Academic Programs: Business Administration

Business Programs

Baccalaureate

  • Bachelor of Science in Accounting

    This major helps students prepare for careers in auditing and public accounting, industrial and managerial accounting, and in governmental and not-for-profit accounting. It also provides a sound background for students who plan to pursue graduate studies in accounting or related fields. Students who complete the prescribed courses and earn a Bachelor of Science degree will satisfy the academic requirements to sit for the Certified Public Accountant (CPA) examination. Graduates may also elect to pursue other professional certifications, including Certified Management Accountant (CMA), Certified Internal Auditor (CIA), Certified Fraud Examiner (CFE), and Certified Government Financial Manager (CGFM). Because the Harrisburg area is the center of industry and economic development for south-central Pennsylvania, students are provided with many opportunities to experience the world of business.

    · Program learning goals
  • Bachelor of Science in Finance

    The finance major emphasizes analytic, problem solving, and computer skills which are necessary for finance and investment industry. The major prepares students for careers in corporate finance, investment and portfolio management, banking, public finance, and international finance. The major also prepares students who want to pursue graduate study in finance. Depending on their interests, graduates may then seek financial services credentials such as Certified Financial Planner (CFP) and Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA).

    · Program learning goals
  • Bachelor of Science in Information Systems

    This major prepares students to enter rapidly expanding fields associated with technology including programming, systems analysis and design, database administration, network management, support services and training, and management of information resources. Students obtain competence both in information technology and in business theory. Thus, the curriculum combines technical content with managerial aspects of Information Systems. Each student’s background is complemented with basic business instruction in accounting, marketing, management, and finance. With Business and non-Business electives, the program is designed to develop necessary skills to be an effective Information Systems employee. Because the Harrisburg area is the center of industry and economic development for southcentral Pennsylvania, students are provided with many opportunities to experience the exciting and challenging world of business.

    · Program learning goals
  • Bachelor of Science in Management

    This major provides students with the knowledge and skills managers need in today's dynamic business environments. Core management courses provide a general overview of key management competencies including effective leadership, team building, managing and motivating human resources, facilitating organizational change and learning, and fostering and applying organizational knowledge for competitive advantage. Students complement this general management foundation with a human resource management, entrepreneurship, supply chain management, or individualized concentration.

    · Program learning goals
  • Bachelor of Science in Marketing

    This major is designed for students interested in careers involving sales, promotion, services, distribution, research, and planning for business and the public sector. The major provides students with key concepts and methods of analysis in marketing. It focuses on understanding customer needs, developing products or services, creating and implementing marketing plans, monitoring customer responses, and projecting marketing activities for the future.

    · Program learning goals

Associate

  • Associate of Science in Business Administration

    The associate degree program in Business Administration provides a foundation in business that, through two options, prepares graduates for either entrance to the Bachelor of Science in Business (BSB) programs in business or for direct entry into the work place. The primary objective of this major is to provide a business-oriented program with sufficient communicative and mathematical skills, socially relevant course work, and specific business specialties to develop a well-rounded and knowledgeable graduate.

Minor

  • Minor in Business Administration

    This interdisciplinary minor provides students in all majors outside of the School of Business Administration with a business-oriented supplement to their major fields of study. It is intended to provide a set of basic skills that complement the unique competencies gained in their non-business disciplines.

  • Minor in Information Sciences and Technology / Accounting

    Accounting remains a vital organizational function which in today’s business environment impacts the strategic direction of the firm. Technology has changed the manner in which business organizations are supported by accounting. Thus, accounting professionals with technology skills and technology professionals with accounting skills are extremely valuable in today’s modern organizations. This minor will provide students with this integration of knowledge in these two fields.

  • Minor in Information Sciences and Technology / Finance

    The Information Sciences and Technology/Finance Minor is to enhance skills of students in the information sciences and finance. More organizations are integrating technology as part of their business operations, including finance. Finance is a key function of every business organization. Therefore, technology professionals with finance skills, and finance professionals with technology skills are highly valuable in any organization. Students must apply for entrance to the minor no later than the beginning of their seventh semester.

  • Minor in International Business

    International Business at Penn State Harrisburg is an academic minor available to students who are majoring in Accounting, Finance, Marketing, Management, or Information Systems, or pursuing the minor in Business Administration.

Master's

  • Master of Business Administration

    Students in the MBA program are, primarily, nontraditional and reside in south-central Pennsylvania. With the exception of a small percentage of students who are full-time, they are employees of area businesses, state and local governments, and not-for-profit organizations, who study on a part-time basis. To accommodate both full-time and part-time students, courses are offered primarily in the evening.

