Bachelor of Science in Business and Technology (Competency Based)

Note: This program is only open to employees of approved partners of the Guild Education network. This program is not eligible for federal financial aid (Title IV), meaning students cannot use Pell Grants, federal loans, or other federal aid to fund their studies. 

 

Colleges and universities traditionally award credit for classroom hours attended, conferring degrees based on students’ completion of a certain set of courses for a given number of credit hours. The focus of a competency-based program is the mastery of student learning outcomes – what they know and can do – rather than on how many hours, semesters, or years a student spends in school. A competency-based program allows students to demonstrate through assessments that they have acquired the set of competencies (levels of knowledge, skill, or ability) required for a particular degree including general education and the major. Some students may already possess knowledge, skills and abilities for a degree through their life or previous work experience. University of Massachusetts Global’s competency-based Bachelor of Science in Business and Technology (BSBT) allows students to prove their competency through assessments, thereby reducing the time needed to earn a degree.

Students must demonstrate mastery of all competencies required for the BSBT degree.   

University of Massachusetts Global offers a competency-based Bachelor of Science in Business and Technology in one of the following emphasis areas: 

  • Accounting
  • Data Analytics
  • Data Application and Visualization
  • Supply Chain 
 

BSBT Mission 

The mission of the Bachelor of Science in Business and Technology is to prepare students with the interdisciplinary knowledge, digital tools, and strategic competencies required to lead and innovate in a technology-enabled business environment. 

 

University of Massachusetts Global Institutional Learning Outcomes 

University of Massachusetts Global competencies are based on the American Association of Colleges and Universities (AAC&U) Liberal Education and America’s Promise (LEAP) Essential Learning Outcomes and the Lumina Degree Qualifications Profile (DQP). Of special importance in the framing of the DQP was recognition of graduates’ need to prepare for jobs that are rapidly changing in today’s contemporary workplace. The DQP framework provided University of Massachusetts Global a basis for establishing 21st century competencies for all of our baccalaureate students. As a result, the following University of Massachusetts Global institutional learning outcomes are threaded throughout the University of Massachusetts Global Competency-Based BSBT program with a strong foundation built into the general education domain: 

  • Applied Learning: Design a project, paper, performance, or other appropriate task linking knowledge skills from work, experiential learning, or community activities with knowledge acquired in academic disciplines.   

  • Innovation and Creativity: Construct a novel or unique idea, question, format, or product. 

  • Civic Engagement: Describe insights gained from engaging physically and/or intellectually with activities of personal and public concern that are both individually enriching and socially beneficial to the community. 

  • Global Cultures: Explain the relationship between a global issue and the history, values, politics, economy, communication styles, or beliefs and practices of one or more cultures affected by that issue. 

  • Integrated Learning: Devise connections among experiences inside and outside the formal classroom, or connections among multiple fields of study. 

 

BSBT Overview 

The Bachelor of Science in Business and Technology (BSBT) is an innovative, competency-based degree that prepares students for career opportunities at the intersection of business operations and emerging digital technologies. This fully online, self-paced program integrates core competencies from both business administration and information technology to meet the growing demand for professionals who can lead and adapt in today’s data-driven, digitally enabled economy. 

Students gain practical, workforce-aligned skills in areas such as organizational leadership, digital marketing, IT systems integration, data analytics, cybersecurity fundamentals, project management, and technology-enabled decision making. Designed with flexibility for working adults, the program enables students to demonstrate mastery through assessments, leveraging prior learning and professional experience to accelerate time to degree. This program does not participate in Title IV federal financial aid, allowing for an affordable and flexible path to completion, supported by employer sponsorships or direct pay.
 

Program Learning Outcomes: 

  • PLO 1 Digital and Analytical Tools: Leverage digital technologies and data analytics to improve business operations, support decision-making, and solve organizational problems. 
  • PLO 2 Business and Technology Strategies: Develop and implement solutions that align business objectives with emerging technologies in response to evolving market and organizational needs. 
  • PLO 3 Collaborative Communication: Communicate effectively in diverse professional environments using written, oral, and digital formats to support collaboration and leadership. 
  • PLO 4 Ethical and Inclusive Leadership: Model ethical decision-making and inclusive practices in managing people, projects, and systems within business and technology contexts. 
  • PLO 5 Organizational Innovation: Apply principles of project management and innovation to lead change initiatives and drive sustainable growth in a technology-enabled business environment. 
 
