Pamplin College of Business Undergraduate Programs
2014-2015 Student Handbook
1046 Pamplin Hall
Blacksburg, VA 24061
(540) 231-6602 www.undergrad.pamplin.vt.edu
Table of Contents Pamplin College of Business Organiza onal Chart………………………………………………………………………..…….1 Pamplin College of Business Overview…………………………………………………………………………………..…………..2 Who Are You, Pamplin Class of 2018? .................................................................................................4 Academic Advising ..….……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………...5 Advising Hints………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………......8 Support Services and Student Organiza ons…………………………………………………………………………………….10 A endance Policy and Semester Hour Enrollment …………………………………………………………………………..11 Class Levels and Applying the ‘W’ policy.…………………………………………………………………………………….……12 Free Elec ves/Minors………………………………………………………………………………………………………….……………13 Foreign Languages …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………........…13 Hokie Spa and Registra on……………………………………………………………………………………………......….…………13 Course Request………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………......…..14 Drop/Add and Grades……………………………………………………………………………………………………………......……15 Transferring Credits: U.S. Ins tu ons, Ins tu ons Abroad, and AP………..…………………………………………17 Transferring Credits: IB and Cambridge ………………………………………...……………...…………………….………….18 Gradua on Requirements………………………………………………………………………….…………………………….......…18 Academic Eligibility…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………......….19 Proba on and Suspension Chart…………………………………………………………………………………………….......…..21 Pamplin Business Requirements: Freshman and Sophomore Years…………………………………………..........22 Policy 91 (Progress Toward Degree and Con nued Eligibility)……………………………………………………….....23 Career Services………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 24 Selec ng a Major………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….......…….25 Majors…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….......….25 Minors………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………........30 1
hePamplinCollegeofBusinessgenerateshighqualityappliedandtheoreticalresearchthatsupportssuperior
teachingandbusinessapplications.GraduatesofthePamplinCollege,applyingtheiranalyticalanddecision
makingskills,helpbusinessescreatesolutions,enhancingtheircompetitivenessintheglobalbusinessenvironmentandimprovingthelivesoftheirfamiliesandsociety.
RobertT.Sumichrast
DeanPamplinCollegeofBusiness
Vision
ThePamplinCollege,asacenterofexcellence,isanacademicgeneratorofhighqualityappliedandtheoretical
researchthattranslatesintoteachingsuperiorityandpractitionerapplicationsforallofitsaudiences.
StatementofPurpose
ThePamplinCollegeofBusinesswillberecognizedasVirginia'sbestundergraduatebusinessschoolthrough
outstandingteachingbyfull-timefacultywhoarealsonationallyrecognizedintheoreticalandappliedresearch,andthroughtheplacementofitsgraduates.ThePamplinCollegewillbenationallyknownforitsgraduateprogramsthatareheldatvariouslocationsthroughouttheCommonwealth,andforservingbusinessand
societythroughtheexpertiseofitsfaculty,alumniandstudents.Thecollegewillbeknownforconductingall
ofitsactivitiesinanopenandethicalmanner.
WeEmphasize

Ethicalbehaviorinallofouractivities
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Enhancingthehighqualityofourundergraduateprograms
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ProvidingahighqualityMBAprogramatlocationsthroughouttheCommonwealth

Raisingtheresearchandscholarshipreputationoffaculty

Integratingthecomputerandtechnologyintotheacademiccurriculum

Developingtheleadershipskillsandethicalvaluesofourstudents

Preparingstudentsforglobalbusinesschallenges,includingprovidingopportunitiesforglobalexperiencebeforegraduation

Enhancingourcommitmenttodiversity
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Heighteningourlevelofservicetothebusinesscommunitythroughtheresearchandexpertiseoffaculty,
students,andgraduates

EnhancingthequalityofthePh.D.program
AnticipatedAccomplishments
ThePamplinCollegeplansonmeetingtheneedsofbusinessandsocietythroughitsundergraduateprograms
withastabilizedundergraduateenrollmentof4,000students.Itplansonachievingitsalreadyambitiousgoals
concerningresearchandscholarship,aswellasoutreachandinternationalprograms.Itplansondoublingthe
sizeofitsgraduateenrollmentthroughapartnershipwiththeuniversitythatwillassureadequatefundingfor
thispurpose.Accomplishmentswillbemeasuredannuallyandprogressreportedthroughtheuseofascorecard.
DiversityasaCoreValue
VirginiaTechandthePamplinCollegeofBusinessregarddiversityasasourceofstrengthandpride.Building
uponthiscommitment,thePamplinCollegeofBusinessaf irmsthefollowingprinciples:
Allstudents,regardlessoftheirbackground(race,color,gender,sexualorientation,disability,age,veteran
status,nationalorigin,religion,orpoliticalaf iliation)deserveandarepromisedequalopportunitytoan
educationinthePamplinCollegeofBusiness.
Wesupportanenvironmentforallstudents,faculty,andstaffthatisfreefromhostilityandintolerance.
Wepursueasupportiveanddiversecommunitythatrespectseachindividualandallowsideasandopinionstobeopenlydiscussed.
ThePamplinCollegeofBusinessiscommittedtothegoalofdevelopingitsstudents,faculty,andstaffinamannerthatinspiresthemtosuccessfulparticipationandeffectiveleadershipinapluralisticsocietyandconsiders
equalopportunity,freedomfromhostilityandintolerance,andrespectforindividualsandideastobevalues
essentialtothatgoal.
UNDERGRADUATEPROGRAMSOFFICEMISSIONSTATEMENT
Toprovidequalityeducationalservicesandsupportforundergraduatepoliciesandprocedurestostudents,
prospectivestudents,families,alumni,corporaterecruiters,andcollegedepartments.Tofacilitateasmooth
transitionintothecollege,throughthecollege,andintopost-collegecareers,foralltheseconstituents.
SHAREDVALUES:
1. Commitmenttocontinuousimprovementonallpractices.
2. Promptandaccurateservice.
3. Respectfultreatmentforallindividualswithwhomweinteract,foreachother,andfortheorganization.
4. Specializedprogramsfordiversepopulations.
5. Stronguniversityandprofessionalcitizenship.
6. Thoughtfulandattentivestewardshipofresponsibilities.
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2018?
FRESHMEN
YouareoneofthePamplinfreshmanclassof816students.Thehighschoolgradeaverageinacademicsubjectsforyourclassis3.73andtheaverageSATis1183.Among
yourclass,30%areVirginiaTechlegacies.Themale-femalepercentbreakdownis59–
41.ManyofyouarealsoparticipatingintheVirginiaTechCorpsofCadetsoranNCAA
sport.
Virginiaishometo70%ofyou.Theremaining30%areout-of-statestudentsfrom
Arizona,California,Colorado,Connecticut,Delaware,DistrictofColumbia,Florida,
Georgia,Hawaii,Illinois,Kentucky,Maryland,Massachusetts,Minnesota,New
Hampshire,NewJersey,NewYork,NorthCarolina,Ohio,Oregon,Pennsylvania,
RhodeIsland,Tennessee,Texas,Washington,WestVirginia,andthecountriesof
China,ElSalvador,India,Jordan,SaudiArabia,andSingapore.
Forty-fourpercent(44%)ofyouenteredtheBUS(undecided)major,14%BIT
(businessinformationtechnology),9%ACIS(accountingandinformationsystems),
8%FIN( inance),8%MKTG(marketing),7%MGT(management),5%HTM
(hospitalityandtourismmanagement),and5%ECON(economics).
TRANSFER
Atthetimeofprinting,wehave202transferstudentscomingtoPamplinforthe2014
-2015academicyear.ThemajorityofstudentsarejoiningusfromtheVirginiaCommunityCollegeSystem(VCCS).Therestofthetransferstudentsarecomingfrom4yearinstitutionsinVirginia,aswellasvariousotherstatesandcountries.Virginiais
hometo92%ofyou.Themale-femalepercentbreakdownis68-32.Amongyour
class,30%areVirginiaTechlegacies.
“Aslongasyouaregoingtobethinkinganyway,thinkbig.”~DonaldTrump
“Donotgowherethepathmaylead;goinsteadwherethereisnopathandleaveatrail.”
~RalphWaldoEmerson
“Itistodaywemustcreatetheworldofthefuture.”~EleanorRoosevelt
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ACADEMICADVISING
AdvisingatVirginiaTechisacollaborativeprocessbetweenstudentandadvisor,leadingto
theexchangeofinformationthatencouragestheindividualstudenttomakeresponsible
academicandcareerdecisions.Studentsareencouragedtocontacttheiradvisors,eitherin
personorviae-mail,atleasttwiceeachsemester.Inadditiontothefollowingstatements
ofresponsibilityforstudentsandadvisors,allstudentsshouldreadandcompletethe
“ImportantStepsforSuccessfulPamplinStudents”.
S
S
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Thestudentsharestheresponsibilityfordevelopinganadvisingpartnershipwiththeadvisor.Overtime,thepartnershipresultsinincreasedresponsibilityforstudents.Thisis
achievedthroughthestudent:
 Communicatinggoals,needs,wants,andconcernstoadvisorsinarespectfulandsinceremanner;
 Keepingabreastoftheirownacademicprogressandrequirementsrelatedtotheiracademicprograms;
 Making,keeping,andbeingpreparedforappointmentswithadvisors;
 Informingtheadvisorofchangesinplansand/orcircumstancesthatmightimpactacademicperformance;
 Knowingdepartmentalproceduresregardingchangingadvisors;and
 Bringingconcernsregardingthequalityofadvisingtotheattentionoftheadvisor.
S
A
R
Theadvisorsharestheresponsibilityfordevelopinganadvisingpartnershipwiththestudent.Thisisachievedthroughtheadvisor:
 Communicatingwiththestudentanddeliveringindividualizedandaccurateinformationinaprofessionalandsinceremanner;
 Beinginformedof,andprovidingaccurateinformationaboutcurrentacademicpolicies
andprocedures;
 Keepingappointmentsandbeingavailableforassistance;
 Providingappropriatereferrals,contactsandinformation.;
 Doingappropriatefollow-upwiththestudent;and
 Seekingoutandtakingadvantageofopportunitiesforprofessionaldevelopment.
A
A
I P
Asfreshmenandsophomores,PamplinstudentsareassignedanadvisorinthePamplinUndergraduateProgramsOf icelocatedin1046PamplinHall.Theadvisor'snameisavailable
5
inAugustthroughHokieSpa(seepage14formoredetailsonHokieSpa).Advisorsassist
studentswithlearningthelower-divisioncoursework,universityandcollegepolicies,proceduresandcorerequirements,andhowtoresearchcareeroptionsandselectamajor
whichbest itstheirlifegoals.
