NON-BUSINESS BREADTH EXAMPLES

What is the Non-Business Breadth requirement?

 Non-Business Breadth is 24 credits of non-business coursework that are all focused on

ONE theme. Students who need assistance or have any questions should contact an advisor.

Why is there a Non-Business Breadth requirement?

 The requirement encourages business and accounting majors, who will complete

approximately half of their coursework outside of the Business College, to be thoughtful and

deliberate about the non-business and general education courses they choose.

How should I decide what to study for Non-Business Breadth?

 This requirement is all about YOU. Pick something that is interesting to you and/or that will

assist you in meeting your career goals. For example, if you want to go to law school, you may

want to minor in writing to prepare you for all the writing you will need to do. If you want to do

international business, you may want to study another language and/or culture.

Do I need to get my Non-Business Breadth plan approved? How?

 Students must submit their plans for approval, even when selecting from among the examples

listed. The necessary form, which should be completed for approval prior to taking the

courses, is available in 203 Peterson and online:

http://business.uoregon.edu/files/media/undergrad-advising-global-context-nbb-form.pdf

How do I complete Non-Business Breadth?

 Complete a minor, earn a certificate, or design and complete an approved theme study. This

document reviews these three options.

Non-Business Breadth Examples: Contents

Option 1: Undergraduate Minors ......................................................................................................................... 2

Option 2: Undergraduate Certificates ................................................................................................................ 3

Option 3: Theme Studies ....................................................................................................................................... 3

Example Themes .................................................................................................................................................. 3

Design ............................................................................................................................................................. 3

Understanding Consumers .................................................................................................................. 4

Common Themes ................................................................................................................................................ 5

Language ....................................................................................................................................................... 5

Cultural Study ............................................................................................................................................. 5

Sustainability ............................................................................................................................................... 5

Option 1: Undergraduate Minors

Completion of a minor automatically fulfills the Non-Business Breadth requirement. Students

planning to earn a minor should declare their intention and seek advising with the respective

department. (Students may not earn a minor in business while majoring in business

administration or accounting.)

African studies European studies Medieval studies

Anthropology Folklore Multimedia

Architecture French Music

Art Geography Nonprofit administration

Art history Geological sciences Peace studies

Biochemistry German Philosophy

Biology German studies Physics

Chemistry Greek Planning, public policy and mgmt

Chinese Historic preservation Political science

Classic Civilization History Psychology

Comics and Cartoon Studies Human physiology Queer studies

Comparative literature Interior architecture Religious studies

Computer & info. science Italian Russian & E. European studies

Computer info. technology Japanese Scandinavian

Creative Writing Judaic studies Southeast Asian studies

Dance Landscape architecture Spanish

East Asian studies Latin Special education

Economics Latin American studies Theater arts

English Linguistics Women’s and gender studies

Environmental studies Mathematics Writing, public speaking, & critical

reasoning

Ethnic studies Media Studies

Option 2: Undergraduate Certificates

While not automatic, students may be able to meet the Non-Business Breadth requirement through

completion of a certificate. Students pursuing certificates are advised to submit their plan for

approval to determine whether or not their certificate will apply toward this requirement. They should

also declare their intention and seek advising with the respective department.

Film studies *International Business Communication

Global management Second-language acquisition and teaching

Writing, Public Speaking and Critical Reasoning

*The International Business and Communication Program is open to students who

are non-native speakers of English. Students who choose to complete this program

can use it to fulfill the Non-Business Breadth requirement; however, those who do so

cannot use any of the courses required by this program toward their upper-division

business electives.

Option 3: Theme Studies

All students may select their own theme study to complete Non-Business Breadth. Non-Business

Breadth proposals must, however, be approved by a professional LCB advisor before students

begin taking their selected courses. Please note that theme studies cannot include required

business and accounting courses. Pre-business courses that are not taught by the Business

School—economics, writing, math—may only be used for Non-Business Breadth if the student is

planning to earn a minor in that subject area or if the student has consulted with and received

permission from an advisor. Themes, unlike minors and certificates, do not appear on a student’s

transcript.

Example Themes

The themes provided below are examples. There are countless other themes that students may put

together and study after receiving approval in Peterson 203.

Design

Minor/Area of Focus: Design

Course Credits Term

ART 101: Understanding Contemporary Media 4 10W

ART 111: The Artist Experience 4 12S

TA 210: Introduction to Design 4 11F

PD 199: Sp St Introduction to Product Design 4 10F

ARTD 250: Print Media Digital Arts 4 11F

ARH 358: History of Design 4 12W

Non-Business Breadth Rationale:

Please explain 1) why you have selected these courses, 2) how they relate to one another, and

3) how they relate to your career goals or interests:

I have selected these courses because I plan to study entrepreneurship, and I

believe it will be helpful to have a basic understanding of design. By

understanding design I will be able to consider what makes a product good and

decide whether it’s something I want to utilize or sell in my business. These

courses fit together because they are all focused on design. ART 101 will teach

me contemporary developments in media used in the design of art. ART 111 will

teach me the issues of concept and process in designing and creating art. TA

210, again, will approach the concept of design but from the perspective of the

theater arts. The ARTD course will also focus on design, this time in the form of

web-based design and digital drawing to communicate expressive concepts.

