Bentley’s future-focused curriculum ensures that students will acquire the essential communications, math, problem-solving, teamwork and digital and information literacy skills before embarking on their own uniquely designed academic journey. The flexibility built into a Bentley education allows students to explore exciting business and liberal arts combinations. Students will graduate prepared for a rewarding career and ready to make a positive impact in the world.
Students may pursue a bachelor of science, a bachelor of arts, or a combined bachelor's/master’s program of studies. All bachelor’s degrees require course work totaling between 121 and 123 credit hours. Degree requirements vary by major and degree type. Course and graduation requirements are listed in the sections that follow.
Foundations for Success
Course requirements in Foundations for Success ensure students build the skills to thrive academically at Bentley. The kick-off to a Bentley education is the Falcon Discovery Seminar where students explore a multi-disciplinary problem and discover the Bentley community with a faculty expert. Across their first year, students develop essential communication, quantitative, and technological skills through the Foundations courses. Students must complete the five (15 credits) of foundation courses during their first academic year.
| Course | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| FDS 100 | Falcon Discovery Seminar | 3 |
| Communications and Writing | ||
| one from: | ||
| EMS 101 | Critical Reading and Writing | 3 |
| or EMS 101L | Critical Reading and Writing with Lab | |
| or EMS 102 | Critical Reading and Writing for ESOL | |
| or EMS 102L | Critical Reading and Writing for ESOL with Lab | |
| and one from: | ||
| EMS 104 | Multimodal Communication | 3 |
| or EMS 105 | Multimodal Communication for ESOL | |
| Information Technology | ||
| CS 100 | Solving Business Problems with Information Technology | 3 |
| Mathematical Sciences | ||
| choose one from: | ||
| MA 105 | Mathematical Foundations for Business | 3 |
| or MA 105L | Mathematical Foundations for Business with Lab | |
| or MA 107 | Applied Calculus for Business | |
| or MA 107L | Applied Calculus for Business with Lab | |
| or MA 131 | Calculus I | |
| or MA 131L | Calculus I with Lab | |
| Total Credits | 15 | |
Context and Perspectives in the Arts and Sciences
The courses designated in the Context and Perspectives requirements help students gain insights on becoming a well-educated working professional and civic minded individual. Students acquire the tools to make informed, ethical decisions and gain invaluable insights on the world. Students are required to take one course in each of the six categories (18 credits) of Context and Perspectives in the Arts and Sciences.
- Students must take one course in each of the six Context and Perspectives categories.
- Courses are unique to each Context and Perspectives theme and do not overlap within the Context and Perspectives categories.
- Courses must be taken in at least three different departments (ex. Philosophy, History, English and Media Studies).
- Context and Perspectives courses can be shared with majors or minors (but a single course cannot count for both a major and a minor).
- A single course may not count in more than one minor.
- A single course may be used no more than three times across the entire Bentley curriculum.
- Courses that satisfy the Context and Perspectives requirements may not be double counted as required Arts and Sciences electives within major requirements.
- Some courses that satisfy the Context and Perspectives requirements may also satisfy the modern language requirement for BA majors.
| Course | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Context and Perspectives in the Arts and Sciences | 18 | |
| Students must take six courses (18 credits), one in each category of Context and Perspectives: | ||
Institutions and Power | ||
Values, Ethics and Society | ||
Race, Gender and Inequality | ||
Scientific Inquiry | ||
Culture, Change and Behavior | ||
Globalization | ||
| Total Credits | 18 | |
Business Dynamics
Required courses in Business Dynamics expose students to the fundamentals of business operations and practice and how successful businesses operate. The six required (18 credits) Business Dynamics courses are completed during the first several semesters of a student's academic program.
| Course | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| All courses are required: | ||
| AC 115 | Financial Reporting and Analysis | 3 |
| EC 111 | Principles of Microeconomics | 3 |
| FI 118 | Introduction to Finance | 3 |
| LA 100 | Business Law | 3 |
| MG 116 | Human Dynamics in Organizations | 3 |
| ST 113 | Business Statistics | 3 |
| Total Credits | 18 | |
Communications Intensive (3 credits)
All students are required to take a three credit course designated as a Communications Intensive beyond the required major(s) Communication Intensive. The Communication Intensive requirement can be met within a variety of course subjects in both Arts and Sciences and Business. Communication Intensive courses are designated with a "CI" in the course schedule.
