Advising FAQ's and Information

You can find the degree requirements for each option listed in the online Catalog.

You can find the worksheets for each option on our website here.Hard copy versions of the worksheets are available in the Jabs Office of Student Services, Jabs Hall Room 124. They are intended to be used in conjunction with DegreeWorks. We recommend saving a copy of your option worksheet to your personal computer. At the end of each semester, fill in your grades for the courses you have completed and use the remaining courses to develop an academic plan for your remaining semesters.

The business foundation courses are preparatory courses to ensure students are ready to go on to be successful in their upper-division, option-specific courses, and are required for admission to the College. 

These courses are: 

Course	Title	Notes
BGEN 104US	Business and Entrepreneurship Fundamentals Seminar	Freshman only
BGEN 215	Career Readiness	Freshman only
BGEN 204	Business and Entrepreneurship	Satisfies BGEN 104 and BGEN 215 requirements for non-freshman
ACTG 201	Principles of Financial Accounting
ACTG 202	Principles of Managerial Accounting	Not required for Finance
ACTG 223	Principles of Financial Accounting II	Finance and Accounting only
BMGT 205	Professional Business Communication
ECNS 101IS	Economic Way of Thinking
ECNS 202	Principles of Macroeconomics
ECNS 204IS	Microeconomics
BMIS 211	Data Analytics I
M 161Q	Survey of Calculus
STAT 216Q	Introduction to Statistics
STAT 217Q or BMGT 240IS	Intermediate Statistics or Business Analytics

These courses introduce students to the major business concepts and are required for all business majors. 

These courses are:

Course	Title
BMGT 335	Management and Organization
BMIS 311	Management Information Systems
BMGT 322	Operations Management
BMKT 325	Principles of Marketing
BFIN 322	Business Finance
BGEN 361	Principles of Business Law

 

The required, upper-division option courses are those specific courses required by each of our four options: Accounting, Finance, Management, and Marketing. Most of these are taught at the upper division (300-400) level. These are the bolded courses on our option worksheets (degree maps).

Jabs students are required to take non-business/non-economics electives courses for their degree. The number depends on your catalog year. Click here for a list of suggested non-business/non-econ courses here; however, courses that will count towards non-business/non-economics electives are:

• ECNS 101IS, ECNS 202, ECNS 204IS
• BMGT 240IS

Any other course that does not contain: ECNS, AGBE, AGEC, BGEN, BMIS, ACTG, BFIN, BMGT, or BMKT

Advisor-approved electives are courses 300-level or above, designed to help tailor your degree towards your interests and career aspirations, and must be in addition to the University Core. These courses can be in business or outside of business, and courses outside of business can be taken before admission. We recommend speaking with your advisor and/or instructors to discuss options for these courses; you can find a list of suggested courses on our website here.

Students in the College of Business will have two academic advisors during their college career: a professional advisor and a faculty advisor. Students work with their professional advisor for typically two years and then transition to a faculty advisor in their specific academic option.

Professional advisors can assist students in choosing courses, navigating the University, creating graduation forecasts, and utilizing campus resources. 

Faculty advisors can assist students with choosing courses, planning for graduation, discussing possible career paths within the major, and discussing elective courses to support career aspirations.

An Alternate PIN, also known as an Advisor Code or Registration PIN, is a unique six digit number generated for each student each semester for registration. You cannot register for classes without a registration PIN. To receive your PIN to register for classes, you will need to meet with an academic advisor in Jabs.

If you have an advisor in the Office of Student Services, their appointment links and drop-in hours can be found on our website here.

If you have been assigned to a faculty advisor, please reach out to them to schedule a time to meet.

You will meet with an academic advisor in Jabs to receive your PIN and discuss classes for the upcoming semester.

Jabs advisors have advising by appointment and drop-in advising. The hours and links for both can be found on our website here.

Advising by appointment is a scheduled time just for you! Drop-in advising is a one-on-one meeting with an advisor that is on a first-come, first-served basis. Both are great ways to get your questions answered and during registration drop-in advising may be the only available option.

