What are the most important classes for MMIB students to take, i.e., those that should be taken as early as possible?

Answer: follow the BBA Suggested Course Sequence available from the front desk in 403. In general, first priority goes to developmental (098/099) courses if applicable; freshman English; MTH 143, 144, 220; ACC 231, 232; BCM 247; COM 111; CSC 121; and ECO 231, 232. Juniors should go quickly on from those to BLW 335; ECO 339; FIN 333; GBU 325; MGT 370, 371; and MKT 351.

Management majors should take MGT 370 and 371 as soon as they are eligible to do so.

Marketing majors should take MKT 351, 355, and 452 as soon as they are eligible to do so. Don’t forget that marketing majors and minors must have a “C” or higher in 351.

International Business majors who are not already fluent in a foreign language should start taking language classes no later than the sophomore year (up to four classes may be required, and not everyone passes the first time!).

International Business majors should also check the latest International Business Course Offering Information sheet for courses that are not offered every semester. Don’t let the student miss taking something that won’t be offered again before he/she graduates.

2. A student needs to take his/her first MTH course. How do I tell which one to recommend?

Answer: check the student’s test scores on the first page of the transcript (screen 136). Any student taking a college level math class MTH 138 or above must be TSI complete/exempt in mathematics. Additionally, the student must meet one of the following requirements:

TASP/THEA math score of 250 or higher
ACT math score of 21 or higher
SAT math score of 500 or higher
ASSET math score of 47 or higher,
COMPASS math score of 66 or higher,
ACCUPLACER score of 85 or higher

take MTH 143.

If none of the above, but has :

TASP/THEA math score of 220 or higher,
ACT math score of 15 or higher,
SAT math score of 400 or higher,
ASSET math score of 30 or higher,
COMPASS math score of 23 or higher,
ACCUPLACER score of 42 or higher, or
Passed MTH 098 with a C or higher

take MTH 099.

If none of the above:

take MTH 098.

Note: if the student already has had a MTH class, a grade of “C” or higher is necessary to move from 098 to 099, or 099 to 143, or 143 to 144 (see MTH 220 in #4 below). A student with a “C” or higher in MTH 138 may also take 144.

3. A student has a THEA score between 230 and 250. Can the student take MTH 110 instead of MTH 099 to gain entry to MTH 143?

Answer: No. This is no longer true.

4. What are the requirements to take MTH 220?

Answer: same as for MTH 143 in item 2 above, i.e., TASP/THEA math of 250 or higher, ACT math of 21 or higher and composite score of 23, etc. A student may also take MTH 220 if they have passed MTH 099 or higher (preferably MTH 143) with a grade of C or higher.

5. A student has completed MTH 138 (College Algebra) with a passing grade. Is MTH 143 required?

Answer: not usually. A “C” or higher in 138 is always acceptable as a substitute for 143. If the student has a “D” in 138 and wants to take 144 at SFA, see item 6 below. If the student has passed 144 or isn’t taking it at SFA, a “D” or higher in 138 is acceptable. Note: business majors should always take MTH 143 if they have had neither 138 nor 143.

6. A student has made a “D” in MTH 143 or 138 and needs to take MTH 144. What should the student do?

Answer: there are three options:

(a) Repeat MTH 143 or 138 as applicable and make a “C” or higher. This can improve the student’s GPA unless the student has already taken the course twice at SFA (see item 19 below).

(b) If the D is in MTH 138, take 143; if the D is in 143, take 138. Either way, a “C” or higher is required, and 138 will then count as an elective. This option is best if the student needs an elective and doesn’t mind leaving the D on the transcript. Note: MTH 138 is generally found to be harder than 143.

(c) Identify another school that will let you take the equivalent of MTH 144 even though you have the “D” in the prerequisite, then transfer the credit to SFA. Be careful of the limits on transferred work as described in item 15 below.

7. A student needs to take his/her first English course. How do I tell which one to recommend?

Answer: check the student's test scores on the first page of the transcript (screen 136).

Note the following are broken down in Reading and Writing Scores*:

Reading Scores:
THEA reading of 230 or higher,
ACT English of 19 or higher,
SAT reading of 500 or higher,
TAKS (11th-grade test only) 2200 ELA and 3 on essay,
ASSET reading of 41 or higher,
COMPASS reading of 81 or higher or
ACCUPLACER reading of 78 or higher.

None of the above: assign student to RDG 098.

Writing Scores**:
THEA writing of 220 or higher AND 5 on writing sample,
ACT English of 19 or higher,
SAT reading of 500 or higher,
TAKS (11th grade test only) 2200 ELA and 3 on essay,
ASSET writing of 40 AND 5 on writing sample,
COMPASS writing of 59 AND 5 on writing sample, or
ACCUPLACER writing of 80 AND 5 on writing.

