Business Minor

The Business Minor is for students earning Undergraduate degrees in colleges other than the Gies College of Business. The Business Minor provides coursework through which Non-Business students learn skills used in business. The Business Minor is not available to Gies College of Business students and Technology and Management Minor students. The Business Minor is not to be considered as preparation for transfer into the Gies College of Business to earn an Undergraduate Business degree.

Because this is an open enrollment minor, we cannot guarantee minor completion and/or course availability.

  • How do I declare the Business Minor?

    To be able to declare the Business Minor you must follow the following guidelines...

    1. You must be an undergraduate student at UIUC that is not a Gies major student
    2. You must have earned 30 credit hours
    3. You must fill out the Minor Declaration Form

    The Business Minor is an open minor. There is no formal application or interview to declare the minor.

  • Am I restricted to sections of Business Minor courses?

    Yes, Business minor students have some course restrictions. Business minor students must enroll in the online sections of Gies required courses unless there are no online sections offered such is the case with some business minor elective courses . Specific information about course registration and course restrictions are noted in the class description by using the class schedule in the Course Explorer.

    If a course is closed/full you can keep checking back using the Student Self-Service registration system or you are welcome to use the Notify feature by logging into the Course Explorer.  You will receive an email notification when a seat opens in a desired section of a desired class.

  • I'm an international student, what do I do about the in-person/online course requirement?

    We strongly encourage all international students to plan carefully and review the online course requirements outlined on the ISSS web page

    Because you are restricted in the number of online courses you can take due to your international student status, we suggest creating an academic plan to manage the requirement. You must account for enough in-person course work in your schedule in order to take 1 (or more) classes online. The departments will not be admitting business minor students into restricted in-person sections to manage the in-person requirement.

    Some business minor elective courses that do not offer an online section in any semester will open up to business minor students. This is noted in the Section Info of Course Explorer. These options may assist with in-person course concerns, but we cannot guarantee course availability.  1:1 Advising on Thursdays while classes are in session during Spring, 2025 from 1:30 – 4:30 pm (15-minute appointments) In-person 1055 BIF – check in at front desk or virtual. Schedule an appointment here

  • I'm getting an ERROR message while registering for courses...

    If you get an error, contact department, or student attribute message while trying to register for a Business Minor course, be sure to check Course Explorer to make sure you are registering for the correct section. Also, not all sections open up when your time ticket does. Many of the BADM  courses have a delayed registration date for Business Minors. All course release dates are noted in the class description.

    Please note that not every Business Minor course will be offered every Fall and Spring Semesters, Winter Term and Summer Sessions. Students must select judiciously and enroll in the Business Minor courses when they are offered throughout any academic year.  BADM 275 is an example of a class that is only available to Business minors during the winter session and summer session if offered.

  • How long does it typically take to complete the Business Minor?

    The Business Minor is designed to be completed in 3 academic years. Gies College of Business cannot guarantee minor completion or course availability.

  • Who can I see about Business Minor Academic Advising?

    If you have questions about academic advising and the Business Minor, you can reach out to us via email at busminor@business.illinois.edu. An academic advisor will respond to your email as quickly as possible.

  • Are there prerequisites for enrolling in business minor courses?

    FIN 221 does have a prerequisite of successful completion of ECON 102 or ECON 103 or course equivalent of an off-campus transfer course. Select business minor elective courses will require the completion of the prerequisite BADM 310 or BADM 320 core courses.

  • Can I use study abroad credit for the business minor?

    Courses taken through a University of Illinois's Study Abroad Program may fulfill the Business Minor core requirement if there is an exact course articulation of the Gies Business course. For example, a study abroad course deemed the exact equivalent course to our campus’ FIN 221 course is acceptable for the Business Minor Core course. If a student takes a study abroad course that is articulated as BADM 3- - and BADM 4- -, the student may work with the BUS Minor advisor to use this course as a Business Minor elective requirement.

  • Can I use off-campus transfer credits for the Business Minor?

