Graduate students must assume full responsibility for knowledge of the rules and regulations of the college and the university and of departmental, school, or institute requirements concerning their individual programs. Enrollment in a graduate program of this college constitutes students' acknowledgement that they are obligated to comply with all academic and administrative regulations and degree requirements. Students are encouraged to read carefully Section 1300, "Academic Regulations" that applies to all of the university's programs and the regulations specific to their RCB programs in this chapter. Students are also urged to read all of the requirements of their degree, program, or status that are presented in this chapter.
The Robinson College of Business provides a flexible schedule of courses for some of its master's programs. The schedule attempts to accommodate the needs of a diverse student body, particularly with respect to students' employment. However, the faculty of the college expects that students enrolled in a master's program will bring to that program a commitment to complete their degree requirements in a timely manner. The faculty believes that maximum benefit will be derived from a program if students devote a period of concentrated study to the disciplines that constitute the master's programs.
Before deciding to enroll in a master's program of this college, students must examine seriously and realistically their abilities to adjust their personal and professional schedules to accommodate the challenge of graduate study. Students or applicants with questions about the commitment needed to complete the master's programs should schedule an appointment with an advisor in the college's Office of Graduate Student Services.
The course load of master's students may vary with the circumstances of the individual student each semester. Students normally enroll in three to 15 semester hours a term depending on the program. In determining each semester's course load, students must balance other time constraints (work, family, civic, and other responsibilities) with the need to make reasonable and timely progress toward completion of the program within the five-year time limit.
If a student in good standing needs longer than five years to complete the master's degree, they may petition for an extension of the time limit up to a maximum of seven years. Courses more than seven years old at the time of graduation expire and must be repeated or replaced with more current courses. Students who need more than five years to complete the degree requirements should schedule an appointment with an advisor in the Office of Graduate Student Services.
Students are expected to observe generally accepted standards of conduct and to assume personal responsibilities appropriate to potential business and professional leaders. The university reserves the right to exclude any student whose conduct is prejudicial or injurious to the university, the faculty, or other students. The formal policy of the university concerning student rights and obligations is under the heading "University Code of Conduct" in the General Information chapter of this catalog.
Admission to a master's-level program is for the specific semester stated in the acceptance letter. Anyone who does not enroll for the semester for which acceptance was granted must notify the Office of Graduate Admission and Recruitment so his or her records may be updated to a future semester and reevaluated according to admission criteria in effect for the future semester. Deadlines for notification to change to each semester are shown below:
| Change Semester of Entry to Deadline Date | |
| Spring (January) | September 1 |
| Summer (June) | February 1 |
| Fall (August) | April 1 |
If the deadline falls on a weekend or a university holiday, requests to change semester of entry will be accepted until the next workday following the deadline.
Normally, students will be permitted to graduate under the provisions of the graduate catalog in effect at the time of first enrollment. Student may choose to graduate under the provisions of a subsequent graduate catalog; that is, they may choose to change their "catalog edition." Students who choose to do this must meet all provisions of the subsequent graduate catalog.
Robinson College students are required to change to the current catalog edition when they change programs/statuses or MS majors or after certain absences from the program, as explained in the next two headings below.
An M.B.A. student who wishes to change majors or concentrations within the M.B.A. program may begin the process by notifying the Office of Graduate Student Services in writing and consulting the graduate catalog to determine requirements for the new major or concentration. Written notification of the decision will be provided.
An RCB master's student who wishes to change majors within the M.S. program or to change programs or status (for example, M.B.A. to M.S., C.R.E. to M.S.R.E., M.P.A. to M.B.A., ., M.P.A. to .M.S.I.S.A.C, M.S. to M.S.I.S.A.C, M.S.-MGS. to M.S.-H.R.M., nondegree to M.B.A.) may begin the process by notifying GRSS in writing. For programs that require faculty review as part of the admissions process, the file of the student will be sent to the appropriate faculty representative for a recommended admission decision. A student who has applied for admission to a new program will be notified in writing of the decision and, if approved, of any foundation courses required by the new program. Changes in M.S. major and changes in program require that students making such changes follow the program requirements of the graduate catalog in effect at the time of the change.
Absences shorter than one calendar year: Students continue to be eligible to register until they have not registered for one calendar year, except as noted below. Registration is defined as remaining registered until at least the end of the official late registration period. See the heading titled "Reentry Students" in the Registration and Reentry chapter earlier in this catalog.
