Cox School of Business Pathway Guide for Students Who Graduated from High School May 2020 or Later

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Click here for more information about transferring to SMU.

Preparation for Transfer as a Business Major

The following sequences are suggested courses to take in your semesters prior to transferring to SMU as a business major. For students attending a Texas public community college or university, Texas Common Course Numbers (TCCNS) are listed. If you are transferring from a college or university outside of Texas, click on the SMU course for a course description which may be used to select/compare courses at your current institution.

CC listings refer to SMU’s Common Curriculum, which all undergraduates are required to complete. Refer to the Common Curriculum Transfer Guide for a list of courses satisfying CC components. Interactive equivalency guides organized by transfer institution are available on the Transfer and Transition Services’ website.

Save all of your course syllabi!

Please note: These plans assume students are ready to take calculus. If you are not “calculus ready,” take math courses to prepare you for calculus so that you advance to calculus as soon as possible. Also, if you are planning a minor, typically only one or two transfer courses will be applied.

Application and Admission Into The Business Major

Transfer students planning to major in business who graduated high school in the Class of 2020 and later will apply to SMU indicating business as their primary academic interest. Business interested transfer students then complete an additional Cox application in the spring term for consideration of admission to the Cox School of Business. Transfer admission to the Cox School is assessed once per year. Priority will be given to students who have completed micro- and macroeconomics as well as business calculus.

The Cox application opens in early February with an application deadline of April 1. All applicants must submit updated transcripts at the conclusion of the semester to be considered for admission. Students will be notified of their Cox admission status in early June.

Requirements:

Cox transfer application
Updated official transcript reflecting spring grades
3.5 or above all-college GPA
Resume

Interviews and recommendation letters are not part of the review process.

Preparing for a Smooth Transition

Transfer students who take time to prepare for their transition to Cox are among the school’s most successful students. Following are a few important points to remember in preparing for a successful transition.

Students are strongly encouraged to complete all Cox admission requirements and as much of the Common Curriculum as possible prior to transferring.
SMU accepts AP scores of 4 or 5.
Save all of your course syllabi in the event more information is needed to evaluate your credits.
For additional information on the Cox School of Business, visit the Cox website or call 214-768-1110.
For more information about transferring to SMU, click here or call 214-768-3417.

BA in Business Administration

SCHs = Semester Credit Hours

First Year
Fall	TCCN	SCHs
WRTR 10XX - First Year Writing I	ENGL 1301	3
ECO 1311 - Principles of Microeconomics: Consumers, Firms, and Markets	ECON 2302	3
MATH 1309 - Introduction to Calculus for Business and Social Science	MATH 1325/1425	3
OR
MATH 1337 - Calculus I	MATH 2413	3
CC Breadth Course - Creativity and Aesthetics	Choose One: ARTS 1301, ARTS 1316, ARTS 2316 , ARTS 2326, ARTS 2333, ARTS 2346, ARTS 2356, DRAM 1351, HUMA 1315, MUSI 1306	3
World Language*		4
	SCHs	16
Spring	TCCN	SCHs
WRTR 10YY - First Year Writing II	ENGL 1302	3
ECO 1312 - Principles of Macroeconomics: Inflation, Recession, and Unemployment	ECON 2301	3
SPCH 10XX	SPCH 1315	3
CC Breadth Course - Historical Contexts	Choose One: ARTS 1303, ARTS 1304, HIST 1301, HIST 1302, HIST 2321, HIST 2322	3
World Language*		4
	SCHs	16
Second Year
Fall	TCCN	SCHs
ACCT 2301 - Introduction to Financial Accounting	ACCT 2301	3
STAT 2331 - Introduction to Statistical Methods	MATH 1342	3
CC Breadth Course - Literary Analysis and Interpretation	Choose One: ENGL 2321, ENGL 2322, ENGL 2323, ENGL 2326, ENGL 2327, ENGL 2328, ENGL 2331, ENGL 2332, ENGL 2333	3
CC Breadth Course - Exploring Science	Choose One: BIOL 1406, BIOL 1407, BIOL 1408, BIOL 1411, BIOL 2401, BIOL 2402, CHEM 1405, CHEM 1411, CHEM 1412, ENVR 1401, ENVR 1402, GEOL 1401, GEOL 1403, GEOL 1405, GEOL 1445, PHYS 1401, PHYS 1402, PHYS 1403, PHYS 1405, PHYS 1404, PHYS 1407, PHYS 1415, PHYS 1417, PHYS 2425, PHYS 2426	4
CC Breadth Course - Social and Behavioral Sciences	Choose One: ANTH 2351, GOVT 2305, GOVT 2371, PSYC 2301, PSYC 2314, PSYC 2319, SOCI 1301	3
	SCHs	16
Spring	TCCN	SCHs
ACCT 2302 - Introduction to Managerial Accounting	ACCT 2302	3
CC Breadth Course - Philosophical, Religious and Ethical Inquiry	Choose One: PHIL 1301, PHIL 1304, PHIL 2303, PHIL 2306	3
CC Breadth Course - Technological Advances and Society	Choose One: COSC 1301/1401, BCIS 1305, COSC 1309	3
Second major, minor or elective courses		6
	SCHs	15

Note:

*The second language requirement may be satisfied by (1) transferring two terms of college courses in the same world language, (2) placing out of four terms of a world language by taking an SMU placement test or through AP or IB credit, or (3) being literate in a native language other than English.

