Academic Planning

Plan and create your academic path.

Understanding the credits you need

What your B.A. or B.S. is made up of

Like a well-balanced meal, your education will involve different “groups” of classes. First up are baccalaureate core, or "Bacc Core" — OSU required credits in science and humanities. Next, we have business and design core that teach the foundations of our degree programs. We also have major degree program credits, typically the 300- or 400-level courses. And we have the professional skills series, Blueprint.

To make a long story short — you’ll earn your B.A./B.S. diploma from the OSU College of Business after completing 180 credits of approved degree coursework, generally achieving a grade of C- or C.

However, it gets pretty complicated quickly, and that's why your advising team meets with you frequently. To keep you on track. To help you sort through the different requirements. To answer questions. And help you get your degree on time.

Here's a quick look at the basics.

The baccalaureate core — or bacc core — are the OSU general education classes that give broad foundational knowledge in a number of subjects. You’ll select one class from eight different categories, for example, western culture, literature and arts, cultural diversity, biological sciences and others to earn 48-52 credits towards your diploma.

You’ll take business core or design core classes through all four years of learning — to accrue a little more than half of all your degree credits — 98-101 credits. Business core and design core classes start in 100 levels in your first year, and move into 200-, 300- and 400-level courses as you advance. The sequential setup allows you the opportunity to prepare for the advanced learning of upper-level courses, sometimes through prerequisite coursework and also through class standing (e.g., sophomore, junior, senior).

Part of our re-designed core curriculum is an award-winning series of classes that focus on professional skills and leadership training, specifically designed to better prepare you for your college-to-career transition. Every student will graduate with the knowledge, skills and network needed to excel in the workplace. With a strong emphasis on financial literacy, students learn about financial goal setting, credit management, loan repayment, savings and investing, salary negotiations and more.

En route to earning enough credits to reach 180 is where our students start choosing their program major, perhaps adding a double major or a minor, or gaining specialized knowledge through one of our options. We offer these majors, minors and options for 21 to 40 more credits.

Electives are classes not included within degree requirements, and are used flexibly to complete internships or research projects, international study, or pursue academic subjects outside the College of Business.

Make the Most of It

Requirements to Earn a COB Degree

In addition to the OSU Baccalaureate Core and credit requirements, the College of Business (COB) has additional grade and GPA requirements and standards.  Students must satisfy both OSU and COB standards to earn their college of business degree.  The COB Progression Standards require: 

All students in the College of Business (COB) must abide by the following general policies related to coursework:

Retaking Courses

  • COB will use the second OSU grade to compute a student’s COB GPA and All-Inclusive Business/AIB GPA (this is also the university policy for OSU cumulative GPA).
  • Students who retake an OSU grade at another college or university may use that grade to clear a requirement, but the OSU grade will remain in their OSU, AIB/AID, and COB GPAs.

Business

You must earn at least a "C" grade in specific prerequisite courses in order to progress through the major, as noted in the chart below.

  Available Campus Grade Requirement1 Grade Requirement2
BUSINESS MAJORS Corvallis E-Campus Prereq "C" or better Major Course Prereq "C" or better Major Course
Accountancy Yes Yes

BA 211

ACTG 317

BA 213

ACTG 317
Business Analytics Yes Yes BA 223 or BA 390 300/400 Level MRKT courses BA 352 300/400 Level MGMT courses
Business Information Systems Yes Yes

BA 352

MGMT 364    
Finance Yes Yes BA 240 or BA 360 or FIN 340 300/400 Level FIN courses    
Management Yes Yes BA 352 300/400 Level MGMT courses    
Marketing Yes Yes BA 223 or BA 390 300/400 Level MRKT courses    
Supply Chain & Logistics Management Yes Yes

BA 352

300/400 Level MGMT Courses

 

 
Business Administration* Yes Yes        
No Yes BA 223 or BA 390 300/400 Level MRKT Courses    
Yes Yes BA 223 or BA 390 If you choose to take a MRKT Elective    
Yes Yes BA 223 or BA 390 300/400 Level MRKT Courses BA 352 300/400 Level MGMT Courses
No Yes BA 223 or BA 390 If you choose to take a MRKT Elective BA 352 If you choose to take a MGMT Elective
No Yes BA 223 or BA 390 300/400 Level MRKT Courses    
Yes No DSGN 276 DSGN 372

BA 223 or BA 390

and BA 352

300/400 Level MRKT Courses

MGMT 364

No Yes BA 223 or BA 390 300/400 Level MRKT Courses BA 352 300/400 Level MGMT Courses
Yes Yes BA 352 300/400 Level MGMT Courses    

*Additional Business Administration Major Information:

  • This major, without an option, is a stand-alone major and cannot be combined with any other business major.
  • Suggested elective credits to reach the 180 total needed to graduate include completing an option in International Business through a COB international business exchange OR completing a non-business minor.