Absence from the program is defined as not registering for graduate or relevant undergraduate courses or registering for such courses but not earning degree credit (minimum grade of C-), that is, earning D, F, W, or WF.
NOTE: Graduate students must register for at least a total of six semester hours of course work during any period of three consecutive terms (fall, spring, summer) until completion of degree. Failure to meet this standard for "continuous enrollment" will require the graduate student to apply for reentry.
Absences of one calendar year or longer: All students who wish to reenter one of the master's-level programs or nondegree status after an absence of one calendar year or longer must meet the degree requirements and academic regulations of the graduate catalog current upon return, along with other reentry provisions as may be in effect.
Reentering students who have earned a minimum of 18 semester hours of appropriate credit at Georgia State University with a minimum GPA of 3.00 will be eligible for reentry without being required to meet current admissions criteria.
"Appropriate credit" means assigned foundation courses and/or courses that are applicable to the students' current program.
Students who have not earned at least 18 semester hours of appropriate credit at Georgia State University with a minimum GPA of 3.00 must reapply and meet current admissions criteria. The provision to meet current admissions criteria includes submission of current scores on the Graduate Management Admission Test if the latest score on file will be more than five years old at the time of reentry.
Reentry applications must be submitted by the deadlines as shown for each term in Section 1100, "Reentry" earlier in this catalog. Reentry applications are available from the Office of Graduate Student Services.
Reentry applicants should request that the registrar of each school attended since their last enrollment at Georgia State University send an official transcript to the RCB Office of Graduate Recruiting and Student Services GRSS.
Transient students should refer to the heading titled "Transient Students" earlier in this chapter.
Graduate students normally reenter the same college and program/status in which they were last enrolled. Students who have attended Georgia State in both undergraduate and graduate categories may apply to reenter any undergraduate or graduate program/status in which they were enrolled. Exception: Students who have graduated and wish to reenter in order to take additional graduate level courses but not earn another graduate degree or certificate will reenter as post-graduate (PG) students.
RCB master's students who wish to reenter this college may, if desired, indicate a new RCB degree or major at the time of reentry. Graduate Student Services will evaluate the request to change degrees or majors as part of the reentry process in accordance with the relevant regulations of the college. Exception: Students who have graduated from one graduate program in RCB and who wish to return to take courses for another graduate degree or certificate, must file a new application for admission rather than a Reentry form.
Reentry approval is valid for the semester applied for. Students approved for reentry who do not register for the semester for which they applied, must submit a new reentry application for future semesters.
Students must not attend courses for which they have not officially registered and paid. Properly completing the registration process by the published deadline for each term is the responsibility of each student.
Students must enroll in courses that are part of the approved curriculum for the program to which they have been accepted. Students who do otherwise are subject to loss of credit and/or loss of eligibility to continue to register. Students in colleges other than the Robinson College of Business who take RCB courses may do so only if the courses are part of the program of study in the other college. For students to follow the program of study for an RCB degree or certificate, they must qualify for admission to the RCB program.
The faculty of the Robinson College of Business expects all students, regardless of status (degree seeking, nondegree, transient), to have satisfied the prerequisites for all courses for which they are registered. This expectation includes course prerequisites and computing skills prerequisites.
Satisfaction of prerequisites is enforced in the Robinson College of Business in varying ways. Prerequisites for some courses are monitored by the college or an academic unit once the term begins with violators withdrawn about the third week of the term, resulting in loss of fees and no opportunity to register for a replacement course. Other courses are monitored by the individual professors, who can also require violators to be withdrawn. The registration system will verify completion of prerequisites at the time of registration for selected courses. Students must assume this responsibility.
Prerequisites for each course are found in the Course Descriptions chapter of this catalog. The current catalog must always be consulted before registration to determine course prerequisites. Questions about prerequisites can be directed to the advisors in the Office of Graduate Student Services.
There are no differences in admission requirements and degree requirements for students based on whether classes will be taken during the day or at night. The master's programs (with the exception of the M.A.S. program) may be completed entirely at night. Students may take only night classes or a combination of day and night classes, whatever is suitable for their particular circumstances each semester.
Except for the circumstance described in the regulation below titled "Policy on Allowing Undergraduates to Take Graduate Courses," the graduate and undergraduate programs of Robinson College are entirely separate and only those persons who have been admitted to a graduate status may enroll in courses numbered 6000 or higher. No undergraduate course credit, including that obtained in required background work for a master's degree, may be applied toward any of the master's-level programs.
