Undergraduate Advising - School of Business Administration

Advising Appointments

Academic Advising

Connect with an advising team dedicated to empowering you throughout your academic journey at the Oakland University School of Business Administration. We look forward to providing you with the tools and resources necessary to be successful.

Active Oakland University Students with an established OU email can use Trac Cloud to schedule an appointment with a business academic adviser.

Current Students

Academic Advising Appointments are typically available on weekdays between 8:30 a.m. and 5 p.m. Please contact your academic adviser if you require an appointment outside of these hours. Appointments must be made at least 8 hours in advance.

If you have any questions, please contact the SBA Undergraduate Advising Office at 248-370-3285.

To make an advising appointment, click the gold button below.

See instructions here

Current Students
Schedule an Advising Appointment

Important Dates:
View the Registrar Academic calendar with important dates

Prospective Students

Learn if the OU School of Business is right for you on the OU Business School undergraduate page. For general information about admission to Oakland University or to start the free application, visit the OU future students page.

Prospective, unadmitted business students may email sbaug@oakland.edu with questions. Prospective business students may schedule to meet with an academic adviser by calling (248) 370-3285.

Newly Admitted Transfer

Transfer Student Orientation has two components that need to be completed before you can register for classes.

Read through the Transfer Student Golden Grizzly Guide
Schedule Individual Transfer Student Orientation Appointment with an Academic Adviser - schedule using the button below

1) Transfer Student Golden Grizzly Guide

Transfer Orientation Golden Grizzly Guide material takes about 30 minutes to review. Here you will learn how to set up your student accounts and how to register.
You can access the Transfer Orientation Grizzly Guide online here.
You must activate your Oakland University NetID and password prior to your Individual Transfer Student Orientation appointment.

2) The Individual Transfer Student Orientation Appointment takes place with a business academic adviser.

To schedule your Individual Transfer Student Orientation, click on the button below and complete and submit the form. A business academic adviser will contact you through your Oakland University email to schedule your Transfer Student Orientation.
Watch the business Transfer Student Orientation Videos before the advising appointment.
- Here you will:
  - Learn about the different business majors
  - Find out how to earn major standing and full admission into the business program
  - Get details about how to register using SAIL
  - Learn about the campus resources available to business student
  - Work with an adviser to analyze your transfer credits
  - Determine how many and what classes you need to complete your degree
  - Register for courses under the guidance of academic advisers

Newly Admitted Transfer Students
Schedule a Transfer Student Orientation

Academic and Faculty Advisers

Professional Advisers

Contact our knowledgeable professional advising staff to get answers to questions about classes, transfer courses, major selection, OU involvement and more.

Debbie Lengyel
Director of Advising Services
lengyel@oakland.edu

Meaghan Cole
Experiential Programs Manager
mcwalter@oakland.edu

Amy M Dubiel-DeSantis
Academic Adviser
dubieldesantis@oakland.edu

Destin Eddington
Academic Adviser
destineddington@oakland.edu

Jaclyn Keith
Senior Academic Adviser
jaclynkeith@oakland.edu

Tiffany LeDonne Smith
Academic Adviser
tledonne@oakland.edu

Veronica Davis
Office Assistant
veronicadavis@oakland.edu

Faculty Advisers

Donna Free
Accounting major
free@oakland.edu

Kathryn Schaefer
Accounting minor
kschaefer@oakland.edu

Donna Free
Accounting minor
free@oakland.edu

Ron Tracy
Actuarial Science major
tracy@oakland.edu

Jennifer Cordon Thor
Business minor for non-majors
thor@oakland.edu

Timothy Hodge
Economics major and minor
trhodge@oakland.edu

Jae Hyeung Kang
Entrepreneurship minor
kang@oakland.edu

Hong Qian
Finance major
qian2@oakland.edu

Robert Uptegraff
Finance minor
uptegraf@oakland.edu

Yan Ling
General Management major
yling@oakland.edu

Caitlin A. Demsky
Human Resource Management major
cademsky@oakland.edu

Kenneth M. York
Human Resource Management minor
york@oakland.edu

Joy Jiang
International Management minor
jiang@oakland.edu

Vijay Sugumaran
Management Information Systems with No Specialization major and minor
sugumara@oakland.edu

