Bachelor of Business Administration (Competency-Based)

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 have often acquired many of the knowledge, skills and abilities necessary for a degree through their life or previous work experience. University of Massachusetts Global’s competency-based BBA 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 BBA degree.  

University of Massachusetts Global offers a competency-based Bachelor of Business Administration degree (BBA) in one of the following emphasis areas:

  • General Business
  • GIS and Data Analytics
  • Information Systems Management
  • Supply Chain Management and Logistics
  • Management and Organizational Leadership
  • Marketing

BBA Mission

The Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) prepares students for career opportunities and advancement in a dynamic, global 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 BBA 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 life 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.

BBA Program Learning Outcomes

  • Communication: Demonstrate effective oral and written communication skills in organizational and professional settings.
  • Ethics: Identify and evaluate ethical issues and formulate a defensible resolution in business environments.
  • Global: Apply cultural differences, diversity issues, and business functions and processes, in domestic and global settings.
  • Technology: Apply technology to support decision making in businesses; leadership.
  • Business Functions/Processes: Interpret and implement business functions and processes.

Bachelor of Business Administration (Competency-Based)

Orientation and Student Success Skills:

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

Completion of LBSC 100 is required prior to graduation for students admitted under Option One, and prior to the seventh month of competency coursework for students admitted under Option Two.

In addition, all students are encouraged to complete the optional ORIC 100 orientation competency prior to their seventh month of competency coursework.

Degree Requirements

The BBA consists of three major components or domains:  

  1. General Education (13 Competencies)
  2. Business Core (34 Competencies)
  3. Emphasis Areas:  General Business; GIS and Data Analytics, Information Systems Management; Supply Chain Management and Logistics; Management and Organizational Leadership; and, Marketing (9 – 12 Competencies each)

I. Domain: General Education

The General Education Requirements at University of Massachusetts Global provides the liberal arts tradition 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 21st century.  The University of Massachusetts Global General Education requirements are comprised of 6 Subdomains and 13 Competencies:

Subdomain: Communications

COMC 410 Interpersonal Communications

Understand the skills required to interact effectively with others.

COMC 101 Oral Communications

Deliver a well-organized oral presentation using delivery techniques and supporting materials appropriate for the audience.

ENGC 103 Written Communications, Level A

Identify and apply key components of effective writing skills and APA.

ENGC 104 Written Communications, Level B

Compose written arguments that are coherent, grammatically correct, and rhetorically aware.

Subdomain: Humanities

PHLC 110 Creative and Critical Thinking

Develop a creative solution to a historical, social, ethnic, economic, technological, and/or geographic problem.

HUMC 110 Disciplinary Relationships

Analyze relationships between disciplines such as history, literature, religion, philosophy, and the fine arts.

HUMC 115 Human Experience

Analyze the ways in which the human experience is influenced by historical, social, ethnic, economic, technological, and/or geographic contexts.

Subdomain: Information Literacy

LBSC 320  Information Literacy, Level A (Cannot be satisfied in transfer)

Evaluate and cite various information resources to understand ethical research practices.

LBSC 321 Information Literacy, Level B (Cannot be satisfied in transfer)

Apply academic research practices to complete an academic research project.

Subdomain: Natural Sciences

NSCC 115 Methods and Applications

Apply the principles, concepts, and methods of the natural sciences.

NSCC 111 Principles and Concepts, Level A

Understand the Scientific Method as a process and master the fundamental principles, concepts, and methods of biology.

NSCC 112 Principles and Concepts, Level B

Master the fundamental principles, concepts, and methods of chemistry and environmental science.

Subdomain: Quantitative Reasoning

MATC 203 Quantitative Fluency, Level B

Apply the concepts of statistical reasoning, data analysis, modeling, and interpretation.

MATC 103 Quantitative Literacy, Level A

Explain accurate calculations and symbolic operations used to interpret social and economic trends.