Of icehoursareweekdaysfrom8:00a.m.-5:00p.m.Studentsmaydropinforanswersto
generalquestionsandreferralsortomakeanappointmentwiththeiradvisor.Thebest
andmostpreferredwaytoscheduleanacademicadvisingappointmentistocalltheUndergraduateProgramsOf ice(540)231-6602.Thereceptionisthasaccesstoyouradvisor's
calendarandcancheckavailability,aswellasscheduletheappointment.
The irstsemesterofthejunioryear,studentsareassignedafacultyadvisorintheirmajor
department.Thefacultyadvisorwillassistwithmajorcourseoptions,freeelectives,graduationrequirementsandcareeradvisement.
Onmattersofexceptionstouniversitypolicy,suchasrequestinganin-majorcoursesubstitutionoranexceptiontoadeadline,studentsshouldseetheirdepartmentheads(orifundecided,theDirectorofAdvising).TheAssociateDeanforUndergraduateProgramswill
makeadecisionandthestudentwillbenoti iedviae-mail.Anyrequestsforexceptions
basedonmedicalproblemsshouldbesubmittedtoSchiffertHealthCenter,locatedin
McComasHall.DecisionsonmedicalrequestsaremadebytheHealthEvaluatingCommittee.
CommunicationwithPamplinStudents:
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Youwillreceiveemailsconcerningimportantdeadlines,policies,upcomingevents,
etc.throughbusinfo@vt.edu.Pleasedonotautomaticallydeletetheseemails.
Someemailswillcomefromyouradvisor’spersonalvt.eduemailaddressifthey
haveindividualconcerns.
SomeemailswillcomefromADV….@vt.eduemailaddress(whichwillsendinformationtoalladvisees).Academicadvisorsfrequentlyusetheadvisinglistservto
sendtheirstudentse-mailmessageswithimportantmeetingannouncementsand
remindersofupcomingdeadlines.
InformationoncareerswillbesenttoyouviaemailfromStuartMease,Directorof
CareerServices.HeperiodicallysendsoutCareerConnectnewsletters.
Announcementsandnoticesarepostedontheadvisingbulletinboard,locatedin
1046PamplinHallandthebulletinboardacrossfrom1008PamplinHall.AnnouncementsandnoticesarealsopostedintheadvisingsectionoftheUndergraduatePrograms'websiteatwww.undergrad.pamplin.vt.edu.
YoushouldroutinelycheckourSCHOLARpage,AcademicAdvisinginPamplin.All
importantannouncementsanddeadlineswillbeonthisSCHOLARsite,alongwith
otherinformationstudents indhelpful.
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ImportantStepsforSuccessfulPamplinStudents
1. UsetheelectronicPathwaysPlannertocreateyoursemester-by-semesterplanfor
graduatingontime.
2. Completethefreshmanandsophomorebusinesscurriculum—checksheetcanbe
foundonpage22.
3.Readthee-mailsfromyouradvisorandtheDirectorofCareerServices.
4.Besuretokeepincontactwithyouradvisor,atleasttwotimesasemestereitherin
personorbyemail.ALWAYSincludeyourfullnameincommunicationswithyouradvisor.Youmustuseyourvt.eduaccount,notagmailorotheraccounttogetpersonal
information.
5. CompleteAreas1through7oftheUniversityCurriculumforaLiberalEducation
(CLEs)-seeFreshman/SophomoreChecksheetonpage22.
6. Takeallrequiredcoursesforalettergrade(A-F).Onlytruefreeelectivescanbetaken
P/F,unlesstheareacourseisonlytaughtP/F(e.g.,FA2004,anarea6course).
7. Knowtheprerequisitesbeforeenrollinginanycourse.
8. AttendBusinessHorizonsannuallyduringSeptemberandFebruary.
9. Keepup-to-datewithPamplinCollegeofBusinessactivities,suchastheDistinguished
Speakersseriesandregistrationmeetingsbyreadingvarioussourcesofinformation—
seeCommunicationwithPamplinStudents.
10.AttendCompanyDaysintheAtrium.
11.Decidewiselyhowtouseyourfreeelectives—youcouldearnaminor!
12.Researchandselectamajorinbusiness,whichbestdemonstratesyourtalentsand
values.Thenbecomefamiliarwiththemajorchecksheet.
13.DevelopaprofessionalresumewiththeassistanceofCareerServices-see
www.career.vt.edu
14.Completethelowerdivisioncourseworkbytimeyouhaveattempted72credits,inordertobeincompliancewithPolicy91,seepage23.
15.Youshoulddeclareamajorbytheendofyoursophomoreyear.Youmustdeclarea
businessmajornolaterthan72credithours.However,itispreferabletodeclareby
theendof60credithourstobeabletocourserequestappropriatemajorcourses.
16.Applyforyourdegreeinthe irstsemesterofyourjunioryear.
17.ReviewanupdatedDARS(DegreeAuditingReportSystem)eachofyourlastfoursemesters.
18.Complete125semesterhours,includingallmajorrequiredcourses.
19.Achievea2.0in-majorGPAanda2.0overallGPAinordertograduate.
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AdvisingHints
GoToClass
Newstudentsoftenhearthatincollege“youcancutclassanytimeyouwant.”NOTTRUE!
Boredom,lackofsleep,andbeingunpreparedarefrequentexcusesforcuttingclasses.Overcomingoravoidingthesehabitsyour irstyearwilldomuchtoensuresuccessthroughout
youracademiccareer.Thefaculty’sattendancepolicy,ifany,willbeonthesyllabus.Refer
tothetopiccoveringattendanceinthisbookletformoredetailsontheattendancepolicy.
LearntheCampus
Acampustourdoesnotprovidethegeographicknowledgenecessarytogetaroundatamajoruniversity.Explorethecampusandlearnwherethedepartmentsandof icesarelocated.
MakesuretotakethetourofNewmanLibraryinthefallsemester.VisitTorgersenHall,
whichiswhereyouwillpickupstudentsoftwarepackagesforyourcomputer.
BePatientwithYourself...ThereIsNothingWrongWithBeingConfusedInitially
Somestudentsbecomeupsetwhentheyrealizetheyhavenotmasteredallfacetsofcollegiatelifeduringtheir irstterm.Remembercollegeisawayoflife.Youwillbelearningto
adjusttothisnewlifestyleeverydayanditdoestaketime.Youwillmakesomemistakes
duringyourcollegiatecareer.Pleasebeassuredthatyouarenotdoomed.Whenyourealize
orevenjustthinkyouhavemadeamistake,setouttoremoveorcorrectit.Ifyouarestrugglinginanyway,academicallyorpersonally,seekhelpfromyouradvisor.IGNORINGthe
challengewilllikelymagnifyitandcreateotherproblems.
TakeCareofYourself
Yourhealthisnowinyourhands.Besuretoeatwell,dressfortheweather,andconsider
seriouslytherisksofsmokingandconsumingalcohol.StudiesofVirginiaTechfreshmenindicatethatthemorestudentssmokedanddrankalcohol,thelowertheirfreshmangrades.
ThiscorrelationwastrueevenwhentheeffectsofSATscoresandhighschoolgradeswere
removed.
GetToKnowSomeProfessors
Allprofessorshaveweeklyof icehours.Seekoutprofessorsafterclassorduringtheirof ice
hours.Professorscanonlyhelpyouiftheyknowyouarehavingtrouble.Youcanalsojust
introduceyourselftoyourprofessorandgettoknowhimorher;thisisespeciallyhelpfulin
largerclasses.Sittinginthe irstfewrowscanbehelpfulingettingtoknowyourprofessor,
aswellasavoidingdistractions.Itcanmakeclasseslessdauntingifyouknowyourprofessor.IfyoumaketheefforttogettoknowoneprofessoreverysemesteryouareatVirginia
Tech,thenyouwillhaveeightprofessorstowriterecommendationlettersforjobsorfor
graduateschool.Moreimportantly,therelationshipwillmakeyoufeelmoreconnectedto
PamplinandVirginiaTech.Youwill indmembersofthefacultyareinvaluablementorsfor
youracademicandpersonallife.
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KeepPacewiththePrescribedCurriculum
Sometimesfreshmenhavetodropacourse.Ifpossible,donotdropmathorACIS1504,which
areprerequisitesforthequantitativemethodssequence.Theninelowerdivisionbusiness
coursesrequireaC–orbetterandmustbecompletedbythetimeyouhave72attemptedcreditsoryouwillviolatePolicy91andbedismissedfromPamplin(butnotVT).Inaddition,you
mustearnatleastacombined2.0intheninelowerdivisionbusinesscourses,whichmeans
youcannotearnallC-sinthesecourses.CompleteAreas1through7oftheUniversityCorerequirementsyourfreshmanandsophomoreyears.Thisiseasytodobyfollowingthecurriculumandconsultingyouradvisor.
Ignorerumors!UseYourAdvisorforAdvice
Rumorsofalltypesaboundoncampus.Almostallhaveanatomoftruth,butmosthavean
abundanceof iction.Ifyouhearastatementthatcouldaffectyourprogram,checkwithyour
advisor.Manypeoplewillinterprettherulesandpoliciesforyou,butcon irmthemwiththe
personwhoknowsbest…youradvisor.Youmayalsocheckonupdatedpoliciesontheinternet.
Also,keepinmindthatyourfriendorroommatemaybeinadifferentmajor,wherethepolicies,procedures,andprescribedcurriculummaydiffer.
KnowYourAcademicSituation
Ifyouhavequestionsorconcernsabouthowyouaredoinginaclass,gototheprofessorand
discussit.Waitinguntilaftermidtermsorthelastweekofthetermto indouthowyouaredoingcouldresultinano-winsituation.YoushouldregularlycheckSCHOLAR(ifyourprofessor
usesthissystemandthemajoritydo)foryourgrades.Notcheckingyourgradesisthe irst
signthattheremaybeanacademicissue.Therearemanyresourcestohelpyouifyou indout
thereisaproblemsoonenough.Makesureyoucheckyourgradesbeforeleavingattheendof
eachterm.Keepyourselfinformed.
LearnToCommunicateintheClassroom
Theonlydumbquestionsaretheonesnotasked.Ifyoudonotknowanddonotunderstand
something,chancesareseveralofyourpeersdonotunderstandeither.Learningtoaskquestionsisaskillyouneedtodevelop.Youshouldalsomakeapointtostopbyandseeyourinstructorsduringtheirof icehours,whicharetimessetasideforyou.
StudyinGroups
Doinghomeworkisimportant,butwhatreallymattersisdoingitinawaythathelpsyouunderstandthematerial.Studentswhostudyontheirownandthendiscusstheworkingroupsof
fourtosix,understandthematerialbetterandfeelmoreengagedintheirclasses.
