Cox School of Business
(2010 Graduate Catalog)
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Policies and Procedures
Matriculation in the University is a declaration of acceptance of all University rules and regulations. (See the University’s undergraduate catalog for a complete listing.) Additional information regarding rules and regulations of the University may be found in this catalog.
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The Cox School of Business seeks candidates who show a strong potential for success in today’s global business environment. Candidates who demonstrate analytical capabilities, leadership experience, interpersonal and communication skills, and personal commitment and motivation are invited to apply. The Admissions Committee seeks candidates who possess outstanding academic achievement and potential, leadership qualities, and management potential. To assess these characteristics, the committee will look to the following elements to help identify a candidate’s potential to succeed in the program: test scores, previous academic records, recommendations that speak to a candidate’s professional performance and self-evaluation essays. For complete details and an application packet, visit
www.coxgrad.com or contact the Cox Admissions Office: telephone 214-768-1214 or 1-800-472-3622; fax 214-768-3956;
mbainfo@cox.smu.edu.
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An accepted graduate business applicant must enter the program for the specific term of acceptance. If extenuating circumstances prevent the student from matriculating for the specific term, he or she must petition the graduate Admissions Committee for deferral prior to the first day of instruction of that term. This petition should state the reason for requesting a deferral to the next entering term. If the applicant fails to matriculate for the deferred term, the deposit is forfeited and the applicant must reapply for acceptance to the Cox Business School.
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The University registrar maintains the official permanent academic records for all students. This record includes all SMU courses attempted, grades assigned, degrees received and a summary of transfer hours accepted. Official transcripts and certifications of students’ academic records are issued by the Office of the Registrar for all students of the University.
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The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 (also known as FERPA) is a federal law that protects the privacy of student education records and affords students attending postsecondary institutions certain rights with respect to their education records. SMU has posted information and guidelines on the University registrar’s website at
smu.edu/registrar/ferpa. Students are responsible for acquainting themselves with the guidelines.
In general, no personally identifiable information from a student’s education record is disclosed to a third party without written consent from the student. Exception is made regarding information defined by SMU as directory information that may be released unless the student requests in writing that it be withheld. SMU defines the following student information as directory information under FERPA: personal data (name, address, telephone and campus e-mail), enrollment data (academic program, degree objectives, attendance dates, degree and awards received, and previous education) and participation data (officially recognized activities and sports).
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The University assigns each student an eight-digit SMU identification number. The student should furnish the SMU ID number on all forms when requested, because it is the primary means the University has to identify the student’s academic records and transactions related to the records.
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A student who has a change in name must provide to the Office of the Registrar his or her Social Security card or the form issued by the Social Security Administration. Enrollment or records services for the student under a name different from the last enrollment cannot be accomplished without the above documents. All grade reports, transcripts and diplomas are issued only under a person’s legal name as recorded by the University Registrar’s Office.
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Students are required to provide the University a current permanent home address and a current local mailing address; a billing address can be provided if it differs from the home address. In addition, a residence address (not a post office box number) is required for international students. Students are required to provide a local telephone number and a cell telephone number.
Students who do not have cellular telephones or do not wish to report the numbers must declare this information in lieu of providing cellular telephone numbers.
The SMU e-mail address issued to each student is the only e-mail address maintained by the University. Official correspondence from the University may be sent to any of the student’s mailing addresses or the SMU e-mail address. It is the student’s responsibility to regularly check both their mail and SMU e-mail address for correspondence from the University.
Students should use access.smu.edu to verify and update as appropriate their address and telephone information.
Emergency Contact. University policy requires all students to provide the name, address and telephone number of a primary emergency contact (student maintains online at access.smu.edu). Students enrolling at SMU authorize the University to contact their emergency contact in the event of a situation affecting the student’s health, safety, or physical or mental well-being and to provide that contact with information related to the situation.
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Official transcripts are issued by the University Registrar’s Office and bear the University seal and registrar signature. Official transcripts are not processed if the student has an outstanding obligation, financial or otherwise. Enrolled students can obtain an unofficial transcript online at
access.smu.edu.
SMU has authorized the National Student Clearinghouse to provide transcript ordering via the Internet. Walk-in requests for transcripts can be made at the Student Service Counter of the Laura Lee Blanton Student Services Building located at 6185 Airline. Telephone and e-mail requests are not accepted. No partial or incomplete transcripts including only certain courses or grades are issued. Complete details are found at
www.smu.edu/registrar/transcripts.asp.
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Students who have disabilities and need special accommodations, such as extended time to take exams or other reasonable academic accommodations, should contact the Office of Disability Accommodations and Success Strategies immediately after accepting admission to a Cox program or as soon as possible after arriving at Cox. Since Cox graduate courses are taught in eight-week modules, students may have projects due by the second class meeting or midterm exams three or four weeks after classes begin. It is necessary that students requesting reasonable accommodations do so as early as possible.
The documentation review process for establishing eligibility for receiving reasonable accommodation can take as long as two weeks and is required before reasonable accommodations may be arranged. In order to determine their eligibility for reasonable accommodations, students who have disabilities and would like to be considered for services must request services themselves by phone or letter and submit appropriate, current documentation of their disability directly to the Office of Disability Accommodations and Success Strategies. In their requests, students should indicate what assistance is being sought and provide information on how to be contacted after the documentation is reviewed. Documentation will not be reviewed unless students make such a request.
In addition, because of the short duration of Cox modules and once per week class sessions, faculty must have a full week (seven calendar days) to arrange reasonable accommodations once students have been certified as eligible for reasonable accommodations and have notified their instructor.
Additional information and documentation guidelines are available at
www.smu.edu/alec/dass.asp. The Office of Disability Accommodations and Success Strategies is located in the Altshuler Learning Enhancement Center; telephone 214-768-1470.
