Pamplin College of Business

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Course Descriptions & Programs of Study

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Overview

Range of Programs

The Pamplin College of Business offers majors in Accounting and Information Systems, Business Information Technology, Economics*, Finance, Hospitality and Tourism Management, Management, and Marketing. Its on-campus enrollment is over 4,000 undergraduates and about 200 full-time graduate students in the MS-BA in Business Analytics, and Ph.D. programs. The college also enrolls over 175 Evening MBA, about 50 Executive MBA students and about 25 MS-BA in Hospitality and Tourism at Virginia Tech's National Capital Region campuses located in metropolitan Washington, D.C. as well as about 50 Professional MBA students in classes meeting monthly alternating between Richmond and Roanoke. In addition the college also enrolls over 600 students in our online Masters of Information Technology and about 25 students in the Executive Ph.D. in Business Research with residencies at Falls Church and Blacksburg campuses.

*The Economics major in Pamplin has been discontinued and students are no longer being accepted into the program. Currently enrolled Economics students have until May 2022 to complete all degree requirements.

Competitive Advantages of Pamplin

The college offers five distinct competitive advantages:

1. start in the business school from day one
2. graduate with a strong business foundation
3. get jobs (nearly 90% with a job in their field at graduation)
4. develop skills through hands-on experiences
5. connect with engaged alumni

Groundbreaking Research, Eminent Scholarship

Pamplin faculty members are tackling major issues in industry, finance, management practice, and information technology, to name a few areas. Their research has contributed to greater understanding of business issues, been cited in government hearings and court testimony, and played a role in policy making. Though sponsored research is not a central aspect of the research programs of business schools, several Pamplin faculty members have attracted national funding for their research, working as members of interdisciplinary teams. The college's departments are also regularly ranked among the nation's or world's top programs for scholarly productivity, based on article publication in the leading academic journals in their fields.

Centers

The college offers two centers devoted to helping students and corporations gain more knowledge. The Apex Systems Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship helps students to learn, lead, and launch. Students will learn to be empowered with skills, tools, and information to create successful ventures. They will launch ventures through support and resources that will help them transform vision to reality. Finally, the center will lead the next generation of entrepreneurs and help them to have courage to build exceptional ventures. The Center for Business Intelligence and Analytics will assist with big data and harnessing analytic techniques to transform raw data into useful information for better business decisions.

Curriculum

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

• Accounting and Information Systems
• Business Information Technology
• Finance
• Hospitality and Tourism Management
• Management
• Marketing

Academic Advising

Academic advising is an important aspect of each student's college career. Students are assigned to a professional academic advisor to assist from entry in Pamplin until graduation. All students are advised in Pamplin Undergraduate Programs, 1046 Pamplin Hall.

Undergraduates are strongly encouraged to participate in the out-of-class activities of the college, particularly the annual career fairs in September and January, ethics and leadership seminars, college international programs and study abroad, and the various events of the over 30 different student clubs in the college. Many of these programs provide critical insights into the careers for which students are preparing, as well as valuable opportunities for leadership.

Undergraduates are required to bring a computer to the university, as well as purchase university and Pamplin software bundles. The computer is used extensively in the curriculum. Purchase information and required configuration will be available each spring.

Facilities

Administrative and faculty offices for the college are located in Pamplin and Wallace Halls. Our facilities also include study rooms, computer labs, conference rooms, a behavioral laboratory, a kitchen laboratory, an atrium filled with furniture conducive to studying and group work, and a student organization office center.

Accreditation

The college is a member of The Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business, AACSB International. All programs are accredited by the AACSB. Additionally, the ACIS program holds an accreditation from AACSB: AACSB Accounting Accreditation. The Finance department is accredited through the Certified Financial Planning Board of Standards, Inc.

General Requirements for Graduation

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

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

To ensure credit, a student desiring to take courses at another institution must secure approval from Pamplin Undergraduate Programs before registering for the course at another institution. Completion of the "Authorization to Take Courses Elsewhere" must be submitted to 1046 Pamplin Hall. The student will be notified of the outcome via email.

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

Degree Requirements

The graduation requirements in effect at the time of graduation apply. When reviewing degree requirement information, always choose the year of expected date of graduation. Requirements for graduation are referred to via university publications as "checksheets". The number of credit hours required for degree completion varies among curricula. Students must satisfactorily complete all requirements and university obligations for degree completion.

The university reserves the right to modify requirements in a degree program. However, the university will not alter degree requirements less than two years from the expected graduation year unless there is a transition plan for students already in the degree program.

Please visit the University Registrar website at http://registrar.vt.edu/graduation-multi-brief/index1.html for degree requirements.

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 during the first two years, but must be selected no later than the end of the semester in which the student attempts 72 semester hours. Because Economics is an unrestricted major within the College of Business, students in ECON who did not enter the university as BUS or ECON, must apply if they wish to change into ACIS, BIT, FIN, HTM, MGT, and MKTG. HTM is a restricted major with different application requirements. Students who did not enter the university as BUS or HTM must apply if they wish to change or add into another business major. The college accepts applications from VT students in majors outside the Pamplin College of Business three times a year - May, August, and January. Students must have a GPA of 2.5 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 courses in these departments and have an overall GPA of 2.0 or better for all course work. Pamplin enforces a strict policy of progress toward degree (Policy 91). The above requirements must be met by 72 credits (90 credits for transfer students) or the student will be dismissed from the college (not Virginia Tech) and not allowed to enroll in any business major. Some junior level courses may be taken at 45 credits, if the student has taken the required pre-requisite courses.

