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Management, Bachelor of Science


Modality: Business Administration is fully online. Global Business is in-person. All other concentrations are hybrid.

 

Management, Bachelor of Science (723)


  • Undergraduate
  • Bachelor of Science
  • Business
  • Management

Overview

Why complete a degree in Management?

Management is the discipline of leading people, processes, and organizations toward shared goals — skills that transfer across every industry and every stage of a career, from first management role to corporate leadership. WKU’s Management program offers five distinct concentrations so students can align their coursework with their specific career goals, and its Human Resource Management curriculum is recognized by the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM), placing WKU among only a few dozen U.S. universities with that distinction.

What is your path to a degree in Management at WKU?

The Management program requires 78 hours of professional and elective coursework, within the 120 hours required for a baccalaureate degree; no minor required, though minors are encouraged. Rather than a course-by-course list, the path is intentionally structured so each stage builds the skills students need for both certification and career.

Business Core (27 hours)

Before diving into specialized major coursework, students build fluency across the core functions of business — accounting, economics, finance, marketing, management, statistics, and analytics. This shared foundation, completed by every Gordon Ford College of Business major, ensures graduates don’t just understand their discipline in isolation; they understand how that work connects to strategy, operations, and decision-making across an organization. A culminating strategy course ties these functions together, asking students to think like leaders rather than specialists.

Career Preparation Curriculum (6 hours)

Technical skill alone doesn’t land a job or carry a career — employers consistently rank communication and professionalism alongside technical knowledge. This curriculum is designed to ensure students enter the workforce ready on day one: developing polished written and verbal communication, building a professional identity early in their academic career, and culminating in a senior-level assessment that confirms readiness for the profession.

Management Core Coursework

Leadership isn’t intuitive — it’s a set of learnable principles around organizing people, processes, and legal responsibilities. This core builds that foundational management literacy before students specialize, ensuring every graduate, regardless of concentration, understands the fundamentals of running an effective organization.

Concentration Coursework

Management careers branch widely — from running daily operations to leading a supply chain to managing an organization’s most valuable resource, its people. The concentration structure lets each student build deep expertise in the specific area where they want to lead.

Concentrations

  • Business Administration
  • Human Resource Management (SHRM-aligned curriculum)
  • Entrepreneurship
  • Global Business
  • Supply Chain Management

Concentrations

  • Human Resource Management (MGHP)
  • Business Administration (MBUS)
  • Entrepreneurship (MENT)
  • Global Business (MGBU)
  • Supply Chain Management (MSCM)

Program Requirements (78 hours)

The undergraduate major in management requires 78 hours of professional and elective courses and leads to a Bachelor of Science degree. No minor is required, although approved minors inside or outside the Gordon Ford College of Business are encouraged.

The undergraduate management program offers five areas of concentration within the major:

  1. Business Administration 
  2. Human Resource Management
  3. Entrepreneurship
  4. Global Business
  5. Supply Chain Management

A baccalaureate degree requires a minimum of 120 unduplicated semester hours. More information can be found at www.wku.edu/registrar/degree_certification.php.

Students who began WKU in the Fall 2014 and thereafter should review the Colonnade requirements located at: https://www.wku.edu/colonnade/colonnaderequirements.php.

Business Administration Concentration

The Business Administration concentration develops student’s abilities to analyze and to manage a wide range of business situations. This development occurs by building on fundamental business functions studied in the core courses. The program is for students who intend to manage an independent business or a unit of a larger organization and who want a broad curriculum. 

Course List
Business Foundations Courses
MATH 123Mathematical Applications for Business *3
ACCT 110Accounting for Decision Makers3
BDAN 250Introduction to Analytics3
ECON 202Principles of Economics (Micro)3
ECON 206Statistics3
MGT 210Organization and Management3
MKT 220Basic Marketing Concepts3
FIN 330Principles of Finance3
MGT 498Strategy and Policy3
or ENT 496 Hilltopper Student Consulting Experience
Career Preparation Courses
BA 170Business Student Basics 11
or BA 175 University Experience-Business
or BA 220 Special Topics in Business Administration (Lower Division)
MGT 261Business Communication Fundamentals3
MGT 399Career Readiness in Management1
MGT 499Senior Assessment in Management1
Management Required Courses
MGT 200Legal Environment of Business3
MGT 305Ethics and Critical Thinking3
MGT 311Human Resource Management3
MGT 313Decision Modeling3
MGT 314Operations Management3
MGT 417Organizational Behavior3
Management - Business Administration Concentration Required Courses
ECON 414Managerial Economics3
Select one of the following BDAN courses or other Professional Elective: 23
BDAN 310
Business Data Analytics
BDAN 320
Web Analytics
BDAN 330
Structured Data Analysis
BDAN 410
DSS Analysis and Design
BDAN 420
Predictive Modeling
BDAN 430
Data Visualization
Professional Elective 26
Select a MGT or ENT Elective 39
Select a MKT Elective 43
Select a FIN Elective 53
Total Hours78
*

Or any calculus class, or math ACT score of at least 26, or math SAT score of at least 610.

