School of Business Administration

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427 Elliott Hall  
(248) 370-2957 
Fax: (248) 370-4974

Website

Dean: Michael A. Mazzeo

Associate Dean:  Rajeev Singhal

Office of the Dean: Roberta Badgley, assistant dean; Kristen Cometto, director of development

Department chairs:  Liang fu, accounting and finance; Vijayan Sugumaran, decision and information sciences;  Anandi Sahu, economics; Janell Townsend, management and marketing

Distinguished professor:  Vijayan Sugumaran

Distinguished professor emeritus:  Karl D. Gregory

Professors emeriti: Elefterios Botsas, Daniel N. Braunstein, Gadis J. Dillon, David Doane, Edward Farraghaer, Sherman Folland, Ronald Horwitz, Paul Licker, Sid Mittra, Kevin Murphy, John W. Henke, Oded Izraeli, Ravi Parameswaran, Howard Schwartz, Miron Stano, Mohan Tanniru, John Tower

Professors:  Lizabeth A. Barclay, Joseph H. Callaghan, Addington Coppin, Mohammad Dadashzadeh, Xiaodong Deng, Eugene B. Fliedner, John Kim, Thomas W. Lauer, , Karl Majeske, Michael Mazzeo, Cynthia Miree-Coppin, J. Austin Murphy, Kieran Mathieson ,  Nivedita Mukherji, Robert Nehmer, Ram Orzach, Mohinder Parkash, Anandi P. Sahu, Jonathan Silberman, Rajeev Singhal, Vijayan Sugumaran, Janell Townsend, Kenneth M. York

Associate professors: Henry Aigbedo, Venugopal Balijepally, Ronadeb Chaudhuri, Seong-Yeon Cho, Caitlin Demsky, Liang Fu, Michelle Hammond, Timothy Hodge, Mark W. Isken, Joy Ruihua Jiang, Jae Kang, Yan Ling, R. Mohan Pisharodi, Hong Qian, Yaman Roumani, Yazan Roumani, Steve Stanton, Jennifer Cordon Thor, Kasaundra Tomlin, Ronald L. Tracy, T.J. Wharton, Yin Yu-Thomson, Sha Zhao, Ellen Zhu, Xie Zhu

Assistant professors: Zeina AlSalman, Osman Aydas, Eralda Caushaj, Malika Chaudhuri, Fei Song, Michael Greiner, Brandon Gustafson, Man Jin, Hanna Kalmanovich-Cohen, Jaemin Kim, Qunfeng Liao, Steven Liu, Ahmed Sobhani, Greg Thrasher, Shunan Zhao

Special instructors: Donna Free, Molly Gagnon, Tammy Grace, Roz Nowosielski, Amy Rutledge Kathryn Schaefer, Robert Uptegraff

Graduate Program Adviser: Paul Trumbull

Professional and Community Education: Eugene Fliedner, PMP Director

Undergraduate Program Advisers: Sarah Baron, Academic advisers: Sarah Barron, academic adviser, Meaghan Cole, Experiential Programs Manager; Destin Eddington, academic adviser; Denica Holzworth, academic adviser and events coordinator, Jaclyn Keith, academic adviser; Tiffany LeDonne-Smith, academic adviser; Lauren Leve, academic adviser; Debbie Lengyel, director of advising services; Adam McChesney, senior academic adviser, Veronica Davis, office assistant, Diane Shaw, office assistant.

ACHIEVE Program:  Andrea Mill, ACHIEVE program manager; Michelle English, ACHIEVE program coordinator; Jaclyn Fortier, ACHIEVE internship coordinator; Laurie Lawless, Office Assistant

Career Services:  Ian Caullay, director of employer relations

Board of Visitors

The Board of Visitors provides a direct link between the business community and the School of Business Administration. The Board is composed of outstanding alumni and corporate and professional leaders. Board members assist the dean with supporting its mission in the external community as well as provide consultation on goals and objectives.

The Board members are:

Craig Stinson, Executive Advisor - Wind Point Partners

George Corona, President and Chief Executive Officer - Kelly Services, Retired

Rob Dutkiewicz, Clayton & McKervey

Brian Edgar, Senior Vice President - UBS Investment Banking

R. Hugh Elliott, President and CEO - Elliott Group International

Raymond Gunn, - Chief Executive Officer - Blake Farms

Kenneth Janke, Senior Advisor - Aflac Incorporated

Brian Kieler, PNC Bank

Stephanie Kimball, Chief Lending Officer and Executive Vice President - Independent Bank Corp.

Jeff Klei, President - North American Automotive Division, Continental AG

Robert Manilla, Vice President and Chief Investment Officer - The Kresge Foundation

Michael A. Mazzeo, Dean - School of Business Administration (Ex-Officio to the Board)

Mary Mbiva, Flagstar Bank

Mark J. Mendola, Vice Chairman - U.S. Tax Leader, PricewaterhouseCoopers, LLP (NY)

Mike Novak, Vice President, Jeep & Ram Brand Organization, FCA

Donald Pietrowski, President - Research Data Analysis, Retired

William H. Sandy, Chairman and Founder (retired) - Sandy Corporation

Craig Tonti, Vice President and General Manager - Eagle Ottawa, Retired

Linda Voss, CFO and COO - Ally Commercial Finance, Ally Financial, Inc., Retired

Mission

The mission of the School of Business Administration is to provide high-quality education with experiential learning and global understanding opportunities for students to become successful business professionals and leaders. It fosters an environment for impactful research and active community engagement.