Subdomain: Social Sciences

SOSC 110 Behavior and Cognition

Evaluate individual, organizational, and social behavior.

SOSC 115 Social Systems

Using a social systems perspective, investigate global problems and develop possible solutions.

II. Domain: Business Core

The University of Massachusetts Global Business Core requirements are comprised of 7 Subdomains and 34 Competencies.    

Subdomain: Accounting, Economics and Finance

ACCC 215 Accounting Cycle and Transaction Analysis

Demonstrate an understanding of the accounting cycle and the analysis of accounting transactions.

ACCC 230 Accounting for Long-Term Investing Financing Decisions

Demonstrate how to account for long-term investment and financing decisions.

ACCC 240 Accounting for Managerial Decisions

Demonstrate knowledge and application of managerial accounting tools and techniques used in making decisions.

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.

ACCC 235 Financial Planning and Control

Demonstrate knowledge and application of the 3 key steps of financial planning (1) forecasting the firm's short-term and long-term financial needs; (2) developing budgets to meet those needs; and (3) establishing financial controls to see if the company is achieving its goals.

ACCC 220 Financial Reporting

Demonstrate an understanding of financial reports and their use by decision-makers.

ACCC 360 Financial Statement Analysis

Analyze the financial performance of a business using financial statement analysis.

ACCC 210 Fundamentals of Accounting

Demonstrate an understanding of the fundamentals of accounting.

FINC 305 Fundamentals of Finance

Demonstrate an understanding of the fundamentals of finance.

ECNC 201 Fundamentals of Macroeconomics

Demonstrate an understanding of the structure of economies and the impact of policies on their performance.

ECNC 202 Fundamentals of Microeconomics Level A

Understand the basic principles and concepts of supply and demand and consumer behavior.

ECNC 205 Fundamentals of  Microeconomics Level B

Explain firm producer behavior, market structures and the different forms of competition.

MGTC 400 Global Economics

Understand the fundamentals and significance of international trade theories and systems.

BUSC 305 Managerial Economics

Apply macroeconomic and microeconomic theories in making economic business decisions in forecasting.

Subdomain: Business Law and Ethics

MGTC 315 Consumer Protection

Demonstrate an understanding of a business's legal and ethical responsibilities for warranties, product liability, and consumer protection.

MGTC 310 Contracting and Negotiation

Demonstrate an understanding of whether a contractual relationship exists and satisfies legal requirements.

OLCC 350 Ethics Social Responsibility

Describe the importance of ethical principles and social responsibility to business decisions.

MGTC 305 Legal Environment

Demonstrate an understanding of the U.S. legal system and the legal environment of business.

MGTC 330 Risk Management

Identify and describe the different types of risk and the techniques used by businesses to control risk.

Subdomain: Business Strategy

MGTC 415 Competitive Advantage

Demonstrate knowledge of competitive advantage and strategic positioning.

BUSC 300 Implementing and Monitoring Business Plan

Demonstrate the ability to prepare a business plan and evaluate organizational performance.

MGTC 420 Strategic Development

Demonstrate an understanding of the appropriate tools and options for developing business strategies.

MGTC 410 Strategic Fundamentals and Environment

Demonstrate an understanding of the business environment and the fundamentals of strategy.

Subdomain: Information Technology

CSCC 200 Fundamentals of Information Technology

Develop an understanding of information technology fundamentals

Subdomain: Management and Leadership

MGTC 301 Fundamentals of Management

Demonstrate an understanding of management theory and practice.

OLCC 430 Human Resources

Develop an understanding of human resource management best practices (e.g., identifying talent and motivating, developing, and directing people as they work).

OLCC 425 Leadership in Diverse and Multicultural Organizations

Demonstrate an understanding of leadership in the context of diverse and multicultural organizations.

MGTC 405 Organizational Change

Demonstrate an understanding and application of effective change strategies to enhance business performance.

OLCC 355 Organizational Dynamics

Demonstrate an understanding of the impact organizational dynamics has on performance.

