The Bachelor of Science in Management (BSM) degree is designed to provide a rigorous yet practical education to business professionals that integrates theory with business practice. Course materials and group discussions are related to the students’ work experience and career goals. This emphasis allows the knowledge and skills developed in the classroom to be applied in the workplace. In this way, professional development is combined with a broad academic perspective.
The BSM program is a 60-unit concentration in upper-division business courses aimed at students with some professional experience who are committed to enhancing their knowledge and skills and advancing their careers. It consists of experiential, collaborative, and pragmatic learning processes that are designed to help students become more effective members of organizations. The program familiarizes students with the dynamics of global markets; the core functional areas of business; and the impacts of globalization, technology, and diversity on the workplace. The program develops students’ understanding of business processes and their execution. It builds their self-confidence and skills in the areas of communication, informed decision making, leadership, global orientation, and team development. The program places a strong emphasis on values and moral and ethical conduct.
The BSM program has set the following educational objectives:
- Enhance students’ communication skills so that they are more effective in their organizational roles.
- Enhance students’ skills both as participants in and leaders of work teams.
- Develop students’ skills in creative problem solving and informed decision making.
- Develop students’ analytical skills for assembling, organizing, and utilizing information to make situational leadership decisions.
- Increase students’ understanding of the global environment as it affects their workplaces.
- Incorporate ethical considerations into decision making.
In the first trimester of the program, BSM students will participate in a residential workshop, scheduled over a weekend at a hotel/conference center near their home campus. Designed to establish a strong foundation for personal development, communication, and group learning experiences throughout the Program, the workshop requires an overnight stay (Friday and Saturday nights) at the venue. Students are responsible for covering the additional lodging and some meal expenses associated with the workshop.
Global Business Intensive Courses
Two units of credit may be earned by attending one of the Global Business Intensive courses offered at locations in Asia, Europe, Latin America, the Caribbean, and North America. These are short-term intensive courses which students take during trimester breaks.
Degree Requirements for the BSM
The Bachelor of Science in Business degree requires a minimum of 120 semester units, of which a minimum of 60 units must be completed in the BSM Program with an overall grade point average of 2.0 (“C” average) or higher.
Transfer of Undergraduate Credit
Students will receive advanced standing according to the number of acceptable semester units previously completed. Credit received on a basis other than the semester unit will be converted to the semester system.
Generally, a summary of credits will be prepared only after the admission file is complete and the applicant has been accepted.
All courses for all schools attended will be evaluated for assignment to general studies areas. A minimum grade of “C” or better for English composition and mathematics is required. For all other subjects, the minimum grade that will be considered for transfer is “D-.” All transfer grades are computed into the cumulative grade point average. There is no maximum time limit for general studies requirements. Lower-division classes taken at another college that fulfill degree requirements typically will transfer only as lower-division credit. Extension courses, up to a maximum of 15 units, are transferable as elective units only.
After enrollment in the Graziadio School, students should receive advance approval from the Program Office to take further work at other universities to be transferred toward general studies requirements.
General Studies Requirements
General studies requirements must be met by course work transferred to the Graziadio School. Students must complete a total of 30 semester units in the general studies area. A student may not transfer more than 4 units of physical education to fulfill general studies requirements. Sixteen units of College-Level Examination Program (CLEP)/DANTE credit taken in subject examinations with a score of 50 or higher will be accepted toward general studies requirements. CLEP/DANTE credit cannot be granted in any area where the student has equivalent course credit.
The following areas must be included in the general studies requirements:
- English Composition (3 semester units). Students must complete a course in English composition with a grade of “C” or better prior to application for admission and have official transcripts filed in the Graziadio School Admission Office.
- Social Science (12 semester units- minimum of four courses). Students must take one course in United States history or American government. The remaining units may be completed with courses in subject areas such as economics, history, political science, psychology, or sociology. Lower-division courses in microeconomics and macroeconomics are strongly recommended as preparation for the BSM program.
- Humanities and/or Fine Arts (9 semester units-minimum of three courses). Students may meet this requirement by taking courses in subject areas such as art, music, speech, English, religion, foreign language, or history.
- Natural Science (3 semester units). Students may meet this requirement by completing a course in a subject area such as natural science, physical science, or life science. A lab is not required.
- Mathematics (3 semester units). Students may meet this requirement by taking a college-level mathematics course with a grade of “C” or better. Examples of mathematics subjects include college algebra or above, geometry, trigonometry, or calculus. Students must complete this course prior to application for admission and have official transcripts filed in the Graziadio School Admission Office.
Electives
To complete the minimum total of 120 semester units required for the bachelor’s degree, students may choose elective courses from any area of study from an accredited college or university. Electives also may be taken in any of the general studies areas in addition to the courses taken to meet the general studies requirements. Students may submit for approval credit obtained in the following ways:
- Extension Credit-A maximum of 15 semester units in extension, distance learning, and/or correspondence study from regionally accredited colleges may be submitted for transfer. If these units are not acceptable for general studies requirements, the Graziadio School may accept them for electives.
- CLEP/DANTE Examinations-In addition to the maximum of 16 units of general education credit, 16 units of elective credit will be accepted toward electives for the bachelor’s degree. Subject examinations with a score of 50 or higher are acceptable to fulfill general studies requirements. General CLEP examinations with satisfactory scores (500 or higher prior to July 2001, 50 or higher with computer-based testing beginning July 2001) will be acceptable for elective credit. Four units of credit may be granted for each acceptable general examination and 4 units of credit for each acceptable subject examination. CLEP/DANTE credit cannot be granted in any area where the student has equivalent course credit.
