General Information

Mission

The core purpose of the Bachelor of Business (BBA) degree program is to produce well-rounded and ethical graduates who are valued for their mastery of the basic tenets and techniques of their declared major(s), their broad understanding of the greater context in which businesses operate, and their potential to become leaders who create value for society.

History

In April 1912 the first professor of the new “business training” program was hired and business classes were first offered in the fall of 1912 with a total of nine courses and two faculty.  The School of Business Training was originally started as a part of the College of Arts and Sciences and by 1916 the program name had changed to Business Administration.  With the continued growth of the program a new Bachelor of Business Administration degree was approved by the Regents in 1916 and the first BBA degrees were awarded to nine graduates in spring 1917. The business program at The University of Texas at Austin became a charter member in 1916 of the American Association of Collegiate Schools of Business, the accrediting agency for business schools, where it has remained fully accredited for both business and accounting. The Masters of Business Administration degree was approved in 1917 and graduate courses were started shortly thereafter. The first woman on the business faculty was hired in 1919 and the first women graduates in business received their degrees in 1920. 

With increasing student interest in business education and continued growth of the program the Regents approved a new and separate School of Business Administration in 1922. In 1925 a research division of the school was established with the Bureau of Business Research which published the “Texas Business Review” in spring 1927, the first of its kind in Texas. A Ph.D in Business Administration was approved by the Regents in 1930 and was the first to be offered in the Southwest. 

Given the growth of academic offerings and continuing increases in enrollment Waggener Hall was built in 1932 as a dedicated building for the business school.  In 1945 the school was reorganized as the College of Business Administration with five academic departments: accounting; finance, real estate and insurance; general business; management; and marketing. In 1962 a new building for the College of Business was created with the Business-Economics Building. In 2000 the College of Business Administration and the Graduate School of Business were renamed the McCombs School of Business in honor of University alumnus and benefactor Red McCombs.

Facilities

The McCombs School is housed in the George Kozmetsky Center for Business Education. This three-building complex includes modern classrooms and offices, lecture rooms with multimedia equipment, conference and communal study rooms, as well as lounges for informal student and teacher interaction. Computer classrooms, computer laboratories, the Financial Trading and Technology Center, and a behavioral science laboratory are also available. Computer and computer-access facilities are available to students, faculty members, and staff members. The McCombs School of Business has its own computer network that links to the school's laboratories and computing resources. The network is also connected to the University's computing infrastructure.

Students enrolled in a degree program at the McCombs School of Business will be expected to own a portable computing device suitable for use in the classroom and on the University wireless network.

Financial Assistance Available through the School

Students who are enrolled in the McCombs School of Business are eligible for scholarships and awards funded by industry, foundations, and individuals. Some of these awards are available school-wide, while others are restricted to students in one department. Students selected to receive an award are selected based on their academic performance, leadership and donor specific criteria which may include financial need.

Most scholarships are for continuing students who have declared a business major. Generally, scholarships are awarded annually with some being renewable. Criteria for awarding scholarships vary to meet the wishes of the donors but often include financial need, academic performance, major area of study, and hometown. The deadline for submission is the end of the spring semester for scholarships in the following academic year. Recipients are selected by the BBA Program Office of the school and are usually notified during the summer.

Departmental scholarships are generally reserved for juniors and seniors majoring in a program of the department. Because departmental scholarships are normally funded by annual contributions, the number of scholarships and the amounts awarded vary among departments and over time. Criteria for departmental awards are specified by the donors and include the same kinds of characteristics as those established for school-wide awards; deadlines and other elements of the selection process also vary among departments. Interested students should contact the major department for further information.

Student Services

The BBA Program Office provides administrative support and a wide array of student services for the school. Student services are offered to all enrolled BBA students to enhance their academic experience and professional development, and include academic advising, career services, study abroad, and leadership development.

Academic Advising

Every McCombs undergraduate student is assigned to a professional academic adviser prior to their first semester enrolled in school. Academic advisers in the BBA Program Office provide individualized, comprehensive advising and serve as a referral resource to students to ensure timely progress toward degree completion. Faculty advisers are also available in each academic department to help students explore their educational and career goals.

All students are encouraged to meet regularly with their assigned advisers. However, those who have been enrolled in the school for at least one semester are permitted to self-advise and register without consulting an academic adviser. To be eligible to self-advise, the student must have a University grade point average of at least 2.00. Like all undergraduate students, those who self-advise are responsible for knowing the requirements of the degree program they have chosen, for enrolling in courses appropriate to that degree program, for meeting the prerequisites of the courses selected, and for taking courses in the proper sequence to ensure timely progress toward the degree. See Student Responsibility in The University section for more information. 

Career Services

BBA Career Services offers job search assistance to enrolled business students. The purpose of the office is to help students determine their career goals, develop a plan for achieving these goals, and select and obtain employment commensurate with their goals, interests, and training.

To help students prepare for their career search, BBA Career Services offers BBA students individualized career coaching, specialized programming, and a variety of events and workshops that provide exposure to diverse industries and potential career paths. BBA Career Services offers assistance with conducting a job search, résumé and cover letter writing, interviewing, evaluating offers, and other recruiting topics. The department maintains additional career resources and general business publications in their office.

Student Organizations

Student organizations play a vital role in the educational experience offered by the University. Students who become involved in organizations gain experience in leadership, teamwork, networking, time management, and other practical areas. This experience, when combined with the theoretical knowledge gained in the classroom, helps students develop a well-rounded set of skills for use academically, professionally, and personally.

Study Abroad

BBA International Programs offer McCombs School of Business students the opportunity to study abroad in two main ways: on an exchange program (summer, semester or academic year) at one of our many partner schools around the world; and on short-term, faculty-led summer programs, offering pre-determined McCombs courses which are taught abroad in various international locations. Both types of study abroad opportunities enable students to make progress toward their University degree requirements while gaining valuable intercultural experiences. More information is available at https://my.mccombs.utexas.edu/My/BBA/IP.

Leadership Development Program

The McCombs Leadership Program (LP) provides students the opportunity to gain valuable skills to complement academic requirements while enhancing leadership development awareness and actions on individual, local, and global levels through unique programs and activities. All business majors who are not in the Business Honors Program and are freshmen, sophomores, or transfer students may apply. The LP requires a four-year commitment from freshmen and a three-year commitment from sophomores and transfer students. The primary goal of the Leadership Program is to enhance student learning and development as it relates to self-knowledge and leadership competence, and to expand the student’s leadership portfolio during his or her time at the McCombs School of Business.