1

BA 175 is only for Business LLC students. BA 220 is only for WKU students and transfer students who choose a business major as a sophomore or higher.

2

The professional electives may be chosen from any 300- or 400- level course within the Gordon Ford College of Business not already required for the major.

3

The management or entrepreneurship electives may be chosen from any 300- or 400- level course within the Management Department not already required for the major.

4

The marketing elective may be chosen from any 300 or 400 level course beyond MKT 220.

5

The finance elective may be chosen from any 300 or 400 level course beyond FIN 330.

Human Resource Management Concentration

The Human Resource Management concentration is designed to develop skills for managing an essential resource of any organization—its employees. Because of the importance of increasing human productivity, human resource management is viewed as a key contributor to organizational effectiveness and achievement of strategic goals. Human resources managers are frequently involved in top-level decision making. The Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) acknowledges that our HR curriculum aligns with its guidelines. We are one of only a few dozen U.S. universities with this recognition.

The HRM concentration is designed to prepare students for a rewarding career as a specialist in an area such as recruitment and selection, training and development, compensation and benefits administration, or labor relations.  

Course List
Business Foundations Courses
MATH 123Mathematical Applications for Business *3
ACCT 110Accounting for Decision Makers3
BDAN 250Introduction to Analytics3
ECON 202Principles of Economics (Micro)3
ECON 206Statistics3
MGT 210Organization and Management3
MKT 220Basic Marketing Concepts3
FIN 330Principles of Finance3
MGT 498Strategy and Policy3
or ENT 496 Hilltopper Student Consulting Experience
Career Preparation Courses
BA 170Business Student Basics 11
or BA 175 University Experience-Business
or BA 220 Special Topics in Business Administration (Lower Division)
MGT 261Business Communication Fundamentals3
MGT 399Career Readiness in Management1
MGT 499Senior Assessment in Management1
Management - Human Resource Concentration Required Courses
MGT 200Legal Environment of Business3
MGT 305Ethics and Critical Thinking3
MGT 311Human Resource Management3
MGT 314Operations Management3
MGT 417Organizational Behavior3
MGT 383Human Resource Information Systems3
MGT 400Employment Law3
MGT 411Effective Staffing Practices3
MGT 413International Human Resource Management3
MGT 414Compensation Administration3
MGT 473Training in Business and Industry3
MGT 495Strategic Human Resources Management3
Choose 3 of the following courses:9
MGT 490
Practicum in Management
ECON 305
Labor Economics
MGT 405
Business Negotiation
MGT 416
Management of Labor Relations
MGT 419
Management of Organizational Conflict
MFGE 390
Project Management
or MGT 326
Managing Projects in Organizations
ENV 120
Introduction to Occupational Safety and Health
EMDS 400
Emergency Management Policy and Practices
EMDS 403
Advanced Disaster Planning, Management, and Preparedness
EMDS 404
Trends in Disaster Preparedness and Management
Any MGT 400 level course
Total Hours78
*

Or any calculus class, or math ACT score of at least 26, or math SAT score of at least 610.

1
BA 175 is only for Business LLC students. BA 220 is only for WKU students and transfer students who choose a business major as a sophomore or higher.

Entrepreneurship Concentration

The Entrepreneurship concentration allows students to develop the skills needed to start and own a business, to develop or grow an existing company, or to create an entrepreneurial environment within an organization.  Entrepreneurial students are not only prepared to operate a business, they are trained to innovate within existing organizations to increase productivity and performance. Students are encouraged to develop creative and impactful solutions by thinking critically about problems relevant to a variety of organizations, and continually practice and hone these skills through hands-on engagement in real-world exercises and projects.