The director is Rebecca Marin;
rmarin@smu.edu.
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By becoming members of the Cox School of Business, students are bound to hold intellectual integrity to the highest standard and commit to uphold the Cox School of Business Honor Code. Any actions committed by a member of the student body in violation of the Honor Code degrades the principles underlying the mission of the University and profoundly affects the integrity and reputation of the degrees to be earned, as well as the reputation of the institution.
At the core of the Cox School Honor Code is the student who will not lie, cheat, steal or tolerate those who do. Not reporting an honor violation is an honor violation.
New graduate students receive a copy of the Honor Code at orientation and review all standards and policies. For additional information, contact the assistant dean of Graduate Student Services or see the Honor Code in the Student Life section at the website cox.smu.edu/web/current-students/graduate-students.
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The maximum length of time for degree completion in any and all graduate business degree programs is six (6) calendar years. All course and degree requirements must be completed in this time period, which begins at the time of initial enrollment, with no absence greater than three (3) consecutive calendar years.
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The unit of measure for the valuation of courses is the credit hour; for example, two (2) credit hours are earned by 24 classroom contact hours in an eight-week module. There are two eight-week modules in each term. Each classroom contact hour generally requires a minimum of two to three hours of advance preparation time on the part of the student. A student must be enrolled in at least 10 credit hours in a term to have full-time academic status; this is true for all graduate Cox programs, full-time and part-time.
Full-Time M.B.A. Students complete 32 credit hours in the first year (16 credit hours per term), one credit hour internship in the summer (third term) and 28 credit hours in the second year (14 credit hours per term) plus one noncredit-bearing requirement (First Year Foundations) for a total of 61 credit hours for the two-year program. The maximum hours of course enrollment allowed during the program is 69 credit hours.
Professional M.B.A. Students complete six terms of eight (8) credit hours each term, including summer terms, for a total of 48 credit hours for this part-time program. The maximum hours of course enrollment allowed during the program is 56 credit hours.
M.S. in Accounting. Students complete 16 credit hours each term for a total of 32 credit hours for the full-time one-year program. The maximum hours of course enrollment allowed during the program is 36 credit hours.
M.S. in Entrepreneurship. Students complete four consecutive terms of eight (8) credit hours each term for a total of 32 credit hours for the part-time program. The maximum hours of course enrollment allowed during the program is 36 credit hours.
M.S. in Management. Students complete eight (8) credit hours, 10 credit hours and 12 credit hours in three consecutive terms for a total of 30 credit hours for the part-time 12-month program. The maximum hours of course enrollment allowed during the program is 34 credit hours.
The credit hour load requirements may be different in regards to student financial accounts and loans. Students should refer to the catalog supplement
Bursar’s Financial Information: Southern Methodist University for additional information (
www.smu.edu/bursar/financialinformation.asp).
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After successfully completing the first term of the Full-Time M.B.A. program, students with a cumulative GPA of 3.5 or higher may elect to take more than the normal load of 14–16 credit hours with a maximum of 20 credit hours in a future term. However, the total number of overload hours can be no more than eight (8) hours during the two-year program. (For additional information, see the section on Academic Performance Standards and Probation.) Each 16-week term is divided into two eight-week modules, A and B, with four (4) courses in each module earning two (2) credit hours per course. Exceptions to the stated curriculum schedule must be approved in advance by the Graduate Student Services Office. Full-Time M.B.A. students may overload at no additional cost as they are charged a flat-rate tuition per term. (For the current rate, see currently published tuition rates at www.smu.edu/bursar/gradtuit.asp.) A Full-Time M.B.A. student electing to enroll in any given term must pay the full flat-rate tuition for that term, regardless of the number of hours in which the student is enrolled.
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After successfully completing all 20 credit hours of required core courses with a cumulative GPA of 3.2 or better, Professional M.B.A. students may elect to take up to three (3) courses or six (6) credit hours in a module, a total of 12 credit hours in a term. Students need to contact the Graduate Student Services staff for override permission when taking 12 credit hours. Professional M.B.A. students who take additional credit hours (maximum is 56 allowed in the program) will continue to pay the published hourly tuition rates; see
www.smu.edu/bursar/gradtuit.asp.
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Acceleration of the Professional M.B.A. degree is defined as a Professional M.B.A. student with enough additional credit hours to advance his or her expected graduation date by at least one term. Professional M.B.A. students are not permitted to transfer into the Full-Time M.B.A. program. However, with approval from the Graduate Student Services Office, an unemployed student may be granted permission to carry a full-time academic course load of up to 16 credit hours per term, paying the published hourly tuition rates; see
www.smu.edu/bursar/gradtuit.asp.
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A student who wishes to withdraw from a Cox program must notify the Graduate Student Services Office, in writing, by completing the Cox Withdrawal Form.
A student who wishes to withdraw for a specific term from a Cox program before the end of the term must notify the Graduate Student Services Office in writing by completing the Student Petition for Withdrawal/Cancellation Form by the officially published date for that term. The Graduate Student Services Office will advise the student concerning withdrawal procedures applicable to his or her situation. The effective date of the term withdrawal is the date on which the Student Petition for Withdrawal/Cancellation is processed in the University Registrar’s Office. To stop attending class or notifying an instructor does not constitute an official withdrawal. When the term withdrawal is complete, a grade of
W (Withdrew) is recorded for every course in which the student was enrolled for that term.
Reduction of tuition and fees is based on the schedule listed in the publication
Bursar’s Financial Information: Southern Methodist University and is determined by the effective date of the withdrawal. Students receiving financial aid should refer to the Financial Information section of this catalog.
