Business Management, B.S.
The Bachelor of Science in Business Management prepares students for leadership and management roles across a range of industries. Offered through the Learn and Earn in Three (LE3) model, the program is designed for students employed full-time who want to advance professionally while earning their degree.
Students begin with leadership foundation coursework and progress into applied business topics such as operations, finance, project management, strategic planning, and organizational performance. Professional Skills Seminars integrate coursework with workplace experience through coaching, reflection, and portfolio development.
Graduates are prepared to lead teams, improve processes, and drive organizational success.
Program Details
Program Level Requirements
- Requires 180 QH, including 60 QH of General Education, for completion
- Requires full-time employment to participate in the program
- All courses in the major core, professional development seminars (PFS), and general education must be completed with a grade of C
- All major core coursework must be taken at NLU as part of the Learn and Earn in Three (LE3) model. These courses are designed around active learning, leadership development, and work-based application, which cannot be replicated through transfer.
- All professional skills seminars (PFS) must be completed at NLU
- Students with outstanding degree requirements, regardless of their major or the number of transfer credits awarded, must register for a Professional Seminar each additional quarter of enrollment until they have completed all degree requirements or a total of 45 QH of Professional Seminars is reached. The PFS courses are essential to the Learn and Earn in Three (LE3) model and include:
- On-the-job reflection and integration
- Coaching and mentorship
- Evidence-building for student GROWTH portfolio
- General Education and Electives:
- Transfer students who have previously completed a Bachelor’s degree, Associate’s of Arts or Science at an accredited 2 or 4-year institution, or the IAI general education core at another Illinois college or university are not required to take required core general education courses. Those students may transfer up to 115 QH toward Learn and Earn in Three (LE3) general education and elective requirements.
- Students who did not complete the credentials required for the General Education Core waiver but have transfer credits will have their coursework reviewed for general education and elective applicability
Business Management Major
- The major allows a maximum of 30 QH of transfer credit that may be accepted toward the general education and program electives
- The major requires a minimum of 45 QH of Professional Seminar
Business Management (Accelerated) Major
- The major allows a maximum of 115 QH of transfer credit that may be accepted toward the general education and program electives
- The major requires a minimum of 20 QH of Professional Seminar
Program Learning Outcomes
PLO 1: Demonstrate and articulate growth in creative and critical thinking, purposeful leadership and agency, adaptability to change, and collaborative relationship-building across professional and community contexts.
PLO 2: Demonstrate continuous learning by assessing development over time, setting and refining personal and professional goals, and adapting skills, behaviors, and strategies in response to evolving workplace and organizational demands.
PLO 3: Analyze working situations and make informed managerial decisions by considering people, resources, performance, and risk in complex, real-world contexts.
PLO 4: Lead and contribute to teams by setting direction, allocating resources, managing performance, and fostering accountability and collaboration to achieve shared outcomes.
PLO 5: Develop and apply professional communication skills by articulating ideas, decisions, and growth through clear written, verbal, and digital communication, reflection, and feedback in workplace and community settings.
PLO 6: Apply management principles to plan, coordinate, and improve work in organizational, academic, and community contexts by integrating theory, work experience, and reflection.
Admission Requirements
In addition to the Undergraduate admission requirements, the following criteria apply to the program:
- Full-time employment is required to participate in Learn and Earn in Three (LE3). Students who are actively seeking employment and have a part-time employment status will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis.
- All applicants must submit any previous transcripts from other accredited institutions at time of application
- Applicants with up to 30 quarter hours of transferable college-level credit will be entered into the Traditional B.S. Business Management major and applicants with greater than 30 quarter hours of transferable college-level credit will be entered into Accelerated B.S. Business Management major
Required Courses
General Education Requirements - 60 QH
| PSY 150 | The Human Side of Change: Unlocking Dynamics for Growth | 5 |
| HUM 150 | Ethical Dilemmas in Leadership: Navigating Real-World Challenges | 5 |
| SOC 155 | Building Collaborative Cultures: Organizational Design and Behavior | 5 |
| HUM 155 | Thinking Critically: Cutting Through Complexity | 5 |
| MTH 150 | Data Literacy: Turning Numbers into Stories and Insights | 5 |
| RES 150 | Writing with Evidence: Research, Rhetoric, and Perspective | 5 |
| ENG 250 | Write with Impact: Clarity, Confidence, and Authenticity | 5 |
| SCI 250 | Nature's Blueprint for Leadership: Adaptation and Resilience | 5 |
| SCI 255 | Climate & Strategy: Leading with the Planet in Mind with Lab | 5 |
| HUM 250 | Seeing Ourselves at Work: Leadership, Identity & Culture Through Film and Litera | 5 |
| SOC 255 | Leadership Through Storytelling | 5 |
| ENG 255 | Public Speaking and Presence: Inspire with Confidence | 5 |
Professional Seminar - 45 QH
Business Management Major: Students entering the program with 30 QH or fewer of transfer credit must complete 45 QH of Professional Seminar (PFS) Courses.
Business Management (Accelerated) Major: Students entering the program with 31 or more QH of transfer credit are required to take
PFS 100,
PFS 101,
PFS 200,
PFS 201. After these 20 QH of PFS are met, students are required to enroll in a PFS course during every additional quarter of program enrollment up until 45 QH, regardless of the number of transfer credits awarded.
Major Core - 45 QH
| ORG 101 | Foundations of Personal Leadership | 5 |
| ORG 105 | Communicate with Impact: Listening, Tone, and Adaptability | 5 |
| ORG 110 | Chaos & Wisdom: Tackle the Messy Stuff | 5 |
| MGT 260 | How Organizations Create Value | 5 |
| MGT 330 | Managing People and Performance | 5 |
| MGT 331 | Projects, Change, and Execution | 5 |
| MGT 441 | Project Management and Organizational Delivery | 5 |
| MGT 460 | Operations Management and Process Improvement | 5 |
| MGT 491 | Management Capstone: Strategy, Performance, and Value Creation | 5 |
Electives - 30 QH
Students must earn a total of 180 QH:
- Students who completed an Accelerate U certificate program will receive 25-30 SH of elective credit for their Accelerate U coursework
- Students have the option to choose any UG concentration. Recommended concentrations are as follow:
- Organizational Leadership & Development
- Health Care Leadership
- Human Resources Management (Advanced Standing Concentration)
- Students may also enroll in the following Learn and Earn in Three (LE3)-specific elective courses listed below
- Students may also take PFS 402, which may be repeated up to three times, after the ninth quarter
| PJM 200 | Project Management: Plan, Organize, and Execute | 5 |
| HRM 200 | Human Resources Basics: Hiring, Developing, and Supporting Teams | 5 |
| FIN 200 | Building Strong Financial Foundations | 5 |
| MGT 202 | Negotiation Foundations: Influence, Confidence, and Better Deals | 5 |
| MGT 203 | Time Management: Getting More From Each Day | 5 |
| MGT 206 | Coaching for Growth & Performance | 5 |