Undergraduate students with a cumulative grade-point average of 3.50 or higher who have at least 18 semester hours of degree credit at Georgia State University and who are in their senior year may petition to take up to two graduate courses in the Robinson College of Business in lieu of undergraduate courses. Students interested in petitioning should contact the RCB Office of Undergraduate Academic Assistance for a statement of restrictions and procedures pertaining to this policy.
An M.B.A. student who wishes to qualify for an additional major may do so by successfully completing 18-21 semester hours of credit in another field in which M.B.A. majors are offered (depending on the major chosen) and fulfilling any special requirements associated with the chosen major. Similarly, an additional M.B.A. concentration may be earned by successfully completing 12 semester hours of appropriate coursework (See "Regulations for the M.B.A. Degree" for the list of M.B.A. majors and concentrations and their requirements and for information on career paths that can lead to dual concentrations.) For double majors or concentrations within the M.B.A. program, electives can be counted toward both majors or concentrations to the extent they are acceptable in both. [NOTE: The Graduate Program Council may establish minimum hours requirements for students earning multiple degrees. If approved, the new hours requirement will be published online at www.gsu.edu/es/23592.html].
The earning of the second major or concentration will be confirmed by letter from the Office of Graduate Student Services, upon written request by the student, only if the additional courses are completed before any of the student's M.B.A. credit will be more than seven years old. The grades in the additional hours must not cause the student's cumulative GPA to fall below 3.00. All grades must be "C-" or higher.
A student may take a particular master's degree only once (except as noted below). However, a student who holds a master's degree of this college may qualify for a different master's degree of this college. To so qualify the student must meet all admission requirements in effect for the second degree and thereafter fulfill all requirements for the second master's degree. Along with all other requirements, the student must complete a minimum of 18 additional semester hours of appropriate credit in residence at Georgia State University for the second and each subsequent degree with appropriate grades and in coursework that has not been applied in satisfaction of the requirements of any other degree. This minimum residence requirement is permitted only when all courses to be applied toward the subsequent degree will be no more than seven years old upon completion of all degree requirements. If the seven-year time frame is not met, the minimum residence requirement for a second (or subsequent) master's degree is 24 semester hours with appropriate grades and in coursework that has not been applied in satisfaction of the requirements of any other degree. Once the 24-semester-hour residency is met, students may transfer approved course work completed elsewhere in accordance with the college's standard transfer-of-credit regulations.
Courses taken to earn an additional MBA concentration or major or to expand an MBA concentration into a major must be separate from any courses taken to meet the minimum residency for an additional degree. This applies whether the courses for the additional designations are taken before or after the first degree has been awarded. The final decision about the minimum course credit required for additional concentrations, majors, and/or degrees rests with the Robinson College of Business.
A student who holds an M.S. degree from this college and wishes to earn an M.S. in another major must follow the provisions for qualifying for a different master's degree (described earlier in this section).
The dean or the associate dean for master's programs of the college may require that a student withdraw from a particular course or courses, from a master's program, or from the college because of unsatisfactory academic work or for other adequate reason. To continue in a master's program, a student must make reasonable and timely progress in terms of grades and courses toward the degree or certificate concerned. The student's progress may be reviewed each semester.
As a result of this review, any student whose scholastic performance does not indicate appropriate progress may be required to reduce the course load or may be required to withdraw from the program.
Each student admitted to a master's program or status of the college must maintain a grade-point average (GPA) in the program of 3.00 or higher in all attempts at all courses numbered 6000 and higher. (This means that the original grade in a course that is repeated is not dropped from the cumulative GPA for purposes of determining good academic standing.) Also included in this GPA, except as noted below, are all Robinson College of Business courses that the student takes (if any) which are in addition to those in the degree/certificate program. Therefore, a student who wishes to take a course for personal enrichment or for other purposes not related to pursuit of the degree/certificate should audit the course.
Grades earned in other graduate programs of the Robinson College of Business from which the student has graduated or any grades earned at any time in graduate courses of other colleges of the university do not affect the cumulative GPA for the current program, unless they apply toward the current program. Grades in courses in areas where higher-level coursework has already been completed will not affect the cumulative GPA for the current program (example: taking MBA 8025 after MBA 8115). These grades are, however, included in the cumulative GPA which is calculated by the university and recorded on the student's official transcript. The calculation on the transcript includes all attempts at all courses numbered 5000-level and above taken at the university. All references to "cumulative GPA" in the scholastic discipline policy are to the cumulative GPA in the student's current program (except as noted in the next paragraph).
