Bachelor of Business Administration Program Requirements

Faculty

• Dax Jacobson

View Bachelor of Business Administration Project Courses

The Bachelor of Business Administration is a competency-based degree completion program that is designed for working professionals and highly motivated students who desire more flexibility in seeking degree completion without sacrificing the personal attention for which Westminster University is renowned. The BBA program is:

• Competency-Based: a student completes a total of five project sequences designed and sequenced specifically to measure student learning and accomplishment. Projects are designed to reflect real-world business applications and processes. Each project sequence is designed to be completed within one semester, meaning that the program can be completed in five semesters (approximately 20 months)†.
• Practical Education: A student combines his or her professional experience and ability with learning experiences and resources delivered online to master program competencies. Projects are then completed around a student’s personal and professional schedule, making degree completion more flexible and convenient.
• Faculty-Coached: a student works directly with a full-time Westminster faculty member (on a customized, individual basis) to receive project guidance and feedback. Faculty members evaluate completed student projects to determine if project competencies and student mastery of learning outcomes is sufficiently demonstrated.

Students completing all program and university requirements earn a Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) degree from Westminster University.† In order for a student to complete the BBA program in five semesters, the student must already has an associate’s degree when entering the program and maintain good academic progress.

Program Goals

A student completes the BBA program by demonstrating mastery of the following program goals and related competencies:

• Communication. Effectively communicate business concepts orally and in writing to faculty and business stakeholders.
• Ethical decision-making. Demonstrate an understanding of various ethical perspectives and use ethical and legal frameworks for decision-making.
• Critical thinking. Develop skills to analyze and solve complex managerial problems.
• Leadership and collaboration. Demonstrate how individual and group leadership contributes to organizational goals and outcomes.
• Strategic perspective. Demonstrate the cultural, legal, economic and geo-political forces that impact business strategies within national and international contexts.
• Organizational performance. Analyze and use accounting and financial information to articulate organizational performance for various stakeholders.
• Market execution. Identify and understand markets for an organization’s goods and services, apply the activities that make up the value chain for those goods and services, and employ appropriate methodologies and techniques for ensuring product/service quality and speed to market.

Admissions and Financial Aid

Admission to the Bachelor of Business Administration program at Westminster’s Bill and Vieve Gore School of Business is based on the evaluation of the application form, official transcripts from all higher education institutions attended, letter of recommendation, and letter of intent. Students may enter the program at the beginning of Fall, Spring, or Summer semester.

A candidate for admission must submit the following materials with the transfer application form to the Office of Admissions: 

• A completed transfer application.
• Official transcripts from all colleges and universities attended. Students who provide evidence of an associate’s degree (A.A. or A.S.) from a regionally accredited college or university, or international college or university or who have 64 or more credit hours and a Letter of General Education Completion, or equivalent, from a regionally accredited Utah college or university will be exempted from the WCore graduation requirements.‡
• A letter of intent (500 words) detailing why you feel the Bachelors of Business Administration (BBA) program is a good fit.
• One reference letter, typed on letterhead from a supervisor, manager, professor, or other professional source in support of the students’ ability to be successful in a low-residency, competency-based degree completion program.
• (Optional) Fenton Scholarship Application form which asks the following questions:
  • What led you to choose the BBA program at Westminster College?
  • How do you see the BBA program contributing to your academic and/or career goals?
  • Tell us about a challenge you faced and how you responded to that the challenge?
  • What is a new skill or experience you hope to leave college with?
  • What steps do you plan to take to ensure your success in the BBA program?

In certain cases, an interview with an admissions or program representative may be required prior to admission. When the application materials are complete, the application is reviewed by a committee and admission decisions are reported to the student. The application process can also be completed online by visiting the admissions website.

‡Students entering the program with an associate’s degree are awarded the equivalent of 64 credit hours and, with the exception of the Engaging the World and senior capstone requirements, will have the WCore requirements fulfilled.

A student enrolled in this program is eligible for federal financial aid programs as described in the financial aid section of this catalog provided, they maintain satisfactory progress. A student is not eligible for institutional aid programs but is eligible for program specific scholarships. To be eligible for federal financial aid, a student must maintain enrollment and satisfactory progress as described. A student can also elect to participate in alternative loan programs as long as eligibility requirements are met. For more information about financial aid, please contact the student support staff or Financial Aid office.

A student is required to maintain satisfactory progress in the program in order to receive Title IV federal financial aid funds. For more information, students should consult the financial aids office.

Program Costs

Students enrolling in the BBA program during the 2022-2023 academic year will pay $500 per credit hour. A total of 60 credit hours are required to complete the program for those with a completed AA or AS degree. Tuition includes all program costs including books (for BBA classes) and access to all program functions. The tuition price will remain fixed for five years, as long as the student progresses satisfactorily (i.e., by taking no more than two semesters off).

Degree Requirements

Undergraduate Requirements

Students in the BBA program are required to complete 124 credits for graduation in addition to all undergraduate requirements. Students entering the program with an associate’s degree or certificate of completion from a regionally accredited institution will have all WCore requirements fulfilled except for engaging the world and senior capstone project.