 

Bachelor of Science in Business and Technology (Competency-Based) 

Degree Requirements

The BSBT consists of four major components:    

  1. General Education  
  2. BSBT Core  
  3. Emphasis Areas 
  4. Electives (as needed) 
 

I. General Education (51 credits) 

The General Education Requirements at University of Massachusetts Global provides the intellectual foundation that enables students to expand their perspectives beyond the focus of a major.  University of Massachusetts Global graduates will be intellectually flexible, creative, articulate, and prepared for active and life-long participation in the knowledge-based world of the 21st century.  The University of Massachusetts Global General Education requirements are comprised of the following: 

Orientation and Student Success Skills: 

LBSC 100 Student Success Strategies: Develop a personalized student success plan by applying relevant resources and strategies. 3 credits. 

Completion of LBSC 100 is required prior to the seventh month of competency coursework for students admitted without a cumulative GPA of 2.0 or higher for courses from institutionally accredited institutions, and/or without twelve (12) or more transferable credits. Completion of LBSC 100 is required prior to graduation for all other students. 

Communications (12 credits)

COMC 101 Oral Communications 
Deliver a well-organized oral presentation using delivery techniques and supporting materials appropriate for the audience. 3 credits.

COMC 410 Interpersonal Communications 
Understand the skills required to interact effectively with others. 3 credits

ENGC 103 Written Communications, Level A 
Identify and apply key components of effective writing skills and APA. 3 credits

ENGC 104 Written Communications, Level B 
Compose written arguments that are coherent, grammatically correct, and rhetorically aware. 3 credits

Humanities (9 credits)

HUMC 110 Disciplinary Relationships 
Analyze relationships between disciplines such as history, literature, religion, philosophy, and the fine arts. 3 credits

HUMC 115 Human Experience 
Analyze the ways in which the human experience is influenced by historical, social, ethnic, economic, technological, and/or geographic contexts. 3 credits

PHLC 110 Creative and Critical Thinking 
Develop a creative solution to a historical, social, ethnic, economic, technological, and/or geographic problem. 3 credits

Information Literacy (6 credits)

LBSC 320 Information Literacy, Level A (Cannot be satisfied in transfer) 
Evaluate and cite various information resources to understand ethical research practices. 3 credits

LBSC 321 Information Literacy, Level B (Cannot be satisfied in transfer) 
Apply academic research practices to complete an academic research project. 3 credits

Natural Sciences (6 credits)

NSCC 111 Principles and Concepts, Level A.
Understand the Scientific Method as a process and master the fundamental principles, concepts, and methods of biology. 1.5 credits

NSCC 112 Principles and Concepts, Level B 
Master the fundamental principles, concepts, and methods of chemistry and environmental science. 1.5 credits

NSCC 115 Methods and Applications 
Apply the principles, concepts, and methods of the natural sciences. 3 credits
 

Quantitative Reasoning (6 credits)

MATC 103 Quantitative Literacy, Level A 
Explain accurate calculations and symbolic operations used to interpret social and economic trends. 3 credits

MATC 203 Quantitative Fluency, Level B 
Apply the concepts of statistical reasoning, data analysis, modeling, and interpretation. 3 credits

Social Sciences (9 credits)

SOSC 110 Behavior and Cognition 
Evaluate individual, organizational, and social behavior. 4.5 credits.

SOSC 115 Social Systems 
Using a social systems perspective, investigate global problems and develop possible solutions. 4.5 credits

 

II. BSBT Core (39 credits) 

CSCC 200 Fundamentals of Information Technology 
Develop an understanding of information technology fundamentals. 3 credits

CSCC 251 Computer Systems Architecture
Demonstrate an understanding of computer systems architecture. 3 credits

CSCC 270 Security 
Demonstrate an understanding of information system security, applications, and the tools used. 3 credits

CSCC 315 Organizations, Management, and the Networked Enterprise 
Demonstrate an understanding of information systems in global business. 3 Credits.  

CSCC 408 Database 
Demonstrate an understanding of database systems, their applications, and tools used to develop databases. 3 credits

CSCC 478 Business Intelligence and Data Analytics 
Transform data into meaningful and useful information for business analysis and reporting needs. 3 Credits. 