Students who withdraw on or before the sixth day of regular classes as listed in the Cox Graduate Programs Academic Calendar will have their enrollments canceled but this will NOT cancel all financial obligations. Courses and grades are not recorded for canceled enrollments.
Medical withdrawals provide a daily pro rata refund of tuition and fees and have conditions that must be met prior to re-enrollment at SMU. Medical withdrawals must be authorized by the medical director, psychiatric director, counseling and testing director, or vice president for Student Affairs.
For additional information, see the Withdrawal From a Course section of this catalog.
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Students in good standing may take a leave of absence for up to 12 months by sending a written notice to Graduate Student Services. To be in good standing, a student must have a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or better, must have earned eight or more hours, and must have a clear student financial record. Students seeking to re-enroll after a leave of absence must notify Graduate Student Services in writing. A leave of absence does not affect the statute of limitations established by the initial enrollment.
Any former student with less than the criteria outlined herein for good standing must reapply to the program.
Students who have not enrolled for more than 12 months must follow the guidelines for readmission.
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Students in good standing who have not enrolled in more than 12 months must complete a Readmission Request Form. To be in good standing, a student must have a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or better, must have earned eight or more hours, and must have a clear student financial record. After receiving the Readmission Request Form, Graduate Student Services will review the student’s request and academic record to determine the student’s eligibility to be readmitted to the same program. If approval to return to the Cox graduate program is granted, the student will receive information detailing her or his new degree plan, including any updates to the curriculum that must be followed. Readmitted students are charged a rematriculation fee of $75. Readmission does not affect the statute of limitations established by the initial enrollment.
Any former student with less than the criteria outlined for good standing must reapply to the program. Note: For coursework to count toward a degree, it must be completed within six years of matriculation with no absence greater than three consecutive calendar years. Coursework completed more than three years prior to readmittance to a graduate program may need to be repeated or replaced with current coursework, at the discretion of the associate dean for Master's programs.
Students seeking readmission to the same Cox program within 12 months of the last term of attendance should follow the guidelines for leave of absence.
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Students who are graduates of a Cox M.S. program and who want to pursue a Cox M.B.A. degree may apply to the Professional M.B.A. program. Students must complete the application and satisfy all application criteria to be considered for admission. The Full-Time M.B.A. and the Executive M.B.A. programs are excluded from this option.
When a graduate of one of the M.S. programs is accepted into the Professional M.B.A. program, the student will be required to complete a minimum of 34 additional credit hours, 17 courses, in order to earn the M.B.A. degree. These hours will consist of M.B.A. core academic courses not taken as part of the M.S. degree plus elective courses not previously taken. All degree requirements of the M.B.A. program will need to be met for successful completion of the M.B.A. degree program.
Students will not need to retake successfully completed core required courses if the M.S. and the M.B.A. degrees are completed within six (6) years from the original matriculation date of the M.S. program with no absence greater than three consecutive calendar years. Coursework completed more than three years prior to admittance into the M.B.A. program may need to be repeated or replaced with current courses at the discretion of the associate dean for Master's programs.
The M.S. graduate admitted to the Professional M.B.A. will pay the current Professional M.B.A. tuition rate at the time of matriculation.
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Students who are graduates of a Cox M.B.A. program and who want to pursue a Cox M.S. degree may apply to the specific M.S. program, M.S. in Accounting or M.S. in Entrepreneurship. Students must complete the application and satisfy all application criteria to be considered for admission.*
When a graduate of one of the M.B.A. programs is accepted into an M.S. program, the student will be required to complete a minimum of 18 additional credit hours, nine (9) courses, in order to earn the M.S. degree. These hours will consist of courses not previously taken as part of the M.B.A. degree. All degree requirements of the specific M.S. program will need to be met for successful completion of the M.S. degree program.
Students will not need to retake successfully completed core required courses if the M.S. and the M.B.A. degrees are completed within six (6) years from the original matriculation date of the M.B.A. program with no absence greater than three consecutive calendar years. Coursework completed more than three years prior to admittance into the M.S. program may need to be repeated or replaced with current courses at the discretion of the associate dean for Master's programs.
The M.B.A. graduate admitted to an M.S. degree program will pay the current M.S. program tuition rate at the time of matriculation.
Note: There are situations that may preclude a Cox M.B.A. graduate’s ability to complete an M.S. degree. For example, a student may have taken most of the entrepreneurial courses and that would disqualify that student from earning the M.S. in entrepreneurship degree. Students who apply to an M.S. degree program with a potential conflict can request an evaluation of their academic record. The M.S. in Management program is not an option for graduates of a Cox M.B.A. program.
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While the Cox School is not obligated to grant any waiver credit, in certain cases, up to eight (8) credit hours for Full-Time and Professional M.B.A. students and up to four (4) credit hours for M.S. students of required core courses may be waived, at entrance only, thereby eliminating the need to take a specific required course. This does not reduce the total number of credit hours required for the degree; it allows only for another course(s) to be substituted for the required course(s) as determined in the waiver process. Requests for waived credit are reviewed and processed only after the student’s enrollment deposit is received in the Admissions Office. For complete details and a Course Waiver Petition Request Form, contact the Graduate Student Services Office at
gradcox@cox.smu.edu.
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Although the Cox School of Business is not obligated to accept any transfer credit, in certain cases coursework may be transferred, at entrance only, thereby reducing the number of credit hours required to be taken at Cox for the degree. Transferable hours, up to eight (8) credit hours for Full-Time and Professional M.B.A. students and up to four (4) credit hours for M.S. students, will be considered only if the following criteria are met: 1) graduate course taken at an institution accredited by AACSB International, 2) course must have a grade better than B-, 3) course was completed within the three years prior to matriculation at Cox and 4) course was not credited toward a previous degree. Requests for transfer credit are reviewed and processed only after the student’s enrollment deposit is received in the Admissions Office. For complete details and a Transfer Credit Petition Request Form, contact the Graduate Student Services Office at
gradcox@cox.smu.edu.