General Information

The School of Business Administration (SBA) undergraduate programs enable students to combine the intensive study of a functional area of business (i.e., accounting, actuarial science, finance, human resources management, management information systems, marketing or operations management) or business economics with a broad background in management. Alternatively, students can focus on economics, the fundamental discipline behind business processes. In these programs, a strong foundation in liberal arts is combined with a rigorous education in written and oral communications and in problem definition, analysis and resolution. This combination produces graduates who can think analytically, communicate effectively and work cooperatively with others of similar or diverse backgrounds in both domestic and international environments. Graduates of these programs are prepared to handle the increasingly complex and changing problems faced by managers in profit-oriented enterprises and not-for-profit organizations, both public and private.

The programs include:

1. Bachelor of Science with majors in accounting, actuarial science, business economics, economics, finance, general management, human resources management, management information systems, and marketing and operations management;
2. Bachelor of Arts with a major in economics (offered in conjunction with the College of Arts and Sciences (see the Department of Economics section in the Arts and Sciences portion of the catalog for a description of this program);
3. Bachelor of Science with a major in actuarial science (offered in conjunction with the College of Arts and Sciences (see the Department of Economics and the Department of Mathematics and Statistics section in the Arts and Sciences portion of the catalog for a description of this program);
4. Minors in accounting, business, business analytics, economics, entrepreneurship, finance, human resources management, information security management, international management, management information systems, marketing, and operations management.

High school students who intend to pursue a major offered by the SBA should consult the Admissions section of the catalog for specific preparation requirements. Students transferring from other institutions, both international and domestic, may be requested to provide documentation of the content and scope of the courses they have taken at their previous institutions.

Oakland University undergraduates working on majors other than those in business administration may complete their prerequisites and some core courses for the MBA program while completing their undergraduate degree. For detailed information contact the Office of Graduate Business Programs.

The SBA is accredited, on both the undergraduate and the graduate levels, by AACSB International (The Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business), the premier business school accreditation agency. In addition, the accounting program has achieved the separate AACSB accounting accreditation.

For more information on the SBA undergraduate programs, the MBA, the Master of Accounting program, the Master of Science in Information Technology Management program, accreditation, SBA courses and SBA faculty, visit the School’s website.

Graduate & Executive Business Programs

Follow link for information about graduate business programs.

Degree Requirements

The curriculum described shall be followed by students entering the School of Business Administration beginning in the fall 2022 semester. Students enrolled prior to fall 2022 may choose to satisfy either the degree requirements listed in this catalog or those in the catalog of the academic year in which they were initially admitted to pre-business or undecided business in the SBA (or any catalog during the interim), provided that catalog is not more than six years old at the time of graduation. Students who transfer to the SBA after admission to the university or who are readmitted to the university are required to follow the requirements of the catalog in effect at the time they transfer or are readmitted. As described below, students may choose to meet the general education requirements of a different catalog.

To ensure they have met all requirements, students should seek a final program audit from one of the school’s academic advisers no later than the semester before the semester in which they plan to graduate. The responsibility for meeting graduation requirements rests with the student.

The undergraduate business administration programs consist of the following parts: general education (including U.S. diversity and writing foundations), the pre-core, core, major and free electives (if needed to reach 124 credits). Students in these programs must satisfy the specific requirements of each of these parts and must earn a minimum of 124 credits. (See Bachelor of Science with a major in economics for the specific requirements of that degree program.)
Each student must:

1. complete at least 124 credits, including any free electives needed to reach this total;
2. complete the university general education requirement as detailed in the general education section below, also under Undergraduate degree requirements;
3. complete the pre-core requirements as listed below and be admitted to major standing in business administration as detailed in the Admission to major standing in business administration section below;
4. complete the core program and the requirements of one of the business majors in the SBA with a minimum grade of C in each of the pre-core, core and major courses. Once admitted to the business program as a pre-business or undecided business student or major, a student must complete all of the remaining business core, major and business minor coursework for the degree at Oakland University;
5. complete at least 32 credits at the 3000 level or above;
6. complete at least 45 credits at Oakland University, of which at least 31 credits must be in courses offered by the School of Business Administration, excluding ECN 1500, ECN 2000 or ECN 2020, ECN 2010, ECN 2100 and QMM 2400 and QMM 2410. Of these 31 credits, at least 12 credits must be in the student’s major;
7. earn a cumulative grade-point average of at least 2.00 in courses taken at Oakland University and in courses taken in the SBA.

Academic Advising, Mentoring and Major Standing

Students who have questions about schedule planning, degree requirements, admission to the SBA, major standing, transfer credit, petitions of exception or graduation audits should meet with the school’s assigned advisers. Academic advising can be found in 232 Elliott Hall, (248) 370-3285. To avoid delays, students are encouraged to meet with their assigned adviser prior to early registration periods. Once major standing has been achieved (see Admission to major standing in Business Administration), students are encouraged to consult with faculty within their major area to discuss schedule planning within the major, career tracking and other issues relevant to making academic decisions that will enhance opportunities for success within a chosen career field.