The Projects

The program consists of five project sequences which must be completed at Westminster University. Each of the project sequences consists of several project assignments and an integrative project. Students should confer with the program advisor on the order they should take to complete the project sequences. A student completes all projects to demonstrate mastery of the program learning goals and competencies. Before starting a project sequence, a student meets with his or her Project Coach to assess which learning experiences should be used to help the student complete the projects, given the student’s prior life and/or professional experience. The student is given access to a set of rubrics, which explain how the project will be evaluated upon its completion. A student can use this rubric to self-assess the project before submission. When a project sequence is successfully completed, the student can begin the next project sequence.

Faculty Coaching

To help students in the program, full-time faculty members (Coaches) are specifically assigned to assist in learning and in project assessment. Students and faculty interact regularly on an individual basis to facilitate learning and mastery of competencies. Each project sequence has a faculty coach who assists the student in learning experiences and in project completion and evaluation. Each student also has access to student support staff to assist with registration, billing, financial aid, project submission, technology systems, and any other questions about the program. A student is encouraged to utilize these resources whenever needed throughout the duration of the program.

Grading/Assessment Systems

When a student has completed a project, work is submitted to the Faculty Coach for evaluation according to the established project rubrics and learning outcomes. A student is given one of three assessments for each of the competencies related to the project assignment and for the overall project evaluation:

• Exceeds project competencies,
• Meets project competencies, or
• Does Not Meet on project competencies.

In all cases, the student is given substantial feedback by the Project Coach on project performance. In the case that an assessment of “Does Not Meet” is given, the student is allowed to use additional learning resources and value-added coaching feedback in order to resubmit the project assignment for additional evaluation.

For grading equivalency and transcript reporting, an “Exceeds” is equivalent to a letter grade of “ A ” and “Meets” is equivalent to a letter grade of “ B ”.

Applied Learning Experiences

Applied learning projects are utilized to help the student master the knowledge related to specific competencies and learning goals as they related to specific project assignments. All of the learning resources associated with applied projects can be accessed from the course management website. Learning resources augment a student’s knowledge and can be engaged on an as-needed basis by the student. A student is strongly encouraged to consult with his or her Project Coach as they are working on projects to figure out which sets of learning resources are most useful, given the student’s background and experience. All learning resources can be accessed by all students, even if a student is completing a later project, in order to revisit and review specific techniques and knowledge.

Academic Progress

A student can complete the requirements of the BBA program within five semesters. A student who, for whatever reason, does not enroll for two consecutive semesters or demonstrates satisfactory progress, must request reinstatement in the program, and will be subject to the tuition charges currently in effect. While students may manage their time during the semester to meet their personal and professional commitments, each project sequence must be completed within a semester. If, at the end of the semester, the project sequence is not completed or satisfactory progress requirements are not met, student may jeopardize their financial aid eligibility for subsequent semesters. Staying in constant contact with the student support staff and project coach helps to avoid potential financial aid and matriculation issues.

If a student, because of personal and professional life commitments, needs to take a semester off, they can do so by communicating with the student support staff. If students take two full semesters off without communicating with the student support staff, they may be withdrawn from the program and require readmission to be reinstated back into the BBA program.

Academic Suspension

A student who is unable to demonstrate mastery of the competencies of a particular project sequence after two full attempts will be asked to meet with their Project Coach. The Project Coach will work with the student to develop a realistic plan to identify those barriers that inhibit the student’s successful performance. This plan will then be engaged and the student will be given one additional attempt at completion. If the student is still unable to complete the project, the student may be suspended from the BBA program.

A student who is suspended from the program may reapply for admission after two semesters. A personal interview will be required before readmission is allowed, and if readmitted, the student will be able to reenter the program at the current year’s tuition rate. The student will work with his or her Project Coach to develop a specific progress plan. As long as the student fulfills the terms of the performance plan, the student will be allowed to complete the remaining program requirements.

Academic Standards

Faculty members in the Bill and Vieve Gore School of Business have developed the following academic standards to support the mission and goals of the BBA program. The standards are presented here to help the student understand their responsibilities as a student in the program:

• A student should always be familiar with project requirements and assignment guidelines. The student should take every opportunity to consult with his or her Project Coach and the student support staff to receive clarification when needed.
• Collaboration is encouraged to enhance depth of learning; all submitted work, however, must be the original work of the student.
• A student should always be respectful of faculty, staff, and other students in the program.
• The program is designed to be academically rigorous, intellectually challenging, and real-world application oriented as demonstrated by mastery of competencies and learning outcomes.
• Plagiarism is a serious offense in academic and business settings and a violation of the university’s academic policy. A student who violates the academic honesty policy may be suspended from the program.

Graduation Requirements

A candidate for graduation must consult the student support staff at the beginning of project sequence three. The student support staff will assist the student in completing an application for graduation for the next graduation period, depending on the actual date of the application. To be eligible for graduation, a student must satisfy the following conditions:

• Complete all WCore or Honors College requirements or have previously completed an associate’s degree (A.A or A.S), or its equivalent, from a regionally accredited college or university, and fulfill the the engaging the world and senior capstone project WCore requirements.
• Complete 124 credit hours.
• Complete each project sequence with a minimum evaluation of “Meets” on all project assignments.
• Submit an e-portfolio that demonstrates evidence of university-wide and program learning goals, including a final reflection.
• Complete the Major Field Test in Business administered by the Educational Testing Service (ETS), during Project Sequence 5.

A student should consult with the assigned project coach or the student support staff regarding graduation requirements.

BBA Program Requirements