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Academic Catalog

School of Business

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Graduation Requirements

Graduation Requirements for the Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) Degree

  1. Requirements Common to all Bachelor Degrees
    Students must meet the requirements common to all bachelor degrees established by the University. These requirements include the core requirements in freshman and advanced composition and in mathematics, as well as the general education distribution requirements in the areas of Arts and Humanities, Mathematics and Natural Sciences, and Social Sciences. The general education distribution requirement for the BBA degrees is nine hours in each of the three areas and is partially met by the correlate courses required for the BBA degree. For a description of the University general education requirement, see Requirements Common to all Bachelor Degrees in the index.
  2. Specific Degree Requirements
    A minimum of 120 semester hours is required for graduation with the BBA degree. BBA candidates must complete the following required correlate courses with a grade of “C” or better:
    MA 116College Algebra3
    MA 140Statistics3
    CN 150Public Speaking3
    Select two of the following:6
    AN 112
    		Cultural Anthropology
    PY 100
    		Basic Concepts in Psychology
    SO 100
    		Introduction to Sociology
    Select one of the following:3
    EN 103
    		Academic Reading & Research
    EN 131
    		Understanding Short Fiction
    EN 135
    		Introduction to Literature
    EN 145
    		Shakespearean Afterlives
    EN 207
    		Beginning Nonfiction Writing
    EN 208
    		Professional Writing
    EN 209
    		Beginning Fiction Writing
    Total Hours18

    All of these courses can be used to meet a University general education area requirement as well. BBA candidates must complete an additional three-hour course in one general education distribution area beyond the nine hours required in each of the three distribution areas. Candidates for the BBA degree may not use economics courses to fulfill the Social Science general education distribution requirement.

    The following School of Business courses must be completed by all candidates for the BBA degree. These courses include seven lower- division courses and seven upper-division courses for a total of 42 semester hours.

    Lower-division Core
    AC 224Financial Accounting3
    AC 225Managerial Accounting3
    BU 250Management Information Systems3
    BU 258 Foundations of Data Analysis3
    EC 200Principles of Microeconomics3
    EC 201Principles of Macroeconomics3
    EC 211Statistics for Business and Economics3
    Upper-division Courses
    BU 315Legal Environment of Business3
    BU 342Organization & Management3
    BU 347Production and Operations Management3
    BU 360Principles of Marketing3
    BU 381Business Finance3
    BU 449Strategic Management3
    Select one of the following:3
    BU 355
    		International Business 1
    EC 410
    		International Economics 1
    BU 477
    		International Finance 1
    1

    BU 355 International Business, EC 410 International Economics, and BU 477 International Finance cannot be used to meet both the core requirement and the requirements of a major area of concentration.

A grade point average of at least 2.0 is a prerequisite for enrollment in the six upper-division business courses required of all BBA students (BU 315 Legal Environment of Business, BU 342 Organization & Management, BU 347 Production and Operations Management, BU 360 Principles of Marketing, BU 381 Business Finance, andBU 449 Strategic Management), as well as for enrollment in EC 300 Microeconomic Analysis and EC 301 Macroeconomic Theory. A student must be admitted to the School of Business to enroll in 400-level accounting (AC) and business (BU) courses.

BBA candidates must complete an additional 24 hours of upper-division coursework offered by the School of Business. This may be done in either of the following ways. A student may select courses from a variety of subject areas within the School of Business and receive a BBA with a major area of concentration in general business. Alternatively, a student may select courses in a way that allows them to complete one or two of the following concentrations within the 24 semester hours: accounting, business data analytics, entrepreneurship and innovation, economics, finance, international business, management, and marketing. The specific requirements of each of these concentrations are found below. When two major areas of concentration are selected, the student should seek advice from faculty member in both major areas and prepare a graduation plan two semesters before the intended graduation date to check for feasibility.

