Business at PLU
Concentrations
- Professional Accounting
- Finance
- Global Business Management
- Human Resources and Organizations
- Marketing Resources Management
PLU’s School of Business offers you an exceptional business education. The program combines a challenging upper division business curriculum with a strong liberal arts foundation. Classes are taught by Ph.D.-qualified faculty dedicated to teaching. Classes are small (average 22 students) to provide a personal learning environment.
The professionally accredited Bachelor of Business Administration degree program prepares you for a broad range of careers in industry, government and not-for-profit organizations. Undergraduate concentrations offer specializations to complement the fundamental education required in an increasingly competitive business environment.
Admission to the School of Business
To declare your major (or minor) in Business a student must:
- Be officially admitted to the university
- Have successfully completed 32 semester credit hours
- Have successfully completed, with a minimum grade of C-
- MATH 128-Linear Models & Calculus
- CSCE 120-Computerized Information Systems
- ECON 101-Microeconomics
- STAT 231-Introductory Statistics
- BUSA 201-Value Creation in the Global Environment
- Have a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.50
- Submit an application to the School of Business
Year-Round Education
We want you to progress through our program at your own pace. Some of the required business courses are also taught during January Term and summer. Planning ahead gives you flexibility.
Accreditation
The Bachelor of Business Administration program, the accounting program and the MBA program are professionally accredited by AACSB International—The Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business. The University is accredited by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities.
Businesses as well as universities and colleges may apply for membership in AACSB International. Membership in AACSB International, however, does not constitute accreditation. Approximately 1,200 colleges and universities in the United States offer business degrees, but only about 480 are accredited by AACSB International.
AACSB International accreditation represents an institutional commitment to educational excellence and serves to attract quality faculty members and students. Accreditation means that a business school has met challenging standards in areas such as mission and objectives, faculty composition and development, degree content, instructional resources and admissions policy.
Student Organizations: Get Involved
The School of Business encourages active participation in university student organizations. You can learn about business careers and opportunities through several student groups that explore business through speakers, tours, career workshops and seminars. The School of Business sponsors groups or chapters of the following organizations:
- American Marketing Association
- Beta Alpha Psi
- Beta Gamma Sigma
- International Business Club
- PLUS Business (Alumni organization)
- Society for Human Resource Management
- Society for Information Management
- Student Investment Fund
- Young Entrepreneurs
Career Mentors: Learn from Alumni
The Career Mentorship Program links students with alumni in the professional community for the purpose of sharing information on careers in various industries. This program offers more than 300 graduates who have volunteered to talk to students about their jobs and their companies. Sponsored by PLUS Business, this program will help you make contacts and make informed decisions about your future, as well as give you confidence in the transition from college to professional life.
The Business Program
The School of Business offers an exciting program focusing on relevance, integration and interaction. As a PLU business student you will benefit from:
Integration
Learn the way business really operates. The School of Business offers more than 150 different internship opportunities. Courses integrate and build on subjects such as marketing, production management, human resource management, accounting, operations, technology and strategic management.
Competency (Skill) Development
In business classes you will work on team building, communication, technology, problem solving, leadership, global management and change management skills.
Learning by Doing
Case studies, computer simulations, and internships will give you real world experience/team projects.
Career Development
The School of Business offers a course in career planning and the PLU career development office offers workshops and computer job searching tools and assistance.
Course Requirements
For a list of course offerings check-out the catalog »
Transfer Students
If you are a transfer student, many of the course requirements listed may be met through your work at a prior school. Give us a call and we will evaluate your transfer work. If you are attending another school and plan to transfer to PLU, we will assist you in planning your program there to ensure a seamless transition to PLU.
Undergraduate Concentrations
Marketing Resources Management
Marketers analyze the needs of consumers, then make appropriate product/service designs and strategies for pricing, promotion and distribution. Skill in numeric analysis and understanding of the behavioral sciences are important in marketing careers which include: marketing research, sales, product management, advertising, retailing, purchasing, public relations and international trade.
Finance
The finance curriculum emphasizes the development of critical thinking skills and analytical capabilities necessary for a wide range of careers in banking, investment analysis, business planning and strategic development. In addition to conventional financial theory, this applications-oriented program stresses integration with the fields of accounting and economics.
Professional Accounting
Separately accredited by AACSB International—The Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business, the accounting program is designed to prepare you for a broad range of career opportunities, including managerial and cost accounting, corporate control, auditing, tax accounting and accounting for not-for-profit entities.
Human Resources and Organizations
Human Resources and Organizations emphasizes the critical role of people in creating and leading organization change. Students engage in projects such as the design and assessment of work and quality improvement initiatives, including the design of incentive systems and employee relations programs. The curriculum provides the background required to pursue careers in corporate personnel and human resource management, training, and organizational development, as well as general management positions.
Business Administration Minor
Also available is a flexible Business Administration minor which includes three required courses: BUSA 201 (Value Creation in the Global Environment), BUSA 202 (Financial Accounting) and BUSA 305 (Human Dimensions in Effective Organizations), plus two elective courses to total 19 credit hours in BUSA courses. Each student pursuing the Business Administration minor works with a business advisor to select elective courses that complement their major and match individual career plans.
Internships
Internships, taken for credit or not-for-credit, provide you with the opportunity to get valuable work experience in a wide variety of fields, ranging from private, family-owned businesses to international corporations. An internship will give you the advantage of getting hands-on experience at the same time you develop your network of contacts for the future. For many students, an internship is the experience they need to land their first job after college. The School of Business can assist you in locating an internship that will complement your formal business education.
Scholarships
Business scholarships are awarded annually to outstanding transfer and continuing business students. Most scholarships are awarded based on scholastic achievement and leadership skills. Other scholarships have more specific requirements.
You can obtain applications for these scholarships by contacting the School of Business. The application deadline for most scholarships is March 1st.
Other forms of financial aid are also available to assist you in funding your business education at Pacific Lutheran University. Following is a list of some of the scholarships available to you at PLU:
- KeyBank of Washington Endowed Scholarship
- Shirley Zurfluh Endowed Scholarship
- Faculty Merit Awards
- Russell Investment Group Scholarship
- PLUS Business Scholarship
- Bank of America Foundation Scholarship
- Titus Scholarship
Recent Program Statistics
Total BBA Students in School of Business: 480
Transfer Students: 100
Approximate Graduates Per year: 140
Business Minors: 65
Average Class Size: 22
Master of Business Administration Program
Centered on the skills and knowledge required for professional management, the master of business administration program provides a strong foundation for leadership in business, government, and not-for-profit organizations. In addition to the two-year general management MBA program, PLU offers an MBA with a specialization in Technology and Innovation Management (TIM). Courses are offered in the evening or on Saturdays, in order to serve working professionals. For more information call 253-535-7330 or visit the MBA Web site at www.plu.edu/mba.
Administration
School of Business faculty are selected for their teaching credentials and practical business experience. Virtually all business courses are taught by full-time faculty with appropriate doctorate degrees and professional experience. Faculty advisers provide career counseling for students with similar professional interests.
William Frame, Ph.D
Interim Dean
Office Phone:
(253) 535-7244
E-mail:
framewv@plu.edu
Catherine Pratt
Associate Dean
Office Phone: (253) 535-7250
E-mail: prattca@plu.edu
Abby Wigstrom-Carlson
Director, Graduate Programs & External Relations
Office Phone: (253) 535-7330
E-mail: abby.wigstrom@plu.edu
Juanita Reed
Undergraduate Programs Coordinator
Office Phone: (253) 535-7252
E-mail: reedjj@plu.edu