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For candidates admitted to the Full-Time M.B.A. or Professional M.B.A. programs, the Cox School of Business will grant six (6) graduate credit hours (equivalent to three graduate elective module courses) on a pass/fail basis to successful graduates of the Southwestern Graduate School of Banking. This credit is awarded only to SWGSB graduates from the two graduating classes prior to the student’s admission to the Full-Time or Professional M.B.A program. The credits will be treated as general graduate elective credits and will not count toward any specific area of concentration. The credit may not be applied to the Executive M.B.A. program.
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M.B.A. students may petition to take a course that is offered in another SMU graduate or professional program and that is specifically relevant to the student’s academic business goals. Each petition will be reviewed on an individual basis. For additional information, contact the Graduate Student Services Office at
gradcox@cox.smu.edu.
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Full-Time M.B.A. and M.S. in Accounting. Students have core required courses and some elective courses scheduled for weekdays. Additional elective courses will be offered in the evenings and on Saturday mornings. Examinations, special class meetings and required special events may be scheduled for different times, including evenings, Fridays and Saturdays. Students must plan to be available for scheduled events seven days a week – mornings, afternoons and evenings.
Professional M.B.A. Students have core required curriculum courses scheduled for Monday and Wednesday evenings on the Plano campus and Thursday evenings and Saturday mornings on the Dallas campus. Most elective courses are offered Monday through Thursday evenings on the Dallas campus, with limited course offerings on Saturday morning. Students must plan to allow time for additional formally and informally scheduled events during the evening and weekend hours.
Students enrolled in an International Professional M.B.A. course taught at a partner school cannot be concurrently enrolled in a course at Cox.
M.S. in Entrepreneurship. Students are in a structured program taking courses that are scheduled Monday through Thursday evenings and on Saturday. Students must plan to allow time for additional formally and informally scheduled events during the evening and weekend hours.
M.S. in Management. Students are in a semi-lockstep program with courses scheduled for Thursday evenings and Saturday mornings, plus starting in the fourth module, a third course is taken on Monday, Tuesday or Wednesday evening. Students must plan to allow time for additional formally and informally scheduled events during the evening and weekend hours.
For All Graduate Students. Prompt and regular class attendance is considered necessary for satisfactory work. All absences should be explained to the instructor in advance if at all possible. The satisfactory explanation of absence may release students from disciplinary action but does not relieve the student from responsibility for the coursework during their absence.
A student who misses an announced test or examination with the instructor’s prior permission may be given an opportunity to make up the work at the instructor’s convenience. The instructor determines in all instances the extent to which absences and tardiness affect each student’s grade.
Students may be dropped at any time by a course instructor or academic dean for nonattendance or tardiness, which automatically assigns a grade of W (Withdrew) for that course with no refund.
Absences due to observance of religious holy days are addressed by the State of Texas in 1985 legislation. Allowance is made for completion of an assignment or examination within a reasonable period of time after the absence for this reason. Notification of intended absence is the responsibility of the student and must be given in writing to the instructor of each class the student is to miss no later than the 15th day after the first day of the term.
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The examination schedule is published at the start of each term; note that an exam may be held on a day and/or at a time different from the regular class time.
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Although faculty members generally discourage the use of directed studies to replace regularly scheduled elective courses, some students may benefit from a highly focused, specialized research-based project designed in conjunction with a full-time faculty member in a specific academic department of the Cox School of Business. These projects may involve further study of a specific topic from a previous course or may deal with an area of business or management research not covered in regularly scheduled business courses. No more than four credit hours may be earned through directed study. In general, directed studies do not count toward a concentration unless approved by the respective department chair. Students must be in good standing academically and must have completed the required core course sequence prior to enrolling for a directed study.
The Directed Study Request Form is available in the Graduate Student Services Office. The student must meet with the instructor to establish the course criteria, and the instructor must sign the Directed Study Request Form acknowledging approval of the request. The documented and signed Directed Studies Request Form is returned to the Graduate Student Services Office for processing.
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Students process their own enrollment transactions, including add, drop and swap, on the Web-based Access.SMU (access.smu.edu). Prior to each term, there is a period during which the formal process of course enrollment is completed. The Graduate Student Services Office distributes by e-mail enrollment information and dates for that term’s enrollment transactions. Students are responsible for complying with enrollment procedures and for the accuracy and completeness of their enrollment.
The enrollment information is distributed in October for the November enrollment period for the following spring term. In March, the information is distributed for the April enrollment period for the following fall term. Professional M.B.A. and M.S. students enroll for the summer term prior to the fall enrollment process in April. A student may drop an elective course with a grade of W (Withdrew) through the deadline listed in the Cox Graduate Programs Academic Calendar. After the deadline date, the student may not drop a class. Note that students cannot drop required core courses without the specific written permission of the Graduate Student Services Office.
Current students matriculated in a Cox graduate program have priority for course enrollment. Additional options for students to enroll in courses for credit are: 1) an M.B.A. graduate of an AACSB accredited school, 2) visiting Students in the Professional M.B.A. program and 3) approved non-Cox SMU graduate students taking graduate Cox courses. Other individuals interested in taking a Cox graduate course may be able to do so as an auditor. Policies for these student classifications are included in this catalog.
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Cox M.B.A. graduates, and graduates of other AACSB International accredited M.B.A. programs, can apply to take graduate courses for credit by submitting the application and providing an official transcript listing the graduation date, program and final cumulative GPA which must be 3.0 or higher.