At least 50 percent of the accounting, business, and economics hours used to meet requirements for the BBA degree must be earned at Washburn University. All the courses required by the School of Business as part of the BBA degree, including the correlate courses and prerequisites to any required courses, need to be taken for a grade and completed with a grade of “C” or better.

International Experience Opportunities

Juniors or seniors have the opportunity to participate in a faculty-led course that places special emphasis on international business and involves travel to Brazil, China, or Europe. Students may also spend one or two semesters in an approved study abroad program. Washburn is a member of several international partnerships and exchange agreements, including the Magellan Exchange, a business school partnership with about 20 universities in Western Europe, Latin America, and Asia.

Customized programs of study in many other countries can also be arranged. For further information contact the Office of the Dean, School of Business or the Office of International Programs, Washburn University.

Law Early Admission Program (LEAP) Partnership

The Washburn University School of Law (Washburn Law) and the Washburn University School of Business (WUSOBU) offer the Washburn University Law Early Admissions Program (LEAP) to academically talented and highly motivated undergraduates at WUSOBU. This program allows WUSOBU's outstanding undergraduates early entry into law school by matriculating into Washburn Law after completing at least 91 credit hours of undergraduate study. The affiliation is structured to assist these students with their preparation for law school by exposing them to the skills necessary for the study of law, the qualities, and the programming and curriculum available at Washburn Law. By pairing students early with law-faculty and attorney mentors, students will be prepared to serve their communities in a variety of roles in law firms, prosecutors' offices, corporations, not-for-profit enterprises, and other professional legal environments. For further information, contact the WUSOBU Prelaw Coordinator through the School of Business Office at 785-670-1308.

Internships

The School of Business has developed an internship program that is constantly in demand by successful area businesses. School of Business students have the opportunity to select from internships in many industries. Starting in their junior year, students may earn credit toward their degree and also acquire job market skills for employment. Both the student intern and the employer are required to file progress reports with the internship coordinator on a regular basis. Internship credit hours are graded on a pass/fail basis only and do not count as electives to meet requirements for the majors. For further information, interested students should consult with the Director of Student Affairs in the School of Business. Descriptions of the programs are provided in the course listings of this catalog under AC 499 Internship In Accounting BU 499 Internship in Business, and EC 499 Internship in Economics. Students can take AC 449 and EC 449 once and BU 449 twice during their course of studies, but the total number of credit hours from all School of Business internship may not exceed nine (9) semester hours.

Student Organizations

The School of Business feels that in order for our students to succeed they must develop communication and networking skills. To cultivate these skills the School of Business supports several student organizations that students can join for both camaraderie and learning. For a full listing, description, and contact information please consult the School’s web site at www.washburn.edu/business.

Kansas Small Business Development Center at Washburn University

The Kansas Small Business Development Center at Washburn University (KSBDCWU) provides free, confidential, one-on-one counseling for small business owners or potential owners in the Northeast Kansas counties of Brown, Clay, Dickinson, Geary, Jackson, Marshall, Nemaha, Pottawatomie, Riley, Shawnee, Wabaunsee, and Washington.

The KSBDCWU utilizes a wide variety of resources including online and Internet databases to help small businesses obtain the timely, detailed, and relevant information necessary to make sound business decisions. The KSBDCWU also offers low-cost seminars and training programs for their clients. The services of the KSBDCWU are available to all start-up or existing small businesses.

Washburn University students pursuing the BBA degree have the opportunity to get involved in business consulting projects through a partnership with the SBDC as part of some of their coursework.

KSBDC at Washburn University and BRITE Center
719 S. Kansas Avenue
5th Floor, Suite 100 Topeka, KS 66603
785-215-8375

KSBDC at Washburn University
(co-located with the Manhattan Area Chamber of Commerce)
501 Poyntz Avenue
Manhattan, KS 66502
785-587-9917

The web site is www.washburnsmallbusiness.com.

