Business Administration
B.A. The Paul Merage School of Business · UC Irvine · 2026-2027 Catalog
Overview
Undergraduate Major
Office of Admissions and Relations with Schools
Phone: 949-824-6703
The undergraduate Business Administration major at The Paul Merage School of Business prepares students with essential business management theories and concepts for diverse careers. It emphasizes teamwork, leadership skills, analytical decision-making, critical thinking, and understanding digital transformation. Students will gain experience in both participating in and leading collaborative efforts.
Program Information
The Business Administration major at The Paul Merage School of Business offers a comprehensive curriculum similar to top business schools nationwide. It covers a range of topics, including organizations, communication, behavior, leadership, strategy, finance, information technology, and marketing, within a global context. Students are encouraged to tailor their education with courses inside and outside the Merage School to align with their career goals and personal interests. This flexibility allows students to combine management education with industry-specific areas such as bioscience business, government service, international commerce, arts management, and entrepreneurship in computer gaming. Students can also prepare for advanced degrees in law, accounting, or business-related fields through their course selections.
Students are required to complete 11 business courses that provide a foundation in essential core business competencies, followed by a minimum of 5 business electives to include one emphasis. Students select a minimum of one of six emphases in Accounting, Finance, Information Systems, Marketing, Operations and Decision Technologies, or Organization and Management. This program of study enables students to develop areas of focus as they pursue the Business Administration major. Since most business is conducted on a global scale, students are required to either participate in the University’s Education Abroad Program or to take one of a number of designated courses that stresses the international dimension of a business.
While academic content is vital for business majors, the Merage School also emphasizes cocurricular programs to enhance the student experience. Students can improve communication and presentation skills, attend speaker events, and engage in mentoring through resources from the Merage School and the University. The faculty ensures ample opportunities to develop writing and presentation skills through assignments and a business communication course.
Students are encouraged to join the Merage Undergraduate Student Association and affiliated business clubs, which foster interaction with the business community through events like the Corporate Speaker Series. Those interested in entrepreneurship can participate in the annual New Venture Competition by the Don Beall Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship.
Work experience is crucial for understanding business and management. UCI’s Internship Program, sponsored by the Division of Career Pathways, helps students find voluntary or paid positions in various settings. This practical experience is essential for those entering business or pursuing graduate studies.
Admission
Admission to the Major in Business Administration
Admission into this major is limited. If the number of Business Administration applicants exceeds the number of positions available, applicants may be subject to screening beyond minimum University of California admissions requirements.
Freshmen: See the Undergraduate Admissions section.
Transfer students: See the Undergraduate Admissions section.Junior-level applicants with the highest grades overall (minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0) and who satisfactorily complete lower-division courses equivalent to UCI’s calculus (MATH 2A-MATH 2B), economics (ECON 20A-ECON 20B or MGMT 4A-MGMT 4B), and statistics and accounting (MGMT 7, MGMT 30A, MGMT 30B) will be given preference for admission. MGMT 1 may be completed at UCI. Admission to the major will be competitive due to limited space availability.
Change of Major
Students who wish to declare the Business Administration major should contact The Paul Merage School of Business Undergraduate Programs Office, for information about change-of-major requirements, procedures, and policies. Students should carefully review criteria for each major they are considering on the UCI Change of Major Criteria website. Review of applications and selection to the major is governed by the Undergraduate Programs Committee. Admission to the major is very competitive due to limited space availability. Completion of the prerequisite courses does not guarantee admission into the major.
Requirements
All students must meet the University Requirements.
