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Cox School of Business

COX SCHOOL OF BUSINESS
PROGRAMS OF STUDY

Curriculum

The requirements summarized below must be satisfied to earn the Bachelor of Business Administration Degree. A core of required fundamental courses has been designed by the faculty of the Cox School. This core of courses is specified below. Each core course must be passed for a student to be eligible for graduation. Generally, Calculus, English, Economics, and Information Technology should be completed in the student's first year; Accounting, Managerial Statistics, and Information Systems requirements in the sophomore year; Finance, Legal Environment and Ethics, Marketing, Management, and Operations Management requirements in the junior year; and the Business Strategy requirement (STRA 5370 or CISB 5397) in the senior year.

With the exception of the required Accounting courses (ACCT 2311, 2312) and the required Statistics and Information Systems courses (ITOM 2305 or STAT 2301 and 2308), no student will receive credit for any business course unless he or she has attained junior standing (or a minimum of 54 academic hours completed toward the B.B.A. degree from SMU) prior to taking the course.

Students are responsible for designing their own degree programs with assistance from one of the Cox academic advisers. Close attention should be given to course and knowledge prerequisites as well as course content to maximize the value of each course and to avoid the possibility of enrolling in a course with insufficient preparatory background. It is expected that students will consult with faculty and academic advisers in determining their course selections.

All students admitted to the Cox School should have an initial advising appointment with one of the academic advisers in the Undergraduate Office and in each succeeding term leading up to graduation.

Each student's file, reflecting his or her total academic record, is located in the Undergraduate Office, 252 Maguire Building. Transcripts of the student's official record should be requested from the Office of the Registrar.

Advising

The undergraduate program of the Cox School of Business is strongly committed to the academic advising process and believes that advising is effective only if the adviser and the advisee assume equal responsibility. Cox academic advisers are available in 252 Maguire Building for student appointments. When students are admitted to the Cox B.B.A. Program, an initial academic advising appointment should be scheduled early in the semester with a Cox adviser. During the first week of each semester, Cox advisers are available on a walk-in basis to B.B.A. students. The students are required to see a Cox adviser for an individual appointment prior to each registration.

Students are not assigned to a specific adviser. Many students prefer to meet with the same adviser, but it is the student's choice when his or her appointment is scheduled to either express a preference for a particular adviser or schedule with whomever is next available.

The electronic degree progress report (eDPR) is a computerized degree plan each student should request online no more than 24 hours before the scheduled advising appointment, examine carefully, and bring to the advising meeting. It is the student's responsibility to help assure the DPR's accuracy. After meeting with an adviser, students register on ACCESS.smu, a Web-based records and registration system. Advisers will add students to a closed class only if the student is a graduating senior and there is no further opportunity to complete a major requirement.

Cox faculty members provide assistance in the areas of their professional expertise, offering guidance in selecting and sequencing courses appropriate for meeting specific academic and career goals.

Career Counseling

Specialized B.B.A. career counseling services are available to enhance the career service for Cox B.B.A. students. The B.B.A. career counselors, in conjunction with SMU's Hegi Family Career Development Center, assist the B.B.A. students throughout their undergraduate studies, encouraging them to prepare early for internships and full-time employment with general and specific career guidance. B.B.A. career counseling emphasizes the value of career-related work experience and of corporate networking.

Business Associates Program

The Business Associates Program (BAP) is a corporate mentoring experience that pairs business undergraduates one-on-one with executives in the Dallas-area business community. The program enhances a student's collegiate experience by providing firsthand insights into the business world while teaching the value of effective networking.

Eligibility for the program requires a declared major in business, junior or senior status, and good academic standing. B.B.A. students on academic probation are not eligible to participate. After acceptance into the program, students are matched with a mentor for an academic year.

B.B.A. Honors Program

The Cox B.B.A. Honors Program is designed to enable outstanding business students to participate in an enhanced curriculum that challenges their intellectual abilities and sharpens their professional skills. A small class size promotes greater interaction between students and professors which, in turn, leads to a more meaningful educational experience.

