Pamplin College of Business

Richard E. Sorensen, Dean
T. W. Bonham, Associate Dean for Administration and Research
Norrine Bailey Spencer, Associate Dean for Undergraduate Programs
Robert T. Sumichrast, Associate Dean for Graduate and International Programs

Virginia's largest undergraduate business school, The Pamplin College of Business is committed to outstanding teaching by full-time faculty who are nationally recognized in theoretical and applied research. The Pamplin College is further committed to being known for its graduate programs throughout the Commonwealth, and to serving business and society through the expertise of its faculty, alumni, and students. Dean Richard E. Sorensen has said, "The Pamplin College, as a center for excellence, is an academic generator of high quality applied and theoretical research that translates into teaching superiority and practitioner applications for all its audiences."

Our emphasis is on: Enhancing the high quality of our undergraduate programs; providing a high quality MBA program at locations throughout the Commonwealth; raising the research and scholarship reputation of the faculty; integrating the computer and technology into the academic curriculum; developing the leadership skills and ethical values of our students; preparing students for global business challenges, including providing opportunities for global experience before graduation; enhancing our commitment to diversity; heightening our level of service to the business community through the research and expertise of faculty, students, and graduates; and enhancing the quality of the Ph.D. program.

The Pamplin College of Business regards diversity as a source of strength and pride. Building upon this commitment, the Pamplin College affirms the following principles:

The curriculum includes a broad liberal arts foundation of two years, followed by a college core in the fundamentals of business theory and, finally, concentration in the major.

The college offers majors in:

Academic advising in the college parallels the two layers of the curriculum. Through the sophomore year, all students are advised in the Business Advising Center, 1046 Pamplin Hall. Following students' clearance for upper-division course work and their declarations of their majors, students are assigned faculty advisors from their majors.

Undergraduates are strongly encouraged to participate in the out-of-class activities of the college, particularly the annual career fair in September; the placement seminars, and registration and majors information meetings held each semester; the ethics and leadership seminars; college international programs and study abroad; and the various events of the 23 different student clubs in the college. These programs provide critical insights into the careers for which students are preparing and valuable opportunities for leadership.

Undergraduates are required to purchase a personal computer. The PC is used extensively in the curriculum. Purchase information and required configuration will be available each spring.

Administrative and faculty offices for the college are located in Pamplin Hall. The facility also includes study rooms, computer labs, conference rooms, a behavioral laboratory, an atrium, and a student organization office center.

The college is a member of The Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business, AACSB International. All programs are accredited by the AACSB.

Information about the college is updated regularly on the World Wide Web. Please see http://www.cob.vt.edu.

General Requirements for Graduation

A minimum of 125 semester hours is required for graduation in each curriculum.

The student must have an overall GPA of 2.0 (a "C" average) on all work attempted and in the courses in the major.

To ensure credit, a student desiring to take courses at another institution must secure approval of the associate dean for undergraduate programs of the Pamplin College before registering for the course at the other institution. If a student fails a business course at this university and wishes to repeat it at another institution, it must be taken at an AACSB-accredited school.

Acceptance of work completed at junior or community colleges is limited to those courses offered at the freshman-sophomore level at Tech. General university limitations on acceptability of transfer credit are shown elsewhere in this catalog.

Program for First Two Years

All students in business generally take the same required courses for the first two years. A major within the college may be selected at any time during the first two years, but must be selected by the end of the semester in which the student attempts 72 semester hours. Because Economics is not a restricted major, students in ECON who wish to change majors within the Pamplin College of Business must apply for any of the other five majors, ACIS, BIT, FIN, MGT, and MKTG. Any student not admitted into BIT when offered admission to the university must apply for this major.

Students must have a GPA of 2.0 or better in the combined series in accounting and information systems, business information technology, economics, and mathematics with no grade less than C- in the nine designated prerequisite courses in these departments; have an overall GPA of 2.0 or better for all course work; and have earned at least 60 semester hours before enrolling in junior business courses.

