Mays Business School

Administrative Officers

Dean - Nate Y. Sharp, PhD

Associate Dean - Shannon Deer, PhD, CPA

Director of Academic Services - Patrick Williams

General Statement

Mays Business School's mission is to develop leaders of character who make a positive difference in the communities where they live, work, and serve. Mays aspires to become the preeminent public business school in America. Through a commitment to the Aggie Core Values of Respect, Excellence, Leadership, Loyalty, Integrity, and Selfless Service, we will change the world.

Mays is a comprehensive business school that equips students with a holistic view of an enterprise, a business mindset, functional area expertise and the full range of required technical skills that exist across all areas of business. Best-in-class business education goes beyond the standard business functional areas—accounting, finance, management, marketing, management information systems, and supply chain management—to deliver an integrated, high-impact, career-launching set of experiences.

The business curriculum has a dual emphasis: a broad-based education in the foundation disciplines of the liberal arts and the sciences; and a focused development of business knowledge and behavioral skills. Lower-level business majors learn and practice broad skills in core curriculum areas: American history; communication; creative arts; mathematics; political science; language, philosophy, and culture; life and physical sciences; and social and behavioral sciences. They simultaneously take introductory business courses.

Upon successful completion of this broad-based foundation coursework, the student will begin to focus on a major field of study and a full range of business courses. Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) students choose a major field from accounting, finance, management, management information systems, marketing, and supply chain management. Students pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Business will work with their academic advisor to select a customized area of focus. Students admitted to Mays Business Honors pursue an interdepartmental degree in business honors.

This combination of a broad educational foundation and more specialized study produces graduates uniquely prepared for entry-level, career-launching organizational positions.

Requirements for Graduation

Requirements for graduation are listed in the Texas A&M University Student Rules and this catalog.

Courses taken to satisfy degree requirements must be taken for letter grades, with the exception of general elective requirements.

Students in Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) and Bachelor of Science in Business (BSB) degree programs must complete with a 2.0 GPA or greater all courses included in the Core Business Knowledge.

Students must complete the Writing requirement. The requirement may be met by taking two writing (W) courses or one W course and one oral communication (C) course. See an academic advisor for additional information.

Students must complete the International and Cultural Diversity (ICD) and Cultural Discourse (CD) requirements.

  • For the ICD requirement, students must take one course (3 credit hours) from a list of approved courses. Students in BBA degree programs satisfy the ICD requirements by taking 3 hours of coursework from an approved list of BBA international elective courses that also simultaneously fulfill the university's ICD requirement. See an academic advisor for additional information.
  • For the CD requirement, students must take one course (3 credit hours) from a list of approved courses. If a course approved as CD also satisfies a Core Curriculum requirement, it can be used to satisfy both requirements. See an academic advisor for additional information.

Transfer of Credits

Acceptance of transfer of credit for business courses will generally be limited to those courses taught in the freshman and sophomore years at this institution. Unless otherwise pre-approved by the dean, transfer credit is not offered for upper-level (junior- and senior-level) business courses.

Bachelor’s Degrees and Departments of Instruction

There are five departments of instruction in Mays Business School: Accounting, Finance, Information and Operations Management, Management, and Marketing.

Bachelor of Business Administration

The degree of Bachelor of Business Administration is offered in these seven majors: accounting, business honors, finance, management, management information systems, marketing, and supply chain management. Each requires a minimum of 120 semester credit hours of study. The student elects one of these as a “major,” but is also required to study fundamental theory and procedure in each of the basic business functions. In addition, the student takes courses essential to a general liberal education.

The following is a representation of the curriculum requirements by major.

  Accounting Business Honors Finance Management Management Information Systems Marketing Supply Chain Management
Core Business Knowledge 39 hours 39 hours 39 hours 39 hours 39 hours 39 hours 39 hours
Courses required in major, not included in core 21 21 20 21 27 27 25
General electives 91 121 41 91 61 61 81
International electives 62 62 62 62 62 62 62
Other required courses:
Accounting
 0 0 9 0 0 0 0
American history
 6 6 6 6 6 6 6
Business
 0 0 0 3 0 0 0
Business law
 3 0 0 0 0 0 0
Communication
 6 6 6 6 6 6 6
Creative arts
 3 3 3 3 3 3 3
Government/political science
 6 6 6 6 6 6 6
Language, philosophy and culture
 3 3 3 3 3 3 3
Life and physical sciences
 9 9 9 9 9 9 9
Mathematics
 6 6 6 6 6 6 6
Social and behavioral science
 3 3 3 33 3 3 3
Total Semester Credit Hours 120 120 120 120 120 120 120
1

To satisfy the University’s Cultural Discourse (CD) graduation requirement students must take one course (3 credit hours) from a list of approved courses. If not satisfied through Core Curriculum, an approved CD [KUCD] course can used to satisfy unmet General Elective requirement.

2

Select from a list of approved BBA international electives for business students. In the BBA curricula, at least 3 credit hours must be selected from a list of approved international elective courses that simultaneously fulfill the University's International and Cultural Diversity (ICD) graduation requirement. See an academic advisor. Management majors must take MGMT 450/IBUS 450.

3

Management majors are advised to take PBSI 107 or SOCI 205.

Bachelor of Science in Business

The Bachelor of Science in Business (BSB) degree allows students to combine a comprehensive business education with other areas of interest to create a custom degree plan. The unique features of the BSB prepare students for a wide variety of careers or graduate school. The BSB allows students to specialize in an area of focus by pursuing a minor or a certificate that complements their business education and personal interests.

