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How to Write a Business Plan: Step-by-Step Guide + Examples

Noah Parsons

24 min. read

Updated April 10, 2024

Writing a business plan doesn’t have to be complicated. 

In this step-by-step guide, you’ll learn how to write a business plan that’s detailed enough to impress bankers and potential investors, while giving you the tools to start, run, and grow a successful business.

• The basics of business planning

If you’re reading this guide, then you already know why you need a business plan . 

You understand that planning helps you: 

• Raise money
• Grow strategically
• Keep your business on the right track 

As you start to write your plan, it’s useful to zoom out and remember what a business plan is .

At its core, a business plan is an overview of the products and services you sell, and the customers that you sell to. It explains your business strategy: how you’re going to build and grow your business, what your marketing strategy is, and who your competitors are.

Most business plans also include financial forecasts for the future. These set sales goals, budget for expenses, and predict profits and cash flow. 

A good business plan is much more than just a document that you write once and forget about. It’s also a guide that helps you outline and achieve your goals. 

After completing your plan, you can use it as a management tool to track your progress toward your goals. Updating and adjusting your forecasts and budgets as you go is one of the most important steps you can take to run a healthier, smarter business. 

We’ll dive into how to use your plan later in this article.

There are many different types of plans , but we’ll go over the most common type here, which includes everything you need for an investor-ready plan. However, if you’re just starting out and are looking for something simpler—I recommend starting with a one-page business plan . It’s faster and easier to create. 

It’s also the perfect place to start if you’re just figuring out your idea, or need a simple strategic plan to use inside your business.

Dig deeper : How to write a one-page business plan

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• What to include in your business plan

Executive summary

The executive summary is an overview of your business and your plans. It comes first in your plan and is ideally just one to two pages. Most people write it last because it’s a summary of the complete business plan.

Ideally, the executive summary can act as a stand-alone document that covers the highlights of your detailed plan. 

In fact, it’s common for investors to ask only for the executive summary when evaluating your business. If they like what they see in the executive summary, they’ll often follow up with a request for a complete plan, a pitch presentation , or more in-depth financial forecasts .

Your executive summary should include:

• A summary of the problem you are solving
• A description of your product or service
• An overview of your target market
• A brief description of your team
• A summary of your financials
• Your funding requirements (if you are raising money)

Dig Deeper: How to write an effective executive summary

Products and services description

This is where you describe exactly what you’re selling, and how it solves a problem for your target market. The best way to organize this part of your plan is to start by describing the problem that exists for your customers. After that, you can describe how you plan to solve that problem with your product or service. 

This is usually called a problem and solution statement .

To truly showcase the value of your products and services, you need to craft a compelling narrative around your offerings. How will your product or service transform your customers’ lives or jobs? A strong narrative will draw in your readers.

This is also the part of the business plan to discuss any competitive advantages you may have, like specific intellectual property or patents that protect your product. If you have any initial sales, contracts, or other evidence that your product or service is likely to sell, include that information as well. It will show that your idea has traction , which can help convince readers that your plan has a high chance of success.

Market analysis

Your target market is a description of the type of people that you plan to sell to. You might even have multiple target markets, depending on your business. 

A market analysis is the part of your plan where you bring together all of the information you know about your target market. Basically, it’s a thorough description of who your customers are and why they need what you’re selling. You’ll also include information about the growth of your market and your industry .

Try to be as specific as possible when you describe your market. 

Include information such as age, income level, and location—these are what’s called “demographics.” If you can, also describe your market’s interests and habits as they relate to your business—these are “psychographics.” 

Related: Target market examples

Essentially, you want to include any knowledge you have about your customers that is relevant to how your product or service is right for them. With a solid target market, it will be easier to create a sales and marketing plan that will reach your customers. That’s because you know who they are, what they like to do, and the best ways to reach them.

Next, provide any additional information you have about your market. 

What is the size of your market ? Is the market growing or shrinking? Ideally, you’ll want to demonstrate that your market is growing over time, and also explain how your business is positioned to take advantage of any expected changes in your industry.

Dig Deeper: Learn how to write a market analysis

Competitive analysis

Part of defining your business opportunity is determining what your competitive advantage is. To do this effectively, you need to know as much about your competitors as your target customers. 

Every business has some form of competition. If you don’t think you have competitors, then explore what alternatives there are in the market for your product or service. 

For example: In the early years of cars, their main competition was horses. For social media, the early competition was reading books, watching TV, and talking on the phone.

A good competitive analysis fully lays out the competitive landscape and then explains how your business is different. Maybe your products are better made, or cheaper, or your customer service is superior. Maybe your competitive advantage is your location – a wide variety of factors can ultimately give you an advantage.

Dig Deeper: How to write a competitive analysis for your business plan

Marketing and sales plan

The marketing and sales plan covers how you will position your product or service in the market, the marketing channels and messaging you will use, and your sales tactics. 

The best place to start with a marketing plan is with a positioning statement . 

This explains how your business fits into the overall market, and how you will explain the advantages of your product or service to customers. You’ll use the information from your competitive analysis to help you with your positioning. 

For example: You might position your company as the premium, most expensive but the highest quality option in the market. Or your positioning might focus on being locally owned and that shoppers support the local economy by buying your products.

Once you understand your positioning, you’ll bring this together with the information about your target market to create your marketing strategy . 

This is how you plan to communicate your message to potential customers. Depending on who your customers are and how they purchase products like yours, you might use many different strategies, from social media advertising to creating a podcast. Your marketing plan is all about how your customers discover who you are and why they should consider your products and services. 

While your marketing plan is about reaching your customers—your sales plan will describe the actual sales process once a customer has decided that they’re interested in what you have to offer. 

If your business requires salespeople and a long sales process, describe that in this section. If your customers can “self-serve” and just make purchases quickly on your website, describe that process. 

A good sales plan picks up where your marketing plan leaves off. The marketing plan brings customers in the door and the sales plan is how you close the deal.

Together, these specific plans paint a picture of how you will connect with your target audience, and how you will turn them into paying customers.

Dig deeper: What to include in your sales and marketing plan

Business operations

The operations section describes the necessary requirements for your business to run smoothly. It’s where you talk about how your business works and what day-to-day operations look like. 

Depending on how your business is structured, your operations plan may include elements of the business like:

• Supply chain management
• Manufacturing processes
• Equipment and technology
• Distribution

Some businesses distribute their products and reach their customers through large retailers like Amazon.com, Walmart, Target, and grocery store chains. 

These businesses should review how this part of their business works. The plan should discuss the logistics and costs of getting products onto store shelves and any potential hurdles the business may have to overcome.

If your business is much simpler than this, that’s OK. This section of your business plan can be either extremely short or more detailed, depending on the type of business you are building.

For businesses selling services, such as physical therapy or online software, you can use this section to describe the technology you’ll leverage, what goes into your service, and who you will partner with to deliver your services.

Dig Deeper: Learn how to write the operations chapter of your plan

Key milestones and metrics

Although it’s not required to complete your business plan, mapping out key business milestones and the metrics can be incredibly useful for measuring your success.

Good milestones clearly lay out the parameters of the task and set expectations for their execution. You’ll want to include:

• A description of each task
• The proposed due date
• Who is responsible for each task

If you have a budget, you can include projected costs to hit each milestone. You don’t need extensive project planning in this section—just list key milestones you want to hit and when you plan to hit them. This is your overall business roadmap. 

Possible milestones might be:

• Website launch date
• Store or office opening date
• First significant sales
• Break even date
• Business licenses and approvals

You should also discuss the key numbers you will track to determine your success. Some common metrics worth tracking include:

• Conversion rates
• Customer acquisition costs
• Profit per customer
• Repeat purchases

It’s perfectly fine to start with just a few metrics and grow the number you are tracking over time. You also may find that some metrics simply aren’t relevant to your business and can narrow down what you’re tracking.

Dig Deeper: How to use milestones in your business plan

Organization and management team

Investors don’t just look for great ideas—they want to find great teams. Use this chapter to describe your current team and who you need to hire . You should also provide a quick overview of your location and history if you’re already up and running.

Briefly highlight the relevant experiences of each key team member in the company. It’s important to make the case for why yours is the right team to turn an idea into a reality. 

Do they have the right industry experience and background? Have members of the team had entrepreneurial successes before? 

If you still need to hire key team members, that’s OK. Just note those gaps in this section.

Your company overview should also include a summary of your company’s current business structure . The most common business structures include:

• Sole proprietor
• Partnership

Be sure to provide an overview of how the business is owned as well. Does each business partner own an equal portion of the business? How is ownership divided? 

Potential lenders and investors will want to know the structure of the business before they will consider a loan or investment.

Dig Deeper: How to write about your company structure and team

Financial plan

Last, but certainly not least, is your financial plan chapter. 

Entrepreneurs often find this section the most daunting. But, business financials for most startups are less complicated than you think, and a business degree is certainly not required to build a solid financial forecast. 

A typical financial forecast in a business plan includes the following:

• Sales forecast : An estimate of the sales expected over a given period. You’ll break down your forecast into the key revenue streams that you expect to have.
• Expense budget : Your planned spending such as personnel costs , marketing expenses, and taxes.
• Profit & Loss : Brings together your sales and expenses and helps you calculate planned profits.
• Cash Flow : Shows how cash moves into and out of your business. It can predict how much cash you’ll have on hand at any given point in the future.
• Balance Sheet : A list of the assets, liabilities, and equity in your company. In short, it provides an overview of the financial health of your business. 

A strong business plan will include a description of assumptions about the future, and potential risks that could impact the financial plan. Including those will be especially important if you’re writing a business plan to pursue a loan or other investment.

Dig Deeper: How to create financial forecasts and budgets

This is the place for additional data, charts, or other information that supports your plan.

Including an appendix can significantly enhance the credibility of your plan by showing readers that you’ve thoroughly considered the details of your business idea, and are backing your ideas up with solid data.

Just remember that the information in the appendix is meant to be supplementary. Your business plan should stand on its own, even if the reader skips this section.

Dig Deeper : What to include in your business plan appendix

Optional: Business plan cover page

Adding a business plan cover page can make your plan, and by extension your business, seem more professional in the eyes of potential investors, lenders, and partners. It serves as the introduction to your document and provides necessary contact information for stakeholders to reference.

Your cover page should be simple and include:

• Company logo
• Business name
• Value proposition (optional)
• Business plan title
• Completion and/or update date
• Address and contact information
• Confidentiality statement

Just remember, the cover page is optional. If you decide to include it, keep it very simple and only spend a short amount of time putting it together.

Dig Deeper: How to create a business plan cover page

How to use AI to help write your business plan

Generative AI tools such as ChatGPT can speed up the business plan writing process and help you think through concepts like market segmentation and competition. These tools are especially useful for taking ideas that you provide and converting them into polished text for your business plan.

The best way to use AI for your business plan is to leverage it as a collaborator , not a replacement for human creative thinking and ingenuity. 

AI can come up with lots of ideas and act as a brainstorming partner. It’s up to you to filter through those ideas and figure out which ones are realistic enough to resonate with your customers. 

There are pros and cons of using AI to help with your business plan . So, spend some time understanding how it can be most helpful before just outsourcing the job to AI.

Learn more: 10 AI prompts you need to write a business plan

• Writing tips and strategies

To help streamline the business plan writing process, here are a few tips and key questions to answer to make sure you get the most out of your plan and avoid common mistakes .  

Determine why you are writing a business plan

Knowing why you are writing a business plan will determine your approach to your planning project. 

For example: If you are writing a business plan for yourself, or just to use inside your own business , you can probably skip the section about your team and organizational structure. 

If you’re raising money, you’ll want to spend more time explaining why you’re looking to raise the funds and exactly how you will use them.