BudgetYourTime;TakingCoursesIsYourFull‐TimeJob
Learntobalancetheimportantareasofyourlife.Thisincludesasociallife,butyoumustlearn
toplanyourstudytimeproperly.Takingafewminuteseachdaytomakeaschedulecouldsave
unnecessaryanxietyattheendofthesemester.Plantogiveenoughtimetowritethatpaperor
studyforthatexam.Pullingan“allnighter”willonlyloweryourconcentrationlevel.Thefrequentlyheardstatement“Iworkbestunderpressure”isoftenanexcuseforthosewhoreally
havenochoice.Agoodruleofthumbtostudyforanexamistotakethenumberofchapters+1
9
to indouthowmanydaysyoushouldstudy(e.g.,a5chaptertestwillrequire6daysofstudying).
PhoneorE‐MailHomeFrequently
Yourfamilycanprovetobeyourbestsupportsystem.Theywanttoknowhonestlyand
truthfullyjusthowyouaredoing.Theymaynotknowhowtohelpotherthanlistening,but
thatactaloneisessentialtoyourwell-being.Ifyouwantyourparentstobeabletospeakto
anadvisor,theymustknowthepasscodethatyouenteredontheFERPAforminHokieSpa,if
youchosetodoso.Youmaycalltheof icetogetthatpasscodeifyouforgetwhatyousubmitted.
SupportServices
Manyservicesareavailableonauniversity-widebasis.Advisorswillbehappytoprovidedetailsorhelptomakeanappointment.
TheStudentSuccessCenter(SSC),locatedin110FemoyerHallprovidesfreeacademicsupporttostudentsenrolledatVirginiaTech.Theirprogramsinclude:1.)LearningAssistance
Programstohelpstudentswhowanttoimproveacademicskillssuchastimemanagement,
testtaking,readingcomprehension,tutoring,etc.;2.)AcademicExcellenceProgramstargetingstudentswhoarealreadysucceedingacademicallyandsimplywanttoenrichtheireducationalexperiences;and3.)CollegeTransitionProgramstohelpstudentsmakeasuccessful
transitionfromhighschooltocollege,aswellasfacilitateacademicandsocialadjustmentto
VirginiaTech.Inadditiontotheseprograms,theSSCofferstutoringservices,TurningPoint,
andaseminarseriesonacademicsuccess.ForadditionalinformationvisitSSC’swebsiteat
www.studentsuccess.vt.edu.
TheMathEmporiumislocatedinUniversityCityMall.Thereareweeklyhelpsessionswith
yourprofessor,aswellasone-on-onetutoring.TherearetrainedworkersintheEmpoavailableforbasichelpduringoperatinghours.Formorecomplexquestions,thereisone-on-one
tutoringinthehelproomoftheEmporium(Empo)mostevenings.Inaddition,theSSCoffers
weeklygrouptutoringsessions.Visitthewebsiteatwww.emporium.vt.edu.
TheCookCounselingCenter,locatedinMcComasHall,offersindividualappointmentswith
counselorsaswellasworkshopsonacademicstress,exampreparation,memoryimprovement,studyskills,testanxiety,timemanagement,etc.To indoutmoreaboutindividual
counselingorthevariousworkshopsvisittheirwebsiteatwww.ucc.vt.edu.
TheWritingCenter,locatedinNewmanLibrary’ssecond loorlearningcommons,isafree,
non-creditwritingtutorialserviceforallstudents.Theydonotproofreadorcorrectpapers.
Theywillofferone-on-oneinstructiononwritingandhowtomakeimprovements.Students
mayvisitthewebsiteformoreinformation:www.composition.english.vt.edu/wc/.
StudentOrganizations
VirginiaTechhasover700university-wideorganizations,includingPamplin’sfouracademic
honorsocieties,threecoeducationalbusinessfraternitiesandmorethan20otherbusiness
organizations,manybasedonmajors.EachPamplinorganizationsponsorscareerrelated
programsandprovidesstudentswiththeopportunitytomeetfellowmajorsandotherPam10
plinstudents.Thesecanbevaluablelearningexperiences,especiallyforfreshmenwhoare
primarilyinclassesoutsidethecollege.Acompletelistoftheseorganizationsisavailableat
thePamplinUndergraduatewebsitewww.undergrad.pamplin.vt.edu.Eachorganization
hasabulletinboardinPamplinHalllistingitsof icersandupcomingprograms.Toallow
studentsto indtheorganizationswhichbestmeettheirinterestsandneeds,there’sastudentorganizationshowcaseaspartof“HokieHi”welcomeweekactivities.
AttendancePolicy
Classmeetingsareanintegralpartofmostcoursesandthecentralcomponentofmany.
Therefore,bothfacultyandstudentsareexpectedtomeetatallregularlyscheduledtimes,
exceptforcancellationsannouncedonauniversity-widebasisbyanappropriateauthority.
To indoutiftheUniversityisclosedorclassesarecancelledduetoinclementweather,call
(540)231-6668orchecktheUniversitywebsiteatwww.vt.edu.
Facultyareexpectedtoprovidestudentswithacoursesyllabusonthe irstdayofclas‐
seseachsemester,includingcourseobjectives,topicaloutlines,expectedperformancefor
whichgradeswillbeassigned,andtheinstructor’sattendancepolicy,ifany.
Contactyourprofessortoletthemknowthatyouwereunabletocometoclass.Itisyour
responsibilitytomakearrangementsforanyworkmissedassoonaspossible.Incasesof
prolongedmedicalabsences,studentsshouldnotifytheDeanofStudent’sOf ice,whowill
contactthestudent’sacademicdeanandfaculty.Relevantdocumentationwillberequired
fortheDeanofStudentstoprovideastudentwithanAbsenceVeri icationform.
SemesterHourEnrollment
Minimumfull-timeenrollmentforundergraduatestudentsis12semesterhours,excluding
auditsand inishingincompletes,forthefallandspringsemestersandthreesemesterhours
persummersession.
StudentswithaminimumGPAof3.0mayreceiveautomaticoverloadapprovalforupto21
hoursforthefallandspringsemesters.Studentswithlessthana3.0GPAmustobtainapprovalfromtheAssociateDeantotakeanoverload(morethan19hoursinaregularsemesteror9hoursinasummersession).StudentsmustsubmittheirrequestintheUndergraduateProgramsOf ice,1046PamplinHall.TheAssociateDeanwillmakeadecisionandnotify
thestudentviae-mail.StudentswithanoverallGPAbelow2.00arenoteligibleforanoverload.Studentsonacademicprobationmayenrollinnomorethan16hoursduringaregular
semester.
Beforedroppingcourses,studentsshouldmakesuretheyarenotrequiredtomaintainfulltimeenrollmenttocontinue inancialaid,healthandcarinsurance,NCAAeligibility,oncampusresidencyorscholarships.StudentsmaynotdropallclassesforatermusingHokie
Spa.Todropallclasses,studentsmustcompleteawithdrawal/resignationformavailable
attheRegistrarin250StudentServicesBuilding(www.registrar.vt.edu),1046Pamplin
Hall,oratwww.undergrad.pamplin.vt.edu.
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ClassLevels
ManyformswhichstudentscompletewhileatVirginiaTechrequirethestudenttoenter
theiracademicclasslevel—freshman,sophomore,junior,orsenior.Thefollowingnumericalclassi icationsareusedatVirginiaTechtoindicatetheacademicclasslevels.Students
areresponsibleforknowingtheiracademicclasslevelandwillbeaskedforitonmanyoccasions.Youcan indthisinformationonyourunof icialtranscriptonHokieSpa.Hours
listedare“earnedhours”not“attemptedhours”.
10=Freshman(lessthan30hours)
11=HonorsProgramFreshman
20=Sophomore(30-59hours)
21=HonorsProgramSophomore
30=Junior(60-89hours)
31=HonorsProgramJunior
36=Juniorenrolledin iveyearundergraduate/masterprogram
40=Senior(90ormorehours)
41=HonorsProgramSenior
45=Dualenrolledundergraduate/graduate
46=Seniorenrolledin iveyearundergraduate/mastersprogram
Applyingthe‘W’Policy(LateCourseWithdrawal)
Studentsmaywithdrawalfromamaximumofsixhours(6)beyondthenormalsix-week
dropdeadline(seecalendarfor2014-2015dropdeadlines)duringtheiracademiccareerat
VirginiaTech,subjecttothefollowing:
1. Studentsmustformallyrequesttowithdrawalfromacourseandhavetheiradvisor’s
signature.Thelasttimetowithdrawalisnolaterthan5:00p.m.ontheFridaybefore
thelastregulardayofclassesinthesemesterinwhichtheyareenrolledinthecourse,
regardlessoftheiracademicperformanceuptothepointoftheirrequest.
2. Coursesfromwhichstudentsapplythe’W’policywillappearontheirtranscriptswitha
‘W’,ratherthanagradeandwillnot igureintothegrade.
3. Students’decisionstoinvokethispolicyareirrevocableandnotappealable.
4. Withdrawalsunderthispolicymaynotbeemployedtoreduceorobviateanypenalty
accruingtostudentsundertheUniversity’sHonorSystem.
5. Beforeapplyingthe‘W’policy,studentsshouldcheckanyconsequencesthismayhave
on inancialaid,internationalvisas,NCAAregulations,scholarshipsorotheritemsrelatedtoenrollmentstatus.
12
FreeElectives/Minors
Freeelectivesareopportunitiesforstudentstochoosecoursesfromanydepartmentinthe
university,aslongastheymeettherequirementsspeci iedbyanindividualdepartment.
Electivespresentunlimitedpossibilitiesfortailoringacurriculumto itinterest,educational
plans,andcareergoals.Youcanuseyourfreeelectivestoconcentrateoncompletingcoursesforaminor.Mostminorsrequire18credits.YoumaychoosetominorinAppliedBusinessComputing,BusinessLeadership,Entrepreneurship-NewVentureGrowth,InternationalBusiness,MulticulturalDiversityManagement,orProfessionalSellingthroughPamplin.
ThereareminorsinmanymajorsoutsideofPamplin—justcheckwiththedepartmentofinterest.Studentsmayalsousefreeelectivestohelppursueadoublemajor,selectcoursesthat
complementtheirmajor,continuespecialinterestsortalents,orexplorenewareas.
Freeelectivesareoneofthemanywaysstudentscandemonstratetheirinitiativesandinterests.Speakingtofacultymembers,readingabouttheminorsandmajors,consideringinterestsandcareergoals,andmeetingwithanacademicadvisorareallhelpfulinplanninghow
besttousefreeelectives.