You can meet with your faculty advisor (assigned after admission) by appointment (scheduled via email) or office hours (times can be found in Jabs 124).

 

To return to MSU, you will need to complete an Intent to Register, which can be found in MyInfo> Student Services> MSU Bozeman Online Intent to Register. Once the form is processed, you will receive an email telling you to contact your advisor; you can find all the ways to connect with a Jabs advisor on our website here.

Note: It can take up to 30 days for an “Intent” to be processed, so plan ahead!

First, check to see if the course has a waitlist through MyInfo, and add yourself if so!

If the course is full and does not have a waitlist, keep checking the Schedule of Classes online! Seat availability in courses changes daily. You could also set up an alert through MSUBot.com to look for open seats for you. Advisors in the Office of Student Services are always happy to help brainstorm alternative courses. If you believe you need the course to stay on track to graduate, please contact the Office of Student Services at business@montana.edu.

Generally, the last day to add a course is the 10th class day of the semester (though, students need professor approval between day 5 & day 10) and math courses may only be added until the 5th class day. Check the Registrar's webpage for specific deadlines.

You can drop a class through MyInfo> Student Services> Add/Drop Classes through the 10th class day. After the 10th class day you will need to complete theJabs Office of Student Services onlineform to request to withdraw from your class. The link to the form can be found in the middle of the page.

To withdraw from all of your courses, you will need to complete a University Withdrawal, which can be found online here. We recommend speaking with an advisor before doing so.

Withdrawing from a course results in a “W” as a grade, and does not impact your GPA. You are able to do this until the 60th class day of a fall or spring semester and it can be a great thing to do if you are concerned about your grade in the course impacting your GPA. If it is an option you are considering, you should always be aware of the deadlines for withdrawing, which you can find on the website here.

It is definitely better to get a “W” in a course than an “F”! Ws only indicate you withdrew from the course. Things happen, and it is totally normal to withdraw from a course or two throughout your college career. If it starts to become a pattern, you should chat with your academic advisor about your progress. Withdrawing from a course can also impact financial aid, housing status, and part-time/full-time status, etc.; you should always chat with your advisor before making a final decision!

Generally, the answer is yes! There are a few steps to follow when considering doing so:

1. First, check the MSU Transfer Equivalency Guide, which is a historic guide of every course that has been transferred to MSU from another institution. 
1. If the course is directly equivalent to the MSU course you need, this course will likely transfer as needed! It is still a good idea to chat with an advisor before enrolling in the course.
2. If the course is listed as an elective (ELEC) course or is not listed in the guide, you’ll need to complete a Course Substitution Request form to have the course evaluated by Jabs faculty. It is a good idea to chat with your advisor before submitting this form. You will need to attach the syllabus for the course you are hoping to take, which you can generally obtain by contacting the college or university teaching the course. You will be notified via email once it has been evaluated. We strongly recommend you do this BEFORE taking the course.

Yes! We have a Course Substitution Request form you can submit, along with the course syllabus, to be evaluated by Jabs faculty. Generally transcripts are evaluated by both the Office of Admissions and advisors in Jabs to determine if a course would be a good substitute course; if you have not yet met with a Jabs advisor, we may suggest doing so! It is a good idea to chat with your advisor before submitting this form.

You can transfer in as many classes as you have! There are requirements for the number of credits you need to take from Jabs to graduate with a business degree, and you can learn more about those requirements on the website here.

Whether you are changing into or out of business, you will need to complete a Curriculum Change form, found here.You will also need to meet with the advisor for the major you’re planning to switch to. If that is business, you can find our contact information on the website here;if you are changing to a new major, you can find a list of advising contacts for all majors on the website here.

Email your advisor or business@montana.edu to request that change with your full name, last 4 numbers of your student ID, current option, and new option.

As a business student you will have two advisors:

• Your professional advisor will work with you from orientation until you are admitted to Jabs. This advisor can assist you in taking advantage of MSU’s resources, choosing classes, and navigating institutional processes. Click here to find the contact information for our professional advisors.
• Your faculty advisor who you will work with from admission until graduation. This advisor will be a faculty member in your option and can assist you with academic and career planning and serve as a professional mentor.