Regardless of how you intend to use your business plan , think about why you are writing and what you’re trying to get out of the process before you begin.

Keep things concise

Probably the most important tip is to keep your business plan short and simple. There are no prizes for long business plans . The longer your plan is, the less likely people are to read it. 

So focus on trimming things down to the essentials your readers need to know. Skip the extended, wordy descriptions and instead focus on creating a plan that is easy to read —using bullets and short sentences whenever possible.

Have someone review your business plan

Writing a business plan in a vacuum is never a good idea. Sometimes it’s helpful to zoom out and check if your plan makes sense to someone else. You also want to make sure that it’s easy to read and understand.

Don’t wait until your plan is “done” to get a second look. Start sharing your plan early, and find out from readers what questions your plan leaves unanswered. This early review cycle will help you spot shortcomings in your plan and address them quickly, rather than finding out about them right before you present your plan to a lender or investor.

If you need a more detailed review, you may want to explore hiring a professional plan writer to thoroughly examine it.

Use a free business plan template and business plan examples to get started

Knowing what information to include in a business plan is sometimes not quite enough. If you’re struggling to get started or need additional guidance, it may be worth using a business plan template. 

There are plenty of great options available (we’ve rounded up our 8 favorites to streamline your search).

But, if you’re looking for a free downloadable business plan template , you can get one right now; download the template used by more than 1 million businesses. 

Or, if you just want to see what a completed business plan looks like, check out our library of over 550 free business plan examples . 

We even have a growing list of industry business planning guides with tips for what to focus on depending on your business type.

Common pitfalls and how to avoid them

It’s easy to make mistakes when you’re writing your business plan. Some entrepreneurs get sucked into the writing and research process, and don’t focus enough on actually getting their business started. 

Here are a few common mistakes and how to avoid them:

Not talking to your customers : This is one of the most common mistakes. It’s easy to assume that your product or service is something that people want. Before you invest too much in your business and too much in the planning process, make sure you talk to your prospective customers and have a good understanding of their needs.

• Overly optimistic sales and profit forecasts: By nature, entrepreneurs are optimistic about the future. But it’s good to temper that optimism a little when you’re planning, and make sure your forecasts are grounded in reality. 
• Spending too much time planning: Yes, planning is crucial. But you also need to get out and talk to customers, build prototypes of your product and figure out if there’s a market for your idea. Make sure to balance planning with building.
• Not revising the plan: Planning is useful, but nothing ever goes exactly as planned. As you learn more about what’s working and what’s not—revise your plan, your budgets, and your revenue forecast. Doing so will provide a more realistic picture of where your business is going, and what your financial needs will be moving forward.
• Not using the plan to manage your business: A good business plan is a management tool. Don’t just write it and put it on the shelf to collect dust – use it to track your progress and help you reach your goals.
• Presenting your business plan

The planning process forces you to think through every aspect of your business and answer questions that you may not have thought of. That’s the real benefit of writing a business plan – the knowledge you gain about your business that you may not have been able to discover otherwise.

With all of this knowledge, you’re well prepared to convert your business plan into a pitch presentation to present your ideas. 

A pitch presentation is a summary of your plan, just hitting the highlights and key points. It’s the best way to present your business plan to investors and team members.

Dig Deeper: Learn what key slides should be included in your pitch deck

Use your business plan to manage your business

One of the biggest benefits of planning is that it gives you a tool to manage your business better. With a revenue forecast, expense budget, and projected cash flow, you know your targets and where you are headed.

And yet, nothing ever goes exactly as planned – it’s the nature of business.

That’s where using your plan as a management tool comes in. The key to leveraging it for your business is to review it periodically and compare your forecasts and projections to your actual results.

Start by setting up a regular time to review the plan – a monthly review is a good starting point. During this review, answer questions like:

• Did you meet your sales goals?
• Is spending following your budget?
• Has anything gone differently than what you expected?

Now that you see whether you’re meeting your goals or are off track, you can make adjustments and set new targets. 

Maybe you’re exceeding your sales goals and should set new, more aggressive goals. In that case, maybe you should also explore more spending or hiring more employees. 

Or maybe expenses are rising faster than you projected. If that’s the case, you would need to look at where you can cut costs.

A plan, and a method for comparing your plan to your actual results , is the tool you need to steer your business toward success.

Learn More: How to run a regular plan review

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How to write a business plan FAQ

What is a business plan?

A document that describes your business , the products and services you sell, and the customers that you sell to. It explains your business strategy, how you’re going to build and grow your business, what your marketing strategy is, and who your competitors are.

What are the benefits of a business plan?

A business plan helps you understand where you want to go with your business and what it will take to get there. It reduces your overall risk, helps you uncover your business’s potential, attracts investors, and identifies areas for growth.

Having a business plan ultimately makes you more confident as a business owner and more likely to succeed for a longer period of time.

What are the 7 steps of a business plan?

The seven steps to writing a business plan include:

• Write a brief executive summary
• Describe your products and services.
• Conduct market research and compile data into a cohesive market analysis.
• Describe your marketing and sales strategy.
• Outline your organizational structure and management team.
• Develop financial projections for sales, revenue, and cash flow.
• Add any additional documents to your appendix.

What are the 5 most common business plan mistakes?

There are plenty of mistakes that can be made when writing a business plan. However, these are the 5 most common that you should do your best to avoid:

• 1. Not taking the planning process seriously.
• Having unrealistic financial projections or incomplete financial information.
• Inconsistent information or simple mistakes.
• Failing to establish a sound business model.
• Not having a defined purpose for your business plan.

What questions should be answered in a business plan?

Writing a business plan is all about asking yourself questions about your business and being able to answer them through the planning process. You’ll likely be asking dozens and dozens of questions for each section of your plan.

However, these are the key questions you should ask and answer with your business plan:

• How will your business make money?
• Is there a need for your product or service?
• Who are your customers?
• How are you different from the competition?
• How will you reach your customers?
• How will you measure success?

How long should a business plan be?

The length of your business plan fully depends on what you intend to do with it. From the SBA and traditional lender point of view, a business plan needs to be whatever length necessary to fully explain your business. This means that you prove the viability of your business, show that you understand the market, and have a detailed strategy in place.

If you intend to use your business plan for internal management purposes, you don’t necessarily need a full 25-50 page business plan. Instead, you can start with a one-page plan to get all of the necessary information in place.

What are the different types of business plans?

While all business plans cover similar categories, the style and function fully depend on how you intend to use your plan. Here are a few common business plan types worth considering.

Traditional business plan: The tried-and-true traditional business plan is a formal document meant to be used when applying for funding or pitching to investors. This type of business plan follows the outline above and can be anywhere from 10-50 pages depending on the amount of detail included, the complexity of your business, and what you include in your appendix.

Business model canvas: The business model canvas is a one-page template designed to demystify the business planning process. It removes the need for a traditional, copy-heavy business plan, in favor of a single-page outline that can help you and outside parties better explore your business idea.

One-page business plan: This format is a simplified version of the traditional plan that focuses on the core aspects of your business. You’ll typically stick with bullet points and single sentences. It’s most useful for those exploring ideas, needing to validate their business model, or who need an internal plan to help them run and manage their business.

Lean Plan: The Lean Plan is less of a specific document type and more of a methodology. It takes the simplicity and styling of the one-page business plan and turns it into a process for you to continuously plan, test, review, refine, and take action based on performance. It’s faster, keeps your plan concise, and ensures that your plan is always up-to-date.

What’s the difference between a business plan and a strategic plan?

A business plan covers the “who” and “what” of your business. It explains what your business is doing right now and how it functions. The strategic plan explores long-term goals and explains “how” the business will get there. It encourages you to look more intently toward the future and how you will achieve your vision.

However, when approached correctly, your business plan can actually function as a strategic plan as well. If kept lean, you can define your business, outline strategic steps, and track ongoing operations all with a single plan.

See why 1.2 million entrepreneurs have written their business plans with LivePlan

Noah is the COO at Palo Alto Software, makers of the online business plan app LivePlan. He started his career at Yahoo! and then helped start the user review site Epinions.com. From there he started a software distribution business in the UK before coming to Palo Alto Software to run the marketing and product teams.

Table of Contents

• Use AI to help write your plan
• Common planning mistakes
• Manage with your business plan
• Templates and examples

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Bachelor of arts, plan ii, special requirements, prescribed work, suggested four-year plan.

The Plan II Honors Program is designed to provide a broad, liberal, and challenging education for a limited number of students whose high school class standing and admission test scores indicate strong academic potential and motivation. The enrollment in Plan II is limited; admission to the program is separate from and in addition to admission to the University. Application materials and information about deadlines are available online at https://admissions.utexas.edu/apply . 

The Plan II Honors Program is not available to transfer applicants. Disappointed transfer applicants interested in the liberal arts are encouraged to seek departmental honors tracks in the College of Liberal Arts. More information about departmental honors programs is available in the Academic Policies and Procedures  section. 

The Plan II Honors Program includes the basic coursework required of Plan I students, but much of this work is done in small sections that are restricted to Plan II students and taught by professors selected for their excellent teaching records. Additional required courses explore the humanities, the natural sciences, and the social sciences and provide considerable opportunity for individual research, writing, and speaking. The remainder of the student’s program is made up of approved electives.

The academic programs of most Plan II students include 36 semester hours or more of elective coursework. The student may use electives to pursue a second major in the College of Liberal Arts or the College of Natural Sciences. Dual degree programs are available in conjunction with most other undergraduate colleges.

Qualified students who are accepted into both the Plan II Honors Program and the Cockrell School of Engineering may pursue a curriculum leading to both the Bachelor of Arts, Plan II, and a bachelor’s degree in engineering. Students interested in this dual degree program must apply both to Plan II and to the Cockrell School. Further information is available from the director of Plan II and from the Office of Student Affairs in the Cockrell School.

Qualified students who are accepted into both the Plan II Honors Program and the McCombs School of Business may pursue a curriculum leading to both the Bachelor of Arts, Plan II, and the Bachelor of Business Administration. Students interested in this dual degree program must apply both to Plan II and to the McCombs School of Business. Further information is available from the director of Plan II and from the McCombs School.

A dual degree program is also available that leads to the degrees of Bachelor of Arts, Plan II, and Bachelor of Architecture. Students must apply both to Plan II and to the School of Architecture. Additional information is available from the director of Plan II and from the School of Architecture.

In addition to the following requirements, the student must fulfill the University's General Requirements  and the requirements of the College of Liberal Arts given in Special Requirements of the College .

Students who fail to maintain a University grade point average of at least 3.0 will be considered for academic dismissal from Plan II. All students whose grade point average falls below 3.0 but not below 2.50 will be put on academic review. Students whose grade point average falls below 2.50 at any point after their first semester in Plan II will be dismissed from the program. In addition, any student who fails to earn a final grade of at least a C- in any of the following required courses will be dismissed from the program:  English 303C , 303D , Philosophy 610QA / 610QB , Social Science 302C ,  302D ,  302E ,  302F ,  Tutorial Course 302 , 303C , 303D , 358 , 359T , 660HA / 660HB . Students may only register for Tutorial Course 660H or 359T if their University grade point average is 3.0 or higher. Lastly, students who are not enrolled at The University of Texas at Austin for four consecutive long semesters and therefore fail to make satisfactory progress toward the degree will be automatically dismissed from the Plan II Honors Program. All of these stipulations may be appealed and exceptions may be made on a case-by-case basis by the director of Plan II in consultation with the associate director, assistant director, and academic advisors. A student who is academically dismissed from the Plan II program is eligible to continue to enroll in the College of Liberal Arts in another academic program if the student fulfills the academic requirements for the Bachelor of Arts, Plan I, and the scholastic standards for continuance in the University given in the  General Information Catalog . Students in scholastic difficulty should discuss their problems with a Plan II academic advisor and the director.

