Frequently Asked Questions

 General FAQs:

  • The sooner you declare a specialization, the sooner you will be assigned a Faculty Advisor in the program of study you have selected. Declare your specialization by completing the Specialization/Minor Change form.
  • Contact the College Office of your intended new major. You will need a 2.0 GPA and possibly other requirements to transfer from one college to another.
  • No, the Schmidthorst College of Business does not require students to have minors.
  • A minimum of 122 credit hours is required for graduation. At least 40 hours of the total 122 hours must be completed at the 3000/4000 level. Apply for graduation by the end of the second week of the semester in which you plan to graduate.  (Exception: Summer graduates need to apply by the end of the first week of the first 6 weeks.)
  • Students who wish to pursue dual degrees must appeal for permission from the Schmidthorst College of Business and the other college.
  • If you take WRIT1120 after you have reached junior standing (60 credit hours); three credit hours are added to the 122 hours needed for graduation. If you take WRIT 1120 after you have reached senior standing (90 credit hours); four credit hours are added to the 122 hours needed for graduation.
  • During the fall and spring semesters, a student may enroll in a course within seven calendar days from the beginning of classes; fourteen calendar days are allowed for a student to change the grading option or to drop a course with no record on the transcript. During summer term, students may enroll in courses during the first three calendar days of a given session; five calendar days are allowed for a student to change the grading option or drop a course with no record on the transcript. This should be done online at MyBGSU. After these dates exceptions may be granted only by the Dean of the student’s college by completing a Schedule Change Form. The form is located online on the Registration and Records webpage, www. bgsu.edu/registration-records.html#links. For information about withdrawing from a course after the drop date, refer to “Grading Policies” in the Undergraduate Catalog. Students should check their class schedule to ensure changes have been processed.
  • You must obtain permission from the Dean of Business. A withdrawal must be submitted through MyBGSU in the Student Center under Academics.  A student who withdraws with permission from the University will have all courses from the semester dropped and no grades recorded, except for courses previously dropped with a “WF" or "F.” A readmission restriction will be imposed for students who withdraw during the last five weeks of the semester. A student is not permitted to withdraw during the final exam period of the fall or spring semesters, or during the last two days of any summer session. Refer to the “Withdraw from the University” section in the Undergraduate Policies, Programs, and Courses
  • The grade of D is a passing grade. You may elect to retake the course. Some departments require a C or better to advance in a sequence. There are certain rules that must be fulfilled in retaking the course. Refer to the “Retaking a Course” section in the Undergraduate Policies, Programs, and Courses for further information and also "Quick Links" under Registration and Records website.
  • The Undergraduate Policies, Programs, and Courses states: “If a student receives a grade of D, F, I or WF in a course and then receives credit for that course by successful completion of a similar course at another institution, the credit hours and quality points for the first registration will continue to be used in computing the student’s GPA.” Therefore, you don’t have to take the course over at BGSU, but your GPA will not change. Credits are transferable, but not grades.
  • Yes. If you stop attending the course without following proper procedures to drop the course or to withdraw from the University, your instructor may assign you an "F." The grade of “F” may also be assigned in the following four circumstances: 
    1. If a student is failing at the time of withdrawal from a course prior to the withdraw (W) deadline; 
    2. If a student withdraws after the W deadline has passed; 
    3. If a student stops attending but does not process an official withdrawal; 
    4. If a student has never attended class but does not officially withdraw from it.
  • The instructor of the course has to remove the Incomplete. If the work is completed prior to the deadline (March 1-Fall; August 1-Spring; November 1-Summer) the instructor needs to send a Removal of Incomplete to the Office of Registration and Records.  
  • CHECK YOUR SCHEDULE ON MyBGSU! Check for specific classes, making sure you are registered for the section you are attending (M0D1, M0D2, etc.). Check your grading option and number of hours. All corrections must be made before the withdrawal deadline.
  • You may take up to 16 credit hours S/U. You may not take any classes required for your major or minor S/U. The 16 hours does not include those courses which are only offered S/U such as WRIT 1110. To receive an S in a course you must attain a C or better to constitute a passing grade.
  • Yes. Prior to doing so, check with the Transfer Credit Evaluation Office within the Office of Registration and Records for information about the proper procedure to follow. Be sure to check with your advisor to make sure the class will transfer to the proper course.
  • A variety of scholarships are available. Scholarships can be searched through the Office of Student Financial Aid's website.  Most academic departments have scholarships and their applications are available online beginning in the month of January. Check with the specific department secretary for details. Many scholarships are accessible by completing the general application for AcademicWorks.
  • Permission for any overload must be obtained from the College Office. Email business@bgsu.edu to request the form. Course registration in excess of 18 hours will result in extra fees. Consult the Bursar’s Office for specific charges.
  • You can file an appeal by emailing the College Office at business@bgsu.edu and requesting an appeal form. If you want to improve the chances of your appeal being granted, state precisely and succinctly what you want and write clearly and briefly why you think your appeal should be approved. Attach any relevant supporting information, but do not overwhelm the Appeals Board with paper. The Appeals Board will try to give you a prompt answer. Please remember that submission of an appeal does not guarantee approval. Do not presume that it will be approved. An appeal by its nature is a variance from the rule, and there must be good reason for granting it.

