Student on computer

Bachelor of Science in Business Administration (BSBA)

Business Administration: Individualized Business

Individualized business is a unique program designed for students who want a broad business background or who want to tailor a business degree to meet a specific professional goal, such as running their family business or starting their own. 

Academic advisor support, course flexibility and our nimble program design help you build the knowledge and skills to meet your unique career goals. The program combines a solid foundation in general business knowledge with the opportunity to develop your passion.  

Individualized business is a specialization within the BGSU bachelor’s program in business administration.

Why study individualized business at BGSU in Ohio?

  • Flexibility. BGSU is a comprehensive, public university. We have a multitude of degree options that allow you to combine your interest in business with your passion in other areas.
  • Immersive education. Hands-on opportunities outside of the classroom give you the real-world skills that build your resume and impress potential employers.  
    • Gain job experience as early as freshman year. Over 73% of business graduates complete one or more internships. Nearly all interns are paid, with an average salary of $19 an hour.
    • The Schmidthorst College of Business offers ample study abroad opportunities with university partners around the world. 
  • Business-specific scholarships. Apply for more than $1 million in scholarships.
  • Expert faculty. Our faculty members are world-renowned thought leaders whose trailblazing research is published in leading business journals and shapes the future of business practice and theory. Our teaching faculty remain actively involved in industry and bring current issues into the classroom. 
  • Invaluable industry and alumni partners build connections and open doors. They share their knowledge and mentor and hire students for internships and full-time jobs.

Ranked among the top business schools in the U.S. for student experience

Poets&Quants, 2023

Career – what can you do with a specialization in individualized business?

Students pursuing individualized business tend to have a specific career pathway in mind.  They often develop their own personalized curriculum to support their passion in entrepreneurship, small business or family business management, or a highly interdisciplinary business field. 

Individualized business graduates have many career options in their fields of interest. Within business, they secure positions in banking, sales, insurance and entry-level management. Our alumni have been hired by companies such as National City Corporation, Marathon Ashland Petroleum, State Farm Insurance, Northwestern Mutual and Sherwin Williams.

Career paths

  • Entrepreneur 
  • Small business leader
  • Nonprofit leadership 
  • Technical management 
  • Family business leadership
  • Innovation management

$61,000+

Median starting salary for BGSU business graduates –
among the highest in Ohio

Curriculum

Your coursework meets the general requirements of BGSU and the Schmidthorst College of Business. You’ll get a foundation in core business concepts, along with personalized advising and coaching to help you design your journey and curriculum to meet your personal goals.

Individualized business students take an additional 18 to 24 hours of coursework (six to eight more courses than other business students). Due to the diversity of courses, you cannot complete a dual specialization with this program. 

Required courses

business class 1920

Sample courses

  • Supply Category Management and Negotiation
  • Nonprofit Administration
  • Environmental Planning
  • Principles of Organization and Management
  • Ethics and Social Responsibility in Business
  • Business Data Communication and Distributed Processing
  • Taxation of Business Entities

One of only 6% of business schools with AACSB accreditation, the highest accreditation possible

Schmidthorst College of Business Specializations

The flexibility to complete one or more of our 12 specializations distinguishes us from other universities – and gives you a competitive edge in the job market.

  • Accounting
  • Applied Business Economics
  • Business Analytics and Intelligence
  • Finance
  • Individualized Business
  • Information Systems
  • Insurance and Risk Management
  • International Business
  • Management
  • Marketing
  • Sales and Services Marketing
  • Supply Chain Management

Premier entrepreneurship program

The Paul J. Hooker Center for Entrepreneurial Leadership at BGSU is one of 20 centers worldwide recognized by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB). 

We weave entrepreneurship into all business programs and offer an entrepreneurship minor.

You can take courses in:

  • Real estate entrepreneurship
  • Women and social entrepreneurs
  • Nonprofit and corporate responsibility
  • Innovation and disruption

Top business leaders and entrepreneurs-in-residence bring real-world experience and expertise to our curriculum. A mentorship program connects students with alumni and industry leaders.

Thanks to an incubation program funded by alumni and supporters, more than $800,000 has been provided to student entrepreneurs to start their own ventures.

BGSU Schmidthorst College of Business

The Individualized Business program is part of the Allen W. and Carol M. Schmidthorst College of Business.  

Updated: 08/07/2024 12:27PM