School of Business Honors

Candidates for the Bachelor of Business Administration degree may qualify for School of Business Honors provided the following criteria are met:

  1. Accumulate a grade point average (GPA) of at least 3.50 in all accounting, business, and economics courses applied to the BBA degree; and
  2. Demonstrate superior research and/or independent study skills while enrolled in BU 405 Honors Research-Business; and
  3. Be approved for honors designation by a two-thirds vote of the School of Business faculty.

In fulfilling conditions (2) and (3), the student will be expected to provide any academic data requested and to provide the School with an extra copy of written work prepared for credit in BU 405. Written notice of intent to graduate with honors must be submitted by the student to the Office of the Dean, School of Business early in the semester in which the student expects to graduate. This written notice is separate from any reporting requirements in place when BU 405 is taken as part of the Washburn Transformational Experience (WTE) program.

School of Business Scholars

Students graduating with the Bachelor of Business Administration degree will be awarded the designation of School of Business Scholar provided they have accumulated a GPA of at least 3.50 in all accounting, business, business data analytics, and economics courses and rank in the upper quartile of the Washburn University graduating class. Students graduating with the Bachelor of Arts degree with a major in economics will be awarded the designation of School of Business Scholar provided they have accumulated a GPA of at least 3.50 in the economics coursework used to meet the requirements of the major and also in all upper-division coursework used to meet the requirements of the degree.

Dean’s and President’s Honor Rolls for Undergraduates

In order to be included on the Dean’s Honor Roll, School of Business, a student must:

  • Have been admitted to, and be in good standing with, the School of Business, and
  • Have completed at least 12 graded semester hours with a GPA of at least 3.40 during the immediately preceding semester.

Students who have completed at least 12 graded semester hours with a GPA of 4.00 during the immediately preceding semester will be included on the President’s Honor Roll.

Scholarships

In recognition of the quality of School of Business programs, many alumni, individuals, and organizations have given generously to support worthy students with financial aid. For information and applications, please contact the Director of Financial Aid or the Office of the Dean, School of Business, Washburn University. To be considered for the scholarships administered by the School of Business, either as new or continuing recipients, students must submit a direct application to the School of Business each year; the normal deadline is February 15.

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Academic Advising and Admission Requirements

It is important that any student pursuing the Bachelor of Business Administration degree work closely with their academic advisor, who will assist students in selecting a major and in planning their academic schedules. Freshman and transfer students should initially consult with the Director of Student Affairs in the School of Business office, especially with regard to courses they intend to transfer in (see the Transfer Credit section below for details). Once established in the program, these students are usually assigned an advisor from among the School of Business faculty in the field of their interest.

As stated in the School of Business Values Statement (above), students are expected to act responsibly in their academic programs and to “understand the requirements and expectations of their degree programs and plan their class schedules consistent with these expectations.” The School of Business offers in-person academic advising during the enrollment process and provides advising materials explaining program requirements through this catalog, the School’s web site, and separate information sheets. The student, however, has the ultimate responsibility for understanding the requirements of their degree programs as outlined in this catalog and in the advising materials, including potential scheduling conflicts between majors, for monitoring their own progress in the program, and for ensuring that the program requirements, including course prerequisites, are met in order and on a timely basis.

Students should become familiar with Navigate and Degree Works academic planning tools. They should review their academic transcript and degree audit periodically and definitely prior to each meeting with their advisor. The purpose of the degree audit is to identify for students the remaining requirements necessary to complete their degree program. While the degree audits are unofficial, they intend to be an accurate reflection of the student’s academic progress. If the student believes his or her audit or transcript is incorrect, the question should be brought promptly to the attention of an advisor or the Dean’s office.

In planning their class schedules, students are expected to observe basic advising principles, including course prerequisites, and to consult with a School of Business advisor to clarify any doubts. Course prerequisites are considered met when the prerequisite course is complete with a grade of “C” or better. Note: The prerequisites of a course include the prerequisites of its prerequisite courses.

