Bachelor of Science in Business
Credit Hour Requirements
The minimum number of credit hours required for the bachelor’s degree is 120 credit hours in courses meeting the various requirements stated in this publication. Of these, at least 48 credit hours shall be in business and economics courses, and at least 53 credit hours shall be in courses other than business and economics.
Pass/Fail Option
Business students may elect to take one course each semester with a grade of P (Pass) or F (Fail), with a maximum of two such courses each school year, including summer sessions. The election of this option must be exercised by the student within the first three weeks of the semester. Limitations on use of the Pass/Fail policy are as follows: business students may not take any business course Pass/Fail. Also, the Pass/Fail option cannot be used for courses that satisfy the campuswide general-education requirements. The option can be used for courses that are pure electives taken outside the Judd Leighton School of Business and Economics. A grade of P is not counted in the cumulative grade point average, but a grade of F is included. A grade of P cannot be changed subsequently to a grade of A, B, C, or D.
Correspondence Study
Business, economics, and speech courses may not be taken by correspondence to count toward degree requirements. All students wishing to apply credit from correspondence study toward a degree must secure the advisor’s signature on the enrollment application before submitting it to the correspondence study program. Any exceptions to the above policy must have the approval of the dean.
Repeating a Course Limitation Policy
Business majors are not permitted to retake a course in which they have received a grade of B– (2.7) or higher. Independent study courses and all other courses that allow students to obtain additional credit by retaking the same course number are exceptions, as would any other extraordinary situations.
All business majors are restricted to three attempts to complete a credit course. Viable exceptions may be accepted by petitioning the school. The word attempts is intended to mean a transcript record of W, F, FN, or a completed course letter grade. In particular, WX is excluded (dropping a class within the first week).
Repeating a Failed Course
The Judd Leighton School of Business and Economics, for its own internal purposes (e.g., admission, probation, graduation, etc.), calculates grade point averages where a failed course is involved using both the original grade of F and the makeup grade. This policy applies to all courses taken by undergraduate students admitted to the school.
General Scholarship Rule
Any student who does not possess the necessary preliminary training, or who lacks other qualifications, may be required by the Committee on Admission and Probation to enroll in such courses as the committee may designate or to take such other corrective action as is necessary or desirable. The committee may review a student’s record at any time and take whatever action seems necessary for the student’s best interests or for the best interests of the school.
Grade Requirements
To graduate with an undergraduate degree from the Judd Leighton School of Business and Economics, students must attain a minimum grade point average (GPA) of 2.0 (C) in all business and economics courses, earn a minimum grade of C in each course in their concentration and basic administration core requirements (a grade of C– does not satisfy this requirement), and a minimum cumulative grade point average of 2.0 (C). Transfer students admitted from other institutions with deficiencies in credit points are expected to overcome those deficiencies with Indiana University grades.
English Requirement
Students must demonstrate their ability to use correct, clear, effective English. The student must satisfy this requirement by completing ENG-W 131 Elementary Composition 1 and ENG-W 232 Introduction to Business Writing, or equivalent transfer credit, with a minimum grade of C (a grade of C– does not satisfy this requirement). Students whose records indicate serious writing deficiencies are required to enroll in ENG-W 31 Pre-Composition and ENG-W 130 Principles of Composition, which are specially designed for their needs.
Dismissal and Readmission
The Committee on Admission, Probation, and Withdrawal has the authority to order dismissal and to entertain applications for readmission, according to university regulations as carried out in the Academic Regulations and Policies section of this publication.
Physical Education Courses
Students may select a maximum of 4 credit hours of special elective Health, Physical Education, and Recreation (HPER) courses. Physical education courses carry regular credit and count as general-education electives (students cannot enroll in the same course twice and receive credit). Grades earned in these courses are not included in the student’s cumulative grade point average.
Career Services
All undergraduate students are urged to register with the Office of Career Services. BUS-X 310 Business Career Planning and Placement should be completed satisfactorily during the junior year. Information about employment in specific career fields is available in the Office of Career Services.
Special Credit Examinations
The Judd Leighton School of Business and Economics does not accept transfer of credit from other institutions for business courses if the credit was awarded on the basis of self-acquired competency. For nonbusiness courses, the school accepts course-specific credit awarded on the basis of self-acquired competency by other degree-granting divisions/schools of Indiana University and by other institutions accredited by the North Central Association of Colleges or comparable regional associations.
The school does not accept general (non-course-specific) self-acquired competency credit awarded by other divisions/schools of Indiana University or by other institutions.
Concentration Declaration
Students declare a concentration once they are admitted to the upper-level business program and are expected to meet the requirements for that concentration beginning that semester. Any student who has not selected a specific concentration is classified as a general business major and is expected to follow the program of that concentration.
Senior Residence Requirement
The senior year (the last 30 credit hours) must be completed at Indiana University. Students are certified for graduation by the Indiana University campus on which they complete the last two semesters (30 or more credit hours). In addition, at least 50 percent of all business course credit hours must be taken at IU South Bend. Permission to take credit during the senior year at another institution, or by correspondence study courses, may be procured to a maximum of 6 credit hours by petitioning the dean.
Application for Degree
Candidates for the Bachelor of Science in Business or Bachelor of Science in Economics must file a degree application by March 1 if they are graduating in December or by October 1 if they are graduating in May or August. Degree application forms are available at the school’s undergraduate office. Unless the application has been completed and submitted to the school, the student’s academic records will not be audited for degree certification. Without this audit, the student cannot be recommended for the conferral of the degree.
Credit Deadline
All credit of candidates for degrees, except for the work of the current semester, must be on record at least one month prior to the conferral of degrees. All I (Incomplete) and R (Deferred) grades must be removed before a student can be certified for a degree.
Comprehensive Examination Requirement
Each business student, as a condition for graduation, must pass a comprehensive examination during their senior year. Graduating seniors are notified in advance of their scheduled examination date.
Statute of Limitations
Student candidates for the degree Bachelor of Science in Business and Bachelor of Science in Economics have the right to complete degree requirements specified by the IU South Bend Bulletin in effect at the time they matriculate at Indiana University, provided that:
- The necessary courses are available, and
- No more than eight calendar years have elapsed since matriculation.
In the event that courses are not available or more than eight years have elapsed, students must apply to the dean to update their degree programs to the IU South Bend Bulletin currently in effect.
Requirements for a Second Bachelor’s Degree
The Judd Leighton School of Business and Economics offers to holders of a bachelor’s degree in schools other than business, a second bachelor’s degree in business.
The candidate is exempt from any of those requirements already fulfilled in acquiring the first bachelor’s degree. Students must meet the certification and degree requirements specified in the IU South Bend Bulletin at the time they are admitted for the second degree.
Normally the holder of a bachelor’s degree who wishes to pursue further education is encouraged to become qualified for admission to graduate study. In certain cases, a student may be admitted to candidacy for a second bachelor’s degree. When such admission is granted, candidates must earn at least 30 additional credit hours in residence and meet the requirements of the Judd Leighton School of Business and Economics and of the concentration in which they are candidates. Students awarded the Bachelor of Science in Business at IU South Bend may register as special students to meet the requirements of another concentration, but cannot be certified for the degree a second time.
The Judd Leighton School of Business and Economics reserves the right to specify any additional course requirements or repetition of previously taken courses in order to ensure that a student’s second Bachelor of Science or second area of concentration is compatible with the school’s current academic objectives.