The school offers advising and mentoring to students who plan to pursue one of its degree programs. Faculty members are available to provide support, curricular guidance and career information as students make the transition from high school or a previous college to Oakland University’s business administration or economics programs. Incoming freshmen and transfer students are encouraged to seek information from these experienced faculty members.

The ACHIEVE Program

The goal of the ACHIEVE Program is to help students in the School of Business (SBA) make the transition from high school graduates to “day one professional workers” in their chosen field of study. The SBA accomplishes this goal by integrating professional and career development into its undergraduate curriculum. All undergraduate business students participate in required activities to help students prepare and perform on career and personal development skills.  The co-curricular professional development courses are structured to align with students’ academic and professional timeline.  The ACHIEVE program works closely with faculty, career services, undergraduate advising and professional volunteers to support students in the career exploration and academic preparation process.

SBA Career Services

The SBA Career Services team is focused on business students. The team provides engagement opportunities with employers throughout the academic year. They also assist students seeking noncredit paid work experience related to their major that will enhance their classroom learning, increase their motivation to graduate, augment their career knowledge, and improve their job seeking skills and employability. Opportunities are available for career related jobs, internships (corporate and grant-funded), and cooperative education. Students in the School of Business Administration who want to combine relevant work experience with their education are encouraged to participate in such programs and meet with staff. Students are coached and empowered to find jobs in business, non-profit or governmental organizations similar to those held by recent Oakland University graduates. All students are encouraged to explore these programs and other job/career-related information using Handshake and by contacting the SBA Career Services Office at 232 Elliott Hall, 248-370-4192. Students can self-select individualized appointments with a Career Consultant as needed in Handshake or by calling the office.

First-time visitors to Career Services are encouraged to contact the central office at 154 North Foundation Hall, 248-370-3250. The Career Studio in the central office also welcomes any students of the university to come in without appointment for peer-level assistance. Please visit the website for information on the central office, including the Career Studio schedule, signature events and more.

Requirements for Business Administration Majors

General education requirement

Students in the School of Business Administration must satisfy the General Education Requirements . Students may use one catalog for the general education requirements and another for the specific degree requirements. Students enrolled prior to fall 2021 may choose to satisfy either the general education requirements listed in this catalog or those in the catalog of the academic year in which they were initially admitted to Oakland University (or any catalog during the interim), provided that catalog is not more than six years old at the time of graduation. The general education requirements may be summarized as one course from the approved lists in each of the following categories:

• Writing: This category includes:
  1. WRT 1060  and its prerequisites;
  2. an intensive writing course in other general education requirements. This category is normally covered for business majors by WRT 3082 - Business Writing  or ECN 3260 ; and
  3. an intensive writing course in the major. This category is normally covered for business majors by MGT 4350 - Management Strategies and Policies , STA 4002  or ECN 4050 .
• Formal Reasoning: This category is normally covered for SBA majors by the required MTH 1221  or MTH 1222  or MTH 1554 .
• Knowledge Explorations: The social science requirement in this category is normally covered for SBA majors by (ECN 2000  or ECN 2020 ) or ECN 2010 . The global perspective requirement in this category is normally covered for SBA majors by ECN 2020  or ECN 3260 . The rest of this category is covered by one course each in the arts, foreign language and culture, literature, natural science and technology, and Western civilization.
• Knowledge Application: This category is normally covered for business majors by QMM 2400  or QMM 2410 .
• Capstone course: This category is normally covered for business majors by MGT 4350 , ECN 4500 , or ACS 4550 .
• U.S. diversity: Select a course that meets one of the other knowledge exploration general education requirements and has the required diversity section.

SBA students are encouraged to increase their background in ethics by taking PHL 1300 - Introduction to Ethics , to satisfy the university’s Western Civilization general education knowledge exploration requirement.

Pre-core requirements

As preparation for the various majors of the business administration program, students must complete the following courses in writing, speech communication, mathematics, business modeling with computers, economics, accounting and statistics with minimum grade of C in each course. 

The required writing and pre-core courses are:

In addition, students admitted to the SBA as pre-business or undecided business majors are required to meet the 0 credit ACHIEVE courses required for major standing (SBC 1990 , SBC 2990 ).

*If a student places into and completes MTH 1222  or MTH 1554  with the required minimum grade, MTH 1221  or MTH 1441  is not required (students who meet this criterion under a previous catalog will be able to waive MTH 1221  or MTH 1441 ). 

*If a student receives transfer credit for MTH 1222  or MTH 1554 ,  MTH 1221  or MTH 1441  is not required (students who meet this criterion under a previous catalog will be able to waive MTH 1221  or MTH 1441 ). 

** MTH 1331  and MTH 1332  can substitute for MTH 1441 . Students who have taken MTH 1331  and MTH 1332  under a previous catalog may use these courses as substitute for MTH 1441 . Even though the math department will allow MTH 1331  to serve as the prerequisite for MTH 1222 , this does not satisfy the SBA prerequisite requirement for MTH 1221  or MTH 1441 .