Transfer students with a minimum of 30 credits will be waived from the Communication Intensive requirement.
The Business Administration Minor
All students are required to complete the courses for a Business Administration minor (18-21 credits).
| Course | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Business Administration Minor (18-21 credits) | ||
| AC 115 | Financial Reporting and Analysis | 3 |
| EC 111 | Principles of Microeconomics | 3 |
| FI 118 | Introduction to Finance | 3 |
| LA 100 | Business Law | 3 |
| MG 116 | Human Dynamics in Organizations | 3 |
| Students pursuing a business major are required to take an additional Business Environment course, IPM 300, to complete the minor. | 6 | |
OTHER DEGREE REQUIREMENTS
GPA REQUIREMENTS FOR GRADUATION
All students must earn a passing grade of at least D- in each course in order to earn course credit; meet a minimum cumulative grade point average of at least 2.0; and attain an overall GPA of at least 2.0 in all courses in the major.
Students must earn a minimum of 2.00 in the required Business Administration minor 1and any elected minor in order for the minor to be awarded.
1All students will automatically be enrolled in a Business Administration minor. In order to graduate with a designated minor, a student must earn a 2.00 GPA for the courses comprising the minor. All Bentley students are required to successfully complete the courses for the Business Administration minor, no matter what major(s) they select. Students who pass the required courses for the Business Administration minor, but do not meet the minimum required 2.00 GPA will have the minor removed as a program of study prior to being awarded an undergraduate degree.
RESIDENCY AND COURSE-AWAY LIMITATIONS
- Students are permitted to take courses away only during interim periods (i.e., summer and winter sessions).
- After matriculating at Bentley University, students may take no more than 10 percent of the remaining credits at other institutions. At least 60 credits toward a Bentley degree must have been earned at Bentley.
- Students must complete substantial work in the major field at Bentley. Only six credits in a student’s major area may be transferred from other institutions.
OTHER GRADUATION REQUIREMENTS
- Meet all financial obligations to the university
- Submit an application for program completion through Workday (see the Academic Calendar on the Registrar's Office webpage for specific dates)
Arts and Sciences Majors
In addition to the The Foundations for Success, Context and Perspectives, Business Dynamics, Communications Intensive and Business Administration minor requirements described in the overview, Arts and Sciences degrees include the following:
MAJOR REQUIREMENTS (24 to 25 credit hours)
Students must satisfy departmentally determined major course requirements in one of the Arts and Sciences majors which may be found under the Majors and Minors option. Each major has particular courses and minimum credit-hour requirements. While students may pursue double majors in a Business program and in an Arts and Sciences program, students pursuing an Arts and Sciences major cannot apply more than 30 credit hours of business courses to their degree requirements for an Arts and Sciences major.
Minor in Business Administration (18 credit hours)
All students pursuing an Arts and Sciences undergraduate degree must also complete a minor in Business Administration as part of their degree requirements. Students who do not meet the 2.00 requirement for the minor must still successfully complete (with a grade of D- or above) the classes for the minor, but will have the minor removed from their academic record prior to degree completion.
Students may not earn both a Business Administration major and a Business Administration minor.
Unrestricted Electives (42 - 45 credit hours)
Students enrolled in Arts and Sciences majors have 42 to 45 hours of unrestricted electives. Students pursuing a B.S. in Actuarial Science, Data Analytics or Mathematical Science have 42 unrestricted elective credits, while all B.A. majors have 45 unrestricted elective credits1.
1Students completing the major in Business Administration in addition to a B.S. or B.A. major have 23 to 24 credits of unrestricted electives.
