Business Administration, A.S. (Altoona)

Spring 2025 Curricular Update: The program description, entrance requirements, and program requirements detailed on this page are effective beginning Spring 2025. To learn more about what approved curricular changes take effect in Spring 2025, please visit the Changes to the UG Bulletin page. To view the requirements in effect for Fall 2024, please visit the 2024-25 Undergraduate Bulletin PDF.

Program Description

The associate degree program in Business Administration provides an introductory foundation to core aspects of the business environment that prepares graduates for future baccalaureate study in business or for direct entry into the work place. The primary objective of this major is to provide a business-oriented program with sufficient communicative and mathematical skills, socially relevant course work, and specific business specialties to develop a well-rounded and knowledgeable graduate.

Students should work closely with academic advisers to schedule coursework required to transition to baccalaureate business programs.

What is Business Administration?

To be successful in today's increasingly complex business world, you need to have a broad understanding of how business works. The Penn State Associate degree in Business Administration prepares students for a professional career in today's business environment. The degree offers students a managerially-oriented program emphasizing communication and mathematical skills, socially relevant course work, and advanced courses in business. While Penn State's Associate in Science in Business Administration is an excellent stand-alone credential, it can be used to seamlessly transition to a bachelor's degree such as the Bachelor of Science in Business or other business-related programs at the University.

You Might Like This Program If...

You want to learn to use the latest technical business tools to perform your job duties effectively.
You analyze and react to issues facing companies today.
You collect and analyze data to make inferences and solve business problems.
You need to execute effective communication strategies.

Spring 2025 Curricular Update: The program description, entrance requirements, and program requirements detailed on this page are effective beginning Spring 2025. To learn more about what approved curricular changes take effect in Spring 2025, please visit the Changes to the UG Bulletin page. To view the requirements in effect for Fall 2024, please visit the 2024-25 Undergraduate Bulletin PDF.

Entrance to Major

Students must have a minimum 2.0 GPA to change to this Associate degree after admission to the University.

Spring 2025 Curricular Update: The program description, entrance requirements, and program requirements detailed on this page are effective beginning Spring 2025. To learn more about what approved curricular changes take effect in Spring 2025, please visit the Changes to the UG Bulletin page. To view the requirements in effect for Fall 2024, please visit the 2024-25 Undergraduate Bulletin PDF.

Degree Requirements

For the Associate in Science degree in Business Administration, a minimum of 60 credits is required:

Program Requirements
Requirement	Credits
General Education	21
Requirements for the Major	48-52

9 of the 21 credits for General Education are included in the Requirements for the Major. This includes: 3 credits of GQ courses; 6 credits of GWS courses.

Requirements for the Major

To graduate, a student enrolled in the major must earn a grade of C or better in each course designated by the major as a C-required course, as specified by Senate Policy 82-44.

Course List
Code	Title	Credits
Prescribed Courses
Prescribed Courses: Require a grade of C or better
CAS 100	Effective Speech	3
ENGL 202D	Effective Writing: Business Writing	3
Additional Courses
ACCTG 211	Financial and Managerial Accounting for Decision Making	4-6
or ACCTG 201 & ACCTG 202	Introduction to Financial Accounting and Introduction to Managerial Accounting
BA 241 & BA 242	Legal Environment of Business and Social and Ethical Environment of Business	4
or BA 243	Social, Legal, and Ethical Environment of Business
ECON 102	Introductory Microeconomic Analysis and Policy	3
or ECON 104	Introductory Macroeconomic Analysis and Policy
MIS 204	Introduction to Management Information Systems	3
or MIS 250	Introduction to Problem Solving with Spreadsheet Analysis and Information Systems Management
SCM 200	Introduction to Statistics for Business	4
or STAT 200	Elementary Statistics
Additional Courses: Require a grade of C or better
ENGL 15	Rhetoric and Composition	3
or ENGL 30H	Honors Rhetoric and Composition
MGMT 301	Basic Management Concepts	3
or MGMT 301W	Basic Management Concepts
MKTG 301	Principles of Marketing	3
or MKTG 301W	Principles of Marketing
Select one of the following:		3-4
MATH 21	College Algebra with Analytic Geometry with Applications I
MATH 22	College Algebra With Analytic Geometry and Applications II
MATH 110	Techniques of Calculus I
Supporting Courses and Related Areas
Select 12-13 credits from the following:		12-13
BA 100	Introduction to Business
BA 250	Small Business Management
BA 364Y	International Business and Society
CAS 252	Business and Professional Communication
MATH 22	College Algebra With Analytic Geometry and Applications II
MATH 110	Techniques of Calculus I
ACCTG 300 to ACCTG 399
BA 300 to BA 399
ECON 100 to ECON 399
ENTR 100 to ENTR 399
FIN 100 to FIN 399
HPA 100 to HPA 399
LER 100 to LER 399
MGMT 100 to MGMT 399
MIS 100 to MIS 399
MKTG 100 to MKTG 399
RM 100 to RM 399
SCM 200 to SCM 399