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Plan II students may use credit by examination to fulfill certain program requirements. More information on testing policies and credit by examination is available from a Plan II academic advisor.

Tutorial Course 302 and two semesters of Tutorial Course 358 are required. Tutorial Course 660H is required of students seeking special honors in Plan II, students pursuing the Plan II degree alone, and students writing creative theses. In exceptional situations, students completing dual degree programs may be approved by the Plan II associate director to enroll in Tutorial Course 359T , Essay Course , in lieu of Tutorial Course 660H . Other requirements for the Bachelor of Arts, Plan II, are outlined below. All courses offered in the Plan II Honors Program are subject to approval by the Plan II Faculty Advisory Committee; in some areas the committee will prescribe certain courses for all students in the program. Current information on these matters is available in the Plan II office.

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• English 303C  and 303D , or Tutorial Course 303C  and 303D . Each set of courses also meet the English composition and humanities requirements of the core curriculum.  
• Two courses beyond Rhetoric and Writing 306 or the equivalent that carry a writing flag. One of these courses must be upper-division. Courses that carry a writing flag are identified in the  Course Schedule . They may be used simultaneously to fulfill other requirements, unless otherwise specified.  

The study of a second language contributes in an important way to a broad education for today's students, who live in a world where the overwhelming majority of people do not speak or read English and where much of the knowledge that is disseminated may never appear in English. Knowledge of a second language is important for an appreciation of the culture of the people using that language, and it also helps students to understand the structure and complexities of their own native language. Students with sufficient preparation may be able to use the second language for study in their chosen discipline. An intermediate level of competency as determined by the completion of any one of the following options: 

a. Certified proficiency on a placement or credit-by-exam test. 

b. Students with previous experience in the language they plan to use to meet the language requirement must take a language placement test. A student may not select for credit a language course below this placement level without departmental permission. 

c. A passing grade in a language course listed below: 

d. Students who wish to meet the requirement with proficiency in a language not listed in the table above should contact the Texas Language Center . 

• Three hours of Honors Social Science selected from  Social Science 302C ,  302D ,  302E , and  302F .  All Honors Social Science courses also meet the social and behavioral sciences requirement of the core curriculum.  
• Six semester hours of non-United States history in the same geographic area.  
• Mathematics 310P . This course also meets the mathematics requirement of the core curriculum. Algebra courses at the level of Mathematics 301 or the equivalent may not be counted toward this requirement. Students who enter the University with fewer than three units of high school mathematics at the level of Algebra I or higher must take Mathematics 301 or 303D without degree credit to remove their deficiency.
• A three-hour course in logic or modes of reasoning designated for Plan II students, currently Tutorial Course 310 or  Philosophy 313Q .
• Six hours of coursework in astronomy, biology, chemistry, geological sciences, physical science, or physics. This coursework may be used to fulfill the science and technology, part I, requirement of the core curriculum.
• Biology 301E . Biology 301E may also be used to fulfill the science and technology part I or part II requirement of the core curriculum. 
• Physics 321  or an approved alternative natural science course as designated by Plan II.  Physics 321 may also be used to fulfill the science and technology part I or part II requirement of the core curriculum.  
• Geological sciences
• Marine science
• Physical science
• Mathematics, computer science, and statistics and data sciences
• Other alternative science courses approved by the dean
• Approved alternative courses in history of science and philosophy of science
• Philosophy 610Q .  
• An approved three-hour course in art history, music history, or history of theatre and dance; or a three-hour upper-division course in classical civilization, humanities, literature, or philosophy.

In addition to the core curriculum and the preceding specific requirements, the student must complete enough elective coursework to provide the 120 semester hours required for the degree. These 120 hours may include no more than 12 hours of conference courses and internship courses combined as described in Conference Courses and Internship Courses ; nine hours of designated coursework in air force science, military science, or naval science, except for students enrolled in the Military Leadership minor; 19 hours completed on the pass/fail basis; 36 hours in any one field of study in the College of Liberal Arts or the College of Natural Sciences; and 36 hours in any other single college or school of the University. Mathematics courses at the level of college algebra may not count toward elective hours.

Order of Work

The usual order of work for students in Plan II is outlined below, although it is possible to make exceptions when there is good reason for doing so. There is some variation in the order of work for students in premedical, predental, and dual degree programs, for teacher certification candidates, and for students concentrating in science. Students in these areas should consult the director or an academic advisor.

First Year:

• Tutorial Course 303C  and 303D , or English 303C  and 303D
• Biology 301E , Mathematics 310P , and Philosophy 313Q or Tutorial Course 310
• Six semester hours of non–United States history
• Foreign language courses
• Tutorial Course 302
• A three-semester-hour elective

Second Year:

• Philosophy 610Q
• Three semester hours in mathematics or natural science
• Government 310L and 312L
• Social Science 302C ,  302D ,  302E , or  302F

Third and Fourth Years:

• Three semester hours in the visual and performing arts
• Three semester hours of humanities or courses in the history of fine arts
• Six semester hours of American history
• Six semester hours of Tutorial Course 358
• Tutorial Course 359T or 660H
• Physics 321 , or an approved alternative, and three additional hours of science
• Elective courses sufficient to make a total of at least 120 semester hours, with only upper-division courses usually being approved for third- and fourth-year students

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A comprehensive eb-2 niw business plan sample and guide.

By Jemima Owen-Jones

Wondering how to self-petition for an EB-2 visa as a business owner? Check our EB-2 NIW business plan sample with a detailed guide to each section.

The EB-2 NIW allows you to self-petition for a United States visa without a sponsor or labor certification. Writing a compelling business plan is a crucial part of the application process. It gives you the opportunity to prove to USCIS that your work is of national interest and substantial benefit.

Read our EB-2 NIW business plan sample to understand what sections to include and how to position yourself. We also include some examples of what to write for inspiration.

What is an EB-2 NIW business plan?

The EB-2 NIW business plan is a document foreign entrepreneurs can use to support their self-petition for an employment-based visa . Although the plan isn’t a formal part of the visa application process, USCIS officials often request it.

Applicants apply for the national interest waiver (NIW) to skip the lengthy process for employment-based visas. Usually, the employment-based second preference visa (EB-2) requires a job offer and legal labor certification. Often, foreign nationals end up waiting over a year to finalize these arrangements.

The importance of an EB-2 NIW business plan

Writing a business plan helps to convince immigration officials that you meet their three requirements , otherwise known as the ‘matter of dhanasar.’ You can prove that:

• Your venture holds substantial merit and national significance
• Your business is likely to succeed
• You and the country would benefit from expediting the visa

If your NIW petition is successful, the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) will waive the visa requirements for a job offer and permanent labor certification. You can get your visa upfront and enter the country without a wait.

Like a traditional business plan, this document should provide a detailed description of your company, your mission and objectives, and your strategy. You may think of it as pitching yourself to the U.S. to secure their investment.

Immigration business plans can range from launching a new product to pioneering research and opening a franchise. The most successful applicants don’t necessarily have the most innovative ideas but can prove they’ll have a positive impact on the country.

What to include in an EB-2 NIW business plan

NIW visa business plans vary between applicants. The size and format of the document depend on the complexity of your proposal and the types of information you need to include. However, here’s a breakdown of sections every EB-2 NIW business plan needs, alongside some templates:

Executive summary

Outline your proposed endeavor and explain why it’s in the interest of the United States. Be clear and brief to help the official quickly grasp the core of your proposal. If your

Example: This plan showcases my exceptional ability in [field]. With a [qualification] in [area of study] and [number] years of experience in [industry], I’ve become one of the leading experts in my field. My work in [field] has the potential to revolutionize [specific industry], leading to significant advancements in [specific technology or field] that are crucial to the United States' leadership in the global market.

Applicant’s background

Discuss your work experience, qualifications, and achievements. You can summarize your history but go into further detail in subsequent sections. You should provide evidence such as degree certificates and professional references for all your claims.

Everything you include should emphasize why you’re best suited to lead your venture. You want to rule out the possibility that a current American citizen or another applicant could be a better fit for the role.

For example, you might have a degree in sustainable agriculture in a country with farming techniques not yet prevalent in North America. You’d be uniquely qualified to introduce these practices to the U.S. and help them increase their agricultural yield.

Example: My qualifications, including [list credentials], uniquely position me to drive the success of this venture. I also have over [number] of experience working for [company name], a market leader in [field] in [home country]. During that time, I won [list achievements] for contributing to [industry]. I could use this expertise to further [area of research or development] in the United States and improve [area of U.S. society or economy].

Business analysis

Give a detailed description of your current business or professional endeavors, including your:

• Role and responsibilities
• Mission and objectives
• Description and scope of services
• Target market
• Resources and equipment used
• Achievements to date

You want to demonstrate that you’ve got a thorough understanding of your business, the industry, and the global market. Immigration officers must see that you have the expertise to implement your plan.

Support your analysis with research and reports to substantiate your claims. If you’ve run a similar business in your home country, you could present your financial records. You could also use employee surveys and customer feedback forms as qualitative data.

The immigration official may also need to see that your business is compliant. Look for evidence that you meet international guidelines and laws. For example, you could include patents for new technology or the results of audits.

Example: I serve as the [position] of a fast-growing [field] business in [home country]. Within the next [number] years, we’re poised to [list objectives] with our high-quality [product or service]. The company has recently invested in [processes, resources, or equipment] to further our success. Now we are the leading [achievement] in [area] and have [percentage] of the market.

Market analysis

Describe the current state of your industry. Ideally, you’ll demonstrate there’s either a national or global demand for your business.

Some common examples include a shortage of a specific product or service or an emerging need. For instance, as companies move online, cyber security has become more of a concern. Applicants who can demonstrate they’ve got innovative software solutions to protect U.S.-based servers could be front-runners for EB-2 visas.

Present extensive, current market data to support your analysis. The immigration official may not know about the industry, and they’ll need proof of the demand.

Going back to the example about cybersecurity, you could present statistics about how online data breaches are increasing. You could also include information about the cost to U.S. companies and the increase in hiring for in-house cybersecurity experts.

Ensure your information is recent, as the market fluctuates constantly. The cut-off point for research materials depends on your exact industry. In fast-changing sectors like technology and commerce, information could be outdated within months.

Example: I’ve extensively researched [industry] using [list resources]. The market for [ product/service] is rapidly growing, with a projected annual growth rate of [percentage], indicating the strong demand for such [products/service]. My business can fill this demand by [list projects].

Social and economic impact

Your market analysis shows how your business could tick a box. In this section, you’ll go a step further by discussing the positive contributions you could make to the United States. You should cover:

• Tax payments: Give your projected revenue alongside how you’ll sustain or even grow your income. The more money you make, the more you’ll contribute to the country in taxes
• Economic growth: Show how your business could have a knock-on effect on other organizations. If they earn more money, they’ll also end up paying more tax
• Job creation: List the roles you’ll hire for within the United States. You’ll demonstrate how you’re creating job opportunities for U.S. citizens, reducing unemployment, and alleviating the burden on taxpayers
• Community impact: Discuss how you’ll have a social impact on U.S. citizens. That might be by hiring underprivileged groups, providing a service for vulnerable people, or improving impoverished areas
• Likelihood to succeed: Calculate the probability that your venture will have the intended results. You can provide additional support for your claim through similar case studies and historical trends and patterns

Compare what you could achieve with potential competitors on the market. You can prove how you’d provide more jobs or encourage economic growth in your sector. For example, a business could show how they’ll rely less on imported goods than competitors and thus support local U.S. suppliers.

Example: My business is expected to create [number] jobs for U.S. workers within the first [number] years of operation. As you can see from the financial projections above, my revenue will hit [number] by the end of [quarter] in [year].