Mark Isken
MIS with Business Analytics Specialization
isken@oakland.edu

Xiaodong Deng
MIS Information Security Management Specialization and minor
deng@oakland.edu

John Kim
Marketing major
kim@oakland.edu

Brandon Gustafson
Marketing minor
bgustafson@oakland.edu

T.J. Wharton
Operations Management major with No Specialization
Operations Management - Lean and Quality Management Specialization
wharton@oakland.edu

Henry Aigbedo
Operations Management - Supply Chain Management Specialization
Coordinator Operations Management Minor
haigbedo@oakland.edu

Eugene Fliedner
Operations Management - Project Management Specialization
fliedner@oakland.edu

Degree Plan of Study

The Degree Plan of Study outlines the course requirements for the different majors offered by the School of Business Administration.

Bachelor of Science for the following business majors:

Accounting
Business Actuarial Science
Business Economics
Economics
Finance
General Management
Human Resource Management
Management Information Systems
Marketing
Operations Management

Check tabs on the Google Sheet for specific majors

The Bachelor of Science in Actuarial Science and Bachelor of Arts in Economics are degrees offered through the College of Arts & Sciences (CAS). Additional information is available on the CAS webpage.

Get additional information about the majors and minors available on the School of Business Administration's Undergraduate Majors & Minors page.

FAQ

Does the School of Business Administration provide PC/laptop purchase guidelines?

See SBA PC/laptop guidelines for the minimum and recommended computer specifications.

Do I need permission to take a course at another school?

Pre-business students may complete lower level courses at other institutions while attending OU. New OU students should familiarize themselves with SBA transfer policies by meeting with an academic adviser and/or carefully reading the appropriate section of the Undergraduate Catalog before taking courses at another school. Do not make scheduling decisions based upon assumptions. Transfer guides for Michigan community colleges are posted on the Registrar’s website. However, once admitted to the SBA, business majors must complete all remaining core, major and business minor course requirements for their degree at OU.

Students can fill out a Michigan Uniform Undergraduate Guest Application Form for another school if wishing to take courses for just one semester.

What is Major Standing and how do I apply?

In order to become eligible to earn a degree in the SBA a student must apply and be approved for admission to one of the currently offered business majors. Once admitted to any SBA major, a student has “major standing” status in the School.

Requirements for admission to “major standing” are:

Successful completion of the writing requirement, WRT 1060, the ACHIEVE courses, SBC 1990, SBC 2990, and the business pre-core courses (a minimum grade of 2.0 in each course and its prerequisite if any)
A cumulative OU grade point average of 2.6 or higher for six credits or more
Apply for Major Standing by completing the application form which is available on the SBA Student Portal. Students should apply for admission to a business major prior to the last day of finals for the term in which all requirements will be completed. An application submitted in a subsequent semester will be accepted and processed for the term in which it was received.

Use the Degree Program Checklist to aid in knowing when you will be eligible to apply for a major.

My class is “closed” on SAIL, what should I do now?

See the Registrar waitlist webpage for more information.

How can I tell if I am on track to graduate?

Look at the SBA Degree Checklists and select the checklist that applies to the year you entered the SBA program. You can also run a degree evaluation through SAIL.

What is an Independent Study? How do I apply for one?

An independent study is not a physical course, but rather allows highly motivated students the opportunity to construct a unique educational experience that goes beyond the courses contained in the existing course catalog. They usually involve in-depth research on some issue, are supervised by a SBA faculty member and are listed in the schedule of classes as a 4996 (ACC 4996, for example).

Do I have to take math for a business degree?

Yes. Math is a required part of the business program at OU. All business administration majors must take MTH 1221 "Linear Programming" (or MTH 1441) and MTH 1222 "Calculus for the Social Sciences" (or 1554); MTH 0661 and/or MTH 0662 may also be required, depending on a student's individual placement. Business students must also take QMM 2400 “Statistical Methods for Business I” and QMM 2410 “Statistical Methods for Business II”.

How do I know my math placement?

Placement is done in a few different ways. If you are an incoming freshman and have taken the ACT, placement is determined by your ACT Math sub score. If you are a transfer student who has taken math recently, you are placed based on your prior math courses. If neither of these applies to you, or if you are unsure of the placement you received, you should take a math placement test given by the Department of Mathematics and Statistics.