***If a student does not place into MTH 1222  or MTH 1554 , MTH 1221  and MTH 1222  or MTH 1441  and MTH 1554  or MTH 1441  and MTH 1222  must be completed with the required minimum grade.

****Students who have taken STA 2220  or STA 2226  under a previous catalog may also use these courses as a substitute for QMM 2400 .

The freshman and sophomore years of study for students pursuing the business administration program will be devoted to the writing, general education and pre-core course requirements. Special emphasis should be given during the freshman year to the completion of the university writing requirement and steady progress in the mathematics sequence. Once sophomore status has been achieved (28 credits), students will begin work on the accounting and statistics requirements. The student’s specific mathematics and statistics sequence will depend on the student’s math placement results but can include MTH 0661 , MTH 0662 , MTH 1221 , MTH 1222 , QMM 2400  and QMM 2410 ). Steady progress in the mathematics and statistics sequence is defined as one course in the sequence in each fall and winter semester until the sequence is completed. 

Admission to Major Standing in Business Administration

Students are strongly recommended to apply for major standing during the semester they are completing their pre-core classes and have the minimum grade-point average. Major Standing is required to complete MGT 4350 , may be required for some 3000 and 4000 level courses within a student’s major and is required in order to be awarded an undergraduate business degree. Applications are available on line and can be filed with the Undergraduate Advising Office, 232 Elliott Hall.

Students who do not apply for major standing during the semester that they are completing the pre-core requirements run a high risk of registration and major completion difficulties. To be eligible to take 3000 and 4000 level business courses for which major standing is a pre-requisite, business majors must be admitted to major standing in the School of Business Administration. Admission to major standing is selective. The minimum requirements for consideration are:

1. Student’s admissibility to and retention in the university;
2. Completion of the writing requirement;
3. A minimum grade-point average of 2.6 in all courses taken at Oakland University (with a minimum of six credits completed at Oakland University);
4. A minimum grade of C in each of the following pre-core courses or their equivalents: ACC 2000 , ACC 2100 ; COM 2000  or COM 2403  or COM 3401  or COM 3402  or COM 3403 ,((ECN 2010  and (ECN 2000  or ECN 2020 )*; MIS 1000 ; (MTH 0661 , MTH 0662  if required by the math placement); MTH 1221 , MTH 1222 ; QMM 2400  and QMM 2410 ;
   *Students cannot receive credit for both (ECN 2000  or ECN 2020 ) or ECN 2010 .
5. Submission of an “Application for Major Standing” for the desired major;
6. Completion of SBC 1990  , SBC 2990  and Major 3990 for all SBA students admitted to Oakland University after 2008-2009 for First Time in Any College (FTIAC) students and after 2009-2010 for transfer students.  Students who entered under a previous catalog should follow these requirements.

A student is classified as pre-business upon admission to Oakland University if they have a cumulative GPA of 2.80 or above and four years of college preparatory math. Transfer students are classified as pre-business if they have a cumulative transfer GPA of 2.80 or above and math through intermediate algebra. A student is classified as Direct admit into their business major if they have a high school cumulative GPA of 3.7 or higher. All other students are classified as undecided business and these students cannot register for most 3000- and 4000-level courses until they obtain pre-business or major standing status within the SBA. Undecided business students may register for all SBA pre-core courses and general education requirements.

To maintain pre-business status before obtaining major standing within the SBA, an OU student must maintain a cumulative GPA set by the SBA. Any pre-business student (SBA students not yet having major standing) who does not maintain an OU cumulative GPA (as set by the SBA) at the end of any term is classified as an undecided business student. During the 2022-2023 academic year, the GPA set by the SBA for pre-business status is 2.6.

Core Program

Each of the business major programs require the completion of a common core of courses introducing students to the functional areas of business. Most of the 3000-4000 level business courses in the core program (i.e., MKT 3020 , ORG 3300 , MIS 3000 , POM 3430 , FIN 3220 , ORG 3310 , and MGT 3500 ) require a student to be coded as pre-business or be in major standing (see Admission to Major Standing in Business Administration for requirements to be coded as pre-business).  All core courses require a minimum grade of C.

 *Students who have taken this course under a previous catalog will be able to use this course to satisfy WRT 3082 .  

**MGT 4350  requires major standing and only business majors may take this course.

Major Programs

Students take 15-24 additional credits specified in their major area. The junior and senior years will be devoted to the successful completion of the requirements of the core and major. Majors from which business administration students may choose are detailed below. Certificates of additional majors are permitted in all areas except general management. No more than four credits of independent study (4996) courses may be used to meet the major elective requirement. Courses numbered 3800 and 4900 may be repeated for up to eight credits provided the topics are different. Students will be required to complete ACC 3990  or ACS 3990  or ECN 3990  or FIN 3990  or  MGT 3990  or MIS 3990  or MKT 3990  or ORG 3990  or POM 3990  as part of their major program. (These courses require major standing and are interchangeable if a change of major occurs).  All major courses require a 2.6 GPA or better or major standing to take these courses (excludes Economics and non-SBA major courses).

Free Electives

Students complete their program by taking a course or courses of their choice to yield a total of 124 credits. While the General Education Requirements  of the degree program provides students with the range of knowledge that is the essence of an educated person, the free elective portion of the program allows students to make choices concerning coursework that responds to their individual interests and/or needs.