General Education

Connecting career and curiosity, the General Education curriculum provides the opportunity for students to acquire transferable skills necessary to be successful in the future and to thrive while living in interconnected contexts. General Education aids students in developing intellectual curiosity, a strengthened ability to think, and a deeper sense of aesthetic appreciation. These are requirements for all associate degree students and are often partially incorporated into the requirements of a program. For additional information, see the General Education Requirements section of the Bulletin and consult your academic adviser.

The keystone symbol appears next to the title of any course that is designated as a General Education course. Program requirements may also satisfy General Education requirements and vary for each program.

Foundations (grade of C or better is required and Inter-Domain courses do not meet this requirement.)

Quantification (GQ): 3 credits
Writing and Speaking (GWS): 3 credits

Knowledge Domains

Arts (GA): 3 credits
Humanities (GH): 3 credits
Social and Behavioral Sciences (GS): 3 credits
Natural Sciences (GN): 3 credits

Note: Up to six credits of Inter-Domain courses may be used for any Knowledge Domain requirement, but when a course may be used to satisfy more than one requirement, the credits from the course can be counted only once.

Exploration

Any General Education course (including GHW and Inter-Domain): 3 credits

University Degree Requirements

Cultures Requirement

3 credits of United States (US) or International (IL) cultures coursework are required and may satisfy other requirements

Writing Across the Curriculum

3 credits required from the college of graduation and likely prescribed as part of major requirements.

Total Minimum Credits

A minimum of 60 degree credits must be earned for a associates degree. The requirements for some programs may exceed 60 credits. Students should consult with their college or department adviser for information on specific credit requirements.

Quality of Work

Candidates must complete the degree requirements for their major and earn at least a 2.00 grade-point average for all courses completed within their degree program.

Limitations on Source and Time for Credit Acquisition

Credit used toward degree programs may need to be earned from a particular source or within time constraints (see Senate Policy 83-80). For more information, check the Suggested Academic Plan for your intended program.

Program Learning Objectives

Communication Skills: Demonstrate the necessary skills and abilities to effectively communicate.
Data Analysis and Problem-Solving: Recognize and solve business problems using quantitative and qualitative measures
Ethics, Social Responsibility and Conflict Resolution: Demonstrate an awareness of ethical issues, social responsibilities and conflict resolution.
Fundamental Business Knowledge: Explain fundamental business concepts, principles and contemporary business practices.
Technology Tools Skills: Apply contemporary tools of information technology to include business software applications.

Academic Advising

The objectives of the university's academic advising program are to help advisees identify and achieve their academic goals, to promote their intellectual discovery, and to encourage students to take advantage of both in-and out-of class educational opportunities in order that they become self-directed learners and decision makers.

Both advisers and advisees share responsibility for making the advising relationship succeed. By encouraging their advisees to become engaged in their education, to meet their educational goals, and to develop the habit of learning, advisers assume a significant educational role. The advisee's unit of enrollment will provide each advisee with a primary academic adviser, the information needed to plan the chosen program of study, and referrals to other specialized resources.

