Bachelor of Science in Risk Management Degree
What Is a Risk Management Degree?
Grand Canyon University’s Bachelor of Science in Risk Management degree explores the identification and analysis of financial and other risks and teaches the development of solutions to mitigate those risks. Offered by the Colangelo College of Business, this bachelor’s degree is available online or on campus, providing flexibility for both traditional students and working professionals.
Students will focus on building foundational financial analysis, decision-making and strategic management skills. Through coursework grounded in practical business strategies and ethical leadership, you’ll practice evaluating financial risk, protecting organizational assets and developing proactive solutions to navigate the modern business landscape.
Up to 90 credits, only 84 can be lower division
Credits: Fill out the Lopes Eval to find out what will transfer
Admission Requirements (Bachelor's)
- 16+ years old
- High School Graduate
- 3.0+ Unweighted GPA
OR 2.5+ Unweighted GPA and
- ACT: 19
- SAT: 1000*
Admission requirements may differ based on degree level, program and modality, or transfer status. Some programs of study may require a higher GPA and/or other qualifying criteria for admission. Please review full admission and program requirements in the University Policy Handbook.
*Math and reading only on a 1600 point scale (test date after 3/1/2016). SAT score of 1380 required for 2400 point scale (test date before 3/1/2016).
Why Should I Study Risk Management at GCU?
As a risk management student at GCU, you can benefit from small class sizes and networking experiences within the risk management field. The program blends coursework and hands-on projects, including a team-based simulation project that encourages the development of teamwork and collaboration skills. Throughout this business program, you’ll be guided by our knowledgeable faculty and by the three pillars of the college: servant leadership, ethics and entrepreneurism. Our business students are encouraged to embrace the spirit of conscious capitalism to benefit all stakeholders.
Join GCU’s online learning community and benefit from flexible higher education, an ideal fit for working professionals. Our digital learning platform offers an interactive experience that supports collaboration with peers and instructors. You’ll also have access to GCU’s technical support as you earn your risk management degree online.
GCU’s campus in the heart of Phoenix, AZ serves as a welcoming oasis for our students. Study risk management in traditional on-campus classes while enjoying face-to-face interactions with peers and instructors. Choose from a variety of clubs and activities, such as the Risk Management club, Finance and Economics club or any number of campus activities.
GCU is a private Christian university that encourages our students to emulate a Christ-like character and grow closer to God within our supportive community. Join us for our regularly scheduled on-campus worship services, along with smaller faith-focused groups and community outreach activities. Celebrate your faith as you prepare for the workforce.
Risk Management Bachelor's Degree Coursework
GCU’s degree in risk management teaches key skills for navigating and applying the risk management process, including identifying and analyzing risk, understanding how risk impacts businesses and individuals and the strategic application of mitigation techniques to protect assets. You will examine how to help companies plan for long-term growth in the face of economic and global uncertainty and how to navigate challenging ethical issues while maintaining compliance with business regulations.
We offer a well-rounded curriculum that surveys foundational business competencies with a focus on risk management. Study practical skills in the construction of financial statements, develop plans for navigating the market forces of supply and demand under different market structures and build financial models to project future performance.
Additional competencies covered in this program include:
Statistics for business
Ethical and legal business issues
Business finance
Managerial accounting
Behavior and management in organizations
Financial and global risk management
Principles of property and casualty insurance
Life and health insurance products
Hear From Our Students
"As a risk management major, you’ll be taking a handful of insurance and management courses that will teach you more about the insurance industry, risk management processes and how to navigate a corporate environment in a Christian worldview mindset."
"As a risk management major, you’ll be taking a handful of insurance and management courses that will teach you more about the insurance industry, risk management processes and how to navigate a corporate environment in a Christian worldview mindset."
What Can You Do With a Risk Management Degree?
With a firm foundation of mitigating and managing risk within an organization, you may seek a career across a variety of industries. Finance, insurance and healthcare are a few of the industries that commonly hire specialists in risk management. Government agencies may also offer employment opportunities for risk management professionals.(See disclaimer 1 )Prepare for your future career in business not only through skill development, but also with GCU’s on-campus career services.
This risk management bachelor’s degree can prepare graduates to pursue roles as:
Financial risk specialists
General and operations managers
Financial managers
Budget analyst
Financial and investment analysts
Loan officers
Median annual salary of financial managers in May 2024(See disclaimer 2)
Projected job openings, each year, for business and financial occupations from 2024 to 2034(See disclaimer 3)
Study Risk Management at an Accredited University
GCU is an institutionally accredited university, having been continuously accredited by the Higher Learning Commission since 1968. GCU’s commitment to delivering quality higher education aligns with industry expectations and prepares students for the workforce. The Colangelo College of Business shares the university’s commitment to upholding the principles and standards established by our accrediting bodies.
Risk Management Degree FAQs
Before enrolling in GCU’s Bachelor of Science in Risk Management degree program, explore the following frequently asked questions and answers, which can help inform your decision-making process.
How is risk management different from finance or business administration?
How does risk management support business decision-making?
Which risk management skills will students develop throughout the program?
Why is risk management important?
Are risk management jobs needed?
Is the degree in risk management hard?
Program Curriculum
General Education Requirements
Core Courses
Prepare to make an impact on organizational goals and outcomes. Earn your BS in Risk Management online or on campus at GCU.
- Association for Financial Counseling & Planning Education. (n.d.). Risk Management Specialist Overview. Retrieved March 2026.
- The earnings referenced were reported by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), Financial Managers, as of May 2023, retrieved March 2026. Due to COVID-19, data from 2020 to 2023 may be atypical compared to prior years. BLS calculates the median using salaries of workers nationwide with varying levels of education and experience. It does not reflect the earnings of GCU graduates as financial managers, nor does it reflect the earnings of workers in one city or region of the country or a typical entry-level salary. Median income is the statistical midpoint for the range of salaries in a specific occupation. It is very unlikely that a median salary will reflect an entry-level salary. It represents what you would earn if you were paid more money than half the workers in an occupation, and less than half the workers in an occupation. It may give you a basis to estimate what you might earn at some point if you enter this career. Grand Canyon University can make no guarantees on individual graduates’ salaries. Your employability will be determined by numerous factors over which GCU has no control, such as the employer the graduate chooses to apply to, the graduate’s experience level, individual characteristics, skills, etc. against a pool of candidates.
- COVID-19 has adversely affected the global economy and data from 2020 to 2023 may be atypical compared to prior years. Accordingly, data shown is effective August 2025, which can be found here: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook, Business and Financial Occupations, retrieved March 2026.