Business Honors Direct Admit Program (BHP)

The SBA offers a Business Honors Direct Admit Program (BHP) for high-achieving high school and transfer students. Students begin taking honors classes their first year at Oakland University. The program is cohort-based, offering students a close-knit community inside the business school. Each cohort takes customized classes in special sections open only to them and students engage in a host of unique experiences.

The program includes 16 honors courses that fulfill the business pre-core and core requirements for all business majors. BHP students take the following courses which replace their pre-core and core non-honors equivalents:

Course number and title:

• ACC 2000H - Honors Introductory Financial Accounting (4)
• ACC 2100H - Honors Managerial and Cost Accounting (4)
• ECN 2010H - Honors Principles of Microeconomics (4)
• ECN 2020H - Honors Principles of Macroeconomics(4)
• ECN 3030H - Honors Managerial Economics (3)           
• FIN 3220H - Honors Managerial Finance (3)
• MGT 3500H - Honors Legal Environment of Business (3)
• MGT 4350H - Honors Management Strategies and Policies (3)
• MIS 1000H - Honors Business Problem Solving with Informational Technology (3)
• MIS 3000H - Honors Management Information Systems (3)
• POM 3430H - Honors Operations Management (3)
• MKT 3020H - Honors Marketing (3)
• ORG 3300H - Honors Introduction to Organizational Behavior (3)
• ORG 3310H - Honors Introduction to the Management of Human Resources (3)
• QMM2400H - Honors Statistical Methods for Business I (3)
• QMM 2410H - Honors Statistical Methods for Business II (3)

All course descriptions are consistent with the non-honors sections of the same courses.

BHP students also take:

• Freshman Seminar (SBC 1990H) (instead of SBC 1990) (1)
• Senior Seminar, (SBC 3990H) (1)

SBC 3990H replaces ACC 3990 or ACS 3990 or ECN 3990 or FIN 3990 or  MGT 3990 or MIS 3990 or MKT 3990 or POM 3990 as part of the major program, but does not replace ORG 3990.  

Students in the program are required to complete experiential and extracurricular activities associated with the program. The benefits of the BHP include: immersion in a highly interactive and stimulating program; access to enhanced student support services; international experience; opportunity to build strong leadership skills through required experiential learning activities; opportunity to represent Oakland in national and international competitions; and a chance to form a strong network with peers and members of the professional community. Admission to Oakland’s Business Honors Direct Admit Program is limited to exceptional students who are chosen on a competitive basis. Prospective students must apply by completing a separate application. Students interested in pursuing this program should contact the Business School Undergraduate Advising office, 232 Elliott Hall, Room, (248) 370-3285 for more information.

Minors

The School of Business Administration offers 11 minors for students who want to combine their majors with an introduction to the skills, analytical techniques and institutional material of economics or an area of business.

Business majors may earn any of the following minors, except in the area in which they are majoring, and the business minor.  Once admitted to the business program as a pre-business or undecided business student or as a major, business majors must take all the remaining courses in their minors at Oakland University.

To earn any of these minors (except business), and to take 3000- and 4000-level business classes, non-business students must meet with the minor coordinator and have an approved minor authorization form detailing the courses and the prerequisites required for the given minor. Once approved for the minor, students must take all the remaining courses in the minor at Oakland University. Students must complete the prescribed courses for the minor with a grade of C or better in each course and the prerequisites for each course. Transfer students planning to earn a minor must earn at least nine credits toward the minor at Oakland University; at least six of these nine credits must be in courses at the 3000 level or above.

Limit for non-business majors to less than 25 percent of credits in business: All students who are not majors in the SBA and economics majors in either the SBA or the College of Arts and Sciences, whether they have applied for a minor or not, are limited to no more than 25 percent of the total degree credits in business courses. (Students majoring in business economics are not subject to this limitation.) The maximum of 25 percent of total degree credits (usually 32 credits) includes business courses taken at Oakland University and all previous colleges. Economics (ECN) courses,  QMM 2400 , QMM 2410 , QMM 4400  and QMM 4520  are excluded from this requirement. Therefore, students from majors outside the business administration program may not earn more than 25 percent of total degree credits in transfer plus Oakland credits in ACC, ENT, FIN, MGT, MIS, MKT, ORG, POM or QMM courses (excluding those noted above).  All student minors are subject to the 25 percent of total degree credits maximum discussed above.

Policies and Procedure

High school admissions

For entering freshmen, admission to pre-business is restricted to those presenting a minimum 2.80 cumulative grade-point average in high school academic courses and at least four years of college preparatory mathematics courses. A student is classified as Direct admit into their business major if they have a high school cumulative GPA of 3.7 or higher.