READ SENATE POLICY 32-00: ADVISING POLICY

Altoona

Deborah K. Hommer
Assistant Teaching Professor, Business Administration
Penn Building 223, 3000 Ivyside Park
Altoona, PA 16601
814-949-5265
dxh41@psu.edu

Abington

Feng Zhang
Program Chair
1600 Woodland Road
Abington, PA 19001
Abington ( AB)
215-881-7829
fzz34@psu.edu

Berks

Sudip Ghosh
Program Coordinator, Associate Professor
Gaige 324
Reading, PA 19610
610-396-6346
BKBusiness@psu.edu

Brandywine

Christina Olear
Business Program Coordinator
Main, 207F
25 Yearsley Mill Road
Media, PA 19063
cmo16@psu.edu

DuBois

Diane Spradling
Lecturer in Business and Program Coordinator
1 College Place
DuBois, PA 15801
814-375-4803
dll150@psu.edu

Fayette

William Gardner
Assistant Teaching Professor
2201 University Drive
Lemont Furnace, PA 15456
724-430-4245
wsg3@psu.edu

Greater Allegheny

Advising Office
Academic Affairs
101 Frable Building
4000 University Drive
McKeesport, PA 15132
412-675-9140
GA-Academics@lists.psu.edu

Harrisburg

Jane Kochanov, M.B.A.
Program Coordinator
Olmsted Building, E355
Middletown, PA 17057
717-948-6139
jxs121@psu.ed u

Hazleton

Sherry Robinson
Associate Professor of Business
304 Pasco L. Schiavo Hall
Hazleton, PA 18202
570-450-3559
skr12@psu.edu

Mont Alto

Michael Labalokie
Lecturer, Accounting and Finance
205 General Studies Building
Mont Alto, PA 17237
717-749-6229
mxl16@psu.edu

New Kensington

Steve Evanchec
Lecturer in Accounting
111 Administration Bldg.
3550 Seventh Street Rd.
New Kensington, PA 15068
724-334-6727
sxe5211@psu.edu

Schuylkill

Angela Brown
Program Coordinator
200 University Drive
Schuylkill Haven, PA 17972
570-385-6080
amb536@psu.edu

Scranton

James Wilkerson
Assistant Teaching Professor
117 Business Building
Dunmore, PA 18512
570-963-2264
jmw831@psu.edu

Shenango

Georgia Macris
Lecturer
147 Shenango Avenue
309C Sharon Hall
Sharon, PA 16146
724-983-2942
gxm32@psu.edu

Wilkes-Barre

Theresa Clemente
Program Coordinator, Business
44 University Drive
Dallas, PA 18612
570-675-9293
tmc12@psu.edu

World Campus

Undergraduate Academic Advising
100 Innovation Blvd
Suite 225
University Park, PA 16803
814-863-3283
advising@worldcampus.psu.edu

York

Megan Lorenz
Assistant Teaching Professor of Business
1031 Edgecomb Ave.
York, PA 17403
717-718-6785
mal489@psu.edu

Suggested Academic Plan

The suggested academic plan(s) listed on this page are the plan(s) that are in effect during the 2024-25 academic year. To access previous years' suggested academic plans, please visit the archive to view the appropriate Undergraduate Bulletin edition.

Placed into MATH 4 and/or ENGL 4: Business Administration, A.S. at Altoona Campus

The course series listed below provides only one of the many possible ways to move through this curriculum. The University may make changes in policies, procedures, educational offerings, and requirements at any time. This plan should be used in conjunction with your degree audit (accessible in LionPATH as either an Academic Requirements or What If report). Please consult with a Penn State academic adviser on a regular basis to develop and refine an academic plan that is appropriate for you.

First Year
Fall	Credits	Spring	Credits	Summer	Credits
MATH 4	3	ACCTG 211	4	ECON 102 or 104	3
ENGL 4^*	3	ENGL 15^‡	3	MIS 204	3
MIS 204	3	MATH 21	3
PSU 3	1	BA 242^*	2
Business Supporting Course	3	General Education Course	3
General Education Course	3
	16		15		6
Second Year
Fall	Credits	Spring	Credits
SCM 200	4	MGMT 301^*	3
BA 241^*	2	MKTG 301W^*	3
CAS 100^‡	3	ENGL 202D^*	3
Business Supporting Course	3	Business Supporting Course	3
General Education Course	3	General Education Course	3
	15		15
Total Credits 67

*: Course requires a grade of C or better for the major
‡: Course requires a grade of C or better for General Education
#: Course is an Entrance to Major requirement
†: Course satisfies General Education and degree requirement

University Requirements and General Education Notes:

US and IL are abbreviations used to designate courses that satisfy Cultural Diversity Requirements (United States and International Cultures).

