Getting Started

Lower-Division Core Courses

The following lower-division core courses for Business Administration or Business Information Systems majors require a C- or better and must be completed prior to moving on to upper-division courses. These along with general education requirements are recommended for the first three to four semesters at CSU, Chico.

Business Administration Majors

• ACCT 201 - Financial Accounting
• ACCT 202 - Managerial Accounting
• BLAW 203 - Introduction to Business Law
• ECON 102 - Macroeconomics *
• ECON 103 - Microeconomics *
• MATH 107 - Finite Mathematics *
• MATH 108 - Statistics of Business and Economics *

*Note double counting opportunities (meeting two requirements with one course) within business and general education. MATH 108 or MATH 107 fulfills the A4 Quantitative Reasoning requirement. ECON 102 or ECON 103 (both required for the major) will fulfill the Area D Societal Institutions requirement in general education. BSIS 308 (required for the major) double counts as the upper division pathway area B/Scientific Inquiry/Quantitative Reasoning course.

See the University catalog and meet with Business Student Advising to ensure you maximize your double counting opportunities. 

Business Information Systems Majors

• ACCT 201 - Financial Accounting
• ACCT 202 - Managerial Accounting
• BLAW 203 - Introduction to Business Law
• ECON 102 - Macroeconomics *
• ECON 103 - Microeconomics *
• MATH 108 - Statistics of Business and Economics *
• MATH 107 - Finite Mathematics *
• MINS 235 - Database Design

*Note double counting opportunities (meeting two requirements with one course) within business and general education. MATH 108 or MATH 107 fulfills the A4 Quantitative Reasoning requirement. ECON 102 or ECON 103 (both required for the major) will fulfill the Area D Societal Institutions requirement in general education. BSIS 308 (required for the major) double counts as the upper division pathway area B/Scientific Inquiry/Quantitative Reasoning course.

See the University catalog and meet with Business Student Advising to ensure you maximize your double counting opportunities. 

AP Tests/Transfer Work

If you took Advanced Placement (AP) tests in the following areas and scored a three of higher, you have earned college credit for the following business requirements. To receive credit, your official scores need to be sent to CSU, Chico (test code 4048). Other AP test information can be found in the University catalog.

• AP Calculus AB or BC = MATH 107 (which also meets area A4 of general education*)
• AP Economics-Macro = ECON 102 (which also meets area D of general education*)
• AP Economics-Micro = ECON 103 (which also meets area D of general education*)
• AP Statistics = MATH 108 (which also meets area A4 of general education*)

*Note double counting opportunities (meeting two requirements with one course) within business and general education. MATH 108 or MATH 107 fulfills the A4 Quantitative Reasoning requirement. ECON 102 or ECON 103 (both required for the major) will fulfill the Area D Societal Institutions requirement in general education. BSIS 308 (required for the major) double counts as the upper division pathway area B/Scientific Inquiry/Quantitative Reasoning course.

See the University catalog and meet with Business Student Advising to ensure you maximize your double counting opportunities. 

If you took or plan to take any of the lower-division courses listed at another institution, you can use www.assist.org (for California Community College) and/or contact  Business Student Advising for further assistance and to ensure accuracy in receiving credit for transfer course work and AP tests.

Choosing Your Option

Within the Business Administration and Business Information degrees, you choose your option (area of specialization) based upon your career interests and personal goals.  The Business Student Advising can provide assistance with choosing your option finding the one that best fits you. Remember, all of your lower core must be completed with a C- or higher before moving into most of the upper-division core and option courses. The upper-division business core courses will begin to introduce you to the various options and help you confirm your decision. We encourage you to investigate what options we offer and continue to meet with us for course planning strategies.  You can also see our Getting to Graduation page for more suggestions on how to find your option.