Bachelor of Science Curriculum Guide 2026

• International Perspectives (3).
  Select from university approved list.
• U.S. Cultures and Communities (3).
  Select from university approved list.
  U.S. Cultures and Communities might also count as 3 of 9 credits of Humanities and Social Sciences.
• ENGL 1500 Critical Thinking and Communication (3).
• ENGL 2500 Written, Oral, Visual Electronic Composition (3).
• LIB 1600 Introduction to College Research (1).

• BUSAD 1020 or 1030 Orientation (1).
• BUSAD 2030 Professional Development in Business (1).
• COMS 1130 Introduction to Spreadsheets and Databases (3).
• *MATH 1500 Discrete Math for Business and Social Sciences (3) or MATH 1600 Survey of Calculus (4).
• ECON 1010 Principles of Microeconomics (3).
• ECON 1020 Principles of Macroeconomics (3).
• ^STAT 2260 Introduction to Business Statistics (3).
• ACCT 2840 Financial Accounting (3).

*BUSEC majors take MATH 1600 instead of MATH 1500.
^STAT 2260 is required for all majors. Transfer coursework may substitute for STAT 2260 in all majors except for ACCT, BUAN, BUSEC, FIN.

Attention: It is strongly recommended that Foundation Courses be completed within your first 2-3 semesters.

• ACCT 2850 Managerial Accounting (3).
• ENTSP 3100 Entrepreneurship and Innovation (3).
• FIN 3010 Principles of Finance (3).
• MGMT 3710 Organizational Behavior (3).
• MGMT 3720 Responsible Management and Leadership in Business (3).
• MIS 3010 Management Information Systems (3).
• MKT 3400 Principles of Marketing (3).
• SCM 3010 Supply Chain Management (3).

Credit or enrollment in all core courses (except MGMT 3720) and senior standing required to take:

MGMT 4780 Strategic Management (3).
Take your senior year.

• ENGL 3020 Business Communication (3).
• SPCM 3120 Business and Professional Speaking (3).
• Humanities and Social Sciences (9).
  Select from college approved list.
• Global Perspectives (6).
  Select from university approved International Perspectives list.
  International Perspectives may count as 3 of 6 credits here.
• Natural Science (3).
  Select from college approved list.

All majors:

• *MATH 1510 Calculus for Business and Social Sciences (3) or ECON 2070 Applied Economic Optimization (3).
• ACCT 2150 Legal Environment of Business (3).
• PHIL 2300 Moral Theory and Practice (3).

*BUSEC majors take ECON 2070 instead of MATH 1510.

Major specific:

• STAT 3260 Introduction to Business Statistics II (3).
  ACCT, BUAN, BUSEC, FIN majors only.
• MIS 2070 Fundamentals of Programming for Business and Analytics (3).
  MIS majors only.
• ACCT 3010 The Accounting Cycle (1).
  Prerequisite for all 3000-level ACCT classes to be taken concurrently with ACCT 2850.

See individual major guides for specific, required, and elective major courses.

Take additional “free” electives to fulfill the minimum graduation requirement of 122 credits.

1. Minimum of 122 credits total.
2. 42 credits of 3000-level or higher coursework from a four-year institution.
3. Grade of “C or better” in ENGL 2500 and grade of “C or better” in ENGL 1500 or ENGL 3020.
4. Grade of “C or better” in at least 30 credits applied to Business Core and major.
5. 50 percent of required business courses must be earned at Iowa State University.
6. Last 32 credits applied to a degree must be taken at Iowa State University (exceptions for study abroad and internship may be requested).
7. All 3000-level and higher business courses must be earned at a four-year college or university.
8. Cumulative GPA of at least 2.0.
9. Multiple business majors must have at least 15 distinct credits in each.

• No courses completed for the business degree can be taken Pass-Not Pass (only non-business “free” electives may be taken P-NP).
• Course prerequisites are monitored and will be enforced.

Attention: See specific curriculum guides for the Actuarial Science major and the Bachelor of Business Administration degree.