The student completes 120 semester credit hours of study. The BSB curriculum includes the following requirements:

Core Curriculum - 42 hours
American history6
Communication6
Creative arts3
Government/political science6
Language, philosophy and culture3
Life and physical sciences9
Mathematics6
Social and behavioral science3
Business Courses - 42 hours
Core Business Knowledge36
BSB capstone course3
Required internship3
Electives - 36 hours
Additional science/quantitative9
Area of focus coursework12-18
Electives9-15
Total Semester Credit Hours120

Core Business Knowledge

Required Courses
ACCT 229Introductory Accounting3
ACCT 230Introductory Accounting3
BUSN 101Freshman Business Initiative3
BUSN 203Statistical Methods for Business3
ECON 202Principles of Economics3
ECON 203Principles of Economics3
FINC 341Business Finance3
ISTM 210Fundamentals of Information Systems3
MGMT 311Legal and Social Environment of Business3
MGMT 363Managing People in Organizations3
MGMT 466Strategic Management3
MKTG 321Marketing3
SCMT 364Operations Management3
Total Semester Credit Hours39

Upper-Level Entry into BBA and BSB Degree-Granting Majors

Students who meet the University and college entrance requirements enter Mays Business School as lower-level business (BUAD) students. Enrollment of Mays Business School students in junior- and senior-level business courses (i.e., 300- and 400-numbered) is limited to those who have been admitted to upper-level (also referred to as upper division) in one of the seven BBA majors--accounting, business honors, finance, management, management information systems, marketing, and supply chain management--or the Bachelor of Science in Business.

Upper-Level Entry Requirements and Application Procedures

Lower-level business (BUAD) students are encouraged to complete the freshman and sophomore sequence of courses as listed under Program Requirements.

The upper-level (UL) entry requirements and application procedures are as follows:

  1. Admission: To be admitted to an UL major, a student must be admitted to Mays Business School and have:
    1. Satisfactorily completed the following five courses:
      ACCT 229Introductory Accounting3
      ECON 202Principles of Economics3
      ECON 203Principles of Economics3
      MATH 140Mathematics for Business and Social Sciences3
      MATH 142Business Calculus (or its equivalent)3
    2. Submitted application for UL admission no later than preregistration for the expected UL entry term. NOTE: For summer UL entry, ALL REQUIREMENTS must be completed BEFORE the first class day of the FIRST SUMMER SESSION.
    3. BUAD students may preregister for upper-level business courses in the semester for which they have applied for upper level. However, students who fail to complete upper-level requirements shall not be permitted to remain registered in upper-level business classes.
  2. Transfer Students: Transfer students admitted to Mays Business School will be classified as lower-level business (BUAD) majors until they complete all requirements listed previously in item 1, at which time they may apply for admission to an UL major. Transfer students may immediately apply for UL when admitted to Mays Business School if, and only if, they meet all UL requirements at that time.
  3. On-Campus Change of Major Students: Texas A&M students who change major into Mays Business School from another college or department at the University enter the business school as lower-level Business (BUAD) majors until they complete all requirements listed previously in item 1. Change of major students who, when admitted to the business school, qualify to apply for admission to an UL major may do so.
  4. Junior- and Senior-Level Business Courses: Preference for available seats in junior- and senior-level business courses (i.e., 300- and 400-numbered) will be given to students who have been admitted to an UL degree-granting major in Mays Business School. All ineligible students who preregister for UL business classes are subject to cancellation of their registration in these courses.

Cooperative Education

Cooperative education is designed to augment the academic program of study with on-the-job training. Academic requirements a business undergraduate must have to be eligible to participate are 45 completed credit hours and a minimum 2.5 cumulative GPA. Interested students may obtain more information from the Career Center website or (979) 845-5139 or in Room 209, Koldus Building.

Restrictions on Two Degrees

Mays Business School is enrollment managed; demand for admission to the undergraduate business program consistently exceeds available educational resources. Priority is given to qualified applicants for their initial bachelor’s degree.

Double Major

Only Business Honors majors may elect a second major field of study within the BBA degree. The first major must be business honors. The Business Honors student must satisfy all University and Business School requirements and complete all curriculum requirements for each major. This option leads to the granting of one BBA degree with two majors. Additional restrictions may apply.

Double Degree

Approval of double degrees (BBA with BA or BS) is granted by exception only. A written appeal for a double degree may be submitted; the appeal should reflect an excellent academic record, support from the BA or BS granting college, and a compelling justification.

Second Degree

Postbaccalaureate admission to Mays is severely restricted and granted by exception only. Applicants for a postbaccalaureate business degree may present a case for an exception to this enrollment restriction in the essay of a complete Texas A&M admission application. Generally, eligible applicants are denied postbaccalaureate admission but may be encouraged to apply, instead, to an appropriate graduate degree program.

Certificate Programs

Mays offers certificate programs for undergraduate students who want to explore a particular topic area in more depth. Most are open to Mays undergraduate students, and some are designed for specific majors who wish to specialize in a particular area in the major field of study.

Students who pursue any of the certificate programs must complete all requirements for the specific program prior to graduation. Certificates are noted on the transcript after graduation. Information regarding certificate programs and requirements can be found in the Mays Business School Certificates section.

Center for International Business Studies

James Benjamin Department of Accounting 

Adam C. Sinn '00 Department of Finance