The basic advising principle in course sequencing is that 100-level courses should generally be completed before 200-level courses, which should be completed before 300-level courses, which should be completed before 400-level courses. However, several general education courses can be saved until the end as this allows more flexibility in course scheduling. While the upper-division business requirement beyond the upper-division business core has room for two major areas of concentration in most cases (excluding accounting), students may not be able to complete the requirements of both majors in the same semester. Additionally, some courses in some majors are offered only once per year. Therefore it is recommended that students plan their course work two semesters ahead.

Administratively, there are four steps in a student’s progress to the Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) degree, apart from the course work and the separate applications for scholarships and financial aid, which need to be initiated by the student. These steps are:

  1. application to Washburn University as a degree-seeking student,
  2. declaration of major,
  3. admission to the School of Business, and
  4. application for the degree.

They are explained below in more detail.

Declaration of Major Area of Concentration  

Early in their program of study, all students interested in earning the Bachelor of Business Administration degree should declare their intended degree and major area(s) of concentration by filling out the “Declaration of Major Program Form” electronically or in print and delivering it to bba@washburn.edu or to the School of Business office. After the declaration of major program has been approved and the faculty advisor has been assigned, students should meet with the faculty advisor for enrollment advising and to plan their academic program. This procedure should also be followed in the cases of changes of major program and declarations of an additional major program. The areas of concentration available within the BBA degree are accounting, business data analytics, entrepreneurship and innovation, economics, finance, international business, management, marketing, and general business. Students who are interested in the BBA degree but have not yet decided on a concentration can initially declare a concentration in general business and then later change their declaration to align with their final decision.

Declaring a major is not the same as being admitted to the School of Business. A declaration of major is simply a statement of student intentions which also establishes an advising relationship. To be admitted to the School of Business, students must satisfy the conditions for admission detailed under Application for Admission to the School of Business below.

Application for Admission to the School of Business

Upon completion of 54 semester hours of college credit, MA 116 College Algebra, and the seven required lower-division School of Business courses, students should apply for admission to the School of Business by filling out the “Application for Admission Form” electronically or in print and delivering it to bba@washburn.edu or to the School of Business office. The eight courses required for admission are:

MA 116College Algebra3
AC 224Financial Accounting3
AC 225Managerial Accounting3
BU 250Management Information Systems3
BU 258 Foundations of Data Analysis3
EC 200Principles of Microeconomics3
EC 201Principles of Macroeconomics3
EC 211Statistics for Business and Economics3

MA 346 Regression Analysis may be substituted for EC 211 Statistics for Business and Economics. A minimum of 30 semester hours must be earned after being admitted to the School of Business. Admission to the School of Business is a requirement for enrolling in BU 449 Strategic Management, the capstone course of the BBA degree as well as all 400-level accounting (AC) and business (BU) courses. As part of the application for admission to the School of Business and prior to each semester’s advising, students are asked to process a degree audit and to confirm that all transfer credit is correctly posted.

Students should file an application for admission with the Office of the Dean of the School of Business as soon as the student becomes eligible to apply. Students are limited to no more than 30 credit hours of accounting and business courses without being admitted to the School of Business. Upon admission students should process a degree audit to determine the remaining courses and to develop a plan to graduation.

Application for Degree

Early in their last semester, students planning to graduate must file an Application for Degree form in the Office of the University Registrar in order to initiate a graduation check. The form should be filed in September for the Fall semester and in February for the Spring semester and the Summer term. A student is not a Candidate for Degree until the University Registrar’s Office has the form on file and the candidacy has been approved.

Students applying for graduation should process a degree audit upon enrollment for the final semester and again at the beginning of final semester to ensure that all degree requirements will be met. At the time of the application for the degree, the student should undeclare any major no longer being pursued. All questions, uncertainties, and potential anomalies should be brought to the attention of an advisor in the School of Business.