W, M, X, and Y are the suffixes at the end of a course number used to designate courses that satisfy University Writing Across the Curriculum requirement.

General Education includes Foundations (GWS and GQ) and Knowledge Domains (GHW, GN, GA, GH, GS) requirements. Foundations courses (GWS and GQ) require a grade of 'C' or better.

Placed Higher than MATH 4 and/or ENGL 4: Business Administration, A.S. at Altoona Campus

The course series listed below provides only one of the many possible ways to move through this curriculum. The University may make changes in policies, procedures, educational offerings, and requirements at any time. This plan should be used in conjunction with your degree audit (accessible in LionPATH as either an Academic Requirements or What If report). Please consult with a Penn State academic adviser on a regular basis to develop and refine an academic plan that is appropriate for you.

First Year
Fall	Credits	Spring	Credits
MATH 21	3	ACCTG 211	4
ENGL 15, 30H, or ESL 15^‡	3	ECON 102 or 104	3
MIS 204	3	BA 242^*	2
PSU 3	1	Business Supporting Course	3
Business Supporting Course	3	General Education Course	3
General Education Course	3
	16		15
Second Year
Fall	Credits	Spring	Credits
SCM 200 or STAT 200	4	MGMT 301^*	3
BA 241^*	2	MKTG 301W^*	3
CAS 100^‡	3	ENGL 202D^*	3
Business Supporting Course	3	Business Supporting Course	3
General Education Course	3	General Education Course	3
	15		15
Total Credits 61

*: Course requires a grade of C or better for the major
‡: Course requires a grade of C or better for General Education
#: Course is an Entrance to Major requirement
†: Course satisfies General Education and degree requirement

University Requirements and General Education Notes:

US and IL are abbreviations used to designate courses that satisfy Cultural Diversity Requirements (United States and International Cultures).

W, M, X, and Y are the suffixes at the end of a course number used to designate courses that satisfy University Writing Across the Curriculum requirement.

General Education includes Foundations (GWS and GQ) and Knowledge Domains (GHW, GN, GA, GH, GS) requirements. Foundations courses (GWS and GQ) require a grade of 'C' or better.

Career Paths

Business impacts our society in many ways. Every business, from small companies to large corporations provide employment options. The associate in business degree can help prepare you for a wide variety of entry-level careers in this sector or for continued study in business. You will have the opportunity to participate in an elective business internship as part of your curriculum. Internships provide valuable experience before graduation and an important first step toward starting your career.

Careers

Because the Associate in Science in Business Administration can give you a foundation of business concepts and best practices relevant to any industry, as a graduate of the program you can prepare for positions in accounting departments, management trainee opportunities, retail, insurance industry, industrial management opportunities, office manager, or business service manager. Some examples of jobs include:

Accounting Specialist
Accounts Examiner
Appraisers and assessors of real estate
Assistant Marketing Director
Assistant Store Manager
Billing Clerk
Business services manager
Computing business coordinator
Compliance officers
Insurance sales agent
Industrial Salesperson
Management Trainee
Office Manager
Payroll Assistant
Sales Coordinator

MORE INFORMATION ABOUT POTENTIAL CAREER OPTIONS FOR GRADUATES OF THE BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION PROGRAM

Opportunities for Graduate Studies

Upon completion of the associate degree in business, you may also choose to proceed seamlessly to the bachelor of science in business or selected other business-related majors at Penn State.

Contact

Altoona

DIVISION OF BUSINESS, ENGINEERING, AND INFORMATION SCIENCES AND TECHNOLOGY
Penn Building 223, 3000 Ivyside Park
Altoona, PA 16601
814-949-5265
dxh41@psu.edu

https://altoona.psu.edu/academics/associate-degrees/business-administration