Why Add a Business Minor?
At Penn State Brandywine, a business minor gives you practical skills in marketing, management, accounting, and other areas of business that can complement almost any major. You’ll learn how organizations make decisions, identify opportunities, connect with customers, manage resources, and turn ideas into results.
Whatever you’re passionate about, business knowledge can help you take it further. Interested in fashion, technology, architecture, biology, communications, or the arts? A Business minor can help you understand the business side of your field and give you the tools to turn your knowledge and creativity into career opportunities.
Employers value professionals who understand more than just their area of expertise. With a business minor, you’ll be better prepared to connect the skills you develop in your major to an organization’s goals and bottom line. You’ll be able to enter interviews and the workplace ready to answer an important question: How can I help this organization succeed? Whether you want to work for an established company, lead a team, launch your own business, or turn an idea into a new venture, business skills can give you an advantage.
Thinking about graduate school? A Business minor can also help you build a foundation for pursuing an MBA or other graduate business degree. Some programs require or recommend undergraduate business coursework, so completing a minor may help you meet those prerequisites. Requirements vary, so be sure to check with the graduate programs you’re considering.
Your Future Is More Than One Major. Your interests don’t have to fit into one career path. Add business to your degree and expand what’s possible. At Penn State Brandywine, a business minor can help you connect your passion, your skills, and your career goals.
Requirements for the Minor
The minor in Business requires 19 - 21credits, at least 6 of which must be at the 400-level. Grades of C or better are required in all courses applied to the minor.
Requirements for the Business minor are detailed here: Business, Minor | Penn State. Interested students should talk with a business adviser to understand the math or other pre-reqs that may apply to some courses that they pursue for the minor.
At Brandywine, most students who pursue the Business minor take:
- ECON 102 (Microeconomics) or ECON 104 (Macroeconomics)
- ACCTG 201 (Financial Accounting)
- ACCTG 202 (Managerial Accounting)
- MGMT 301 (Principles of Management)
- MKTG 301 (Principles of Marketing)
And to fulfill the six 400-level credits, many choose:
- MGMT 425 (New Venture Creation) or similar 400-level management course, or ACCTG 471 (Intermediate Financial Accounting)
- One 400-level course from their own major (see pre-approved list in the Bulletin)
Most courses taken to satisfy the requirements of the minor can be used to fulfill the requirements of the Bachelor of Science degree in business should the student choose to change majors.
Complementary Majors
Whether working for an established organization or launching their own venture, professionals across disciplines increasingly benefit from a foundational understanding of accounting, marketing, and management. Entrepreneurs, in particular, must wear many hats, serving as employers, marketers, and financial managers. Likewise, corporate professionals can enhance their career value by understanding how their roles contribute to an organization’s financial performance and overall success.
For students pursuing majors in a wide range of disciplines, a minor in Business can provide a valuable complement to their primary field of study. It equips students with practical business knowledge and skills that can broaden their career opportunities and strengthen their ability to succeed in diverse professional settings. Examples of complementary majors include:
- Information Sciences and Technology
- Information Technology
- Engineering
- Biology
- Communications
- Psychology
- Architecture
- Agriculture
- Environmental Science
For more information, contact Dr. Julie Stanton: 610-892-1450 or [email protected]