    Yes, a minimum of 50% of credit hours for the minor must be earned with University of Illinois Urbana Champaign credit. You should use the Transferology website to confirm the off-campus course's transferability to fulfill the Minor requirements. You may confirm with the Business Minor Program if a proposed off-campus course will fulfill the Minor requirements.

Business Minor Courses

The requirements listed below are for students that entered FALL 2023. Please see the catalog years linked below for previous Business Minor Requirements.

Fall 2022 Entry

Fall 2021 Entry

Fall 2020 Entry

The Business Minor consists of four to five core courses and two electives, all completed with letter grades. Students must also successfully complete all listed prerequisites needed to enroll in the courses. We will also consider substitutes for the elective requirement (e.g., study abroad courses) upon petition.  Students must earn at least six unique/distinct credits toward the minor at the 300 level or above that do not count for a major or other minor requirement.

Minor Core Requirements - 12 Credit Hours

ACCY 200  Fundamentals of Accounting or ACCY 201 & ACCY 202 Accounting and Accountacny I & II
BADM 310  Management and Organizatinoal Beh
BADM 320  Principles of Marketing
FIN 221 Corporate Finance (ECON 102 or ECON 103 is an enforced prerequisite)

Minor Elective Requirements - 6 Credit Hours - Choose ONLY 2 from the following list

BADM 275 Fundamentals of Operations Management - Winter or Summer sessions only
BADM 300 The Legal Environment of Bus - Fall, Winter, Summer sessions only
BADM 311 Leading Individuals and Teams
BADM 312 Designing and Managing Orgs
BADM 313 Strategic Human Resource Management
BADM 314 Leading Negotiations
BADM 323 Marketing Communications
BADM 326 Pricing Strategy
BADM 340 Ethical Dilemmas of Business
BADM 350 IT for Networked Organizations - Winter or Summer sessions only
BADM 380 International Business - Winter or Summer sessions only
BADM 381 Multinational Management
BDI 367 Data Visualization and Communication
BDI 411 Blockchain, Tokens, and Their Application in Business
BDI 475 Introduction to Data Analytics Applications in Business
BDI 477 Emerging Technology and Disruption: Learning to Navigate an Uncertain Future
FIN 230 Introduction to Insurance
FIN 241 Fundamentals of Real Estate - ECON 102 pre-req
FIN 435 Personal Wealth Management

Total Hours - 18

What can I expect as a student minoring in Business at Gies Business?

As a student minoring in business, you can expect to gain foundational business knowledge from one of the world’s top business schools. You will complete four required online core courses and choose a minimum of two additional electives. Course descriptions can be found on the course catalog. This broad exposure to the innovative curriculum at Gies will help you develop a strong foundation and prepare you to bring a business mindset to your future career, regardless of your major. The Gies business minor will set you apart.

Career Opportunities

A business minor makes a major impact. It tells future employers that you know how a company works and that you have developed additional skills and perspective, all of which give you an advantage in a competitive job market. This is a broad minor that will help prepare you in a career of your choice!

How do I meet with an Academic Advisor about the Business Minor?

Are you interested in declaring a Business Minor or are you a current Business Minor with some questions? New this Spring, 2025, the Business minor offers both 1:1 advising (in-person and virtual) and informational workshops for current Business Minors and any undergraduates. Students are also welcome to email the Business Minor with any questions.

Business Minor Informational Workshops with Q & A following the presentation. Registration for these workshops will open on 1/1/2025 at 8:30 am through 1:30 pm on the day of the workshop and is required to receive the Zoom invite information.

Thursday February 6th, 2024 at 1:30 pm Register here

Thursday, March 13th, 2024 at 1:30 pm Register here

Thursday, April 24th, 2024 at 1:30 pm Register here

Business Minor 1:1 Advising Thursdays, January 23rd, 2025 – May 8th, 2025 (while classes are in session) 1:30 – 4:30 pm 15-minute appointments in-person 1055 BIF – check in at front desk or virtual – you will receive a Teams/Zoom invite upon scheduling.

Schedule an appointment here