First Year
First SemesterH(C)
Engl 1105: Freshman English
or COMM 1015: Communication Skills
3(3)
MATH 1525: Calculus with Matrices3(3)
Scientific Reasoning and Discovery 16(4)
PSYC 2004 Introductory Psychology
or SOC 1004: Introductory Sociology
3(3)
ACIS 1504: Introduction to Business Information Systems3(3)
Credits(16)
Second Semester
ENGL 1106: Freshman English
or COMM 1016: Communication Skills
3(3)
MATH 1526: Calculus with Matrices3(3)
Scientific Reasoning and Discovery 16(4)
Social Science 26(6)
Credits(16)
Second Year
First Semester
ACIS 2115: Principles of Accounting3(3)
BIT 2405: Quantitative Methods3(3)
ECON 2005: Principles of Economics33(3)
Ideas, Cultural Traditions, and Values43(3)
Comm 2004: Public Speaking 53(3)
Free Elective 63(3)
Credits(18)
Second Semester
ACIS 2116: Principles of Accounting3(3)
BIT 2406: Quantitative Methods3(3)
ECON 2006: Principles of Economics33(3)
Ideas, Cultural Traditions, and Values43(3)
Computer Course (if required by major)
or Free elective
3(3)
Credits(15)
1 Any two semesters with lab from Area 4 in the University Core.

2 Six additional hours of social science to be selected from any courses in Economics (beyond 2005, 2006), Geography, History (except HIST 1024, 1026, or 2054), International Studies, Political Science (except 3015, 3016), Psychology, and Sociology or any course approved for Area 3 of the University Core Curriculum. Students wishing to take foreign language courses may do so the freshman year, in the space designated for social sciences, and then take the required social sciences in the junior or senior year. Students who need to complete the U.S. History requirement may use three hours of the social sciences for this requirement.

3 These two required courses will complete Area 3 of the University Core.

4 Any six semester hours in Area 2 of the University Core Curriculum.

5 Or, if COMM 1015-1016 completed, free elective.

6 Free electives must include at least a one-hour course from Area 6 of the University Core Curriculum. The Area 7 requirement may be used to meet another requirement or a free elective.

College Requirements for Second Two Years

By the beginning of the junior year, the student will have selected a major area, but regardless of major selected, the following core courses are required of all business students:

BIT 3414: Production and Operations Management(3)
FIN 3055: Legal Environment of Business(3)
FIN 3104: Intoduction to Finance(3)
MGT 3304: Management Theory and Leadership Practice(3)
MKTG 3104: Marketing Management(3)
MGT 4394: Business Policy and Strategy(3)

At least 50 percent of the hours completed for the degree must be taken outside the college, except in the majors of accounting and accounting information systems.

Center for Leadership Studies and Leadership Minors

The Center for Leadership Studies coordinates leadership programs across campus including the Corps of Cadets Center for Leader Development, the Department of Management's Business Leadership Center, and other leadership activities organized by the Pamplin College of Business, Student Affairs, and Interdisciplinary Studies. Currently, the college administers two minors: the Virginia Tech Corps of Cadets minor in leadership studies and the Department of Management Business Leadership minor.

For more information on the 18-credit Corps of Cadets minor in leadership, see the material in the ROTC section of the catalog or contact the Center for Leader Development, 540/231-7136.

The new 18-21-credit Business Leadership minor is open to students in all majors who have at least a 2.5000 overall GPA at Virginia Tech. It includes required courses in management theory and leadership practice, ethical leadership and corporate social responsibility, and advanced skills in leadership; elective courses from business, communication studies, humanities, and sociology; and a required service activity. For additional information, contact Dr. James R. Lang, Director, Business Leadership Concentration, 540/231-2604.

