College of Business

Frequently Asked Questions

Navigating your business degree can come with a lot of questions. Feel free to meet with a Business Advisor in Glenn 321 to go over anything you want to know about the program.


Business Student Advising Questions

Course Requirements and Planning Questions

Option, Minor, and Certificate Questions

Extra-Curricular Questions

Campus Resources Questions


Business Student Advising Questions

When should I see a business advisor?

You should meet with an advisor at least every semester. Avoid the rush! We encourage you to see us early, with the best times being September for spring course planning and February for fall course planning.

What is mandatory advising?

Incoming first-time freshmen are required to meet with an advisor in the fall semester for spring course planning. Transfer students are required to complete mandatory advising in the spring semester. Our goal is to provide early advising strategies to successfully progress in major. We hold mandatory advising workshops "Wild About Business" or one-on-one appointments to clear your requriement. Attending mandatory advising releases your registration hold, so early attendance is recommended. More information will be sent to your Wildcat email account, so keep an eye out for emails from Business Advising. 

What are your hours and where are you located?

We are located in Glenn Hall, Room 321. Our office is open Monday-Friday 8:00am to 5:00pm. We take scheduled appointments Mon-Thu from 8:30am-11:30am and drop-ins 1:00-4:00pm. On Fridays we take drop-ins from 8:30-11:30 and 1:00-4:00pm. There are no advisors on duty during the 12:00-1:00pm lunch hour. Note: during the weeks of priority registration in October and April, we only take drop-in appointments and have extended advising hours. During the summer, the office is open Monday-Thursday 8:00am-5:00pm and is closed on Fridays. We take drop-in or scheduled appointments from 8:30am-4:00pm. It is recommended that you call ahead as we have commitments during the summer that require us to close the office. 

Course Requirements and Registration Questions

Can I take courses at a California Community College?

Yes, you can enroll in California Community College courses concurrently while attending CSU, Chico or during a winter or summer break. A helpful resource is www.assist.org. It is important to contact our office for help finding the equivalent course to make sure it will meet our requirement(s). We require proof of completion with a final grade report or unofficial transcript to verify prerequisites needed for other courses. Remember that you also need to turn in an official transcript to CSU, Chico to get credit for the course and clear the requirement for graduation purposes.

Are courses available at CSU, Chico over summer or winter break (intersession)?

The winter and summer schedules are posted weeks in advance of registration and have online or in-person course offerings. Typically upper division business core, a few option courses, and general education courses are scheduled. Registration for winter courses begins in November. Registration for summer courses begins in early April. See Regional and Continuing Education's website for more information about what will be offered, course fees, and how to register for courses. Please note, courses are subject to enrollment numbers, so it is never advised to plan graduation around summer/winter terms.

Are courses available online?

Most business courses are taught in person at CSU, Chico. However, a few may be offered online in any given semester. There are also other online options. If you are looking for an online lower-division business core course, California Community Colleges (CCC) may offer equivalent courses. California Virtual Campus can help you find courses throughout the state of California, with most options being at CCCs. CSU Fully Online may also provide more course options online for business or general education requirements. Not all online courses are accepted, so it is always advised that you meet with Business Student Advising before signing up for the course to make sure it is equivalent to the course you are intending to meet at CSU, Chico. If you need help navigating either site, meet with Business Student Advising for help.

I took AP tests in high school, do you accept them?

Yes, if you scored a three or higher, we will accept AP credit. See our Getting Started page for specific course equivalencies.

Can I graduate in four years?

Yes. It requires planning, dedication, hard work, and utilizing the resources on campus. See the Business Advisors every semester for course planning assistance. Additionally, there are major academic plans (MAPs) available for each major to be used as guides for course planning.

If I just transferred, how quickly can I graduate?

If your lower-division general education and lower-division business core courses are completed prior to transferring, students typically need four semesters to complete the remaining requirements in the major and option. Please note, there are three upper-division general education courses also required to complete your degree.

Option, Minor, and Certificate Questions

What is an option?

Students earn either a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration (BADM) or Business Information Systems (BSIS). Each degree requires a core set of courses that provides general knowledge of the vast topics in business. From there, a student selects an option to further specialize in a business field of study. There are seven options within the BADM degree and three options within the BSIS degree.

How do I choose which option is right for me?