ARH 358 will enable me to learn about the history of design, and, lastly, PD 199

will allow me to approach design from the prospective of product design.

Understanding Consumers

Minor/Area of Focus: Understanding Consumers

Course Credits Term

ANTH 161: World Cultures 4 10W

PSY 202: Mind and Society 4 12S

PSY 380: Psychology of Gender 4 11F

SOC 204: Introduction to Sociology 4 10F

ES 101: Introduction to Ethnic Studies 4 11W

WGS 101: Women, Difference, and Power 4 12W

Non-Business Breadth Rationale:

Please explain 1) why you have selected these courses, 2) how they relate to one another, and

3) how they relate to your career goals or interests:

I have selected these courses because I plan to study marketing. I know it will be

useful to have a basic understanding of consumers—who they are and how they

think—and these courses will do just that. ANTH 161 will help me to examine the

political, economic, and psychological lives of people. PSY 202 will explain the

systematic ways that people think, feel, and act while PSY 380 and WGS 101 will

expand on that concept, breaking it down by gender. SOC 204 will examine the

impacts of socialization on humans. ES 101 will enable me to understand how

ethnicity can impact a person’s world view. These courses are related because

they all focus on how people interact, socialize, and form their identities and will

help me to understand better consumers.

Common Themes

At the request of students, the LCB academic advising office has put together a list of possible

courses for commonly studied themes to serve as examples.

Language

Students who choose to study a college-level foreign language for two years, earning at least 24

credits, will automatically satisfy the Non-Business Breadth requirement. For example, a student

who takes SPAN 101, 102, 103, 201, 202, and 203 will have completed the Non-Business

requirement since this is a total of 27 credits around one theme: the Spanish language.

Cultural Study

Students who enjoy cultural studies may choose to learn about the culture of another country for

Non-Business Breadth. They will, as always, need to take 24 credits around this one theme, but

they often can use the same courses to fulfill Global Context and Non-Business Breadth (double

counting). Cultural studies course suggestions can be found online in Global Context

Recommendation: https://business.uoregon.edu/sites/default/files/media/undergrad-advising-

global-context-suggestions.pdf (Note that the recommended courses about the U.S. are too

broad to count as a coherent theme without additional planning.)

Sustainability

Students interested in sustainability may take 24 credits of coursework around this theme. Listed

below are numerous courses that relate to sustainability.

BI 130 Intro to Ecology GEOL 202 Earth, Surface and Environm’l

Geology

CHEM 113

Chemistry of Sustainability 

GEOL 310 Earth Resources and the

Environment

ECON 333,

433

Resource and Environmental

Economics

HIST 473 American Environmental History

ENVS 201 Introduction to Environmental Studies INTL 280 Global Environmental Issues

ENVS 202 Introduction to Environmental Studies J 412 *Topics/Issues in Journalism

ENVS 335 Allocating Scarce Environm’l

Resources

PD 199

**Biomimicry

ENVS 345 Environmental Ethics PHIL 340 Environmental Philosophy

ENVS 350 Ecological Footprint of Energy

Generation

PHYS 161 Physics of Energy and

Environment

ENVS 411 *Environmental Issues PHYS 162 Solar and other Renewable

Energies

ENVS 420 Perspectives in Nature and Society PPPM 327 Global Leadership and Change

ENVS 450 Political Ecology PPPM 331 Environmental Management

ENVS 455 Sustainability PPPM 407 *Various topics

ES 350 Native Americans and the Environment PPPM 410 *Various topics

GEOG 361 Global Environmental Change PS 297 Into to Environmental Politics

GEOG 410 Sustainability PS 399 **China Environmental Crisis

GEOG 462 Historical & Contemporary Views

Environ’t

PS 477 International Environmental

Politics

GEOG 463 Geography, Law and the Environment SOC 304 Community, Environment and

Society

GEOG 465 Environment and Development SOC 416 *Issues in Sociology of the

Environment

*Topics can change term to term and be more or less relevant.

** This is a temporary number so be sure to check that it’s the right course. This

course may be offered under a different number in the future.

These are just a few of the many opportunities available to you at the University of

Oregon. We encourage you to consider all of your options and pursue a field of study

that feeds your passion, broadens your perspective, or allows you to explore new fields.

Revised 8/12/14