The Carlos Alvarez College of Business is dedicated to creating and sharing knowledge that enhances the translation of theory to practice. The College combines rigor with relevance and provides innovative solutions to global business challenges.
General Information
The Carlos Alvarez College of Business welcomes all students dedicated to academic success in the study of business. The College is accredited by AACSB (Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business) International and is one of a select group of programs internationally with separate accreditation at the undergraduate, master’s, and doctoral levels in accounting.
Students who graduate from the Carlos Alvarez College of Business will enter a dynamic employment market that values graduates with market-based skills. To meet the demands of our students and the employment market, the College offers 15 undergraduate majors. Additionally, students can select from 14 different minors to augment the knowledge and skills acquired in their major. The College also offers seven supporting business competencies that are multidisciplinary sets of electives combined to create valuable skills. Finally, the College currently offers three undergraduate certificate programs.
The preponderance of our undergraduate courses are offered in a traditional classroom setting, which exploits current technologies through the use of a learning management system and contemporary classrooms. We are also greatly expanding student access to online courses, especially for the Common Body of Knowledge (CBK) courses, as well as the online B.B.A. in Cyber Security.
UT San Antonio business students receive a high-quality education that provides them not only with the knowledge to succeed in their careers, but also with the professional development, experiential learning opportunities, and technical and marketable skills necessary to advance and become dynamic business leaders.
Collaborative Degree Programs
The Carlos Alvarez College of Business is committed to fostering interdisciplinary learning and offering academic pathways that meet the evolving demands of the workforce. Through collaboration between colleges, students have access to degree programs that combine specialized knowledge with practical application across multiple fields.
The following degrees are collaborative business degrees:
B.B.A. in Cyber Security (Online): Offered in collaboration with the College of AI, Cyber and Computing, this program blends core business education with essential cybersecurity skills to prepare graduates for roles in today’s digital economy.
B.S. in Health Administration: In partnership with the College for Health, Community and Policy, this degree combines foundational business knowledge with health administration to prepare students to work in entry and middle management roles in a variety of healthcare settings.
Students should refer to the coordinating college for more information and detailed degree requirements.
Minors in the Carlos Alvarez College of Business
Students with majors outside of the Carlos Alvarez College of Business may not seek more than one business minor.
The following minors are open to any UT San Antonio major, including B.B.A. majors:
Actuarial Science, Business Analytics, Economics, Entrepreneurship, Operations and Supply Chain Management, Marketing, and Sports Management.
The following minors are open to any UT San Antonio major, excluding B.B.A. majors:
Business Administration and Technology Management for Non-business Majors.
The following minors are open to students in the Carlos Alvarez College of Business (ACOB) only:
Accounting, Finance.
Enrollment in Business Courses
Business courses at the 3000- and 4000-level are restricted to students majoring in the Carlos Alvarez College of Business or to students who require the courses for their degree, except for the courses listed below. Additionally, students pursuing a minor or certificate in the College may enroll in any qualifying upper-division business courses required for their minor or certificate, provided they meet the course prerequisites.
To meet legislative and employer demands for graduates with marketable skills, students in any UT San Antonio major may enroll in the following upper-division courses, provided they meet the course prerequisites:
Course List
| Code |
Title |
Credit Hours |
| |
| ENT 3123 | Innovation and Entrepreneurship | 3 |
| MGT 3013 | Introduction to Organization Theory, Behavior, and Management | 3 |
| MGT 4103 | Introduction to Healthcare Management | 3 |
| MGT 4033 | Essentials of Technology Management | 3 |
| MGT 4143 | Introduction to Project Management | 3 |
| MKT 3003 | Happiness, Well Being, and Modern Consumerism | 3 |
| MKT 3013 | Principles of Marketing | 3 |
| MKT 3053 | Sales Management | 3 |
| MKT 4033 | Social Media Marketing | 3 |
| BAN 3003 | Visualization in Business Analytics | 3 |
| RFD 3523 | Real Estate Law | 3 |
| |
| ENT 4903 | Entrepreneurship Practicum | 3 |
| ENT 4893 | Stimulating Urban Renewal through Entrepreneurship Program | 3 |
| FIN 3053 | Introduction to Personal Finance | 3 |
| MGT 3023 | Understanding People and Organizations | 3 |
| |
ACC 2003, ECO 2003, and FIN 3003 are designed specifically for non-business majors, allowing students outside the College to enroll. These courses may not be applied toward the major requirements of a B.B.A. degree, and grades earned in these courses will not be included in the major GPA.
