Why major in business?
Penn State Altoona’s bachelor of science degree in Business is a professionally oriented business program for students seeking a broad education and solid grounding in the common body of business knowledge. The program’s interdisciplinary perspective provides you with a versatile base for mobility into all business areas and prepares you for the business world of today and tomorrow.
Request Information About the Business Major
The business program combines the theoretical underpinnings of core business disciplines, notably management, marketing, finance, and logistics, with applied study in a practical setting, especially in small business climates.
Choose an Option
By choosing an eighteen-credit option, you will develop a specialty related to a key business sector. You also will develop written and oral communication skills throughout the program, acquire contemporary computer skills, and engage in active and collaborative learning. In addition, you will become familiar with the unique business environments of your local community, a design that sets this degree apart from other business degrees offered within the University.
Accounting Option
The accounting option emphasizes the areas of financial and managerial accounting, systems and controls, auditing, and taxation. Students begin with an introductory accounting course in financial and managerial accounting, then take core accounting courses in intermediate financial accounting, advanced managerial accounting, federal income taxation, accounting information systems, and auditing.
Accounting Option with Information Systems Auditing Certificate
The accounting option with the information systems auditing certificate prepares information technology and accounting professionals to maintain and audit digital information systems by integrating critical areas of knowledge of information technology and accounting professionals. Students who complete the certificate program will develop skills useful in obtaining other professional credentials, such as Certified Information Systems Auditor (CISA) or Certified Information Technology Professional (CITP) credentials.
Business Analytics Option
The business analytics option prepares students to pursue careers in applying business analytics techniques to implement appropriate decision-making outcomes using data for companies.
Entrepreneurship Option
The entrepreneurship option provides skills essential to succeed in any business setting, including problem-solving, teamwork, and communication. The program and its faculty develop and inspire future entrepreneurs to generate concepts to patent, turn unique ideas into opportunities, launch a successful business, purchase an existing company or franchise, and become great leaders, managers, and innovators.
Management and Marketing Option
The management and marketing option emphasizes the skills and knowledge necessary to make strategic decisions for various types of profit and non-profit organizations. Students are prepared for a career in retail management, small business management, communications, marketing, advertising, and promotion. This option’s dual emphasis allows students to select courses in both disciplines as a foundation for leading small businesses or units of large organizations. Courses include social media marketing, international management, retailing, global marketing, market research, communications, and ethics.
Individualized Business Option
Build your own option!
The individualized option provides the opportunity for students to pursue an approved business-focused interdisciplinary program of study that matches their academic and professional goals. Students build a strong foundation in essential business competencies—including teamwork, negotiation, project management, and strategic decision-making—while developing in-demand, industry-specific skills through coursework, such as the following:
Individualized Option: Rail Transportation Management
The Rail Transportation Management Individualized Business Option empowers students to customize a dynamic, business-driven interdisciplinary program designed for leadership roles in the rail and transportation industries. This flexible option blends practical business education with specialized rail-focused expertise, preparing graduates to thrive in a complex and evolving industry.
Prescribed courses:
- RTE 301: Railroad Industry Overview and Economic Regulation (3)
- RTE 302: Railroad Track Location, Construction, and Maintenance (3)
- CE 332: Professionalism, Economics, and Construction Project Delivery (3)
- CE 333W: Construction Management I (3)
- MGMT 341: Human Resource Management (3)
Suggested courses:
- MGMT 400: Organization Development (3) or
- MGMT 401: Contemporary Issues in Management (3)
Individualized Option: Information Science and Technology Management
The IST Management option is an interdisciplinary program of study that requires upper-level coursework focused on developing the skill sets needed to pursue management careers in the digital economy. The Option focuses on building an understanding of core information technologies and related subjects, helping students apply various information sciences and related technologies, and sharpening their ability to think critically and work in teams.
Prescribed courses:
- IST 210: Organization of Data (3)
- IST 220: Networking and Telecommunications (3)
Suggested courses:
- IST 301: Information and Organizations (3)
- IST 402: Emerging Issues and Technologies (3)
- IST 432: Legal and Regulatory Environment of IST (3)
- MGMT 321: Leadership and Motivation (3)
- MGMT 401: Contemporary Issues in Management (3)
Limited number of credits in:
- BA 250: Small Business Management (3)
- CAS 271: Intercultural Communication (3)
- CAS 352: Organizational Communication (3)
- CAS 404: Conflict Resolution & Negotiation (3)
- MKTG 220: Intro to Selling Techniques (3)
Individualized Option: Strategic Communications
The Business Communication Strategies option combines the art of effective communication with the power of literary analysis, equipping students with the skills to successfully write, speak, and persuade in settings from small business to the corporate world. Through selected courses in advanced writing and literary studies, students will develop a unique set of tools to craft clear, compelling messages tailored for diverse business audiences. This interdisciplinary approach fosters a deep understanding of narrative structure, tone, and persuasion, enhancing students' ability to lead teams, negotiate deals, and engage clients with precision and confidence. Ideal for those seeking to excel in management, marketing, or public relations, this concentration prepares students to communicate with clarity, creativity, and strategic intent in any professional setting.
Proposed Supporting Courses:
- MGMT 321 or MGMT 345 (3)
- ENGL 418, 419, or 420 (3)
- ENGL 412 or 415 (3)
- ENGL 460 (3)
- ENGL 474 or 478 (3)
- ENGL 4XX or MGMT Course (3)
In consultation with your adviser(s)
Careers in Business
In today's difficult economic environment, Penn State Altoona's bachelor of science in Business allows companies to hire individuals with broad knowledge of all aspects of business. This broad knowledge allows students to be effective within many different types of organizations. Some examples include the following:
- Accounting option: Students gain an advantage as financial professionals in the business world and are working in the areas of financial and managerial accounting, systems and controls, taxation, and auditing.
- Entrepreneurship option: students can be found starting their own business or working for several years with other entrepreneurs before venturing out on their own.
- Marketing and Management option: An emphasis on the skills and knowledge necessary for the business professional to function in the community and regional centers of commerce.
An integral part of the Business degree is a six-credit internship completed during the senior year. This experience has proven beneficial for both the students and employers. Organizations hosting Penn State Altoona Business interns over the past year include the following:
- Allegheny Mountain Convention & Visitors' Bureau
- Altoona Blair County Development Corp.
- Altoona Curve
- Altoona Hospital
- American Cancer Society
- Blair County Chamber of Commerce
- Forever Broadcasting
- The Hancock Group, Inc.
- HealthSouth Rehabilitation Hospital
- Lake Raystown Resort Lodge
- Lazerpro Digital Media Group
- PennDOT
- Sheetz, Inc.
- UPMC Bedford Memorial Hospital
- Wal-mart
- W.S. Lee & Son, Inc.
- WTAJ- TV
Fast Track MBA Program
The business program at Penn State Altoona has a fast track program that allows qualified undergraduate students to earn a Master of Business Administration (MBA) in five calendar years of full-time academic study. Students will complete essential undergraduate degree requirements that will also count towards their MBA degree. The MBA is offered through Penn State Great Valley.
Learn More about the Fast Track MBA Program
Accelerated Bachelor’s/JD Program
The Accelerated Bachelor’s/J.D. program offers outstanding Penn State undergraduates the opportunity to earn both a bachelor’s degree in business and a J.D. in a compressed time frame, accelerating their path to a legal career. The business program at Penn State Altoona allows students to begin the J.D. program at Penn State Law prior to the completion of their B.S. in Business degree.
Business Program Contacts
Contact Deb Hommer, the Business Degree Program Coordinator, or reach out to any of our Business faculty and staff.