Why is my major listed as "Pre-Business" or "Undecided Business" when I know what business major I want?

All students who seek admission as a business major begin the program with the major “pre-business” or “undecided business” (dependent upon certain course and grade point status) until they have met the requirements and have been admitted to major standing.

Should I get my Gen Ed courses out of the way first?

No. Freshmen who plan a business major should begin the business pre-core courses right away. General education courses can be taken until graduation and are not required for admission to a major.

Are there any classes I can test out of?

Students can take CLEP tests for ECN 2000 and 2010 and some General Education courses; please contact the Office of Academic Records about procedures and restrictions regarding CLEP tests.

Will OU accept all my transfer courses?

I have academic credit earned from a Michigan Community College – Oakland University’s baccalaureate programs are designed to accommodate students from Michigan community colleges. For most local community colleges, the University has prepared a course equivalency guide which indicates courses that fulfill specific Oakland University requirements. Whether or not you have earned an Associate’s Degree from a Michigan college, OU will evaluate your transfer courses individually. Credit for most courses will be accepted if you earned at least a C- grade in the course. A maximum of 64 credits will be accepted in transfer from a two- year school; however, a “best fit” policy will be applied. This means that the transfer courses which will best satisfy OU program requirements will be applied toward completion of your baccalaureate program. OU participates in the Michigan Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admission Officer (M.A.C.R.A.O.) Articulation Agreement. Students who have satisfied M.A.C.R.A.O. should meet with an academic adviser their first semester at the University to discuss the effect of this status on their program requirements and course schedule plan.

I have academic credit earned from a four year institution – OU will accept an unlimited number of transfer credits from regionally accredited four-year institutions. Some exceptions to this policy include certain physical education courses and religion courses offered by religiously affiliated post-secondary institutions. Your transfer transcript will be evaluated on a course by course basis for equivalent credit for any OU and/or SBA program requirement/s. Credit for specific SBA courses is authorized for courses of similar content taken prior to attending Oakland University at other institutions. Once admitted to the business program, students must complete all remaining core, major and business minor coursework for the degree at OU. Students may be required to submit course descriptions or course syllabi to aid in course evaluation.

Why would I need a syllabus for a course I took at another school? When a student with prior college experience is admitted to OU, each transferred course will be evaluated for possible equivalent credit to an OU/SBA course requirement by a faculty evaluator. If the school was not AACSB accredited students may be asked to provide a course syllabus to aid in the determination of equivalent content.

What is an "I" grade?

A grade of "I" in a course indicates "Incomplete" status. This grade is temporary and may be given only by student request and faculty consent. It is used in cases of hardship beyond the control of the student that prevents completion of course requirements. Work to remove an "I" grade must be completed during the first eight weeks of the next fall or winter semester. Students who wish to receive an Incomplete must present a Student Request for Incomplete Grade form to the instructor by the day of the final exam. These are available in departmental offices.

Students can request an extension of "I" grades. This extension must be student-initiated and requires approval by the instructor and the dean of the school or college or other appropriate administrator. If course requirements are not completed within one year and no semester has been registered for, the "I" grade will be changed to "0.0."

What is a Petition of Exception?

A Petition of Exception is a request for a waiver or deviation from University or School policy. Students must fill out a form, attach a rationale, and submit it to the Undergraduate Advising Office who will submit it to SBA's Committee on Instruction when they are seeking an exception to any of the SBA's rules or policies. Regarding some issues, the petition is submitted to either the General Education Committee or the University Committee on Instruction. Students seeking an exception to a policy should meet with an adviser to get information on the appeal procedure and proper submission.

Can I take as many courses as I want in a semester?

No. Students are limited to a maximum of 18 credits per semester. However, students who have achieved a cumulative grade point average of 3.0 or higher are allowed by adviser permission to take additional credits. The “Permission to Exceed Maximum Credits” form is available upon request in the advising center. Approved permission forms must accompany any request to the Registrar for 19 or more credits per semester.

Will I be required to meet with an academic adviser?

No. After orientation, students are not required to meet with an academic adviser. However, students who have questions about schedule planning, degree requirements, admission to the SBA, major standing, transfer credit, petitions of exception or graduation audits should meet with one of the School’s professional advisers. Also, faculty members are available to provide advising, mentoring, support, curricular guidance and career information.