Associate in Arts in Business Administration for Transfer (AA-T)

Associate in Arts in Business Administration for Transfer (AA-T)

Napa Valley College

Criteria A: Appropriateness to Mission

Goals and Objectives:

This Associate in Arts in Business Administration (AA-T) degree is aligned with the Business Administration TMC and prepares students for seamless transfer into the California State University system in a Business Administration baccalaureate program. Students successfully completing this program of study will be able to:

Apply current business computer applications.
Interact professionally through oral and written communication.
Analyze and solve business problems using a variety of methods.
Demonstrate professional and ethical behavior.
Apply knowledge of accounting principles.
Apply knowledge of management techniques and business theory.
Apply knowledge of economic principles to business and personal problems.
Develop career plan electives.

Catalog Description:

The Associate of Arts degree with a major in Business Administration acknowledges that the student has established a foundation of knowledge in the fields of business and management. This foundation can be used as a basis for further study towards a baccalaureate degree at a transfer institution. To fulfill the requirements for this degree, students will complete the required courses and work with a counselor to determine the appropriate pattern of general education courses based on the students’ individual educational goals.

Apply current business computer applications.
Interact professionally through oral and written communication.
Analyze and solve business problems using a variety of methods.
Demonstrate professional and ethical behavior.
Apply knowledge of accounting principles.
Apply knowledge of management techniques and business theory.
Apply knowledge of economic principles to business and personal problems.
Develop career plan electives.

Total Units in Area of Emphasis: 29 (10 units double counted in CSU GE/IGETC).

Total Units in GE (CSU and IGETC): 39-42 units

Total Degree Units: 60

Program Requirements:

Area of Emphasis

Required Core Courses (19 units)

Complete all of the following courses to total 19 units:CSU GE/IGETC

ACCT 125:Financial Accounting5 units

ACCT 126:Managerial Accounting5 units

ECON 101:Principles of Microeconomics3 unitsCSU GE/IGETC Core

ECON 100:Principles of Macroeconomics3 unitsCSU GE/IGETC Core

BUSI 103:Legal Environment of Business3 units

List A. Business Administration Required Math (4 units)

Complete one course totaling 3 units:

MATH 232:Introduction to Statistics4 unitsCSU GE/IGETC List A

List B. Business Administration Electives (6 units):

Complete the following courses to total 6 units:

CISA 110Introduction to Microcomputers3 units

BUSI 100Introduction to Business3 units

Area of Emphasis Totals:29 units

Units Double-Counted in GE:(10) Units

CSU GE Breadth or IGETC: 39-42 Units

CSU Transferable Electives:As needed

Degree Unit Totals:60 Units

Background and Rationale

The Business Administration Program at NVC developed a local degree designed for transfer in 2009 in response to local student needs for a more coherent path for transfer preparation in the area of Business Administration. The attached Associate in Arts in Business Administration for Transfer proposal modifies the earlier degree by aligning it with the Business Administration TMC developed in the June 2011.

After the final TMC was published, the NVC Business and Computer Studies faculty, in consultation with the VPI and AO, reviewed the lower division major requirements at surrounding CSUs, including Sonoma State University, Chico State, Sacramento State, San Jose State, San Francisco State, and Humboldt State and determined that a TMC-aligned degree using existing department curricula would meet the needs of the majority of transfer students in their program. The department used seven existing courses for the new TMC degree and revised the C-ID Descriptor for one course (CISA 101, Computer Information Systems).

The Business Administration Program at NVC is very small given the size of the college, representing one full-time faculty member and four adjunct faculty members. The program enrolls approximately 500+ students in eight course sections each year. The program also offers an A.S degree in Business Administration and a 12-unit Entrepreneurial Certificate of Achievement. The high schools in both Napa and Sonoma counties have vibrant, well-developed business curriculum that articulates with NVC for BUSI 100, Introduction to Business and BUSI 143 Entrepreneurial Business Plan courses. In December of each year, the Napa high schools compete along with NVC’s business students in a business plan competition. As a result, many local high school students have experience NVC during their senior year of high school and are excited to enroll at NVC for their certificates or degrees.

The Business Administration Department’s curriculum and class offerings are largely focused on meeting transfer requirements, particularly with the local CSU campuses listed above. The addition of this AA-T degree will build on the established department’s mission and provide a clean transfer path for students pursuing a baccalaureate degree in Business Administration.

Business Administration Program Mission Statement

The Business Administration program at Napa Valley College (NVC) empowers and prepares students to develop practical business skills while refining their ability to apply and solve real-life business-related problems. NVC’s business program offers a comprehensive range of relevant business courses concentrating on either an Associate of Science degree in Business Administration or an Associate of Arts-Transfer degree in Business Administration.

Criteria B: Need

5. Enrollment and Completer Projections:

AA-T applications do no need the data or narrative contained in this section.

6. Place of Proposed Change in the Curriculum

This program will modify the following existing degree in the curriculum inventory:

Business Management: TOP-050600

The Associate in Arts in Business Administration for Transfer (AA-T) will complement the local AS degree in Business Administration, but provide a clear educational path for students applying for transfer to the CSU system. This is particularly important for students in the NVC Business Administration program who routinely transfer to business programs at Sonoma State, Sacramento State, San Francisco State, and San Jose State Universities, among others. Since 2010, the department has seen an increase in transfer-seeking students who are coming directly to NVC from high school rather than applying to the CSUs or UCs for their freshmen years.

The courses in this degree are shared with existing programs in Accounting, Computer Information Systems, Economics, and Office Administration. The TMC for the Business Administration AA-T degree at the state level suggests either Introduction to Business (100) or Business Communication (105) under List B. However, NVC decided to eliminate Business Communication (105) from the Business Administration AA-T degree since the state considers a First-Year Composition course a prerequisite for Business Communication (105). According to the subject-matter expert in the Office Administration Program, NVC’s English (120) is not on par with Business (105) in terms of fulfilling the English Composition graduation component. Therefore, under List B, student may choose only Introduction to Business (100) and not Business Communication (105) to fulfill this AA-T’s degree requirement.

The department currently offers eight sections to meet the anticipated enrollments and applications for this degree. The department does not anticipate a large increase in enrollments in the department as a result of this degree modification; however, it will better serve the increasing population of transfer-oriented students who are currently enrolling at NVC and in the Business Administration program. This degree program will be housed in the Business Administration Program, a part of the Business and Computer Studies Division at NVC.

7. Impact on Other Colleges