Criteria for course enrollment include meeting the course prerequisites and earning grades of B and above in each post-graduate course taken. For Cox Executive M.B.A. graduates and non-Cox graduates, the academic department chair or designee will review prior coursework for meeting the course prerequisites. Enrollment is on a space-available basis, with this decision made a week prior to the start of the course.
For Cox M.B.A. graduates, an additional concentration may be earned and posted to their academic record with the successful completion of the credit hours and specific courses required for the concentration. (See details in the section Concentrations Full-Time M.B.A. and Professional M.B.A. Programs.)
The enrollment charges include a one-time application fee, the published per credit hour tuition and general student fees at the Professional P.M.B.A. program rate. For additional information, contact the Graduate Student Services Office at
gradcox@cox.smu.edu.
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Students currently matriculated at an AACSB-accredited school not located in the greater metropolitan area of Dallas-Fort Worth may apply to take a limited number of courses at the Cox School of Business to transfer back to the student’s home school. For details on this limited program, contact the Graduate Programs registrar at
gradcox@cox.smu.edu or 214-768-2609.
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Matriculated graduate students in other SMU programs may request permission to enroll in elective courses on the first day of class for the term or module based on the Cox Graduate Programs Academic Calendar.. Enrollment is on a space-available basis. For more information, contact the Graduate Student Services Office at
gradcox@cox.smu.edu.
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Cox School of Business students who are currently enrolled in one of the graduate programs and want to audit a course (take a course without credit) must complete and submit a Class Auditor Form for Current Cox Students to obtain permission through the Cox Graduate Programs registrar, who coordinates with the instructor the availability of the course for auditing. Audit enrollment will be permitted only on a space-available basis. Audit enrollment starts on the first class day of the term, and there is no tuition charge for a currently enrolled student.
Individuals who are not currently matriculated graduate students in a Cox School of Business program and desire to audit a course are required to submit a Class Auditor Form for Non-Cox Students to obtain permission through the Cox Graduate Programs registrar, who coordinates with the instructor the availability of the course for auditing. Audit enrollment starts on the first class day of the term and will be permitted on a space-available basis. If the course is approved for audit, the individual must pay the current published audit fee to the Cox School of Business.
Regulations for Course Auditors
- Classroom recitation and participation are restricted; availability of course handouts, tests and other materials are restricted; no grade is assigned and no credit is recorded; no laboratory privileges are included.
- If credit is desired, the student must enroll in the course, pay regular tuition and repeat it as a regular course.
- The student’s name does not appear on class rosters or grade rosters.
- Regular admission and enrollment procedures are not conducted for auditors. Audit approval comes by completing one of the audit forms detailed above.
- The audit fee is nonrefundable.
- Some courses are not available for auditing.
- Courses in starting a business are offered through a certificate program in the Caruth Institute for Entrepreneurship.
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To be in good standing, a student must have a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or better, must have earned eight or more credit hours, and must have a clear student financial record.
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Only the course instructor determines a student’s grade in the course. The following grades are authorized for recording on Cox School of Business graduate students’ transcripts maintained in the University's Office of the Registrar.
* Grades not included in GPA
All graduate courses in the Cox School of Business, except those noted in this paragraph, are assigned a letter grade with grade point value and cannot be taken as pass/fail. The courses specifically established with the pass/fail grading basis are BAEX, MNGT 6001, MNGT 6003, MNGT 6020, MNGT 6101, MNGT 6103 and MNGT 6150.
The student’s grades are available to the student through the Web-based Access.SMU (
access.smu.edu).
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A student’s GPA is computed by multiplying the term hours of each graded course taken by the grade points earned in the course and then dividing the total number of grade points by the total number of graded hours, excluding those hours for which grades are shown with an asterisk in the chart above.
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For required core courses, if a grade of
D+, D, D- or
F is earned, the course is not successfully completed, and the student must retake the same course the next time it is taught. All required core courses must be successfully completed with an earned grade of
C- or above. (Also see the policy section Grade Forgiveness Opportunity.)
For an elective course, if a grade of
D+, D, D- or
F is earned, the course is not successfully completed, therefore a student must take an additional course and successfully complete it to earn the credit hours to count toward the degree. The student has the option of taking either the same course or a different one, but must earn a grade of
C- or above for a course to count toward the degree.
In both situations of required and elective courses not successfully completed, these courses and grades are listed on the student’s transcript. While the grades are included in the student’s cumulative GPA, the credit hours of the unsuccessful attempt are not counted toward the degree. Students are permitted to take no more than the maximum hours allowed (listed below) toward their degree for GPA purposes.
Maximum Hours Allowed
* Hours needed could include transfer credit of up to 8 hours for Full-Time and Professional M.B.A. programs, and up to 4 hours for M.S. programs if approved by the Cox Graduate Policy Committee prior to enrollment in a Cox program.
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Students in the M.B.A. programs may repeat up to two different required core courses for which grades of
D+ or lower were received, provided the first enrollment of the course was completed during a student’s first three terms of enrollment, or for the Executive M.B.A. during the student’s first four terms of enrollment.
Students in the M.S. programs may repeat one course for which a grade of
D+ or lower was received for any course completed during a student’s first two terms of enrollment.
The student who repeats a course with the grade forgiveness option remains on academic probation until the course is successfully completed, even if the cumulative GPA is raised to 3.0 or above. Note that the grade from the second time the course is taken, even if lower than the first attempt, will be the grade used to calculate the student’s GPA.
A specific course may be repeated only once for grade forgiveness, and it must be repeated within the next two terms following the term in which the course was initially taken. Exceptions to the two-term restriction may be requested from the program registrar if the course is not taught again within that period. The student must declare which course(s) he or she will repeat under this policy with the program registrar by the seventh day of classes in the module or term of the repeated course enrollment.
