Strong managers know how to see the whole picture. They understand people, budgets, operations, communication and strategy, and they know how those pieces affect how work gets done.

The Bachelor of Science in Business Management helps you build the broad foundation that kind of work requires. You’ll study operations, project coordination, budgeting, analytics, communication and decision-making in a degree completion program made for learners with some previous college credit. This degree is open to current and aspiring managers alike.

Choose your format. Take the program 100% online with optional weekly live sessions, or study in-person at our Thousand Oaks campus with evening classes once per week.

What You’ll Learn in the Business Management Degree

The BS in Business Management builds skills that carry across industries: how the core parts of a company work, how to turn plans into results and how to make sound decisions under changing market conditions.

  • A working command of the core business functions, from finance to marketing, and how they fit together
  • The analytical skills to break down a problem and decide what to do about it
  • The quantitative skills to make sense of growing amounts of business data
  • Writing and speaking skills that hold up in a room full of decision-makers
  • A grounding in how to execute strategy, coordinate resources, and manage timelines
  • The performance managements skills to keep a team running smoothly

“I gained academic skills, but beyond that, I learned how to collaborate with other students, how to be more empathetic and how to better understand that people are all on different paths. The experience helped build my confidence and expanded my perspective.

If [getting your degree] is on your mind, it is probably something you really want. I thought about going back for more than 10 years, and that thought never went away.

Come back to a school that will support you and help you accomplish that goal. You never know where it might lead. For me, it reignited my dreams and pushed me to continue my education.”

Carlos Nava, BS in Business Management Alum

Who Is This Program For?

Business management students come from all kinds of backgrounds. Some have been supervising teams or managing day-to-day operations for years and want a degree to make more authoritative decisions in the work they already do. Others are reaching for a first management role.

We also support students who are focused on their own business — whether they’re running one already or getting ready to start — and want a real grounding in how business works.

Most students are earning their degree while working, supporting families and keeping the rest of life going, and they often are returning to school after years away.

If that sounds like you, the only requirements to apply are a high school diploma or GED certificate (2.25 grade point average or higher) and at least 24 credits of college credit from an accredited institution. Visit our admissions page for more on what you need.

Trying to decide between business management and organizational leadership? Read our guide to the difference between the two bachelor’s degrees.

Business Management Curriculum

This degree is available online or in person at our Thousand Oaks campus. All students complete a minimum of 124 credits to graduate. At least 57 of those credits will be from business management major courses. The rest can come from general education courses or credits you transfer in.

All courses are 3 credits unless otherwise noted

Required Foundational Courses (18 credits)

Microeconomics

Macroeconomics

Applied Math for Business

Research Writing for Professionals

Advanced Research Writing for Professionals

Principles of Professional Communication

Required Management Essentials Courses (36 credits)

Foundations of Financial Accounting

Business Calculus

Foundations of Management

Foundations of Marketing

Global Perspectives in Business

Business and Society

Foundation of Business Analytics

Foundations of Business Law

Foundations of Corporate Finance

Foundations of Strategic Management

Entrepreneurship and Innovation

Choose 1 of the following:

Organizational Behavior

Industrial and Organizational Psychology

Elective Courses (3 credits)

Choose 1 elective

Foundations of Managerial Accounting

Foundations of Human Resource Management

Organizational Communication

Career Outcomes With a BS in Business Management

Every organization needs people who are skilled at managing operations, people and projects, which is why business management graduates work across so many industries. What you learn in the BS in Business Management carries into roles at companies of every size, and into government and nonprofits too. Some of those roles include:

Job Title
Median Salary

Marketing Manager
$170k

Sales Manager
$132k

General and Operations Manager
$124k

Project Management Specialist
$111k

Product Management
$122K

Management Analyst
$101k

Human Resources Specialist
$81k

Project Manager
$81k

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

Attend a Class Before You Apply

Get a closer look at what it’s like to be a Cal Lutheran student by sitting in on a live online or on-campus class. For more information and to reserve your spot, contact an enrollment specialist at 805-521-9856 or complete our form.