National interest waiver

Discuss how the U.S. would benefit from not only allowing you into the country but also waiving the EB-2 visa requirements. You need to convince USCIS that your work is of such national importance that they should expedite your entry into the country.

In many cases, you can state that you’ll be addressing an immediate need. You could include data on how the issue will deteriorate and affect the country if you don’t take action soon. One example is how a shortage of the renewable technology your business provides will lead to escalating utility bills and more energy poverty.

It could also be a matter of strategic timing. Other countries may be on the verge of seizing global dominance over your industry. The U.S. could need to move quickly to outdo them and position themselves as market leaders.

Timing could also affect applicants in research and development. You may only have a small window when you can carry out your work in fields like technology, politics, and the environment. For instance, natural events like comets or El Nino only occur periodically.

Conclude this section with a summary of your overall plan and how you’ve proven you met the three requirements for the national internet waiver.

Example: The U.S. stands at a pivotal juncture concerning [industry], where timing is paramount. As [issue] advances, the need for my [product/service] increases. We need to launch [product/service] by [time] to see [percentage] increase in [issue]. If the launch is just one year later, that figure drops to [percentage].

Supporting documents

You should provide the following documents alongside your NIW petition:

• Your passport
• Any degree certificates
• A transcript of your academic record
• A minimum of three professional references

Alongside this paperwork, you need evidence of three of the following to show you have exceptional ability in your field:

• An advanced degree, such as a Master’s degree or your country’s equivalent
• Ten years of experience in your industry
• A license to practice your profession
• Evidence that you’ve received a salary for your work
• Membership in a professional association
• Awards or recognitions for your achievements

While you may need other documents to substantiate your plan’s claims, these aren’t a mandatory part of the visa process.

Key points to consider

There are some common pitfalls to avoid when writing an EB-2 NIW business plan. You can increase your chances of immediate approval by identifying them and proactively addressing them.

• Tailor your submission to the requirements : Ensure every aspect of your plan focuses on proving you meet the three main visa criteria
• Use reliable sources for research : You’ll appear more professional and knowledgeable if you use original, reputable sites, journals, and databases to support your plan
• Avoid treating your plan like a biography : Many sections may focus on your background, but the immigration officer will only be interested in how your experience makes you a good candidate. Prioritize facts over anecdotal evidence
• Spare no details : If you don’t provide a comprehensive business plan, the officer may ask for extra information and delay your application. You also only have one chance to make a response to this request for information (RFE)
• Get a proofreader : Officials won’t judge you on your writing or language proficiency. However, getting someone to error check and make revisions can make you look more professional
• Outsource to experts where necessary : USCIS won’t penalize you for getting help with your proposal. You can hire researchers, graphic designers, and even business plan writers, provided the ideas are your own

It’s highly recommended to consult with an immigration attorney for the entire EB-2 NIW process. They can provide specialist guidance and ensure your plan aligns with USCIS expectations.

Create a visa business plan that stands out

Writing a compelling EB-2 NIW plan requires a lot of time, energy, and resources. However, it’s worthwhile to convince US immigration to waive the lengthy labor certification process and grant you immediate visa approval.

To help you draft the plan, seek expert legal advice from services like LegalPad, specializing in the EB-2 NIW process. They can help you tailor your document to the USCIS guidelines and prove you meet the requirements.

Contact our team to see how we could streamline your EB-2 NIW visa process.

About the author:

Jemima Owen-Jones

Jemima helps international startups and their teams navigate the work visa process so they can get approved fast and focus on what they do best.

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This program allows students to earn their bachelor's degree in IT and move directly into a master's degree in IT management, cutting down on the total number of courses to complete.

A program designed for future leaders in HIM....

A program designed for future leaders in HIM.

• Time:  61% of grads earned this degree in 36 months or less.
• Tuition:  $4,085 per 6-month term.
• Courses : 36 total courses in this program.
• Medical Terminology
• Healthcare System Applications
• Health Information Law and Regulations
• Healthcare Project Management
• Data Analytics and Information Governance

This CAHIIM-accredited program makes you eligible for the RHIA exam. 

Compare with B.S. Business – Healthcare Management

Business Master's Degrees Online

Master of Business Administration

The flexible MBA program you need, focused on business management,...

The flexible MBA program you need, focused on business management, strategy, and leading teams:

• Time:  Graduates can finish in 12 months
• Tuition:  $4,755 per 6-month term
• Courses: 11 total courses in this program
• Leadership strategies
• Talent management
• Data collection and interpretation
• Financial statements

Our competency-based model gives you an innovative learning experience you won't find anywhere else—and our MBA grads tell us they loved accelerating their program to see a faster ROI.

Prepare for a career leading private or public healthcare organizations....

Prepare for a career leading private or public healthcare organizations.

• Time:  WGU lets you set a schedule so you can finish your MBA in just one year.
• Tuition:  $4,755 per 6-month term.
• Courses : 11 total courses in this program.
• Regulatory compliance
• Patient care improvement
• Service line development
• Healthcare trends
• Health policy and legislation

Healthcare is big business in today's complex economy.  Steer your career with this specialty MBA.

Compare online business degrees

This program is not the only online business degree WGU offers that is designed to create leaders in the field of healthcare. Compare our health leadership degrees.

Earn the online college degree that can move your career into IT upper...

Earn the online college degree that can move your career into IT upper management:

Sample careers and jobs this business degree will prepare you for:

• Communications
• Information Systems Security

Learn to navigate emergencies, execute strategies, and optimize systems with the competencies within this specialty MBA.

An online master's degree focused on change management, innovation, and...

An online master's degree focused on change management, innovation, and leading teams:

• Time: 60% of graduates can finish in 17 months.
• Courses: 10 total courses in this program

Skills for your résumé that this program will teach you:

• Coordinating
• Performance Management 

Develop a comprehensive suite of leadership skills and your confidence to navigate changing business structures.

Become better qualified to pursue a greater variety of public and private...

Become better qualified to pursue a greater variety of public and private accounting positions:

• Time: 62% of grads finish within 19 months.

Skills for your résumé that this program will prepare you for: 

• Tax Planning
• Financial Management
• Online Communication

This MAcc program is designed to prepare you for the CPA exam and also the CMA or CIA exams.

Two online marketing master's degree options with a focus on either...

Two online marketing master's degree options with a focus on either digital marketing or marketing analytics.

• Time:  61% of graduates finish WGU master's programs in 18 months
• Tuition:  $4,530 per 6-month term
• Courses:  10 total courses in this program
• Specialization:  Students choose from two specializations to focus their marketing studies on digital marketing or marketing analytics
• Digital Marketing Analytics
• Presentations
• Market Research

A marketing master's degree will help you prepare for a wide range of exciting marketing careers.

A SHRM-recognized master's degree in human resource management...

A SHRM-recognized master's degree in human resource management

• Time:  61% of graduates finish this program within 18 months.

Skills for your résumé that you will learn in this program include: 

• Performance Management
• Talent Acquisition
• Human Resource Information System (HRIS)

Earn your M.S. in Human Resources and help companies create excellent cultures.

Lead businesses with strong analysis skills:...

Lead businesses with strong analysis skills:

• Time:  61% of graduates finish within 20 months.
• Tuition:  $4,055 per 6-month term.
• Courses: 11 total courses in this program.
• Data Analytics Lifecycle 
• Data Science and Advanced Analytics Applications
• Data Mining Techniques
• Machine Learning 
• Data Management

Master data mining, visualization, and SQL—and lead analytics at the business of your choice.

A degree for experienced IT professionals ready to lead....

A degree for experienced IT professionals ready to lead.

• Time:  60% of graduates finish within 18 months.
• Tuition:  $3,940 per 6-month term.
• Courses: 10 total courses in this program.

Included in your program—at no extra cost—is the opportunity to earn the valuable  PMI Certified Associate in Project Management (CAPM) certification .

• Technology operations and integration
• Sourcing and planning
• Risks and influence
• Solutions development
• Project management

Maximize the opportunities that your IT career path has afforded you—earn your master's and keep moving up. 

A master's focused on managing comprehensive, value-based care, directly...

A master's focused on managing comprehensive, value-based care, directly in line with innovations in health and healthcare.

• Time:  60% of grads finish within 21 months. 
• Tuition:  $4,755 per 6-month term.
• Courses: 12 total courses in this program.
• Collaborative Leadership
• Healthcare Models and Systems
• Healthcare Financial Management
• Enterprise Risk Management
• Healthcare Information Technology

Your rich experience in a health-related field can mean more when you bring a master's level of understanding to the problems that organizations need to solve.

Compare degrees

This program is not the only degree WGU offers designed to create leaders in the field of healthcare. Compare our health leadership degrees.

The M.Ed. in Education Technology and Instructional Design from WGU is for...

The M.Ed. in Education Technology and Instructional Design from WGU is for instructional designers tasked with creating engaging and immersive virtual learning experiences that can substitute for on-ground instruction.

No teaching license required.

• Time: 62% of students finish this program in 10 months.
• Tuition:  $3,975 per 6-month term
• Courses:  12 total courses in this program.

This program includes two tracks for students to choose from:

• The K-12 pathway
• The Adult Learner pathway

Skills for your résumé included in this program:

• Learning Experience Design
• Assessment and Learning Analytics
• Learning Technology
• Research Methodology

Develop training and instruction expertise to help you in the classroom, in educational settings, or in corporate world.

Business Certificates

Leadership Certificate – School of Business

Enhance your résumé and take a step in your educational journey with the...

Enhance your résumé and take a step in your educational journey with the help of a leadership certificate from the School of Business.

• Time: 4 months from start to finish.
• Cost:  $2,250 for the certificate.
• Courses: 3 courses total in this program.

This program is for emerging leaders, however this program does not require a bachelor’s degree, and provides transferable credit towards a WGU degree program.

Whether you aspire to work for a Fortune 500 organization, a government agency, a non-profit organization, or a fast-paced start-up, this certificate can give you the keys to success in a variety of industries, including:

• Finance and Banking
• Manufacturing

Supply Chain Certificate – School of Business

Boost your résumé and gain valuable experience with a supply chain...

Boost your résumé and gain valuable experience with a supply chain certificate from the School of Business.

• Time: 6 months from start to finish.
• Cost:  $2,500 for the certificate.
• Courses:  4 courses total in this program.

This program is designed for individuals who are ready to take their supply chain experience to the next level and become a front-line leader in their organization.

Whether you want to advance your career in this field, or you're just getting started, a supply chain certificate can help you be ready for your next career step. You'll be prepared to work in a variety of industries including: 

Business Degrees To Help Boost Your Salary

A business degree should be worth the cost. Our degree programs have proven to provide a great return on investment. In fact, WGU grads see an average salary increase of $22,200 within just two years of graduation.* Great ROI and higher pay—a business degree from WGU is your foundation for career progression. * WGU 2022 Annual Report

See Real Student Stories

Find a Scholarship

WGU vs. Traditional Universities Compare the Difference

Traditional Universities

AVG. yearly tuition For BACHELOR’S DEGREES

AVG. yearly tuition For MASTER’S DEGREES

TUITION STRUCTURE

Per credit hour

Flat rate per 6-month term

A counselor you have to schedule time with

An individual Program Mentor who knows your goals and schedule

Scheduled time

Whenever you feel ready

Professor led lectures at a certain time and place

Courses available anytime, from anywhere

* Average yearly bachelor's degree tuition according to the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (2022). ** Average yearly master's tuition according to data from the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (2022).

See a Breakdown of Course Costs

Start Your College Journey at WGU

WGU has built a special, accelerated path for students ages 14-18 with a high school diploma or equivalent, and their families. Now enrolling for this exclusive opportunity.