Under this policy, the course hours and grade from the second time the course is taken count toward the degree. However, the initial course and grade also are listed on the student’s permanent academic record with an explanatory note. All completed attempts of the courses are included in the count of “Maximum Hours Allowed” listed under the Grades For Repeated Courses Policy.
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A student may receive a grade of
I (Incomplete) if the majority (90 percent) of the course requirements have been completed with passing grades but, for some justifiable reason, acceptable to the instructor, the student has been unable to complete the full requirements of the course. The grade of
I (Incomplete) can be requested and given only at the end of the module. At the time the grade of
I is given, the instructor must stipulate on an Incomplete Grade Assignment Report Form the requirements and completion date that must be met and the grade that will be given if the requirements are not met by the stated completion date. The instructor and the student sign the form, with a copy of the form given to the student and to the Graduate Student Services Office and with the instructor retaining the original form.
The maximum period of time allowed to clear the Incomplete grade is until the end of the next term. If the Incomplete grade is not cleared by the date set by the instructor or by at the end of the next term, the grade of
I will be changed to the grade provided by the instructor at the time the Incomplete grade was assigned or to a grade of
F if no alternate grade was provided. The grade of
I should be used only for incomplete coursework as set forth in the previous paragraph, not as a substitute for a grade of
F (Fail) or
W (Withdrew). If the student’s work is incomplete, poor quality and not acceptable, a grade of
F will be given. The grade of
I does not authorize a student to attend the course during a later term.
Graduation candidates must clear all Incomplete grades prior to the Official University Calendar deadline, which may allow less time than one additional term. Failure to do so can result in removal from the degree candidacy list and/or conversion of the grade of
I to the grade indicated by the instructor at the time the grade of
I was given.
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If a student is unable to complete the work in an elective course and is ineligible to receive a grade of
I (Incomplete), he or she may withdraw from the course. Students cannot drop required core courses without the specific written permission of the Graduate Student Services Office. The official withdrawal process must be completed by the published deadline for the term. (See the Cox Graduate Programs Academic Calendar for more information on specific dates.) The grade of
W (Withdrew) may not be revoked or changed to another grade, as the act of officially withdrawing is irrevocable.
In addition to a student processing an official withdrawal from a course, professors may administratively withdraw a student if he or she fails to attend class.
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The course instructor can initiate a grade change for legitimate reasons, including a change for a grade of
I (Incomplete). A Change of Grade Form is filed in the Graduate Student Services Office for processing under the authorization of the dean of the Cox School. No grade will be changed after 12 months or after a student’s graduation.
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A student who feels that an assigned grade is other than the grade earned must first discuss the matter with the course instructor to determine if the discrepancy is caused by error or misunderstanding.
If the complaint is not satisfactorily answered by the instructor, and the student believes that an error has not been corrected or that the assigned grade was capriciously or unfairly determined, the student may appeal the decision to the chair of the department in which the course is offered (or, in cases pertaining to nondepartmental courses, to a faculty agent designated by the academic dean). After discussing the matter with the student, the chair (or faculty agent) will consult with the instructor, and the instructor will report a decision to the student.
A student who still is convinced that a complaint has not received a fair determination may appeal the decision to the associate dean of Master's programs. The associate dean will proceed as deemed appropriate, but the final authority in the determination of a grade must rest with the course instructor.
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To graduate from a Cox School of Business graduate program, students must earn a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or better (without rounding) with no grade less than a
C- (1.7) applying toward the degree. The academic performance of all graduate students is reviewed at the end of each term. All calculations for academic performance evaluations are based on grades earned in Cox programs. Grades earned in accepted transfer courses are not counted in Cox School of Business cumulative GPA calculations.
A student in a graduate Cox program with a cumulative GPA below 3.0 upon completion of the credit hours required for the degree may petition the Cox Graduate Policy Committee to take additional credit hours at Cox to raise his or her cumulative GPA to 3.0, the required level. Students who receive approval to take additional hours will not be permitted to earn more than the maximum hours allowed (see below) toward their degree for GPA purposes:
Maximum Hours Allowed
* Hours needed could include transfer credit of up to 8 hours for Full-Time and Professional M.B.A. programs, and up to 4 hours for M.S. programs if approved by the Cox Graduate Policy Committee prior to enrollment in a Cox program.
A Cox graduate student who fails to maintain a cumulative 3.0 GPA is placed on academic probation and is not considered in good standing. No entry of academic probation is made on the student’s transcript.
In addition, any student who is awarded a scholarship and who goes on academic probation will immediately lose the scholarship but may be given an opportunity to regain the scholarship when his or her cumulative GPA is raised to 3.0 or above.
Cox graduate students on academic probation are not permitted to serve in any student leadership position of any organization representing either Cox or SMU. A student on academic probation is not permitted to enroll in a directed study nor enroll for an internship during an active term. Full-Time M.B.A. students are required to enroll in the internship course as part of the Full-Time M.B.A. curriculum in the summer term between the first and second year of the program.
The following criteria outline when graduate students will be dismissed from the Cox School of Business but does not limit dismissal to these criteria:
Full-Time M.B.A. students will be dismissed if they achieve:
- Less than a cumulative 2.25 GPA at the end of 14 GPA hours or the first term.
- Less than a cumulative 2.5 GPA at the end of 30 GPA hours or the second term.
- Less than a cumulative 2.75 GPA at the end of 44 GPA hours or the third term.
- Less than a cumulative 2.95 GPA at the end of 58 GPA hours or the fourth term.
