Business Administration

Studying Business Administration at USC Marshall has been one of the most defining experiences of my college life. I chose this major because I wanted a strong foundation in economics, strategy, and leadership, and I’ve found that Marshall delivers on that — especially for students willing to take initiative and go beyond the minimum. What I appreciated most was the practical, real-world application of what we learned. Many classes involved case studies, Excel modeling, and presentations that mimicked real consulting or business environments, which made the content feel relevant and high-stakes.

Learning Business is about networking, connecting, and recruiting in my opinion. While theories are needed to establish a foundation, more emphasis should be placed on expanding your social circle than earning a high GPA. Explore career or professional student organizations early as they often offer good opportunities to your interest careers. Business is a broad category, be sure to understand each sub-categories of business (finance, accounting, consulting, BD, BA, etc.) to find your best fit.

I study AI for business at USC (so a bit of a tangent from the traditional business degree). The business classes are all fairly simple as long as you put in effort outside of class hours (ie. you do need to study). The harder workload comes from the more advanced classes such as BUAD313 or BUAD312. However, their counterparts (311 & 310) are much simpler. The engineering classes are a bit more difficult and time-intensive, which may be why I consider the business portion a bit easier. I think it is doable to graduate with high degrees if you are in regular BA.

Stern has felt less like a classroom and more like a launchpad. I'm in the BTE track, so my week bounces between accounting, Java, and ops management.

What I wish I'd known: nobody hands you the opportunity, and the city is part of the curriculum. I spent my first few months waiting to feel "ready" before cold-emailing founders or pitching ideas, and that wasted time. The people I look up to in New York are surprisingly reachable, and one good conversation can teach more than a week of lectures.

I really love Marshall, the professors and students are all very ambitious and dedicated. There is a lot of hands-on learning and in-class discussions, so while there are a lot of lectures it is still very interactive. I’ve felt very prepared for the workplace and think that my classes have taught me a lot that I’ve been able to apply to my internships.

As a current student in USC's Business Administration program, I've found the experience at the Marshall School of Business to be incredibly dynamic and rewarding. The program excels in blending rigorous academic theory with practical, real-world application, forcing us to tackle relevant case studies and collaborative projects from day one. What truly sets it apart, however, is the unparalleled power of the Trojan network; the access to internships, guest lecturers from top industries, and a genuinely supportive alumni base is tangible and invaluable. The curriculum is flexible enough to explore diverse interests, from finance to marketing analytics, all while being surrounded by ambitious, bright peers and supportive faculty, which collectively creates an environment that truly prepares you for a successful career.

Coming from a chemistry background in my freshman year, I pair my analytical thinking with my interpersonal “soft skills” at my current business administration major. I think the thing about Business is not particularly the courses taken, but instead the networking and connections built. It is also a career that focuses specially on career development. For me, being at the Marshall School of Business provided me with tons of resources, including Trojan Talks (investment bank info sessions), free Wall Street Prep accounts, and many more. Overall a great experience so far and definitely looking forward to what comes next.

probably the most important thing in this career path is to find the right internships and mentors to guide you along the way to help you gain real world experience as quickly as possible

Coursework of Business administration is easier than I thought. But for this major, the extracurricular activities are more important. You need to be proactive to participate in info sessions and networking events.

I am planning to go into the startup space. NYU is not super big into this space yet, but it is definitely growing. There is a great program called BTE and other clubs such as EEG that give you a lot of exposure into the space.

Doing the BTM program at Tandon (not Stern) requires a lot of STEM knowledge (chem, physics, math, and CS). You really only start to take any business / innovation classes during your Sophomore year.

I chose Business because it is incredibly broad but the foundation of every industry. After I got to NYU Stern, I explored different careers ranging from entrepreneurship, strategy, and finance. I did several coffee chats and clubs, and through that I chose investment banking. I chose it because it is a fast-paced environment and an incredible learning opportunity. I would highly recommend to anyone interested in learning about M&A and are willing to work long hours.

Business coursework is not difficult but extracurricular things are very important and a totally different type of grind. Even if you’re smart academically you need to develop people skills/learn about clubs recruiting ETC because that’s much more important imo

One of the things I’ve appreciated most about BTE is how much flexibility it gives you to explore different interests without feeling like you have to fit into one specific career path. I came into Stern knowing I was interested in the intersection of business and technology, but the major has helped me explore those interests in a much more hands-on and creative way. I’ve also loved how close-knit the BTE community is—it’s small enough that you really get to know the people in your cohort and learn from each other. My biggest advice would be to take advantage of that community and say yes to opportunities, even if you’re not completely sure where they’ll lead. You don’t need to have your career figured out when you choose BTE; part of the value of the major is getting to explore what excites you along the way.

Study abroad is a big part of what makes it cool. If you are interested in exploring and making friends from all corners of the world, this is a good place to be. If you want the typical college experience, go elsewhere.

The business major here is very dynamic, especially because they encourage you to get a double major (or a minor) with the arts & sciences school. There’s a good amount of different classes to take.