A new UC Merced major arrived just in time for Tyrese Francis.
When the student starts his third year at the university this fall, he will dive into coursework for a degree in business administration, one of two degrees debuting in the School of Social Sciences, Humanities and Arts.
“I’ve always wanted to be a leader,” said Francis, who hails from the South Bay region of Los Angeles County. “I feel this major will give me the skills I could apply to a leadership role.”
Course pathways for undergraduate degrees in business administration and accounting will start in the 2026-27 academic year. The former is consistently among the most popular undergraduate majors in the U.S., with about one in five students choosing it nationwide. UC Merced is following that trend; business administration is already a top pick by incoming students among majors offered by SSHA.
The business administration bachelor of arts degree gives students a broad grounding in management, finance, marketing, accounting and economics, with an emphasis on real-world application, case studies and practical projects. This sets it apart from UC Merced’s bachelor’s degree in management and business economics, which features more quantitative and mathematical coursework.
“We haven’t had a degree that is just a standard business degree, where you don’t have to take advanced calculus or some of those upper-division economics courses,” said economics Professor Greg Wright, who spearheaded adding business administration and accounting to the SSHA lineup.
“Learning to understand how people think and what ethics they apply to their job, along with how to motivate people, how to collaborate and network — all of that is something I’m really excited about diving into.”
The school has hired three faculty to support the major. The goal is a flexible, accessible curriculum that helps students understand how organizations operate, how decisions get made, and how business can serve as an engine of economic opportunity.
The degree opens doors to a range of industries, from financial services and technology to healthcare and real estate. Possible careers include analysts of investments or market trends, or managers of sales teams, projects or at a commercial bank.
Francis is majoring in management and business economics. A business ethics course he took whetted his appetite for the case studies he will evaluate as a business administration major.
“Learning to understand how people think and what ethics they apply to their job, along with how to motivate people, how to collaborate and network — all of that is something I’m really excited about diving into,” Francis said.
Wright said the degree is a big step toward UC Merced’s longtime goal of starting the Ernest and Julio Gallo School of Management. Establishing the major’s curriculum will form a “beautiful foundation” for the Gallo school, which faces a few more years of review before it opens.
The new accounting major launching alongside the business administration major focuses on financial accounting, auditing, taxation and regulation, along with the ethical standards required in public practice. SSHA is bringing aboard lecturers to help teach the major, which leads to a bachelor of science degree.
The major prepares graduates for the exam required to become a certified public accountant. The CPA credential is widely regarded as the gateway to careers in public accounting, corporate finance and auditing. Graduates can secure jobs in the financial services, technology and real estate industries, with roles that can extend to controller or corporate financial officer.
Wright said the new majors are built on UC Merced’s hallmark of close-knit relationships between faculty and students.
”We've had so many discussions with our students about what they want and what they need,” Wright said. “Both of these majors meet students where they are.”