Business Administration Major Requirements
| Course | Title | Units |
|---|---|---|
| A. Lower-Division: | ||
| MATH 2A | Single-Variable Calculus I | |
| MATH 2B | Single-Variable Calculus II | |
| MGMT 1 | Introduction to Business and Management | |
| MGMT 4A | Basic Economics for Managers I | |
| orECON 20A | Basic Economics I | |
| MGMT 4B | Basic Economics for Managers II | |
| orECON 20B | Basic Economics II | |
| MGMT 7 | Statistics for Business Decision Making | |
| MGMT 30A | Principles of Accounting I | |
| MGMT 30B | Principles of Accounting II | |
| B. Upper-Division Core: | ||
| MGMT 101 | Management Science | |
| MGMT 102 | Managing Organizational Behavior | |
| MGMT 105 | Introduction to Marketing | |
| MGMT 107 | Introduction to Management Information Systems | |
| MGMT 109 | Introduction to Managerial Finance | |
| MGMT 110 | Strategic Management | |
| MGMT 191W | Business Communication | |
| C. Business Electives: Select 5 upper-division Merage School electives numbered 111-196, to include completion of one of the defined emphases below: | ||
| Emphasis in Accounting: | ||
| MGMT 131A | Intermediate Accounting I | |
| and select two of the following: | ||
| MGMT 131B | Intermediate Accounting II | |
| MGMT 131C | Intermediate Accounting III | |
| MGMT 132A | Individual Taxation | |
| MGMT 133 | Corporate and Partnership Taxation | |
| MGMT 134 | Data Analytics in Accounting | |
| MGMT 137 | Advanced Accounting | |
| MGMT 138 | Auditing | |
| MGMT 194 | Financial Statement Analysis | |
| Emphasis in Finance: | ||
| MGMT 141 | Investments | |
| and select two of the following: | ||
| MGMT 142 | Financial Data Analysis and Python Applications | |
| MGMT 144 | Multinational Finance | |
| MGMT 145 | FinTech | |
| MGMT 147 | Cases in Corporate Financial Management | |
| MGMT 148 | Financial Institutions | |
| MGMT 149 | Derivatives | |
| MGMT 143 | Bonds and Fixed Income | |
| Emphasis in Information Systems: | ||
| Select three of the following: | ||
| MGMT 171 | Social Media | |
| MGMT 173 | Business Intelligence for Analytical Decisions | |
| MGMT 174 | Business Data Management | |
| MGMT 178 | Management of Information Technology | |
| MGMT 172 | Data and Programming for Analytics | |
| MGMT 176 | Digital Strategies | |
| Emphasis in Marketing: | ||
| Select three of the following: | ||
| MGMT 150 | Consumer Behavior | |
| MGMT 151 | Marketing Research | |
| MGMT 154 | Global Marketing | |
| MGMT 155 | Brand Management | |
| MGMT 153 | Sales Management | |
| MGMT 156 | Pricing Strategy | |
| MGMT 158 | Digital Media Marketing Strategy | |
| MGMT 159 | Analysis of Marketing Data | |
| MGMT 171 | Social Media | |
| Emphasis in Operations and Decision Technologies: | ||
| MGMT 189 | Operations Management | |
| and complete two of the following: | ||
| MGMT 182 | Supply Chain Management | |
| MGMT 184 | Business Process Management | |
| MGMT 196 | Decision Analysis | |
| MGMT 197 | Predictive Analytics | |
| Emphasis in Organization and Management: | ||
| Select three of the following: | ||
| MGMT 125 | Negotiations | |
| MGMT 126 | Foundations of Teams | |
| MGMT 128 | International Management | |
| MGMT 129 | Leadership | |
| MGMT 120 | Managing Organizational Change | |
| MGMT 121 | Human Resources Analytics | |
| MGMT 123 | Creativity and Leadership in Entrepreneurial Organizations | |
| MGMT 124 | Human Resources Management | |
| MGMT 162 | Managing a Virtual Workforce | |
| D. International Business Requirement: Fulfillment of the International Business requirement by: | ||
| 1. Selecting one of the following (which may also be used for specified category C requirements above): | ||
| MGMT 128 | International Management | |
| MGMT 144 | Multinational Finance | |
| MGMT 154 | Global Marketing | |
| MGMT 160 | Global Impact Leadership | |
| MGMT 161 | Global Digital Economy (Previously approved) | |
| MGMT 195 | Experiential Development of a Global Business Perspective | |
| 2. or, participating in select UC Education Abroad Program options, with prior approval of the Associate Dean. | ||
- By exception, students may petition the Associate Dean to accept an upper-division elective that includes business content equivalent to a stated Merage School elective.
NOTE: Students majoring in Business Administration may not minor in Management, Accounting, Innovation and Entrepreneurship, or pursue a double major in Business Information Management. However, students may complete more than one Merage School emphasis by using Business Electives within the category C requirements listed above. Students are strongly encouraged to work closely with faculty, staff, and career advisors to design a course plan that aligns with their educational and professional goals. Pairing certain emphases can be advantageous -- for example, combining Accounting and Finance, Marketing and Information Systems, or Operations and Decision Technologies with Information Systems. Students may also take additional courses with an area of emphasis beyond the required three to deepen their expertise.