With an approved petition to take up to eight (8) additional hours beyond the 58 GPA hours required for the degree, Full-Time M.B.A. students will be dismissed if they achieve:
- Less than a cumulative 2.95 GPA at the end of 58 GPA hours or the fourth term.
- Less than a cumulative 2.97 GPA at the end of 60 GPA hours (+ 2 hours).
- Less than a cumulative 2.98 GPA at the end of 62 GPA hours (+ 4 hours).
- Less than a cumulative 2.99 GPA at the end of 64 GPA hours (+ 6 hours).
- Less than a cumulative 3.0 GPA at the end of 66 GPA hours (+ 8 hours).
Full-Time M.B.A. students MUST have a cumulative 3.0 GPA at the end of 66 GPA hours.
M.A./M.B.A. and J.D./M.B.A. students will be dismissed if they achieve:
- Less than a cumulative 2.25 GPA at the end of 14 GPA Cox hours or the first term.
- Less than a cumulative 2.5 GPA at the end of 24 GPA Cox hours or the second term.
- Less than a cumulative 2.75 GPA at the end of 34 GPA Cox hours or the third term.
- Less than a cumulative 2.95 GPA at the end of 46 GPA Cox hours or the fourth term.
With an approved petition to take up to eight (8) additional hours beyond the 46 GPA hours required for the degree, M.A./M.B.A. and J.D./M.B.A. students will be dismissed if they achieve:
- Less than a cumulative 2.95 GPA at the end of 46 GPA Cox hours or the fourth term.
- Less than a cumulative 2.97 GPA at the end of 48 GPA Cox hours (+ 2 hours).
- Less than a cumulative 2.98 GPA at the end of 50 GPA Cox hours (+ 4 hours).
- Less than a cumulative 2.99 GPA at the end of 52 GPA Cox hours (+ 6 hours).
- Less than a cumulative 3.0 GPA at the end of 54 GPA Cox hours (+ 8 hours).
M.A./M.B.A. and J.D./M.B.A. students MUST have a cumulative 3.0 GPA at the end of 54 GPA hours.
Professional M.B.A. students will be dismissed if they achieve:
- Less than a cumulative 2.0 GPA at the end of 8 GPA hours or first term.
- Less than a cumulative 2.25 GPA at the end of 16 GPA hours or second term.
- Less than a cumulative 2.5 GPA at the end of 24 GPA hours or third term.
- Less than a cumulative 2.75 GPA at the end of 32 GPA hours or fourth term.
- Less than a cumulative 2.9 GPA at the end of 40 GPA hours or fifth term.
- Less than a cumulative 2.95 GPA at the end of 48 GPA hours or sixth term.
With an approved petition to take up to eight (8) additional hours beyond the 48 GPA hours required for the degree, Professional M.B.A. students will be dismissed if they achieve:
- Less than a cumulative 2.95 GPA at the end of 48 GPA hours or sixth term.
- Less than a cumulative 2.97 GPA at the end of 50 GPA hours (+ 2 hours).
- Less than a cumulative 2.98 GPA at the end of 52 GPA hours (+ 4 hours).
- Less than a cumulative 2.99 GPA at the end of 54 GPA hours (+ 6 hours).
- Less than a cumulative 3.0 GPA at the end of 56 GPA hours (+ 8 hours).
Professional M.B.A. students MUST have a cumulative 3.0 GPA at the end of 56 GPA hours.
Part-Time J.D./Professional M.B.A. students will be dismissed if they achieve:
- Less than a cumulative 2.0 GPA at the end of 8 GPA hours or first term.
- Less than a cumulative 2.25 GPA at the end of 16 GPA hours or second term.
- Less than a cumulative 2.5 GPA at the end of 24 GPA hours or third term.
- Less than a cumulative 2.75 GPA at the end of 32 GPA hours or fourth term.
- Less than a cumulative 2.9 GPA at the end of 40 GPA hours or fifth term.
- Less than a cumulative 2.95 GPA at the end of 48 GPA hours or sixth term.
With an approved petition to take up to eight (8) additional hours beyond the 48 GPA hours required for the degree, Part-Time J.D./Professional M.B.A. students will be dismissed if they achieve:
- Less than a cumulative 2.95 GPA at the end of 48 GPA hours or sixth term.
- Less than a cumulative 2.97 GPA at the end of 50 GPA hours (+ 2 hours).
- Less than a cumulative 2.98 GPA at the end of 52 GPA hours (+ 4 hours).
- Less than a cumulative 2.99 GPA at the end of 54 GPA hours (+ 6 hours).
- Less than a cumulative 3.0 GPA at the end of 56 GPA hours (+ 8 hours).
Part-Time J.D./Professional M.B.A. students MUST have a cumulative 3.0 GPA at the end of 56 GPA hours.
M.S. in Accounting students will be dismissed if they achieve:
- Less than a cumulative 2.5 GPA at the end of 16 GPA hours or first term.
- Less than a cumulative 2.95 GPA at the end of 32 GPA hours or second term.
With an approved petition to take up to four (4) additional hours beyond the 32 GPA hours required for the degree, M.S. in Accounting students will be dismissed if they achieve:
- Less than a cumulative 2.95 GPA at the end of 32 GPA hours or second term.
- Less than a cumulative 2.98 GPA at the end of 34 GPA hours (+ 2 hours).
- Less than a cumulative 3.0 GPA at the end of 36 GPA hours (+ 4 hours).
M.S. in Accounting students MUST have a cumulative 3.0 GPA at the end of 36 GPA hours.
M.S. in Entrepreneurship students will be dismissed if they achieve:
- Less than a cumulative 2.5 GPA at the end of 8 GPA hours or first term.
- Less than a cumulative 2.75 GPA at the end of 16 GPA hours or second term.
