Core Curriculum

All students must complete the University’s Core Curriculum and the following specific requirements for the BBA, including the requirements of a major. In some cases, a course that is required for the BBA or for a major may also be counted toward the Core Curriculum; these courses are identified below.

Flags

Each student must complete the University’s Core Curriculum. In the process of completing Core Curriculum and BBA degree requirements, students must earn credit for seven flags as listed below; most of the required flags are attached to the business core and major courses students must complete to earn a BBA degree. Courses may simultaneously satisfy flag and other degree requirements. As applicable, students are advised to fulfill the cultural diversity and the global cultures flag requirements through courses that meet other requirements of the Core Curriculum such as the first-year signature course, American history, government, or visual and performing arts requirements, or BBA degree requirements such as the human behavior requirement or electives. Please note, students may not earn the cultural diversity and global cultures flag from the same course.

Two writing flags: one flag requirement is typically satisfied by Business Administration 324 or 324H, a second by the capstone class in the major when taken in residence.

One quantitative reasoning flag: flag requirement typically satisfied by Accounting 311 or 311H, Accounting 312 or 312H, Statistics 301 or 301H or 235 when taken in residence.

One global cultures flag: BBA students should find a course that satisfies one of the University Core requirements, human behavior requirement, or an elective, which carries the global cultures flag.

One cultural diversity in the United States flag: BBA students should find a course that satisfies one of the University Core requirements, human behavior requirement, or an elective, which carries the cultural diversity in the United States flag.

One ethics flag: typically satisfied by Management 336 or 336H, or Legal Environment of Business 323 or 323H when taken in residence.

One independent inquiry flag: typically satisfied by the capstone class or a class required for the degree; Finance 370, Management 374, 374H, Management Information Systems 375, Marketing 370, and Operations Management 360, when taken in residence.

Flags may be added to courses periodically; courses with flags are identified in the Course Schedule. More information is available in the section on Skills and Experience Flags. 

Programs 

Financial Analyst Program 

The Financial Analyst Program (FAP) is a competitive program to which finance majors with GPAs of at least 3.5 can apply in the Fall of their junior years.  Students admitted to the program take two courses that are only open to FAP students.  The first course, which students take in the Spring of their junior years, is FIN 377 (Topic 3: Security Analysis).  In this course, we do a deep dive into the foundations of finance and financial analysis and the implications for the practice of finance.  We also learn about the nuts and bolts of financial markets and how these markets interact with the broader economy.  The second course, which students take in the Fall of their senior years, is FIN 366P.  In this course, we bring in outside speakers and study topics relevant to the practice of financial analysis in areas such as private equity, venture capital, and hedge funds.  The program also provides opportunities for engagement with members of the FAP advisory council, who serve as mentors for the program, and other members of the financial community.  

Real Estate Investment Fund 

The McCombs Real Estate Investment Fund (REIF) is a two-semester commitment, covering the spring of the junior year and the fall of senior year.  Students must plan to be enrolled in UT both semesters to apply for the fund. Undergraduate analysts are in class with the MBA associates evaluating both a publicly traded Real Estate Investment Trust (REIT) portfolio, and private equity opportunities conducted in a professional setting with private companies. Applications are due each fall for the following spring; only juniors are accepted. Contact the McCombs Real Estate Center to apply. 

McCombs Summer Institute 

The McCombs Summer Institute injects business prowess and credentials into any career goal. Our most engaging professors lead the way, along with guest speakers leading today’s top enterprises. We aim to create a meaningful in-person experience that encourages students to connect and build a community of non-business majors adding vital business knowledge to their educational experience.  You will earn 15 credit hours in the fields of accounting, business law and ethics, finance, marketing, and management, which may be counted toward the Business Foundations Minor or Elements of Business Certificate. 

Summer Entrepreneurship Academy 

The Summer Entrepreneurship Academy (SEA) is an intensive, in-person, 8-week summer program. SEA participants will learn to lead, work efficiently with peer team members, develop solutions, and create innovative products. Students will also work with local startups, corporate sponsors, McCombs alumni, and entrepreneurial mentors. By investing time in SEA, students will develop a foundational understanding of entrepreneurship, through terminology, case-based learning, key theories, and empirical-based practices. Students will engage in experiential learning—learning by doing—to implement creative and innovative strategies across all four courses. 

Applicability of Certain Courses

Physical Activity Courses

Physical activity (PED) courses are offered by the Department of Kinesiology and Health Education. They may not be counted toward the Bachelor of Business Administration degree. However, they are counted among courses for which the student is enrolled, and the grades are included in the grade point average.

ROTC Courses

No more than 15 semester hours of air force science, military science, or naval science coursework may be counted toward the Bachelor of Business Administration degree. ROTC courses may be used only as non-business or free electives.

Courses Taken on the Pass/Fail Basis

A business student may count toward the degree up to four one-semester courses in elective subjects outside the major taken on the pass/fail basis; only free electives (any level/subject), non-business electives, and upper-division non-business electives may be taken on the pass/fail basis. Business courses taken on the pass/fail basis cannot be counted toward the major, unless they are offered only on the pass/fail basis. Credit earned by examination is not counted toward the total number of courses that the student may take pass/fail.

Complete rules on registration on the pass/fail basis are given in the General Information Catalog.

University Extension Self-Paced and Semester-Based Courses

Students planning to take self-paced or semester-based University Extension courses should consult with the BBA Program Office before doing so to ensure compliance with the following restrictions:

1. Credit that an in-residence University student earns simultaneously through University Extension or similar means from another institution should be discussed in advance with the student's academic advisor to determine business degree applicability.
2. A student may not be enrolled concurrently for courses from University Extension or another institution during his or her last semester without jeopardizing graduation eligibility.
3. With regard to registration on the pass/fail basis, extension courses are subject to the same restrictions as courses taken in residence; these restrictions are given in the section Courses Taken on the Pass/Fail Basis.

Concurrent Enrollment

To ensure degree applicability, students are urged to consult with their academic advisor before registering concurrently at another institution, either for resident coursework or for a distance education course, and before enrolling in University Extension self-paced or semester-based coursework. A student may not be enrolled concurrently during his or her last semester in any course to be counted toward the degree without jeopardizing graduation eligibility.