- Military Experience Credit-The following will be given as lower-division elective credit when the proper form is submitted:
Enlisted-6 units
Warrant Officer-9 units
Commissioned Officer-12 units
Units will be given in no more than one of the above categories. Veterans must submit form DD214 and active-duty military personnel must submit form DD295.
- Military Service Schools-Credit is granted for military schools and courses recommended for credit by the American Council on Education. Courses for which credit is granted must be equivalent to Pepperdine University program offerings. Credit will be given when form DD295 is submitted.
- Assessment of Prior Learning (APL) Credit-APL is college credit which may be granted for prior learning acquired on the job or through self-study, in-service training, trade or private schools, self-employment, and home or community experience. A maximum of 30 semester units of APL credit from regionally accredited colleges may be submitted for transfer. If these units are not acceptable for general studies requirements, Pepperdine University may accept them for electives.
Course Waiver
Upon approval, up to 12 units of course work may be waived based upon previously completed courses. BSCI 468 Organizational Behavior and STGY 479 Business Strategy may not be waived. Normally upper-division courses of comparable scope and units must be submitted for consideration of waiver. However, core courses in accounting, economics, information systems, production and operations management, and statistical methods may be waived if at least two acceptable lower-division courses of equivalent course content in related subjects have been completed with grades of “B” or better. Units to be considered for waiver must be from courses taken within the past seven years.
Students requesting waiver of course work must submit a written request along with transcripts, university course catalog descriptions, and other information (for example, syllabus and book list) to the Program Office for faculty review as to adequacy and currency.
Course Load
Because the BSM program is designed for full-time working adults, the maximum course load is 10 units per trimester. Under special circumstances, students wishing to take additional units may petition the Program Office for consideration.
A lower maximum unit load may be applicable in certain circumstances. These include and are not limited to:
- Academic probation status - maximum load reduced to 6 units
- Assigned grade of “I” (Incomplete) - maximum load reduced by the equivalent unit value of the course(s) in which the “I” was assigned
- Any outstanding lower division coursework after matrculation into BSM Program.
Leave of Absence
A student may request a leave of abscence (LOA) due to circumstances that necessitate a temporary break from enrollment in the Program. A formal request must be submitted in writing (an e-mail from the student’s official Pepperdine account is sufficient) to the student’s designated program advisor in the Fully Employed Program Office. The request should provide an explanation for the intended LOA and indicate the academic term for the student’s anticipated return to the Program. Leaves of absence may be granted for up to two (2) consecutive trimesters, while maintaining active program status. A leave in excess of two consecutive trimesters will result in the deactivation of the student’s status at the Graziadio School. In such cases, the student must formally apply for program re-admission. International students in F-1 visa status must obtain clearance from the Office of International Student Services before taking a leave of absence.
Standards and Measurements of Achievement for BSM Students
The completion of the bachelor’s degree requires a minimum grade point average of 2.0 (“C”) in both BSM-related and overall undergraduate coursework. This minimum grade point average (GPA) must be maintained at all times throughout the Program.
Student academic performance is monitored by the BSM Program Committee at the end of each term, and any student falling below the 2.0 GPA minimum is subject to academic probation. Students placed on academic probation will be notified in writing by the Fully Employed Program Office and informed of the conditions applicable to the probationary status. Among these conditions is a reduction in enrollment, limiting the student to six (6) units of BSM coursework per trimester for the duration of the probationary period. A student’s probation status will not be cleared until he/she has regained a minimum cumulative and program-specific GPA of 2.0.
While on probation, or at any other time, students may be subject to academic dismissal due to any of the following:
- Earning a grade of “C-” or lower in any class while on probation
- Earning grades of “F” in 8 or more cumulative units within the Program
- Failing to meet the stated conditions of probation
- Failing to maintain a minimum cumulative and BSM GPA of 2.0.
Veterans’ Benefits
Students receiving veterans’ benefits should consult the “Academic Policies ” section of this catalog for “Information for Veterans ” concerning standards of progress for veterans. Students cannot receive full veterans’ benefits for taking fewer than 12 units. The BSM program’s maximum course load is 10 units per trimester.
Repeating Courses
Required courses for which a student earns a grade of “F” or “WF” must be repeated within two trimesters. When repeating a course for which a grade of “C-” or lower was earned, both grades are calculated in the grade point average, but the units count only once toward graduation. Courses for which a student earns a grade of “C” or better may be repeated but will not be calculated in the grade point average or the unit total.
Graduation Requirements
Students must complete all lower-division requirements and submit all official documents prior to filing the Intent to Graduate form. Students who do not fulfill all lower-division and program completion requirements will not be eligible to participate in graduation ceremonies until the outstanding requirements are met.
Graduation Honors
Honors distinctions are awarded to graduates of the BSM Program who have achieved the requisite minimum grade point averages in their undergraduate coursework at Pepperdine as follows:
- Cum Laude - minimum 3.50 GPA
- Magna Cum Laude - minimum 3.70 GPA
- Summa Cum Laude - minimum 3.90 GPA
The Graziadio School bestows the additional designation of Dean’s Honor Roll upon students completing all BSM Program coursework with a minimum overall GPA of 3.5. For the purposes of eligibility for these distinctions, GPA’s are not rounded up.
Undergraduate Registration in Graduate Courses
An undergraduate student enrolled in Pepperdine University who is within 9 units of graduation may be permitted to enroll in courses for graduate credit. However, before the last trimester of undergraduate work, the student must submit a program to the program chairperson and a petition to the associate dean for approval of the program. If the graduate study is in a different division than the undergraduate work, the student also must obtain approval from the chairperson of the appropriate program of graduate study. (Graduate credit will not be permitted for work that is required for the bachelor’s degree.) To be admitted to a graduate program, the student must file an application and meet the admission requirements. The applicant will be notified in writing concerning the petition and admission.