Business Programs with the Best ROI

It's important to be thoughtful before investing in a degree. Comparing the cost of the program and the ROI you'll get is key in determining if a program is right for you. WGU programs rank extremely highly when it comes to ROI and competitive tuition. Learn more about how we rank when it comes to post-graduate debt and salary levels.

Bachelor of Science

Business Management: 267% ROI

Marketing: 249% ROI

Accounting: 202% ROI

More Resources for Business Students

Should I Get an Online MBA?

Discover how an online MBA can help you boost your career and salary.

How to Become a Market Disruptor

Discover what a market disruptor is and the skills you need to be one.

Meet More WGU Business Alumni 

Learn more about the experiences of distinguished WGU graduates.

What Our Alumni Are Saying

People love their WGU experience. See why it means so much to them, and what makes us different.

"Western Governors University is truly the best. The university is family. They helped me a lot, and I am indeed grateful."

— David Ekpezu, B.S. Business Management grad

"At WGU, it feels more like, 'We are here for you. So whenever you're ready, we're ready.'"

— Andrea Petty, B.S. Marketing grad

"Earning my master’s degree from WGU was an affirmation that I possessed the classical, foundational knowledge one requires to achieve excellent outcomes for themselves in the business world."

— Rob Berg, M.S. Management and Leadership grad

WGU Grads Hold Positions With Top Employers

School of business faqs, what is the best online school for a business degree.

Doing research is crucial when comparing business administration degrees. Things like the cost of the program, the amount of time it will take, and the courses are all important factors when making a decision. But there is more you should think about when making your choice. The amount of debt students have, the amount they are able to earn after they graduate, and how many online students a university has are also extremely important factors in determining which is the best program to meet your needs.

1. Excelsior College ROI: 497% Exclusively Online Students: 25,245 Tuition: $9,180 per year

2. Western Governors University ROI: 267% Exclusively Online Students: 136,139 Tuition: $6,450 per year See WGU's Business Management Program

3. American Public University System ROI: 249% Exclusively Online Students: 45,249 Tuition: $11,550 per year

4. Arizona State University—Skysong ROI: 225% Exclusively Online Students: 43,721 Tuition: $8,550 per year

5. Capella University ROI: 171% Exclusively Online Students: 37,859 Tuition: $10,710 per year

Source: WGU Data

What is the most inexpensive online school for business?

Compare tuition prices for business management programs at online colleges. Other fees may apply, and fees will vary based on degree program and institution. These calculations are made based on 4 year degree programs, with prices listed on an institution's website.

Western Governors University $28,600

Capella University $38,400

Southern New Hampshire University $38,400

Purdue Global University $50,085

University of Phoenix $47,760

Grand Canyon University $56,400

Devry University $62,708

Walden University $62,795

How much does an online business degree cost?

On average, online business degrees at other universities will cost $38,000 to $60,000 total. There also may be in-state or out-of-state tuition factors, as well as additional fees. However, you may be able to find online degree programs that cost much less.

For example, business degree programs at WGU are $3,755 per term for a bachelor's degree, and only $4,755 for graduate programs. This is less than half the cost of other online institutions.*

How fast can I get an online business degree?

A bachelor's degree in business usually takes around four years to complete at a traditional university. Often online business degree programs allow you to accelerate your program. For example, at WGU business undergraduate programs can be completed in around two years thanks to the accelerated course program.

What can I do with an online business degree?

An online business degree can open up many opportunities for you to begin or advance your career in business. Since a business degree is versatile and teaches many skills, it could qualify you to work in any of several unique industries. With an online business degree, you could potentially qualify for a job in management, finance, accounting, marketing, information technology, or even healthcare. So whether you want to be an accountant or a chief technology officer, an online business degree can help.

Can I earn a CPA license in my state with a WGU degree?

CPA licensure requirements vary by state. Check here for more information about accounting license requirements in your state.

*WGU average annual bachelor’s tuition rates are 48% lower than the national average, compared to national rates reported by the  Integrated Postsecondary Education Data Systems in 2022 . WGU average rate does not include rates for WGU Bachelor of Science, Nursing Prelicensure program.

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Major: Business

Business is ubiquitous in our society. We conduct business in a variety of ways every day, including using smartphones, streaming shows, and purchasing food. In-store or online, our day-to-day activities or the items we purchase all begin with a business idea. 

People's personalities shape their preferences and what they deem essential. That's where businesses come in. Behind the scenes, various business professionals are working toward an organization's goals. Whatever the goods or services an organization sells to consumers, it's your job to ensure your company's objectives are met.

As a business student, you'll take accounting, finance, economics, marketing, human resources, and project management classes. And because today's society is immersed in technology, your coursework will include classes on how the digital world impacts businesses.

What does a student majoring in Business study? 

• Introduction to Business
• Financial Accounting
• Data Analytics
• Investments

What can I do with a Business degree?

As a business major, you’ll take classes in various disciplines, which will ensure you to have marketable skills in management, financial data analysis, communication, and problem-solving. Here are some professions your degree can prepare you for:

• Agents and Business Managers of Artists, Performers, and Athletes
• Business Continuity Planners
• Business Intelligence Analysts
• Biofuel Technology and Product Development Managers
• Document Management Specialists

Specializations for a Business Major:

• Accounting 
• Real Estate
• Actuarial Science
• International Business
• Supply Chain Management
• Operations and Technology Management
• Human Resources

What are the requirements for a Business degree? 

Check with your academic advisor to ensure that you're taking competitive courses and staying on track toward graduation. Choose courses carefully. Keep a record of your credits each semester. Internships, study abroad programs, and student organizations aren’t graduation requirements. However, they enrich your undergraduate experience and help you decide where you can see yourself as a business professional. A semester abroad may spark an interest in international business, or an internship can strengthen a desire to work in a particular industry. Related Resources   

Related Business Careers

Related ap courses, find colleges with a business major, related topics.

25 Types of Business Degrees [2024 Guide]

Which of the many types of business degrees is right for you? Find out here!

Editorial Listing ShortCode:

A business degree can be a wonderful educational path that may lead to many different career opportunities. However, before deciding to pursue a business degree, it is important to become aware that there are various business degrees to choose from.

Types of Business Degrees

These are the best business majors for the future based on salary and projected job growth by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Click on the one you’re most interested in to jump to that part of the guide.

Business Administration

Data analytics, entrepreneurship, forensic accounting, healthcare management, hospitality management, human resources, international business, internet marketing, nonprofit management, operations management, organizational leadership, project management, public administration, public relations, public safety administration, retail and sales management, small business, sports management, supply chain and logistics.

You should choose a business degree online , or on-campus, that matches your career goals, interests, and educational goals.

A person that chooses to study accounting can pursue a job as an office manager, financial analyst, finance manager, accountant, and more. The average annual salary is $71,550, and the job growth is predicted to be around 4%.

Most people who study accounting learn about auditing, reporting, accounting principles, and information systems used for accounting. Accounting is often best suited for individuals that are detail-oriented and possess strong mathematical skills.

If you plan to earn a degree in business administration, you may begin a career as a project manager, human resources manager, business analyst, or office manager. The typical annual salary that a person with a business administration degree may earn is $73,570 as a project management specialist, and the projected job growth for this occupation is 6% over the next decade.

Students of this program may learn about all subjects dealing with business. For example, you may gain knowledge and skills in advertising, accounting, sales, and information systems.

Business Administration is often suitable for individuals interested in learning about various parts of business and working in different areas of the business field. However, you may be able to choose a specialization or concentration to specifically focus on.

This is a program that uses data heavily to influence business decisions and help companies succeed. Some of the job titles you may hold with this degree are data scientist, analytics manager, data engineer, software engineer, or data analyst.

A person with a degree in data analytics can expect may make an average yearly salary of around $94,280 as a data scientist, and this position is expected to grow 31% over the next ten years.

If you are part of this program, you may learn how to analyze and research data to predict the future positive opportunities and negative risks that may arise for businesses and organizations. A degree in data analytics may be perfect for a person who possesses problem-solving skills, analytical skills, visualization skills, and computer savvy skills.

A degree program in economics may lead you down various career paths, such as financial analyst, business consultant, actuary, or market research analyst. If you decide to pursue this degree program, you may make an average income of $81,590 each year.

Additionally, the predicted job growth for careers in finance is estimated to be 6% over the next ten years. By choosing this specific degree, you may learn the necessary information about microeconomics, macroeconomics, research, competition, and pricing.

This program may be most valuable to a person who enjoys mathematics, researching, analyzing, making predictions, and dealing with large amounts of data.

This degree may be an excellent choice for those interested in starting their own business. It can lead to a variety of job titles, such as marketing manager, project manager, account manager, operations manager, account executive, or founder and president.

The average annual salary that a person with a degree in entrepreneurship generally makes is $73,570, and the projected job growth is around 6%.

Individuals studying entrepreneurship can expect to learn how to create a business plan, determine their budget, market their business, and find the resources needed to make their business run successfully.

The entrepreneurship degree is mainly beneficial for individuals that plan to start their own company or desire to help others start their own company.

This may be a great degree choice for individuals intrigued by dealing with money. The common career paths involving a finance degree are financial analyst, banker, financial advisor, and actuary.

If you decide finance is the best major for you, you may make an average income of $81,590 each year, and the field is expected to grow by about 5% over the next ten years.

The essential aspects of finance that you can plan on learning are financial reporting, analysis, planning, and managing risks that may arise. A degree in finance can be an important asset for those that enjoy using mathematics and helping clients and organizations with their finances and budgets.

Individuals in a forensic accounting degree program may pursue careers as fraud examiners, forensic accountants, fraud investigators, and more. The average annual salary that people with this degree earn is $74,260, and the field is projected to grow by 4% or more in the next few years.

If you are interested in forensic accounting, you can plan on learning how to analyze and investigate different types of fraud, such as bankruptcy, major fraud cases, capital crimes, and even divorces.

This may be a great degree program for those that want to make a career out of using accounting skills along with auditing and investigating. In addition, analyzing and interpreting evidence is a major duty of this field, and you may even be required to participate in court cases.

As a graduate of a healthcare management program, you may earn different job titles such as clinical director, health and social services manager, patient care coordinator, medical practice manager, office manager, or medical records manager.

The average amount of income with this degree that you may make is $86,820, and the jobs available are projected to grow by a tremendous amount of 31% over the next five years.

The healthcare management program is designed to provide students with the knowledge of how to run and manage healthcare facilities. If you are an individual that is interested in learning about the healthcare field and how to manage a healthcare center, this degree may be ideal for you.

This degree is designed to prepare students for careers as restaurant managers, event coordinators, hotel managers, event managers, assistant managers, and more.

The average annual salary graduates of this program may earn is $50,600, and the management roles for food services and lodging is projected to grow by 6-9% in a short amount of time.

In this field, you may learn how to manage restaurants, hotels, special events, and other facilities in the hospitality sector. If you are interested in opening your own restaurant or running someone else’s restaurant or another type of facility dealing with the public, this degree may be beneficial to achieving this goal.

If you want to begin a career as a human resources manager, human resources director, human resources coordinator, or an office manager, this may be an ideal degree program for you.

The average starting salary for a graduate of this program is $61,920, and the projected job growth is 7% over the next 10 years.

If you choose to study human resources, you may learn about the recruitment aspect, legal issues, and compensation and benefits aspects of a business.

This degree program is usually best suited for a person that desires to work in an office environment. The human resources department of a company is the link between management and staff, so you may be responsible for dealing with any complaints or issues that any workers may have.

An individual earning an education in international business may pursue various career roles overseas, such as a financial analyst, marketing manager, project manager, operations manager, or business development manager.

A typical annual salary for a person with this degree is $63,790, and the predicted job growth is 18%.

