University of Pittsburgh

Admissions

Frequently Asked Questions

I’m considering CBA, but am not sure whether I want to apply or not. What should I do?

We recommend that you be proactive in learning about CBA and careers in business. Here are a few steps to take:

  • Speak with your academic advisor about your interest in business, and enroll in some of the business prerequisite courses. You can use your performance (and interest) in the prerequisites as an indicator of your aptitude for business.
  • Check out the CBA curriculum and course descriptions online.
  • Do some reading about careers in business. One good resource is the Occupational Outlook Handbook. Revised regularly, the handbook provides detailed job descriptions, as well as information about working conditions, required training and education, earnings, and expected job prospects in a wide range of occupations.
  • Contact CBA Admissions about sitting in on a business class or two.
  • Finally, consider the advantages of a CBA education.

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How do I apply to CBA?

As a current Pitt student (you’re enrolled at the Pittsburgh campus or a Pitt regional campus), you apply by completing the Academic Program Change form. This form may be obtained from your current academic advisor or your dean’s office. Once you’ve completed the form, your school will forward it along with your academic records to CBA for review.

We also recommend that you get started with the business prerequisites right away. In the admissions process, we pay close attention to your performance in the prerequisites. Because some of these courses are sequential (the math courses in particular), we recommend that you begin them as soon as possible.

Learn more about the required prerequisites to business courses and begin fulfilling the BSBA general education requirements.

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Do I have to complete all of the prerequisites before applying?

Not necessarily; it depends on the strength of your overall academic record. If you have a strong Pitt record and were a strong high school student, you might want to apply to CBA right now. However, if any part of your record is average or weak, or if you need to work on your performance in math courses, you may be advised to complete the business prerequisites prior to applying. We suggest that you discuss these issues with your academic advisor. Your advisor will likely be able to recommend a time frame for course completion and application to CBA.

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I’m taking the prerequisite courses this semester, but would like to apply for the upcoming semester. When should I apply?

Whether you’re currently enrolled in business prerequisites or are working on raising your GPA, CBA will want to review your academic record when your grades are available. We recommend that you apply to CBA toward the end of the current semester. This way, you can register for next semester with your current academic advisor. (Register for any remaining requirements, and even alternate course choices to be safe.) After registering, complete the Academic Program Change form and have your records forwarded to CBA.This form may be obtained from your current academic advisor or your dean’s office.

Once grades are available, CBA will review your record and notify you as soon as possible of your decision. If you are admitted to CBA, you will be assigned a CBA advisor and will have the opportunity to make changes to your schedule, including adding business courses. Under these circumstances, things can get a bit hectic (because your decision is made at the last minute). Also, because it may not be possible to get your first choice of business class times or electives, it’s important for you to remain flexible. Keep in mind that next semester will be easier because you’ll be registering on time with the other CBA students!

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I’ve already completed a couple of the business prerequisites—and haven’t done so well. Do you recommend repeating them?

Performance in the business prerequisite courses is an important consideration in determining admissibility to CBA. This is because we believe that success in the prerequisites is an important predictor of ability to succeed in the business curriculum. Therefore, poor performance in the prerequisites can keep you from being admitted to CBA, even if the rest of your academic record is relatively strong.

When students are considered for admission to CBA, their original grades in the prerequisites are used. This means that retaking prerequisites may not help your chances of admission. The best defense against weaker performance in a prerequisite (a C, for example) would be to earn good grades in the others. In general, if you earn grades of A’s and B’s in the business prerequisites and have a strong GPA overall, you are likely to be admissible to CBA. On the other hand, if you consistently earn C’s in the prerequisites, you will not gain admission.

It is important to discuss these individual issues with your academic advisor. If you have performed poorly in a course, repeating it can be a good way of improving your overall GPA. This is a positive step, regardless of whether or not it results in admission to CBA. Your advisor can provide information about the diverse academic options available to you at Pitt, and possibly suggest ways of strengthening your academic record with admission to CBA in mind.

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My GPA is below the requirement for CBA—and I’ve already completed all of the prerequisite and general education requirements. What can I do?

CBA restricts enrollment in business courses to students enrolled in the CBA. (To preserve a quality experience for students in our courses, we feel it’s necessary to limit class sizes.) If you have applied to CBA and are not admissible, you will eventually find that your course options become limited (after you’ve completed all of the prerequisite and general education requirements). At this point, we suggest you do some careful thinking about your goals and perhaps reassess your educational interests and aptitudes. For help in choosing a major well-suited to your strengths, you should speak with your academic advisor and consider contacting the Pitt Career Services Office.

Under these circumstances, it is important to remember that many undergraduate majors can provide a foundation for a business career. For example, a liberal arts degree can help you develop skills that are valuable in the business world, such as writing, speaking, and critical thinking. The important thing is to choose a major that you enjoy and where you will perform well. Other marketable experiences include internships, volunteer work, part-time jobs, study abroad, and leadership in student organizations.

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Can I transfer to CBA and stay on track for graduation?

The answer to this question depends, of course, on when you transfer into CBA—and on the kind of courses you took prior to transferring. For example, students who follow the pre-CBA curriculum and who transfer after the freshman year have an excellent chance of staying on a four-year plan. On the other hand, students who pursue a completely different curriculum (like engineering or nursing, for example) for several years before transferring will find it hard to graduate in four years’ time.

The CBA program consists of 120 total credits, which includes 17 credits of business prerequisite courses and about 60 credits of business courses (this varies a bit depending on the major you choose). CBA also requires that a full set of basic and general education requirements be met (very similar to those in Arts and Sciences). Therefore, if you transfer to CBA after completing all of the general education requirements and all of the business prerequisite courses, you would generally have about 60 credits (two full-time years) of business courses left to complete.

Some good news for transfers is that CBA offers many business core classes and some of the business major electives during the summer. If you do have course work to make up, your CBA advisor can help you plan for summer courses that can keep you on track.