Prerequisite Policy for Students in School of Business Courses

It is the responsibility of all students, enrolled in School of Business courses, to observe the published prerequisites for the course. This applies to all degree-seeking, visiting, and non-degree-seeking students regardless of their major or degree program. Visiting students including exchange students, or their sponsoring organizations, will need to present official documentation that prerequisites have been met. For a prerequisite requirement to be met, the prerequisite course must be successfully completed with a grade of “C” or better. The prerequisites of a course include the prerequisites of its prerequisite courses. If subsequent to enrollment a student no longer meets the course prerequisite requirements, the student is required to withdraw from the course without delay; if not, the student is subject to administrative withdrawal from the course at any time. Students not majoring in one of the majors in the BBA degree may request permission in the Dean’s Office to enroll in 400-level accounting (AC) and (BU) courses if they have achieved standing in their own programs comparable to admission to the School of Business. Any questions should be directed to the Director of Student Affairs in the School of Business office.

Pass/Fail Policy

Candidates for the BBA degree in Business Administration must earn a grade of “C” or better in all required courses and may not take required courses pass/fail. These required courses include required courses offered by the School of Business, courses offered by the School of Business used to meet School of Business requirements, and courses offered outside of the School of Business required as correlate courses for the BBA degree including CN 150 Public Speaking,MA 116 College Algebra, MA 140 Statistics, AN 112 Cultural Anthropology, PY 100 Basic Concepts in Psychology, and SO 100 Introduction to Sociology, as well as classes used to meet the English elective requirement. In the event a student has pass/fail credit in a required course before admission to the School, the student may be required, as a condition of admission, to take an alternative course or courses for regular credit to fulfill such requirements. Similarly, alternative courses might be required if a required course is taken pass/fail after admission to the School.

Repetition of Courses

Undergraduate courses may be repeated. Courses for which grades of Ds and Fs are recorded can be retaken without departmental approval; courses for which a grade of C, or pass, or higher are recorded will require departmental approval from the department or school offering the course. Approval is required before enrollment.

The transcript will contain a complete record of all courses taken and grades earned. Only the last repeated and not the prior grade(s) will be included in determining the cumulative grade point average. However, after a student has repeated the same course three times, or has repeated three different courses, that student must have the permission of their academic dean before repeating any course. In the School of Business, requests to repeat courses under these policies should be directed to the associate dean. In cases where an excessive repeat (ER) hold has been put in place, the student should expect to be advised by the associate dean until all relevant courses have been successfully completed. Enrollment before the completion of the previous semester is at the discretion of the associate dean.

Transfer Credit

The School of Business reserves the right to evaluate any credit hours offered for transfer relative to the current standards before accepting or rejecting such hours as meeting School of Business requirements. In accord with business school accreditation standards, academic work accepted from other institutions should be comparable to that in the degree programs of the School of Business.

To facilitate advising and schedule planning, any review of transfer courses should be completed as soon as possible and preferably during the first semester of enrollment. Students should prepare transfer course petitions and provide catalog course descriptions and course syllabi to the School of Business. Official transcripts of all coursework taken at other schools should be sent directly to Washburn University Registrar. Transfer courses that are not already listed on the Washburn University Transfer Guides but might meet University degree requirements, including general education requirements, will need to be reviewed by the department to which the course discipline belongs or by the University General Education Committee. In the latter case, students will need to provide all the information required by the General Education Transfer Course Petition form available on the Vice President for Academic Affairs website. Petitions should be prepared by the students and submitted through the students’ academic advisors.

Washburn business majors who wish to take classes at another institution to meet their degree requirements at Washburn must receive prior approval. Guidelines and application forms are available in the School of Business office.