ForeignLanguages
Studentsarerequiredtohavecompletedatleasttwoyearsofaforeignlanguagetosatisfy
theUniversityrequirement.Thelanguagerequirementmaybemetusingcoursesfromhigh
school.Ifyouplantocompletetherequirementwithcollegecourses,beawarethatthecreditscannotcounttowardyourrequired125degreecredits.TheForeignLanguageRequirementisnotpostedtoyourDegreeAuditReportuntillateSpringeachyear.
Inthisglobaleconomy,languageskillsarebecomingmoreimportant.WhilePamplindoes
notrequirestudentstotakeforeignlanguages,thecurriculumisdesignedtogivestudents
theopportunitytotakeforeignlanguagesasfreeelectives.Studentsmayevencompleteforeignlanguageminors.Itisimportantforstudentswishingtopursueminorstoworkwith
theiradvisorstoutilizetheirfreeelectivesandsomeoftheUniversityCorerequirementsfor
theminor.
HokieSpa
AllVirginiaTechstudentscreateaPID(personalID)aftertheyaccepttheirofferofadmission.ThePIDisalsotheir“@vt.edu”e-mailaddress.ThePIDgivesstudentsaccesstoHokie
Spa(StudentPersonalAccess).HokieSpaisthegatewayintoregistrationandschedules,
grades,transcripts,advisorassignment,degreemenu,studentaccount, inancialaid,housing
anddiningservices,andpersonalinformation(suchasaddressandphonenumbers).
Registration
RegistrationatVirginiaTechoccursinmultiplephases.First,acourserequestperiodofapproximatelysevendaysoccursatthemidpointofeachsemesterforsubsequentterms,currentlyinOctoberforspring,andMarchforfall.Summerisabitdifferentbecausethecourse
requestisfromDecembertoFebruary.Thisisjustarequestwhereyousubmityour
13
“ideal”schedule.Oncetherequestperiodcloses,theRegistrarwillprocessalloftherequestsfromtheuniversity.Second,theRegistrar’sOf icewillprovideyouwithyour
“actual”scheduleabout3-4weeksaftertherequestperiodcloses.Third,ascheduleadjustmentperiodreferredtoas“Drop/Add”followsthearrivalofyourschedule.TheDrop/Add
periodbeginsneartheendofeachsemester.DatesforDrop/AddarelistedintheTimeta‐
bleofClassescalendar.
CourseRequest
The irststepinthecourserequestprocessforPamplinfreshmenandsophomoresistoattendoneofthecollegeregistrationmeetings.Thesemeetingsareheldonavarietyofdays
andtimeswithinPamplinHallandtheresidencehalls.Speci icdates,timeandlocationsare
postedatwww.undergrad.pamplin.vt.eduandadvisorswillsende-mailnoticestotheir
adviseeseachsemester.Atthesemeetings,topicssuchascourserequirements,policyupdates,andeventannouncementsarecovered.
Next,studentsplantheircourseselectionsbyreviewingtheirmajorchecksheetsorthe
freshman/sophomorerequirements.
Then,usingtheon-lineTimetableofClasses,studentsselectdaysandtimesforthecourses
theyplantotake.Asectionidenti ier,referredtoasaCourseReferenceNumber(CRN),is
usedintheTimetable.The irstdigitoftheCRNrepresentsthenumericcodefortheterm:
9=fall,1=spring,6=FirstSummerand7=SecondSummer.Thefollowingitemsare
listedatthetopoftheTimetableofClassesunder“ImportantDatesandRegistrationInformation.”
 Calendarsforcurrentandfuturesemesters
 ExamSchedules
 FreetimeandLunchCRNs—studentsoftenneedtoutilizefreetimetoblockout
hoursofeachdayneededforworkorextracurricularresponsibilitiessuchasathletics,bandpractices,andtheCorpsofCadets.Studentsmaywishtoschedulesuf icienttimeformeals.
 BuildingAbbreviations
Withinthelistofclasses,studentscan indthefollowingusefulinformationtoassistin
scheduling:
 ClickontheCRNinthefarleftcolumn(anewwindowwillopen)toviewthesection
comments,suchas“mustattendthe irstdayofclassorbedroppedfromtheroll”
andrestrictions,suchas“ACISmajorsonly”.Thecatalogcoursedescriptionandprerequisiteswillalsobelistedhere.
 ClickontheExamcodeinthefarrightcolumn(anewwindowwillopen)toviewthe
inalexamtimeforthecoursesection.
Finally,studentsinputtheCRNsintothecourserequestscreeninHokieSpa.Courserequestopensatmidnightonthe irstdayofrequestandremainsopenuntil11:59onthe
lastdayofrequest.Thereisnoprioritygiventoprocessingrequestsifenteredthe irstday
ofcourserequest,noristhereapenaltyforenteringarequestthe inaldayofcourserequest.However,studentswhowaituntilthelastdayofthecourserequestperiodwilllikelyencountermoredif icultyinaccessingthesystemduetothehighervolumeofactivity.
14
CourseRequestResults
ThedatecourserequestresultswillbeavailableispostedintheTimetableofClasses.The
computersystemwillgenerateschedulesfortheentireuniversity,notbycollegeormajor.
Requestsare illedfromstudentswithspecialneedstograduatestudentstoundergraduate
students.Undergraduateschedulesare illedfromstudentswiththemostamountofcredits
tothosewiththeleastamountofcredits.Everyattemptismadetohonorthestudents’speci icschedulerequests.
Reasonsstudentsmaynotreceivearequestedcourseinclude:ClosedSection(Full);Conlict(requestedcoursesectionisfullandallothersectionscon lictwithothercoursesin
schedule);Cancelled(sectionofcoursehasbeenwithdrawnbydepartment);Restrictions
(studentdoesnotqualifytoregisterforcoursebasedoncourserestrictions);andenrolling
inmorecredithoursthanallowed.
Drop/Add
Onceclassschedulesareavailable,studentsmaymakechangestothemthrough“Drop/
Add.”Studentsmaynotaddordroppastthedeadlines.(The2014-2015deadlinesare
listedon“MarkYourCalendar”).Drop/Addforthefallsemesterrunsthroughtheendof
thespringsemesterandopensagaininearlyAugust.Forthesummerterms,Drop/Addis
availablefrommid-Marchthroughthedeadlinesforaddinganddroppingcourses.Forthe
springsemester,Drop/AddwillbeavailableinearlyDecemberandremainopenthrough
thedeadlinesforaddinganddroppingspringsemestercourses.
Holds
Astudent’sregistrationrecordmaybeplacedonholdforavarietyofreasonsandbyavarietyofof ices.Forexample,HealthServicesmayplaceaholdonastudent’srecordforfailuretosubmitimmunizationrecords.StudentAccounts,forfailuretopayfees;andcolleges,
forfailuretodeclareamajororprogresstowardadegree.Theholdwillprohibitaccessto
courserequest,Drop/Add,andviewingclassschedules.Studentsmaycheckwhetherthey
haveaholdinthe“YourStudentAccount”sectionofHokieSpaandmayviewthereasonfor
thehold,aswellaswhomtheyshouldcontacttoresolvethehold.
Grades
StudentsmayaccesstheirsemestergradesfromthetranscriptsectionofHokieSpathe
weekafter inalexams.Gradesarenotmailed,unlessthestudentmakesarequesttothe
UniversityRegistrar.
GradingSystem
GradesandGradePointsperCreditHour:
A=4.0
A-=3.7
B+=3.3
B=3.0
B-=2.7
C+=2.3
15
C=2.0
C-=1.7
D+=1.3
D=1.0
D-=0.7
F=0.0
QualitypointsmaybeobtainedbymultiplyingGradePointsbythenumberofcoursecredits.Forexample,anA–ina3creditcoursewouldresultin11.1qualitypoints.(3.7x3=
11.1).
P=Pass,AppliestoPass/FailonlycoursesandP/Foptions.
NR=NoGradeReported,Thisisusedongradereportortranscriptwhenaninstructorreturnednograde.AgradeofNRiscalculatedinGPAlikean”F.”
I=Incomplete,Anincompleteisusedwhenastudenthasobtainedpermissionfromthe
courseinstructortodelaycompletionofacourse.Hoursareshownunder“deferredhours”
only.Theworkmustbecompletedbytheendofthenextterminwhichthestudentisenrolledorthegradewillconvertto“F”andbeaddedintoGPA.
W=Withdrew,StudentappliedLateCourseWithdrawalPolicytothecourse.
RP=RepeatedCourse,Whenastudentretakesacoursewherea“C”orhigherhasbeen
earned,RPwillappearontherecord.Astudentmaynotrepeatacourse“toimprovehisor
herGPAwhereaChasbeenearned.”
AUD=Audit,Neithergradenorcreditsaccrue.
X=Continuingcourse,Thestudentcontinuestocompleterequirements.Oncecompleted
thegradewillbechangedfromanXtoalettergrade.TheXgradeismostcommonlyused
during ieldstudieswithaparticularnumberofhoursrequiredtocompletethestudy.
GradeOptions
Allrequiredcourses(college,majoranduniversitycorerequirements)mustbetakenforan
AthroughFlettergrade(A-F).Only“freeelectives”maybetakenonapass/failbasis(P/F).
Ifyouareusingyourfreeelectivestoful illadoublemajororminor,youmusttakethe
coursesforalettergrade.
ThePass/FailGradeOptionisavailabletoallstudentswhohaveattemptedaminimumof
30credithoursatVirginiaTechandhaveaminimum2.00overallgradepointaverage
(GPA).UndertheP/Fgradingsystem,a“P”isgrantedforearningagradeof“D”orbetterin
thecourse.Agradeof“D-“isconsideredafailinggradeundertheP/Foption.
Nomorethan10percentofthetotalrequiredhoursforgraduationtakenatVirginiatech
maybeP/F.StudentmaytakenomorethantwoP/Fcoursesperterm,excludingcourses
taughtonlyP/F.
OncecreditisreceivedforcoursestakenP/F,thecourseCANNOTberepeatedundertheAFgradeoption.Ifagradeof“F”isreceivedinaP/Fcourse,itisincludedinthecalculation
oftheGPA.(Note:Nomorethantwopass/failHNFE/EDPEactivitycourses,suchasaerobicsorgolf,willcounttowarddegreerequirements.)
Studentsmayauditcoursesotherthanlaboratoryandstudiocourses,iftheyhavepermissionfromtheiradvisorsandtheinstructor.Auditedcourseswillnotcounttowarddegree
16
requirements.Anycoursethatwasauditedcannotbetakenforalettergradelater.The
lastdaytoaddordroptheauditoptionisthelastdaytoaddacourseeachsemester.
