Frequently Asked Questions

The Frequently Asked Questions page is designed to help students find answers to any question they have about School of Business advising. The questions are updated by advisors and kept current to make sure you can find the important information when you need it. You can also submit your own question and get a personal response.

Click on any of the topics below to see questions and then click on the question to see the answer. You can also use or site search feature to look for a keyword related to your question, such as "degree".

Business Requirements

  • Do I have to earn a "C" or better in every business course I take? No; you must, however, earn an average of 2.00 or better in all business courses taken to earn your business degree. Therefore, if you earn a "D" in one three hour course and earn a "B" in another three hour course, your business gpa would be 2.00 (which is acceptable).
  • How do I gain admission into the Business School? Click here for Farmer School of Business admission details
  • Must I earn a "C" or better in MTH 151? No, if completed at Miami; a D- or better is acceptable and will fulfill the requirement. If the course is transferred to Miami from another university or college, a C or better is needed.
  • My DARS indicates that I must complete 64 hours of non-business courses; what course work is usable in this requirement and why does the requirement exist? The School of Business requires that 50% of a business degree must be non-business course work. Most Miami Plan course work and all non-business courses (anything not offered in BLS, BTE, ESP, FIN, MGT, MIS, MKT) will help fulfill this requirement. In addition, the AACSB also allows nine hours of economics, including the beginning microeconomics and macroeconomics (ECO 201 and 202) courses and the six hours of business statistics, including DSC 205, to be counted in this requirement, as well.
  • What is a professional elective? Professional electives are business courses that you choose. Therefore, no core courses or major requirements are professional electives. Most majors require that at least one of the professional electives be from a department other than the department of major. As an aside - professional electives for one major are met automatically by students who double major or minor in another area of business.
  • When should I take a business course; may I take junior business courses before my junior year? In general, business course numbers reflect the first year in which they should be taken (100 are freshmen and above level courses and 200- sophomore, 300- junior, 400-senior). It is more important, however, that the student meet the prerequisite courses as noted in the respective course descriptions. Most 300 level business courses are restricted to students who have been fully admitted to the business school and/or are declared in the respective minor or thematic sequence.

General Questions

  • How can I change my major? If you are in the business school, simply come to 103 Laws and complete a change of major form. It takes about thirty seconds!
  • I have a W on my record for a class I never attended. How can I remove this grade from my record? Dropping a course is the student's responsibility. A student should always check, early in the semester, to confirm that his/her schedule correctly reflects the enrollment (this includes ensuring that courses are properly enrolled for a grade or credit/no credit.) The university deadlines are strict. If, for whatever reason, you find that you are registered for or receive a W for a class you never attended, you may be able to petition for the removal of the "grade" and the course from your record. Obtaining documentation of your non-attendance from the course instructor will be essential. Petition forms are available in 103 Laws Hall.
  • I have scheduling problems and/or did not get all the classes that I requested; how do I get into business classes which are full? Unlike other divisions of the university, the business school handles "force-adds" centrally within each department; business faculty do not handle force-adds for their own classes. Until the first week of the semester, business courses enrollments are handled strictly through Bannerweb. During the first week of the semester, force add decisions are made by each department. To add a class, visit the respective department; procedures and request deadlines will be available. The advising office also prepares a "force-add procedures" handout which is available in all departmental offices and the advising office as well. By all means, check with your advisor to see what other scheduling options you have!
  • What courses may I take on a credit/no credit basis? Business students may take most Miami Plan courses and all non-business electives on a credit/no credit basis. All business courses and any courses used to fulfill core and major requirements (whether they are business or outside of business, i.e., COM 135, MTH 151, CSA courses - for MIS majors, COM choices for MGT majors) must be taken for a grade. Additionally, course work taken toward completion of a minor must be taken for a grade.

Miami Plan

  • I see that some courses may fulfill more than one area of the Miami Plan foundation; may I use a course in more than one area? In groups I through V of the Miami Plan a course may be used only once. A course may be used in any area in which it applies, but may not be used in more than one area. A course, however, may also fulfill one of the content/perspective areas. A course may be a seminar and/or a historical and/or a nondominant course and may fulfill one of the I through V groupings concurrently.
  • May I take a thematic sequence course or a capstone course on a credit/no credit basis? If the thematic sequence course is not a business course - yes; since your capstone course must be a business course, it must be taken for a grade.
  • What is my capstone requirement? Actually, all business majors have two capstone requirements; one for the Miami Plan for Liberal Education and one for the School of Business. All School of Business capstones (which are identified in the last subrequirement of the core on the DARS) are also Liberal Education capstones. One course chosen from the list of business capstones will fulfill both capstone requirements.
  • Which capstone course should I choose? Most students are eligible for all capstones. Most only have the business core as the prerequisite. Each course is anticipated to have students from all majors (even non-SBA majors); select the one that most interests you. All students are encouraged to have more than one choice, however, as enrollment in the first choice cannot be guaranteed.