Transfer policy

Transfer students must have at least a 2.80 cumulative grade-point average and mathematics through intermediate algebra (equal to MTH 0662 ) for admission to pre-business. Evaluation of transfer courses is a two-part process. General education and composition courses are evaluated by the Academic Records Office. Business courses, including any required computer science courses, are evaluated by the School of Business Administration. Credit for specific SBA courses is authorized for courses of similar content taken prior to attending Oakland University at other colleges and universities accredited by a regional accrediting agency. Students transferring from other institutions may be required to submit course descriptions and related materials to aid in these transfer evaluations. Once admitted to the business program as a pre-business or undecided business student or a business major, students must complete all the remaining core, major and business minor coursework for the degree at Oakland University unless the coursework is part of an approved study abroad/away program or approved articulation agreement. Students who have transfer courses that are more than seven years old may be required to retake the course at Oakland University. All transfer courses from another institution need to be a minimum of three credits for the SBA to evaluate them for transfer credit for pre-core, core, and major courses and must have a minimum grade of C to meet the requirement. See Transfer student information for additional information.

Second majors

Students who return to the SBA to complete a second major after graduating with a business major from OU must complete all courses remaining for that second major at Oakland University. Additionally, students must fulfill the stated major requirements in effect at the time they are admitted as a second major. General Management Majors are not eligible.

Second degrees

Students who currently hold a bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited institution, including Oakland University, may pursue a second undergraduate degree at Oakland University in the School of Business Administration with the exclusion of those applicants holding a bachelor’s of science degree in Business Administration from Oakland University with a major in General Management.

Second degree students from regionally accredited institutions are exempt from Oakland University’s general education requirements, including the undergraduate requirement for the writing foundations course at the level of WRT 1060  . For major standing and to serve as prerequisites for courses, WRT1060 is still required. Credits applied toward the first degree will be accepted as transfer credit toward the second degree.  At least 32 additional credits must be taken at Oakland University, of which 31 credits must be in courses offered by the School of Business Administration, excluding ECN 1500 , ECN 2000 , ECN 2010  and QMM 2400  and QMM 2410 .  Of these 31 credits, at least 12 credits must be in the student’s major.  Second degree students are exempt from ACHIEVE-SBC 1990  and SBC 2990   and Major 3990 however, they are encouraged to take these non-credit courses as part of their program.

Students considering admission for a second degree are advised and highly encouraged to investigate opportunities in the Graduate Business Programs such as a Master of Business Administration, Master of Accounting programs or Master of Science in Information Technology Management prior to meeting with an Undergraduate Adviser.

Repeats

Repeats of a course: a student can repeat, either at Oakland University or at another approved institution, any business pre-core or core course in which a C grade or better is required. The student is limited to the university maximum of three attempts for any one course requirement, including attempts at Oakland and for the equivalent course at another institution, and must have a petition of exception approved for a fourth attempt. Students must get prior approval from an SBA Adviser in order to repeat a course at another institution. If a student repeats a course at another institution, the original grade attained in the course at OU will be included in the student’s GPA. See “Repeating courses” in the Academic Policies and Procedures section of the catalog for more specific information on university rules governing course repeats.

Unsatisfactory performance

Unsatisfactory performance includes the following items:

Grades: Grades less than C and U grades are considered substandard. A course in which a grade below C has been earned may not be subsequently passed by competency examination or independent study.

Mathematics and Statistics Sequence: The SBA major is expected to take a math or statistics course each fall and winter semester until the student has completed QMM 2410   with a minimum grade of C. Failure to take a course in the mathematics and statistics sequence (MTH 0661 , MTH 0662 , MTH 1221 , MTH 1222 , QMM 2400  and QMM 2410  depending on the student’s math placement) each fall and winter term or its equivalent will be considered to be unsatisfactory performance and the student may be removed from the SBA business program.

Mandatory Advising: Undecided business students whose cumulative GPA is between a 2.0 and 2.59 will be required to meet with an academic adviser in the SBA following the semester when their cumulative GPA drops below the required 2.6 and every semester thereafter until their cumulative GPA returns to at least a 2.6. First semester transfer students are also required to meet with an academic adviser each semester.  In some cases, a registration hold will be placed on a student’s account until they complete the requirements of Mandatory advising

Grade appeals

If a student wishes to dispute a final grade in a course, he or she must submit a written appeal to the appropriate department chair no later than the following deadlines: 1. If the course was taken in winter or summer terms, the written grade appeal must be submitted no later than the end of the subsequent fall semester. 2. If the course was taken in the fall semester, the written grade appeal must be submitted no later than the end of the subsequent winter semester.

Prerequisites

In planning their schedules, students should ensure that they satisfy prerequisite and co-requisite conditions for courses. The prerequisites for SBA programs and courses will be strictly enforced. Students approved to fulfill prerequisites at another institution will need to solicit registration assistance from the Undergraduate Advising Office, 232 Elliott Hall, 248-370-3285. Students who have registered for courses for which they do not meet the prerequisites and other conditions may be administratively dropped from courses or have their registration cancelled.

Zero-Credit Courses

Zero-Credit courses are Graded as Pass/Fail (Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory).  Students must complete ALL course materials in order to earn an “S” grade.  The course: will appear on the student’s transcript; will not affect the GPA; can affect Financial Aid Awards and Dean’s List eligibility; can affect graduation when required as a degree requirement; and cannot be waived.  Zero credit courses cannot to be taken alone, students must register for a zero-credit course along with a credit bearing course.