A degree in international business is designed to provide knowledge on how to effectively run and manage businesses in other countries. If you are interested in traveling and learning about foreign countries’ money systems, this degree may benefit you.

If you are an individual that plans to begin a career as a marketing manager, marketing coordinator, marketing director, marketing specialist, or marketing associate, a degree in internet marketing may be a great choice to consider.

The average annual salary a graduate in this field can make is $61,520, and the marketing field in general is predicted to grow by 18% over the next five years.

This degree may teach you all the fundamentals of marketing on social media platforms and other internet websites. If you are thinking about operating a business online and want to learn how to gain attention from customers with your products and services, a degree in internet marketing may be a great option to teach you how to do so.

This degree can lead to great employment opportunities, such as an administrative assistant, operations manager, human resource manager, project manager, office manager, and more.

The average annual income that a degree in management may bring you is $58,760, and management roles are expected to grow by 5% in the upcoming years.

If you select this degree, you may learn the importance of business management and administration, human resources, how to develop leadership skills, and how to become more organized.

A person that plans to manage a business one day may find a degree in management essential to his or her career. This degree focuses on teaching you how to keep a company or business running smoothly.

Graduates of the marketing program usually begin careers as marketing managers, marketing coordinators, marketing specialists, marketing directors, and marketing associates.

The typical average salary for a person with a marketing degree is around $74,510, and the jobs in this field are expected to grow by 18% within the next few years.

Graduates may complete the program with exceptional knowledge of consumer behaviors, branding, analytics, pricing, and how to market successfully using social media platforms.

This degree is most often suitable for an individual that desires to learn how to create relationships and satisfy their customers. It may teach you how to attract certain customers to buy your product or service, which is essential to creating and managing a successful business.

This degree is often essential for achieving careers as an executive director, program manager, director of operations, operations manager, development coordinator, grants manager, and many other opportunities involving a nonprofit organization.

Graduates of this program make an average yearly salary of $67,150.

The jobs in the nonprofit sector are projected to grow at a fast rate of 17% over the next ten years. If you choose a degree in nonprofit management, you can plan to learn how to manage finances, fundraisers, and supervise volunteers.

A career in nonprofit management usually involves some type of meaningful work. If you want to be a part of managing an organization that is standing for a social cause or helping the public in some way, a degree in nonprofit management may serve you well.

A person with a degree in operations management may find themselves working as an operations manager, director of operations, executive director, retail store manager, or restaurant manager.

Operations management degree holders make on average around $73,190 a year. Over the next couple of years, the job growth for professionals in operations management is expected to rise by 4%.

A degree in operations management may focus on teaching you how to come up with and produce products and services for consumers in the most efficient way. If you are a person that is interested in managing and coordinating the operations of a business behind the scenes, this is a degree you may want to consider.

This is a wonderful degree program for many that can lead to various career paths, such as human resources manager, operations manager, human resources director, office manager, or executive director.

The average salary that a professional in the field of organizational leadership makes is $61,210. Within the next few years, this field is expected to expand by 9%.

A degree in organizational leadership is designed to provide students with the knowledge and skills to successfully motivate, interact with, and encourage other individuals in a workplace. It is important for a graduate of the program to master the skill of leadership.

This may be the perfect program of study for individuals that wish to be leaders and use a more personal approach with other people in the workplace.

The study of project management may lead to careers as project managers, operation managers, project engineers, or IT managers. The average yearly pay for a person with this degree is $73,570, and the field is predicted to grow by 6% in the next few years.

This degree teaches students how to oversee teams and manage projects. The ideal goal is to make sure your team achieves a certain objective promptly and within the expected budget. If you are interested in joining a company and being in charge of specific projects, a degree in project management may be beneficial.

Students studying public administration may enter several different career paths, such as human resources director, administrative assistant, operations manager, executive director, human resources manager, and more.

The average salary for this field is $60,180, and the demand for this type of employee is predicted to grow at a high rate of 17% within the next few years.

A degree in public administration usually prepares students for a career in public service as well as focusing on how to manage projects. This degree is often suited for individuals wishing to make an impact on the public in some way.

If you are looking to begin a career as a marketing coordinator, marketing manager, marketing director, account executive, account coordinator, or public relations manager, consider earning a degree in public relations.

The typical annual salary for an individual that has completed this program is $61,150, and the growth of jobs in this field is estimated to increase by 7% over the next few years.

As a student in the public relations program, you can expect to learn how to create and gain exposure by developing public interest. Examples of ways to create and gain exposure are writing news releases, speaking with the press, and participating in interviews and speech conferences.

This degree is often most suitable for individuals that are dedicated to dealing with the public and gaining public exposure for a company to succeed.

If the job titles of firefighter, police officer, sheriff’s patrol officer, fire chief, 9-1-1 dispatcher, firefighter paramedic, software engineer, and emergency medical technician sound like a good fit for you, you might want to consider a degree in public safety administration.

The general salary for a person with a public safety administration degree is $77,800, and the growing field is estimated to expand by 6% within a few years.

Students studying public safety administration are taught disaster relief, response techniques, how to be prepared for any situation, and recovery methods. A person intrigued with a career involving saving lives may be an excellent fit for this degree program.

Graduates of the retail and sales management program may earn job titles as retail store managers, account directors, training and development specialists, office managers, merchandise planners, or inside sales managers.

The average annual salary of a retail and sales management degree is $61,210, and this field is anticipated to grow an average of 4% through the next decade.

A retail and sales management program helps students prepare for management roles in retail, marketing, and public service industries. The critical skills taught to succeed in these roles are analytical skills, reasoning skills, and excellent communication.

Any person interested in pursuing a career as a manager in a retail or sales environment should consider earning a degree in retail and sales management.

A student majoring in small business may pursue careers in small companies and organizations, such as a project manager, recruiter, junior estimator, director of operations, compensation analyst, or operations manager.

Most individuals with this degree make an average of $64,560each year, and the job growth is projected to increase by 8% within the next decade.

A degree in small business focuses on teaching strong business skills, such as how to develop your own business, determine your budget, and build customer relations. Individuals that are serious about creating their own business or interested in helping others manage and develop their own business may want to apply to small business programs.

A degree in sports management may help you achieve a career as a marketing manager, operations manager, marketing director, account manager, or athletic director. The average annual salary for a person who has graduated from this program is $73,740, and the field is predicted to grow by 12% over the next decade.

If you are curious about what a degree in sports management entails, you may learn about working with athletes, managing athletic facilities, and traveling and helping athletic teams. If this sounds like a good fit for you, you may want to begin researching degrees in sports management.

This can be a great educational degree for individuals hoping to earn the following job titles: logistics specialist, logistics analyst, logistics manager, operations supervisor, or supply chain manager.

Graduates of the supply chain and logistics program make an average salary of $74,750, and the jobs in the field are predicted to grow at an average pace of 5%.

If you choose to study supply chain and logistics, you may gain the necessary knowledge on managing employees, resources, and information related to the movement of a service or product from the supplier to the customer.

A person that is interested in planning and organizing the entire process of a product or service moving throughout a business or company is often a good candidate for this degree.

Accreditation for a Business Degree

Accreditation is an important factor to look for while researching business degrees.

Before applying to a college or university, make sure it has received its accreditation from a real accrediting agency. Most colleges and employers deem it necessary for you to graduate from an on campus or online business degree program that has been accredited; this shows you have graduated from a program that meets the standard educational requirements to succeed in the business field.

The most common type of accreditation is regional accreditation based on their location. For example, the Middle States Commission on Higher Education provides accreditation to colleges and universities in New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, and the District of Columbia.

Another regional accrediting agency is the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, which accredits colleges and universities in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, and Virginia.

Financial Aid for Business Majors

If you are worried about being able to afford a business degree, there are different types of financial aid that you may be qualified to receive. Most college students around the world receive some type of financial assistance in order to complete their education.

Some of the financial aid options to check into are grants, scholarships, awards, student loans, and work-study programs.

If you have found a college you plan to attend, simply fill out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) . This is a quick, easy application offered by the federal government that determines if an individual qualifies for any financial assistance and how much assistance they may receive.

Questions Related to Earning a Business Degree

Here are our answers to a few more questions you might have.

What Are the Different Types of Degrees?

The different types of degrees are associates, bachelor’s, master’s, and doctorate degrees. An associate degree can be earned at a community college and typically takes about two years to complete. A bachelor’s degree usually takes around four years to complete and is usually received at a public or private college or university.

A master’s degree (MBA) is the next level of education after a bachelor’s degree; it usually takes between 1 and 3 years of additional time after you have earned a bachelor’s degree.

Lastly, a doctorate degree in business, which can be a DBA (Doctor of Business Administration) or PhD, usually takes 3-5 years after a bachelor’s or master’s degree.

The difference between a DBA and PhD is that a PhD is a research degree and a DBA is a professional degree with theoretical knowledge as its focus. An individual that plans to begin a career teaching or conducting research should consider getting their PhD in business administration online , whereas a DBA is most often suitable for an individual that desires to practice business and management.

What Type of Business Degrees are There?

There are countless options for business degrees. Some schools may offer five different business degrees, and some schools may offer 20.

It is very popular to earn a business degree, but you must decide which type may benefit you the most. For example, there are business degrees in accounting, economics, finance, entrepreneurship, marketing, human resources, and more.

What you take depends on what your personal and professional goals are and what you would like to focus on while earning an education.

What Major Should I Choose in Business?

This answer can only be determined by you; it is up to you to decide which major in business you should choose. Make sure the degree you choose matches your educational goals, interests, and career goals.

You may not be happy if you choose the major that makes more money over the major that aligns with your interests and objectives. The major you select can alter your prospective career path, so it is important that you put forth the effort and time to ensure you make the right choice.

Which Type of Business Degree is Best?

The best type of business degree is the one that is beneficial to you and your pursuits. There are numerous types of business degree programs being offered throughout the world that provide excellent knowledge and skills to prepare students for success.

The decision ultimately depends on what you would like to concentrate on and what type of career path you plan to pursue. Once you decide on a subject area, begin applying to colleges and universities offering the specific program of your choice.

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Breaking Down 6 Types of Business Degrees

April 15, 2024

Online Business Programs Coordinator

Learn more about six popular types of business degrees and the courses, job titles and salaries they could lead to. Which path will you pursue?

Pursuing an education in business is one of the most versatile options out there for new and experienced professionals alike. Not only can you apply the competencies gained from a general business degree to a range of different career paths, but you also have a variety of opportunities to specialize within the field of business. 

Whether you’re interested in finance, analytics, health care, or management, there is undoubtedly a program that can help you achieve your career goals. Join us as we outline some common types of business degrees and where they could lead you.  

6 Business degree paths to consider 

The most effective way to narrow down between the different types of business degrees is to analyze your career goals and choose the degree path that most closely aligns. If you don’t have a specific job title in mind, however, it can help to review your options.  

Below, we’ve provided a brief summary of six distinct business degree paths, including a sampling of courses you can expect to take, along with corresponding job titles you could pursue after graduation.  

1. Accounting 

A degree in accounting equips professionals with the skills needed to provide a range of valuable services to businesses across industries. Graduates from high-quality accounting programs learn to prepare and examine an organization’s financial records, identify areas of risk and opportunity, ensure taxes are paid properly, and provide business solutions related to corporate finances. Graduate accounting programs can prepare students for more advanced roles, in addition to specialization opportunities in areas such as forensic accounting , public accounting, or tax accounting. 

