Business Administration and Design, BS (Boston) < Northeastern University Academic Catalog

The combined major in business administration and design integrates the theory and practice of management through active learning and problem-driven research with the practice of understanding humans, their surrounding contexts and systems, and designing alternative futures. Students are well prepared through business foundations in accounting, innovation, marketing, management, and organizational behavior, with the opportunity to concentrate in a specific area of business.

The program also offers students a choice of design options: experience design, a holistic and integrative approach that focuses on the quality of the human experience in concrete situations; graphic design, the integration of text and image to communicate critical concepts; information design, the visualization and physicalization of data to enhance human understanding of complex knowledge; or interaction design, the creation of navigable interfaces and systems that allow audiences to take an active role to achieve meaningful goals.

Complete all courses listed below unless otherwise indicated. Also complete any corequisite labs, recitations, clinicals, or tools courses where specified and complete any additional courses needed beyond specific college and major requirements to satisfy graduation credit requirements.

Universitywide Requirements

All undergraduate students are required to complete the Universitywide Requirements.

NUpath Requirements

All undergraduate students are required to complete the NUpath Requirements.

Business Core Requirements

Course List
Code	Title	Hours
Introduction to College
BUSN 1102	Personal Skill Development for Business	1
or ARTF 1000	Art and Design at Northeastern
Mathematics
Complete one of the following. MATH 1231 is strongly recommended for this combined major:		4
MATH 1241	Calculus 1
MATH 1231	Calculus for Business and Economics
MATH 1241	Calculus 1
MATH 1245	Calculus with Applications
MATH 1251	Calculus and Differential Equations for Biology 1
MATH 1260	Math Fundamentals for Games
MATH 1340	Intensive Calculus for Engineers
MATH 1341	Calculus 1 for Science and Engineering
Macroeconomics and Microeconomics
ECON 1115	Principles of Macroeconomics	4
or ECON 1116	Principles of Microeconomics

Business Requirements

Course List
Code	Title	Hours
Accounting
ACCT 1201	Financial Accounting and Reporting	4
Business Statistics
Complete one of the following. MGSC 2301 is the recommended statistics course for this combined major:		4
MATH 2280	Statistics and Software
MATH 3081	Probability and Statistics
MGSC 2301	Business Statistics
International Business/Social Responsibility
INTB 1203	International Business and Global Social Responsibility	4
Marketing
MKTG 2201	Introduction to Marketing	4
Finance
FINA 2201	Financial Management	4
Organizational Behavior
ORGB 3201	Organizational Behavior	4
or ORGB 3203	Behavioral Aspects of Digital Transformation
Strategy in Action
STRT 4501	Strategy in Action	4
Business Core Option
Complete one of the following:		4
ACCT 2301	Profit Analysis for Managers and Advisors
INNO 2301	Innovation!
MISM 2301	Introduction to Information Systems and Digital Technologies
SCHM 2301	Supply Chain and Operations Management
Professional Development
BUSN 1103	Professional Development for Business Co-op	1
or EEAM 2000	Professional Development for Co-op

Business Concentration

One concentration is required. A second concentration is optional.

Accounting
Accounting and Advisory Services
Brand Management
Business Analytics
Corporate Innovation
Entrepreneurial Startups
Finance
Fintech
Healthcare Management and Consulting
International Business (available only as a second concentration)
Management
Management Information Systems
Marketing
Marketing Analytics
Social Innovation and Entrepreneurship
Supply Chain Management

Design Requirements

Course List
Code	Title	Hours
Art + Design Fundamentals Required
ARTF 1220	Elements of Visual Composition (with optional ARTF 1221)	2
Art + Design Fundamentals Electives
Complete 6 semester hours of the following:		6
ARTF 1200	Representational Drawing
ARTF 1210	Abstract Drawing
ARTF 1230 and ARTF 1231	Making with Form and Materials and Making with Form and Materials Tools
ARTF 1240 and ARTF 1241	Making with Video, Sound, and Animation and Making with Video, Sound, and Animation Tools
ARTF 1250 and ARTF 1251	Designing Interactive Experiences and Designing Interactive Experiences Tools
Design Required
ARTG 1001 and ARTG 1002	Design Perspectives: An Introduction to Design in the World and Seminar for Design Perspectives	4
ARTG 1270 and ARTG 1271	Design: Process + Practices and Studio for Design: Process + Practices	4
ARTG 1290 and ARTG 1291	Typographic Systems and Studio for Typographic Systems	4
ARTG 2262 and ARTG 2263	Prototyping with Code and Lab for ARTG 2262 (or ARTG Design Elective) ¹	4
Art + Design History Elective
Complete 4 semester hours of ARTH courses. ARTH 1001 Visual Intelligence and ARTH 1002 Seminar in Visual Intelligence is recommended to fulfill this requirement.		4
Art + Design Elective
Complete 4 semester hours of ARTD, ARTE, ARTF, ARTG, ARTH, ARTS, or GAME courses for which prerequisites have been met.		4
If any topics course is completed more than once, the additional completions may be allowed toward the electives.
Degree Capstone Project
ARTG 4550	Design Degree Project	4

