William & Mary’s Raymond A. Mason School of Business announces expanded entry pathway for undergraduate business students beginning Fall 2026

Starting in Fall 2026, students entering William & Mary will have an expanded opportunity to engage earlier and more deeply with the nationally ranked Raymond A. Mason School of Business. Through a redesigned Bachelor of Business Administration (B.B.A.), students can apply to the program after completing 39 credit hours, often as early as the end of their freshman year, unlocking earlier access to coursework, career preparation, and faculty mentorship.

The program update reflects a comprehensive review of the B.B.A. curriculum and its timing. The result is a more flexible, 2.5- to 3-year pathway in the business school for students during their undergraduate experience at William & Mary.

“Dean Mooradian asked the faculty to step back and look holistically at the B.B.A., its structure, prerequisites, and long-term impact,” said Tracy Johnson-Hall, who served as the faculty program director during curriculum development. “We saw clear opportunities to create earlier entry points, expand academic flexibility, and better align the timing of the major with internship readiness and accelerated graduate pathways.”

Earlier access to the business school creates greater opportunity

Under the revised structure, students who complete the required prerequisites may apply to the B.B.A. during the semester they reach 39 credits, consistent with William & Mary’s major declaration timeline. Previously, students had to reach 54 credits in their application semester.

While the credit change may seem just technical, its implications are substantial.

An earlier entry means earlier exposure to the Mason School’s six business disciplines: accounting, business analytics, finance, marketing, innovation & entrepreneurship, and management & organizational leadership. It also provides students with more time to access study abroad opportunities, engage in research, and participate in one of the school’s leading Centers of Excellence.

“By allowing students to begin their business coursework sooner, we’re opening more doors,” said Ayse Durukan Sonmez, current Faculty Director of the Undergraduate Business Programs. “It’s not just about taking classes earlier. It’s about gaining exposure to advanced coursework, forming longer mentorship relationships with faculty, and having more summers available for meaningful internship experiences.”

For undergraduates interested in accelerating their education, the additional time also increases their flexibility to pursue combined undergraduate and graduate experiences, including the Mason School’s one-year master’s programs in Business Analytics (M.S.B.A.) or Accounting (M.Acc.).

“If a student comes in with AP or dual-enrollment credits and completes their undergraduate requirements efficiently, the earlier entry point makes a 3 + 1 or 4 + 1 pathway much more attainable,” Durukan Sonmez added.

Updates have a significant impact on undergraduates

One key to the new model is that first-year and transfer students with AP or dual-enrollment credits accepted by the university must still complete one semester at William & Mary, prior to applying for admission into the business major or minor programs, preserving the priority on liberal arts as the foundation for learning.

Even if students can fulfill many of the B.B.A. prerequisites with transfer or AP credits, all applicants are required to take BUAD 200: Essentials of Business, a cornerstone of the program, and BUAD 231 & 231L – Business Statistics at William & Mary.

Designed as an integrated, multidisciplinary course that draws on talent from every academic area of the business school, it introduces students to how the field's functional areas work together in practice. Through simulations and case-based learning, freshmen and sophomores gain early insight into potential majors while developing foundational professional skills.

“BUAD 200 connects students to multiple disciplines, encourages career exploration early in their degree program, and supports internship readiness,” said Johnson-Hall. “With the advent of Artificial Intelligence (AI), it also allows Mason School faculty to introduce best practices for AI use, framing it as a tool for learning as well as productivity. It capitalizes on our unique position within the University to bridge the liberal arts and business, helping students think critically, communicate clearly, and approach complex problems with both analytical rigor and human insight.”

Additionally, the new curriculum replaces a former computing skills course with a statistics laboratory, which is a prerequisite to apply to the B.B.A. program. The course is meant to enable students to build technological fluency earlier and reinforce those skills throughout the program, strengthening internship readiness and long-term career preparation.

Career preparation and return on investment from day one

The updated B.B.A. structure is closely integrated with the university’s Center for Career Development & Professional Engagement, which primarily serves the undergraduate population and its broader professional ecosystem.

Students are introduced to career resources during their first week on campus, but the revised curriculum embeds career exploration more intentionally into early coursework and advising. Early entry into the Mason School means earlier awareness of resources such as networking events, alumni speakers, industry treks, professional workshops, student organizations, and exclusive opportunities offered by the school’s Centers of Excellence, including the Boehly Center for Excellence in Finance, Ukrop Studio for Innovation & Design, The Entrepreneurship Hub, and the newly launched Estes Center for Accounting.

“Students don’t just gain additional semesters of coursework,” Johnson-Hall noted. “They gain additional time within the Mason community, time to build relationships, clarify goals, and engage in experiences that shape long-term outcomes.”

For families evaluating the B.B.A. program’s return on investment, that extended runway matters.

“This updated pathway gives students earlier access to advising, employer connections, and leadership opportunities while preserving the breadth of a William & Mary liberal arts education,” said Terry Hinders, Associate Dean, Undergraduate Business Programs. “It’s a structure that supports exploration and accelerates preparation at the same time.”

Nearly all B.B.A. students complete at least one internship before graduation, and many complete multiple. With an additional summer built into the program under the revised timeline, students can pursue diverse experiences, learning about different industries, geographic markets, or functional roles.

Preserving the William & Mary advantage

The B.B.A. redesign maintains the Mason School’s distinctive balance between liberal arts and business education. Students continue to build a strong intellectual foundation across disciplines before and during their business studies. The earlier application point does not replace that foundation; it enhances scheduling flexibility around it.

“William & Mary offers extraordinary breadth in the liberal arts,” said Durukan Sonmez. “Our students take fascinating courses across campus, and that perspective strengthens their effectiveness as business leaders. The new model allows them to connect that foundation with professional opportunities earlier.”

That flexibility also creates space for students to pursue double majors or minors in other disciplines.

“Accessing these opportunities through the greater university-wide system is critical for students looking to become principled, educated business leaders who can think critically, act ethically, and lead confidently in a complex world,” said Hinders.

Furthermore, the revamped B.B.A. will one of two selective undergraduate majors at William & Mary. Admissions remain holistic and competitive, evaluating academic performance, leadership, communication, resilience, and collaborative potential.

With more than 440 business majors and 200 business minors, the B.B.A. is the university's most extensive undergraduate program. Yet, it will remain intentionally personalized, housed in Miller Hall, and taught by dedicated faculty rather than teaching assistants.

Ranked #1 for Learning by Bloomberg Businessweek, in the top 25 of Poets&Quants’ Best Undergraduate Business Schools Of 2026 for the second consecutive year, and consistently recognized for faculty excellence, the Mason School will continue to distinguish itself through close mentorship, experiential learning, and measurable outcomes.

Looking ahead

For students entering Fall 2026 and beyond, the updated B.B.A. model offers a powerful combination: the intellectual rigor of William & Mary’s liberal arts education and earlier immersion into a nationally recognized business community.

“This redesign is about positioning students for long-term success,” Johnson-Hall said. “We’ve aligned timing, coursework, and professional engagement in a way that gives students more opportunity, more flexibility, and more momentum.”

These new requirements apply to all students beginning their undergraduate journey during the Fall 2026 semester. To learn more about these updates, please visit the B.B.A. website."