Frequently Asked Questions

A degree completion program is a bachelor’s degree built for people who already have some college credit. Instead of starting over, you transfer in the courses you’ve already earned and build your degree plan from there.

For the Bachelor of Science in Business Management, every incoming student brings at least 24 credits from a previous accredited associate or undergraduate program, and many bring more credits.

The difference from a traditional bachelor’s degree is mostly who it’s for and how it’s run — not the quality of the education. A general program is built around full-time students who are usually new to college. Cal Lutheran’s program is built around working adults who have some college behind them and a full life around them.

We know our students have to balance their degree around jobs, families and everything else, so you can complete the program fully online at your own pace, join an optional weekly live session in the evening or attend evening classes in person at our Thousand Oaks campus.

Student support services are built for adult learners coming back to school too: academic advisors know your situation and personalized career counseling when you need it.

For someone who started a degree years ago and always meant to finish, a completion program is the most direct way back.

Learn more about what it’s like to return to school after some time away >>

The two areas overlap, but they emphasize different things.

  • Business administration takes a wider view, with a focus on how a whole organization is structured and how its functions fit together for long-term success.
  • Business management is more focused on the day-to-day work of running operations and making sure teams have what they need to support that success.

Cal Lutheran’s program is business management, which means the emphasis is practical and execution-centered. You’ll build a foundation in the core business functions, from finance to marketing, and develop the skills to turn plans into results, make sound decisions and communicate them clearly.

If your goal is to supervise teams, manage responsibilities and understand how different parts of a business work together, business management is likely the closer fit.

You can read a more detailed comparison in our article on business management vs. business administration.

Business management is a fit for people, project, and operations managers who ensure that day-to-day work is completed correctly, on time and within budget. It is a good fit if you want a wide foundation in business or are preparing for management roles that require you to understand several parts of an organization, including finance, marketing, analytics and strategy.

Organizational leadership focuses more deeply on people. You’ll study how to motivate teams, build trust, communicate across differences, navigate conflict, lead through change and make ethical decisions. It is a good fit if you see yourself leading organizational improvement and developing company cultures, or if you want to better understand how motivation and coaching supports stronger organizations.

If you want a broader business foundation, we recommend the BS in Business Management. If you want to focus on motivating people and strengthening organizations from the inside, the BS in Organizational Leadership may be the better fit.

You can read a more detailed comparison in our article on organizational leadership versus business management.

Yes, and it’s one of the things our students mention most. The coursework is built around real business situations, so what you study on a Monday evening often applies to your job that same week.

Students regularly bring in challenges from their own workplaces and work through them in class discussions and projects, with help from faculty.

You are welcome to apply if you have:

  • Graduated from high school or possess a GED certificate
  • Completed 24 credits of transferable college credit
  • Earned a cumulative grade point average of at least 2.25

Visit our admissions page for more information, including an application checklist.

On average, Cal Lutheran students finish their bachelor’s degree in about two years when taking two courses per term.

Your personal timeline depends on a few things: how many credits you transfer in, how many of those count toward this specific degree and how many courses you take each term.

The best way to find out is to talk with an enrollment specialist. They can review your previous coursework and tell you which credits transfer and how they apply to this degree. Call 805-521-9856 or complete our form to request a call.

Yes, from several sources. Students can apply for federal aid such as Pell Grants and Direct Loans, and other awards can bring the cost down further.

If you transferred from a California community college, you may qualify for a Cal Grant, and graduates of a PACE program at a partner community college can receive a $100 per credit tuition reduction through PACE Promise. Many employers also offer tuition assistance, and as a Yellow Ribbon school, Cal Lutheran supports students using veterans benefits.

Our tuition and financial aid page has more information on funding options.

Here Are Your Next Steps

Request Information

To learn more about the Bachelor’s Degree for Professionals offered by the Cal Lutheran School for Professional and Continuing Studies and download a brochure, please fill out the form. You can also get in touch with an enrollment specialist directly by calling us at 805-521-9856.

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