    · Program learning goals
  • Master of Science in Information Systems

    Operating under the auspices of the School of Business Administration, Penn State Harrisburg’s master’s degree program in Information Systems is designed to meet the rapidly increasing need for technically grounded, upper-level information resources managers within organizations. With the exception of a small percentage of students who are full-time, the students served by the M.S.I.S program are employees of area businesses, state and local governments, and not-for-profit organizations, who study on a part-time basis. In order to accommodate both full and part-time students, courses are primarily offered in the evening.

    · Program learning goals

Joint

  • Juris Doctor and Master of Information Systems

    The Dickinson School of Law (DSL) and the School of Business Administration at Penn State Harrisburg offer a cooperative program leading to the degrees of Juris Doctor (J.D.), to be granted by the Dickinson School of Law, and Master of Science in Information Systems (M.S.I.S.), to be granted by Penn State Harrisburg. This joint degree opportunity facilitates the completion of both a law degree and a professional degree in information systems.

  • Juris Doctor and Master of Business Administration

    The Penn State Dickinson School of Law (DSL) and the School of Business Administration at Penn State Harrisburg offer a cooperative program leading to the degrees of Juris Doctor (J.D.), to be granted by the Dickinson School of Law, and Master of Business Administration (M.B.A.), to be granted by Penn State Harrisburg.

  • Ph.D. in Pharmacology/Master of Business Administration

    The Penn State College of Medicine, Department of Pharmacology, and the School of Business Administration at Penn State Harrisburg offer a cooperative program leading to the degrees of Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) to be granted by the Penn State College of Medicine, and a Master of Business Administration (M.B.A.) to be granted by Penn State Harrisburg. This concurrent degree opportunity facilitates the completion of both a pharmacology doctorate and a professional degree in business administration. The program is designed primarily for students interested in pursuing a career involving high-quality independent research and positions of management responsibility within the pharmacological community.

  • Ph.D. in Pharmacology/Master of Science in Information Systems

    The Penn State College of Medicine, Department of Pharmacology, and the School of Business Administration at Penn State Harrisburg offer a cooperative program leading to the degrees of Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) to be granted by the Penn State College of Medicine, and Master of Science in Information Systems (M.S.I.S.) to be granted by Penn State Harrisburg. This concurrent degree opportunity facilitates the completion of both a pharmacology doctorate and a professional degree in information systems. The program is designed primarily for students interested in pursuing a career involving high-quality research and positions of management and technology responsibility within the pharmacological community.

Technology Programs

Undergraduate Certificate

  • Fundamentals of IST Certificate

    The Fundamentals of Information Sciences and Technology (IST) Certificate is the perfect starting point for anyone interested in whether a career in the IST field is for them. Certificate programs bundle courses to help you move ahead professionally without committing to college full-time.

Baccalaureate

  • Bachelor of Science in Information Sciences and Technology

    This major is structured to provide students with the theoretical frameworks and skill sets necessary to compete and be productive in the information technology-intensive global context that defines the new "Information Age." Specifically, the degree will be focused on a program that will build an understanding of core information technologies and related areas of study; will prepare students for the practical application of various information sciences and related technologies; and engage students in sharpening their abilities to think critically and to work in teams. All this will be done with considerable interdisciplinary integration in order to expose students to the cognitive, social, institutional, and global environments of IST. Team projects in most courses, a required internship, and a senior capstone experience provide additional, focused venues for involving students in the cutting-edge issues and technologies of the field.

  • Bachelor of Science in Security and Risk Analysis

    The Bachelor of Science in Security and Risk Analysis (SRA) is intended to familiarize students with the general frameworks and multidisciplinary theories that define the area of security and related risk analyses. Courses in the major will engage students in the challenges and problems associated with assuring information confidentiality and integrity (e.g., social, economic, technology-related, and policy issues), as well as the strengths and weaknesses of various methods for assessing and mitigating associated risk.

Minor

  • Minor in Information Sciences and Technology

    This minor is structured to provide students with the theoretical frameworks and skill sets necessary to compete and be productive in the information technology-intensive global context that defines the new "Information Age." Specifically, the minor will be focused on a program that will build an understanding of core information technologies and related areas of study; will prepare students for the practical application of various information sciences and related technologies; and engage students in sharpening their abilities to think critically and to work in teams.