Graham School of Business

Baccalaureate/MBA Dual Degree Program
Graham School of Business Policies

The mission of York College’s Graham School of Business is to establish and deliver distinctive, high-quality academic programs, facilitate linkages between academic and business communities, and to encourage ongoing scholarship. The School’s main purpose is to facilitate student learning and prepare students/graduates at the associate, baccalaureate, and graduate levels to best meet their goals and the needs of the business community.

To accomplish this mission, the Graham School offers a diverse array of majors that are linked together by the Common Professional Component (CPC). The CPC describes the competencies and experiences that are necessary for successful performance in the complex, global, and flexible workplace of the 21st century. All business students take courses in Accounting, Economics, Finance, Information Systems, Management, Marketing, Operations Management, and Statistics. The CPC also includes two capstone courses. Business Strategy is designed to integrate all areas of a student’s learning into a business strategy, policy making, and analysis framework. Integrated Business Experience is an experiential course designed to engage students in a comprehensive hands-on evaluation of an organization to gain greater understanding of optimal business flow and function. The Common Professional Component provides a solid base for specialized courses in each major, and provides opportunities for students to interact with members of the business community.

York College of Pennsylvania, through its Graham School of Business, is nationally accredited by the Association of Collegiate Business Schools and Programs to offer the following business degrees:

Bachelor of Science Degree (BS) with majors in Accounting,Business Administration, Computer Information Systems, Economics, Engineering Management, Entrepreneurship, Finance, Management,Marketing, and Supply Chain Operations Management
A major in Business Analytics has been added to the Graham School of Business beginning fall 2014. As a new major, the Association of Collegiate Business Schools and Programs does not offer accreditation recognition until after two classes of students have graduated. The major in Business Analytics follows the same criteria of coursework that has led to the accreditation of our on-going programs so we anticipate a positive outcome for accreditation.
Associate of Science Degree (AS) with a major in Business Administration.
Students who have not decided on a major field of study within business often enter as “undeclared business majors.” York College has designed its business curriculum to enable these students to follow the recommended sequence of courses for the Business Administration Associates Degree program of study (except for the completion of IBS200 International Business) which enables them to progress through their sophomore year of courses prior to declaring a major. By completing this sequence of courses, students will have an introduction to most majors which will help in their decision process. Further consultation with their academic advisor, faculty within the various disciplines, and independent inquiry of professionals in the field are encouraged in the process of determining a major.

Normally, a student will take a minimum of 24 semester credits in the major component subject area for a baccalaureate degree (15-18 credits are required for a minor). The associate degree in Business Administration requires a student to complete a program of 33 credits in business. Each major program also requires the completion of General Business Component courses. In some cases these departmental requirements also serve to fulfill the General Education Requirements of the College. Each student should consult with the assigned faculty advisor every semester and review the program requirements and progress toward graduation.

Baccalaureate/MBA Dual Degree Program

The Dual Degree Program is designed to provide high-achieving undergraduate students with the opportunity to begin their graduate studies while in the senior year of undergraduate coursework. Dual Degree students are permitted to take up to nine credits of graduate coursework and apply those credits to the baccalaureate degree, generally as free electives. Those nine credits also count again toward fulfilling the MBA degree requirements.

Admission to the Dual Degree Program is open to eligible students in any undergraduate discipline. Pursuing the MBA is an excellent opportunity for students in many of the baccalaureate programs offered at York College. Current Dual Degree students come from diverse fields such as art, communications, engineering, and music. Undergraduates interested in the Dual Degree Program should talk with their advisor and plan a program of study to facilitate admission into the MBA Program. Detailed information about the Dual Degree Program and its admission requirements can be found in the Graduate Studies Catalog or on the College’s website.

Graham School of Business Policies

Enrollment in 300-400 level Business courses is restricted to students of at least junior status unless specifically exempted by the requirements in a particular program or the instructor of the course. All required 100-200 level courses in the College Common Core and General Business Component must be completed before enrolling in 300-400 level Business courses unless specifically exempted by the faculty advisor.
Courses that serve as prerequisites to subsequent Business courses must be completed with a grade of 2.0 or higher. If a student is not successful in attaining a 2.0 in a prerequisite course, the course may be repeated an additional two times (maximum three attempts). Withdrawing from a course during the normal withdrawal period will not be counted as an unsuccessful attempt. Students receiving lower than a 2.0 in any prerequisite course should consult with their advisor. Because many of the upper-level Business courses require prerequisites, failure to attain a 2.0 or higher on the first attempt of a prerequisite course may delay the intended date of graduation. If a student is unsuccessful in attaining a 2.0 in a prerequisite course after three attempts, a change in major may be necessary.
Credits transferred from a two-year institution will normally not be accepted as satisfying 300-400 level Business course requirements unless verification of competency is achieved. This verification, as determined by the Chair, advisor or Program Coordinator, may require satisfactory completion (a 2.0) or higher in a higher-level course in the same or similar area or Credit By Examination. For transfer students, at least four 300-400 major subject area component courses, as determined by the advisor or Program Coordinator, must be completed at York College.
The Graham School of Business believes in the integration of writing and communication skills throughout the business student’s curriculum. Each baccalaureate degree business major is required to take writing/communications focused courses during the sophomore (200-level), junior (300-level), and senior (400-level) years as partial fulfillment of graduation requirements. The sophomore-level courses will include two case studies, an organizational analysis report (library research), and oral presentation. The junior-level courses will require writing assignments geared to descriptive or technical writing. Descriptions of a business process or a business transaction are examples of this type of writing. In addition, case studies and oral presentations may be included. The senior-level courses require writing assignments of the type that a student with a particular major is likely to do after graduation as well as a major research project and presentation.
Students must establish Information Technology (IT) competency by passing IFS100 Information Technology (IT) Exam or IFS105 Personal Productivity Computing within the first 30 credits completed as a business major at York College. Students who do not receive passing grades in IFS100, must complete IFS105 Personal Productivity Computing as part of their requirements for graduation. In most cases, adding IFS105 to the curriculum will increase the minimum number of credits required for graduation. Information technology competency for transfer students will be evaluated on an individual basis.