Frequently Asked Questions

• Do I have to take math for a business degree?
  • Yes, math is a required part of the business program at OU. All business administration majors must take MTH 121 "Linear Programming" (or 141) and MTH 122 "Calculus for the Social Sciences" (or 154); MTH 011 and/or 012 may also be required, depending on a student's individual placement. Business students must also take QMM 240 “Statistical Methods for Business I” and QMM 340 “Statistical Methods for Business II” (or QMM 250, "Statistical Methods for Business”).
• How do I know my math placement? 
  • Placement is done in a few different ways. If you are an incoming freshman and have taken the ACT, placement is determined by your ACT Math subscore. If you are a transfer student who has taken math recently, you are placed based on the math courses you transfer into OU. If neither of the above applies to you, or if you are unsure of the placement you received, you should take a math placement test given by the Department of Mathematics and Statistics.
• Why does my grade report say "Pre-Business" or "Undecided Business" when I know what business major I want?  
  • All students interested in a business major must begin as pre-business or undecided business. This status will remain until you earn major standing in the School of Business Administration (SBA).
• What is major standing? 
  • In order to take most upper level core and major courses in the SBA, you must first earn major standing by completing certain requirements. You must complete the business pre-core and RHT 160, earn at least a 2.0 in each pre-core course and RHT 160, and have at least a 2.60 cumulative GPA at OU. Earning major standing is basically being admitted to a major.  Go to Major Standing for detailed information on these requirements.

• Do you have a co-operative education program?  Internships? 

  • The university has both. Students must have major standing in the SBA, junior standing (56 credits), and a cumulative GPA of at least 3.0 to participate in a co-op. The requirements for internships are less stringent. Both programs are run through Career Services office in 275 West Vandenberg Hall. While participation in either program is not required of business students, it is recommended because they provide valuable work experience prior to graduation.
• What clubs/organizations are available?  Should I join one? 
  • There are a number of student organizations in the SBA, including orgs for particular majors and a chapter of Alpha Kappa Psi, the professional business fraternity. Because recruiters look at the total student, which includes participation in organizations in addition to academic performance, the SBA recommends that students consider joining an organization. The student groups are a good way to get involved in the SBA and prepare for a career.
• Are there any classes I can test out of? 
  • Students can take CLEP tests for ECN 200 and 201 and some General Education courses; please contact the Records office about procedures and restrictions regarding CLEP tests.
• I am a student at another college and am thinking of transferring to OU for a business major. Can I meet with an adviser? 
  • Yes, you can. Advisers will meet with prospective transfer students throughout the year and you should call the Advising Office (248-370-3285) for an appointment. The only time advisers cannot meet with prospective students is during early and final registration periods when the demand for advisers by currently enrolled students is very high. Transfer students must bring a copy of their transcript(s) with them to the advising appointment. Additional information is usually needed in order to have courses evaluated (course description, syllabus), but a transcript is the starting point.
• Why would you need a syllabus for a course I took at another school? 
  • When a student transfers into the SBA, his/her courses are evaluated by business faculty for equivalency to OU's courses. To determine if it is equivalent, we ask for a course description and/or a syllabus in order to give the faculty member the most information possible.
• How long will that evaluation take? 
  • Usually about a week to ten days.
• Can I take required courses at another school? 
  • Yes, but there are policies that you should know about. Students admitted to the SBA beginning fall 2006 cannot take core, major or minor courses at another school. When you transfer courses into OU, grades do not transfer. If you receive a "C-" or better in a course that transfers (and students should always make sure the course is transferable), the credits will transfer, but not the grade. Always make sure that the course(s) you are taking elsewhere are courses that you need and are equivalent to courses at OU. You do this by meeting with an adviser before you take courses at another school; don’t make any assumptions. Also, there are limitations to the number of credits you can transfer into OU. Again, check with an adviser. The OU Records office is working on putting transfer equivalency guides on the Web. Currently, a number of Michigan community college guides are available here. It is strongly suggested that you meet with an adviser before taking any courses at another school.
• What is an "I" grade? 
  • A grade of "I" in a course indicates "Incomplete." This grade is temporary and may be given only by student request and faculty consent. It is used in cases of hardship beyond the control of the student that prevents completion of course requirements. Work to remove an "I" grade must be completed during the first eight weeks of the next semester. Students who wish to receive an Incomplete must present a Student Request for Incomplete Grade form to the instructor by the day of the final exam. These are available in departmental offices.
• What if I don't complete the course requirements in the eight weeks? 
  • Students can file an extension of "I" grades. This extension must be student-initiated and requires approval by the instructor and the dean of the school or college or other appropriate administrator. If course requirements are not completed within one year and no semester has been registered for, the "I" grade will be changed to "0.0."
• What is an Independent Study? 
  • Independent Studies are not courses in the usual sense. They usually involve in-depth research on some issue, supervised by a single faculty member and are listed in the schedule of classes as a 490 (ACC 490, for example). Note that Independent Studies are not guaranteed to be available and no faculty member is under obligation to work with you on one. If you are interested in doing one, you will need to contact a faculty member whose expertise most closely matches the topic you want to study. If the faculty member agrees, you will need to pick up an Independent Study Contract from the Advising office in 332 Elliott Hall and complete it with the faculty member. You will then need signatures from the faculty member, the department chairperson, and the Advising Coordinator in order to register.  Note that students must have a 3.0 GPA in order to take an independent study.
• What is a Petition of Exception? 
  • A Petition of Exception is a form that students must fill out and submit to the SBA's Committee on Instruction when they are seeking an exception to any of the SBA's rules or policies. In the case of some university-wide policies, the form is submitted to the University Committee on Instruction. Students seeking an exception to a policy should meet with an adviser to get information on the appeal procedure and proper submission.
• Why do I need a registration override?
  • Students who entered the business program as Pre-Business or Undecided business students prior to Fall 2006 were allowed to take some business core classes without major standing. If these students are working on or have completed their math/stat sequence, are making satisfactory progress on requirements for major standing and have met all the prerequisites for the course, they will be given Registration Override to take ECN 303, FIN 322, MIS 300, MKT 302, ORG 330, POM 343 or ACC 310 (future accounting majors only). You can request an override at http://www.sba.oakland.edu/undergrad/regoverride/. This process may take up to 7 days to complete, and students should submit their request well before early registration begins. Approval to register for courses does not guarantee you a spot in the class.
    
    If you have already earned major standing (i.e., accounting, business economics, finance, general management, human resources management, management information systems, marketing or economics) you DO NOT need to seek a Permission Override for 300 or 400 level business courses.
• Can I take courses that require major standing before earning major standing?
  • Yes, with an overall GPA of 2.60 or better and with the approval of a business adviser, the Pre-Business or Undecided Business student may take one 300-level business course before major standing. Any grade earned in a course with major standing as a prerequisite before a student
    officially earns major standing will not be included in the student’s GPA when determining admission to major standing. You must meet with an adviser during a scheduled appointment or walk-in session in order to be approved.
• Can I get permission to exceed maximum credits?
  • Yes. With an overall GPA of 3.0 or better, a business adviser can approve a student to take 19-21 credits during fall/winter and 9-10 credits in spring/summer. The associate registrar’s signature will also be required for 22 or more credits for fall/winter and 11 or more credits in spring/summer. This request can be made any time during normal office hours and does not request an advising appointment to do so. The process may take several days, so please make the request before peak registration periods.