Accounting courses to expect:  

• Accounting Theory & Practice 
• Management Accounting 
• Corporate Tax 

Common accounting job titles & median annual salaries:  

• Financial analyst: $66,829 1  
• Accounting officer: $78,000 1  
• Financial manager: $139,790 1  

2. Business administration 

Programs in business administration are designed to prepare professionals to produce, communicate, and interpret financial statements, market research data, marketing strategies, and a host of other important facets of operating a successful business enterprise. Graduates gain the knowledge needed to adapt to the complex and constantly changing business environment, enabling them for success in a variety of career pursuits. Professionals looking to earn more advanced roles often pursue master’s degrees in business administration . 

Business administration courses to expect:  

• Data Application for Business 
• Strategic Management & Leadership 
• Principles of Marketing 

Common business administration job titles & median annual salaries*:  

• Market research analyst: $68,230 1  
• Financial examiner: $82,210 1  
• Management analyst: $95,290 1  

3. Data science 

Professionals with a degree in data science possess an invaluable skill set amidst today’s data-driven business landscape. Graduates from data science programs gain in-demand competencies related to data analysis, enabling them to gather valuable insights and develop innovative solutions in a variety of industries.  

Data science courses to expect:  

• Statistical Methods 
• Machine Learning 
• Data Visualization 

Common data science job titles & median annual salaries:  

• Operations research analyst: $85,720 1  
• Cybersecurity analyst: $112,000 1  
• Computer and information research scientist: $136,620 1  

4. Economics 

While many different business specializations deal with money, professionals who are skilled in the field of economics possess a unique understanding of the production, development, distribution, and management of wealth. A quality economics program also helps graduates gain an acute understanding of the dynamics of economic interactions between individuals and groups, making them an asset to organizations of all kinds. 

Economics courses to expect:  

• Intermediate Macroeconomic Theory 
• Business and Economics Forecasting 
• Money and Banking 

Common economics job titles & median annual salaries:  

• Quantitative analyst: $73,810 1  
• Actuary: $113,990 1  
• Compensation manager - $131,280 1  

5. Finance 

Most business degrees in finance provide graduates with a solid foundation in the functional areas of business, while also teaching the skills necessary to apply advanced financial concepts to corporate and personal investment decisions. From working with large organizations to small businesses, real estate firms to individuals, the services provided by finance professionals are valuable in a multitude of career environments. 

Finance courses to expect:  

• Financial Management 
• Investments 
• Managerial Economics 

Common finance job titles & median annual salaries:  

• Loan officer: $65,740 1  
• Budget analyst: $82,260 1  
• Personal financial advisor: $95,390 1  

6. Health care management 

The knowledge and skills gained from a reputable health care administration program can enable professionals to pursue new and exciting advancement opportunities in a variety of health care organizations. From health care accounting, finance, and data analysis to legal and ethical principles related to health care policy, degree-holders learn to lead health care organizations by executing effective organizational change. 

Health care administration courses to expect:  

• Health Care Financial Management 
• Marketing and Strategic Planning in the Service Sector 
• Health Care Information Systems 

Common health care administration job titles & median annual salaries:  

• Clinical project manager: $107,102 2  
• Nursing home administrator: $120,285 3  
• Ancillary services director: $130,019 4  

Find the right business degree path for you 

As you work to determine which higher education option will be the best fit for your career pursuits, this breakdown of different types of business degrees can help narrow your options. It’s also important to find a school that fits your top criteria when it comes to factors like cost, program offerings, and student resources. 

Utica University offers a dynamic variety of on-campus, hybrid, and online business programs, ranging from undergraduate certificates to post-baccalaureate degrees. Based on factors related to affordability, student engagement, and financial aid availability, Utica University is considered one of America’s Best Value Colleges . 

Learn more about how you can launch or advance your business career at Utica University by browsing our Online Business Programs. 

1 National Center for O*NET Development. O*NET Online. Retrieved December 2023, from https://www.onetonline.org/ 

2 Clinical Project Manager Salaries. (2023). Glassdoor. Retrieved December 2023, from https://www.glassdoor.com/Career/clinical-project-manager-career_KO0,24.htm  

3 Nursing Home Administrator Salaries. (2023). Glassdoor. Retrieved December 2023, from  https://www.glassdoor.com/Career/nursing-home-administrator-career_KO0,26.htm  

4 Director of Ancillary Services Salaries. (2023). Glassdoor. Retrieved December 2023, from https://www.glassdoor.com/Salaries/ancillary-services-director-salary-SRCH_KO0,27.htm  

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The Lummi Nation received $9.8 million to restore the watershed. Here's how they plan to do it.

A pr. 16—More than 2,500 Chinook salmon died in the South Fork of the Nooksack River from overheating during the 2021 summer "heat dome" that saw temperatures reach over 100 degrees.

"We really ramped up our efforts in the last 10 to 15 years to bring our salmon back," Lisa Wilson, Secretary for Lummi Indian Business Council told The Bellingham Herald. "Two years ago we brought that population back to over 3,000, but over 2,500 of them died before they could reach spawning grounds."

The effort to save the salmon recently received a boost in the form of a $9.8 million federal grant to help restore the watershed.

The South Fork Nooksack Watershed Restoration Project is a combination of five smaller projects across 3.2 miles of the Nooksack River and Skookum Creek in the South Fork Valley, Wilson said. Restoration efforts can only be conducted between mid-July and mid-August, when the salmon population in the river is low, meaning the project itself will take four to five years to complete.

"The first project we hope to complete is Construct 1 ELJ in the mainstream, and re-route the Skookum Creek Hatchery outfall to restore low-flow fish passage," Wilson said.

The plan also involves construction of 20 habitat structures in new outfall channel, installation of a flood fence, and work to create cool places for salmon to take shelter during the hotter months, which will only get worse with climate change and with increased development.

Restoration workers add fallen trees to the river to create log jams. The trees carve out deep, cold water pools for salmon to take shelter in, as well as shaded areas, according to Wilson.

"Our goal is to restore the Nooksack River Watershed to properly functioning conditions for salmon recovery," Lummi Nation Watershed Restoration Manger Kelly Turner told The Herald in an email. "For each geographic area of the watershed, we have habitat goals such as number of deep, wood formed pools, riparian forest area and side channel."

"We are still trying to restore the river from legacy habitat degradation when settlers first arrived (in the late 1800s and early 1900s) and the logging industry was first starting," Turner added. "There would be thinning and clearing of trees all the way down to the river. We lost a lot of those old-growth trees that would naturally fall into the river over time and create these nice, big log jams, and create deep pools and shade for salmon."

Climate change is also harmful to the river's health. Not only is there the direct impact of warmer summer temperatures heating the river, but warmer winter temperatures mean the mountains see less snow in the winter. This leads to less snowmelt in the summer, which means less water in the river over the summer, so the water heats up even quicker.

"We are kinda just running to stay in place, and that is not getting us to salmon recovery. It is not enough," Turner said.

Currently, the Lummi Nation has barely enough salmon for their cultural practices. The fish are vital to a number of ceremonies such as funerals, Wilson said. Keeping the watershed healthy and keeping salmon in the river is important for the Lummi Nation and other Indigenous Tribes, on a cultural level.

"We want to make sure we have salmon for our future generations," Wilson said.

Another difficulty in repairing the watershed is securing funding through grants. The tribe has to compete for grants against other stakeholders. Securing this amount of funding is a massive win for the tribe, but the bureaucratic work is not done there. In order to repair the river and the habitat, the tribe needs to get the proper permits.

"We have to go through the same process that the developers have to go through. So we have the same process that it takes to degrade the habitat, as we do to actually fix the habitat," Wilson said.

(c)2024 The Bellingham Herald (Bellingham, Wash.) Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

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What to Know About the Trial Donald Trump Faces in Manhattan

Prosecutors accused Mr. Trump of falsifying business records to cover up a sex scandal. It is the first criminal trial of a former president.

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By Ben Protess ,  Kate Christobek and Jonah E. Bromwich

Donald J. Trump is now on trial in Manhattan — the first former U.S. president to be criminally prosecuted.

The trial, which began Monday with jury selection and could last up to two months, will oscillate between salacious testimony on sex scandals and granular detail about corporate documents.

Mr. Trump faces 34 felony counts of falsifying business records in the first degree, all of which are tied to the former president’s role in a hush-money payment to a porn star, Stormy Daniels.

But that payoff is not the only hush-money deal that prosecutors plan to highlight. The prosecutors, from the Manhattan district attorney’s office, have accused Mr. Trump of orchestrating a broader scheme to influence the 2016 presidential election by directing his allies to purchase damaging stories about him to keep them under wraps.

It is the first of Mr. Trump’s four criminal cases to go to trial — and it could be the only one to do so before Election Day.

Mr. Trump, who is again the presumptive Republican nominee for president, has denied all wrongdoing. He also assailed the district attorney, Alvin L. Bragg, for bringing the charges, accusing him of carrying out a politically motivated witch hunt. And he has attacked the judge presiding over the case, Juan M. Merchan.

Here are answers to some key questions about the trial:

Will the trial be televised?

No. There will be no audio or video broadcast of the trial available, though cameras will be stationed in the hallway outside the courtroom to capture Mr. Trump’s remarks going in and out of the trial.

Court will generally be in session every weekday except Wednesdays, from 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

What is Mr. Trump accused of?

The charges trace back to a $130,000 hush-money payment that Mr. Trump’s fixer, Michael D. Cohen, made to Ms. Daniels in the final days of the 2016 campaign. The payment, which Mr. Cohen said he had made at Mr. Trump’s direction, suppressed her story of a sexual liaison that she said she had with Mr. Trump.

Paying hush money is not always illegal.

But while serving as the commander in chief, Mr. Trump reimbursed Mr. Cohen, and how he did so constituted fraud, prosecutors say.

In internal records, Mr. Trump’s company classified the repayment to Mr. Cohen as legal expenses, citing a retainer agreement. Yet there were no such expenses, the prosecutors say, and the retainer agreement was fictional too.

Those records underpin the 34 counts of falsifying business records: 11 counts involve the checks, 11 center on monthly invoices Mr. Cohen submitted to the company, and 12 involve entries in the general ledger for Mr. Trump’s trust.

Why did prosecutors cite other hush-money payments?

Mr. Bragg’s office linked Mr. Trump to three hush-money deals. While Mr. Trump is indicted only in connection with the business records related to Ms. Daniels, the prosecutors most likely mentioned the other deals to begin the work of proving that Mr. Trump intended to conceal a second crime.

In addition to the indictment, the prosecutors filed a so-called statement of facts that referenced the other payoffs.

That document, common in complex white-collar cases, provides something of a road map for what the prosecutors could reveal at trial. And based on evidence presented to the grand jury, the document details the two hush-money deals involving The National Enquirer, which has longstanding ties to Mr. Trump.

The first involved the tabloid’s payment of $30,000 to a former Trump Tower doorman who claimed to know that Mr. Trump had fathered a child out of wedlock. The publication later determined the claim to be untrue.

The National Enquirer also made a payment to Karen McDougal, Playboy’s Playmate of the Year in 1998, who wanted to sell her story of an affair with Mr. Trump during the 2016 campaign. She reached a $150,000 agreement with the tabloid, which bought the rights to her story to suppress it — a practice known as “catch and kill.”

The deals suggest that the payment to Ms. Daniels was not an isolated incident but rather part of a broader strategy to influence the 2016 election.

Why is it a felony to falsify records?

Falsifying business records in New York State can be a misdemeanor. But it can be elevated to a felony if prosecutors prove that the records were falsified to conceal another crime.

In this case, there are three potential additional crimes that Mr. Bragg has accused Mr. Trump of concealing: a federal campaign finance violation, a state election-law crime and tax fraud.

The campaign crimes, prosecutors say, involve the hush-money payoffs to Ms. Daniels and Ms. McDougal. The payments, they argue, were illegal donations to Mr. Trump’s campaign.

