The Kelley Degree includes eighteen I-Core prerequisite courses (45 credit hours) and was established in 2012. Many of these courses have honors versions (H) or higher level courses that can be used to satisfy the requirement. See the course descriptions for details about the credit hours, prerequisites, and the number of weeks per course. All of the following courses must be completed with a C or higher to satisfy the degree requirement and for a student to start I-Core.

Central to I-Core is a cross-functional, semester-long project in which student teams integrate their disciplines. The students will bring fresh perspectives and creative minds, guided by the Kelley faculty. The students will benefit from the business partner’s insights and experiences in actual decision-making situations. Each student group works with a business (usually local) to develop a business plan to introduce a new product or service that will meet the needs of their target market while still achieving the objectives of the company and adhering to their policies and values. This includes an analysis of the business, of the target market, customer and business requirements, financial requirements and a final recommendation if the idea should be pursued.

Eligibility

The following requirements must be met prior to the start of the intended I-Core semester:

• Successfully admitted to the Kelley School of Business. 
• Successfully completed at least 56 credits. 
• Successfully completed all I-Core pre-reqs with a grade of C or better. 

I-Core Prerequisites:

• ENG-W 131: English Composition (3 credits)
  • Accepted substitutes include: ENG-W 170, CMLT-C 110, or waiver based on standardized test score (see below qualifications):
    • For applications to IU received prior to August 1, 2017: SAT EBRW score of 670 or higher;
    • For applications received August 1, 2017, and after: SAT EBRW score of 710 or higher;
    • ACT English score of 32 or higher; or
    • AP Program English: Composition and Literature score of 4 or 5; or
    • AP Program English: Language and Composition score of 4 or 5
• BUS-C 104 / C 106 (H): Business Presentations (3 credits)
• BUS-T 175: Compass I (1.5 credits)
• MATH-M 118 / S 118 (H): Finite Math (3 credits)
• MATH-M 119 / M 211 / S211 (H): Calculus (3 credits)
• BUS-K 201 / K204 (H): Computers in Business (3 credits)
• BUS-A 100: Basic Accounting (8 weeks, 1 credit)
• ECON-E 201 / S 201 (H): Microeconomics

Second Year

• BUS-C 204 / C 205 (H): Business Communication (3 credits)
• BUS-T 275: Compass II (1.5 credits)
• BUS-K 303 / K 304 (H): Technology & Business Analysis (3 credits)
• BUS-L 201 / L 293 (H): Legal Environment of Business (3 credits)
• BUS-A 201 / A 205 (H): Financial Accounting (3 credits)
• BUS-A 202 / A 207 (H): Managerial Accounting (3 credits)
• ECON-E 370 or STAT-S 301 or MATH-M 365: Statistics (3 credits)
• BUS-D 270: Global Business Environments (8 weeks, 1.5 credits)
• BUS-X 271: Global Business Analysis (8 weeks, 1.5 credits)* OR BUS-X 272: Global Business Immersion (8 weeks, 3 credits)*
• BUS-G 202: Business, Government, & Society (2 credits)

*Students may substitute any course from a department in the business school that ends in 271 or 272 for these courses (e.g., A271, F271, G272, L272)

Students register for M370, F370, Z370, P370 and T375 using the block enrollment course, BUS-BE 375.

Please refer to the website for all additional I-Core questions. 

Standard I-Core

• BUS–F 370 Integrated Business Core—Finance Component (3 cr.) Cross-functional survey of business management. The finance component provides an introduction into basic principles and perspectives of financial thought. Covered topics include the time value of money, risk and return, interest rates and debt risk, capital budgeting, security pricing, and portfolio concepts. Includes a cross-functional case done in teams. Students may not receive credit for both F370 and (F304 or F301 or F300).
• BUS–M 370 Integrated Business Core—Marketing Component (3 cr.) Cross-functional survey of business management. The marketing component covers marketing planning and decision making examined from firm and consumer points of view. Topics include the marketing concept and its company-wide implications, the integration of marketing with other functions, and the role that product, price, promotion, and distribution play in marketing strategy and implementation. Includes a cross-functional case done in teams. Students may not receive credit for both M370 and (M304 or M301 or M300).
• BUS–P 370 Integrated Business Core—Operations Component (3 cr.) Cross-functional survey of business management. The operations component is concerned with the production and distribution of goods and services. Topics include inventory management, demand forecasting, aggregate production planning, shop scheduling, project management, quality control, and layout and process design. Includes a cross-functional case done in teams. Students may not receive credit for both P370 and (P304 or P301 or P300).  
• BUS–Z 370 Integrated Business Core—Leadership Component (3 cr.) Cross-functional survey of business management. The class introduces the concept of employees as a human resource and theories of how leaders can best mobilize those resources to achieve the firm’s goals. Students focus on leadership in the context of an organization, learning ways in which performance management systems shape employee behavior. Topics covered include the focused development of human resources through needs assessment, selection, compensation, and enterprise-wide planning. Students may not receive credit for both Z370 and (Z302 or Z304).
• BUS–T 375 Kelley Compass III: The Business Professional (1 cr.) P: BUS-T 275 with a grade of C or higher; must have Junior standing or higher. Students will continue in the student talent management system by, learning to carry out objectives in face-to-face team meetings as well as virtual meetings.  In addition, students will continue to fine-tune resumes to fit their increased awareness of personal goals and improve interview strategies to secure positions with companies with similar goals and values.

Honors I-Core

All students accepted into the Business Honors program take Honors I-Core in the fall of the junior year. Students preparing for Honors I-Core should confirm their intention and eligibility with their Kelley Honors Academic Advisors so they can be given permission to enroll.

• BUS–F 304 Financial Management: Honors (3 cr.) Part of Honors I-Core. Broad survey of finance for all honors business students. Provides a conceptual framework for a firm’s investment, financing, and dividend decisions; includes working capital management, capital budgeting, and capital structure strategies. Students may not receive credit for both F304 and (F370 or F301 or F300).
• BUS–M 304 Introduction to Marketing Management: Honors (3 cr.) Part of Honors I-Core. Examines marketing concepts, strategic planning, marketing research, and information systems. Covers consumer and organizational buying behavior, forecasting sales, and market segmentation and position. Also focuses on new product development process; product lines and brands; pricing strategies; distribution-channel management; advertising; personal selling; and organizing, evaluating, and controlling marketing. Students may not receive credit for both M304 and (M370 or M301 or M300).
• BUS–P 304 Operations Management: Honors (3 cr.) Part of Honors I-Core. A survey course concerned with the activity associated with the production of goods and services. Topics include quality management, process design, capacity management, materials management (including materials requirements planning and the just-in-time inventory system), and project management. Students may not receive credit for both P304 and (P370 or P301 or P300).
• BUS–J 304 Strategic Management: Honors (3 cr.) Part of Honors I-Core. Strategic Management is concerned with the roles and tasks of firms’ top managers (i.e., strategic decision makers). This course is designed to provide an appreciation for the total firm perspective and the means by which firms create and sustain competitive advantage in today’s increasingly challenging and complex business environment (domestic and global). Strategic management of a firm involves diagnosing the firm’s current situation and developing realistic solutions to the strategic and organizational problems that confront top managers. A desired outcome of this course is an enhanced appreciation for the complexities of managing a formal organization. The primary objective of the course is to help develop analytical skills for identifying key strategic issues and formulating appropriate strategies given a firm’s situation. Students may not receive credit for both J304 and J375.
• BUS-I 304 Honors I-Core Discussion (2 cr.) Part of Honors I-Core.