Business Studies

Business Studies Department Website

The Swiss Army knife of programs at Drake’s business school.

The Business Studies major equips students with the tools, acumen, and experience to be a triple threat: skilled in inclusive leadership, data-driven decision-making, and strategic business development.

What jobs can you get with a business studies degree? With a solid base of core professional knowledge and the option to handpick courses from a range of contemporary business topics, endless career options are available.

Students who choose to pursue a general business degree will be embraced with academic and experiential learning to enable them to map their values and passions to meaningful career paths. Business studies graduates will emerge prepared to innovate and lead in an ever-more globally complex, diverse, and dynamic future that will present many new opportunities and challenges.

DEGREE OPTIONS AND REQUIREMENTS

The Zimpleman College of Business offers a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration with a major in Business Studies as well as a minor in Business Studies.

Business Studies Major: In addition to the required curriculum that must be taken by all students in the Zimpleman College of Business, the business studies major requires a minimum of 15 hours from accounting, finance, management/entrepreneurial management, and marketing. The remaining nine hours in the major may include additional study in accounting, finance, management/entrepreneurial management, and marketing, and/or study in business, information systems, insurance, and business law. There may be no more than nine hours in any single discipline within the 24 hour major; 21 of the 24 hours must be taken in 100-level courses. The list of courses should be selected to meet the individual student’s needs and must be approved by the student’s advisor.

Business studies students usually take economics and accounting in their freshman year. Business Law I and business statistics are taken in the sophomore year. Students may begin taking introductory courses in marketing, management, finance, insurance, and information systems in their sophomore year. Elective courses to support the career interests of the student begin in the junior year and continue throughout the senior year. The program is capped with an integrative course in business strategy.

Business Studies Minor: One of the most important mission objectives of the College’s undergraduate business curriculum is to prepare students for entry into careers in business and to enhance their prospects for employment. Toward that end, the College offers the opportunity for students earning a degree other than a business degree to receive a Minor in Business Studies. The Minor in Business Studies gives students an introductory exposure to most fields of business and thereby provides them with additional flexibility in meeting their employment and career goals. Twenty-four credit hours are required.

EXAMPLES OF COURSEWORK:

Required major courses: At least 15 hours from accounting, finance, management/entrepreneurial management, and marketing. And nine hours in the major may include additional study in accounting, finance, management/entrepreneurial management, and marketing, and/or study in business, information systems, insurance, and business law.

For a comprehensive list of courses required for Business Studies offered by the Zimpleman College of Business, visit this page.

INTERNSHIP OPPORTUNITIES

Internships are an important component of professional development for business students. Many students complete at least 2 internships before graduation. The goal of an internship is for students to obtain real-world experience, applying knowledge and skills learned in the classroom.

The Zimpleman College of Business hosts Business and Technology as well as Actuarial Science fall career fairs for all business students. The college hosts other networking and mock interview events throughout the year. These events give students the chance to personally connect and network with company representatives. Handshake, Drake’s online job posting system, allows students to search and apply for positions. Many companies also come to campus for on-campus interviews. The Assistant Director of Professional and Career Development Services is available year-round to assist students and is housed in the Career and Professional Development Center in the business school building, Aliber Hall.

Examples of companies that recruit and hire Drake students are Allstate, Athene, Berkshire Hathaway, Wellmark, EMC Insurance Companies, FDIC, JPMorgan, Nationwide, Amazon, John Deere, Principal Financial Group, Dotdash Meredith, Willis Towers Watson, and Wells Fargo.

STUDENT ORGANIZATIONS AND ACTIVITIES

Many business studies students take the opportunity to exercise their leadership abilities and begin building a personal and professional network by participating in one or more of our 14 business-oriented student organizations on campus. To learn about each organization and other clubs available to Drake students, visit Clubs & Organizations at Drake.

FIND OUT MORE

We love talking about the great things happening at Drake, but nothing beats a visit to campus. Let us know you're coming, and we'll arrange for you to meet professors, sit in on a class, or just hang out with current students.

Contact:

Undergraduate Programs Office
Zimpleman College of Business
515-271-3142

Business Studies Department Website

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