Professionals and professionalism have come to be the hallmarks of the modern middle class. The BPS in Professional Studies prepares students to operate in this milieu through a set of skills-based classes that cultivate the knowledge and abilities needed to succeed in the white-collar world.
Learning Outcomes of the BPS in Professional Studies.
Students will demonstrate:
• A knowledge of professional communication, supervision, marketing, information technology, accounting, and statistics;
• An understanding of the economic, legal, and financial structures that form the context of professional activity;
• Knowledge of a specific area of professional activity; and
• An understanding of professionalism in terms of personal presentation and ethical behavior.
Note that the BPS in Professional Studies is separate from the School of Business. Its courses do not count toward School of Business requirements. The BPS includes 4 required courses (16 credits) that relate to traditional business subjects (Accounting for Professionals, Professional Supervision, Marketing for Professionals, and Financial Systems), and students in the program can take no more than 8 additional credits that are considered traditional business subjects as electives.
The BPS in Professional Studies requires a total of 120 credits, at least 30 of which must be in the Liberal Arts, 40 taken at Old Westbury, and 45 at the upper-division level. These are divided into three sets of courses:
A. Liberal Education Curriculum
Refer to the Liberal Education Curriculum Bulletin for specific requirements.
B. Major Requirements (40 credits)
1. The Major Core: 36 credits
- MA2000 Applied Statistics
- PS2330 Fundamentals of Economics
- PS3130 Accounting for Professionals
- PS3230 Professional Communications
- PS3260 Information Technology for Professionals
- PS3330 Professional Supervision
- PS3430 Marketing for Professionals
- PS4225 The Law for Professionals
- PS4325 The Financial System
2. Elective Course: 4 credits
Students will take one additional course consistent with their interests and career plans as part of the major. The course may be within or outside the BPS in Professional Studies program, but if outside, it must be approved by the student’s advisor.
Elective courses within the BPS in Professional Studies program include:
- PS3625 Nonprofit Stewardship and Development
- PS3675 Introduction to Social Entrepreneurship
- PS3810 Sales Essentials
- PS 3830 Sales Tools
- PS4420 Entertainment and Sports Management
- PS4430 Entertainment and Sports Marketing
- PS4440 Entertainment and Sports Media
- PS4630 Financial Administration of Nonprofits
- PS4660 Business Leadership and Ethics
- PS5425 Entertainment and Sports Law
- PS5435 Entertainment and Sports Finance
C. College Electives
Students will take additional courses to bring their total credits to 120.
D. Grades of D
A maximum of 2 courses with a grade of D, D+, or D- can be counted toward the major.