This requires self-exploration and decision making. You may choose your option based on personal interests, career goals, career outlook, or course requirements. Often times students use the upper-division business core to explore the fields they are interested in pursuing. There is a strategy behind selecting courses, so we recommend meeting with the advisors to go over good courses to take to try out options. See out Getting to Graduation page for more suggestion on how to choose your option.

What is a minor? How does that differ from an option?

An option is something built into your major, so all business students will complete an option. A minor is optional and is a further area of study (typically 15-30 units) that you may choose to compliment your option within business. The College of Business offers 11 different minors, in addition to the University offering a lot of minors in various disciplines. For some options it may only require one to a few courses to earn a minor, so we encourage students to consider them and ask us for assistance. 

*Students interested in a minor MUST formally declare the minor in order to enroll in course requirements. Please meet with a business advisor in Glenn 321 or call 530-898-4480 for more information and to declare a minor. 

How do I add a minor? Certificate? Double Option?

You can make changes to your degree plan by filling out a plan change form, getting the appropriate signatures from Business Student Advising (Glenn 321), and turning it into the Office of the Registrar (SSC 110). We would recommend meeting with us to discuss double counting, course planning, and additional requirements that may be needed.

*Students interested in a minor MUST formally declare the minor in order to enroll in course requirements. Please meet with a business advisor in Glenn 321 or call 530-898-4480 for more information and to declare a minor. 

Can I change my option?

Yes, fill out a plan change form with your new option and bring it into Business Student Advising (Glenn 321) for appropriate signatures and advising.

Extra-Curricular Questions

What services does the Business Student Success Center provide?

The Business Student Success Center offers tutoring help for most of the challenging courses in the business degrees at no cost to students. Additionally, we offer helpful workshops, presentations, leadership opportunities, and professional development networking to boost your resume and college experience.

How do I get involved?

In the College of Business alone there are over a dozen clubs and organizations to get involved with to boost your resume, network, take on leadership roles, make friends, and much more. See our student organization link for more information about active clubs. Additionally, the campus has a multitude of clubs and organizations to get involved on campus.  

Can I study abroad as a business student?

Yes, and we encourage you to! The College of Business sends more students abroad than any other program at CSU, Chico. Whether it's a semester in China, a year in Australia, a summer in Ireland, or dozens of other programs, there are so many options and opportunities to choose from! We recommend starting with Study Abroad's website to get more information about the programs available. If you decide to go abroad you should meet with us early to discuss your study abroad plans so we can help you plan your courses at CSU, Chico and abroad. Austin Huddleson is our dedicated study abroad specialist who welcomes the chance to meet you and assist with your plans.

What resources are there to help me find a job?

The Career Center is a fantastic resource for students and a majority of their services are free to use. Whether you need help with your resume, practicing for an interview, researching jobs, finding your major or option, or attending a career fair, there are lots of services that benefit you as a student. Check out their Career and Internship Manual for help with cover letters, resumes, preparing for a career fair, interview skills, proper attire and more. Jerad Prevost is the dedicated Career Advisor for the College of Business.

Campus Resources Questions

Who do I meet with if I have questions about general education or graduation requirements?

You should meet with Academic Advising to go over general education requirements. We recommend you meet with them once a semester as well as Business Student Advising. If you are nearing graduation and have questions, it may be more applicable to meet with Graduation Advising to confirm you are on track to graduate.

Who do I meet with if I have questions about my transfer credit to CSU, Chico?

Graduation Advisors can help answer any questions about how courses transferred and if any adjustments need to be made for courses that were not articulated correctly. 

Where can I find commonly used forms?

General education planning sheets, repeat with forgiveness, applying for graduation, athlete advising worksheets, GE pathway minor declaration, and much more can be found on Academic Advising's Frequently Used Forms.

Who do I meet with if I have questions about my general education pathway?

We would recommend you start with Academic Advising. Depending on your questions and situation you may also need to meet with Graduation Advising and/or GE pathway coordinator. You may need to consult with them about study abroad substitutions, diversity requirements, or writing requirements.

Where can I go if I need test accommodations or other services for my documented disability?

The Accessibility Resource Center (ARC) is your resource on campus for assistance in and outside of the classroom. Visit their website for more information about the services they provide and what is needed to get registered with their office.