Is Business Management (BusM) a Good Fit for Me?
Business management provides broad exposure to many areas of business rather than deep specialization. This flexibility can be helpful for certain students, but it also means:
- It does not offer technical training in a specific field
- It does not include specialized coursework
- It does not connect directly to corporate recruiting pipelines (such as finance, marketing, HR, and supply chain)
Choosing a major is easier when you understand what the degree actually prepares you for—and what it doesn’t. Many students consider business management because it feels broad, flexible, or open-ended, but breadth alone doesn’t guarantee better opportunities.
Because most early‑career jobs require specific skills, specialized majors often prepare students more directly for those roles.
The Commonly Asked Questions below can help you determine whether this program aligns with your long‑term goals.
It will keep your options broad, but broad does not always mean better. Specialized majors typically provide clearer preparation for entry‑level roles.
No. Most students start in a focused, entry‑level job regardless of major, and career pivots are common. Employers value transferable skills from any business degree.
Usually, no. If you’re undecided, meeting with a pre‑business advisor is far more helpful than defaulting to the broadest major.
Not necessarily. Leadership roles are earned through experience, performance, and communication—not by having “management” in your degree title. All BYU Marriott programs provide the core business knowledge needed for future leadership.
Employers typically promote people into management roles when they demonstrate:
- Consistent performance and reliability
- Strong communication and teamwork skills
- Technical competence in their functional role
- The ability to solve problems and collaborate across functions
Because most management careers begin in specialized, entry-level positions, majors that offer focused technical preparation often provide clearer early-career pathways that lead to management over time.
This major is especially beneficial for students who already have a clear plan that does not rely on technical specialization. Students who often thrive include:
- Those preparing for professional schools (i.e., medicine, law, and healthcare administration)
- Students involved in or preparing to take over a family business
- Students who have already secured post‑graduate employment
- Students who currently own or plan to start a business
If you do not fall into one of these categories, meeting with a pre‑business advisor can help you explore majors that may align more directly with your goals.
How Do I Apply to the BusM Major?
Business management is a competitive, limited-enrollment program. Admission focuses primarily on academic performance.
Advisement appointments are encouraged but not required prior to applying.
The application consists of three parts:
GPA
The following grade point averages may be considered:
1. Prerequisite GPA
- IS 201: Introduction to Management Information Systems
- 6.0 credits from the following list:
- ACC 200: Principles of Accounting
- ACC 310: Principles of Accounting 2
- ECON 110: Economic Principles and Problems
- FIN 201: Principles of Finance
- GSCM 201: Introduction to Global Supply Chain Management AND GSCM 211: Introduction to Supply Chain Management in International Business
- IS 303: Introduction to Computer Programming
- MKTG 201: Marketing Management
- STAT 121: Introduction to Statistical Data Analysis
2. Last 30-credit-hour GPA*
3. Overall BYU GPA*
*Calculations will use the posted university grades
Essay
Your essay should describe how you plan to navigate the unique aspects of the program while answering the following questions:
- Why are you applying to this program?
- What type of career are you intending to pursue with this program?
- Business management is designed to provide an overview of multiple functional areas of business without emphasizing a specific area. Some of the challenges inherent in this approach include a lack of specialization, challenging career placement, less of a student cohort, and electives with variable availability.
- Please explain your understanding of these potential difficulties and how you plan to be successful within these constraints.
- Please review the BYU Marriott vision, mission, and values. After reviewing the BYU Marriott vision, mission, and values, share an example of how you have exemplified one of these values in your leadership or service to others.
Résumé
Please submit a clearly formatted, one-page résumé.
For full details on the application, please click here.