Every student at MSU is assigned an academic advisor to help navigate the institution, pick out classes, and make academic decisions, such as withdrawing from classes. 

You can find your academic advisor listed in your DegreeWorks. If you are not sure who your advisor is, or do not have a business advisor listed, please contact us at business@montana.edu.

We recommend meeting with your advisor early on in your academic career and often (at least once a semester)! Your advisor is a great first stop when struggling with classes, homesickness, motivation, organization, and many other issues! We will work with you to create a plan that often includes getting connected with other helpful campus resources.

You can meet with your professional advisor either by appointment or for drop-in hours. You can find the hours and links for both options here.You can meet with your faculty advisor (assigned after admission) by appointment (scheduled via email) or office hours.

Yes, you can change your advisor at any point! To do so, email business@montana.edu with your first and last name, last 4 digits of your student ID, current advisor, and new advisor.

Jabs offers five business minors, four of which are available to business majors: accounting, finance, international business, and entrepreneurship & small business management. A minor in business administration is also available to non-business majors.

Yes!

Each business minor has varying requirements, and all of the required courses for each minor are listed here. Please Note: some required prerequisite courses are not listed as the minor requirements; it is the student’s responsibility to determine they have all of the necessary prerequisites. Jabs advisors can help in this process and you can find all the ways to connect with the advisors here.

No, the business administration minor is only open to non-business students.

We have two Business Certificates available: Entrepreneurship and Business Certificate. These certificates are only available to non-business majors and will give students an overview of the fields of entrepreneurship or business. You can find more information and the list of certificate course requirements here.

No, the certificates are only open to all non-business students.

To declare a minor or certificate, you’ll need to meet with an Academic Advisor in the Jabs Office of Student Services and complete a curriculum change form.

To certify a minor or certificate, you’ll need to complete a Jabs Minor Application for Non-business majors or a Undergraduate Certificate Application.

If you would like to still earn your minor/certificate, you could either extend your graduation date or take courses through MSU after graduation to complete your minor! You can also drop your minor through a curriculum change form. We generally recommend speaking with an advisor before making your decision.

You can view the Jabs Graduation Process step by step guide here.

The Pre-Graduation Worksheet (PGW) is a form outlining every class you will take for your last year of your degree, including your elective courses. This ensures your plans will complete all of the MSU and Jabs graduation requirements. The form requires your advisor’s signature, and we recommend chatting with them prior to submitting it. The PGW is an online form and can be found here.

Please contact us at business@montana.edubefore doing so to ensure you would still be on track to satisfy your graduation requirements with your changes.

If you have completed your Pre-Graduation Worksheet, you will receive an email from the Jabs Office of Student Services when it is time to do so. You can also find the Registrar’s information about graduation applications, including deadlines for submission here.

Generally, you will only hear back if there are issues with your Pre-Graduation Worksheet or Graduation Application audit. It is important to note these audits are accurate at the time they are completed; it is important to notify business@montana.edu if you are planning to make any changes before doing so to ensure you will still be on track to graduate.

MSU Commencement dates are typically announced a year in advance; you can find details on the Registrar’s Webpage. The specifics of the Jabs Graduation Celebration are shared with all students who have completed a graduation application through with the Jabs Office of Student Services.

Please notify business@montana.edu and let us know what semester you intend to graduate to begin the process of changing your graduation date.

• Step One: Meet with MSU’s Study Abroad Advising 
• Step Two: Look over MSU’s Study Abroad Website and review:
• Options for countries and universities
• The application process
• Step 3: Narrow down a list of 2-3 schools and research their websites for available courses
• Step 4: Meet with a Jabs advisor to discuss possible courses and the process for getting courses reviewed**
• Students with an Office of Student Services advisor should meet with their assigned academic advisor
• Students with faculty advisors should emai their faculty advisor to set up a meeting.
• Step 5: Meet with a Study Abroad advisor in the Office of International Programs to finalize the study abroad program type & location, and start the application process
• Step 6: Once you have been accepted into your program, connect with the same person you met with for Step 4 to have your courses officially approved.
• Step 7: Apply for Jabs Study Abroad Scholarships. 

