Frequently Asked Questions
The following list of frequently asked questions is in no way exhaustive, but represents areas students frequently inquire about. Be sure to read them all; we bet you'll learn something new.
What's the difference between an Independent Study and a Directed Study?
Why do I get closed out of courses? How can I get into a closed course?
How important is an internship? When should I complete one?
Why are there so many team projects in my classes?
Where's a good place for student teams to hold their meetings?
What's the difference between Intent to Major and Declaration of Major?
When do I declare my major?
What is a "4+1" program?
Should I minor in economics?
If I earned less than a "C-" in a course I took at SUNY Brockport, can I retake the course at another college and transfer the better grade to SUNY Brockport?
What electives should I take?
What's the difference between an independent study and a directed study?
First the similarities:
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Both are non-traditional ways to earn credits.
- Both require a faculty member to agree to work with you outside a traditional classroom environment.
- Because they are non-traditional formats, both are granted at the instructor's discretion.
As for their differences:
- An Independent Study allows the student to gain greater knowledge in a particular area that goes beyond what is covered in a scheduled course. A typical Independent Study might consist of a student writing a lengthy paper on a topic of interest that, due to time constraints, was covered in a superficial way in class. Independent Studies can range from 1-6 credit hours per semester.
- A Directed Study presents the material in a scheduled course in a way that accommodates the particular student. For instance, a student who whose employer transferred her out of town with only one course to complete might be able to complete the course on a directed study basis. She would still be responsible for all course content, but since she wouldn't be able to attend class, she would work with the instructor to develop an alternative way of learning the material.
Why do I get closed out of courses? How can I get into a closed course?
For a number of reasons, but particularly to maintain acceptable student-to-faculty ratios that preserve quality, each class is capped at a particular level. Students with more seniority get first pick at selecting classes since they have a shorter time to graduation to complete all required course work. If it seems like you're always closed out of classes, don't despair; eventually you'll have first dibs at the courses.
Getting into a closed course is possible only under extreme, extenuating circumstances. The instructor teaching the course cannot let you into the course. Only the associate chair of the department has the authority to over-enroll a course, and since we strive to provide a quality education to all our students, placing students into closed courses is the exception and not the rule. You will need to complete a form, available from the department secretaries for the associate chair detailing why you need to get into the course.
Go back to FAQ list.
How important is an internship? When should I complete one?
The ability to apply the concepts you've learned in class in a professional work environment may be one of your most important learning experiences in your education and will certainly be one of the most important elements of your résumé. Most employers are not willing to hire an unknown entity - they want to know that you have been exposed to a professional work environment and performed in a work setting. Many employers will not hire a graduate who hasn't completed an internship. So internships are very, very important.
There are several ways to obtain an internship. Kathy Simpson is the internship coordinator for our department, and she has a network of employers with long histories of hiring student interns. ACC498, BUS 498 or ECN498 is the appropriate course number for an internship set up though Kathy Simpson. You may also find internships through Jobshop, and set one up as a Brockport Career Exploration Course through the Office of Career Services. Contact Rob DiCarlo in Career Services for more details. Student clubs may also have internship leads for instance, many human Resource management internships are available to student members of Society for the Human Resource Management (SHRM). You may also be able to secure an internship on your own if you have connections in the business community. Keep in mind that to be eligible for an internship, the job responsibilities must be professional or managerial in nature. Also, internships for credit have minimum GPA requirements.
An internship can be completed in the fall or spring semester, over the summer, or possibly during Winter session. To earn three credits, you must work 120-125 hours at the organization, 240-250 hours for a six credit internship (requirements vary depending on whether the internship is set up through the Department of Business Administration and Economics or Career Services). Internships are often unpaid, although some employers do choose to pay student interns.
Internships are typically completed in the junior or senior year. At a minimum, be sure to have completed an introductory course in the field before securing an internship in that area (i.e., don't pursue a marketing internship without having taken BUS335 Principles of Marketing). Keep in mind that all internship credits count as electives, and not toward the major.