Students who change master's-level programs within the Robinson College of Business (as opposed to completing one program then entering a second program) are responsible for all graduate grades earned in the college. That is, students with less than a 3.00 GPA in one master's-level program or status cannot automatically return to good academic standing by changing programs or status.
Questions about calculation of the GPA for determining academic standing should be directed to the Office of Graduate Student Services. The interpretation of the college's scholastic discipline policy as it applies to unusual situations is the responsibility of the dean of the college as represented by Graduate Student Services.
Each student whose GPA for a semester is below 3.00, regardless of course load, will be on "scholastic warning." Upon completion of the next semester of relevant graduate coursework, the performance of a student on warning will be evaluated in the following way:
After a suspension of at least one semester and if the time limit for completing the program has not expired, the student may apply for readmission. Application for readmission must be made to the Office of Graduate Student Services not later than six weeks prior to the first day of registration for the semester in which reinstatement is sought.
A student who is readmitted from suspension will be on probation. If any semester GPA is less than 3.00 before the student's cumulative GPA reaches at least 3.00, the student will be permanently excluded from taking graduate courses in the Robinson College of Business. When the cumulative GPA is at least 3.00, the student will then return to good standing. Another suspension after returning to good standing also will result in permanent exclusion.
See the next section for grade requirements for graduation.
To graduate with a master's degree or graduate certificate from the Robinson College of Business, students must have a cumulative GPA of 3.00 or higher in all attempts at all courses numbered 6000 and above taken at Georgia State University (See Sections 1330 Cumulative Grade Point Average and 1336.15 Graduation Requirements). In addition, students must have a cumulative GPA of 3.00 or higher in all courses applicable toward the program from which graduation is planned. Also included in this GPA are grades earned in all graduate RCB courses taken at GSU, including those taken while in any master's program(s) or status which the student began but did not complete. Exception: grades in courses which are more than seven years old, while part of the cumulative GSU GPA, will not be factored into the College's GPA requirement for graduation. No grade below a grade of C- is acceptable. No course in which a grade of B or higher has been earned may be repeated for degree credit.
Questions about calculation of the GPA for graduation should be directed to the Office of Graduate Student Services. The interpretation of the college's GPA requirement for graduation as it applies to unusual situations is the responsibility of the dean of the college as represented by the Office of Graduate Student Services.
The Robinson College of Business defines residency in a master's program as being enrolled in courses that are numbered 8000 or higher, that are appropriate for the program, and that have not been counted toward another graduate degree of this college. The minimum residency requirement for each degree program except the Master of Science in Real Estate (MSRE) is 24 semester hours. The minimum residency requirement for the certificate program in real estate is nine semester hours; the MSRE minimum is 30 semester hours. The minimum residency requirement for the certificate program in accountancy is 15 semester hours of graduate accounting/taxation course work. The minimum residency for the certificate programs in enterprise risk management and in personal financial planning is 18 semester hours of graduate course work. The minimum residency for the certificate program in electronic commerce is 15 hours of graduate electronic commerce courses; no graduate transfer credit is permitted.
In the Master of Business Administration program, at least one half the major or concentration, as appropriate, must be completed in residence to be designated as having completed the major or concentration in a specific field; otherwise the general business major or concentration is awarded. In the Master of Science program, at least one half of the major must be completed in residence.
Transfer of credit in master's programs of this college is defined as receiving graduate degree credit for a course completed at another institution, thereby reducing the number of graduate courses to be taken at Georgia State University. Transfer of credit is distinguished from exemption from MBA-prefixed courses. Transfer of credit will be approved only under the following conditions:
It is also possible to receive transfer credit from another graduate program of Georgia State University, including previously completed Robinson College programs and programs from other colleges/schools in the university. These regulations are written for the usual transfer credit case, which is credit from another institution. The Office of Graduate Student Services should be consulted about transfer credit from other Georgia State programs.
A written request for consideration of transfer credit completed before admission must be submitted by the student concerned during the first semester of residence here. The request must indicate the specific course(s) for which transfer credit is sought. A copy of the other institution's catalog must be submitted to verify that condition 2 (listed above) has been met; a course outline for each course must be submitted to verify that condition 4 has been met; if the course(s) were taken after application materials had been filed, an official transcript of the coursework must be sent directly from the other institution to Graduate Student Services to verify that conditions 3 and 5 have been met. Requests for transfer of graduate credit cannot be processed until all necessary information has been received.