None of the above: assign student to ENG 099.

IF A STUDENT MEETS THE MINIMUM ACCEPTABLE SCORES IN READING AND WRITING IN ANY COMBINATION ABOVE ASSIGN TO ENG 131.

*If either of the following conditions exist

ACT 23 composite + 19 English
SAT 1070 combined + 500 Verbal

assign to ENG 131.

**If Writing Sample score is 6 or higher, then the student passes the Writing portion even if Writing score is 0.

8. A student has completed CSC 101, or has completed a similar class at another school. Does he/she need to take 121?

Answer: if the transcript shows credit for CSC 101, the student does not need 121. CSC 101 will be substituted for CSC 121 when the student files his/her degree plan. If the course did not transfer as CSC 101 or 121, the student may bring a detailed description to the Computer Science Department (McGee room 303) and have it evaluated. Such a course is only acceptable to replace CSC 121 if approved by the Computer Science Department (the course will count as an elective if not approved to replace CSC 121).

9. A student has less than 60 earned hours. Can he/she take junior classes?

Answer: maybe. If the student is enrolled in enough courses to have 60 or more earned hours at the end of the current semester, definitely yes. If the student will have 60 or more earned hours at the end of the semester for which he/she is registering, junior classes are only permitted if (1) explicit course prerequisites have been met, and (2) the student has no remaining freshman or sophomore requirements that can reasonably be taken at this time. If a student has fewer than 60 hours of coursework at the time of registration, he/she may register for business courses numbered 300 or higher only with permission of the chair of the department(s) offering the course(s).

10. Student has completed one or more MTH courses at the MTH 233 level (Calculus I) or higher. What are the student’s math requirements?

Answer: 9 hours of MTH including one course in Probability and Statistics (MTH 220 or equivalent) and at least one course in calculus (MTH 144, 233, or 234) is always required no matter what else the student has taken. MTH 233 or higher plus one other MTH class from 138, 139, 143, 144, or 234 or higher and MTH 220 will generally suffice. Contact the College of Business Dean’s Office for requirements if not sure.

11. Student is being advised for fall or spring, has not completed all his/her MTH requirements, and wants to skip MTH saying, “I’m going to take that next summer.” What should the advisor say?

Answer: every student who has not yet completed all 9 hours of required MTH should be advised to take at least one MTH class every semester until the requirements are finished. If the student fails to follow that advice and is consequently not eligible to take a needed class in the future, it is then the student’s fault and not the advisor’s. On the other hand, a freshman planning to take math the next summer probably won’t be hurt much by the delay if he/she actually passes the course(s).

12. Student has completed MTH 138 or 143 but neither of 144 or 220 and is ready or almost ready to take junior-level classes. Should I recommend MTH 144 or 220?

Answer: in this case, recommend MTH 220. If the student is this far along, MTH 220 is necessary to get into several of the required junior-level classes. However, MTH 144 should not be delayed longer than necessary, or the student will forget enough algebra to have trouble in

MTH 144. If the student is still a freshman, you would ordinarily recommend MTH 144 as the second math class.

13. Are required classes offered every semester that students need them?

Answer: no. Check the MMIB Course Rotation for when MGT and MKT courses are planned to be offered, and check the current International Business Course Offering Information sheet for when courses needed by International Business majors are planned to be offered. Management majors should be especially careful concerning MGT 380 and 472, since those are not offered every semester and usually have only one section when they are offered. Also, MKT 455 and 457 are not currently offered in the summer.

14. What should the advisor do if the student wants to take courses at a different institution?

If the student wishes to take a lower level course at a community college, he or she should make sure they are taking the exact equivalent of the desired SFA course by going online to the SFA Admissions’ Transfer Equivalency Guide: http://apache.sfasu.edu/sfa_forms/course_eq.shtml
Important note!!: Only lower level courses may be transferred to SFA from community colleges. Advanced courses at SFA do not have equivalents at 2-year institutions, regardless of whether the course titles or textbook used are the same. Also, many courses at 2-year institutions are not transferrable for ANY SFA credit, so it is extremely important that the student identify the correct equivalent to take. See note #15 below.

If the student wishes to take an advanced (300 or 400 level) course at a 4-year institution, and transfer it back to SFA for credit, he or she should be referred to the SFA Admissions Office to determine what course at the identified institution is an equivalent for an SFA course. Students who wish to take an advanced course elsewhere are usually fairly along in their degree program, so it is extremely important that they also identify the correct equivalent to take. See note #15 below.