Organizations where students have completed internships include:Enterprise Rent-a-Car, Northwestern Mutual Life, Mass Mutual, Paychex, Chase-Pitkin Home & Garden, Lakeside Health System, Manpower Technical, BMP America, Marriott Corp.
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Why are there so many team projects in my classes?
Teams are a fact of corporate life. These days, virtually every job requires a group effort to some degree. Charged with providing you with a business education, one of our objectives is to prepare you for corporate life, which includes the frustrations and joys of working with others.
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Where's a good place for student teams to hold their meetings?
The library, Dailey Hall, residence hall study rooms, and residence hall lobbies. You can use empty classrooms, but please be courteous. Do not use the television or VCR; do not open the windows in Hartwell Hall; and please leave the room as you found it, including placing all trash in appropriate receptacles.
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What's the difference between Intent to Major and Declaration of Major?
In simple terms, you need to fill out the Intent to Major form once you're fairly certain you've chosen your major. It lets SUNY Brockport and the department know how many students are geared toward a particular major. Once you complete the prerequisites and corequisites for the department, then you need to complete the Declaration of Major form, to confirm your matriculation in the department.
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When do I declare my major?
Fill out the Declaration of Major form when you have met all prerequisite and corequisite requirements. Remember, to fulfill prerequisite requirements you need a 2.5 average in the courses and no grade below a "C-" in any individual prerequisite course. Likewise, no grade less than a "C-" is allowed in corequisite courses. So do not complete the Declaration of Major form until you have completed the prerequisite and corequisite courses and met minimum grade requirements for these courses.
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What is a "4+1" program?
"4+1" refers to joint programs SUNY Brockport has with other institutions that permit students to complete an MBA with one additional year of study beyond the SUNY Brockport bachelor's degree in business administration. Typically, MBA programs require two full years of study, the first year consisting of "core" courses and the second year specializing in the student's chosen area (i.e., marketing, finance, etc.). Two schools have partnered with SUNY Brockport to allow qualified students to complete the MBA program with just one additional year of study, rather than two. These schools are Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT) and Clarkson University in Potsdam, NY. The entrance requirements are rigorous; students are not guaranteed admission to these programs, only that they can complete the MBA degree in one additional year, presuming they have met all entrance requirements. The Clarkson MBA can be completed in one academic year, and the RIT MBA can be completed in one calendar year. Both programs are accredited by the International Association of Management Education/American Assembly of Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB), a distinction shared by only one-third of graduate business programs in the United States. Details of these programs follow; for further information please contact Dr. Susan Stites-Doe in 115A Hartwell, (585) 395-5518.
4+1 Program at RIT
SUNY Brockport has an Accelerated MBA Agreement with Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT) College of Business. The arrangement with RIT allows the student to waive up to six MBA foundation courses, making possible the completion of the MBA at RIT in one calendar year. A maximum of six MBA foundation courses may be waived for a period of up to five years from the time the undergraduate course was completed. A grade of "B" or better is required in the designated undergraduate course to qualify for a waiver. Click here for details in a separate browser window.
Admission
Students must submit an application for admission into the MBA program. Admission requirements include a completed baccalaureate degree, transcripts from all colleges, GMAT score, and application with fee. As a guideline, RIT College of Business seeks students with GMAT scores exceeding 500 and GPA greater than 2.8. Students who do not meet these criteria are carefully reviewed by the MBA program team.
Scholarships
Scholarship and graduate research assistantships are awarded for outstanding scholarship based on a student's undergraduate GPA and his or her GMAT score. Awards range from 25-100 percent tuition remission. All applicants are carefully reviewed for these awards. Special awards are continually being developed for schools where accelerated MBA agreements exist and for students entering through certain organizations such as the Fulbright Foundation.
To learn more about the MBA at RIT visit the RIT College of Business graduate program's Web site: http://www.ritmba.com/admissions_4plus1.html (opens in a new browser window).
