Degree Requirements

Curriculum Overview

Three signature components of the Kelley curriculum will give you the knowledge and the experience to thrive in any industry.

Kelley students typically begin to finalize their major in the third year in the program, so a three part series was designed to help students feel confident in choosing a major that fits them best. Kelley Compass, the Global Foundations Core, and the Integrated Core (I-Core) will give students a comprehensive knowledge base in each essential division of business. These courses will also help shape your personal brand: what values, beliefs, and passions will inspire future employers, associates, and customers to believe in your vision? What unique strengths will you leverage in teamwork scenarios? How do you become a leader people want to follow?

In addition to the signature components of the Kelley Degree, students have several courses to prepare them for success in I-Core and major courses that are taken in the first and second year. Students are encouraged to consult an advisor for courses satisfied by transfer credit, prerequisites of second year courses, and what honors versions are available.

First Year

  • ENG-W 131: English Composition (3 credits)
  • BUS-C 104 / C 106 (H): Business Presentations (3 credits)
  • BUS-T 175: Compass I (1.5 credits)
  • MATH-M 118 / S 118: Finite Math (3 credits)
  • MATH-M 119 / M 211: Calculus (3 credits)
  • BUS-K 201 / K204 (H): Computers in Business (3 credits)
  • BUS-A 100: Basic Accounting (8 weeks, 1 credit)
  • ECON-E 201 / S 201 (H): Microeconomics

Second Year

  • BUS-C 204 / C 205 (H): Business Communication (3 credits)
  • BUS-T 275: Compass II (1.5 credits)
  • BUS-K 303 / K 304 (H): Technology & Business Analysis (3 credits)
  • BUS-L 201 / L 293 (H): Legal Environment of Business (3 credits)
  • BUS-A 201 / A 205 (H): Financial Accounting (3 credits)
  • BUS-A 202 / A 207 (H): Managerial Accounting (3 credits)
  • ECON-E 370 or STAT-S 301 or MATH-M 365: Statistics (3 credits)
  • BUS-D 270: Global Business Environments (8 weeks, 1.5 credits)
  • BUS-X 271: Global Business Analysis (8 weeks, 1.5 credits) OR BUS-X 272: Global Business Immersion (8 weeks, 3 credits)
  • BUS-G 202: Business, Government, & Society (2 credits)

Considered the DNA of the Kelley curriculum, students will take one class per year during the first three years. Each course is designed build upon the other in order to drive major decision-making during the Kelley degree.

Kelley Compass 1: The Individual

  • Review interests and personality inventories and reflecting on your values and priorities
  • Story mining and skill discovery
  • Build social media and brand strategies
  • Create a comprehensive and market-ready personal-branding deliverable
  • BUS-T 175 (1.5 credits)

You will discover possible career matches by:

  • Researching Kelley School majors and considering the academic paths available at Kelley and IUB
  • Interviewing professionals and analyzing corporate culture
  • Identifying concepts of success and setting effective goals
  • Building your professional network

Kelley Compass 2: The Team

  • Explore and report the benefits of diversity in the workplace
  • Collaborate with teammates to solve a real-world diversity challenge
  • Construct competitive resumes and cover letters
  • Research companies to find your fit and develop relevant and meaningful questions to ask professionals
  • Strengthen your professionalism and expand your professional portfolio
  • Practice and polish your networking and interviewing skills
  • Create effective teams that leverage individual diversity
  • Construct strategies for recognizing and resolving conflict
  • Articulate useful feedback to peers
  • BUS-T 275 (1.5 credits)

Kelley Compass 3: The Business Professional

  • Learn self-awareness, self-management, empathy, and relationship management theory and technique
  • Flex leadership style to maximize your influence with different personality types
  • Lead among peers—without title, status, or position
  • Plan, propose, carry out, and reflect on a substantial project that impacts others
  • Trace, measure, and evaluate influence
  • Develop the leadership skills necessary to succeed in I-Core
  • BUS-T 375 (1 credit): an online course taken with I-Core

During the second year, Global Foundations Core classes give strategies to analyze and interpret the economic, social, political, legal, cultural, and technological influences that drive the global economy. Students learn how to evaluate a region or nation for business investment or expansion. Additionally, students will determine the factors—such as infrastructure, climate, region, and politics—that may or may not support certain types of business.

  • BUS-D 270: Global Business Environments (8 weeks, 1.5 credits)
    • BUS-D 270 must be completed with a C or better before taking BUS-X 271 or BUS-X 272
  • BUS-X 271: Global Business Analysis (8 weeks, 1.5 cr)
    • Various departments provide this class each semester, therefore topics will also vary.
    • BUS-D 270 and BUS-X 271 may be taken in the same semester
  • BUS-X 272: Global Business Immersion (8 weeks, 3 credits)
    • Various departments provide this class each spring, therefore topics and countries will also vary.
    • This class has an embedded overseas travel opportunity to give a first-hand view of what was learned in class. 
    • An application is submitted in the early fall semester, and the course is taken in the spring semester.  Travel times are either during Spring Break, or immediately following spring finals.
  • BUS-G 202: Business, Government, & Society (2 credits)

  • A block of four classes that bridge together the relationships among finance, marketing, operations, and leadership. During the semester, students will focus on:
    • Group work
    • Real-time experiences, designed to challenge students in solving cross-functional business problems
    • Develop professional and leadership skills
  • I-Core Case: an extensive and intense team project in which students demonstrate what they have learned. This is often referred to as the Kelley "rite of passage."
  • Available in fall, spring, or summer terms
  • BUS-BE 375 (12 credits) + BUS-T 375 (1 credit)
    • Each I-Core component and Kelley Compass III must be completed with a C or better
    • Course breakdown:
      • BUS-F 370: Finance
      • BUS-M 370: Marketing
      • BUS-P 370: Operations
      • BUS-Z 370: Leadership
      • BUS-T 375: Kelley Compass III
  • Special Notes

To round out the Kelley experience, students take general education courses, explore minors, discover personal interest courses, and learn more about the ethical reasoning and strategic directions within business.

  • General Education: Must be noted as “IUB GEN ED”. Check with an advisor to ensure the correct course is being taken.
    • IUB GEN ED Arts & Humanities (A&H): 6 credits
    • IUB GEN ED Natural Science: 3 credits
    • IUB GEN ED World Language & Culture (WLC): 6 credits
      • Language Proficiency
      • Study Abroad Program (6 weeks or longer)
      • Culture Classes
  • BUS-L 375: Ethics and the 21st Century Business Leader (10 weeks, 2 credits)
  • BUS-J 375: Strategic Management (3 credits)
  • ECON-E 202: Macroeconomics (3 credits)
    • Pre-requisite of a Kelley Study Abroad Program
  • Optional minor(s) outside of Kelley

Kelley Graduation Requirements

Students are encouraged to check their own degree progress, by reviewing the Academic Advisement Report. This report will show an unofficial transcript, transfer credit, Kelley Program and IU GPA, Major GPA, satisfied and unsatisfied degree requirements.

Use "The Blue Sheet" as your general planning guide. 

Indiana University students must complete 120 credits, although Kelley students often complete more due to varying major and minor combinations, and in preparation for the CPA exam.

Kelley students must maintain good academic standing with a minimum cumulative program GPA of 2.0 (grade of C) and a minimum 2.0 GPA in your specific business major(s). Required credit hour totals depend on the year that you matriculated to IU Bloomington.


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