Modern Language Requirement (6 credit hours)
Students pursuing a B.A. (Bachelor of Arts) degree (ex. English, History, Media Studies) must complete two semesters of the same modern language, regardless of proficiency levels. Students may apply modern language credits earned through the Context and Perspectives requirement towards their Modern Language Requirement as well. Credits earned from AP classes and other institutions approved by Bentley (including abroad) will be considered.
Modern Language credits are not required for students pursuing a Bachelor of Science degree within Arts and Sciences (Actuarial Science, Data Analytics, Mathematical Sciences).
Business Majors
In addition to the Foundations for Success, Context and Perspectives in Arts and Sciences, Business Dynamics, Communications Intensive and Business Administration minor requirements described in the overview, Business degrees include the following:
The Business Environment
Doing business requires that students understand how the different parts of an organization fit together and how that organization interacts with the outside world. To give that perspective, students pursuing a business major will take the following required courses as part of their Business Administration minor:
- IPM 300 Business Processes and Systems (3 credits)
- MG 300 Strategic Management (3 credits)
Major Requirements (from 24 to 30 credit hours)
Students must satisfy departmentally determined major course requirements in one of Bentley's Business majors. Each major has particular course and minimum credit-hour requirements. Each major also includes a Communication Intensive course within the major. This course is required in addition to the general Communication Intensive requirement outlined in the Overview section of the catalogue.
Arts and Sciences Electives (15 credit hours)
Students pursuing the Bachelor of Science degree in a business discipline must complete 15 credit hours of arts and sciences coursework of their choosing. Students may not double count Arts and Sciences courses taken as part of the Context and Perspectives requirement as part of their required Arts and Sciences electives.
Unrestricted Electives (from 21 to 24 credit hours)
Students are required to take additional courses in any discipline. This requirement gives students the flexibility to pursue a second major, additional minor or other optional program.
Communication Intensive Course Requirement
In addition to the general three credit Communication Intensive requirement, each business major has a Communication Intensive requirement within the major.
Minor in Business Administration (21 credit hours)
All students pursuing an Business major for their undergraduate degree must also complete a minor in Business Administration as part of their degree requirements. Students who do not meet the 2.00 requirement for the minor must still successfully complete (with a grade of D- or above) the classes for the minor, but will have the minor removed from their academic record prior to degree completion.
Students may not be awarded a Business Administration and a Business Administration minor.
The Business Administration Major
The Business Administration is an optional additional major open to all Bentley undergraduate students. The Business Administration major is not a stand alone major. Students may only add a major in Business Administration to their academic program as a secondary major.
The major is open to students whether their primary major is in Business or Arts and Sciences. As examples, a student pursuing a Bachelor of Arts might pair an International Affairs major with a major in Business Administration. A student majoring in Marketing may also elect a second major in Business Administration.
The Business Administration second major option provides students with broad-based foundational tools to become effective organizational leaders. The coursework helps students combine essential people-based skills with critical technical skills. These lead to students becoming creative thinkers with the ability to make data-driven, evidence-based decisions in a business environment. Coursework includes further instruction in Economics, Finance, Accounting, Management, and Information Systems beyond the requirements of Business Administration Minor.
| Course | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| The following courses are required for the Business Administration major: | ||
| AC 115 | Financial Reporting and Analysis | 3 |
| AC 215 | Performance Measurement | 3 |
| EC 111 | Principles of Microeconomics | 3 |
| EC 112 | Principles of Macroeconomics | 3 |
| FI 118 | Introduction to Finance | 3 |
| IPM 300 | Business Processes and Systems | 3 |
| LA 100 | Business Law | 3 |
| MG 116 | Human Dynamics in Organizations | 3 |
| MG 215 | Supply Chain and Operations Fundamentals | 3 |
| MG 300 | Strategic Management | 3 |
| MG 313 | Business & Society | 3 |
| MK 250 | Marketing Essentials | 3 |
| ST 113 | Business Statistics | 3 |