Subdomain: Marketing

MKTC 305 Fundamentals of Consumer Behavior

Demonstrate an understanding of consumer behavior fundamentals (e.g., demographics and purchasing behavior) and promotional practices.

MKTC 301 Fundamentals of Marketing

Develop an understanding of marketing fundamentals.

Subdomain: Supply Chain/Operations Management (Logistics)

MGTC 325 Fundamentals of Supply Chain

Develop an understanding of supply chain fundamentals including project management.

MGTC 335 Negotiating and Managing Supplier Relationships

Develop an understanding of how to negotiate and manage supplier relationships.

MGTC 320 Operations Management

Develop an understanding of the role of operations management in business.

III. Domain Emphasis Areas

General Business

The purpose of the General Business emphasis is to serve those students who want a broad business education without an in-depth study in one discipline.  This program provides students a broad business education that permits them the freedom to take coursework in multiple business disciplines. The general business emphasis consists of 24 equivalent credits of electives from any of the business disciplines.

GIS and Data Analytics

The University of Massachusetts Global Data Analytics Emphasis requirements are comprised of 4 Subdomains and 8 Competencies.

Subdomain: Introduction Technology Foundations

CSCC 301 Introduction to Programing
Develop basic designing, coding, and documenting skills in a programming language.

Subdomain: Information Technology Management

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

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

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

Subdomain: Project Management

CSCC 383 Applied Project Management
Create a project management plan using applications and tools including GIS.

Subdomain: Data Analysis

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

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

CSCC 395 Data Analytics Capstone
Address predictive and prescriptive analytics with insights gained from organizational data analysis.

Information Systems Management

The University of Massachusetts Global Information Systems Management Emphasis requirements are comprised of 7 Subdomains and 9 Competencies.    

Subdomain: Computer Systems Organization

CSCC 251 Computer Systems Architecture

Demonstrate an understanding of computer systems architecture.

Subdomain: Database

CSCC 408 Database

Demonstrate an understanding of database systems, their applications and tools used to develop databases.

Subdomain: Fundamentals of Management Information Systems

CSCC 315 Organizations, Management, and the Network Enterprise

Demonstrate an understanding of information systems in global business.

Subdomain: Networking

CSCC 353 Networking

Demonstrate an understanding of networks, and create a network.

Subdomain: Programming

CSCC 205 Computer Programming

Demonstrate an understanding of computer programming and its applications.

CSCC 210 Program Applications

Develop a program for a business application (e.g. mobile or web-based applications).

Subdomain: Project Management

CSCC 383 Applied Project Management

Create a project management plan using applications and tools including GIS.

CSCC 410 Systems Analysis and Design

Demonstrate an understanding of systems analysis and design, applications and tools used.

Subdomain: Security

CSCC 270 Security

Demonstrate an understanding of information system security, applications, and the tools used.

Management and Organizational Leadership

The University of Massachusetts Global Management and Organizational Leadership Emphasis requirements are comprised of 5 Subdomains and 12 Competencies.    

Subdomain: Human Resource Management and Diversity

HRCC 445 Human Resource Management

Demonstrate an understanding of the fundamentals of human resource management.

OLCC 303 Managing Change

Demonstrate an understanding how leaders effectively implement and manage change.

OLCC 300 Organizational Behavior

Demonstrate an understanding of organizational behavior factors, processes and theoretical concepts as they relate to organizational effectiveness and productivity.

OLCC 325 Personal Leadership

Develop a personal philosophy of leadership through a personal assessment, and focus on personal and professional development.

HRCC 406 Workforce Diversity

Develop an understanding of the impact a diverse workforce can have on an organization.

Subdomain: Leading and Controlling

HRCC 430 Conflict Management

Develop and apply conflict management skills in an organizational setting.

OLCC 445 Operations Control

Understand and apply the tools used for operational control.

OLCC 440 Organizational Control

Develop an understanding of organizational control systems and the related use of qualitative and quantitative tools for an organization.