Students who have met the residency requirement for their program and who wish to take graduate courses at another institution to complete the coursework for their Georgia State degree should provide the information listed above (except the transcript) to Graduate Student Services before enrolling at the other institution. Advance approval will ensure that the transfer credit can be granted if a grade of B or higher is earned in the course(s) and the coursework is completed within the time limit allowed for the program. Such students should plan to graduate at least one semester after the quarter/semester in which the last course to be transferred has been taken. This will allow adequate time for the necessary transcript to be received and for the transfer credit to be processed. (See the "Graduation Fee" heading in this catalog for details about applying to graduate.) A letter certifying completion of degree requirements and stating the date the degree will be conferred can be furnished to the student by Graduate Student Services.
Access Requirements: Because information technology is an integral part of business decision making, courses in the Robinson College of Business frequently incorporate assignments that require computing skills. Consistent with university policy (available at www.gsu.edu/ist/policies.html), the Robinson College requires students to be responsible for providing computer and Internet access for all RCB courses and programs.
Hardware and Software Requirements: Georgia State has standardized on the Microsoft Office Suite in the student computer labs. Students may consult the university's Office of Student Financial Aid for information about possible funding opportunities for computer and Internet access expenses.
Skill Requirements: Although students can expect to enhance their information technology skills as they work toward their degrees, the college expects all students to have certain basic skills before enrolling in any business course. These skills are defined as Basic Microcomputing Skills, Word Processing and Presentation Skills, and Basic Internet Usage and are described below in the Computing Skill Prerequisites (CSP) 1, 6, and 7 definitions. When courses require additional computing skills, these CSPs are listed by number in the catalog course descriptions.
The CSPs listed in the Course Descriptions chapter of this catalog for a particular course are required for all sections of the course. Students must be proficient at the level indicated in the skills definition (see below) for each CSP listed in the catalog for individual courses. Students found to have insufficient CSP expertise can be disenrolled from the course.
CSP 1- Basic Microcomputing Skills: Understand the PC and its components; turn on the PC; use command-oriented, windows-based, and LAN operating environments to accomplish tasks such as formatting floppy disks, creating and navigating through directories and subdirectories, creating and deleting files, copying and renaming files, using help screens, loading application software, exiting from application programs and operating environments in an orderly manner, and using appropriate measures to check for and prevent the spread of computer viruses.
CSP 2- Basic Microcomputing Spreadsheet Skills: Load the spreadsheet software; create, organize, and navigate through spreadsheets; format the spreadsheet or a block of cells; enter and edit formulas, values, and text; copy, move, and protect cells; insert and delete columns and rows; save and retrieve files; print spreadsheets; use financial, statistical, and mathematical functions such as totaling and averaging of rows and columns; create and print charts and graphs; create data tables; invoke existing macros; and use help screens.
CSP 3- Advanced Microcomputer Spreadsheet Skills: Use advanced spreadsheet features such as database commands and functions; create macros; create menu systems and develop customized applications.
CSP 4- Basic Microcomputer Database Skills: Load database software, create databases; enter and edit data; add and delete records; list, query, and generate reports using the database; use help screens.
CSP 5- Advanced Microcomputer Database Skills: Link databases through keys; create input screens; develop customized applications.
CSP 6- Word Processing and Presentation Graphic Skills: For word processing: load the word processing software; create, format, edit, and save documents; copy and move text; adjust margins, indents, and line space; and adjust fonts and styles. For presentation graphics: Load the presentation graphics software, choose and modify templates; choose and modify slide layouts; insert slides, handout, and note masters; change color schemes; apply effects, animation, and multimedia to slides; run a slide show. For both: Import tables, clip art, and graphs from other applications; use spell-checking; load additional toolbars; use help screens.
CSP 7- Basic Internet Usage: Send and receive email messages including attachments of files; transfer files with FTP, compress and uncompress files with utility programs; use search engines to locate documents and find information on the Web; navigate the Web with a browser including copying/pasting/saving Web information; download and set up Web browser plug-in programs such as electronic document readers and audio/video players; use Web-based clients such as library catalog systems to find specific information.
CSP 8- Advanced Internet Usage: Create formatted *.html pages with tags including links within and between pages; publish pages to a Web site; create image files and embed them in *.html pages.