Yes! You will work with your academic advisor to find courses that will work with your degree and keep you on track to graduation. The earlier you start talking with your advisor, the more flexibility you will have in designing your schedule and the schools that would offer those courses.

he best time to study abroad and find courses you need is your sophomore year! That being said, we can generally find courses to make sure you stay on track to graduate, but the more planning we do in advance, the easier it is.

Not necessarily! Some programs will cost you the same amount as your MSU tuition, you should chat with a Study Abroad advisor to learn more about which programs fall into that category! Jabs also has scholarships available to students who are studying abroad to help cover the cost of your plane ticket; chat with your Jabs advisor to learn more!

Yes! Business majors are required to take non-business/non-economic courses for their degree. If you plan ahead, you can plan to take a whole semester of elective courses outside of business.

Course availability and offerings vary from institution to institution, and not all courses will be available at each institution; it is important to plan with your advisor early, and be open to flexibility in schools and/or courses.

Each institution is different, but generally speaking, students can typically find: 

• non-business/non-economics electives
• University Core
• Macroeconomics & Microeconomics
• STAT 216
• M 161
• ACTG 202
• BFIN 322
• BMGT 322
• BMIS 311
• Upper-division electives
• Advisor-approved electives (marketing and management students only)

Each institution is different, but generally speaking, students typically won’t find: 

• BMIS 211
• BMGT 240
• BGEN 204
• ACTG courses (201, 223, 327, 328, 401, 410, 411, 415, etc.)
• BGEN 499
• BGEN 361

Each institution is different, but generally speaking, students may have difficulty finding: 

• BMGT 335
• BMKT 325
• BFIN 357, 420 & 435
• BMGT 205
• BMKT 499
• BGEN 302

All MSU scholarships for current students are applied for and managed through Cat Scholarships. It is important to maintain an active profile on the site, as it is used as your main application for all scholarships and will keep a record of your information year-to-year.

New students are eligible for scholarships through the Office of Admissions and for Jabs scholarships once they are an MSU student in their first semester or later. 

The Cat Scholarship platform opens November 1st each year and the priority deadline for most scholarships is February 1st.

Scholarship winners are typically notified late in the spring semester - usually before the semester ends in May. Your notification will include the dollar amount of your scholarship, and you will be expected to attend the Jabs Scholarship Banquet the following September to meet your scholarship donor.

Your scholarship award will be posted by the Financial Aid office to your student fee account. Typically scholarship funds are split evenly between your Fall and Spring tuition bills.

Usually, yes. Contact the Jabs Dean’s Office at 406-994-4423 to make this request.

New students are eligible for scholarships through the Office of Admissions and for Jabs scholarships once they are an MSU student in their first semester or later. 

There are specialty scholarships through Montana BPA and Montana DECA that are awarded to entering freshmen and you can learn more about those scholarships here.

All Jabs students planning to enroll full-time next academic year, including Accounting graduate students, are eligible to apply. Each scholarship includes unique eligibility criteria specified by the donor, but all scholarships include academic performance, with cumulative MSU GPA as one of the primary selection criteria.

Many, though not all, of the Jabs scholarships are need-based and do require a FAFSA application on file. You can find information about completing your FAFSA here.

Jabs offers two masters degrees: the Master of Professional Accountancy (MPAc) and the Master of Science in Innovation and Management (MSIM). 

Both programs require an application through the Graduate School, and each program has specific application requirements. You can find the requirements for the Master of Professional Accountancy application here and the requirements for the Master of Science in Innovation and Management here.

You can find a list of the required background courses for the Master of Professional Accountancy here.

You can find more information about the Master of Professional Accountancy (MPAc) program here:

MPAc Website 

MPAc FAQs

You can also contact the MPAc Program Director:

Marc Giullian(406) 994-1965

mgiullian@montana.edu

 

You can find more information about the Master of Science in Innovation and Management (MSIM) here:

MSIM Website

You can also contact the MSIM Program Director:

Ara Megerdichian

ara.megerdichian@montana.edu