2024-2025 Undergraduate Catalog College of Business

Mission

Through our shared commitment to excellence in teaching, research, and service, we prepare students to be skilled and ethical business professionals who will make significant positive contributions to organizations, to communities, and to our larger society.

Vision

The first choice for business education in Illinois.

Core Values

We value excellence in instruction and enhanced student learning; We value a dedication to knowledge creation; We value a commitment to citizenship in and service to our institution, state, and nation; We value a culture of shared governance; We value balanced excellence in the classroom, in research and intellectual contributions, and in service; We value high ethical standards as embodied in our Standards of Professional Behavior and Ethical Conduct.

Beginning freshmen must meet Illinois State University admission requirements prior to being considered into a College of Business major. Students are strongly encouraged to complete a rigorous high school math sequence as they prepare for admission into a College of Business major.

Transfer students must have met all university admission requirements (transferring from other universities or colleges) or be in academic good standing (transferring from majors within Illinois State University). The College of Business reserves the right to maintain a balanced enrollment; the number of students who continue in the program may vary from year to year depending on program capacity and the qualifications of students in the pool.

In addition, transfer students must meet the following criteria:

1. Students desiring to transfer with fewer than 45 credit hours completed or in progress when they apply to become a business major are evaluated based upon their college coursework, GPA (where an established GPA exists), and College of Business admission criteria for incoming freshmen.
2. Students desiring to transfer with between 45-59 credit hours completed or in progress when they apply to become a business major are evaluated based upon their college coursework, GPA, and College of Business admission criteria.
3. Students desiring to transfer with 60 credit hours or more completed or in progress when they apply to become a business major are evaluated based upon their college coursework, GPA, and College of Business admission criteria. The College requires that these transfers, in their first semester at Illinois State, complete BUS 100 with a grade of C or better and prove computer competency (spreadsheet usage, presentation software, and Web page construction) through completion of one of the following courses or their equivalents:
   • BIS 167
   • IT 150
   • IAI BUS 902

In addition to the general requirements of the University and the College, the following policies apply to transfer students from other academic institutions seeking a business degree:

• Credit for business and related courses from 2-year institutions may be transferred and applied to the business core but is limited to 100-level (lower-division freshman and sophomore) course placement.
• Credit for business and related courses from baccalaureate degree granting institutions may be transferred and applied to the business core and to the major if the course for which the credit is being transferred is at the equivalent level of the Illinois State University course, contains the same course content and requires equivalent prerequisites.

Each student must successfully complete the college capstone course (MGT 385) and their major’s designated capstone course at Illinois State University and must earn at least 50 percent of the business credit hours required for the degree at Illinois State University. Please contact an academic advisor for information concerning specific majors’ capstone courses.

The academic requirements of the University apply to all of the programs in the College of Business. In addition, the following special academic requirements apply to all students in the College of Business:

1. Required courses in the major with grades below C will not count toward the graduation requirements of College of Business majors.
2. Students must have a 2.00 GPA or higher at Illinois State in order to graduate with a business degree. Business Education majors must earn and maintain a 2.50 major and cumulative GPA through graduation.
3. Students majoring in business must complete their senior year (30 hours) in residence at Illinois State University. Under unusual circumstances the Dean of the College of Business may grant a modification of this requirement.
4. Each student must successfully complete the college capstone course (MGT 385) and their major’s designated capstone course at Illinois State University, and must earn at least 50 percent of the business credit hours required for the degree at Illinois State University.
5. Enrollment in 200-level business courses requires 45 completed semester hours. Enrollment in 300-level business courses requires 75 completed semester hours. This policy is strictly enforced.
6. Students who go on probation a second or subsequent time will be dropped from the College of Business.
7. The College of Business strictly enforces a two graded attempt policy for any and all courses included in any business major or minor. As such, the college only allows a student to repeat a course in his or her business major or minor once. If a satisfactory grade is not earned in the second attempt, the student will be dismissed from their College of Business major or minor. Students who earn a WX grade in either attempt must apply for permission to complete a third enrollment. A student may not enroll for a third time in any required course in their business major or minor if they have already received letter grades (A, B, C, D, or F) in two previous attempts. Students pursuing majors or minors outside the College of Business that include one or more business courses as requirements will also be held to the College’s two-graded attempt policy.
8. Students-at-large and graduate students must apply for permission from the College of Business to register for business courses. Such students will be required to furnish official transcripts to show that prerequisite requirements have been fulfilled. Some courses in the College have restricted and/or limited enrollments and may not be an option. These students, as all non-business majors, are restricted to 27 hours of business course work.

Non-business majors are limited to no more than 27 credits of business coursework.

The Business Core Courses (46 hours)

• BUS 100
• ACC 131 
• ACC 132 
• ECO 101 
• ECO 102 
• ENG 145a13
• FIL 185
• MGT 100 or ECO 138 or POL 138 or PSY 138
• MAT 121 
• BIS 270  
• FIL 240 
• MKT 230 
• MGT 220 
• MGT 227 
• MGT 385 

1. All business majors are expected to show proficiency in the usage of electronic spreadsheets (MS Office Excel), presentation software, and Web page construction by coursework (BIS 167 or IT 150; or IAI BUS 902 or equivalent).
2. Majors in Business Education take alternate courses to meet the requirements for MAT 121, MGT 227 and MGT 385 as specified under the program’s requirements.
3. Prerequisites for all business courses are strictly enforced and must be successfully completed by the first day of the semester. Please see the course description for individual course prerequisites.