If you plan to pursue multiple COB majors, you can request those at the same time. Online students are not eligible to double major with an on-campus business major.

Design

You must earn at least a "C" grade in specific prerequisite courses in order to progress through the major, as noted in the chart below.  Design majors are currently for Corvallis campus students only.  Schedule an appointment with a COB advisor to declare a non-studio program.

  AID GPA Requirement Grade Requirement1 Grade Requirement2
DESIGN MAJORS Eligible GPA Competitive GPA Prereq "C" or better Major Course Prereq "C" or better Major Course
Required of all Design majors:     BA 223 or BA 390 300/400 Level MRKT Courses BA 352 MGMT 364

Design & Innovation Management

           
Apparel Design Major** 2.50 2.75        
Interior Design Major** 2.75 3.00        
Merchandising Management     DSGN 276 DSGN 372    

AID GPA: The AID GPA is your All-Inclusive Design GPA. It consists of grades from all the Design Program Coursework including those taken at OSU and transfer institutions.

Eligibility AID GPA:  To be eligible to apply to a major, students must have an AID that is equal to or higher than the Eligibility AID GPA. 

Competitive AID GPA: This is the minimum AID GPA needed in order to be competitive when applying for a given major.

Courses that can be substituted for Business requirements:

  • MTH 251, MTH252 or MTH254: C- or better satisfies MTH 241 requirement
    • COB will use whichever math course has the highest grade
    • For Design, MTH 251, MTH 252, MTH 254, MTH 241, or MTH 112 satisfy the MTH 111 requirement
  • BA 315: B or better satisfies BA 211 (business majors)
    • Exception: Accountancy majors

Business/Design required courses that also satisfy Baccalaureate Core categories:

  • Business majors
    • ECON 201 or ECON 202 satisfies Social Processes category
    • COMM 111Z, 114 or 218 satisfies Speech class
    • WR 222, 323 or 227Z satisfies WR II
  • Design majors

    • ECON 201 satisfies Social Processes category

    • COMM 111Z, 114 or 218 satisfies Speech class

    • WR 222, 323 or 227Z satisfies WR II

    • ART 101 satisfies Literature and Arts category

    • ART 204 or ART 205 satisfies Western Culture category

    • DSGN 475 satisfies Contemporary Global Issues category

    • ART 367 satisfies Science, Technology & Society category

Talk to your advisor if you have questions about other substitutions or double-counts.

Information on Grade Calculation and Incompletes

Need help calculating your AIB or AID? Schedule with an advisor

Grading Basis - Should I S/U, Withdraw, or Stay A-F?

  • Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory (S/U) Grades
    • Detailed information available regarding equivalencies and maximums at AR18
    • Students may not S/U any COB courses or major requirements. This includes any courses that are part of the Business Core (ECON 201, COMM 111, etc.) or COB major. 
    • Request a change of grading basis to S/U [deadlines vary for partial term courses]
  • Drop/Withdraw from a Course
    • If you drop a course by the deadline, the course will be removed from your schedule and you are not responsible for the tuition and fees associated with the course.  There will be no record of the class on your transcript.
    • Dropping a course after the drop deadline is considered a course withdrawal. If you wish to withdraw from a course, you must do so by the withdrawal from course deadline.  You may be responsible for a portion of the tuition and fees associated with the course.   A "W" will appear on your transcript.
    • See your advisor before dropping or withdrawing from a course to find out how it may impact your academic plans.

Struggling with a course? View our tutoring resources.

Have you met with your assigned advisor and need to request an exception? Visit our internal student petition.

