Incoming Students

WELCOME TO THE ROSS SCHOOL OF BUSINESS AT THE UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN!

The Ross Academic Advising Team is looking forward to meeting you this summer during First Year Orientation and working with you throughout your time at Michigan.  Please review these frequently asked questions (FAQs) as you start to plan your first year.

Q. What is academic advising at Michigan?

A. Academic advisors are available to help you:

  • explore your interests and set goals
  • understand degree requirements
  • identify academic options (e.g., minors, study abroad, dual degrees, etc.)
  • analyze course loads
  • create academic plans
  • set achievable goals
  • find appropriate support for any challenges you might face

As an incoming BBA student, you will have the opportunity to connect with Ross academic advisors during First Year Orientation and throughout your first year.  Information on how to make an appointment with an advisor will be provided at Orientation.

Preferred Admission students: You will have access to two different academic advisors during your first year.  The first of these advisors is through your home school (e.g., CoE, Kinesiology, etc.) and the second will be through the Ross School of Business.  You are expected to utilize both advisors and should meet with each advisor periodically throughout your first year.

Q. What happens at Orientation?

A. Orientation will consist of three parts: some pre-advising online activities (including placement exams), a virtual Academic Advising Day, and a one-day on-campus experience. Students will meet with Academic and Peer Advisors during the virtual Academic Advising Day portion of Orientation.  We will be posting more information on Ross-specific summer Orientation events as we get closer to the end of the school year.  In any case, you can look forward to learning more about the BBA curriculum, connecting with Ross academic advisors, and meeting other incoming students.

Preferred Admission students: During Orientation, you will meet with your home school academic advisor to schedule your Fall courses and prepare for your transition to college.  The Michigan Ross Academic Advising team will reach out over the summer with resources and information to prepare you for your first year as  Preferred Admit as well as details on how to connect with an academic advisor.

Q. How can I find out more about the BBA Curriculum?

A. Prior to your virtual Academic Advising Day, we will provide you with access to our Ross Orientation Advising Day site, which will contain lots of helpful information about the BBA curriculum and Ross resources.  During your first year, you will take a broad range of courses in addition to your Ross First Year requirements.  Below is some general information and answers to common questions regarding Ross requirements. For more detailed information, please visit the BBA curriculum page.  Ross academic advisors are another great resource for answer curriculum and course planning questions.

  • What are the Ross First Year Requirements?
    • All First Year students must complete the following three courses, each with a grade of C- or better, by the end of your first Winter term:
      • A Sweetland-approved First Year Writing course
      • Economics 101 (including transfer credit, IB, or A-level test credit for this course)
      • Calculus I, II, or III (including transfer credit, AP, IB, or A-level test credit for this course)
        • Note: Ross aligns with LSA’s test credit equivalencies for Ross First Year students.  For more information on advanced standing credit, and the scores needed for such credit, please refer to: https://admissions.umich.edu/apply/freshmen-applicants/ap-ib-credit
    • All First Year students must also successfully complete BA 100, BCOM 250, and ACC 300 by the end of your first Winter term. More information on these classes is provided below.
    • All First Year students must enroll in a minimum of 12 credits or more at UM-Ann Arbor during each Fall and Winter term.
    • Maintain “Good Academic Standing” at Ross with a term and cumulative grade point average of 2.500 or higher at UM-Ann Arbor.
    • The above First Year requirements are subject to change. 

*Preferred Admission students: The Ross First Year Requirements are the Admissions requirements for Preferred Admission students.  PA students who do not meet these Admission requirements at the end of the Winter term of the first year are not eligible to move forward with the Preferred Admission offer and enroll in the BBA program.

  • Will I take any business courses in my first year?
    • All First Year students are required to attend a weekly seminar course, BA 100 – Intro to Ross: Foundations for Learning Business, during the Fall term of their first year. 
    • All First Year students will be required to take BCOM 250 – Introduction to Business Communications, during the Winter Term of their first year. 
    • All First Year students are also required to complete ACC 300 – Financial Accounting, during the Winter Term of their first year. 
  • ​What kind of courses should I look at completing my first year?
    • Aside from the mandatory requirements, it is suggested that you take courses counting toward your distribution (see chart below) or that help prepare you for future business coursework (such as ECON 102).
    • Another suggestion would be coursework that adheres to a possible minor or other area of interest.  Ross academic advisors can help you explore these options.  For Preferred Admission students, your home school (CoE, Kinesiology, etc.) advisor can assist you with this.
    • Your first year at Michigan provides you with a great chance to explore different academic interests.  Speak with your academic advisor(s) about the wealth of opportunities offered at Michigan while helping to ensure that you are maintaining a balanced schedule.
  • What are the Ross distribution requirements?
    • ​Ross students must complete three of the four areas listed below.  We adhere to the same distribution course list as LSA so you should utilize their online list to find courses that fulfill the categories below:
      • Complete 3 of the 4 Areas Below
        • Foreign Language – 4th term proficiency
        • Humanities – 9 credit hours
        • Social Science (excluding Econ 101 & 102) – 9 credit hours
        • Natural Science and/or Mathematical and Symbolic Analysis – 9 credit hours
  • Where can I find out more information about the BBA curriculum?
    • ​While you will spend your first year taking a broad range of courses on campus and completing Ross requirements, if you want to start looking ahead you can check out the BBA curriculum page here.
    • Ross academic advisors are great resources for answering curriculum questions and helping you develop a course plan that supports your academic goals as well. Information on scheduling an appointment with these advisors will be made available at Orientation.
    • Prior to your virtual Academic Advising Day, you will be provided access to our Ross Orientation Advising Day site, which will contain lots of helpful information about the BBA curriculum and Ross resources, so stay tuned for this email.