College of Business Undergraduate Frequently Asked Questions

Program Requirements

• How do I apply for the Business major?

  a) Students are admitted to the Business major in three ways:

  1. as freshmen through admission to the University;
  2. as transfers through admission to the University with a minimum cum. 3.2 GPA;
  3. as enrolled students at Stony Brook with a minimum cum GPA of 3.2 including that of any other college attended. If you were not admitted directly into the business major when you arrived at Stony Brook, you may apply to the major during your academic career provided that you’re cumulative grade point average for all course work (including transfer credits) is 3.2 or higher. You may apply online here: College of Business Application and Declaration Form
• Is there a deadline to apply for the major?
  Business major applications are reviewed on a rolling basis. Time periods for major declarations are set by the Registrar's Office each semester.
• If I am not accepted what should I do?
  You can bring up your GPA and apply again or consider declaring a major related to business (i.e. Economics) and/or completing an internship in business. Please visit the Career Center (ground floor of the library) for information on completing an internship in business without being a BUS major.
• Do I have to complete a minor or a double major in order to successfully meet the requirements of the Business major?
  A minor or double major is no longer required to successfully complete the requirements of the business major. The only exception is current business majors who have opted to follow the previous business major curriculum requiring completion of a minor other than business or a double major.
• If I double major in Business and Economics, are there courses that satisfy both majors’ requirements?
  Yes, a student can double major in Business and Economics. The following courses can be taken to help satisfy the requirements in both the Business and Economics majors: ACC 210 (Financial Accounting); BUS 220 (Introduction to Decision Sciences); BUS 447 (Business Ethics); BUS 441 (Business Strategy); ECO 108 (Intro. to Economics); and ECO 389 (Corporate Finance); MAT 122 (Overview of Calculus). In addition, ECO 360 (Money and Banking) and ECO 383 (Public Finance), which are elective courses in the Finance specialization, can be applied to the Economics major requirements.
• Can I take a course for Pass/No Credit to satisfy the Business major or Accounting Minor?
  No. All courses must be taken for a letter grade in order to satisfy the Business major or Accounting minor. All business courses must be taken for a grade of C or better.
• If I have taken courses at another college, which have already been accepted by the University, do they automatically apply to my Business major degree?
  No. Any business transfer courses must be evaluated and formally approved by the College of Business faculty before they can be applied to the Business major. In many cases, a transfer course has already been evaluated in the past, and transfer credit will be immediately assigned to your record. If further evaluation is necessary, you should complete a Transfer Course Evaluation Form and attach a copy of the course syllabus that was used when the course was taken, along with a copy of your transcript. Turn in the completed form to OSS. The appropriate faculty member will then evaluate these business courses, and you will be contacted when the evaluation is complete. Please note: only 21 credits can be transferred into the Business major, with only 6 credits in a specialization area. Only 9 credits can be transferred into the Business minor, as well as the Accounting minor.
• What do I do if I need to see an advisor?

  An online tool (Navigate) is available for current students to make appointments to meet with College of Business Advising Staff. Appointments with our advising staff can be made up to 28 days in advance and up to one hour before an available appointment. All appointments will be scheduled in 15-minute increments. Please indicate the reason for your appointment when scheduling. Visit Navigate

  If you have a question regarding university, SBC or DEC requirements, you can schedule an appointment on Navigate with an advisor from Academic and Transfer Advising Services. 

• Can I be a teaching assistant for a course?
  Any student can be a teaching assistant for a business course, which was previously taken, and a minimum grade of A- was received. The students should contact the faculty member who teaches the class at the conclusion of the current semester for consideration in the upcoming semester. Once permission is given, the student will register for BUS 475 or 476 Undergraduate Teaching Practicum I or II respectively. The credits obtained for BUS 475 or BUS 476 will count as upper division credit toward the university degree total credit requirement and cannot be used to satisfy any course requirement for the Business Management major.
• What specializations can I choose from?
  You can select an area of specialization in Accounting, Finance, Operations Management, or Marketing. Please click here to review the different specializations. Please note, an Accounting minor will substitute for an area of specialization.
• When should I declare my specialization?
  You should consider waiting until after you have taken all of your fundamental classes (Principles of Marketing, Principles of Finance, Financial Accounting, and Operations Management) however students should also pay close attention to course sequence requirements. It is suggested to meet with your College of Business advisor to plan this out.
• Can I take two specializations?
  Yes, you can take the courses for two specializations, as long as you give yourself enough time to complete the requirements. Your specializations will appear on your transcript after graduation, but not on your degree. Please be advised, a course cannot be used to fulfill two areas of specialization.
• How do I declare a specialization?
  You can declare your specialization by completing the Business Major Specialization Declaration Form.
• Can a specialization be selected and then subsequently changed?
  Yes, you can subsequently change a specialization. However, it is recommended that you do not change your specialization during your senior year. If you do, it may be difficult to complete the necessary course requirements, since not all specialization courses are offered every academic year. If you change your specialization, you must complete a new declaration form.
• Can I transfer in courses from other universities and colleges to apply to an area of specialization?
  With the approval of the Director of Undergraduate Studies, transfer courses can be applied to the area of specialization that you select. However, no more than 6 credits may be counted toward a specialization area.
• Can AMS 102 be considered as an equivalent for BUS 215 – Introduction to Business Statistics?
  BUS 215 is required to be taken by every BUS major, with the following two exceptions:

  1. If you are a double major with ECO and BUS, ECO 320 can be substituted for BUS 215.
  2. If you are a double major with AMS and BUS, or AMS minor, AMS 310 or AMS 315 can be substituted for BUS 215.
• What do I do if I want to take a course at another institution and have it transferred to Stony Brook?
  Courses that you want to take at another institution for credit at Stony Brook must receive formal departmental approval before the course is taken. You may have to complete a Transfer Course Evaluation Form and attach a copy of the course syllabus. The Director of Undergraduate Studies will then review the material submitted and make a determination.
• How can I find a professor’s contact details?
  Please see the directory page on stonybrook.edu to look up faculty contact info. 
• How do I know a professor’s office hours?
  The professors will have office hours posted on their doors and on their Blackboard course web site. You can also email them to inquire. OSS tries to maintain a list of current office hours, so you can also e-mail them for assistance.