Similarly, FIN 3053 may not be applied toward the major requirements of a B.B.A. degree in Finance, and grades earned in this course will not be included in the finance major GPA.
All degrees in the Carlos Alvarez College of Business require 120 hours. If a student elects to take a course that satisfies both a University Core Curriculum and College requirements, they may need to take an additional course to ensure they meet the 120 hours.
To manage course availability and support timely graduation, the College reserves the right to restrict enrollment in business courses (excluding core curriculum courses) to declared business majors in order to meet student demand.
Carlos Alvarez College of Business Undergraduate Admission Policy
The Carlos Alvarez College of Business at UT San Antonio seeks to enable qualified students to acquire business and technical skills to meet the evolving demands of employers and stakeholders in Texas and beyond. Students who meet direct admission requirements may declare a B.B.A. (all majors) or B.S. in Economics. Students who do not meet direct admission requirements will remain in Business Studies until the requirements are met. Students pursuing specific business majors may have to satisfy additional academic requirements to complete their degree programs.
Direct Admission Criteria
All applicants seeking to declare a business major must meet all undergraduate UT San Antonio admission requirements and have completed MAT 1053 (TCCN: MATH 1324), an approved equivalent, or a higher-level course with a grade of "C-" or better. Admission requirements are reviewed at the time of application to UT San Antonio. Only official transcripts will be accepted for admission decisions.
New incoming first-time freshmen, freshmen transfer, and transfer students who do not meet the direct admission requirements will be evaluated for admission to the college at the end of the semester in which they complete MAT 1053, an approved equivalent course, or a higher-level math course with a “C-“ or higher. Students must be in good academic standing to be admitted to the college. Equivalent credit for MAT 1053 can include dual credit courses, placement exams, or other exams for college credit (Advanced Placement, CLEP, DANTES) if they meet approved UT San Antonio scores. Students are encouraged to consider a placement test to enroll in the most advanced math for which they may qualify. Students do not earn college credit for placement exams. Visit the UT San Antonio Testing website for more information.
Students have three semesters to complete the college math admission requirement. Students pursuing a business degree who are unable to successfully complete MAT 1053 or an equivalent math course within three semesters will be required to change their major outside of the Alvarez College of Business. Students will be changed from Business Studies to Undeclared and will not be eligible for an undergraduate degree in the College of Business.
Students applying to an undergraduate business self-supporting online degree program in the Alvarez College of Business will satisfy the same requirements for admission required of regular on-campus students (Chapter 4, Subchapter Q, section 4.275 (6), THECB).
Internal Transfers
Current UT San Antonio students seeking to change their major to B.B.A. (all majors) or B.S. in Economics must have a 2.0 UT San Antonio GPA and have completed MAT 1053 (TCCN: MATH 1324), an approved equivalent course, or a higher-level mathematics course with a C- or higher to declare their major in the Alvarez College of Business. Prospective business college majors may submit the Change of Major Appointment Request Form to their primary academic advisor.
Business Math Gateway Course
Students pursuing a Bachelor of Business Administration (B.B.A.) degree (all majors except Actuarial Science) or a Bachelor of Science in Economics, whether they are a declared major or a Business Studies pathway student, must successfully complete the business math gateway course MAT 1053 (TCCN MATH 1324) or equivalent with a grade of "C-" or better in no more than two attempts. Students who are unable to successfully complete this course within two attempts, including dropping the course with a grade of “W,” or taking an equivalent course at another institution, will be required to change their major outside of the Alvarez College of Business. Upon the second failed attempt, students will be changed from Business Studies to Undeclared and will not be eligible for an undergraduate degree in the College of Business.
Business students must register for a required mathematics course every semester beginning with their first semester of enrollment until the math requirements (MAT 1053) is fulfilled.
Carlos Alvarez College of Business Degree Requirements
Below is the outline of the Carlos Alvarez College of Business Degree Requirements including the Career Compass: Professional Development Requirement, which is required of all students within The Carlos Alvarez College of Business. As well as the Common Body of Knowledge (CBK), which is required of all students across the university seeking a Bachelor's of Business Administration (B.B.A.) degree.
Career Compass: Professional Development Requirement
All undergraduate students in the Alvarez College of Business must complete Career Compass, a structured professional development requirement, as a condition of graduation. Career Compass is fulfilled through approved career-readiness activities that integrate academic learning with industry engagement and employer-valued competencies. Student progress is tracked throughout their academic program. Upon completion of all Career Compass requirements, students are automatically enrolled in BU 1010 Career Compass: Professional Development Program, which serves as official verification of completion.
