B.S. in Business and Management

Learn to lead and transform businesses in a digital world.

Twenty-first-century businesses need well-rounded graduates with multiple areas of expertise as the world becomes increasingly digital. The interdisciplinary, experiential approach to business education offered at Lally prepares students in key areas vital to today’s business success, including leadership, critical decision-making, relationships and teamwork, quantitative analysis, and computational skills.

Coursework in business and management emphasizes fundamental skills in finance, marketing, human behavior, computing, and information technology, among others. Quantitative analysis skills are strengthened through core courses in strategy, statistics, mathematics, and science. Classes in Lally – whether core or electives – remain small and focused to permit students to really delve into material and cases and extract the most salient content. Additionally, the program curriculum is streamlined in a way that enables students to choose a minor or a second major to add additional value to their degree.  

Students who graduate with a bachelor’s degree in business and management enter the workforce with relevant experience. All students enrolled in the program complete an internship to enrich the classroom experience and frequently engage with business operators as part of regular coursework to further apply their skills. As part of their education, all Rensselaer students also participate in The Arch, a unique educational format that enables students to grow and challenge themselves during a semester “away” from campus.

 

Additional Information

Curriculum

B.S. in Business and Management Curriculum Outline 

Career Opportunities

The bachelor’s degree in business and management prepares students for:
 
  • Careers with major consulting and tech firms.
  • Careers in project management, product management, and finance, to name a few.
  • Graduate studies in MBA programs and other specialized business fields.
 
Lally graduates also launch their own businesses with colleagues they meet across campus disciplines.

Student Highlight

After graduating in May with two bachelor’s degrees, one in business and management and the other in design, innovation, and society, Natalie Tague ’20 hopes to work in branding or product design for a company in the outdoor recreation industry. “I really want to reconnect people with the outdoors and do so in sustainable ways,” she said. Learn more about Tague’s experience at Rensselaer.

Student Testimonial

“Four years filled with interesting, engaging courses along with expert guidance from faculty. Lally really prepared me for the business world and gave me some of the best memories.”
— Sapna Raghavan ’20, who interned with State Street and EY.
 

Concentrations and Electives

Students are encouraged to pursue a concentration by taking an additional sequence of courses within the management curriculum. All concentrations focus on the application of analytical methods and well-reasoned decision making to an area of business management. 

Business Analytics

The business analytics concentration focuses on using information to develop business insights and influence decision-making in organizations. This set of courses provides a strong foundation in analytical modeling and statistical methods as well as skills in data management. It provides hands-on experience through industry projects in applying these skills in data and model-driven decision making in specific business domains such as marketing, supply chain management, and finance.

Entrepreneurship

The entrepreneurship concentration focuses on the process through which innovative ideas are converted to new products and businesses. This helps prepare students to think “outside the box.” These courses will further develop students’ ability to think creatively, solve business problems, and convert ideas into solutions for the marketplace. Students gain planning and project management skills that are useful in start-ups and established firms alike.

Finance

The finance concentration provides students with a strong foundation in the concepts of risk and return, asset allocation, portfolio management, bond and stock valuation, investment decision making, capital budgeting, derivatives, and risk management. This concentration offers an excellent opportunity for students to prepare for the Chartered Financial Analyst exam.

Management Information Systems

The management information systems concentration, like a major, focuses on the use of information technology for value creation in new and established firms. It provides students with the perspectives and skills to understand the role of IT in organizations, identify opportunities for IT-enabled business innovations, and design, develop, and deliver the technology infrastructures that enable firms to effectively use IT for value creation.

Marketing

The marketing concentration, like a major, provides students with an understanding of what customers want and how to effectively offer products and services to meet this demand. Marketing activities, including product research and concept testing, are explored. Students learn how businesses need marketing to reach and serve customers in order to successfully achieve their goals or mission – whether these are maximizing sales and profits, promoting non-profit organizations, or advancing social causes.

Supply Chain Management

The supply chain management concentration focuses on the design and management of supply chains in manufacturing and service industries. This concentration equips students with the perspectives and skills to design supply chains, develop strategies to optimize supply chain operations, and identify opportunities for deploying IT to create effective demand fulfillment capabilities in firms.