Electronic Business Minor

Sophomores, juniors, and seniors in The Pamplin College of Business, except BIT-EBT, who are in good standing, are eligible for the Electronic Business Minor of 18 semester hours. The four required courses are: ACIS 3554, Foundations od Electronic Commerce Technologies; BIT/ACIS 4594, E-Commerce Systems; FIN 4014, Internet, Electronic, and Online Law; and MKTG 4505, Internet Marketing. The two restricted electives may be chosen from a list of 11 specified courses. Applications for this minor are available in the Undergraduate Programs Office, 1046 Pamplin Hall.

Global Business Minor

Sophomores, juniors, and seniors in the Pamplin College who have at least a 2.0 overall GPA are eligible for the Global Business minor of 18 semester hours of course work and an international experience. The required course work includes: three courses from ECON 4136, International Economics: Finance; FIN 4144, International Financial Management; MGT 4314, International Management; and MKTG 4704, International Marketing; as well as nine additional semester hours from a list of international courses in five colleges, one of which must be in foreign languages if at least three years of a foreign language were not passed in high school. The required international experience may be met with study abroad, international internships, co-op assignments at multinational corporations, and living abroad. To facilitate the international experience requirement, Pamplin offers six to eight summer study abroad trips which generally involve six semester hours of credit toward the degree and concentration. Applications for this minor are available in 1046 Pamplin Hall.

Minor in Business

Students with majors outside Pamplin may apply for a minor in business if they have competitive grades in required courses, a minimum 2.0 overall GPA on at least 24 semester hours at Virginia Tech, if they have completed Math 1525-1526 or its equivalent, and if they have at least a C- in any ACIS, BIT, ECON, FIN, MGT, or MKTG, course which they have taken. The minor consists of 27 semester hours of lower division course work which must be successfully completed before taking the 15 semester hours of upper division courses. Applications are available in 1046 Pamplin.

The lower division requirements are ACIS 1504, Introduction to Business Information Systems; ACIS 2115-16, Principles of Accounting; BIT 2405-06, Quantitative Methods; ECON 2005-2006, Principles of Economics; and MATH 1525-26, Calculus with Matrices, and the upper division courses are: BIT 3414, Production and Operations Management, or BIT 4414, Service Operations Management; FIN 3055, Legal Environment of Business; FIN 3104, Introduction to Finance; MGT 3304, Management Theory and Leadership Practice; and MKTG 3104, Marketing Management. In order to complete the minor in business, students must have a 2.0 GPA in the 15 semester hours of upper division courses.

Real Estate Minor

Sophomores, juniors, and seniors in any major with at least a 2.0 overall GPA and with a 2.0 average in any real estate minor courses already taken may apply for a real estate minor. Coordinated in Pamplin, this minor of 19 semester hours includes courses from five different colleges and is administered by a steering committee of faculty from those colleges. The 13 semester hours of required courses include: AAEC 4754 and 4764, Real Estate Law and Real Estate Appraisal; FIN 4154, Real Estate Finance or MKTG 4734, Real Estate Marketing; and UAP 4744, Principles of Real Estate (4 s.h.). The additional two courses may be taken from a list of nine designated electives in AAEC, BC, FIN, NEID, MKTG, and UAP. Pamplin College of Business students in the minor must take both FIN 4154 and MKTG 4734, and select one additional course. Applications are available in 1046 Pamplin Hall.

Cooperative Education Programs in Business

The college participates in the Cooperative Education Program in which qualified students may alternate semesters of study in the major with semesters of professional employment. Additional information pertaining to the program is included in the "Academics" chapter of this catalog.

Graduate Programs in Business

Graduate instruction and opportunities for research are offered to students who have bachelor's degrees from accredited colleges. The college offers the Master's of Business Administration, and master's and Ph.D. degrees in all departments. All graduate students are required to attain a satisfactory score on the Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT).

Preparation for Law

The Pamplin College of Business has no pre-law major. Law schools generally require an undergraduate degree. The four-year course leading to the B.S. degree in any major in the college provides a sound preparation for law school, and pre-law advisors from the Pamplin faculty are provided.


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Virginia Tech -- Undergraduate Catalog, 2002-2004
Last update: August 2002

URL: http://www.vt.edu/academics/ugcat/ucCBus.html