Course List
Business Foundations Courses
MATH 123Mathematical Applications for Business *3
ACCT 110Accounting for Decision Makers3
BDAN 250Introduction to Analytics3
ECON 202Principles of Economics (Micro)3
ECON 206Statistics3
MGT 210Organization and Management3
MKT 220Basic Marketing Concepts3
FIN 330Principles of Finance3
ENT 496Hilltopper Student Consulting Experience3
Career Preparation Courses
BA 170Business Student Basics 11
or BA 175 University Experience-Business
or BA 220 Special Topics in Business Administration (Lower Division)
MGT 261Business Communication Fundamentals3
MGT 399Career Readiness in Management1
MGT 499Senior Assessment in Management1
Management - Entrepreneurship Concentration Required Courses
MGT 200Legal Environment of Business3
MGT 305Ethics and Critical Thinking3
MGT 311Human Resource Management3
MGT 313Decision Modeling3
MGT 314Operations Management3
MGT 417Organizational Behavior3
ENT 312Entrepreneurship3
ENT 380New Venture Business Planning3
ENT 463Small Business Management3
MKT 427Entrepreneurial Marketing3
FIN 441Entrepreneurial Finance3
ENT Elective (Choose any unduplicated course with the ENT prefix)3
Professional Elective (Any 300- or 400-level course within GFCB not already required for the major.9
Total Hours78
*

Or any calculus class, or math ACT score of at least 26, or math SAT score of at least 610.

1
BA 175 is only for Business LLC students. BA 220 is only for WKU students and transfer students who choose a business major as a sophomore or higher.

Global Business Concentration

The Global Business concentration is designed to increase students’ knowledge and develop the necessary skills in to function effectively in today’s dynamic global environment. Students learn business practices around the world, international economics and trade regulations, geopolitical impacts on organizations, and cross-cultural management. Students are required to do an internship in a firm engaged in international business or participate in study abroad.

Course List
Business Foundations Courses
MATH 123Mathematical Applications for Business *3
ACCT 110Accounting for Decision Makers3
BDAN 250Introduction to Analytics3
ECON 202Principles of Economics (Micro)3
ECON 206Statistics3
MGT 210Organization and Management3
MKT 220Basic Marketing Concepts3
FIN 330Principles of Finance3
MGT 498Strategy and Policy3
or ENT 496 Hilltopper Student Consulting Experience
Career Preparation Courses
BA 170Business Student Basics 11
or BA 175 University Experience-Business
or BA 220 Special Topics in Business Administration (Lower Division)
MGT 261Business Communication Fundamentals3
MGT 399Career Readiness in Management1
MGT 499Senior Assessment in Management1
Global Business Concentration Required Courses
MGT 200Legal Environment of Business3
MGT 305Ethics and Critical Thinking3
MGT 311Human Resource Management3
MGT 313Decision Modeling3
MGT 314Operations Management3
MGT 417Organizational Behavior3
MGT 303International Business3
MGT 316International Management3
Choose 6 hours (from the same prefix) in a world language6
Choose one of the following courses to fulfill the Cultural Component: 3
CHIN 333
Chinese Culture and Civilization
COMM 365
Intercultural Communication
COMM 371
Communication in Multinational Organizations
CSJ 380
Our Future: Local and Global
FREN 323
French Civilization and Culture
GEOG 465
Geography of East Asia
GERM 333
Germanic Civilization and Culture
SOCL 363
Population, Society, and Development
SOCL 376
Sociology of Globalization
SPAN 372
Latin American Civilization and Culture
SPAN 373
Spanish Civilization and Culture
ARBC 201
Intermediate Arabic I
CHIN 201
Intermediate Chinese I
FREN 201
Intermediate French I
GERM 201
Intermediate German I
JAPN 201
Intermediate Japanese I
RUSS 201
Intermediate Russian I
SPAN 201
Intermediate Spanish I
Choose 4 of the following courses:12
MKT 324
International Marketing
MKT 423
Supply Chain Management
MGT 405
Business Negotiation
MGT 413
International Human Resource Management
MGT 490
Practicum in Management
MGT 415
Logistics and Transportation Management
MGT 423
Sourcing and Procurement Management
ENT 425
International Entrepreneurship
MGT 495
Strategic Human Resources Management
FIN 436
International Financial Management
ENT 312
Entrepreneurship
ECON 380
International Economics
ECON 385
Economic Development
ECON 430
Environmental and Resource Economics
Total Hours78
*

Or any calculus class, or math ACT score of at least 26, or math SAT score of at least 610.

1
BA 175 is only for Business LLC students. BA 220 is only for WKU students and transfer students who choose a business major as a sophomore or higher.

