University of Nebraska at Omaha
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Dual Major in Foreign Language and Business Administration
"If I'm selling to you, I will speak your language; if I'm buying, then you must speak mine!"
Willy Brandt
Former German Chancellor
The degree Bachelor of Science in Business Administration (BSBA) is offered with a dual major in foreign languages. The second major may be in French, German, or Spanish. Students will follow the business curriculum.
Over the past 15 years global direct investment has risen from $47 billion to over $827 billion and the number of non-US companies trading on the NYSE has more than tripled. The belief that competition is merely or even mainly domestic is no longer valid (Domke-Damonte, 2002).
Over 75% of the US firms face import competition but only 10% export. As US firms work to correct this imbalance, the need for business leaders who possess multilingual and multicultural competencies will skyrocket (Loghrin-Sacco, 2003).
Today's competitive and global marketplace has created a need for leaders who understand the challenges involved in conducting business on an international scale, including an understanding of other languages and cultures.
There is an increasing number of expatriate assignments and overseas travel required of businesses.
It is increasingly common that new hires be expected to be bi- and tri-lingual, and be familiar with other languages.
Requirements
Native speakers of these languages should see their departmental advisor regarding major requirements.
- All foreign language majors must complete a minimum of 12 credit hours in the major language at the 3000 or 4000 level in residence at UNO.
- It is strongly recommended that all foreign language majors include a study abroad component of at least one month during the second half of their program of study.
- All courses credited to a major or minor must be passed with a grade of "C-" or better.
- Courses in the 1110, 1120, 2110, 2120 sequences may not be taken out of order. Students must pass the prerequisite course with a grade of "C" or better before taking the next course in the sequence, and may not take an earlier course in any sequence for credit once they have received credit in a later course in any sequence.
- All 3000 and 4000 courses may be taken for honors credit in cooperation with the honors program.
Academic Advising
A student can begin a language without any prior experience and still complete the dual major program within a four-year period with regular academic advising. Students will need to meet with advisors in both areas.
- To schedule an appointment with a foreign language advisor stop by Arts & Sciences Hall, Room 301, or call 554-2862
- To schedule an appointment with a business advisor stop by Roskens Hall, Room 310 or call 554-3419
A Sample Schedule
The following is an example of course selection for freshman and sophomore years. Each student's schedule will differ based on results of the Math, English, and Foreign Language Placement Exams, and other scheduling factors. At least one foreign language course must be taken every semester.
| Credits | Course# | Course Name |
| FIRST FRESHMAN SEMESTER (minimum 15 credit hours) | ||
|---|---|---|
| 3 | ENGL 1150 | English Composition I |
| 3 | MATH 1310 | Intermediate Algebra |
| 3 | FRENCH / SPANISH / or GERMAN (assumes testing into sophomore-level language class) |
|
| 4-5 | Natural Science with lab (elective) | |
| SECOND FRESHMAN SEMESTER (minimum 15 credit hours) | ||
| 3 | ENGL 1160 | English Composition II |
| 3 | MATH 1320 | Intermediate Algebra |
| 3 | SPCH 1110 | Public Speaking |
| 3 | FRENCH / SPANISH / or GERMAN | |
| 3 | Social Science (elective) | |
| FIRST SOPHOMORE SEMESTER | ||
| 3 | ACCT 2010 | Principles of Accounting I |
| 3 | ECON 2200 | Principles of Economics: Micro |
| 3 | FRENCH / SPANISH / or GERMAN | |
| 3 | Natural Science (elective) | |
| 3 | Social Science (elective) | |
| SECOND SOPHOMORE SEMESTER (15 credit hours) | ||
| 3 | ACCT 2020 | Principles of Accounting II |
| 3 | ECON 2020 | Principles of Economics: Macro |
| 4 | BSAD 3160 | Managerial Statistics for Bus. |
| 3 | FRENCH / SPANISH / or GERMAN | |
| 3 | Social Science (elective) | |
| JUNIOR / SENIOR YEAR | ||
| Upper Division Business Core required of all business students (28 hrs.) | ||
| Business Specialization (18-24 hrs.) | ||
| Choose one: | ||
| Accounting | 24 hours |
| Economics | 18 hours |
| Finance | 18 hours |
| Management | 18 hours |
| Marketing | 18 hours |
| Real Estate | 18 hours |
Students with prior language study or experience must take a Foreign Language Placement Exam through the UNO Testing Center (554-4800). To fulfill requirements for the Foreign Language major, students must complete 30 hours of a language at the 3000-4000 level. Summer study abroad opportunities for French, German, and Spanish are available. Six credits of foreign language may be earned in as little as four to five weeks.
Natural Sciences — minimum, 8 hours
Social Sciences — minimum, 8 hours, which must include one U.S. racial course and one cultural diversity course
Humanities — Foreign language courses will also apply as international dimension, and as electives.
Note: Distribution requirements should be selected from the approved list of courses, which must also include satisfying six hours of cultural diversity and nine hours of international dimension. Check with an academic advisor for the approved list of courses to satisfy each requirement.
- Minimum of 125 credit hours forthe BSBA degree, half of which must be from courses outside CBA.
- Minimum 2.5 GPA; 2.5 GPA in CBA courses
- 55 credit hours in Upper Division Business Core courses
- 2.0 ("C") or above in all Pre-Business and Upper Division Business Core courses.