Business Core

All business students take the same business core, regardless of major. The core creates a strong foundation in all aspects of business. All core courses require a grade of C- or better or else the course must be repeated. However, students at the university may only attempt a course three times. The core courses include: ACIS 1504, 2115, 2116; BIT 2405, 2406; ECON 2005, 2006; FIN 3054 or 3074, 3104; MATH 1525, 1526; MGT 3304, 4394; and MKTG 3104.

Applied Business Computing Minor

The 18-19 credit Applied Business Computing minor is open to students in all majors across campus. This minor will help students gain a better understanding of web and systems design. It includes courses in Accounting and Information Systems, Business Information Technology, Computer Science, and Engineering.

The requirements to earn a minor in applied business computing can be found on the University Registrar website http://registrar.vt.edu/graduation-multi-brief/checksheets/minors/index.html.

Business Minor

Students with majors outside the Pamplin College of Business may apply for a minor in business if they have a minimum 2.0 overall GPA in at least 24 semester hours at Virginia Tech, have completed Math 1525-1526 or equivalents, and have a grade of at least C- or better in any ACIS, BIT, ECON, FIN, MGT, or MKTG courses taken. The minor consists of 27 semester hours of lower division course work plus 15 semester hours of upper division course work. In order to complete the minor in business, students must have a 2.0 GPA in the 15 semester hours of upper division courses.

The requirements to earn a minor in business can be found on the University Registrar website at http://registrar.vt.edu/graduation-multi-brief/checksheets/minors/index.html.

Digital Marketing Strategy Minor

Digital marketing encompasses many areas of application, including mobile marketing, Internet marketing, e-commerce, and social media marketing. The Digital Marketing Strategy minor enables students to acquire knowledge and skills in online and digital business and digital product delivery, as well as development, analysis, and enhancement of a company's presences on the web, mobile and social networks. The minor is open to all Pamplin College of Business majors and requires 21 hours of coursework.

The requirements to earn a minor in digital marketing can be found on the University Registrar website http://registrar.vt.edu/graduation-multi-brief/checksheets/minors/index.html.

Entrepreneurship-New Venture Growth Minor

The Entrepreneurship-New Venture Growth Minor is intended to focus on the knowledge and skills needed to create new ventures and lead their early growth. The objective is to provide students with the knowledge to convert ideas into business successes, particularly in the context of engineering and science-based technology commercialization.

The curriculum consists of eighteen (18) credit hours of study, including six hours of foundational entrepreneurship coursework, six hours of business restricted electives, and six hours of restricted electives.

The requirements to earn a minor in entrepreneurship can be found on the University Registrar website http://registrar.vt.edu/graduation-multi-brief/checksheets/minors/index.html.

International Business Minor

Sophomores, juniors, and seniors in the Pamplin College who have at least a 2.0 overall GPA are eligible for the International Business minor. The minor consists of 18 semester hours of course work, four years of a foreign language (may be satisfied from high school), and an approved international experience.

The requirements to earn a minor in international business can be found on the University Registrar website http://registrar.vt.edu/graduation-multi-brief/checksheets/minors/index.html.

Leadership Centers and Minors

The Business Leadership Center (BLC) within the Department of Management was established to provide support for the Business Leadership Minor and to promote leadership development through conferences, presentations, seminars, and research, as well as to establish contacts with organizations for leadership-related experiences. It acts as an educational center that fosters leadership development through intellectual stimulation in the classroom, interaction with successful business leaders and scholars, and participation in leadership roles throughout the Virginia Tech community.

The mission of the Major General W. Thomas Rice Center for Leader Development, housed within the Virginia Tech Corps of Cadets, is to foster the next generation of public leaders by integrating theory and practice through scholarly dialogue and experiential learning in the areas of leadership, civic responsibility, service, and moral values, contributing to the development of informed and responsible individuals who are committed to making a difference, in their nation, and in the world.

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 21-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) 231-9455.

The 18-credit Business Leadership minor is open to students in all majors who have at least a 2.5 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, humanities, and sociology; and a required leadership experiential activity. For additional information, contact Dr. Kim Carlson, Business Leadership Center, (540) 231-1279, leadershipcenter@vt.edu.

The requirements to earn a minor in leadership can be found on the University Registrar website http://registrar.vt.edu/graduation-multi-brief/checksheets/minors/index.html.

Professional Sales Minor

Sales positions are critical to all firms and sales positions are expected to increase by as much as 25% over the next several years. This has created strong competition among employers to recruit the very best graduates. The Professional Sales minor is designed to prepare students to excel in this highly lucrative field. The focus of the program is to provide students with critical communication, interpersonal, and presentation skills key to helping organizations build long-term customer relationships. These skills will be valuable not only to those pursuing sales careers but also to anyone aspiring to managerial positions - positions that involve presentation of plans and ideas, negotiations, and persuasion. This minor requires seven specified courses to be completed with at least a 2.0 GPA overall and within the courses.

The requirements to earn a minor in professional sales can be found on the University Registrar website http://registrar.vt.edu/graduation-multi-brief/checksheets/minors/index.html.

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" section 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 Master of Business Administration programs, 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 four-year course work 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.

Economics

Economics has previously been offered as a major through both the Pamplin College of Business (ECON) and the College of Science (ECAS). However, the Pamplin College of Business has discontinued its Economics degree and students will no longer be accepted into the Economics major. Currently enrolled Economics students must complete all degree requirements by May 2022.

The College of Science continues to offer the ECAS degree. For economics faculty and course descriptions, visit Economics in the College of Science.

Undergraduate Course Descriptions (BUS)

1984: SPECIAL STUDY
Variable credit course.

2984: SPECIAL STUDY
Variable credit course.

3974: INDEPENDENT STUDY
Variable credit course.