Supply Chain Management Concentration

The Supply Chain Management concentration prepares students to work in the fast-paced and growing environment of supply chain, transportation and logistics. Students learn about operations, and how supply chains are created, defined, operated, maximized and examined across multiple industries. With the exciting supply chain environment in the Southern Kentucky region, students have opportunities to see examples from and work with supply chain professionals. 

Course List
Business Foundations Courses
MATH 123Mathematical Applications for Business *3
ACCT 110Accounting for Decision Makers3
BDAN 250Introduction to Analytics3
ECON 202Principles of Economics (Micro)3
ECON 206Statistics3
MGT 210Organization and Management3
MKT 220Basic Marketing Concepts3
FIN 330Principles of Finance3
MGT 498Strategy and Policy3
or ENT 496 Hilltopper Student Consulting Experience
Career Preparation Courses
BA 170Business Student Basics 11
or BA 175 University Experience-Business
or BA 220 Special Topics in Business Administration (Lower Division)
MGT 261Business Communication Fundamentals3
MGT 399Career Readiness in Management1
MGT 499Senior Assessment in Management1
Supply Chain Concentration Required Courses
MGT 200Legal Environment of Business3
MGT 305Ethics and Critical Thinking3
MGT 311Human Resource Management3
MGT 313Decision Modeling3
MGT 314Operations Management3
MGT 417Organizational Behavior3
MKT 423Supply Chain Management3
MGT 415Logistics and Transportation Management3
MGT 423Sourcing and Procurement Management3
BDAN 310Business Data Analytics3
MGT 405Business Negotiation3
Choose 4 of the following courses:12
MGT 410
Senior Seminar-Management
MGT 490
Practicum in Management
BDAN 330
Structured Data Analysis
BDAN 410
DSS Analysis and Design
BDAN 420
Predictive Modeling
BDAN 430
Data Visualization
ECON 451
Games and Strategy
ECON 465
Regression and Econometric Analysis
FIN 437
Corporate Asset Management
MKT 329
Business-To-Business Marketing
MFGE 310
Safety in Industry
MFGE 342
Manufacturing Operations
MFGE 371
Quality Assurance
MFGE 390
Project Management
or MGT 326
Managing Projects in Organizations
MFGE 394
Lean
Total Hours78
*

Or any calculus class, or math ACT score of at least 26, or math SAT score of at least 610.

1

BA 175 is only for Business LLC students. BA 220 is only for WKU students and transfer students who choose a business major as a sophomore or higher.

Finish in Four Plans

Management, Business Administration Concentration 

First Year
FallHoursSpringHours
Colonnade: Natural & Physical Sciences3Colonnade: Arts and Humanities3
ECON 2023COMM 1453
ENG 1003HIST 101 or HIST 1023
MATH 1233ACCT 1103
BDAN 2503Colonnade: Natural & Physical Sciences w/lab3-4
BA 170, BA 175, or BA 2201 
 16 15-16
Second Year
FallHoursSpringHours
Colonnade: Literary Studies3MGT 2613
ECON 2063MKT 2203
MGT 2103MGT 3113
MGT 2003MGT 3053
BDAN Elective3MGT/ENT Elective3
 15 15
Third Year
FallHoursSpringHours
Colonnade: Connections3Colonnade: Connections3
Colonnade: Writing in the Disciplines3ECON 4143
FIN 3303MGT 3143
MGT 3133MGT/ENT Elective3
MKT Elective3Professional Elective3
MGT 3991 
 16 15
Fourth Year
FallHoursSpringHours
Colonnade: Connections3MGT 498 or ENT 4963
MGT 4173Professional Elective3
Finance Elective3General Elective3
MGT/ENT Elective3General Elective3
General Elective3MGT 4991
 15 13
Total Hours 120-121

Management, Human Resource Management Concentration  

First Year
FallHoursSpringHours
Colonnade: Natural & Physical Sciences3Colonnade: Arts and Humanities3
ECON 2023COMM 1453
ENG 1003HIST 101 or HIST 1023
MATH 1233ACCT 1103
BDAN 2503ECON 2063
BA 170, BA 175, or BA 2201 
 16 15
Second Year
FallHoursSpringHours
Colonnade: Literary Studies3Colonnade: Connections3
Colonnade: Natural & Physical Sciences with lab3-4MGT 2613
MGT 2103MGT 3053
MGT 2003MGT 3113
Colonnade: Connections3MKT 2203
 15-16 15
Third Year
FallHoursSpringHours
Colonnade: Connections3FIN 3303
Colonnade: Writing in the Disciplines3MGT 383 or MGT 3133
MGT 3143MGT 4143
MGT 4003General Elective3
MGT 4113Human Resources Management Elective3
 MGT 3991
 15 16
Fourth Year
FallHoursSpringHours
MGT 4133MGT 498 or ENT 4963
MGT 4173MGT 4953
MGT 4733General Elective3
Human Resource Management Elective3Human Resources Management Elective3
General Elective3MGT 4991
 15 13
Total Hours 120-121