Common Body of Knowledge (CBK)
All students seeking a B.B.A. degree must complete the following Common Body of Knowledge (CBK) courses in addition to the Core Curriculum. The CBK is comprised of 45 semester credit hours, 9 of which can apply to the core curriculum requirements. Students completing degree course requirements with fewer than 120 semester credit hours will augment their program with electives.
Course List | Code | Title | Credit Hours |
| ACC 2013 | Principles of Accounting I | 3 |
| ACC 2033 | Principles of Accounting II | 3 |
| ECO 2013 | Introductory Macroeconomics (satisfies Component Area Option Core Curriculum requirement) | 3 |
| ECO 2023 | Introductory Microeconomics (satisfies Social and Behavioral Sciences Core Curriculum requirement) | 3 |
| FIN 3013 | Principles of Business Finance | 3 |
| GBA 3001 | Foundations of Business Career Readiness 1 | 1 |
| GBA 3002 | Communication for Business 1 | 2 |
| ISC 3003 | Principles of Information Systems for Management | 3 |
| MAT 1053 | Mathematics for Business (satisfies Mathematics Core Curriculum requirement) 2 | 3 |
| MGT 3013 | Introduction to Organization Theory, Behavior, and Management | 3 |
| MGT 3113 | Legal, Social, and Ethical Issues in Business | 3 |
| MKT 3013 | Principles of Marketing | 3 |
| BAN 1023 | Introduction to Business Statistics 3 | 3 |
| BAN 3123 | Fundamentals of Business Analytics 4 | 3 |
| SCM 3013 | Principles of Operations and Supply Chain Management (Principles of Operations and Supply Chain Management) | 3 |
| Management Strategy (recommended, taken in semester of graduation) | |
| Communication and Visualization of Impactful Research | |
| Global Business Immersion I | |
| Business Consulting Practicum | |
| Honors Thesis | |
6 | |
7 | |
| Total Credit Hours | 45 |
Business Honors Program
The Business Honors Program (BHP) provides outstanding students with opportunities to benefit from an enriched first-class education. The program is designed to give our students a competitive edge in the job market or prepare students for graduate education. Business Honors students will participate in the Honors College along with the Business Honors Program. The Business Honors distinction is available only to students who meet the Business Honors Program requirements.
Program Admission
Students interested in admission to the Business Honors Program must be invited to join the Honors College. Admission information is available through the UT San Antonio Honors College website.
Program Requirements
The Business Honors Program requires its members to meet academic, co-curricular programming, and experiential learning requirements in order to graduate with the Business Honors designation. In order to earn the Business Honors designation, program participants must:
- Complete a minimum of 9 semester credit hours of designated Business Honors sections. Business Honors classes emphasize enhanced experiential and applied learning activities, class discussions, presentations, and business research.
- Professional & Experiential Learning Requirements: The Business Honors Program promotes participation in activities outside of the classroom to enhance the undergraduate experience. Therefore, Business Honors Program students must demonstrate that they have participated in professional development and experiential learning activities during their undergraduate education. The requirements will be provided in the Honors Program Handbook. Other program requirements may apply.
Pre-PhD Research Pathway
The Pre-Ph.D. Research Pathway will provide students with research experience and training to make them competitive candidates for doctoral or other graduate programs in traditional business areas (e.g., accounting, finance, management, marketing), economics, and nascent areas. It will cultivate students' interest in pursuing a doctoral education and will position them to be successful applicants for doctoral or other graduate programs. The program responds to labor market demands, suggesting an expanding need for business and economics professors and researchers. The program is open to all undergraduate students.
Participants are expected to take a series of three courses intended to equip them with the basic tools to conduct academic research, including, but not limited to, identifying original research questions, developing hypotheses, generating samples, creating datasets, utilizing statistical tools to test hypotheses, and reporting. Most students are expected to take the following course series:
Course List
| Code |
Title |
Credit Hours |
| GBA 3013 | Introduction to Academic Research | 3 |
| or BU 1300 | ACOB Signature Experience - Research |
| |
| GBA 4023 | Conducting Innovative Research and Discovery | 3 |
| or GBA 4033 | Communication and Visualization of Impactful Research |
| or GBA 4993 | Honors Thesis |
Students with backgrounds that are more technical, whose interests reside in areas that require specialized training (e.g., economics), or those pursuing an honors thesis option, will have the opportunity (upon advisor approval) to take the honors thesis or different courses that fit their needs.