A History of Creating Business Leaders

Since 1920, the SMU Cox School of Business has equipped students with the skills, knowledge and experience they need to succeed in business. Major publications—including BusinessWeek, The Economist, Financial Times, Forbes, U.S. News & World Report and The Wall Street Journal—rank SMU Cox among the top business schools in the nation and around the world.

The B.B.A. program at Cox develops students’ abilities to read and analyze challenging texts, write persuasive papers, solve real problems, and manage diverse personalities in a team environment. Graduates are well prepared for entry-level managerial positions, with the knowledge and skills to advance quickly. This continually evolving program is designed to anticipate the skills needed for future success.

The Cox Advantage

In addition to benefiting from a strong national reputation, Cox offers highly respected faculty, student-centered support services, and a location that promotes the immediate application of learning.

SMU Cox’s Dallas location provides students with opportunities for corporate mentors, speakers and internships during the academic year. These experiences enhance students’ marketability for summer internship opportunities worldwide. Texas leads the nation in Fortune 500 and Fortune 1000 company headquarters, and Dallas-Fort Worth is home to many of these firms including ExxonMobil, AT&T, Kimberly Clark, JCPenney, and Texas Instruments.
Cox faculty members are nationally known as productive researchers, consultants and teachers. Cox undergraduate courses are taught by professors, not teaching assistants, providing business students with the full benefit of the Cox faculty.
Student support services include professional academic advising and career counseling in the Cox School to help students make the most of their time at SMU while preparing for their transition to the business world.
Leadership development is a key component of the Cox B.B.A. program. All students complete a course through the Cox Business Leadership Institute which includes core professional skills and leader development.
Cox B.B.A. holders are strong candidates for employment and graduate school. The average salary for B.B.A graduates exceeds the national average in every business discipline. Over 100 companies hire Cox B.B.A. graduates each year.

Degree Programs in Cox School of Business

Cox offers the Bachelor of Business Administration (B.B.A.) degree with majors in Accounting , Finance , Financial Consulting , General Business , Management , Marketing , and Real Estate . A specialization in Alternative Asset Management is also available within the Finance major. All B.B.A. degrees include a common core of 11 business courses, which provide breadth and foundation in a variety of business disciplines, and a major-specific component of six to eight courses.

In addition to the B.B.A. degree programs, Cox offers two distinct minor programs. The Minor in Business Administration has the same admission requirements as the Cox major programs and consists of 21 hours of core business courses. These courses will also apply toward a major in business if the student decides to pursue a business major. The Minor in Business is open to any non-Cox student, and is designed to provide a general overview of business topics to compliment a variety of academic interests. The courses for the minor in business do not apply toward any Cox major or the minor in business administration. For further information on the degree programs, please visit the Cox website.

Honors in Business

All Cox majors may be eligible to graduate with Honors in Business. The Cox honors program offers students an enhanced curriculum that challenges their intellectual abilities and sharpens their professional skills. Smaller classes promote greater student/professor interaction and a more meaningful educational experience. Students choose to take any six of their core courses as honors. Participation in Cox honors requires minimum grade point averages.

Transferring Business Courses

The Cox School of Business is accredited by the AACSB: the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business. As an accredited business school, Cox is limited in the number of business courses which may be accepted in transfer. ACCT 2301 and ACCT 2302 are the only business courses that can be accepted from community colleges or non-AACSB accredited schools. The Cox School requires that a minimum of 30 business hours be completed through enrollment at SMU; also, SMU requires a minimum 60 hours of SMU credit for any SMU degree.

The Common Curriculum (CC)

The Common Curriculum is required of all undergraduate students and consists of three main components:

Foundations - 6 hours of Writing courses, 3 hours of Quantitative Reasoning courses, proficiency in a second language.
Breadth - 7 Breadth courses which may double count with majors and minors.
Proficiencies and Experiences - 8 Proficiencies and Experiences requirements, met through coursework or approved, noncredit activities.

NOTE: If you transfer with 23 or fewer credit hours and/or transfer in your first year out of high school, transfer work earned prior to high school graduation (dual/concurrent credit) will not satisfy CC requirements.

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