Management, Entrepreneurship Concentration  

First Year
FallHoursSpringHours
Colonnade: Natural & Physical Sciences3Colonnade: Arts and Humanities 3
ECON 2023COMM 1453
ENG 1003HIST 101 or HIST 1023
MATH 1233ACCT 1103
BDAN 2503Colonnade: Natural & Physical Sciences w/lab3-4
BA 170, BA 175, or BA 2201 
 16 15-16
Second Year
FallHoursSpringHours
Colonnade: Literary Studies3MGT 2613
MKT 2203MGT 3053
MGT 2103MGT 3113
MGT 2003ENT 3123
ECON 2063Professional Elective3
 15 15
Third Year
FallHoursSpringHours
Colonnade: Connections3MGT 3143
Colonnade: Writing in the Disciplines3MKT 4273
FIN 3303ENT 3083
MGT 3133Professional Elective3
Professional Elective3General Elective3
 MGT 3991
 15 16
Fourth Year
FallHoursSpringHours
Colonnade: Connections3ENT 4963
ENT 3803MGT 4173
ENT 4633General Elective3
FIN 4413General Elective3
General Elective3MGT 4991
 15 13
Total Hours 120-121

Management, Global Business Concentration 

First Year
FallHoursSpringHours
Colonnade: Natural & Physical Sciences3Colonnade: Arts & Humanities3
ECON 2023COMM 1453
ENG 1003HIST 101 or HIST 1023
MATH 1233ACCT 1103
BA 170, BA 175, or BA 2201World Language 13
BDAN 2503 
 16 15
Second Year
FallHoursSpringHours
Colonnade: Literary Studies3MGT 2613
Colonnade: Natural & Physical Sciences with lab3-4MKT 2203
MGT 2103ECON 2063
MGT 2003Cultural Component3
World Language 23GB Elective3
 15-16 15
Third Year
FallHoursSpringHours
Colonnade: Connections3Colonnade: Connections3
Colonnade: Writing in the Disciplines3MGT 3133
FIN 3303MGT 3143
MGT 3113MGT 3163
MGT 3053GB Elective3
 MGT 3991
 15 16
Fourth Year
FallHoursSpringHours
Colonnade: Connections3MGT 498 or ENT 4963
MGT 4173GB Elective3
MGT 3033General Elective3
GB Elective3General Elective3
General Elective3MGT 4991
 15 13
Total Hours 120-121

Management, Supply Chain Management Concentration 

First Year
FallHoursSpringHours
Colonnade: Natural & Physical Sciences3Colonnade: Arts & Humanities3
ECON 2023COMM 1453
ENG 1003HIST 101 or HIST 1023
MATH 1233ACCT 1103
BDAN 2503ECON 2063
BA 170, BA 175, or BA 2201 
 16 15
Second Year
FallHoursSpringHours
Colonnade: Literary Studies3BDAN 3103
Colonnade: Natural & Physical Sciences with lab3-4MGT 2613
MGT 2103MGT 3053
MGT 2003MGT 3113
Colonnade: Connections3MKT 2203
 15-16 15
Third Year
FallHoursSpringHours
General Elective3Colonnade: Connections3
Colonnade: Writing in the Disciplines3MGT 3133
FIN 3303MGT 3143
MGT 4153MGT 4233
MKT 4233SCM Elective3
 MGT 3991
 15 16
Fourth Year
FallHoursSpringHours
Colonnade: Connections3MGT 498 or ENT 4963
MGT 4173MGT 4053
SCM Elective3SCM Elective3
SCM Elective3General Elective3
General Elective3MGT 4991
 15 13
Total Hours 120-121
 
 

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Data source: Economic Modeling, LLC (Emsi) / www.economicmodeling.com

The information provided through this website are based in part on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data that is licensed by Western Kentucky University from Emsi. While Western Kentucky University believes this data to be reliable as a whole, some of the data is based on estimates made by Emsi, when actual data is not available. 

Western Kentucky University does not guarantee a job to graduates upon completion of any program.

 


 

 

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 Last Modified 7/30/26