The Cox School offers honors sections of the following required business courses:

The sophomore sections of honors business courses are available to declared Business and Pre-Business students who have a minimum 3.50 cumulative G.P.A. Students who have a 3.50 cumulative SMU G.P.A. by the spring of their sophomore year and have been officially admitted to the Cox School are eligible to apply for the Cox B.B.A. Honors Program. Those in the Program who achieve a 3.50 G.P.A. in a minimum of four honors courses (three of which must be at the junior/senior level) and a 3.50 cumulative SMU G.P.A. will receive an honors notation ("Honors in Business") on the transcript and diploma. The Cox Honors distinction is separate from the cum laude distinctions awarded at graduation.

Cox accepts a maximum of 30 of the best qualified students to the Honors Program once a year in the spring. Pre-business students with an interest in the Cox B.B.A. Honors Program must stay on track for admission to Cox by the beginning of the spring term of their sophomore year; this is the only time that Cox will consider their applications for admission to the Honors Program.

See the "Course Descriptions" section for further information about the courses.

Business Scholars Program

The Business Scholars Program affords numerous special opportunities including networking with Cox faculty and the Dallas business community, invitations to special events, and tailored academic advising and career services. Participation in this program enhances students' educational experience and helps develop the skills and connections necessary for professional success.

Admission to the Business Scholars Program is by invitation only. Students are invited to join the program after they have been admitted to SMU, and must accept their invitation no later than May 1 prior to SMU matriculation in the following fall. Students who accept admission to the Business Scholars Program are pre-selected for admission to the academic programs in the Cox School of Business and will transfer into Cox during their first semester at SMU.

Business Scholars are encouraged to apply for the B.B.A. Honors Program in the spring of their sophomore year; however, admission to the Business Scholars Program does not guarantee admission to the B.B.A. Honors Program. Admission to the Business Scholars Program is based on achievement prior to SMU admission; admission to the B.B.A. Honors Program is based on achievement at SMU.

Business Administration Requirements

All candidates for the Bachelor of Business Administration degree must satisfy the following requirements:

General Education Curriculum: 39 hours

Please see the General Education Curriculum section of this catalog for information on this requirement.

The applicable requirements for each Cox major are those in effect during the academic year in which the student is officially admitted to the Cox B.B.A. Program.

The Cox School offers the following majors:

Major in General Business

To earn the Bachelor of Business Administration degree with a major in General Business, students must comply with the core B.B.A. degree requirements and satisfy the following additional requirements:

Major in Accounting

To earn the Bachelor of Business Administration degree with a major in Accounting, students must comply with the core B.B.A. degree requirements, as well as satisfy the requirements below. The State of Texas requires 150 college credit hours including 30 hours of accounting beyond introductory, 20 hours of business courses, and a baccalaureate degree to take the CPA exam. Senior accounting majors may participate in an optional competitive internship experience through the Cox School.

The SMU program provides a B.B.A. degree with a major in Accounting that prepares students for careers in the general field of accounting, but students wishing to become CPAs are encouraged to enter the one-year Cox School of Business Master of Science Degree in Accounting Program after completing the B.B.A. degree.

To earn the Bachelor of Business Administration degree with a major in Accounting, students must comply with the core B.B.A. requirements and satisfy the following additional requirements:

Eighteen credit hours in Accounting courses beyond the current six-hour core requirement (ACCT 2311, 2312), to be composed of the following:

*Must be taken in residence.

Major in Finance

To earn the Bachelor of Business Administration degree with a major in Finance, students must comply with the core B.B.A. degree requirements and satisfy the following additional requirements:

Twelve credit hours in Finance, beyond the three-hour core requirement of FINA 3320, to be composed of the following:

*Must be taken in residence.

Major in Financial Consulting

*Must be taken in residence.

