The General Business Minor is designed to provide students with an understanding of fundamental business concepts and practices. This minor is suitable for students in many disciplines who wish to complement their major with a solid foundation in business knowledge. Through a diverse set of courses such as accounting, economics, finance, marketing, management and computer information systems, students can gain insights into making informed business decisions and understanding the broader organizational landscape. With the completion of the minor, students will be able to:
- Demonstrate a broad understanding of core business principles in fields such as finance, management, and marketing
- Read and interpret financial statements
- Develop basic proficiency in using business-related technologies
A minor in general business is available to students in specific majors by declaration (see below) and for all other JMU students in good standing on a limited space available competitive basis.
Students who declare one of the following majors are automatically eligible for the general business minor and may declare the minor without submitting an application:
If a student changes majors, they may be required to apply and be accepted into the minor, regardless of whether or not the student has completed any of the course requirements.
Students are highly encouraged to officially declare the minor prior to taking courses within the minor. Completion of courses in the minor courses does not guarantee nor facilitate acceptance into the minor.
Students with declared majors in any other undergraduate degree program may submit an application for consideration for admission into the general business minor. Admission is limited and competitive based on an applicant’s admission packet consisting of:
- An essay describing motivation for earning the general business minor is optional.
- Grades earned in General Education Madison Foundations – Critical Thinking and The Natural World Quantitative Reasoning courses. Only applicants with minimum grades of “C” are eligible for consideration.
- Students seeking to declare the minor must electronically submit their application packets prior to March 1 or October 1 for admission consideration for the subsequent fall and spring semesters. Applications are accepted year-round but are only reviewed in March and October.
