Business Major

What is the business major?

The UC Davis Bachelor of Science in Business offers an integrated curriculum that balances theoretical insights with practical skills for real-world impact. Core courses—often group-focused—foster collaboration and hands-on experience in management, marketing, finance and accounting.

To build a strong analytical foundation, students complete essential quantitative coursework in calculus, economics, statistics and accounting. These courses sharpen decision-making skills, enabling students to analyze complex business problems, interpret data and navigate financial and economic trends.

By blending collaborative projects with rigorous analytical training, the major experience will prepare graduates ready to tackle strategic and quantitative challenges in diverse fields—from finance to entrepreneurship.

Why should I pursue a business major?

A business major equips you with skills to lead, innovate, and excel in today’s dynamic world. 

The UC Davis Bachelor of Science in Business offers you four in-demand specializations tailored to meet the challenges of modern business:

  • Accounting: Develop a strong foundation in financial management that is essential for businesses across all industries.
  • Finance: Acquire essential skills in managing strategic financial decisions faced by companies and investors, focusing on how to raise and deploy capital to maximize shareholder holder value.
  • Marketing & Business Analytics: Develop the skills needed to understand consumer behavior, leverage data-driven insights, and inform business decisions in a rapidly evolving, competitive marketplace.
  • Strategy & Management: Gain the leadership and problem-solving skills needed to address business challenges, make data-driven strategic decisions, and foster effective teams.

Your business journey starts here—with the skills and knowledge to thrive in any industry.

Specializations

Specialization Course Requirements

Accounting

(Take all four)

  • Intermediate Financial Accounting I
  • Intermediate Financial Accounting II
  • Intermediate Financial Accounting III
  • Management Accounting and Control

Finance

(Choose four)

  • Portfolio Management
  • Buyouts & Acquisitions
  • Venture Capital and Finance of Innovation
  • Financial Management of the Firm
  • Capital Markets
  • Futures & Options Markets
  • Money, Banks & Financial Institutions
  • International Finance

Marketing and Business Analytics

(Choose four)

  • Marketing Analytics
  • Customer Analytics
  • Managing Business Databases
  • Econometrics for Business Decisions
  • Managerial Marketing
  • Economics & Business Data Analytics

Strategy and Management

(Choose four)

  • Management of Innovation & Entrepreneurship
  • Negotiations
  • Teams and Leadership
  • Strategic Management
  • Decision Making
  • Industrial Organization
  • Theory of Games & Strategic Behavior

Career Paths

Alumni from the UC Davis Graduate School of Management are game changers across industries, driving innovation empowered by collaborative leadership. Whether at Fortune 500 companies, launching sustainable startups, or trailblazing in fields like food and ag, biotech and clean energy, our alumni redefine what’s possible.

Explore potential paths from the four specializations of the business major:

Accounting

Job TypeCompany Example
AccountantsRobert Half
Staff AccountantsAston Carter
Tax AccountantsIntuit
Cost AccountantsVaco
Internal AuditorsCreative Financial Staffing
Project AccountantsGPAC
Audit ManagersElevance Health
Accounting AssociatesRandstad
Property AccountantsJobot
AuditorsCyberCoders
Audit AssociatesForvis
Accounting InternsCherry Bekaert
Internal Audit ManagersAlter Domus
Accountants/BookkeepersManpowerGroup
Certified Public AccountantsJCPenney
Revenue AccountantsKforce
Payroll AccountantsPricewaterhouseCoopers
Financial AccountantsBeacon Hill Staffing Group
Corporate AccountantsBaker Tilly
Audit and Reimbursement LeadsCrowe

Marketing and Business Analytics

Job TypeCompany Example
Business Development RepresentativesFord
Marketing SpecialistsSkechers
Marketing AssistantsAmazon
Business Development SpecialistsStaples
Digital Marketing SpecialistsSystem One
Marketing AssociatesWolters Kluwer
Social Media SpecialistsRobert Half
Business Development AssociatesJensen Landscape Services
Social Media CoordinatorsConcentrix
Marketing InternsAt Home
Field Marketing RepresentativesPayPal
BDC RepresentativesHumana
Product SpecialistsJPMorgan Chase
Marketing AnalystsPearson Education
Marketing ConsultantsAndersen Windows
InfluencersCracker Barrel
Retail Product SpecialistsAbbott Laboratories
Marketing StrategistsGPAC
Content Marketing SpecialistsTexas Roadhouse
Product AnalystsNelnet
Data AnalystsDeloitte
Business Intelligence AnalystsAccenture
Enterprise ArchitectsPricewaterhouseCoopers
Oracle Cloud HCM ConsultantsInsight Global
Data ModelersRandstad
Data Governance AnalystsMerit America
Principal ArchitectsLincoln Financial Group
Enterprise Solutions ArchitectsKPMG
SAP Successfactors ManagerBeacon Hill Staffing Group
Solutions ArchitectsInfosys
Data Quality AnalystsDiverse Lynx
SAP ConsultantsErnst & Young
Data Management AnalystsKforce
Data Analytics EngineersSmx Corporation Limited
SAP EWM ConsultantsCardinal Health
SAP FICO ConsultantsOracle
Data Analytics InternsAllied Universal
Oracle HCM Consultants 
Data and Reporting Analysts 
SAP Functional Consultants 

Finance

Job TypeCompany Example
Financial AnalystsRobert Half
Financial Planning and Analysis AnalystsDeloitte
Pricing AnalystsJohnson & Johnson
Finance AnalystsAmazon
Treasury AnalystsLincoln Financial Group
Accounting AnalystsAston Carter
Pricing ManagersPrime Therapeutics
Portfolio ManagersJPMorgan Chase
Financial Systems AnalystsCitigroup
Investment AnalystsUniversity of California
Financial Planning AnalystsUS Bank
Financial Reporting AnalystsWells Fargo
Lead Financial AnalystsCBRE
Financial Management AnalystsLumen Technologies
Fiscal AnalystsDisability Solutions
Financial Data AnalystsBausch Health
Investment Banking AnalystsAmentum
Revenue AnalystsElevance Health
Business Development AnalystsTruist Financial
Revenue Cycle AnalystsVaco

Strategy and Management

Job TypeCompany Example
Business AnalystsWells Fargo
IT Business AnalystsElevance Health
Program AnalystsDeloitte
Business Process AnalystsLincoln Financial Group
Business Data AnalystsAccenture
Management AnalystsUnited States Department of the Treasury
Management and Program AnalystsPrime Therapeutics
Business Operations AnalystsRandstad
Analytics ManagersState of California
Business ConsultantsAmazon
Lead Business AnalystsUSAA
Salesforce Business AnalystsInsight Global
Solutions ConsultantsUnited States Department of Defense
Implementation ConsultantsGovCIO
Business Services AnalystsCigna
Independent OperatorsPublic Consulting Group
Project Controls AnalystsKforce
Business Process ConsultantsRobert Half
Servicenow Business AnalystsIntermountain Health
Business Applications AnalystsJPMorgan Chase