General Business Administration (GBA) Courses
GBA 1020. Business Case Competition I. (0-0) 0 Credit Hours.
This non-credit course allows students to officially document Business Case Competitions on their transcript. Students will enhance their analytical, problem-solving, and presentation skills through participation in business case competitions. Students will work in teams to analyze complex business scenarios, develop strategic solutions, and present their recommendations to panels of judges consisting of faculty, industry professionals, or case competition organizers. A minimum of 30 hours of direct work must be completed. May be repeated. The grade report for the course is either “CR” (satisfactory performance) or “NC” (unsatisfactory performance).
GBA 3001. Foundations of Business Career Readiness. (1-0) 1 Credit Hour.
The goal of the course is to equip students with the essential skills and knowledge necessary to succeed in today’s competitive business environment. The course focuses on fundamental strategies for building a professional identity, enhancing communication skills, and mastering key tools for career development. Among the various topics covered in this course it will include resume building, interview preparation, networking, personal branding and strategies for long-term career growth. Through hands-on activities, guest speakers, and connections with a career coach, students will develop the tools and confidence needed to successfully navigate the job market and thrive in a business career. This course has Differential Tuition.
GBA 3002. Communication for Business. (2-0) 2 Credit Hours.
Prerequisite: WRC 1013; student must be classified as a business studies student, declared major in the Carlos Alvarez College of Business, or have approval from the Department Chair. This foundation course provides the necessary oral, written, and collaborative communication skills to support the curricula in more advance course work in business program and to meet the needs for internships, professional positions, and career goal advancement. The course emphasizes effective interpersonal communications across different modes of delivery including but not limited to resume building, business correspondence, presentation, and oral and written report. The course also covers use of contemporary technologies to improve business professional style digital fluency at individual, organizational, or community level. This course has Differential Tuition. Course Fee: DL01 $75.
GBA 3013. Introduction to Academic Research. (3-0) 3 Credit Hours.
Prerequisite: Consent of the instructor. The course introduces academic research in business, economics, and related areas through a series of readings and exercises delivered in seminar format. The first part of the course introduces the scientific method, defines and distinguishes elements, such as theories, propositions, and hypotheses, and equips students with concepts and tools to identify original research questions. The second part of the course is empirical in nature and equips students with basic skills in sample selection/construction methods, multi-source data processing, merging and cleaning, and statistical analyses to answer research questions. More generally, the course explores the nature of doctoral and graduate programs and careers in business academia. This course has Differential Tuition.
GBA 3943. Business Service Learning Practicum. (3-0) 3 Credit Hours.
Prerequisite: GBA 3002. Students will design, organize, and engage in a collaborative service-learning project that benefits both the community and their own professional development. With a focus on ethics, teamwork, and communication, this course enhances experiential learning by addressing real-world business and societal challenges. Students will submit course deliverables that highlight their applied skills, knowledge, and reflections on their impact. This course has Differential Tuition.
GBA 4020. Business Case Competition II. (0-0) 0 Credit Hours.
This non-credit course allows students to officially document Business Case Competitions on their transcript. Students will enhance their analytical, problem-solving, and presentation skills through participation in business case competitions. Students will work in teams to analyze complex business scenarios, develop strategic solutions, and present their recommendations to panels of judges consisting of faculty, industry professionals, or case competition organizers. A minimum of 75 hours of direct work must be completed. May be repeated. The grade report for the course is either “CR” (satisfactory performance) or “NC” (unsatisfactory performance).
GBA 4023. Conducting Innovative Research and Discovery. (3-0) 3 Credit Hours.
Prerequisite: GBA 3013 and consent of instructor. This is the first in a two-part sequence of courses focusing on the practice and execution of academic research in business, economics, and related areas, including identifying and articulating original research questions, developing hypotheses (using theory or existing academic research), generating samples and datasets, and utilizing statistical tools to test research questions. This course emphasizes the writing and documentation of code and the writing and presentation of research findings. This course has Differential Tuition.
GBA 4033. Communication and Visualization of Impactful Research. (3-0) 3 Credit Hours.
