The Department of Business Administration is the pioneer in Business Management Education in the university system of Sri Lanka. Since its establishment in 1980, the Department remains the largest academic department of the Faculty of Management Studies and Commerce of the University of Sri Jayewardenepura. At present, the internal student population of the Department is nearly eight hundred undergraduates.
The Department offers a globally competitive four-year special degree in Business Management, B.Sc. Business Administration (Special) Degree, and a three-year external degree, B.Sc. Business Administration (General) External Degree. The special degree of the Department continues to be the top choice for Sri Lankan students seeking rigorous training in theory and practice of business management. The external degree is also highly popular among the students who could not secure an internal placement in a state university.
The curriculum of the Department is designed to prepare students to take leadership roles in the corporate world and to make them sensitive to ethical and social issues and adaptable in the dynamic business environment. It gives students a solid foundation in theory of business management and exposes them to contemporary business practices. The pedagogical approaches adopted in the Department are learner-centred and research-led.
The role of the Department in the Faculty of Management Studies and Commerce is unique and significant in that it provides teaching and research support for students in other departments and postgraduate programmes of the Faculty, mainly in the areas of Management, Organisational Behaviour, Strategy, and International Business Management.
In its long history, the Department has immensely contributed to the progress of management education, the corporate sector, and the wider society of Sri Lanka. Its alumni include renowned corporate leaders, scholars, businesspersons, government officials, and community leaders.
The members of the Department are active in research across broad areas of Management and Organisation Studies. In order to enrich the research culture of the Department, the Department has recently organised its research activities under three clusters: the Cluster for Organisation & Society (COS), the Cluster for Leadership & Strategy (CLaS), and the Cluster for Knowledge Management & Business Innovation (CKMBI). The research clusters provide a scholarly platform for local and global researchers as well as the members of the Department to share their ideas and work. Further, the clusters facilitate the members of the Department to engage mainly in collaborative research.