NIU-Rockford will offer an undergraduate degree in business administration next fall.

The degree will follow typical NIU business standards.

“This is a program designed for juniors and seniors, so an associate’s degree or equivalent is required for transfers. All prerequisites must be met, and students need to have at least a 2.75 cumulative grade point average,” said David Graf, dean of NIU’s College of Business.

The program will admit about 35 students on a first-come, first-served basis. Graf said only about six students have been accepted as of now.

“We will probably be offering about five classes a semester, so students will be able to complete the degree in two years,” Graf said.

Graf also said if students miss a course, they probably will have to wait a semester before the class is offered again.

NIU’s business department unofficially has tabbed the degree as being similar to an undergraduate version of a Master of Business Administration.

“It just means that the course content is at a high level. There’s a lot of teamwork and cross-functioning involved with the degree,” Graf said.

The program is designed to give students a broad range of business knowledge including management, accounting, marketing and operations management.

Graf said tuition is equal to NIU’s main campus tuition, but student fees probably will be lower for NIU-Rockford.