Independent study

The purpose of an Independent Study is to provide highly motivated students the opportunity to construct a unique educational experience that goes beyond the courses contained in the existing course catalog. The basic rules for Independent Study are:

1. Student must have at least a 3.00 cumulative overall GPA.
2. Students must have achieved major standing.
3. Independent Study cannot be used in lieu of a required course.
4. It is the student’s responsibility to develop an appropriate area of Independent Study and to arrange for a full-time faculty member to direct the Independent Study.
5. Part-time SBA faculty members cannot supervise an Independent Study.
6. The Independent Study contract must be completed by the student and signed by the faculty-adviser, department chair and the Director of Advising Services prior to registering for the course.
7. It is expected that the student will perform an amount of work equivalent to a regular course with the same amount of credits and that a substantive tangible output (exam, written paper, computer program, etc.) will be developed.
8. Interdisciplinary cooperation is permitted and a non-SBA faculty member may co-supervise the Independent Study. An SBA faculty member must be a supervisor and is responsible for assigning a final grade.
9. The student must be made aware of the basis for grading prior to registering for an Independent Study.
10. Undergraduate students cannot register for Independent Study if they already have or are taking more than eight cumulative credits of Independent Study unless an exception is agreed to by the SBA’s Committee on Exceptions.

Assurance of learning

To assist in the continuous improvement of its programs, the SBA engages in two different Assurance of Learning processes. The first type of Assurance of Learning is within each business major. This process involves evaluating student performance in a variety of discipline specific objectives. The evaluation is carried out each semester in different courses required for the major.

In evaluating the entire undergraduate business program, student assignments in core or pre-core courses are scored on whether each student exceeds, meets, or does not meet the SBA’s expectations for a specific learning objective. This process occurs in different core and pre-core courses every semester. Although this score is not used in calculating a student’s course grade, the assignment also receives a traditional grade from the instructor just as does other course assignments. The Learning Goals for the undergraduate business program and their corresponding Learning Objectives are:

Learning Goal 1: Critical Thinking

• SBA students should be able to identify relevant problems and analyze solutions from various perspectives.
• SBA students should be able to evaluate alternative solutions to a problem.
• SBA students should be able to propose a well-reasoned solution.

Learning Objectives:

1. Identify the assumptions needed to analyze the assigned case or problem.
2. Identify the relevant and irrelevant data or information presented in the case or problem.
3. Identify the different questions or approaches that could be considered in order to answer the problem or case.
4. Derive or describe the solution to the problem or case.

Learning Goal 2: Communications Skills

• SBA students should be able to write a clear, concise, and grammatically correct memo or report.
• SBA students should be able to give a clear, concise and interesting presentation using technology.

2A: Written Communication Skills Learning Objectives

1. Be able to articulate main concept(s) in writing.
2. Be able to write logically.
3. Be able to write clearly and concisely.
4. Be able to write using correct grammar and spelling.

2B: Oral Communication Skills Learning Objectives

1. Be able to articulate main concept(s) orally.
2. Be able to speak coherently.
3. Be able to keep audience’s attention.
4. Be able to use time effectively.

Learning Goal 3: Ethics

• Students can recognize ethical dilemmas as they relate to business organizations.

Learning Objectives:

1. Recognize basic concepts related to business ethics.
2. Apply an ethical decision-making process to an ethical dilemma presented to them.

Learning Goal 4: Foundation in Business Disciplines

• Students will be able to demonstrate that they have foundation knowledge of all business disciplines.

Learning Objectives:

1. Understand key concepts in accounting.
2. Understand key concepts in economics.
3. Understand key concepts in information technology and management.
4. Understand key concepts in finance.
5. Understand key concepts in marketing,
6. Understand key concepts in organizational behavior and human resource management.
7. Understand key concepts in international trade and finance.
8. Understand key concepts in operations management.
9. Understand key quantitative methods concepts.

Learning Goal 5: Real World Business Applications

• SBA students should be able to understand and apply theory to practical business situations in a changing business environment.

Learning Objectives:

1. Identify the underlying issue(s) for the given business situation or case.
2. Identify the appropriate theory(ies) or theoretical construct(s) that apply to the given business situation or case.
3. Apply theory(ies) or theoretical construct(s) to the given business situation or case to generate alternatives.
4. Choose appropriate solution(s) to address the issue(s) identified for the given business situation or case.

Policy regarding non-business majors

All students who are not business majors in the School of Business Administration, whether they have applied for a minor or not, are limited to no more than 25 percent of their total degree credits required for their degree in business courses (usually 32 credits).  The maximum of 25 percent of total degree credits includes courses taken at Oakland University and all previous colleges.  Economics (ECN) courses and QMM2400, QMM2410, QMM4400 and QMM4520 are excluded from this requirement.  Therefore, students from majors outside the business administration program, including economics majors in either the School of Business Administration or the College of Arts and Sciences, may not earn more than 25 percent of their required total degree credits in transfer plus Oakland credits in ACC, FIN, MGT, MIS, MKT, ORG, POM or QMM courses (excluding those noted above).  Economics majors and students from other majors at Oakland University may take 1000-and-2000 level SBA courses as long as they have all the prerequisite courses with the required grades.  Economics majors and students from non-business majors at Oakland University must have an approved university concentration/minor authorization form to take 3000-and-4000 level SBA courses which have the prerequisite of major standing.

