Business Administration Major in Pennsylvania
Are you interested in combining a passion you love with essential business skills that will make you stand out as you enter the workforce? Messiah’s Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) in business administration may be a great fit for you! The bachelor's in business administration is a secondary major, paired with a primary major outside Messiah’s Department of Business.
Study Business Administration at a Christian University
In this program, you will find an emphasis on excellence, education from a Christian worldview, the development of a global perspective, and a priority on job placement. Along with studies in your primary major, you’ll study foundational business principles in accounting, finance, management, economics and marketing—all while studying under experienced professionals who will challenge you to think outside the box.
As a business administration (B.A.) major at Messiah University, you’ll be able to:
- Have the flexibility and accessibility to double major in another area of passion and interest to you—and still complete your studies in four years.
- Study in a program that has been named a “Business College of Distinction” by Colleges of Distinction for 2023-2024.
- Be part of a major that was awarded specialized accreditation by the Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs (ACBSP).
- Have the opportunity to participate in an ethics course study competition against teams from other colleges and universities.
- Participate in Messiah's own Impact Venture Challenge—a business plan competition dedicated to exploring innovative solutions to critical impact areas facing society.
- Learn how to invest and earn profit through the Investment Club, a hands-on laboratory experience that creates an income stream providing funding for student organizations.
- Participate in internships, which turn work experiences into learning opportunities and make connections between classroom theory and the "real world."
The business administration B.A. is a secondary major and must be paired with a major outside the Department of Business; it may not be declared as a primary major or a stand-alone major. You must have at least 24 unique credits in both your primary and secondary major, and will complete the general education requirements of the primary major.
In most cases, to complete your degree in four years, business administration should be paired with programs with 36-45 major-related credits. Examples of these majors are listed below. However, depending on the number of incoming credits you bring to Messiah and the credit load taken while you are here, this secondary major is also possible with many other programs. (You should discuss this option more with your admissions counselor.)
- Biblical and Religious Studies
- Chinese Studies
- Communication
- Dance
- English
- History
- Peace and Conflict Studies
- Philosophy
- Politics and International Relations
- Public Relations
- Spanish
You will receive a single degree with two majors listed (for example, a Bachelor of Arts majoring in public relations and business administration).
Our graduates currently serve in small businesses, for corporate giants, in churches and parachurch organizations, in government and more. They are entrepreneurs, congressional staffers, salespersons, investment advisors, missionaries, and consultants in places from Wall Street to Europe, Central America, Russia, China and central Pennsylvania.
Within your primary field of study, learning critical business skills will open up many opportunities for you after graduation. As a graduate of the business administration program, you will be equipped to secure positions in all kinds of industries. Some examples include:
- Manager
- Business owner
- Entrepreneur
- Communication director
- Consultant
For more information on career planning for the business administration program, visit the Messiah University Career and Professional Development Center.
Messiah's Career and Professional Development Center—and its nationally recognized internship program—is prepared to place you in an internship that pairs business with your other area of interest. These internships turn work experiences into learning opportunities and make connections between classroom theory and the "real world." You’ll gain on-the-job experience that will get you ready for the workforce before you even graduate. In fact, some internships even lead directly to full-time career employment.
Our Career Center places students in positions at non-profits corporations, banks, major organizations, privately owned businesses and international corporations.
Why should you add a business administration (B.A.) major?
In this program, you will find an emphasis on excellence, education from a Christian worldview, the development of a global perspective, and a priority on job placement. Because of its flexibility, you can pair business administration as a secondary major with many majors in the humanities and arts—and still complete your degree in four years. You will obtain foundational knowledge in areas such as accounting, management, economics, marketing and finance, making you even more employable after graduation.
In the Business Administration program, you will take a selection of courses that successfully prepare you for a career in a related field. Hands-on experiences and classroom learning within the framework of Christian faith will give you the skills and knowledge to achieve your goals. Our programs offer a wide variety of courses that will not only help you excel in your future career, but challenge you to develop a deeper understanding of your field of study.
Course options for Business Administration:
Careers and outcomes
Where our grads work
Graduates of this pogram work in positions of leadership in their places of employment, using the tools and knowledge a Messiah University education prepared them with. Each year, eager employers and some of the nation's best graduate schools welcome Messiah graduates into their organizations.
95% of the Class of 2024 respondents were employed or in graduate school within 6-9 months of graduation.
Our Alumni
Regional and national employers seek out Messiah graduates for their academic preparation, work ethic and personal character. The transformation you experience at Messiah readies you to transform the lives of others through your chosen career path.
Messiah's unique approach to hands-on learning
Learning in the classroom is important but actually applying that knowledge in a hands-on way can make all the difference. At Messiah University, the Experiential Learning Initiative (ELI) allows Messiah to take this hands-on learning to a new level by giving students the opportunity to apply what they have learned to various real world contexts--such as an internship/practica, service learning, off-campus program, holding a student leadership position, or participating in undergraduate research.
Program accreditation
Messiah's business administration program has specialized accreditation by the Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs (ACBSP).
ACBSP is the premier accrediting body for colleges and universities that emphasize teaching excellence; 900 institutions around the world are accredited by ACBSP. This accreditation signifies the department’s commitment to a focus on mission and on continuous quality improvement. For students, parents, prospective employers and graduate schools, accreditation demonstrates that Messiah has met rigorous standards in curriculum, strategic planning, leadership, stakeholder focus and measurement of student learning.