Bethany College Realigns Business Program with Two New Tracks

BETHANY, W.Va. (Aug. 25, 2025) — Bethany College has announced a comprehensive realignment of its Business Department academic offerings, introducing new concentrations within the business administration major designed to better reflect modern industry needs, student interests, and career opportunities. 

Effective this upcoming academic year, the business administration major will feature six distinct concentrations: management, marketing, digital marketing, healthcare administration, esport gaming management, and financial planning. The move consolidates and modernizes Bethany’s business curriculum while creating clear, career-focused pathways for students. 

“Our goal is to ensure that Bethany graduates are fully prepared for today’s evolving business landscape,” said Dr. Danny Moore, vice president of academic affairs. “This restructuring aligns our curriculum with real-world demand and gives students the flexibility and focus they need to succeed in dynamic fields.” 

Several concentrations will leverage Bethany’s academic partnership with RIZE Education, providing students with asynchronous online courses taught by industry experts. These RIZE-supported tracks include digital marketing, healthcare administration, esport gaming management, and the newly introduced financial planning concentration. 

Esport gaming management moves from a previous minor to a full concentration within the business administration major, reflecting the growth of the global gaming industry and the demand for skilled management professionals in the field. 

Financial planning represents an entirely new addition to the curriculum. Delivered entirely through RIZE, this seven-course sequence satisfies the education requirements for the Certified Financial Planner (CFP®) exam and is part of a CFP Board Registered Program. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, employment for personal financial advisors is projected to grow 17 percent over the next decade, highlighting the need for well-prepared graduates in this high-demand field. 

Meanwhile, concentrations in management and marketing remain central pillars of the business administration major. Notably, Bethany is introducing a new course within the marketing track titled “AI in Marketing,” which will explore how artificial intelligence is revolutionizing marketing research, data analytics, and campaign development. 

As part of the restructuring, former standalone majors in management, marketing, digital marketing, and healthcare administration will now exist as concentrations under the unified business administration major. The previous finance and international business majors have been discontinued, streamlining the department’s offerings and focusing resources on the most relevant, in-demand areas. 

Bethany College also continues to offer a separate accounting major within the Business Department, providing students with a distinct and specialized path for careers in auditing, financial reporting, and other essential accounting functions. 

“Bethany has a long tradition of preparing students for leadership in business,” said Tammy Richmond, chair of the department. “These changes ensure we’re not just keeping pace with the market—but anticipating it, so our students graduate with the skills and credentials employers truly want.” 

For more information about Bethany College’s Business Department programs, please contact the Enrollment Office at enrollment@bethanywv.edu or 304.829.7611. Apply today!