Undergraduate Business Major
Our undergraduate business major is the first step to prepare you to be the leader you were meant to be.
At the Virani Undergraduate School of Business, you’ll gain a strong foundation in leadership and business essentials, from accounting and finance to marketing, strategy and communications. When you declare a major in business, you’ll also have the opportunity to specialize in finance, management or marketing, diving deeper into advanced courses. Together, we will build a successful future in the dynamic world of business.
Who It’s For
The business major was designed for highly qualified students who seek a well-rounded and in-depth foundation in business fundamentals that will enable them to be a leader in business and make an impact right out of their undergraduate studies. No matter what career path you choose, our business major will help take you there.
The Faculty
At Rice Business, you will learn from the same top notch faculty who teach our MBA programs. Our tight-knit community means that professors know your name and are open to work one-on-one with various research projects. Get to know our faculty who teach undergraduate business major courses.
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The Undergraduate Business Major Experience
Concentrations Available
Finance Concentration
Our finance concentration will help you acquire knowledge, research and analytical skills to solve a broad array of corporate finance and investment problems, such as analyzing a company or an investment’s performance and valuing real and financial assets. When you graduate, you will have developed the critical thinking and analytical skills required to apply theory to practice and learned to communicate effectively in the field of business.
Management Concentration
Our management concentration will help you acquire the analytical skills to solve a broad array of management problems, such as devising and implementing a firm’s strategy, and those involving leadership, teamwork, negotiation and decision-making, and marketing strategy. When you graduate, you will have developed the critical thinking and analytical skills required to apply theory to practice and learned to communicate effectively in the field of business.
Marketing Concentration
Our marketing concentration prepares you to think strategically, solve real-world business problems, and communicate ideas with confidence. You’ll build a strong business foundation while developing practical marketing skills used in today’s marketplace. Through hands-on learning, you’ll explore core marketing frameworks, consumer insights, product development and marketing research — gaining the tools needed to create smart strategies and build strong customer relationships.
Have a Question?
Prospective Students
If you’re a prospective student with questions about admission to Rice University, the business major, business minor or entrepreneurship minor, please contact Rice admissions at:
(713) 348-7423 | admission@rice.edu | admission.rice.edu
We also encourage prospective students to request information.
Current Students
If you’re a current Rice student and you need help figuring out the right courses to take for the business minor or major, discussing academic plans overall, pathways to majors or information on selecting the business major, contact the Office of Academic Advising at:
713-348-4060 | aadv@rice.edu | oaa.rice.edu
If you are a current Rice student with questions about course or program details or about declaring the business major or minor, please email us at business.major@rice.edu.
Moody Business Scholars
As a student in the Virani Undergraduate School of Business, you can apply to the Moody Business Scholars Program — a selective cohort offering mentorship, industry experience and professional training for careers in competitive industries like finance and consulting.
Upcoming Events
Stay tuned for upcoming events.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a business major and what career paths does it open up.
A business major teaches you how organizations operate and grow – and equips you to be part of that story. At Rice Business, you’ll develop skills in strategy, finance, marketing, and operations, and learn to make decisions that matter. Our undergraduate business majors go on to careers in consulting, investment banking, product management, market research, sales, investment management and more. The undergraduate business major is also a strong foundation if a graduate degree – like an MBA – is on your radar. Check out our career highlights here.
The difference between a business major and an economics major
Economics is the study of how markets, systems, and individual and firm-level decision-making shape the world around us. A business major draws on those foundations and asks: Now what? As an undergraduate business major at Rice Business, you'll develop practical expertise in finance, marketing, operations and leadership — the skills that turn insight into action. Where economics builds analytical depth, a business major builds the broad toolkit you need to lead organizations, drive strategy and make decisions that move things forward. Learn more about the business major requirements here.
What minor is good for a business major?
There’s no single right answer. Good minors can enhance your career goals, and the Rice Business undergraduate program is intentionally designed to give you the flexibility to pursue a dual major or minor that aligns with your goals and interests. The best pairing is the one that broadens your perspective or deepens your expertise in an area you care about. Popular options include: entrepreneurship, data science, english, sports management, politics and psychology. Explore our sample degree plans here.
Check out more frequently asked questions here.
Additional Resources
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