You have a business idea. How are you going to make it work? BJU’s business administration program can help you achieve your goals. As one of the University’s top 10 programs, the engaged faculty and hands-on experiences will prepare you with the skills you need to enter the business field with a biblical foundation.
What Faculty Will I Meet?
One of the factors that makes the business administration program stand out is its faculty. From successful entrepreneurs to past CFOs, every faculty member has years of experience in their field.
One of the first people you might meet is the dean of the School of Business, Mike Buiter. He learned to work hard from an early age and became the vice president for finance at Dr. Pepper.
If you want to learn more about Buiter’s story, watch this faculty spotlight video.
In your classes, you will meet professors like Dr. Robert Hucks and Dr. Adele Dunn. Hucks is the chair of the Division of Management and teaches a variety of business classes. He has over 26 years of experience working in small business start-ups and Fortune 100 companies.
Dunn teaches entrepreneurship, innovation and marketing classes. She is originally from Ireland and taught several marketing and innovation classes there before coming to BJU.
“She is highly regarded in the field of entrepreneurship and innovation, so we’re really happy to have her on board teaching. She has a wonderful testimony and a heart for the mission of the University,” Hucks said.
If you want to go into the legal side of business, you will meet Dr. Jeff Adams and Chuck Evans. Both are practicing attorneys.
“Many professors are still working in the field that they’re teaching in. Others also own businesses. So they all have a lot of experience, and I think that is one of the key points about this program,” Hucks said.
Where Should I Start?
When deciding which business class you should start with, you will have several choices. “There are probably four classes, actually, that could be considered introductory. … It really depends on what the student wants to study,” said Hucks.
One possibility is Introduction to Business, which is required for all business majors and provides an overview of business and the different fields for career options.
“If you’re unsure, take that class. We bring in several industry professionals that are professionals within their functional area. We bring in people who are working in finance, human resources or marketing. That way students can meet them, talk with them and get to know what it is that they do,” Hucks said.
Hucks recommends Principles of Marketing, Corporate Finance and Introduction to Human Resources as courses that provide insights into career areas.
What Opportunities Should I Take Advantage Of?
The business administration program encourages you to personalize your program based on the field you are most interested in. Concentrations include general business, entrepreneurship, finance, human resources and marketing.
Student-run organizations offer you the opportunity to get involved in a variety of ways.
University Marketing Association
“The UMA does events every year where they go to competitions. Students get the opportunity to participate in those national programs. One of our students even got a scholarship because of their participation in the UMA,” Hucks said.
In addition to leading campus fundraisers during Homecoming and Bible Conference, the UMA seeks out real-life projects each semester such as marketing the culinary arts bistro in the fall of 2020.
University Investment Association
UIA members learn about finance, investments and the stock market. Each semester, the UIA manages a real investment fund, and the dividend goes toward the University’s scholarship fund.
“They’re actually managing real money. It’s not play money. … It’s a real investment account. They make investments through the semester and whatever they make goes towards a good cause,” Hucks said.
Study Abroad
You can also go on a summer study abroad trip where you will gain new business skills through hands-on experiences in another city or country. The School of Business currently has two study abroad programs. One of the study abroad programs goes to Portugal with a focus on entrepreneurship. The other goes to Cannes, France, and is marketing focused.
Volunteer Opportunities
Hucks recommends that you volunteer for an organization. “I came out of a Fortune 100 company for my career, and that is something that we look at. … Any volunteer efforts look very good on your resume,” Hucks said.
In addition to helping a good cause, volunteering can also help prepare you for a job in the business field. “It’s going to help you to develop as an individual because you get a chance to meet different people from different walks of life, which is what you’re going to find in the business world. They’re going to come from different areas. So the broader experience that you have, the more effective you’ll be as a business person,” Hucks said.
What Will You Learn?
As a business administration student, you will spend the majority of your classes developing business skills and learning about business theory. But one of the major principles that you will focus on is how business and ministry relate to each other.
“Students who graduate with a degree in business from Bob Jones are ready for the workplace. Business is ministry. Our goal for them is that they live out the Gospel in that workplace. They’re being an influence on those who they directly come in contact with through the caliber of the work that they do and the character that they display,” Hucks said.
Along with your required business courses, you will also have 18 elective credits for business classes, which count as business electives, or you can select a minor.
“We highly recommend classes in biblical counseling since they’ll be working with individual employees and sometimes through very difficult times,” Hucks said. “Another we recommend is paralegal studies. If they’re interested in that area, a bachelor’s in business with a minor in paralegal studies makes them very marketable in getting jobs upon graduation in law firms or in legal areas.”
How Will Your Degree Prepare You for Your Future?
During your junior or senior year, you will take a class called Experiential Learning, which will prepare you for at least one internship.
“Internships are a great way for students to get experience in the field they are hoping to work in the future and that kind of goes for students of all majors. Internships will give you the hands-on experience that you will need,” Hucks said.
Most students intern in sales, finance, human resources and law offices, while others prefer to intern in a general managerial position in a church or Christian school. “By their junior or senior year, students kind of know what field they want to work in, and that is the kind of internship they look for. So it really depends on what kind of job the student is looking for after graduation,” Hucks said.
After you complete your internship and classes, you will be ready to apply for any entry-level business management job. “Specifically, manager roles in very different types of industries,” Hucks said. “If they’re studying finance, they could be very well prepared to go straight into the finance world. Students will be overall prepared for a job in the field they studied.
“I think the unique thing about this program is that it allows for a student to go into a lot of different areas of expertise for their business and for their career path. … It allows them to go into different areas of business and spread their own personal ministry in their workplace.”
For more information or to apply online, visit BJU’s business administration program page.