Business Administration

B.S. in Business Administration

The Business Administration major provides future business professionals and community leaders with strong theoretical foundations and practical applications of the functional areas of business: accounting, marketing, finance, operations, and management, while also providing an understanding of the business enterprise as a whole.

These programs are focused on enabling students to use business technologies while they acquire the skills needed to succeed in a competitive, global, knowledge-based environment. Students will be required to complete 10 courses across the functional areas and 4 elective courses which can either be across functional areas or used to concentrate in one functional area.

Career Outlook

Employment fields related to business administration are projected to grow 3 to 11 percent over the next 10 years, with the demand for market research analysts increasing by 19 percent.

Department Page Faculty

Outcomes

Students will be able to:

develop the ability to create critical and effective business plans that integrate multiple business skills including management, marketing, technology, and finance, in the US and globally.
demonstrate the ability to communicate effectively in business situations, in writing and in oral presentations.
master the ability to solve business problems through quantitative analysis and the understanding of financial and operational approaches to analysis.
demonstrate an understanding of and ability to address the challenges of a diverse group of people inside a modern formal organization.

Inquire today:

“One of the main reasons I joined the business program is because there's a variety of different concentrations from finance and accounting to management and marketing. We have faculty and staff who are willing to answer any questions, as well as alumni who come back to campus for workshops to help us with things like our resumes and cover letters.”

Emilie Hess '19 business administration major

The Business Pitch

From pitching innovative business ideas in class to preparing for an MBA, Lyvia Chambers ’25 is making her mark as an aspiring entrepreneur. Learn how SUNY Potsdam's hands-on business courses and inspiring mentors are shaping her future.

Ahead of the Game

In just three years, Jessica Evans ’24 completed her degree in business administration, while landing on the President’s List every semester. She’s now launching a career as a real estate agent and freelance photographer, two professions she said will afford her the perfect work-life balance.

‘The Right Time for Me’

As the first graduate of SUNY Potsdam's dual degree program with the Kyiv National Economics University, Stephanie Bulakh '24 brought big dreams with her, as she seeks to use her degree to help build a brighter future for her war-torn country.

Home Sweet Home

For Hannah Richardson ’24 entrepreneurship has always run in the family. Now a senior in the business administration program, she’s looking ahead to a career at her parents’ company, H. Richardson & Sons and HRS Forestry. After she receives her degree, she will not only be managing the books for her parents’ company, but also pursuing her MBA this fall.

An Agent for Change

SUNY Potsdam Professor Dr. Seon Levius knows that business technology has no meaning without the human element. Drawing from core principles of his Business Process Analysis course, Levius is bringing a broad perspective in ICT, policy and human resources to help a Caribbean disaster management agency operate effectively in the digital age.

United for Ukraine

Dr. Gregory A. Gardner has been many things to many people throughout his varied career: Military intelligence officer. Visiting professor. Business expert. Colleague. Friend. No matter his role, he has always focused his efforts on advancing democracy and promoting free commerce—first with the U.S. Air Force, and later as a SUNY Potsdam faculty member and Fulbright Scholar.

Path of the Professional

After landing her dream job as the executive director for the St. Regis Tribal Gaming Commission in Akwesasne, Jill Benedict ’01 & ’24 was still looking for ways to challenge herself. Twenty years after receiving her undergraduate degree from SUNY Potsdam, she has returned to her alma mater to pursue a graduate degree in management—allowing her to parlay her educational experiences into transferrable leadership skills for the Mohawk government.

Seeds of Change

In an ever-changing world, SUNY Potsdam is at the forefront of adapting with the times, and developing relevant academic offerings for students. During the Spring 2021 semester, Dr. Christa Haifley offered a Cannabusiness class for the first time—one of three new courses that will form the backbone of a Cannabis Studies minor currently being developed at the College.

After Potsdam: The Pathway Up

Amanda Moeller ’15 has leveraged a Bachelor of Science degree in business administration from SUNY Potsdam to gain a master’s degree and a sought-after position with a multinational company. A member of several honors societies while at SUNY Potsdam, she is now the customer supply chain manager at Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company, where we caught up with her to chat about her undergraduate experiences.

Note to Self. Succeed.

Imagine receiving a reminder from your younger self to keep pursuing your goals. That's what happened to SUNY Potsdam alumnus Nick Leonard the other day when a notification appeared on his iPhone: “Have job on Broadway in ticketing, pricing or revenue –From 21-year-old Nick.” He had set the reminder three years earlier, as part of an exercise in Dr. Ed Portugal's class. And as it turns out, Nick can already check that big item off his career to-do list after accepted a new job with the Walt Disney Company.