Business, Language & Culture Studies (BS)

Print Degree Planner (opens a new window) |

Offered by the Kogod School of Business , the Business, Language & Culture Studies (BS) is designed for students with a passion for business and a complementary enthusiasm for a foreign language. Students choose a language track (Arabic, French, German, Russian, or Spanish) when entering the program, complete the business core, and spend one semester abroad taking courses in their language track. Upon completion of this interdisciplinary program, students will be prepared to take the American Council on the Teaching of a Foreign Language (ACTFL) oral proficiency interview and qualify for a regional fluency certificate (i.e. French Chamber of Commerce Certificate). Students with a solid academic foundation in business and a strong proficiency in a foreign language will be highly competitive in the global marketplace.

Admission to the Program

Freshman applicants should have demonstrated above average performance in their college preparatory courses in secondary school. Scores on the SAT or ACT should indicate that the applicant has the potential for success in a rigorous university degree program. Due to the quantitative emphasis of the business administration curriculum, it is strongly recommended that applicants take the SAT II Math test for placement purposes.

In addition to university requirements for transfer admission, transfer applicants (including non-degree and degree seeking from other academic units) to KSB should have a minimum 2.75 GPA (on a 4.00 scale). All transfer students are required to take MGMT-458 and at least 18 upper-level credit hours toward their major requirements in residence. Transfer credits for business courses at or above 300-level are subject to validation by the appropriate department chair and may be conditional on successful completion of a more advanced course at American University.

Due to language proficiency expectations, it is strongly recommended that students enter the program at the intermediate level of language study.

University Requirements

120 credit hours with minimum 2.00 cumulative GPA (Undergraduate Academic Regulation 2 )
Completion of all requirements for a major (Undergraduate Academic Regulation 9 )

AU Core Requirements

Completion of AU Core foundation requirements (Undergraduate Academic Regulation 8.2-8.6 )
Completion of AU Core Habits of Mind requirements (Undergraduate Academic Regulation 8.7 )
Completion of AU Core integrative course requirements (Undergraduate Academic Regulation 8.8-8.11 )

For additional information, see AU Core Curriculum .

Major Requirements

71-78 credit hours with grades of C or better, including 45-51 credit hours at or above 300-level and at least 50 percent of the credit hours earned at American University
No more than 66 of 120 total credit hours may be completed within the Kogod School of Business
No more than 3 credit hours of internship may be counted toward the 120 credit hours graduation requirement
Minimum 2.00 cumulative GPA required to enroll in business courses
Study Abroad Requirement: every Business, Language & Culture Studies student must study abroad and take a minimum of 12 credits in their language track. Students should consult the AU Abroad website and work closely with an advisor to identify suitable options and timelines for their abroad experience

Course Requirements

Students are responsible for fulfilling university and school requirements following a prescribed sequence. Students work closely with an academic advisor in Kogod and their faculty advisor in the Department of World Languages and Cultures in the College of Arts and Sciences to ensure appropriate course sequencing. However, it is the student’s responsibility to consult course descriptions to identify course prerequisites and when courses are offered.

Anthropology (3 credit hours)

Complete 3 credit hours from the following:

Economics (3 credit hours)

ECON-150 Economics for Business (3)

Analytics (3 credit hours)

ITEC-320 Business Analytics (3)

Statistics (4-5 credit hours)

Complete one of the following options:

Introduction to Basic Statistics

STAT-204 Introduction to Business Statistics (4)

Data Analysis and Basic Statistics

Note: Available only to students who transferred statistics from another institution or completed STAT-202 prior to enrollment in Kogod.

Data Analysis and Basic Statistics with Calculus

Note: Available only to students who transferred statistics from another institution or completed STAT-203 prior to enrollment in Kogod.

Business Core (34 credit hours)

AT = analytical tool emphasis; provides a strong foundation in business analytical software

C = case analysis emphasis; provides growth opportunities for students to evaluate cases

O = oral communication emphasis; assists in the development of oral presentation skills

T = teamwork emphasis; focuses on teamwork and the importance of interpersonal relationships and communication

W = written communication emphasis; develops business writing skills, written assignments account for a significant part of the course grade

Note: Students not taking KSB-100 in their freshman year take a 300- or 400-level business course in its place.

Specialization (24-30 credit hours)

Complete one of the following language tracks:

Arabic Language (30 credit hours)

30 credit hours in ARAB-XXX at or above 300-level
At least 12 credits must be taken abroad in the foreign language
At least 6 credits taken at AU or abroad must be business topics in the foreign language (all business courses in a language must be taken at an AACSB institution or Kogod approved institution)
Required international immersion program during summer between junior and senior year

French Language (24 credit hours)

24 credit hours in FREN-XXX at or above 300-level
At least 12 credits must be taken abroad in the foreign language
At least 6 credits taken at AU or abroad must be business topics in the foreign language (all business courses in a language must be taken at an AACSB institution or Kogod approved institution)

German Language (24 credit hours)

24 credit hours in GERM-XXX at or above 300-level
At least 12 credits must be taken abroad in the foreign language
At least 6 credits taken at AU or abroad must be business topics in the foreign language (all business courses in a language must be taken at an AACSB institution or Kogod approved institution)

Russian Language (24 credit hours)

24 credit hours in RUSS-XXX at or above 300-level
At least 12 credits must be taken abroad in the foreign language
At least 6 credits taken at AU or abroad must be business topics in the foreign language (all business courses in a language must be taken at an AACSB institution or Kogod approved institution)

Spanish Language (24 credit hours)

24 credit hours in SPAN-XXX at or above 300-level
At least 12 credits must be taken abroad in the foreign language
At least 6 credits taken at AU or abroad must be business topics in the foreign language (all business courses in a language must be taken at an AACSB institution or Kogod approved institution)

Combined Bachelor’s and Master’s Degrees

American University offers students the opportunity to earn both undergraduate and graduate degrees through its combined bachelor’s/master’s programs. Advanced undergraduates admitted to a combined degree program that includes a master’s degree from Kogod are eligible to take graduate-level courses and may apply up to 9 graduate credit hours earned as an undergraduate toward the requirements for both degrees. See Combined Bachelor’s and Kogod School of Business Master’s Programs for more information.