ECNC 201 Fundamentals of Macroeconomics 
Demonstrate an understanding of the structure of economies and the impact of policies on their performance. 3 credits

ECNC 202 Fundamentals of Microeconomics Level A 
Understand the basic principles and concepts of supply and demand and consumer behavior. 1.5 credits

ECNC 205 Fundamentals of Microeconomics Level B 
Explain firm producer behavior, market structures and the different forms of competition. 1.5 credits

FINC 305 Fundamentals of Finance
Demonstrate an understanding of the fundamentals of finance. 3 credits

MGTC 301 Fundamentals of Management 
Demonstrate an understanding of management theory and practice. 3 credits

MGTC 320 Operations Management
Develop an understanding of the role of operations management in business. 1.5 credits

MGTC 325 Fundamentals of Supply Chain
Develop an understanding of supply chain fundamentals including project management. 1.5 credits

MGTC 430 Quality 
Develop an understanding of the necessity of quality and the measurements for continuous quality improvement and target setting. 3 credits

OLCC 400 Organizational Structure and Culture 
Demonstrate an understanding of the impact organizational structure and culture have on organizations. 3 credits

 
 

III. Emphasis Areas 

Students may complete at least one and up to three emphasis areas as part of their degree. Available emphasis areas include: 

Accounting (9 credits) 

ACCC 210 Fundamentals of Accounting 
Demonstrate an understanding of the fundamentals of accounting. 0.6 credits.  

ACCC 215 Accounting Cycle and Transaction Analysis 
Demonstrate an understanding of the accounting cycle and the analysis of accounting transactions. 0.6 credits. 

ACCC 220 Financial Reporting 
Demonstrate an understanding of financial reports and their use by decision-makers. 0.6 credits. 

ACCC 225 Accounting for Working Capital 
Demonstrate an understanding of working capital management decisions and issues involving short-term credit and the management and accounting for cash, accounts receivable, and inventory. 0.6 credits. 

ACCC 230 Accounting for Long-Term Investing and Financing Decisions 
Demonstrate how to account for long-term investment and financing decisions. 0.6 credits. 

ACCC 235 Financial Planning and Control
Demonstrate knowledge and application of the three key steps of financial planning. 1.5 credits 

ACCC 240 Accounting for Managerial Decisions 
Demonstrate knowledge and application of managerial accounting tools and techniques used in making decisions. 1.5 credits.

ACCC 360 Financial Statement Analysis 
Analyze the financial performance of a business using financial statement analysis. 3 credits. 

 

Data Analytics (9 credits) 

CSCC 303 Foundations in Spatial Communications 
Communicate information using spatial data analytics across a variety of media formats. 3 credits. 

CSCC 304 Spatial Visualization and Data Analytics 
Create spatial visualizations based on the data type and analysis of outcomes. 3 credits. 

CSCC 305 Applied Data Wrangling 
Apply data wrangling by finding, cleaning, extracting, storing and organizing data for a project. 3 credits. 

Data Application and Visualization (9 credits)

CSCC 302 GIS Methods and Ethics 
Apply research ethics and multiple spatial research methods using GIS quantitative and qualitative approaches. 3 credits.

CSCC 363 Data and Information Management 
Utilize industry best practices to manage and organize organizational data and information. 3 credits. 

CSCC 410 Systems Analysis and Design 
Demonstrate an understanding of systems analysis and design, applications and tools used. 3 credits.

Supply Chain (9 credits)

CSCC 320 Sourcing Analysis 

Develop the ability to identify, select and manage appropriate sources for procurement. 3 credits.

MGTC 345 Transportation
Apply an understanding of the principles and methods for moving people or goods by air, rail, sea, road, pipeline, or digitally, including the benefits, costs, and risks associated with each option. 1.5 credits

MGTC 350 Materials and Inventory Management 
Utilize inventory management tools to create value. 1.5 credits.

MGTC 425 Supplier Relationship Management. 
Develop an understanding of the opportunities to create value through supplier relationship management (SRM). 3 credits.

 
 

IV. Electives  

If students still need additional credits to achieve the 120-credit requirement for a bachelor’s degree, students may select competencies from any combination of the (200, 300 and 400 level competencies only) in the UMass Competency Course Descriptions. Students are not limited to a single area and may freely mix and match competencies across multiple areas to meet the total credit requirement.  

 

University of Massachusetts Global accepts the following industry standard certification examinations for college credit in the competency-based Bachelor of Science in Business and Technology degree program: 

Industry Standard Certification 

Industry Standard Certification Substitution Course
CompTIA IT Fundamentals CSCC 200
MTA Database Fundamentals Topics CSCC 408
CompTIA A+ 220-901 CSCC 251
CompTIA Projects+ CSCC 383
CompTIA Network+ Exam CSCC 353
CompTIA Security+ CSCC 270