TransferringCredit:
TransferCreditfromAnotherInstitution(UnitedStates)
Youarerequiredtocompleteapre-authorization,“AuthorizationtoTakeCoursesElsewhere”form,priortotakingcoursesatanotherinstitutionwhilecurrentlyastudentatVirginiaTech.http://www.undergrad.pamplin.vt.edu/advising/forms/authorization.pdf
Ifyouareapprovedtotakeacourse,youmustearnatleastaCinthecoursetoearntransferrablecredit.Onlythecredittransfers,notthegrade.YoucannotimproveyourGPAbytaking
coursesaway.
YoushouldconsulttheTransferEquivalencyDatabase(TED)ontheOf iceoftheRegistrar’s
websitehttp://www.tranguide.registrar.vt.edu.Thisdatabaseshowscoursesthathave
beenacceptedinthepast;however,thisisnotaguaranteeofacceptance.TEDisonlya
guide.Theauthorizationformandasyllabusarenecessarytoreviewthecourseforacceptance.
Astudentmaytakenomorethan62creditsfromVirginiaCommunityCollegeSystem
schoolsoranyothercommunitycollegesystemoutsideofVirginia.Thereisnotaspeci ied
limitofcreditacceptedfrom4-yearinstitutions.However,25%ofyourdegreecreditsmust
comefromVirginiaTech.Inaddition,50%ofallbusinesscoursesmustbetakenatVirginia
TechtoearnaBusinessdegree.Finally,nomorethan18ofyourlast45creditsmaybetaken
awayfromVirginiaTech.
TransferCreditfromAnotherInstitution(International)
Youarerequiredtocompleteapre-authorizationformifyouintendtotakeclassesabroad,
“CourseEquivalencyEvaluationforInternationalProgramsform,”priortotakingcoursesat
aninternationalinstitutionwhilecurrentlyastudentatVirginiaTech.
http://www.undergrad.pamplin.vt.edu/advising/forms/authstudyabroad.pdf
PleasekeepinmindthatschoolsystemsoutsideoftheUSusedifferentgradingsystems.If
youareapprovedtotakeacourse,youmusttheequivalencyofatleastaCinthecourseto
earntransferrablecredit.Onlythecredittransfers,notthegrade.Youcannotimproveyour
GPAbytakingcoursesaway.
Youwillneedtoprovidesyllabiforreview.Thisprocessusuallytakesuptofourweeks.Internationalcreditcanbedif iculttoobtainandmayrequireseveralreviewsofvariouscoursesbeforeyouhaveaviablesetofcoursestotakeawayforcredit.Youshouldstarttheprocessonesemestertooneyearinadvanceofwhenyouwishtostudyabroad.
AdvancedPlacement(AP)Credit
APscoresarereceivedelectronicallyfromtheCollegeBoard.Mayexamscoresdirectedto
VirginiaTecharereceivedinJuly.Thereafter,scoresarereceivedweeklythroughAugust,
thenevery3-4weeks.APcreditisviewableonHokieSpawithinthreebusinessdaysofVirginiaTechreceivingthescores.IfscoreswerenotdirectedtotheOf iceoftheUniversity
17
RegistraratVirginiaTech(schoolcode5859),youmaycontacttheCollegeBoardat(888)
308-0013.Amaximumof38hoursmaybeawarded.YoumaychecktheAPcreditguidefor
equivalenciesathttp://www.registrar.vt.edu/registration/transfer/ap‐ib‐clep‐
credit.html.MakesureyouusetheguidefortheyearthatyouenterVirginiaTech,not
whenyoutookthetestsorbegantakingcoursesatanotherinstitutions(fortransferstudents).Itisyourresponsibilitytomakesureyourcreditstransfer.
InternationalBaccalaureate(IB)Credit
IBtranscriptsarereceivedelectronicallyfromIBO.Maytranscriptsarereceivedattheend
ofJuly.Thereafter,transcriptsarereceivedmonthly.IBcreditisviewableonHokieSpa
within ivebusinessdaysofVirginiaTechreceivingthescores.Ifscoreswerenotdirected
totheOf iceoftheUniversityRegistraratVirginiaTech,pleaserefertotheIBOwebsiteat
http://www.ibo.org/ibna/graduates/.Creditisawardedbasedonearningacerti icateor
adiploma.
WiththeIBDiploma,creditisawardedforHigherLevel(HL)coursesbasedonminimum
scoresshownintheHLCreditTable.CreditforonlyoneStandardLevel(SL)courseis
awardedprovidedaminimumscoreof6isearned.Inaddition,creditisawardedforTheoryofKnowledgewithagradeofCorhigherandExtendedEssaywithagradeofCorhigher.
Amaximumof38hoursmaybeawarded.
WiththeIBCerti icate,creditisawardedforHigherLevel(HL)coursesbasedonminimum
scoresshownintheHLCreditTable.NocreditisawardedforStandardLevel(SL)courses.
Inaddition,nocreditisawardedforTheoryofKnowledgeorExtendedEssay.Amaximum
of30hoursmaybeawarded.
YoumaychecktheIBcreditguideforequivalenciesathttp://www.registrar.vt.edu/
registration/transfer/ap‐ib‐clep‐credit.html.Makesureyouusetheguidefortheyear
thatyouenterVirginiaTech,notwhenyoutookthetestsorbegantakingcoursesatanotherinstitutions(fortransferstudents).Itisyourresponsibilitytomakesureyourcredits
transfer.
UniversityofCambridgeInternationalExaminations
VirginiaTechwillawardtransfercreditforcertainAdvancedLevelexaminationsbaseduponreceiptofanof icialCertifyingStatementofResults.YoumaychecktheCambridgecreditguideforequivalenciesathttp://www.registrar.vt.edu/registration/transfer/ap‐ib‐
clep‐credit.html.MakesureyouusetheguidefortheyearthatyouenterVirginiaTech,
notwhenyoutookthetestsorbegantakingcoursesatanotherinstitutions(fortransfer
students).Itisyourresponsibilitytomakesureyourcreditstransfer.
GraduationRequirements
AllmajorswithinPamplincurrentlyrequire125semesterhours,aswellasa2.0overall
GPAanda2.0in-majorGPA.RequirementchecksheetsbymajorareavailableintheUndergraduateProgramsOf ice(1046Pamplin),thedepartmentof ices,andontheInternet.
The inalchecksheetsfortheClassof2017willbeavailableinthespring.Studentsshould
keepupdatedchecksheetswiththeirrecords.
18
Inthe irstsemesterofthejunioryear,studentsshouldapplyfortheirdegreeviaHokie
Spa.Withinafewdaysofapplyingforadegree,studentsmayviewtheirDegreeAuditReports(DARS)onHokieSpa.TheDARSreportincludesallrequirementsincategoriessuch
asmath,socialsciences,collegecore,universitycore,andmajorrequirements.Ifstudents
havecompletedthecategory,theDARSreportwillindicate"OK."Ifnot,"NO"or“IP”(inprogress)isprintedalongwiththecoursesneededtocompletethatcategory'srequirements.UpdatedDARSreportsmayberequestedatanytime,however,itisrecommended
thatstudentsrequestoneatleasteverysemesterandwhenmajorsarechanged
AcademicEligibility(Warning,ProbationandSuspension)
ContinuedenrollmentatVirginiaTechisaprivilegethatisgrantedaslongasthestudentis
makingsatisfactoryprogresstowardadegree.Theminimumstandardforacademicgood
standingisacumulativegradepointaverage(GPA)of2.00.
AcademicWarning
Studentsearninglessthata2.0termGPA,butwithacumulativeGPAof2.0orhigher,will
beplacedonAcademicWarningwithoutnotationontheacademictranscript.Studentson
AcademicWarningwillberequiredtomeetwiththeiradvisorandtosignanacademiccontract.FailuretocompletetheplanmayresultinaHOLDonrecordsorprohibitionfromfutureenrollment.
AcademicProbation
AcademicprobationisimposedwhenthecumulativeGPAislessthan2.00.Performance
willbereviewedattheendofeachfallandspringsemester.RefertotheProbationand
SuspensionChartforadetailedviewandexplanationoftheprogressionofprobationto
suspension.
Astudentonprobationmaytakenomorethan16hourspersemester.Studentsonprobationarerequiredtomeetwithanadvisorpriortobeginningaprobationarysemesterto
illoutanddiscusstheprobationcontract.Aprobationarystudentwhofailstomeetanadvisortocompletethecontractwillhaveaholdplacedonhisorherrecords.Probationary
studentsshouldre lectuponwhytheydidnotachieveacademicsuccess,theobstaclesthey
faced,andthestepstheywilltaketoovercometheseobstacles.Probationarystudentsare
expectedtomeetregularlywiththeiradvisor.Probationarystudentsshouldalsoplanto
takepartinProjectSuccess(throughtheSSC)orCollegeSuccessStrategies(UNIV1004),
usetutoringservices,andpossiblyusecounselingservices—seeSupportServicesformore
detailsorconsultyouradvisor.
ThefollowingformulaassistsincalculatingtheGPAneededforthecurrenttermtoreacha
2.00cumulativeGPA.ThiscalculationdoesnotincludeP/Fpassed,transfer,AP,AS,IB,or
CLEPcredits.
2.0(+)=2.0(GPAhours+currenthours)–qualitycredit
Currenthours
19
ThisformulacanbeusedtocalculateanyGPAstudentswishtoreachbyreplacingthe2.0
withthedesiredGPA.Anon-lineGPAcalculatorisavailablewithinthestudentaccesssectionofHokieSpa.
YouwillwanttobuildyourGPAupassoonaspossible.AGPAbetween2.0and2.3isinthe
dangerzone!Youcaneasilyfallbackbelowa2.0GPAwithoneortwopoorgrades.
Toincreaseyourchanceofachievinggoodacademicstanding,youshouldfollowthesestipulations:
1. Scheduleanappointmenttoseeyouracademicadvisorimmediatelytodiscussyoursituationandturninyourprobationarycontract.Discusswithyouradvisortoreviseyour
classschedulebyretakingrequiredcoursesinwhichyouhavereceiveda inalgradebelowaC-,aswellastakingsomecoursesthatwillhelpboostyourGPA.
2. Attendallscheduledclassesregularly.Ifyouabsolutelymustmissclass,notifytheprofessorandmakeupanymissedworkassoonaspossibletoavoidfallingbehind.
3. Enrollinnomorethan16credithourspersemester.
4. Avoidbeingtardy
5. Completeassignmentsandprojectsinatimelymanner.
6. Seektutoringassistanceandanyotheracademic,careerandpersonalsupportservices
thatwillbehelpfulinattaininggoodacademicstanding.Consultyouradvisorforassistanceon indingtherightservicesforyourneeds.
