Students inside Gallagher Hall at the University of California at Davis Graduate School of Management. This fall, UC-Davis will welcome its first class of undergraduate business majors.
University of California at Davis Graduate School of Management
For the first time this fall, the University of California at Davis will offer an undergraduate business degree. If that wasn’t enough to look out for, a couple of features of the new program have grabbed our attention.
First, the UC Davis Bachelor of Science in Business is STEM-designated, thanks in part to the degree’s emphasis on economics. While most undergraduate business programs require two, maybe three, econ courses, UC Davis requires six. Beyond micro and macro economics courses, the program requires Intermediate Microeconomics 1 and 2, Econometrics, and Intermediate Macroeconomics. It also will offer specializations in Economics and Business Data Analytics as well as Theory of Games and Strategic Behavior.
Second, the degree is offered through a unique collaboration between three UC academic colleges: the Graduate School of Management, the College of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences, and the College of Letters and Science.
“The UC Davis business major reflects the future of business education: interdisciplinary, data-driven, and collaborative,” Greta Hsu, Incoming associate dean of undergraduate programs, tells P&Q.
“The business major graduates will join a global network of more than 314,000 UC Davis alumni and more than 5,500 Graduate School of Management alumni, many of whom volunteer as mentors, hire students for internships and career roles, and provide financial and other support.”
The university expects a minimum of 250 students in its first cohort. We can’t wait to check in on their progress and next steps come graduation day!
Q&A WITH GRETA HSU
We connected with the incoming associate dean of undergraduate programs to give more details about the new opportunity for business students at UC Davis.
What are recent and upcoming program developments and innovations for UC-Davis’ Graduate School of Business?
Greta Hsu
The University of California, Davis is launching its first-ever undergraduate business major in Fall 2025. The UC Davis Bachelor of Science in Business is a STEM-designated degree that offers a foundation anchored in math, statistics and economics. The major is a unique collaborative effort between the Graduate School of Management, the College of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences (Agricultural and Resource Economics), and the College of Letters and Sciences (Economics)—which together designed the curriculum for students who want to combine analytical depth with business acumen.
It leverages UC Davis’s strengths in economics and quantitative methods while introducing a business curriculum anchored in core areas of business, such as finance, marketing and strategy. Key features include four high-demand specializations (Accounting, Finance, Marketing and Business Analytics, and Management and Strategy), a dedicated career and student life staff, and a new Business-Economics Cluster to enhance career development and student initiatives across business- and economics-related majors.
In addition to the major, the Graduate School of Management also offers business-related minors for students in other disciplines who are looking to build business skills. As the program grows, we hope to expand our minor offerings to reach even more students across campus.
In addition, the Graduate School of Management was named by Poets&Quants among the “10 Business Schools to Watch” last year, which highlighted the launch of this major.
Any other notable news coming for 2025 that readers should know?
Fall 2025 marks the first cohort of this selective major, which has drawn strong interest from both in-state and out-of-state students. With the help of this new major, 2025 marked UC Davis’s highest number of applications!
Many of the upper-division and business specialization courses will be taught by top research faculty from the Graduate School of Management. Additionally, a Business-Economics Cluster website helps prospective students navigate the differences between UC Davis’s three business- and economics-related majors.
Gallagher Hall at UC Davis.
What are the two biggest differentiators from other top undergraduate business programs? How do these prepare students for their careers?
First, the program uniquely combines a deep foundation in math, statistics, and economics with practical business education, ensuring students can both function within firms and understand the broader market forces shaping them. It’s also STEM-designated — signaling to employers that graduates are trained in quantitative methods, analytics, and evidence-based decision-making.
Second, the program’s cross-college structure draws on top faculty from three departments, exposing students to diverse perspectives and rigorous analytical tools. These prepare students not just to succeed in their first job, but to adapt to changing industries and lead over the long term.
What separates your graduates from other business school graduates?
UC Davis undergraduate business graduates will possess unusually strong training in quantitative analysis, microeconomic and macroeconomic theory and econometrics—alongside business fundamentals. This dual fluency means they can evaluate and solve complex problems, communicate across technical and strategic domains, and offer value from day one in data-intensive, dynamic roles.
Explain the career services, programming, and extracurriculars that give your students an advantage in career outcomes.
Because we’re building this program from the ground up, we have the unique opportunity to design career services with today’s students in mind. A key aspect of this is the advising model: students will benefit from a dedicated advisor who stays with their cohort from start to finish.
That continuity fosters a deeper sense of connection and coordination, ensuring students get personalized guidance throughout their time at Davis. Undergraduate business majors will also be invited to appropriate Graduate School of Management events. All of this is layered on top of the campus-wide support system for career development, wellness and professional growth.
When alumni look back on their time in your undergraduate business program, what will they consider to be their signature experience?
We expect that many alumni will point to the specialization coursework and team-based projects in their upper-division years, where they apply quantitative tools to real-world business challenges. Others might reflect on the cohort experience built through core classes, student-centered programming, and high-touch advising. Our hope is that the integration of rigorous analytical coursework with practical business training will define the UC Davis business experience.
Students participate in the Running of the Freshman during Homecoming on October 7, 2023.
What is the most underrated feature of your undergraduate business program and how does it enhance the experience for your business majors?
We’ve designed connection and support into the student experience. We start by offering all students a course in their first quarter, “Thriving at UC Davis – College Survival Skills Through the Lens of Business,” to make sure students start off on the right foot. This course will foster community-building and a sense of belonging within the major. It will also provide weekly access to their advisor along with speakers from industry and the broader campus.
Every student will also be matched with a dedicated advisor who stays with their cohort from start to finish—a rare level of continuity at a large research university (UC Davis is ranked among the top 10 public universities in the nation). This type of long-term advising relationship fosters trust, helps students navigate choices with confidence, and allows for more tailored academic and career planning.
Which employers do you expect to be the biggest consumers of your undergraduate talent?
We don’t yet have a graduating class, but employers in consulting, finance, tech, and agribusiness are likely to be particularly interested in UC Davis graduates due to their strong quantitative skills, their interdisciplinary mindset and our location in Northern California’s global tech hub.
Alumni from similar majors at UC Davis have already built a reputation for being analytically strong and grounded in real-world problem-solving—a legacy the new business major will continue and expand.
UC Davis Professor Kim Elsbach talks about workplace ethics during a business innovation and leadership development class in the UC Davis Malcolm Residence Hall main lounge.
What else would you like readers to know about your program?
The UC Davis business major reflects the future of business education: interdisciplinary, data-driven and collaborative. It is built on faculty excellence, student demand and a campus culture that values both intellectual rigor and social responsibility that is built upon our Principles of Community.
The business major graduates will join a global network of more than 314,000 UC Davis alumni and more than 5,500 Graduate School of Management alumni, many of whom volunteer as mentors, hire students for internships and career roles, and provide financial and other support. With a selective structure, personalized advising, and a clear path to specialization, UC Davis business major is designed to develop the next generation of responsible business leaders ready to make a positive impact.
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