The potential tax fraud stems from the way in which Mr. Cohen was reimbursed for his payment to Ms. Daniels.

Do prosecutors need to convict Mr. Trump of the other crimes?

No. Prosecutors do not have to charge Mr. Trump with any secondary crime or prove that he committed it.

They still must show, however, that there was intent to “commit or conceal” a second crime.

Who will the witnesses be?

Mr. Cohen is expected to be a crucial witness for the prosecution. His testimony could take days.

Mr. Bragg’s prosecutors are also expected to call David Pecker, the former publisher of the National Enquirer, as well as Hope Hicks, a former campaign and White House aide to Mr. Trump, to shed light on the tumultuous period surrounding the hush-money payments.

Ms. Daniels and Ms. McDougal could be witnesses as well.

Who Are Key Players in the Trump Manhattan Criminal Trial?

The first criminal trial of former President Donald J. Trump is underway. Take a closer look at central figures related to the case.

What will the defense do?

The defense will most likely try to paint Mr. Cohen as a Trump-hating liar, noting that he and the former president had a falling-out years ago. Mr. Trump’s lawyers are expected to emphasize that Mr. Cohen pleaded guilty to a variety of federal crimes in 2018 — including for his role in the hush-money payment.

Much of Mr. Cohen’s testimony is expected to be corroborated by other witnesses, but he might be the only one who can directly tie Mr. Trump to the false business records, a potential weakness of the case that Mr. Trump’s lawyers could seek to exploit.

Whether Mr. Trump’s lawyers will call any witnesses is unclear, but Mr. Trump has said he plans to take the stand in his own defense.

Will Trump attend the trial?

Nothing is ever certain with Mr. Trump, but he is currently expected to attend much of the trial. To be absent, he will need to seek a waiver from the judge.

When Mr. Trump is there, it will create a host of security and logistical issues around the Lower Manhattan courthouse. In addition to the U.S. Secret Service protecting Mr. Trump, there will be a heavy police presence outside the building, as protesters and counterprotesters could fill the streets.

Who is the judge?

Justice Merchan is a veteran judge known as a no-nonsense, drama-averse jurist. This case is already testing his patience.

Since the Manhattan district attorney charged Mr. Trump last year, the former president has used campaign emails, social media and repetitive legal filings to attack the judge’s integrity and family. Recently, the former president demanded for a second time that Justice Merchan step aside , citing his daughter’s position at a Democratic consulting firm that worked for the 2020 Biden campaign.

The judge, who denied that request on Monday, has also issued a gag order to protect prosecutors, witnesses and his own family from Mr. Trump’s vitriol. And yet the former president has continued to post articles with pictures of the justice’s daughter.

During the trial, Justice Merchan will be in charge of keeping order in the courtroom and ruling on objections made by prosecutors and Mr. Trump’s lawyers. The jury will ultimately decide whether Mr. Trump is guilty.

What is the maximum sentence if Mr. Trump is convicted?

The charges against Mr. Trump are all Class E felonies, the lowest category of felonies in New York. Each count carries a maximum prison sentence of four years. Justice Merchan has made it clear that he takes white-collar crime seriously and could throw Mr. Trump behind bars. It’s possible, however, that Justice Merchan would impose a concurrent sentence — under which Mr. Trump would serve all prison time simultaneously — if the former president were convicted of more than one count.

And nothing in the law requires Justice Merchan to imprison Mr. Trump if he’s convicted by a jury. The judge could instead sentence him to probation.

Can Trump appeal?

Yes, if he is convicted, Mr. Trump will appeal, a process that could take months or longer.

Mr. Trump could first take the case to the Appellate Division in Manhattan, and, ultimately seek review from the state’s highest court, the Court of Appeals in Albany. In other words, any appeal is unlikely to be resolved before Election Day. And he would most likely remain free at least until it is resolved.

Ben Protess is an investigative reporter at The Times, writing about public corruption. He has been covering the various criminal investigations into former President Trump and his allies. More about Ben Protess

Kate Christobek is a reporter covering the civil and criminal cases against former president Donald J. Trump for The Times. More about Kate Christobek

Jonah E. Bromwich covers criminal justice in New York, with a focus on the Manhattan district attorney’s office and state criminal courts in Manhattan. More about Jonah E. Bromwich

Our Coverage of the Trump Hush-Money Trial

News and Analysis

The beginning of Donald Trump’s criminal trial in Manhattan  drew intense security, smothering media coverage and loud demonstrations to a dingy courthouse that will be the unlikely center of American politics for six weeks.

Jury selection got off to a slow start as more than half of the first group of 96 potential jurors  raised their hands to say they could not be fair to Trump.

On the first day of the trial, Trump appeared to nod off a few times , his mouth going slack and his head drooping onto his chest.

Melania Trump has long referred to the case as her husband’s problem, not hers. But she has privately called the trial a “disgrace”  that could threaten his campaign.

More on Trump’s Legal Troubles

Key Inquiries: Trump faces several investigations  at both the state and the federal levels, into matters related to his business and political careers.

Case Tracker:  Keep track of the developments in the criminal cases  involving the former president.

What if Trump Is Convicted?: Will any of the proceedings hinder Trump’s presidential campaign? Here is what we know, and what we don’t know .

Trump on Trial Newsletter: Sign up here  to get the latest news and analysis  on the cases in New York, Florida, Georgia and Washington, D.C.

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Fcc chair backs bill forcing tiktok parent to divest app or face u.s. ban – if legislation “makes it to the president’s desk, he should absolutely sign it”, seven jurors selected for donald trump’s hush money case, former president attacks judge for “rushing this trial” – update.

By Sean Piccoli , Ted Johnson

UPDATE: A seventh juror was sworn in to serve during Donald Trump ‘s hush money trial, as proceedings ended for the day.

The juror, a civil litigation lawyer, was selected after a long day in which prospective panelists were grilled about their views and past social media posts. Although Judge Juan Merchan excused some potential jurors who had posted egregious anti-Trump messages, he allowed others who had posted political content indicating their views.

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Merchan has been telling selected jurors to expect to return on Monday for opening statements.

Still to be selected are five additional jurors as well as alternates.

Speaking to reporters outside the courtroom, Trump again attacked the judge, calling him “totally conflicted” and accused him of “rushing this trial and doing as much as he can for the Democrats.”

Jury selection will resume on Thursday, as Merchan has indicated that Wednesdays will be dark due to his other obligations. That could change if the case falls behind.

PREVIOUSLY: The first six jurors have been sworn in in Donald Trump’s hush money trial, after extensive questioning that included queries about past social media posts.

Twelve jurors and as many as six alternates have to be seated before testimony begins.

Judge Juan Merchan also told the jury that they could plan for opening statements on Monday.

Merchan then continued jury selection. Among those queried was a retired New York city law enforcement officer who now works for two security firms. He said that he was once to serve on a jury in a lawsuit involving Trump and Merv Griffin, but it was settled out of court.

“Donald Trump was one of the parties?” Merchan asked. “I think so. I’m not 100 percent sure.”

Trump sued Griffin in 1988 during a battle over control of Resorts International Inc. It was ultimately settled under a deal in which Trump retained ownership of the Taj Mahal in Atlantic City.

PREVIOUSLY: Donald Trump’s lawyers have been reviewing potential jurors’ social media posts, calling out those whose pledges to be impartial may conflict with their affinities on Facebook and other platforms.

But Judge Juan Merchan scolded the former president’s legal team for Trump’s audible reaction as one potential juror was being questioned over her past Facebook post that showed an outdoor celebration, captioned a “full-on dance party,” apparently tied to the 2020 election.

The potential juror defended the post, telling the judge that she had been re-parking her car when she spotted the celebration. She said that “regardless of my thoughts about anyone or anything or political feelings or convictions,” the “job of a juror is to understand the facts of a trial and to the judge of those facts,” per a pool report.

After the juror left the courtroom, Merchan told Trump’s lawyers that as she was being questioned, “your client was audible.” He said that he could not hear what Trump was saying but that he was “muttering” and “gesturing.”

“I will not have any jurors intimidated in this courtroom,” the judge said, during Trump’s lawyers to speak to their client.

Merchan declined to dismiss the potential juror.

But he did excuse another potential juror who had a past social media post during the Trump presidency that read, “Good news!! Trump lost his court battle on his unlawful travel ban!! Get him out, and lock him up.” As the potential juror was being questioned over the post, Trump “flashed him a smirk,” according to the pool report.

Another juror also was excused over social media posts, including a parody video generated by AI titled “I’m dumb as f—” and featuring Trump.

But the judge declined to dismiss another prospective juror over social media posts that her husband made or shared in 2016, showing the extent to which Trump’s team is investigating the backgrounds of those in the mix.

“These are three posts. They are all fairly characterized as satire, I believe,” Merchan said. “None of them expresses the sentiment we saw in some others, a desire to see your client locked up or beheaded or something or other of that nature.”

He added, “The question is not whether someone agrees with your client politically or not. The question is whether or not they can be fair and impartial.”

PREVIOUSLY: Kara McGee, a jury pool candidate who was excused on Tuesday morning during the latest round of jury selection in Donald Trump’s hush money trial, told reporters outside the Manhattan courthouse she was disappointed to not be able to serve because of scheduling conflicts with her cybersecurity job. 

“I don’t approve of what he did as a president,” McGee told reporters, but added that the right to a fair trial was important enough to her that she could have put her feelings aside and judged the case impartially. 

“We all have prior opinions about the defendant,” she added.

McGee described the mood among jury candidates in the courtroom on Monday and Tuesday as tense as they took turns answering a 42-item juror questionnaire covering jobs, hobbies, family life, political activities and feelings about the case. “People did seem nervous … like no one wanted to talk to each other,” she said  

She said the gravity of the occasion was palpable: “You walked in and you felt like history was happening.”

Video via Sean Piccoli.

(WATCH) Kara McGee, the excused juror from the Trump trial in NYC, talks with the media pic.twitter.com/7azWL9yPCr — Deadline Hollywood (@DEADLINE) April 16, 2024

PREVIOUSLY: Donald Trump again blasted the judge in his hush money trial, before entering the courtroom this morning for what is a long slog through jury selection.

In what is likely to be a routine moment for each day’s proceedings, the former president stopped in the courthouse hallway to make brief remarks to reporters, seizing on the media’s need for visuals given the restrictions on cameras in the courtroom itself.

Trump called Judge Juan Merchan a “Trump hating judge” who should be recused from the case, although efforts to remove the judge have so far been rejected. Trump also again claimed that the case, involving hush money payments paid to Stormy Daniels in advance of the 2016 election, was orchestrated by Joe Biden. After Trump’s remarks, CNN quickly went to a fact check to note that the case is brought in the state of New York, not at the federal level, and by Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg.

Earlier today, on Truth Social Trump railed at some of the reporting on the trial’s first day, complaining of people “lying and spewing hate all day long” on TV. The New York Times’ Maggie Haberman reported that Trump dozed off at one moment during the proceedings, something that was quickly picked up by cable news and even late night comics.

Trump is under a partial gag order that prevents him from attacking the judge’s family and potential witnesses, among others.

The charges against Trump have to do with the recording of payments to his former attorney Michael Cohen as “legal expenses.” The indictment alleges that those expenses were actually reimbursement for hush money payments, and that it was part of a scheme to cover up damaging information in advance of the 2016 election. Trump told reporters today that “I was paying a lawyer and marked it down as legal expense. An accountant I didn’t know marked it down as a legal expense. That’s exactly what it was.”

Jury selection is expected to continue throughout the day today, with some 32 potential jurors remaining from an initial pool of 96. The process is slow, as each juror is given a list of 42 questions to answer as part of the voir dire process.

Outside the courthouse, the scene was quiet, with no demonstrators in the park across the street from the Manhattan complex.

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