7. ParticipateinoneoftheAcademicRecoveryProgramsofferedbytheStudentSuccess
Centerhttp://www.studentsuccess.vt.edu/Academic_Success/
academicrecovery.htmltoassistyouwithself-assessment,timemanagement,study
skills,etc.orCollegeSuccessstrategiesclass(UNIV1004–non-degreecreditcourse).
8. Plantohavea2.5GPAorbetterinyourprobationsemester.
9. Reportanyextenuatingcircumstancestoyouracademicadvisorifyouanticipatethatit
mightpreventyoufromachievinggoodacademicstandingattheendofthesemester.
10.Meetweeklyorasarrangedwithyouracademicadvisortoprovideupdateonyourprogress.
AppealingSuspension
StudentsplacedonFirst,Second,orFinalAcademicSuspensionhavetherighttoappeal
eachsuspensiontotheUniversityAcademicAppealsCommittee.TheAssociateDeanfor
UndergraduateProgramspresentsthePamplincasestotheAppealscommittee.Theappeal
formcanbefoundatwww.undergrad.pamplin.vt.edu/advising/forms/
appealspetition.pdf.Studentsshoulddiscusstheappealsprocesswiththeiradvisor.
20
Probation and Suspension Chart
First Probation
Overall GPA 2.0 or better
Overall GPA below 2.0; semester GPA at
least 2.5
Overall GPA below 2.0,
semester GPA below 2.5
Continue on First Probation
First Suspension
Good Standing
Fall Suspension
Cannot return to VT for Spring semester or take courses elsewhere for transfer credit
Spring Suspension
First Suspension
Cannot return to VT for summer or Fall
classes or take courses elsewhere for
transfer credit
Second Probation
Overall GPA 2.0 or better
Good Standing
Overall GPA below 2.0; first semester
after suspension the semester GPA at least
2.0, additional semesters must be 2.5 semester GPA until reach 2.0 overall GPA
Overall GPA below 2.0, first semester back the semester GPA
below 2.0, additional semesters
below 2.5 semester
Continue on Second Probation
Second Suspension
Fall Suspension
Cannot return to VT for 1 year – no
Spring, Summer, and Fall semesters or
take courses elsewhere for transfer credit
Spring Suspension
Second Suspension
Cannot return to VT for 1 year – no Summer, Fall, and Spring classes or take
courses elsewhere for transfer credit
Third Probation
Overall GPA 2.0 or better
Good Standing
Overall GPA below 2.0; first semester after
suspension the semester GPA at least 2.0,
additional semesters must be 2.5 semester
GPA until reach 2.0 overall GPA
Overall GPA below 2.0, first
semester back the semester GPA
below 2.0, additional semesters
below 2.5 semester
Continue on Third Probation
Final Suspension
FINAL SUSPENSION
APPEALS
Students have the right to appeal a suspension. The form may be found at: www.undergrad.pamplin.vt.edu/advising/forms/appealspetition.pdf
21
PAMPLIN BUSINESS REQUIREMENTS-FRESHMAN AND SOPHOMORE YEAR
65 HRS
CURRICULUM FOR LIBERAL EDUCATION (CLE) REQUIREMENTS
(Freshman and Sophomore Years)
Fall
Spring
Area 1 - ENGL 1105-1106 or 1204 or COMM 1015-1016
3 ____
3 ____
Area 2 - Ideas, Cultural Traditions & Values
3 ____
3 ____
3 ____
3 ____
3 ____
3 ____
1 ____
Area 3 – Fulfilled by ECON 2005-2006 (see college requirements below)
Area 4 - Scientific Reasoning and Discovery
*Area 5 - MATH 1525-1526 Calculus with Matrices
Area 6 - Creativity and Aesthetic Experience
AREA 7 - CRITICAL ISSUES IN A GLOBAL CONTEXT REQUIREMENT MET BY: __________
The Area 7 course may be used to meet another area requirement or may be taken as a free elective during the sophomore,
junior or senior year. Some courses in Areas 2 and 4, as well as some social sciences, are also Area 7 courses.
COLLEGE REQUIREMENTS
Freshmen Year
*ACIS 1504 Introduction to Business Information Systems
3 ____
Social Sciences - Nine (9) hours required.
PSYC 1004 or SOC 1004 - Intro Psychology or Sociology
3 ____
Two additional Social Sciences
3 ____
3____
3 ____
3 ____
3 ____
3 ____
3 ____
3 ____
Options include any courses in Economics (beyond Principles), Geography, History (except HIST 1024,
1025, 1026, or 2054), International Studies, Political Science (except PSCI 3015-3016), Psychology, and
Sociology; or any course approved for Area 3 of the University Core. GEOG 1014, HIST 1214, IS 2054, IS
2064, PSCI 1024, and SPIA 1004 will satisfy social science requirements in addition to Area 7.
Sophomore Year
*ACIS 2115-2116 Principles of Accounting
(Sophomore standing)
*BIT 2405-2406 Quantitative Methods
(Pre-req - MATH 1525-1526)
*ECON 2005-2006 Principles of Economics (Area 3)
Economics major should take ECON 2005 fall of freshman year and ECON 2006 spring of freshman year.
COMM 2004 Public Speaking OR Free Elective, if COMM 1015-1016 taken
3 ____
Free Elective(s) or Course Required by Major
3 ____
ACIS majors – ACCT and ISA Options take ACIS 2504
BIT majors – CS 1054 spring sophomore year
ECON majors –ECON 3104 fall of sophomore year and ECON 3204 spring of sophomore year.
HTM majors – HTM 1414, HTM 2454, HTM 2464 are recommended electives
FIN and MGT majors – ACIS 2504 recommended junior year, but can be taken sophomore year.
ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS (Freshman and Sophomore Years)
Free Electives (all majors except ECON)
4 ____
Any combinations of 1,2, and 3, credit courses to complete the 4 credit hour requirement.
Science Labs and Free Electives (ECON majors ONLY)
1 ____
1 ____
ECON students must take two 1 credit science labs, and take any other free electives
to complete the 4 credit hour requirement.
2 ____
*C
23 . C‐ , 22
– Policy91–ProgressTowardsDegree
UniversityPolicy91outlinesuniversity-wideminimumcriteriatodetermineifstudentsare
makingsatisfactoryprogresstowardsthecompletionoftheirdegrees.PamplinUndergraduateProgramsandallPamplinCollegeofBusinessdepartmentsfullysupportthispolicy.
Speci icexpectationsforsatisfactoryprogressforallPamplinmajorsareoutlinedbelow:
· Eachstudentmustmeettheminimumuniversity-widecriteriaasdescribedinPolicy
91andsummarizedintheUndergraduateCourseCatalogandAcademicPoliciescataloghttp://www.undergradcatalog.registrar.vt.edu.
·
Additionally,
o Beenrolledinadegreegrantedprogram(maynolongerbeBusinessUndecided)priortoreaching72attemptedcredits.
o PamplinPolicyfornativestudents(thoseenteringVirginiaTechasbusi‐
nessstudents)occursat72attemptedcredits.Transferstudents(from
anotherinstitutionoramajoroutsideofPamplin)mustcomplyby90at‐
temptedcredits.
§ Studentsmusthavecompletedeachofthefollowingcourseswithat
leastaC-:ACIS1504,MATH1525-1526,ACIS2115-2116,BIT24052406,andECON2005-2006;oracceptedequivalentsforanyofthese
courses.
§ StudentsmusthaveearnedaGPAofa2.0inthecombinationofthefollowingcourses:ACIS1504,MATH1525-1526,ACIS2115-2116,BIT
2405-2406,andECON2005-2006;oracceptedequivalentsforanyof
thesecourses.
Studentsthatareidenti iedasnotmakingadequateprogresstowardstheirdegreeswillbe
noti iedat60+attemptedcredits(72+attemptedcreditsfortransferstudents)andmust
complywiththeCollege’sproceduresforcontinuedenrollmentwithinonesemester.AttemptedcreditsincludeallAP,IB,Cambridge,dualenrollment,transfer,andwithdrawn
credits.StudentsthatdonotmeettheconditionssetforthwillbedismissedfromthePamplinCollegeofBusiness(notVirginiaTech).
ThisstandardwasreviewedandapprovedbythePamplinUndergraduateCurriculumCommitteespring2014.
23
CareerServices
ThestaffatCareerServices,locatedintheSmithCareerServicesCenteronthecornerof
WashingtonStreetandWestCampusDrive,conductworkshopsonavarietyofjobsearch
topicsandbringhundredsofemployerstocampustointerviewstudentsforfull-timeemployment,aswellasinternshipandco-opexperiences.Theyalsoassiststudentsinresume
writing,interviewingskills,identifyinginternshipsandCooperativeEducation(co-op)opportunities,aswellaspermanentemploymentopportunities.Formoreinformationonthese
topicsandmore,visittheCareerServices’websiteatwww.career.vt.edu.
CareerServicesinPamplin
TheDirectorofCareerServices,whoislocatedin1046PamplinHall,servesastheprimary
contactbetweencorporaterecruitersandundergraduates.TheDirectorisalsotheadvisor
forBusinessHorizons(BH),theannualcollegecareerfair.
BusinessHorizonsCollegeCareerFair
September18,2014from10:00AM–4:00PM
January29,2015from1:00pm-6:00pm
BotheventswillbelocatedinSquiresStudentCenter.
www.businesshorizons.org
BusinessHorizons,astudent-runevent,providesanopportunitytomeetinformallywith
businessrepresentativesfrommorethan150companiesandorganizations.Byattending
BH,evenanewstudentcangetabetterpictureofwhatemployersarelookingforincandidatesandwhatopportunitiesexist.
Ithasbeensaid,“It’sajob,togetajob.”Therefore,studentsneedtotakeadvantageofthe
resourcesatVirginiaTechto indoutmoreaboutthebusinesscareersandthesearchprocess.Thereareprogramsthroughouttheacademicyearthataffordstudentstheopportunity
tomeetcorporaterecruiters,tolearnaboutthejobmarket,hiringpractices,internshipand
co-opopportunitiesandemployment.TogainthemostfromtheirPamplinexperience,studentsshouldstartnowtoexploreallthatthecollegehastoofferbeginningwiththefall2014
programs.
TheDirectorroutinelysendsemailstoPamplinstudentsviathePamplinCareerConnect
eNewsletter.Studentsareencouragedtoreadtheseemails,astheycontainvaluableinformationaboutupcomingcareereventsandemployerinformationsessions.
CareersessionsarepresentedthroughoutthefallsemesteroneachmajorinthePamplinCollegeofBusiness.Studentswillbenoti iedofspeci icdatesforeachprogramthroughlistserv
messagesinthefallsemester.