Subdomain: Organizational Structures and Culture

OLCC 400 Organizational Structure and Control

Demonstrate an understanding of the impact organizational structure and culture have on organizations.

OLCC 414 Team Building

Demonstrate an understanding of the importance of team dynamics to organizational effectiveness, productivity, and communication within an organization.

Subdomain: Project Management

CSCC 383 Applied Project Management

Create a project management plan using applications and tools including GIS.

MGTC 435 Social Responsibility and Risk
Apply an understanding of how to integrate the theoretical concepts of sustainability and social responsibility and risk throughout the supply chain.

Marketing

The University of Massachusetts Global Marketing Emphasis requirements are comprised of 7 Subdomains and 14 Competencies.

Subdomain: Ethical Issues Affecting the Marketplace

MKTC 415 Marketing Ethics

Understand and apply marketing ethics.

Subdomain: Marketing Communications

MKTC 450 Advertising, Public Relations, Direct Marketing, and Sales Promotion

Develop an understanding of advertising, public relations, direct marketing, and sales promotion.

MKTC 460 Interactive Marketing and Customer Relationship Management

Develop and apply interactive marketing strategies using the internet and social media for customer relationship management.

MKTC 445 Integrated Marketing Communications and Promotions

Understand the fundamentals of integrated marketing communications and promotions.

Subdomain: Strategic Marketing

MKTC 425 Marketing Planning

Develop an understanding of strategic marketing and prepare a marketing plan.

MKTC 310 Marketing Research and Analysis

Develop an understanding of marketing research and analysis.

Subdomain: Understanding and Targeting the Marketplace

MKTC 465 Business-to-Business Marketing

Develop an understanding of business-to-business (B2B) marketing.

MKTC 320 Consumer Behavior

Develop an understanding of consumer behavior in marketing.

MKTC 410 Global Marketing

Understand and evaluate global markets and strategies.

MKTC 325 Segmentation Targeting and Positioning

Understand and apply segmentation targeting and positioning.

Subdomain: Value Capture

MKTC 440 Branding and Packaging Decisions

Explain the various components of brand equity.

MKTC 420 Pricing and Methods

Understand and apply pricing strategies.

Subdomain: Value Creation

MKTC 430 Product Development

Develop an understanding of how to increase value to an organization through the improvement in the design and/or implementation of products and services.

Subdomain: Value Delivery

MKTC 470 Middlemen and Multichannel Market

Understand and apply principles of multichannel marketing.

Supply Chain Management and Logistics

The University of Massachusetts Global Supply Chain Management and Logistics Emphasis requirements are comprised of 8 Subdomains and 9 Competencies.

Subdomain: Materials and Inventory Management

MGTC 350 Materials and Inventory Management

Utilize inventory management tools to create value.

Subdomain: Product Development

MKTC 430 Product Development

Develop an understanding of how to increase value to an organization through the improvement in the design and/or implementation of products and services.

Subdomain: Project Management

CSCC 383 Applied Project Management

Create a project management plan using applications and tools including GIS.

Subdomain: Quality

MGTC 430 Quality

Develop an understanding of the necessity of quality and the measurements for continuous quality improvement and target setting.

Subdomain: Social Responsibility and Risk

MGTC 435 Social Responsibility and Risk

Apply an understanding of how to integrate the theoretical concepts of sustainability and social responsibility and risk throughout the supply chain.

Subdomain: Sourcing (Sourcing Analysis and International, Domestic, Local and In-sourcing)

CSCC 325 International, Domestic, Local and  In-Sourcing

Develop an understanding of advantages and disadvantages of international, domestic, local, and in-sourcing options to source goods and services, including total cost of ownership.

CSCC 320 Sourcing Analysis

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

Subdomain: Supplier Relationship Management

MGTC 425 Supplier Relationship Management.

Develop an understanding of the opportunities to create value through supplier relationship management (SRM).

Subdomain: Transportation

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.

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

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