- Less than a cumulative 2.9 GPA at the end of 24 GPA hours or third term.
- Less than a cumulative 2.95 GPA at the end of 32 GPA hours or fourth term.
With an approved petition to take up to four (4) additional credit hours beyond the 32 GPA hours required for the degree, M.S. in Entrepreneurship students will be dismissed if they achieve:
- Less than a cumulative 2.95 GPA at the end of 32 GPA hours or fourth term.
- Less than a cumulative 2.98 GPA at the end of 34 GPA hours (+ 2 hours).
- Less than a cumulative 3.0 GPA at the end of 36 GPA hours (+ 4 hours).
M.S. in Entrepreneurship students MUST have a cumulative 3.0 GPA at the end of 36 GPA hours.
M.S. in Management students will be dismissed if they achieve:
- Less than a cumulative 2.5 GPA at the end of 8 GPA hours or first term.
- Less than a cumulative 2.9 GPA at the end of 18 GPA hours or second term.
- Less than a cumulative 2.95 GPA at the end of 30 GPA hours or third term.
With an approved petition to take up to four (4) additional credit hours beyond the 30 GPA hours required for the degree, M.S. in Management students will be dismissed if they achieve:
- Less than a cumulative 2.95 GPA at the end of 30 GPA hours or third term.
- Less than a cumulative 2.98 GPA at the end of 32 GPA hours (+ 2 hours).
- Less than a cumulative 3.0 GPA at the end of 34 GPA hours (+ 4 hours).
M.S. in Management students MUST have a cumulative 3.0 GPA at the end of 34 GPA hours.
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Failure to meet established minimum acceptable standards of academic or disciplinary performance will result in dismissal from the Cox School of Business. Dismissal is a permanent and involuntary separation of the student from the Cox School of Business. The student is not eligible for readmission to the Cox School of Business and is not in good standing in the Cox School of Business. “Academic Dismissal” is permanently recorded on the student’s transcript.
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Before approving a graduate business student for degree conferral, the Cox faculty will consider any documented judicial or disciplinary complaints on record and audit the student’s academic standing, including satisfactory completion of the required, but noncredit-bearing, aspects of the Cox program.
Students must file an Application of Candidacy to Graduate Form with the Graduate Student Services Office at the beginning of the term in which the student expects to complete all degree requirements. Applications must be filed by the posted deadline date for applicants to be considered graduates at the end of that term.
The Cox School of Business holds a diploma ceremony each year in May. This diploma ceremony usually follows the University-wide commencement program. In December, there is a University-wide graduation ceremony for all SMU graduates completing their degree requirements in August or December.
Students in good academic standing and within eight (8) credit hours of graduating may petition to participate in the graduation ceremonies and activities but, if approved, will not receive a diploma. For additional information, contact the Graduate Student Services Office at
gradcox@cox.smu.edu or 214-768-2609.
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Students who excel during the course of their graduate work in the Cox School may be honored with awards available through the various subject areas. At graduation, students who reach high academic achievement are recognized through an invitation to join Beta Gamma Sigma, the business honor fraternity.
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All graduate students are expected to have access to a laptop computer for use in the classroom. The instructor has the right and responsibility to set the policy for the specific class, which should be included the course syllabus. Students are bound by the class policy regardless of what other instructors or courses may accept and/or require. This policy may include (but is not restricted to) the following alternatives:
- The use of laptop computers is limited to one of the following levels.
- Laptop use is restricted to course-related (and possibly session-related) content and applications only.
- If there is no course-related content that students can reasonably be expected to need during class sessions, laptop use can be restricted to note-taking use only.
- If in-class tests are provided in electronic form, students may be allowed to take the exam on their laptops.
- If none of the above uses is desired, the use of laptops can be prohibited during class sessions.
- Use of chat services during class sessions is prohibited.
- Unless there are course-related applications of mobile phones, PDAs and smart-phones, the use of such equipment during class sessions is prohibited. Mobile phones are required to be shut off or set to silent mode during class sessions, and answering telephone calls and text messages during class is prohibited.
- Use of cameras and video cameras on mobile phones and laptops during class sessions may be prohibited or allowed. For example, students may be allowed to take photos of the whiteboard and/or projected materials in the session.
The Cox School does not prescribe any specific brand or configuration of laptop hardware for student laptops. Rather, it is expected that student laptops will be able to reasonably execute all application programs that are site licensed by SMU for student use in business-related programs. Information about relevant application programs as well as suggested minimum functionality for laptop systems will be made available to incoming students prior to the beginning of their program and can be obtained from the Cox Computer Support staff by e-mailing
support@ cox.smu.edu.
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Scholarships are awarded by the Cox School to entering Full-Time M.B.A. and M.S. in accounting students on the basis of demonstrated academic achievement and capability as well as significant career experience and leadership achievement at the time of acceptance into the Cox program. Scholarships must be used in the term awarded.
Any student who is awarded a scholarship and who goes on academic probation will immediately lose the scholarship but may be given an opportunity to regain the scholarship when his or her cumulative GPA is raised to 3.0 or above.
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In addition to the merit-based scholarships described above, grants, private and federal loans, and employment programs may be available to Cox students. The Cox School of Business encourages all graduate students to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid form. The FAFSA may be completed online at
www.fafsa.ed.gov. Students can obtain a personal identification number at
www.pin.ed.gov, and it may be used to electronically sign the application. SMU’s code number is 003613. See
smu.edu/bursar for more information.
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The Student Financial Office (also known as the Bursar’s Office) provides current information on tuition rates, general student fees, payment due dates and contact references as well as other relevant information to assist students with their financial planning on its website smu.edu/bursar/index.asp.
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