Thematic Sequence

  • Are all courses in a Thematic Sequence offered every semester? No, there are sequences in which courses are not available every semester. Please pay attention when you schedule, so you are not trying to complete a sequence course in a semester or a year when the course is not offered.
  • How do I declare a Thematic Sequence? You would complete a "Change of Major" form available from the department in which the sequence is housed. For example, if you wanted the MGT-1 Sequence, you would need to see Dr. Kay Snavely. You can only declare a sequence for which there is available space or for which you have already taken the required courses.
  • How may I fulfill the thematic sequence requirement? The university currently offers over 100 different thematic sequence; Effective First Semester 2004-2005 a business student may select any thematic sequence which is offered in a non-business department other than the department of his/her major. A student may also fulfill the thematic sequence requirement by completing a minor outside the School of Business. A second degree (i.e., completing a Bachelor of Science in Business and a Bachelor of Arts) will also complete the thematic sequence requirement.
    *For students entering the university in the fall of 1997 or after, a minor will fulfill the thematic sequence requirement ONLY if a thematic sequence is included/embedded in the minor.
  • If I complete all but one of the courses in a thematic sequence, will I automatically be given the last course in order to graduate on time? No - you do not receive any registration priority unless you have already officially declared the sequence. You should have another option ready in case the course you need is closed.
  • If I complete two majors, is it necessary for me to complete a Thematic Sequence? Yes, effective for students entering Miami first semester 2004-2005 or after, all business students must complete a thematic sequence outside of the School of Business. Therefore, a student fulfilling two business majors must still complete a thematic sequence outside the School of Business.
  • If there are currently no approved sequences in my area of interest, should I begin an approved sequence in another area, or are there alternatives that have not yet been published? ome sequences may be available which have not yet been approved. Please consult the Liberal Education Office or the SBA Advising Office for the most current information. In addition, effective First Semester 2004-05, an opportunity to develop a self designed thematic sequence now exists. Please visit the Liberal Education website for more information.
  • May any aspect of the Thematic Sequence requirement be waived? Petitions may be submitted to the Liberal Education Office and will be reviewed by a subcommittee of Liberal Education Council.
  • May I complete a sequence in the same department as my major? For example, if I am an Operations Management major, can I complete the MGT-1 sequence? No, effective for students entering Miami University first semester 2004-05, you must complete a sequence outside the School of Business.
  • May I complete more than one Thematic Sequence? Only one sequence is required and only one will be recorded on your degree audit report (DARS). You may complete another sequence, but it will not be formally recorded.
  • May I complete Thematic Sequence courses on a credit-no credit basis? Yes, but such a decision is irrevocable. Problems may arise if you change majors to the department in which the sequence was taken.
  • May I include cross-listed courses that involve contributions from my department of major (e.g., BOT/MBI/ZOO 116)? Yes, cross-listed courses that are part of sequences are considered outside of all majors and may be used to fulfill the requirement.
  • May I take the courses that fulfill my thematic sequence out of order? Please consult the sequence advisor if you wish to take courses out of order. This is not recommended practice, but no regulations preclude taking more than one of the component courses in the same semester or taking them out of order unless one course is a prerequisite for another.
  • May I use Advanced Placement credit to complete a portion of the sequence? AP credit may be used to meet Foundation course requirements, including those which act as the first course in a sequence; AP credit cannot be used for advanced, non-Foundation courses in a sequence.
  • May I use transfer credit to meet the sequence requirement? Yes, provided the transfer courses have been deemed equivalent to Miami courses.
  • Must I take the component courses in three successive semesters? Ideally, yes. However, course availability and scheduling pressures may make it necessary for students to take courses in a Thematic Sequence concurrently. Check the catalog for any prerequisites and/or consult an advisor in the department offering the sequence.
  • Should I declare a sequence as soon as possible? YES. Normally, you would begin a sequence second semester of your sophomore year or first semester of your junior year, after you have completed most of your Foundation courses. Some thematic sequences have limits, so you should check with an advisor in the department of the sequence during Sophomore year to be sure. The MGT-1 Sequence, for example, has a limit of 55 students per graduation year. Once that limit has been reached, no more students will be added to the sequence. This limit is usually reached early during Junior Year for each class. The Department cannot guarantee you will be able to get these courses without already being enrolled in the minor or thematic sequence - you are encouraged to seek another thematic sequence option.
  • What if I want to change my declared sequence? Simply submit a new "Change of Major" form signed by the advisor for your new sequence and your prior declaration will be dropped automatically. Only one sequence will be listed on your academic record. Remember, there must be available space in the new sequence in order for the advisor to allow you to declare it.
  • Where do I get advice about choosing a Thematic Sequence? Your academic adviser and the department contact person for each sequence are the best sources of information.
  • Will my degree audit reflect my progress toward completion of a sequence? Yes, and if you have not declared a sequence by second semester of your sophomore year, your DARs report will prompt you about the need for a sequence.

Still have a questions?

Please contact us or stop by our office in Laws Hall, Room 103, and we'll be glad to help.

Last modified on 8/5/07 | Content maintained by Academic Advising