  • Full description of application and eligibility requirements
    • Pre-Apparel Design and Pre-Interior Design eligibility is 2.50 AID GPA, however admisison into the Apparel or Interior Design majors have additional GPA requirements as stated on the application page.  Acceptance to either of the two studio design majors greatly increases if competitive GPA is met or exceeded.
  • Why an application? They are studio majors
    • Limited classroom space (drafting tables, sewing machines)
    • More hands-on/project work
  • Majors are competitive
    • Grades in major classes are important
    • Projects from design classes are required for the application
Earn your credits

Registering for classes

Each term, we help you navigate the classes and pathways to your business and design degree options. But why wait for your appointment? You can get started with your academic planning and get thinking about how our offerings can work to satisfy your curiosity and your career aspirations.

Review this site for important information and helpful videos for navigating the registration process. Registrar also has a quick information page on the various types of registration needs. Additional video tutorials are available on the Registrar's webpage.

If your primary college is the College of Business (COB), the COB advisors distribute your registration PIN.  There are different rules about what PIN students receive based on their status.  For the majority of students, the rules below apply and will help in understanding when to get a new PIN.

COB Continuing Students Common COB PIN: 262746
It is your first term registering at OSU (excluding Summer) Receive PIN at START orientation.
First Year Freshmen New PIN each term your first year
Athletes Special athlete PIN once a year
Veterans Receiving Benefits Special veterans PIN each term
Disability Access Services students needing early registration services Special DAS PIN each term
Post-Baccalaureate Students New PIN each term
International Exchange Students New PIN each term

Detailed registration day & time information is available on the Registrar's website.  Registration at OSU is divided into 2 parts: 

Phase 1: Register for up to 16 credits, no waitlisting may occur during this time.
Phase 2: Register for up to 19 credits, waitlisting and special course request overrides begin.

You are assigned a specific day and time to register for both Phase 1 and Phase 2 based on the number of credits you have completed plus credits in-progress coursework.

Senior = 135+ credits 
Junior = 90-134 credits 
Sophomore = 45-89 credits 
Freshman= 1-44 credits

We do not allow second week adds for any College of Business course (COB follows the University calendar for dates; no departmental approvals will be given after the 'last day to add without department approvals'). 

Term Traditional or Non-Traditional Course and Summer Deadlines

We enforce prerequisites including class standing.  If you have taken an equivalent course and need an override, please contact a COB advisor.

If your major or minor is not coded to register for a course, contact COB academic advising to meet with an advisor to discuss possible access to a particular course. You must meet all prerequisite and class standing requirements.  For majors or minors that have a COB course in a "pick one" type list, appointments and/or overrides might be held until Phase 2.

Use this form to request an override to a course without having to schedule an advising appointment. Requests are reviewed within 1-3 business days and results will be emailed to you. Form completion does not guarantee an override is granted.

Internship, Thesis, and Project Request Information and Forms

Registration for BA 348 and BA 349 is subject to admission to COB exchange programs.

Transfer students — Welcome

Transferring your credits

We want you to have the best experience while fine-tuning the details of your college transfer. We want you to maximize the work you’ve already done as well as get comfortable here. Ranging from your informal transcript evaluations that may have been conducted online, to your START orientation for transfer students coming to Corvallis, to your first advising consultation to plan future academic terms, this page will give you the basic about how the advising team can help you.

Need a Change?

How to Change your Undergraduate Program or Campus

For any questions regarding College of Business programs, please contact COB Advising.

  • Students' programs (major/options) must be declared for the same campus.  In other words, you cannot declare a major eligible for Ecampus as a Corvallis campus student.  Minors may be possible on alternate campuses.
  • If you have completed a new student orientation and taken classes as a degree-seeking student through any of OSU's campuses, you can use visit the Change of Campus website  to follow the outline for changing your OSU campus.
  • If you have not yet completed a new student orientation, please begin with the relevant office:
  • If you are a current OSU College of Business (COB) major who wants to change or add a major outside of the COB, please contact the advising department for that major.
  • If you are a current OSU student wishing to add a COB program (major, minor, or concentration), please continue reading this page. 
    • To change your current College of Business major, or add a 2nd COB major, you must meet request to declare the program of choice with an advisor. 
    • additional information to add the IMDD major
    • additional information to add a Business minor
  • If you have not previously attended OSU, please contact New Student Programs to change your declaration.