minimum of 37.5 hours of instruction and at a minimum of 75 hours of student work outside of class time.
Please note: A grade of C or better is required for all courses in the Business major or Business minor. Transfer students must complete a minimum of five course in the Business Major regrdless of the number of credits accepted in transfer.
Students are strongly urged to complete their Math requirement early in their college career because of the quantitative nature of many Business courses.
Foundational Business Courses
The foundational Business Courses that students should take are BUS-202 Principles of Management, BUS-203 Principles of Marketing, BUS-253 Financial Accounting, BUS-254 Managerial Accounting, BUS-304 Legal Environment of Business, BUS-310 Professional Communications, BUS-321 Corporate Financial Management, BUS-350 International Business, ECO-211 Introduction to Macroeconomics and ECO-212 Introduction to Microeconomics. [30 credits]
These courses provide a theoretical and practical/skills approach to Management. Additional skills are taught in BUS-360 Business Research, BUS-334 Teamwork and Negotiation, BUS-225 Data Analysis I and BUS-325 Data Analysis for Business Decisions II, BUS-400 Leadership, BUS-432 Advanced Business Policy, and BUS-461 Business Practicum.
Advanced Business Policy and Practicum
These two courses (BUS-432 and BUS-461) enable students to apply the knowledge and skills learned throughout the degree program to strategic issues in business management and in the workplace. The successful completion of Advanced Business Policy, the capstone course, is required of all business majors and should be taken during the student's last semester of study. The four-credit practicum course is required for all business majors who do not have at least two years of full-time professional work experience. The practicum includes a 120-hour internship. [3 to 7 credits]
Business Elective Courses
Students complete their degree requirements either by completing courses for a concentration in accounting, or by completing at least two 400-level Business Elective courses. The upper-division elective courses challenge students to address complex business problems in a chosen field of interest such as finance, management, marketing, international business and human resource management. Students are required to complete two business elective course but are encouraged to take additional business electives if possible. [6 credits]
Accounting Concentration Through Loyola
Intermediate and advanced accounting courses are offered for those students interested in preparing for the Certified Public Accountants (CPA) exam through an agreement with Loyola University. After completing introductory Accounting courses (BUS-253 and BUS-254) at Notre Dame of Maryland, Business students must complete 12 credits of intermediate and advanced accounting courses to fulfill their accounting concentration requirements. The Accounting concentration does not prepare a student adequately to take the CPA exam. Additional credits may be earned by applying to and registering for the Masters in Accountancy program through Loyola. [12 credits]
Five-Year Option: B.A./M.A.
The Five-year Option enables a full-time traditional undergraduate Business major or minor student to complete the Bachelor of Arts and the Master of Arts in Leadership and Management degrees in five years. A student wishing to pursue a five-year integrated program must meet with her advisor and the Chair of the Business and Economics Department before she registers for the fall semester of her senior year to plan her Program of Study and to determine program eligibility and review program requirements.
Study Abroad
Study abroad opportunities exist for all three student groups. They range from a full semester abroad to a 10-day study tour led by NDMU faculty during winter, spring or summer break.
Required Core Courses for Major in Business
BUS-461: Required for traditional undergraduate students. Only required for Adult Undergraduate & NDMU Online when student has less than 2 years of full-time professional experience.
Business majors must fulfill the General Education requirement, Investigating through Scientific and Quantitative Reasoning with either MAT-100 Algebra Applications, MAT-103 Applied Algebra, MAT-107 Elementary Functions or MAT-211 Calculus I. Calculus I is the preferred Math course for Business majors.
Students are required to complete either the accounting concentration or at least two of the 400-level business elective courses listed below.
Select a minimum of two courses from the following:
Please note: Students may need additional courses to qualify to sit for the CPA exames.
Business Electives
Four-Year Plan
Below is a sample Program of Study for the Business Major. Business Majors sould take BUS-202 Principles of Management, BUS-203 Principles of Marketing, ECO-211 Macroeconomics, ECO-212 Microeconomics, BUS-253 Financial Accounting and BUS-254 Managerial Accounting before any other courses in their major.
Students should select courses with the assistance of a faculty advisor. However, it is recommended that students fulfill thier Math requirement during their first year.
See Course Description for prerequisites and corequisites.
Note: Business electives in management, marketing, finance, international business or human resources management may be taken in junior year if prerequisites are completed.