International Transfer Credit

International students with transfer credit from non-U.S. institutions must provide original transcripts that should have detailed addresses of the issuing school for verification. If originals cannot be submitted, attested certified copies of transcripts must be on the issuing school’s stationary and sent to Washburn in an official school’s envelope. All university-level foreign transcripts must be evaluated by a Washburn University-recognized evaluation service (e.g. Education Credential Evaluators (ECE, www.ece.org) or World Education Services (WES, www.wes.org). Application forms can be obtained from their respective websites. A “course-by-course” report is required. Cost of this evaluation is borne by the student. Completed evaluations should be sent directly by the evaluation agency to the Office of International Programs at Washburn University. International Student & Scholar Services | Washburn University

For students who have completed a baccalaureate or associate degree at an accredited international institution similar in duration to a U.S. baccalaureate or associate degree, courses satisfactorily completed in the Arts and Humanities, Social Sciences, and Natural Sciences and Mathematics will be accepted for credit in the appropriate general education area. International transfer courses that might meet the University degree requirements, including the general education requirements, but are not part of a completed degree at an accredited international institution, will need to be reviewed individually by the University General Education Committee or by the chair of the department to which the course discipline belongs. As in the case of courses transferred from U.S. institutions, courses in accounting, business, business data analytics, and economics not already on the transfer guides will need to be reviewed by the School of Business.

To facilitate advising and schedule planning, all the reviews should be completed in the first semester of enrollment at Washburn, especially for courses needed for prerequisites or admission to the School of Business. The process starts with the posting of the results of the ECE or WES evaluation on the student’s Washburn University transcript and degree audit. The students should provide catalog course descriptions, syllabi and other information as required by the “General Education Transfer Course Petition” form available on the Vice President for Academic Affairs website. Petitions should be prepared by the students and submitted through the students’ academic advisors. www.washburn.edu/academics/international-programs/international- students/gen%20ed%20transfer%20petition

Second Bachelor Degrees and Second Concentrations

Students who have already completed a BBA degree from Washburn University may later return to earn an additional major within the BBA. However, they must satisfy the specific BBA degree requirements under a catalog that is still in effect at the time the additional major is awarded (which may not be their original catalog). This applies to all correlate, core, and major-specific courses listed under specific degree requirements. Students seeking an additional major within the Washburn BBA should seek advice about course scheduling and sequencing and develop an appropriate graduation plan.

If the student has completed a bachelor degree in business outside of Washburn University, then the student must also satisfy the School’s residency requirement. To meet School of Business residency, at least 50 percent of the accounting, business, business data analytics, or economics hours presented for the BBA degree must be completed at Washburn University. All students will be required to complete the capstone BU 449 Strategic Management course and the specific degree requirements, including the requirement that 51 hours be completed in general education areas or coursework offered by the Computer Information Sciences Department. When the previous business degree is from an AACSB International-accredited business school, the business core requirements normally will be considered to have been met with the exception of BU 449 Strategic Management, assuming that appropriate grades have been earned and prerequisites have been met for courses to be taken at Washburn. All other transfer credit will be evaluated on a course-by-course basis.

Students who have a bachelor degree from either Washburn University or an external institution in an area other than business or are in the process of earning such a degree and are seeking the Washburn BBA as an additional degree must also present a minimum of a total of 150 hours of credit and will need to satisfy all the specific business degree requirements. They should seek advice about course scheduling and sequencing and develop a viable and appropriate graduation plan.

Outcome Assessment and Assurance of Learning

The Washburn University School of Business, as part of its continuous improvement efforts and consistent with the requirements of Washburn University, the Higher Learning Commission, and the Association for the Advancement of Collegiate Schools of Business – AACSB International, at intervals administers surveys and tests to its students, graduates, staff, and external constituents. We encourage all of those contacted to support our continuous improvement efforts by participating in these surveys and tests. For currently enrolled students, the tests and surveys may be required as part of coursework, or as program and degree graduation requirements separate from coursework, and are independent of the catalog under which the student intends to graduate. Tests may be administered during regularly scheduled classes, or at other times separate from class meeting times, including on Saturdays; an assessment fee may be charged.

Program Areas