Earn a Business Education with Any Major
When you minor in business, you gain a broad base of knowledge that can complement any field of study and an opportunity to develop career-ready skills in your chosen profession.
Learn About the Business Minor
The McCombs School's comprehensive Business Minor is designed to provide UT undergraduates from disciplines outside the business school with a deeper understanding of the general principles and practical skill development related to the organizational functions of business.
Applying for a Business Minor
- Step 1: Apply for the Business Minor here: Business Minor Application
- Step 2: Select "B A Business Administration" in the drop-down menu, and then "Business Minor"
- Step 3: Once you are admitted to the Business Minor, contact your academic advisor to have the Business Minor attached to your degree profile. This is an important step in the process! A student cannot be awarded the minor at graduation if it has not been added to his or her degree profile.
Business Minor Coursework
To earn the Business Minor, students complete the following coursework:
Lower-division courses
- MIS 302F - Foundations of Management Information Systems (See the complete list of equivalencies for MIS 302F in the MIS Equivalency Guide)
- ACC 310F - Foundations of Accounting (ACC 311 and ACC 312 can substitute if both are taken)
Note: Lower Division courses can be completed in-residence, transferred from other colleges and universities, through University Extension or satisfied via Credit-by-Exam. Registration in upper-division courses requires 45 semester hours on the UT record.
Upper-division courses
- FIN 320F - Foundations of Finance (ACC 310F is a pre-requisite for FIN 320F)
- LEB 320F - Foundations of Business Law (CANNOT be taken abroad)
- MAN 320F - Foundations of Management (or MAN 340 if taken through UTNY)
- MKT 320F - Foundations of Marketing
One of the following courses can be used as a substitute for LEB 320F, MAN 320F, or MKT 320F:
- BA 320F - Foundations of Entrepreneurship
- IB 320F - Foundations of International Business
- ECO 304K - Introduction to Microeconomics
Additional Requirements
To earn the business minor, a student must do the following:
- Be enrolled in any currently available UT Undergraduate Catalog
- Have at least a 2.0 overall UT GPA for admission to the minor
- Maintain a minimum 2.0 Business Minor coursework GPA to graduate with minor
- Complete and pass all required minor courses with a letter grade (D- can count as long as the overall Business Minor GPA remains above a 2.0)
- Take at least 50% of the Business Minor course work in-residence or through the McCombs Summer Institute (MSI). In-residence DOES NOT include University Extension, Transfer credit, or Credit-by-Exam
- Take no more than 50% of the coursework used to satisfy the minor on an approved study abroad program
Frequently Asked Questions
From whom should I seek advising related to the Business Minor?
Everyone in our department offers guidance to students exploring or enrolled in the Business Minor. Sarah Singer oversees the Texas Business Options team and meets with students Monday through Friday during normal business hours. In addition, our team of friendly, experienced peer advisors staff the information desk in the TBO office and are available for student advising Monday – Friday from 9:00 am to 3:00 PM. The entire team may be reached via email (BusinessOptions@mccombs.utexas.edu), by phone at 512-232-6748, or in-person in the Texas Business Options office, CBA 2.400.
Do I have to apply to the Business Minor in order to take courses required for the minor (i.e. ACC 310F, FIN 320F, etc.)?
No. Any undergraduate UT student who is a non-business major is eligible to enroll in these courses.
Are courses in the Business Minor available elsewhere? Can I transfer credit for courses into the Business Minor?
The University's Extension Division regularly offers the business minor courses. However, it is important to remember: if you plan to earn the Business Minor, no more than three non-residence courses may be substituted for courses taught in the McCombs School of Business. Non-residence courses include those taken through University Extension (UEX), transferred from other institutions, or earned through credit-by-exam. See the Automated Transfer Equivalency System to verify transfer credit. UEX courses are factored into a student's UT GPA.
May I take another course to satisfy the MIS 302F requirement?
A number of courses fulfill the MIS requirement. For a complete list, see the MIS Equivalency Guide.
Do any other UT-Austin accounting courses fulfill the ACC 310F requirement?
Credit for both ACC 311 (Financial Accounting) AND ACC 312 (Managerial Accounting) or their equivalents may be used to satisfy ACC 310F.
Do Business Minor courses have prerequisites?
Lower division minor courses have no prerequisites. Students must have credit for ACC 310F before they can register for FIN 320F. Students must have 45 hours of college credit before they can register for upper division business minor courses.
Can I use business minor courses toward a business degree at UT?
No. None of the courses required for the business minor count towards a business degree from UT, as these courses are specifically designed for non-business majors only.
May I take Business Minor courses on a pass/fail basis?
If you want to earn the Business Minor, you must take the required courses for a letter grade. You may take a course pass/fail only if the course is not counting toward the Business Minor.
Will courses I take on a UT study abroad program satisfy my Business Minor requirements?
Only certain pre-approved study abroad courses count as Business Minor equivalents. Visit the UT Study Abroad Office to see if your program has offered any Business Minor courses in the past. If you wish to take a course abroad that is not pre-approved in the MyCA database, you will need to obtain the syllabus for the program and work with the UT Study Abroad Office to have the course syllabus evaluated in the appropriate department. Please note that the course, Foundations of Business Law (LEB 320F) may not be taken abroad.
Will courses I take on a non-UT study abroad program satisfy my Business Minor requirements?
Although it is less likely a course from a non-UT study abroad program will count toward the Business Minor, you may request that the course be evaluated. You should petition using the Business Minor Substitution Request. Keep in mind that courses taken abroad on a non-UT program will be considered transfer credit. Also, at least 50 percent of Business Minor course work must be taken in-residence or through the McCombs Summer Institute. In-residence does NOT include University Extension, transfer credit, or credit-by-exam.
I took a business law class at another college. Can I count my "LEB 3 HRS" transfer credit as LEB 320F?
No. "LEB 3HRS" transfer credit is the equivalent of a lower division course. You need to have transfer credit for LEB 323 or LEB 320F in order for it to count toward the Business Minor.
Will I receive a printed document indicating I have completed the Business Minor? Will the Business Minor appear on my UT transcript?
While you will not receive a printed document (ex. a certificate), the Business Minor credential will be automatically applied to your transcript upon graduation, as long as you applied and were accepted to the minor, linked the credential to your degree profile, and successfully completed all requirements. The credential will appear on your official UT transcript when you officially graduate; it will not appear on your transcript any time before then - even if you complete the courses a semester or two before you graduate.
What is the Business Minor worth to employers or an MBA program?
The Business Minor is an enhancement to your major and sets you apart from job candidates who do not have business course credit. It demonstrates to potential employers that, in addition to knowledge of your major, you have fundamental business knowledge that you will bring to your job. Additionally, the courses will typically meet the prerequisite requirements for many graduate business programs.
I am a graduate student. How do I register for a Business Minor course?
On the first day of class, please bring a letter from your graduate advisor (on UT letterhead) to the McCombs BBA Office in CBA 2.400, stating that the course you wish to add may count toward the graduate degree in your program of study. We will accommodate based on course availability until the fifth class day.
Have you taken an equivalent course? Let us know.
If you have credit for a course you believe is equivalent to one of the courses required for the business minor, you may petition to have the course evaluated for possible substitution.
Complete the petition on the Business Minor Substitution Request website, and allow 2 to 3 weeks for processing.