4+1 Program at Clarkson University
Unlike the agreement with RIT, the MBA program at Clarkson does not include waivers for foundation courses, rather the foundation course work is presented in short modules. In addition to these core competencies, the program develops conceptual skills and has a strong functional and experiential focus. At Clarkson, students have opportunities for numerous corporate partnership projects and business consulting with the Canadian-US Business Consulting Service. Clarkson also has a strong emphasis on leadership skill development, including personalized assessment of specific leadership and management skills and opportunities for skill development.
The One-year MBA at Clarkson University
| FALL SEMESTER | SPRING SEMESTER | |||||
| 2 weeks | 5 weeks | 5 weeks | 5 weeks | 5 weeks | 5 weeks | 5 weeks |
| 2 week core | Core Modules | Core Modules | Core Modules | Core Modules | Core Modules | Core Competency |
| Core Modules | Core Modules | Core Modules | ||||
| Strategic Planning Core Module | ||||||
| Elective Course Work | ||||||
| Corporate Partnership Projects | ||||||
| Canadian-U.S. Consulting | ||||||
Students preferring a Master of Science (MS.) degree to the MBA may opt for an MS in Management Systems, specializing in Human Resource Management, Management Information Systems, or Manufacturing Management. The MS is also completed in one academic year.
Financial aid is available in the form of merit-based assistantships; approximately 60 percent of students receive these assistantships.
To learn more about the MBA at Clarkson University visit the Clarkson University Graduate Business Programs Web site at: http://www.clarkson.edu/business/mba/admission/partners.html (opens in a new browser window).
Should I minor in economics?
Students majoring in business administration can earn a minor in economics by taking two more courses beyond what is required in prerequisite and corequisite courses. The necessary courses are ECN201, ECN202, ECN302, ECN304, ECN301 or 305, and one additional upper-division ECN course.
Go back to FAQ list.
If I earned less than a "C-" in a course I took at SUNY Brockport, can I retake the course at another college and transfer the better grade to SUNY Brockport?
When SUNY Brockport accepts transfer courses, you are given credits for taking the course, but your grades do not transfer. So the only way to improve a low grade earned in a SUNY Brockport class is to retake the same class at SUNY Brockport. You should also know that all grades earned (even for repeated courses) will remain on your transcript. When you retake a course, the new grade will be computed into your GPA, but both grades will still appear on your transcript.
Go back to FAQ list.
What electives should I take?
If you're lacking work experience in the corporate sector, an internship would be a great idea. Suggested electives for different majors are provided on the department's Academic Advisement Web page.
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QUIZ
Let's see how much of this orientation you've retained.
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The site of the largest computing facility on campus is:
- Drake Hall
- Dailey Hall
- Brockway
- Tuttle South
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A "4+1" program allows a SUNY Brockport accounting or business graduate to earn an MBA in one year. (true or false)
view answer -
Two additional courses beyond prerequisite and corequisite courses are needed to earn a minor in economics. (true or false)
view answer -
A student can replace a "D+" earned in Principles of Microeconomics at SUNY Brockport by retaking the course at Monroe Community College. (true or false)
view answer
Answers
Answer to #1. You'll want to go to Dailey Hall for computer facilities, Drake Library for library facilities, Brockway for a bite to eat, and Tuttle South to work out. Back to quiz.
Answer to #2. False. Credits earned in an internship count as electives. Back to quiz.
Answer to #3. True, but understand that graduate school is both competitive and challenging. You may be eligible for admission into a "4+1" only if you meet the strict entrance requirements set by the schools. And keep in mind that SUNY Brockport's "4+1" programs are with RIT and Clarkson University. Back to quiz.
Answer to #4. True, an economics minor requires a total of six ECN courses, two of which are beyond the prerequisite and corequisite courses for business majors. Back to quiz.
Answer to #5. False. The only way to "replace" a grade earned at SUNY Brockport is to repeat the course at SUNY Brockport. And the grade is not permanently "replaced." The new grade is calculated in your GPA, but the old grade remains on your transcript.
Amy Connolly, Amy Cornell, and Jennifer Wittmeyer
Please direct comments to the Business Department's Web Master: buswm@brockport.edu.
Page updated 3/26/2006.
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