2020-2021 Undergraduate Catalog (2024)

Overview

Range of Programs

The Pamplin College of Business offers a Bachelor of Science in Business degree with majors in Accounting and Information Systems, Business Information Technology, Finance, Hospitality and Tourism Management, Management, and Marketing. The College also offers a Bachelor of Science in Real Estate. On-campus enrollment is over 4700 undergraduates and about 200 full-time graduate students in the MS-BA in Business Analytics, Master of Accounting and Information Systems, and Ph.D. programs. The college also enrolls approximately 200 Evening MBA, about 25 Executive MBA students and about 30 MS-BA students 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 and, beginning in the fall of 2020, Newport News. In addition, the college also enrolls over 700 students in our online Master of Information Technology and about 50 students in the Executive Ph.D. in Business Research with residencies at Falls Church and Blacksburg campuses.

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 (over 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 for the Bachelor of Science in Business degree 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 one of the following majors:

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

The Program in Real Estate offers a Bachelor of Science degree in Real Estate, providing an integrated, interdisciplinary degree. Real estate is integral to where one works, shops, lives and recreates. Thus, Real Estate courses integrate the material students learn in disciplinary courses such as finance, law, and property management through experiential learning within the academic program. The integration occurs though a university-industry partnership where real estate professionals are actively involved in students' education through guest lectures, mentoring experiences, and by providing internship opportunities.

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 business students are assigned to an advisor in Pamplin Undergraduate Programs, 1046 Pamplin Hall. Real Estate students are assigned to an advisor in the Real Estate program, Bishop-Favrao 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, Wallace, and Bishop-Favrao Halls. Our facilities also include study rooms, computer labs, conference rooms, a behavioral laboratory, kitchen laboratory, 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 credit hours is required for graduation in the Bachelor of Science in Business degree. The Bachelor of Science in Real Estate requires 120 credit hours.

Students must have an overall average and in-major GPA of 2.0 ("C") to graduate.

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 online. The student will be notified of the outcome via email.

General university limitations on acceptability of transfer credit are shown elsewhere in this catalog.

Degree Requirements

The graduation requirements in effect during the academic year of admission to Virginia Tech apply. Requirements for graduation are listed on checksheets. Students must satisfactorily complete all requirements and university obligations for degree completion. The university reserves the right to modify requirements in a degree program.

Please visit the University Registrar's website at https://www.registrar.vt.edu/graduation-multi-brief/checksheets.html for degree requirements.

Program for First Two Years

All business degree-seeking students generally take the same required courses for the first two years. Courses consist of business foundation courses as well as general education requirements and free electives. Pamplin enforces a strict policy of progress toward degree (Policy 91). Policy 91 states that students must complete the following courses with grades no lower than C- by the time they have attempted 72 credit hours (90 hours for transfer students): ACIS 1504, MATH 1524, BIT 2405-2406, ACIS 2115-2116, and ECON 2005-2006. Students who do not meet this progress towards degree requirement will be dismissed from their major.

Business Core

All business degree-seeking students take the same business core, regardless of major. The core creates a strong foundation in all aspects of business and includes coursework in accounting, economics, finance, marketing, management, information technology, and international 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.

Restricted Majors

ACIS, BIT, FIN, HTM, MGT and MKTG are considered restricted majors and require application from students who did not start at VT enrolled in one of those majors. Students must complete certain business courses and obtain a minimum GPA for eligibility to apply to a restricted major. Applications are accepted online three times per year – January, May, and August.

Pamplin College of Business Minors

Business Minor

Students pursuing a major outside the Pamplin College of Business (with the exception of Real Estate) may apply for a minor in business if they have a minimum 2.0 overall GPA and have completed the math requirement. The minor consists of approximately 43 credit hours of foundational coursework in various areas of business. In order to complete the minor in business, students must have a 2.0 GPA in all required courses.

The requirements to earn a minor in business can be found on the University Registrar website 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 credit hours of coursework.

The requirements to earn a minor in digital marketing strategy 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 credit hours, 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.

Event and Experience Management Minor

The Hospitality & Tourism Pathway's minor in Event and Experience Management is available to all students across campus and provides options of emphasis in sales management or event operations management. The minor consists of 18 hours of study and provides students with content and practical experiences leading to professional growth opportunities in the event management industry. In the United States alone, there are over 18 million events and meetings organized every year creating career opportunities for students who aspire to design, plan and manage the execution of events or for those who prefer the challenge of sales and the techniques involved in building customer relationships through effective communication and interpersonal skills.

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.

Finance Minor

Students pursuing a major outside the Pamplin College of Business (with the exception of Real Estate) may apply for a minor in Finance if they have a minimum 2.50 overall GPA, have completed 24 hours at Virginia Tech, and have completed the math requirement. The minor consists of 30 credit hours of coursework in Finance and supporting areas of business. In order to complete the minor in business, students must have a 2.0 GPA in all required courses

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.

International Business Minor

Sophom*ores, 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 credit 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 provides multi-disciplinary, experiential education in the history, values, skills, and theory of organizational and team leadership. It acts as an educational center that coordinates programs to help students develop leadership skills that are necessary to excel and prosper in the workplace of the twenty-first century.

The 18-credit minor in Organizational Leadership is open to students in all majors who have at least a 2.5 overall GPA at Virginia Tech. It includes required courses in team and organizational leadership; elective courses that address a broad range of competencies in four areas, including Creativity and Innovation, Critical and Strategic Thinking, Intercultural Communications, and Holistic Thinking and Ethical Reasoning. and a required leadership experiential activity. For additional information, contact Dr. Kimberly 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.

Housed within the Virginia Tech Corps of Cadets (VTCC), the mission of the Major General W. Thomas Rice Center for Leader Development 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 thus contributing to the development of informed and responsible individuals who are committed to making a difference in their nation and in the world. The Rice Center oversees the 22-credit leadership Minor Corps of Cadets (LMCC). This minor is only available to graduates of the VTCC. For more information on the minor in leadership, please contact the Rice Center for Leader Development at (540) 231-9455.

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.

Real Estate Minor

The Real Estate minor allows students with a general interest in real estate to select a set of courses that will advance their knowledge the industry. The minor requires 19 credit hours in coursework across various disciplines including property management, finance, marketing, building construction, and real estate.

The requirements to earn a minor in real estate 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. in Business degree in any major in the college provides a sound preparation for law school, and pre-law advisors from the Pamplin faculty are provided.

Undergraduate Course Descriptions (BUS)

1984: SPECIAL STUDY
Variable credit course.

2984: SPECIAL STUDY
Variable credit course.

3954: STUDY ABROAD
Variable credit course. X-grade allowed.

3974: INDEPENDENT STUDY
Variable credit course.