Pre-Business Program

• Introduction
• Suggested 2-yr Program PRIOR to Fall 2006
• Suggested 2-yr Program EFFECTIVE Fall 2006
• Staff and Faculty
• Careers in Business Admin
• FAQs
• Pre-Business Worksheet PRIOR to Fall 2006
• Pre-Business Worksheet EFFECTIVE Fall 2006
• Winter 2008 Breadth Course Offerings for Pre-Business PRIOR to Fall 2006
• Fall 2008 Breadth Course Offerings for Pre-Business Who ENTERED FALL 2006 and AFTER

Business Administration Frequently Asked Questions

Entering Freshmen

Q: What coursework is required for a Pre-Business major?
A: During freshman and sophomore years, Pre-Business students complete all college breadth requirements and ten lower division Business prerequisites.

Q: Can I take my Business prerequisite courses on S/NC grading basis?
A: No. All ten lower division business prerequisites must be taken for a letter grade.

Q: As a Pre-Business student, should I enroll in any upper division Business courses?
A: No. You should not enroll in any upper division Business Administration courses until you have completed all college breadth and business prerequisites and have applied to the Business Administration program. Permission to enroll in upper division courses requires approval of your Pre-Business advisor.

Q: Is there a minimum GPA that I must have to be eligible for the Business Administration major?
A: Yes. Students entering UCR as freshman in Fall Quarter 2000, must be in good academic standing and have a minimum overall 2.5 GPA and a minimum 2.0 GPA average in the business prerequisites when they apply to the Business Administration major.

Q: Is it possible to participate in the University Honors Program?
A: Yes. The University Honors Program offers a variety of courses. These courses provide an additional challenge to qualified undergraduates interested in advanced scholarship and research throughout their undergraduate careers.

Q: Is it possible to participate in the Education Abroad Program (EAP)?
A: Yes. Eligible Business Administration students can earn UC credit and add an international perspective to their education by studying and living in one of 32 countries during their junior or senior year.

Q: Are there any Business organizations that I can join on campus?
A: Yes. Examples are Delta Sigma Pi, a co-ed professional business fraternity, The Accounting Society, the Entrepreneurial Club, the American Marketing Association, and the Association of Human Resource Professionals. Additional information about these organizations can be obtained from the Business Administration Office.

Q: Are there any other majors that incorporate Business Administration?
A: Yes. There are four majors that include 37 units of lower division and upper division business administration courses. These majors are in the departments of: Economics, History, Political Science, and Sociology. Contact these departments for more information and/or the UCR General Catalog.

Q: How can I guarantee my admission into the Business Administration major as a transfer student?
A: If you are admissible to UCR, have completed your general education requirements with an Intersegmental General Education Transfer Curriculum (IGETC), and completed seven out of the ten major pre-requisite/lower division courses for business, you can be admitted into Business Administration. If you are admissible to UCR, have not completed your general education requirements with an IGETC, or have not completed seven out of the ten major pre-requisite/lower division courses for business, you can be admitted into Business Preparatory until you qualify to major change to Business Administration. Transfer students entering Fall 2002 must have a 2.5 GPA to enter BSAD.

Q: How can I best prepare myself as a transfer student to enter the Business Administration major?
A. Students should complete all UCR breadth requirements or an IGETC and at least seven of the ten major prerequisites within their first 135 quarter units in college.

Q: If I don't finish an IGETC at a community college first, can my high school foreign language be used to satisfy UCR's foreign language requirement?
A. No. UCR requires every student to complete the equivalent of one year of college level elementary foreign language. This can be completed through a placement exam or through completion of the third level of elementary foreign language. Students transferring to UCR with an IGETC have already met the foreign language requirement.

Q: Do I have to take the Math placement exam?
A. Entering Freshman students will take a math placement exam to assess the level of math they need. Entering Transfer students who have not taken the equivalent of UCR's Math 5, Introduction to College Math or a more advanced course, will need to take the Math Placement Exam. Completing a course in statistics does not eliminate the math placement requirement.

Q: How many classes should I take per quarter?
A. Unless you have received permission to be a part time student, it is expected that all business students will enroll in a minimum of twelve units or three courses each quarter. The average courseload is 16 units or four courses each quarter.

Q: Will it be hard to get into the business classes I want?
A. While it is true that some classes may close due to capacity enrollment, students can be enrolled and carry a normal courseload every quarter. The Business Administration Program establishes waiting lists for all business courses designed to ensure that all students are able to enroll in classes they need.

Q: Is there a minimum GPA that I must have to be eligible for the Business Administration major?
A. Yes. Effective Fall Quarter 2002, transfer students must have a minimum overall 2.4 GPA to transfer to UCR and a minimum 2.5 GPA to enter BSAD.

Q: Can I major in International Business? Accounting? Management Information Systems (MIS)?
A. Upon graduation you will receive a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration. Business elective courses may be taken in an area of business such as international business, accounting or MIS to develop an emphasis, but your major is Business Administration.

Q: What is considered "full-time?
A. To be considered a full time student at UCR it is necessary to carry a minimum courseload of twelve units.

Q: Will I graduate "on time?"
A. On time usually means within four years from the time the student enters college. Students who come prepared to attend college will not need additional classes in English or Math to prepare them for college level courses. Students can also place into a higher level of foreign language by taking the placement exam in the foreign language they took in high school. When students are prepared, they will be able to complete the major in less than four years. They are required to meet the minimum number of units to graduate from the University of California.

Q: Will I receive preferential admission treatment to UCR's MBA program if I graduate in business from UCR? A. We encourage undergraduate students to apply to the MBA program, but they do not receive preferential treatment. The undergraduate program prepares students for the MBA program. All students need to meet Graduate Division admissions requirements to enter the MBA program.

Q: What companies recruit UCR students for their entry level positions?
A. Industries and job titles are extremely diverse for business graduates because the degree allows one to enter any industry since all companies need people with these skills. Management trainee programs are common in finance, government, retail, and operations. Depending on the courses taken, students concentrate in the areas of human resources, marketing, accounting, finance, or general management.

Q: What jobs will I be qualified for with a Business Administration degree?
A. Students graduating from UCR have found entry level positions in many areas of business. Some of the more popular areas include sales, accounting, human resources, general management, finance, and customer service.