24
WhatEmployersLookForinCandidates
Workexperience,leadership,andgradesmakeupthethreekeyfactorsinhiring.Relevant
workexperience,eitherthroughinternshipsorco-op,isavitalfactorin luencingrecruiters’
decisions.Networkingcontactsaccountedforthesinglebiggestsourceofstudents inding
permanentemployment.OtherequallyviablesourcesofemploymentareCareerServices
programs,on-campusinterviewsandcareerfairs.Studentsoftenbroadentheirsearchesby
callingonfamily,friends,colleagues,otherstudents,formerhighschoolcontactsandemployers,aswellasutilizingtheinternettoaidintheircareersearchandgainunderstanding
ofvariouscareers.
Recruiterslookforcandidateswithproblemsolvingskills,theabilitytoworkindiverse
groupsandanunmistakablenaturaldrivetosucceedandlead.Leadershipisoftenthedecidingfactor,whenallotherapplicants’credentialsareequal.Whenevaluatingapplicants,recruitersalsolookforastronggradepointaverage,often3.0orbetter.Studentsareencouragedtomakethemostoftheircollegeyearstogainexperiencetolearnaboutcareergoals
whichareinlinewiththeirlifegoals.
SelectingaMajor
Choosingacareerpathisnotaneasydecisionandwillrequireresearchonthepartofthe
student.Tostartthisresearch,studentsshouldexploreinformationaboutthesevenbusinessmajors(accountingandinformationsystems,businessinformationtechnology,economics, inance,hospitalityandtourismmanagement,management,andmarketing)ontheinternetatwww.undergrad.pamplin.vt.edu.Thecareeradvisorforthemajorofinterestisanotherresource.Someothersuggestionsare:
 EnrollBUS2984andMGT1004,Quick-StarttoBusiness.Together,thesecoursesin troducestudentstothevarious ieldswithinbusinessusingdifferentapproaches.
 AttendtheCompanyDaysintheAtriumtolearnmoreaboutemploymentopportunitiesfromvariouscompanies.

VisittheSmithCareerCenter,onthecornerofWashingtonStreetandWestCampus
Drive.
 AttendBusinessHorizonsinSeptemberandFebruary.
 Joinoneofthemajor-relatedorganizations.
MajorinPamplinCollegeofBusiness
A
I
S
(ACIS)
Theaccountingandinformationsystemsmajorpreparesstudentstobeinformationageprofessionals.Twooptionsareavailable:1)accountingand2)informationsystemsaudit.
AccountingOption(ACCT)‐Thisprogramprovidesbasiceducationforcareersinpublic
accounting(CPA) irms,largeandsmallcorporations,governmentagencies,ornonpro it
25
organizations.TheprogrampreparesgraduatestoearntheCPA,CMA,andotherprofessionalaccountingcerti ications.Studentsshouldchecktherequirementsfortheirstateto
sitfortheCPAexam.
ISAudit(ISA)‐Thisprogramisdesignedtopreparestudentsforcareerasinformation
systemsauditorsandinformationsystemsprofessionalsinenterpriseriskassuranceservices,computerriskmanagementservices,andothersystemsassuranceservicesinbusiness,government,ornonpro itorganizations.ItpreparesgraduatestositfortheCPA,CISA,
andotherprofessionalcerti ications.
ISOption(ISO)‐TheInformationSystemsOptionisapremierinformationsystemsprogramdesignedtopreparestudentsforcareersinthedesignandimplementationofcomplexcomputer-basedinformationsystems.TheISOptioncurriculumemphasizesastrong
mixofbusinessandtechnologyknowledgeandskills.Aftercompletingtheprogram,studentswillbeabletoanalyzeabusinessproblem,designandimplementatechnology-based
solutionthatincludesadatabase,asetofcomputerprograms,userinterface,andsystem
architecture.StudentsarealsoexposedtoemergingtopicsinIS,suchasprivacy,security
andmobilecommunications.
B
I
T
(BIT)
TheDepartmentofBusinessInformationTechnology(BIT)offersanundergraduatemajor
designedtoprovideourstudentswithexpertiseinthedevelopmentanduseofcomputer
systemsandquantitativemodelingtechniquesforsolvingbusinessproblemsandmaking
managerialdecisions.Ourstudentslearnthenecessaryinformationtechnology(IT)and
computingskills,plusquantitativeandmodelingtechniques,todevelopandimplementsophisticatedbusiness-relatedcomputersystems.Thedegreeprogramespeciallyfocuseson
thepracticalapplicationofcomputingtobusinessproblem-solving.
Studentsinthismajorlearnquantitativetechniquesandmodelstoapplytomanagerial
problems,thecomputingskillsnecessarytoimplementthesemodels,andalogicalapproachtomanagerialdecision-making.Studentsaretaughthowtousethecomputeranda
varietyofanalytictechniquesinsolvingreal-worldproblems.Thecurriculumprovides
trainingbothforindividualsinterestedinpursuingcareersinbusinessandforthoseinterestedingraduateorprofessionaldegrees.StudentsmajoringinBusinessInformation
Technologymaychooseoneoftwooptionsre lectingtheirparticularcareerobjectivesand
interests. DecisionSupportSystemsOption(DSS)–Thedecisionsupportsystemsoptioneducates
thestudentinthedesign,implementationanduseofcomputerizedsystemsthatsupport
businessmanagersinthedecision-makingprocess.Adecisionsupportsystem(DSS)isa
computersystemthattypicallyencompassesmathematicalmodelsaswellasinformational
databasesandauserinterfaceinordertoproviderecommendeddecisionstomanagerusers.ADSSdiffersfromatraditionalinformationsystem(IS)ormanagementinformation
system(MIS)inthatitnotonlyprovidestheuserwithinformation,databasesorreports,as
doesanISorMIS,butitalsoprovidesanswerstouserqueries,i.e.,decisions,throughits
modelingcomponent.InessenceaDSSisacomputersystemthathelpsmanagersmakedecisions.
26
OperationsSupplyChainManagementOption(OSM)–Theoperationsandsupplychain
management(OSM)optionisdesignedtoteachourstudentshowtomanageoperationsin
businessandgovernment.Anoperationistheprocessbywhichacompanyororganization
convertsrawmaterials,laborandcapitalintoa inalproductorservice.Decisionshaveto
bemadetoestablishworkschedules,forecastdemand,improveandmaintainquality,ensureadequateinventory,transportandstoreproductsandmaterials,andordermaterials
andparts.Theseallrequireoperationaldecisionsthatcanbemadeusingthemanagerial
techniquesandcomputingtechnologiestaughtintheOSMoptionofourmajor.
E
(ECON)
TheundergraduateprogramineconomicsinthePamplinCollegeofBusinessisdesignedto
emphasizeanalyticalthinking,provideabroadunderstandingoftheoperationofcorporationsandtheeconomy,andstudygovernmentalandbusinesspolicy.Economicsisasubjectthatreachesintomanyareasofhumanlifeandisthescienceofhumanchoice.Economistsaskandseektoanswersuchquestionsas:Whataffectspeople’sbuyingdecisions?
Howcanacompanybestcompeteinthemultinationaltradeclimateofthe21stcentury?
Howcanwebettermanageourwealthasindividualsandasanation?Howcanwefairly
distributewealthandreducepoverty,disease,andcrime?
Economicsisgenerallydividedintotwomajorareasofstudy.Macroeconomicsexamines
larger,system-widephenomena,suchas inancialmarkets,in lation,unemployment,and
thede icit.Microeconomicslooksathowthemotivationsandbehaviorsofindividualsand
corporationscombinetocreatetheoftenunpredictableeconomictrendsofourtime.Studentswhoareinterestedinbusiness,politics,philosophy,orsocialpolicywill indthatan
economicsmajorintegratesthesespecializationsandcanserveasastrongfoundationfor
manydifferentcareerpaths.
Jobopportunitiesforeconomistsaregrowingfasterthanaverage.Thebestopportunities
arein inancialservices,consulting irms,andresearchorganizations.Thisprogram’s
strongpreparationinmathematics,statistics,andcriticalthinkingwillbeespeciallyappealingtoemployers.Approximatelyone-thirdoftheeconomicsgraduateswhopursueajob
aftergraduation indworkinthe inancialservicessectoroftheeconomywithanother
thirdgoingintoconsultingpositions.Theremainingstudentslandeitherinclassicbusiness
positions,suchasmanagementorsales,oringovernmentpositions.
F
(FIN)
Adegreein inanceprovidestrainingandspecializationinallaspectsofraisingandallocating inancialcapital.Financeisaspecialtythatdealswiththeallocationofresourcesonthe
corporate,institutional,andpersonallevels.Financialmanagementencompassesthe
sourcesandusesoffundsinallsectorsoftheeconomy.Thisprogramgivesstudentsperspectivesondecision-makingproblemsinbusiness,computer–based inancialanalysis,the
institutionalandlegalstructuresofcorporate inanceand inancialinstitutions,andtheapplicationoftheoreticalmodels.
Traditionally,threeseparatebutrelated ieldswithin inanceareidenti ied:1)Corporate
Finance,whichfocusesontheinternaldecisionsofcompaniestoraisefundsandinvestin
corporateassets;2)Investments,whichfocusesonthepurchaseandsaleofstocksand
27
bondsortheirderivativesbyindividualsorinstitutions;and3)FinancialServices,which
focusesonthemanagementandregulationofinstitutions,suchasbanks,andtherolethat
inancialinstitutionsplayintheeconomy.Thecurriculumrequiresstudentstotakecoursesineachoftheseareastoprovideastrong,broad-basedfoundation.Inaddition,students
takeelectivecoursesinFinanceandAccounting,allowingthemtoful illtherequirements
ofageneral inancetrackorspecialtracks.
FinanceTracks–studentscanchoosefromtheA)InvestmentManagementandChartered
FinancialAnalyst(CFA)track,B)CorporateFinancialManagementtrack,C)FinancialSer vicesManagementtrack,D)Certi iedFinancialPlanner(CFP)Certi icationandEducation
track,orE)GeneralFinancetrack.
Financegraduateshavefoundcareersincorporate inancialmanagement,banking, inancialinstitutions,andthesecuritiesindustry.Traditionalpositionsavailableto inancema jorsare:Controller,Treasurer,FinancialAnalyst,CreditAnalyst,SecuritiesAnalyst,Certiied inancialPlannersandAdvisors,Stockbroker,LoanOf icer,Auditor,andAccountRep resentative.GraduatesinFinanceusuallyenterabrieftrainingperioduponjoininganew
organization,afterwhichtheymoveintoanareaofneedandinterest,andtheydevelop
practicalexpertise.