15. What is the most hours a student can transfer to SFA?

Answer: no more than 66 hours of academic coursework plus up to a maximum of 4 hours of kinesiology activity classes can be transferred from a junior college. If transferring from a four-year college, the only limits are implied by the minimums that must be taken at SFA: at least 42 total hours at SFA; at least 36 hours advanced (300 or higher) at SFA; at least half of the business requirements at SFA; and at least 12 hours of advanced courses in major at SFA. Also, the capstone MGT 463 Business Policy and Strategy course must be taken at SFA.

16. What should the advisor do if he/she discovers that a student has consistently failed to follow advice, particularly with respect to courses marked as “important” on the advisor slips.

Answer: refer the student to the Department Chair or Assistant Department Chair for advising.

17. When/how should the student file a degree plan?

Answer: each student should file a "Degree Plan" with the College of Business Dean's office early in the first semester after he/she completes 45 or more hours of college coursework. Failure to do so greatly increases the risk of "wasting" courses by taking something that doesn't count toward the student's degree.

18. When/how should the student file a graduation plan?

Answer: each student should file a "Final Graduation Plan" with the College of Business Dean's office about 10 months before the expected date of graduation. That works out to early August for graduation the following May; early March for graduation the following December, or early November for graduation the following August. Having the document complete greatly improves the odds of being able to enroll in needed courses, while failure to do so greatly increases the risk of "wasting" courses by taking something that does not count toward the student's degree.

19. What happens to GPA when a class is repeated?

Answer: it depends on where and when the class is repeated as follows:

Classes repeated at another college or university have no impact on the SFA GPA. Such classes often can be used to meet graduation requirements. Anyone considering repeating a class other than at SFA should discuss their situation with a department advisor.

If a class is repeated once (taken twice) at SFA, only the highest grade counts. If both grades are the same, one of them will count.

Beginning fall 2000, a student who takes a class three or more times at SFA will have all grades counted in his/her GPA. Attempts prior to fall 2000 are not held against the student.

Note: beginning in spring 2007, students will be charged $100 extra per credit hour plus regular tuition for the third and subsequent attempts of any course. Exemptions are made for classes taken prior to fall 2002, for 098/099 courses up to 18 hours total, and for topics courses that grant additional credit when repeated under a different topic.

20. How do 098/099 grades affect GPA?

Answer: prior to fall 2001 and after spring 2003, 098/099 grades are not counted in the GPA. Grades do count if earned between fall 2001 and spring 2003 inclusive. However, if an 098/099 course is repeated in summer 2003 or later, any previous grades in that course are removed from the GPA.

**21. Where do I find detailed requirements for BBA degrees in terms of GPA, hours in residence, etc.?

Answer: see the Bachelor of Business Administration section of the General Bulletin.

22. A student made a “D” in a class. Does it have to be repeated?

Answer: maybe. The minimum acceptable grade is “C” for freshman English. Marketing majors and minors must make at least a “C” in MKT 351. See item 6 above for MTH 138/143 requirements. Other than these, D’s are acceptable so long as the student has a C average in all of the following categories: overall; in the College of Business Foundation (see degree plan); in all College of Business courses; in the major; and (if applicable) in the minor. If the student does not have a sufficient number of A’s or B’s to offset any D’s in a given category, it may be
necessary to repeat one or more D’s. See the Department Chair or the Assistant Department Chair for more information about the specific situation.

23. What should a student do who is making poor grades and who is doing so because he/she has not developed good study habits?

Answer: see a department advisor and discuss the possibility of enrolling in SFA 198: Learning and Study Skills. For the student to enroll, the advisor or the department administrative assistant must call the SFA Center for Academic Advising at x5803 for a permit.

24. Can a student be charged out-of-state tuition because of having too many attempted hours?

Answer: yes. “Excess hours” are courses that have been dropped (grade of W, WP, or WF), courses that have been repeated, and courses taken that will not count toward the student’s degree (excluding the first 18 hours of 098/099 developmental courses). All coursework at Texas state colleges and universities is included whether or not it shows on the SFA transcript. The current limit is 45 excess hours but will drop to 30 for fall 2006 and later entering freshmen. If the total number of attempted hours at Texas state colleges and universities is more than 45 above degree requirements, SFA will begin charging out-of-state tuition even if the student is a Texas resident. For students under a 130 hour degree program, that means the student will be charged out-of-state tuition when he/she gets above 175 attempted hours (when he/she gets above 160 hours for fall 2006 and later freshmen). Students who declare a minor or second major do not get any extra allowance. Send problem students to the department chair or one of the other probation advisors.

Note: out-of-state tuition can also be charged for excess repeats of a single course. See FAQ #19 above.