Honors and Awards

School honors are awarded by the SBA to graduating students who have completed a minimum of 32 credits in SBA courses with a minimum GPA of 3.33 in courses offered in the school. In addition to being eligible for honors available to all Oakland University undergraduates, students in the School of Business Administration are eligible for the following:

American Marketing Award: The Detroit chapter of the American Marketing Association awards certificates of achievement for scholarship and service to marketing majors.

Beta Gamma Sigma: Beta Gamma Sigma is the national honor society for business schools accredited by AACSB International (The Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business). Membership in Beta Gamma Sigma is one of the highest scholastic honors that a student in business administration can achieve. It is based on outstanding scholastic achievement as measured by overall grade-point average. Invitation for membership to Beta Gamma Sigma is extended to graduating seniors in the top 10 percent of their class and juniors in the top five percent of their class.

Financial Executives Institute Award: This award is presented annually to the undergraduate accounting or finance student who has demonstrated the highest standard of academic excellence. The student is honored at a meeting of the Detroit chapter of the Financial Executives Institute. Selection is made by the accounting and finance faculty of the SBA.

Omicron Delta Epsilon: Omicron Delta Epsilon is a national honor society for promising economics students. Selection for membership is made by the economics faculty.

School of Business Administration Scholarships

The School of Business Administration is invested in student success.  Thanks to the support of generous alumni and partners, the Oakland University School of Business Administration is able to offer a variety of scholarship opportunities to its students.  Scholarship awards range from $1,000 to $5,000, with over $100,000 awards made available annually.

Please visit Scholarships to learn more detail about these opportunities and to begin the application process.  Current opportunities available are listed below.

• Accounting and Finance Advisory Board Endowed Scholarship
• Allison Family Foundation Completion Scholarship
• Anonymous Endowed Accounting Student Scholarship
• Becky Kann First-Generation Student Memorial Scholarship
• Benedittini-Pearson Endowed Scholarship
• Brian Meer Endowed Business Endowed Scholarship
• Bud Kulesza Family Endowed Scholarship
• Catherine Tyler Memorial International Endowed Scholarship
• Chiu Family SBA Education Endowed Scholarship
• Corona Family Completion Scholarship
• Deloitte Scholarship
• Derderian Kann Seyferth & Salucci Scholarship
• Diane and Michael Grieves Diversity Endowed Scholarship
• Dicron Tafralian Endowed Scholarship
• Dillon Family Accounting Student Leadership Endowed Scholarship
• Doeren Mayhew Scholarship
• Economics Board of Advisors Scholarship
• Ernst & Young Accounting Scholarship
• Frances C. Amos School of Business Administration Alumni Affiliate Endowed Scholarship
• Frank Cardimen International Initiatives Endowed Scholarship
• Gale Blank Copple Endowed Economics Scholarship
• Gary and Elspeth Coats SBA Student Involvement Endowed Scholarship
• Gerald and Lisa Kearns Finish Line Scholarship
• Gerald and Tracy Nanni Accounting and Finance Scholarship
• Grizzlies Get It Done Scholarship
• Helander Social Impact and Completion Scholarship
• Independent Bank Completion Scholarship
• Independent Bank Economic Scholarship
• KPMG Scholarship
• Marvin L. Katke Endowed Scholarship
• Mukesh Bhargava Endowed Scholarship
• Patti Finnegan Sharf SBA Study Abroad Endowed Scholarship
• PriceWaterhouseCoopers Scholarship
• PriceWaterhouseCoopers Scholarship - MAcc
• R. Hugh and Nancy E. Elliott Endowed Scholarship
• Ronald M. Horwitz Outstanding Finance Students Endowed Scholarship
• RSM Foundation Scholarship
• SBA Completion Scholarship
• Scott and Andrea Bittinger First Generation Scholarship
• Sid and Bani Mittra Economics Merit Endowed Scholarship
• Stephan and Rita Sharf Endowed Scholarship
• Tazzia Business Scholarship
• UHY Distinguished Accounting Leadership Scholarship
• UHY Future Financial Leader Scholarship
• Warren Tope Memorial Accounting Endowed Scholarship

Course Offerings

Course descriptions follow each of the programs offered by departments in the School of Business Administration.  Required pre-core and core courses for students majoring in the business programs are generally offered each fall, winter and summer semesters.

Some 3000- and 4000-level ACC, ENT, FIN, MGT, MIS, MKT, ORG, POM and QMM courses require major standing in business or an approved concentration / minor authorization form in order to register for the course. The 3000-level courses should be taken during the junior year (56-90 credits). Courses titled “Survey of” are only permitted for non-business majors pursuing a business minor. Except for courses that fulfill the business minor, 3000- or 4000-level courses can only be taken by non-business students if they meet the prerequisites (except for major standing) and the course is listed on an approved university concentration/minor authorization form.

The 5000-level ACC and MIS courses are designed as advanced electives for undergraduate accounting or management information systems majors and as electives for students in the Master of Accounting and MSITM programs. The school offers selected courses from this catalog as warranted by student needs and availability of faculty. Specific offerings for each term may be found in the Schedule of Classes.

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