College of Business

www.bus.iastate.edu/

Departments of the College
Accounting
Finance
Logistics, Operations and Management Information Systems
Management
Marketing

Objectives of the Curricula in Business
The instructional objective of the College of Business is to provide a high quality professional education in business. Such an education should provide the student with: (1) an appreciation of the evolution of the profession and an awareness of the ethical, global, technological, economic, political and social forces shaping its future; (2) an understanding of the major functional areas of business with the opportunity for specialization for a career in business; (3) an ability to recognize and appreciate the affect of diversity in the work place; (4) an opportunity for advanced study.

A comprehensive education in business includes a broad foundation in the liberal arts, courses in the major functional areas of business activity, proficiency in analytical methods, and the ability to identify problems and arrive at logical solutions. In addition, a professional education is designed to inspire students to assume business and community leadership.

The curricula in business are accredited by the International Association for Management Education (AACSB), the national business accrediting agency.

Organization of Curricula
The undergraduate curricula in business are divided into two phases: a general education (pre-business) program and a professional program. The pre-business requirements provide a broad foundation in the liberal arts. The professional program includes two parts: (1) the business core which provides a common body of knowledge in all the functional areas in business, and (2) a major curriculum. The seven major curricula offered for the degree bachelor of science (B.S.) are accounting, finance, management, management information systems, marketing, production/operations management, and transportation and logistics. The College also offers a secondary major in international business. An opportunity to take elective courses is also a part of the curricula.

Bachelor of Science
The bachelor of science (B.S.) degree offers a high quality professional education in business. It prepares students for professional careers in specialized functions of business and government. Candidates for this degree must satisfy the requirements established by the College of Business and also the requirements for individual majors specified by the departments of the College. All candidates for the B.S. degree are required to complete one of the following majors: accounting, finance, management, management information systems, marketing, production/operations management or transportation and logistics.

Required High School Preparation
Students entering the pre-business curriculum must present evidence of the following high school preparation:
a. Four (4) years of English/Language Arts, emphasizing writing, speaking, and reading as well as an understanding and appreciation of literature.
b. Three (3) years of mathematics, including one year each of algebra, geometry, and advanced algebra.
c. Three (3) years of science, including one year each of courses from two of the following fields: biology, chemistry, and physics;
d. Two (2) years of social studies.

Admission Standards to Professional Programs
All new entering students are enrolled in a pre-business curriculum. To enter the professional program in the College of Business, students must complete a minimum of 30 credits including Engl 104, Engl 105 and the following foundation courses or their equivalents: Math 150, Com S 103, Econ 101, Stat 226, Acct 284. Any unmet high school requirements and Engl 101 courses must also be complete. See Curriculum in Business.

In addition, all students (except Management Information Systems students) must achieve an Iowa State University cumulative grade point of 2.5 or a grade-point average of 2.5 in the foundation courses. Management Information Systems students must achieve a 2.75 grade point average in one of these areas. Admission into the professional program is a prerequisite for pre-business students to gain admission into upper-level business classes. Students that have not achieved guaranteed admission may be considered on a case-by-case basis.

Students who meet the following four requirements qualify for early admission to the professional program: Eligibility to apply for the Honors Program, completion of any unmet high school requirements, completion of any required Engl 101 courses, and declaration of a specific major. Students who meet these criteria must initiate the application for admission to the professional program.

If using the foundation courses for admission to the Professional Program, both transfer grades and Iowa State University grades are used to compute the grade point average. If foundation courses are taken at Iowa State University they must be repeated at Iowa State University. With the exception of Acct 285 and MIS 330, pre-business students do not have access to business core classes. To facilitate registration, students may be conditionally admitted during the semester in which they complete the admission requirements.

Admission requirements are subject to change. Applications and the current requirements for admission to the College of Business are available from the Undergraduate Programs Office or on the web at www.bus.iastate.edu/undergrad/ in the College of Business.

Academic Standards and Graduation Requirements
Policies for students enrolled in the College of Business may be obtained from the Undergraduate Programs Office or on the web at www.bus.iastate.edu/undergrad/ in the College of Business. Students are responsible for knowing and adhering to these College of Business policies as well as the university regulations found in this catalog. The following policies are in effect for students graduating from a professional curriculum in business with a B.S. degree under the 2003-2005 catalog: (1) A minimum of 124.5 semester credits are required. (2) At least 50 percent of the required business credits must be earned at Iowa State. All 300 level and higher business credits must be earned at a four-year college. (3) At least 50% of the 124.5 credits required for graduation must consist of general education (non-business credits). (4) A minimum of 12 credits of the last 32 credits earned in residence must be applied to the business core and/or the major. (5) The major departments reserve the right to determine the appropriate section of the degree program to which transfer credits will be assigned. (6) Students must achieve English proficiency by earning a grade at C or better in two of the three required English courses. (7) A student must earn a grade of C or higher in a minimum of 30 credits applied to the business core and the major. (8) A student must earn at least 42 credits of 300 level and higher coursework from a four-year institution. (9) Business majors may not take business courses Pass-Not Pass (P/NP). (10) General education courses may not be taken P/NP. (11) No more than 9 elective credits may be taken P/NP.