¹: For students interested in the PlusOne in Information Design and Data Visualization, speak with an advisor about an alternative course option to Prototyping with Code (ARTG 2262) and Lab for ARTG 2262 (ARTG 2263).

Design Option

Course List
Code	Title	Hours
Complete one of the following options:		8
Creative Fabrication
ARTG 2810	Creative Fabrication Design Principles
ARTG 3810	Topics in Creative Fabrication Inquiry
Experience Design
ARTG 3462	Experience Design Principles
ARTG 3464	Topics In Experience Design Inquiry
Graphic Design
ARTG 2252	Graphic Design Principles
ARTG 3452	Topics In Graphic Design Inquiry
Information Design
ARTG 2242	Information Design Principles
ARTG 3444	Topics in Information Design Inquiry ²
Interaction Design
ARTG 2400	Interaction Design Principles (with optional ARTG 2401)
ARTG 3400	Topics In Interaction Design Inquiry

²: For students interested in the PlusOne in Information Design and Data Visualization, speak with an advisor about an alternative course option to Topics in Information Design Inquiry (ARTG 3444).

Integrative Course

Course List
Code	Title	Hours
Note: Integrative course is required above.
ARTG 4550	Design Degree Project

Business Experiential Learning

Course List
Code	Title	Hours
Complete at least one of the following experiences:		0-8
BUSN 4945	In-the-Field Experiential Professional Practicum
COOP 3945	Co-op Work Experience
COOP 3946	Co-op Work Experience--Half Time
COOP 3947	Co-op Work Experience Abroad--Half Time
COOP 3948	Co-op Work Experience Abroad
EEBA 2945	Internship Experience
EEBA 2948	Internship Experience Abroad

Business GPA Requirement

A minimum 2.000 GPA in business courses is required.

Program Requirement

128 total semester hours required

Sample Plan of Study

Four Years, Two Co-ops in Summer Second Half/Fall

Year 1
Fall	Hours	Spring	Hours	Summer 1	Hours	Summer 2	Hours
ACCT 1201	4	ARTG 1270 and ARTG 1271	4	ARTG 1290 and ARTG 1291	4	ARTF elective 2	2
ARTF 1220 (with optional ARTF 1221)	2	ECON 1115 or 1116	4	Elective	4	ARTF elective 3	2
ARTF elective 1	2	MGSC 2301	4			Elective	4
ARTG 1001 and ARTG 1002	4	MATH elective	4
BUSN 1102 or ARTF 1000	1	EEAM 2000 (For CAMD Students)	1
ENGW 1111	4
	17		17		8		8
Year 2
Fall	Hours	Spring	Hours	Summer 1	Hours	Summer 2	Hours
ARTG 2262 and ARTG 2263	4	BUSN 1103 (For DMSB Students)	1	FINA 2201	4	Co-op	0
INTB 1203	4	ARTH elective	4	Elective	4
MKTG 2201	4	Business concentration introductory course	4
Design option level 1	4	Business core option	4
		Design option level 2	4
	16		17		8		0
Year 3
Fall	Hours	Spring	Hours	Summer 1	Hours	Summer 2	Hours
Co-op	0	ENGW 3314 or 3315	4	Business concentration elective 2	4	Co-op	0
		ORGB 3201 or 3203	4	Elective	4
		A+D elective	4
		Business concentration elective 1	4
	0		16		8		0
Year 4
Fall	Hours	Spring	Hours
Co-op	0	ARTG 4550	4
		STRT 4501	4
		Business concentration	4
		Elective	4
	0		16
Total Hours: 131

Academic Catalog 2025-2026

Business Administration and Design, BS (Boston)