Prerequisite: GBA 4023 and consent of instructor. This is the second course in a two-part sequence of courses focusing on the practice and execution of academic research in business and economics, and related areas. This course continues to emphasize the empirical aspects of academic research and progresses to developing a manuscript (based on the student’s research area and interest) containing all of its basic elements (i.e., introduction, background, hypotheses development, research design, results, conclusion, and references). The course further emphasizes the importance of writing and presentation of ideas and research findings for publication in academic journals. Topics related to the selection of research outlets are incorporated. This course has Differential Tuition.
GBA 4873. Global Business Immersion I. (3-0) 3 Credit Hours.
Prerequisite: Completion of 9 semester credit hours of Carlos Alvarez College of Business (ACOB) courses and official admission into the ACOB Business Immersion Program. This course provides students with first-hand experience into how business is conducted in the locations visited. The pre-departure activities provide students with an introduction to the local business climate and culture. The in-country activities include visits to local companies and workshops hosted by local professors. The post-immersion components engage students in reflection opportunities and applied project experiences. This course relies heavily on experiential components; as a result, attendance to all official course events is required. This course has Differential Tuition.
GBA 4883. Global Business Immersion II. (3-0) 3 Credit Hours.
Prerequisite: Completion of 9 semester credit hours of Carlos Alvarez College of Business (ACOB) courses and official admission into the ACOB Business Immersion Program. This course provides students with first-hand experience into how business is conducted in the locations visited. The pre-departure activities provide students with an introduction to the local business climate and culture. The in-country activities include visits to local companies and workshops hosted by local professors. The post-immersion components engage students in reflection opportunities and applied project experiences. This course relies heavily on experiential components; as a result, attendance to all official course events is required. This course has Differential Tuition. Course Fee: BISP $10; BTSI $15.41; LRB1 $15.41.
GBA 4893. Business Consulting Practicum. (3-0) 3 Credit Hours.
Prerequisite: Completion of all lower-division courses in the Common Body of Knowledge (CBK) and completion of or concurrent enrollment in both GBA 3002 and one of the courses from the following: MGT 3013, MKT 3013, ISC 3003, SCM 3013, or FIN 3013. Students will conceptualize, plan, and participate in a team-based project with a community partner. This course focuses on problem-solving, teamwork, and communication skills. This experience helps students apply their classroom learning to a work environment. Students will be required to submit course deliverables that demonstrate the application of knowledge and skills imparted through course activities as well as academic reflection. This course has Differential Tuition.
GBA 4933. Business Global Internship. (0-0) 3 Credit Hours.
Prerequisite: GBA 3001, GBA 3002, prior completion of 12 semester credit hours of Carlos Alvarez College of Business (ACOB) courses, and official admission into the ACOB international internship program. An international internship offers students the opportunity to work and learn in a non-US environment. This global internship experience helps students apply their classroom teachings to a work environment. Students participating in this program will gain first-hand knowledge of the behaviors, customs, and norms of another culture and business practices. A proposal form must be completed and approved prior to registration. May be repeated for credit. This course has Differential Tuition.
GBA 4943. Business Professional Internship. (0-0) 3 Credit Hours.
Prerequisite: GBA 3001, GBA 3002, completion of 15 semester credit hours of business courses, and permission in writing from the instructor, Department Chair, and the Associate Dean of Undergraduate Studies. This for-credit internship experience provides hands-on learning for various business disciplines. This business internship experience helps students apply their classroom learning to a work environment. Students must meet all College academic credit internship requirements, and an application form must be completed and approved prior to registration. May be repeated. This course has Differential Tuition.
GBA 4953. Special Studies in General Business Administration. (3-0) 3 Credit Hours.
Prerequisite: Consent of instructor, Department Chair, and Dean of the College. An organized course offering the opportunity for specialized study not normally or not often available as part of the regular course offerings. Special Studies may be repeated for credit when the topics vary, but not more than 6 semester credit hours, regardless of discipline, will apply to a bachelor's degree. This course has Differential Tuition.
GBA 4993. Honors Thesis. (0-0) 3 Credit Hours.
Prerequisite: Enrollment limited to students in the Business Honors Program. Supervised research and preparation of an honors thesis in any business discipline including accounting, economics, finance, information systems, management, marketing, management science, and data sciences among others. May be repeated once for credit with advisor's approval. This course has Differential Tuition.