Major in Business and Financial Reporting

To earn a Bachelor of Business Administration degree with a major in Financial Reporting, students must comply with the core B.B.A degree requirements and satisfy the following requirements:

Eighteen hours of required Business and Financial Reporting courses:

ACCT 3391 Ethics in Accounting

CCJN 2312 Reporting I

CCJN 2313 Reporting II

ACCT 3321 Financial and Business Reporting

ACCT 5321 Financial Statement Analysis

CCJN 4380 Objectivity and Bias in the News

FINA 4320 Development of the American Private Enterprise System

FINA 3330 Money and Capital Markets

FINA 4326 Investment Analysis and Portfolio Management

BA 4101 Executive Speaker Series

BA 5325 Internship in Financial Reporting I

BA 5326 Internship in Financial Reporting II

Major in Information Technologies and Operations Management

To earn the Bachelor of Business Administration degree with a major in Information Technology and Operations Management, students must comply with the core B.B.A. degree requirements, as well as satisfy the following requirements:

*Must be taken in residence.

**Eighteen credit hours in Information Technology and Operations Management courses beyond the current nine-hour core requirement (ITOM 2305 or STAT 2301, ITOM 3306, and ITOM 2308), to be composed of:

In addition, students will complete one of the following two tracks, based on their interests:

The IT Track is for students with a primary interest in the Management of IT, and consists of the following courses:

	Credit Hours
ITOM 4307 Business Modeling with Spreadsheets	9
ITOM 4355 Systems Integration
ITOM 4306 Business Process Consulting

The AIS Track is for students with interests in both accounting and information systems, who would take four additional courses as follows:

	Credit Hours
ACCT 3311 Intermediate Accounting I	12
ACCT 3312 Intermediate Accounting
Two of the following four courses:
ACCT 4311 Cost Accounting I
ACCT 4315 Federal Income Tax
ACCT 5314 Accounting Systems/Audit Concepts
ACCT 5320 Financial Planning & Control: Micro Computer

Major in Marketing

To earn the Bachelor of Business Administration degree with a major in Marketing, students must comply with the core B.B.A. degree requirements and satisfy the following additional requirements:

Twelve credit hours in Marketing, beyond the three-hour core requirement of MKTG 3340, to be composed of the following:

*Must be taken in residence.

Major in Management

To earn the Bachelor of Business Administration degree with a major in Management, students must comply with the core B.B.A. degree requirements and satisfy the following requirements:

Twelve credit hours in Management (MNO) and Strategy (STRA) courses beyond the three-to-six hour core requirement of MNO 3370 and STRA 5370 (may be substituted by CISB 5397), to be composed of the following:

*Must be taken in residence.

Major in Real Estate Finance

To earn the Bachelor of Business Administration degree with a major in Real Estate Finance, students must comply with the core B.B.A. degree requirements and satisfy the following additional requirements:

*Must be taken in residence.

Concurrent Degrees

B.B.A. students may simultaneously complete a second baccalaureate degree in a major outside of business. Students interested in a double major should contact the Undergraduate Office in the Cox School in 252 Maguire Building and the appropriate representative of the Dean of the School in which the second degree will be earned.

Minor in Business Administration

Undergraduates with majors outside the Cox School may complete a minor in business administration.

Admission requirements

Course requirements

Grading

Minors

B.B.A. students are encouraged to complete a minor in other schools on campus, including Dedman College, Meadows School of the Arts, and the School of Engineering.

Independent Studies

Business students may pursue independent studies, a research-based project, in a specified department under the sponsorship of a full-time Cox faculty member. This project may involve further study by the student in some aspect not covered in regularly scheduled business courses. B.B.A. students must first complete the basic required course in the field of study.

Business elective credit will be granted to a maximum of six hours (no more than three hours in one term). Regular grades or grades of Pass/Fail may be granted without consideration for the 48-hour regulation for business classes to be allowed on a Pass/Fail basis. Independent studies will be exempted from the 48 business hour limit. Students on academic probation may not register for independent studies.