H
T
M
(HTM)
Theundergraduateprograminhospitalityandtourismmanagementpreparesstudentsfor
managementpositionsinthehospitalityandtourismindustry,oneoftheworld’slargest
industries.Allstudentsobtainhands-onexperiencethroughcoursesinhospitalitymarket ing, inancialmanagement,computers,foodandbeverage,tourismmanagement,andlodgingoperationsmanagement.Specialemphasisisplacedondevelopinganalytical,decision
making,leadership,andcommunicationskills.
StudentswithundergraduatedegreesinHTM indawidevarietyofpositionsopentothem,
includingentry-levelmanagementpositionsintourism,hotels,restaurants,andinstitutionalfoodservicecompanies,aswellasfoodservicepositionsinthepublicsectorsecondary,
andpost-secondaryorganizations,andmanagedservices.MajoremployersthathaverecruitedHTMgraduatesatVirginiaTechincludeApplebee’s,Aramark,BuschGardens,
ChoiceHotels,ClubCorporationofAmerica,DoubleTree,Enterprise,Hilton,Houston’s,Hy att,Marriott,RedLobster,RubyTuesday,Starwood,USAirways,WaltDisneyWorld,and
Wyndham.
M
(MGT)
ThecurriculuminmanagementisuniquewithinthePamplinCollegeofBusinessbecauseit
fostersanintegratedperspectiveofbusinessenterprises.Courseworkinthetraditional
functionalareas(accounting,operations, inance,marketing,informationtechnology)is
coupledwithachoiceofoneoffollowingthreemanagementnine-houroptions.
Thecapabilitytomanageacrossfunctionsisofparamountimportanceinthemodern-day
businessenterprise.Ourcurriculumenablesstudentstounderstandhowtheseparatebusi nessfunctionscanbeintegratedtoachieveasingle,coordinatedeffort,especiallyin
28
complex,technologically-basedenterprises.
Tomorrow'smanagersmustbeabletoleadthemselves,otherindividuals,andteams.Studentsare
exposed to state-of-the-art ideas and practices regarding leadership, and are given multiple opportunitiestodeveloptheirinterpersonalskillswhileapplyingthisknowledgeinteamprojects.
Increasinglyinthemodernbusinessworld,organizationalsuccessdependsuponactionstakenin
situationsrequiringcomplexethicaljudgments.Therefore,aconcernforethicsisinfusedincoursesthroughouttheManagementcurriculum.
Entrepreneurship,Innovation,andTechnologyManagement(EIT)–Thisoptionprepares
studentstotakeanentrepreneurialapproachtomanagingorganizationalcontext,includinglarge
organizationsaswellasnewstartups.Itisalsosuitableforstudentswhointendtoruntheirown
businesses.
HumanResourcesManagement(MHR)–Thepurposeofthetrackistoprovidegeneralmanagerswiththeknowledgeandskillsnecessarytosystematicallymanagepeopleandhumanresource
processestohelptoachievegroupandorganizationaleffectiveness.Thecourseworkprovidesa
foundationforstudentsinterestedinpursuingeithergeneralmanagementorhumanresource
managementcareers.
ManagementConsultingandAnalysis(MCA)–Thepurposeofthisoptionistoprovideourstudentswithasolidbackgroundandcutting-edgeskillsthatwillfurtherstrengthentheirabilityto
succeedintheircareersingeneralmanagementconsulting.Studentswillalsobeabletocustomize
thecontentoftheoptionbyselectingfromalistofcoursesthatbroadenstheirknowledgeabout
consultingbeyondthestrategyconsultingemphasis.
M
(MKTG)
Theundergraduateprograminmarketingmanagementisdesignedtoofferstudentsabroadbusinesseducationwithanemphasisonprofessionaltrainingforcareersinsalesandmarketingmanagementinmanufacturing irms,suchserviceindustriesasbankingandhealthcare,andnon-pro it
organizations.Marketinggrowsoutoftheconceptofexchangebetweenbuyersandsellers.Drivenbytheneedsandwantsoftheconsumer,marketingmanagersdevelopnewproducts,assign
effectivepricelevels,createpromotionalstrategies,anddevelopthebestdistributionplansto
guaranteethatproductsreachthe inalconsumer.Marketingalsoplaysacrucialroleinmanaging
theef icient lowofgoodsandservicesfrombusinesstobusiness.Managingmarketingisgrowing
evenmoreexcitingastechnologyandtheInternetenablemanagerstostayinclosercontactwith
theircustomersandbettermanagethisrelationship.Inaquicklychangingglobalmarketplace,
marketingisanessentialfunction.Giventheimportantrolethatmarketingplaysinensuringour
highstandardofliving,itisnowonderthatourcountryistheleadingexporterofmarketing
knowledge.
VirginiaTechmarketinggraduatespursuearangeofcareers.Themajorityofon-campusrecruitersareseekinggraduatesforpositionsinindustrialandconsumersales.Suchexperienceisconsideredbymany irmstobeessentialfordevelopingexpertisewiththecompany’sproductline
andcustomers.Theseentry-levelpositionsleadtocareerpathsthatincludeproduct
29
management,salesmanagement,advertisingandpromotionalmanagement,logisticsand
supplychainmanagement.Retailing irmsalsorecruitmarketinggraduateswhoareinterestedinmerchandisingcareers.
ProfessionalSelling-WithintheMarketingmajor,studentscanpursuemorespecialized
skillsintherapidlygrowingareaofdigitalandsocialmedia,whichalsoinvolvesadditional
skillsinmarketinganalytics.Aconcentrationinprofessionalsellingisalsoavailable.Selling
skillsareessentialnotonlytostudentswhowilltakepositionsinsales,butalsotostudents
seekingcareersinotherareasofmarketing,suchasbrandmanagementandadvertising.
Theabilitytopresentandpersuadeisasessentialtosellingyourideaswithinthe irmasit
isinsellingproductsandservicestocustomersoutside.
MinorsinPamplinCollegeofBusiness
ApplicationforallPamplinCollegeofBusinessminorsareavailablein1046PamplinHall
andonthewebathttp://www.undergrad.pamplin.vt.edu/advising/businessminors.html.
A
B
C
M
The18-19creditAppliedBusinessComputingminorisopentostudentsinallmajors
acrossthecampus.Thisminorwillhelpstudentsgainabetterunderstandingoftheweb
andsystemsdesign.ItincludescoursesinAccountingandInformationSystems,Business
InformationTechnology,ComputerScience,andEngineering.
B
L
M
TheBusinessLeadershipMinorisopentoallVirginiaTechsophomores,juniors,andseniorswithatleasta2.50GPAinaminimumof24hoursatVirginiaTech.Applicationsto
theprogrammaybemadeduringthespringsemesterofthesophomoreyear.Theminoris
offeredbytheManagementDepartment’sBusinessLeadershipCenterandprovidesamulti
-disciplinary,experientialbackgroundinthehistory,values,skillsandtheoryofleadership.
Studentscantailortheirleadershipeducationandexperiencestomeetpersonalandcareer
needs.
TheLeadershipMinorconsistsof18hoursofstudy,includingninehoursofmanagement
courses,sixhoursofelectivesandthreehoursofexperientialactivity.
E
—N
V
G
M
TheEntrepreneurship-NewVentureGrowthMinorisintendedtofocusontheknowledge
andskillstocreatenewventuresandleadtheirearlygrowth.Theobjectiveistoprovide
students with the knowledge and skills needed to convert ideas into business successes,
particularlyinthecontextofengineeringandscience-basedtechnologycommercialization.
I
B
M
S
A
P
TheInternationalBusinessMinorisopentoallPamplinCollegeofBusinesssophomores,
juniorsandseniorswithatleasta2.00GPA.TheIBminorrequires18semesterhours,a
foreignlanguagerequirementandaninternationalexperience.Threeoftherequired
30
coursesareinternationalcourseswithinbusiness.Therequiredinternationalexperience
maytaketheformofastudyabroadprogram,anon-creditinternship,aninternationalCoopassignment,workinaU.S. irmwithaninternationallyorientedof ice,recentresidency
inaforeigncountry,oremploymentinaglobalbusiness-relatedinstitution.
ThePamplinCollegeofBusinesssponsorscredittripstoothercountriesfall,springand
summereachyear.Pamplinawardsmorescholarshipmoneyforsummerstudyabroad
thananyotherbusinesscollegeintheCommonwealth.Theseprogramshaveincludedtrips
toCambodia,China,France,Germany,Greece,India,Italy,Japan,Portugal,Spain,SouthAfrica,Thailand,Turkey,andVietnam.
JuniorsinPamplincanapplytospendthesemesterearning21semesterhoursattheVirginiaTechCenterEuropeanStudiesandArchitecture(CESA)inRivaSanVitale,Switzerland.Thisprogramiscompetitiveandstudentsapplyinthe irstsemesterofthesophomoreyearandarenoti iedoftheiracceptancebythebeginningofthespringsemester.
PamplinalsohasaspringsemesterprogramforupperlevelmarketingmajorsinLugano,
Switzerland.Inthisprogramstudentsnotonlytakeclasses,butworkwithSwissstudents
onactualbusinessproblemsforacompanythere.
InadditiontothePamplinprograms,studentshaveparticipatedinotherinternationalexchangeandstudyabroadprogramsaroundtheworld.Oneofthemostpopularprogramsis
theConsortiumInternationalUniversity(CIU)inPadernodelGrappa,Italy(nearVenice).
FacultiesfromuniversitiesacrosstheU.S.teachinthisprogram,includingPamplinfaculty.
CIUprogramsinthefall,spring,andsummersessionsoffercoursesinbusiness,communications,andeconomics.
M
D
M
M
TheminorinMulticulturalDiversityManagementhelpsstudentstobeeffectivemanagers
in21stcenturyorganizations.Thedemographicsoforganizationscontinuetochangeata
rapidpace.Theparadoxofmulticulturalismintheworkplaceisthatitpresentsoneofthe
greatestchallengeswhilealsopresentingoneofthegreatestopportunitiesthatorganizationsface.Studentscompletingthisminorwilldevelopawareness,knowledgeandskills
relatedtomanagingworkplacemulticulturaldiversity.
P
S
M
Salespositionsarecriticaltoall irmsandsalespositionsareexpectedtoincreasebyas
muchas25%overthenextseveralyears.Thishascreatedstrongcompetitionamongemployerstorecruittheverybestgraduates.TheProfessionalSellingminorisdesignedto
preparestudentstoexcelinthishighlylucrative ield.Thefocusoftheprogramistoprovidestudentswithcriticalcommunication,interpersonal,andpresentationskillskeyto
helpingorganizationsbuildlong-termcustomerrelationships.Theseskillswillbevaluable
notonlytothosepursuingsalescareersbutalsotoanyoneaspiringtomanagerialpositions—positionsthatinvolvepresentationofplansandideas,negotiation,andpersuasion.
31
Notes