The McIntire School of Commerce at the University of Virginia is adopting a three-year undergraduate curriculum and will soon begin enrolling second-year students into its B.S. in Commerce Program. The admission cycle changes will go into effect for first-time, first-year UVA students in the fall of 2024.
Historically, the majority of students applied for admission to McIntire’s undergraduate business program after taking classes for two years at UVA, and students accepted into the program started classes at the start of their third year. Moving forward, students will apply to the School’s undergraduate program at the end of their first year; accepted students will matriculate in their second year.
Prompted by shifts in the business landscape, the School’s transition from a two-year to a three-year undergraduate program stems from its ongoing commitment to providing an exceptional student experience. With employment recruitment cycles moving earlier in a student’s college experience, a better-timed program aligns with this trend and syncs with evolving industry demands, while affording students more time to explore professional opportunities, develop their career interests and skill sets, and pursue diverse studies alongside their Commerce coursework. The curriculum change also allows students to access more global experiences, and encourages them to establish robust connections between business and other disciplines. At the same time, it reduces uncertainty for UVA students, enabling them to better plan their path at the University, whether they become Commerce students or not.
“While we remain steadfast in our commitment to the features that have distinguished McIntire’s B.S. in Commerce Program throughout its history—its integrated approach to business, team-based environment, and experiential learning opportunities that expose students to real-world business challenges—we are excited about the new academic and co-curricular opportunities this structure will offer the next generation of McIntire students,” says Nicole Thorne Jenkins, John A. Griffin Dean of the McIntire School.
McIntire’s business program is renowned for its third-year curriculum, the Integrated Core, which will continue to be at the heart of the student experience. First introduced in 1999, the Integrated Core gives students the perfect blend of business acumen and practical proficiency, teaching them to broaden their horizons, to understand the interconnectedness of business functions across industries, and to address real-world problems in real time and see cases from many perspectives. Characterized by its intellectual and practical rigor, the program challenges students to collaborate and examine a business case brought into the classroom by a real C-suite executive. Working in teams, students delve into a given company’s functions, solve unstructured and pressing real-world business problems, and ultimately present their findings to corporate executives.
“In response to the evolving professional landscape, McIntire’s new curricular structure will better align student learning and professional exploration with current internship recruitment cycles,” says Amanda Cowen, Senior Associate Dean for Academic Programs. “This adjustment also affords them greater flexibility to explore complementary disciplines and international experiences. Through this balanced approach, we aim to equip future business leaders with a rich and robust set of skills that will allow them to forge meaningful connections between business and other fields.”
Through the McIntire School’s vast network of corporate partnerships facilitated by its School-based Career Services team, Commerce majors obtain positions within selective industry programs. For the Class of 2023, internships ranged from offers in finance, banking, and insurance, to professional services, technology, government, energy, construction, retail, and the arts.
Outcomes for graduates of the B.S. in Commerce are routinely among the best. More than 92% of the undergraduate Class of 2022 who responded to Commerce Career Services’ survey reported receiving a job offer, with 4.5% reporting enrolling in graduate school.
McIntire’s B.S. in Commerce was most recently ranked as the #4 U.S. undergraduate business program (2023) by Poets&Quants, a leading business education website that has listed the Commerce School consistently near the top since they began ranking undergraduate business schools. In October 2021, The Economist ranked the School’s M.S. in Commerce, which also features a highly Integrated Core curriculum tailored for graduate students, as the top fully U.S.-based master’s in management program, placing it sixth worldwide.
About the McIntire School of Commerce
For more than 100 years, the McIntire School of Commerce at the University of Virginia has been committed to preparing its students to become inspiring ethical leaders, fearless pathfinders, and dynamic, responsible visionaries who help define and enhance the global marketplace. McIntire’s unique, integrated educational experience leverages technology, collaborates with corporations in the classroom, and offers unparalleled, immersive global learning opportunities. Home to seven research centers, the School is widely recognized for the academic excellence and real-world relevance of its undergraduate and graduate programs.
Media Contact
Brooke Braun
Director of Marketing & Communications, UVA McIntire School of Commerce
bab2ab@virginia.edu | +1 434-924-9559