Pre-Ph.D. Pathway students will also have the opportunity to receive mentoring from faculty, present at research conferences, and attend workshops that prepare students for doctoral and other graduate programs (e.g., how to write a strong personal statement, how to select a graduate program, important things to know about graduate education, what is it like to be a college professor), and write research papers for journal publication.
The undergraduate course sequence cannot be transferred or counted towards the completion of curriculum requirements for a graduate degree program or graduate certificate.
Admission Requirements
The Pre-Ph.D. Research Pathway is open to all UT San Antonio undergraduate students, regardless of their college or major. To join the Pre-Ph.D. Research Pathway, current UT San Antonio students should contact the Alvarez College of Business Research Office by email at gradbiz@utsa.edu or by telephone at (210) 458-7301. Admission questions should be directed to the Alvarez College of Business Research Office.
Academic Standing for Declared Business Majors
Carlos Alvarez College of Business majors (B.B.A. degrees and B.S. degree in Economics) must maintain good academic standing. This requires that students must maintain a UT San Antonio grade point average of at least 2.0 every semester and meet all University regulations related to good academic standing. Students on probation with UT San Antonio may remain in the Carlos Alvarez College of Business.
In order to graduate, all majors must maintain both a UT San Antonio and a major GPA of 2.0 or higher.
Carlos Alvarez College of Business Academic Credit Internship Policy
An academic credit internship requires a student to perform scholarly work in conjunction with a paid internship. The academic internship must be supervised by a faculty member, and the scope and nature of the scholarly work must be defined and approved by the faculty member before the student can register for an academic credit internship. Academic internships must be approved by the department chair and the Assistant /Associate Dean.
The policy for undergraduate students to enroll in internships for academic credit includes the following provisions:
- The student must be a declared major or minor and in good academic standing at UT San Antonio and in the Carlos Alvarez College of Business.
- The student must:
- Have completed a minimum of 60 semester credit hours, of which a minimum of 15 credit hours have been completed at UT San Antonio.
- Meet all internship course prerequisites, including the minimum grade point average required for enrolling in the internship.
- The internship must be in (or related to) the student’s declared major or minor. The student should consult their major degree requirements for specific details.
- Internships at all for-profit companies must be paid at an hourly rate equivalent to the minimum wage or higher to be in compliance with the Department of Labor guidelines.
- Each student must meet the requirements of their catalog of graduation regarding the total number of semester credit hours that may be earned through internships for academic credit, and meet the following provisions:
- Each 3-credit-hour academic internship must be completed with a different company/organization.
- An academic credit internship with a firm at which a student is currently employed may be considered, but only if clear evidence shows that the internship is substantially and programmatically different from such employment.
- The internship must last at least 160 work hours within the term of enrollment in which the student is seeking academic credit.
- Internships must be professional in nature, and certain types of work experiences are not eligible for credit:
- Self-employment.
- Work performed by a student’s family-owned or managed business.
- Training activities. Examples include preparing for insurance/securities license exams.
- A virtual internship may be authorized. A review will be required if the work is performed at an employer’s registered private residential address.
Independent Study
In order to qualify for an independent study, students must have a UT San Antonio GPA of 3.0 and permission in writing from the instructor, Department Chair, and the Associate Dean of Undergraduate Studies in addition to any departmental prerequisites. See the Office of the Registrar for the required forms.
Laptop Policy
Students enrolled in the Carlos Alvarez College of Business are required to own a laptop that meets minimum program specifications. Minimum specifications for each program are available on the College website.
Scholarships
The Carlos Alvarez College of Business has many scholarships available to assist students in reaching their educational and career goals. The scholarship program within the College is managed generally by the Office of the Dean. Students should visit the website for information and application procedures for all scholarships within the College. Detailed information and eligibility requirements for specific scholarships administered through the College are available at https://business.utsa.edu/scholarships/. Additional scholarship information is available through the UT San Antonio Scholarship Office. The number and amounts of scholarship awards vary. Additionally, scholarship eligibility requirements differ but may include considerations of grade point average, financial need, number of semester credit hours completed, enrollment status, activities, residency status, or bilingualism. Students must complete the application process and submit the required documentation by the deadlines stated on the application materials. Students will be considered for all awards for which they meet the eligibility criteria. Award amounts are generally disbursed equally among the semesters covered by the scholarship as long as recipients continue to meet grade point average, enrollment, and other scholarship criteria.