Advising FAQs

  • All students are assigned to advisors who work primarily with business students.  When students who have a declared area of specialization achieve BSBA admission, they are assigned a faculty mentor in that area. If a student does not know the name of the faculty mentor, they can access this information in their MyBGSU Student Center. Professional advisors are available to Schmidthorst College of Business students, pre-business students, students from other colleges, and prospective students. It is the students’ responsibility to contact their faculty mentor or academic advisor. Advisors can be reached at the Academic Advising office, 419-372-8943.
  • Students who did not complete 2 years of the same foreign language in high school must complete a foreign language through the 1020 level (e.g. FREN 1020).

Work Experience FAQs

  • The Schmidthorst College of Business does not require co-ops or internships (unless specializing in the Sales and Services Marketing specialization), but it is strongly recommended that students gain work experience before graduation. Students who are interested in a co-op or internship should contact the Career Center.

Electives FAQs

  • An elective is any course that counts toward the Bachelor of Science in Business Administration (BSBA). Students should refer to the back of their checksheet for a list of courses that do not count toward the BSBA for their catalog year.
  • Enough electives to reach 122 credit hour towards the degree for graduation.  The number depends on number of hours in General requirements, Business Cores and Specialization.

Admission to BSBA FAQs

  • BSBA Admission requirements must be achieved within 45 credit hours and are the following: Minimum 12 BGSU credit hours toward the BSBA degree; minimum 2.5 BGSU cumulative GPA; letter grade of C or better in calculus (Math 1260, BA 1600 or 1310 or both 1340 and 1350); and completion of 4 or more of the following with at least a C: ACCT 2210, ACCT 2220, ECON 2020, ECON 2030, BA 2110, BA 2120, BA 2030, IS 2000.
  • No. Admission decisions are made three times each year. All pre-business students with 45 credit hours towards the degree are automatically reviewed for admission. Students who achieve BSBA admission will receive notification via email to inform and congratulate them. Those who do not achieve BSBA admission in the admission review are placed on conditional standing for one semester or 15 credit hours to satisfy BSBA admissions. Those who do not achieve BSBA admission AFTER the conditional semester must pursue other degree programs offered at BGSU or another institution.

Checksheet Requirements

  • Penalty hours are hours that are added to the minimum 122 hours to graduate with the BSBA. Students may be assigned penalty hours for passing UWP 1120 after accumulating 60 or more hours.
  • No. A student’s checksheet is in a grid-like format to make the degree requirements more easily understood. It contains sections for the BG Perspective, Admission Core, Business Core, Area of Specialization, and Electives. Sometimes students think they have to complete a section before moving on to the next section. In general, freshmen take courses in the BG Perspective Section, calculus, and courses from the Admission Core. Sophomores should move to more of the Admission Core in the fall semester while taking a few courses still needed in the BG Perspective. After being admitted to the BSBA, students may take 4000-level business courses if they meet the prerequisites. Thus, the junior and senior year, students take courses in the Business Core, Area of Specialization, BG Perspective, and Electives, until all requirements have been completed.
  • Yes, but a minor, dual specialization or dual degree is not required. To declare a minor or dual specialization, students should go to the College Office. Students are responsible for meeting all additional requirements for the minor or second specialization as shown in the appropriate Undergraduate Catalog. Dual degrees require permission of the deans of both colleges before the end of the junior year, completion of the requirements of both colleges for the degrees sought, and the completion of at least 20 hours of credit beyond the hours required for a single degree.

Updated: 02/20/2024 10:11AM