First Year PAs, Class of 2029

Welcome to the Ross School of Business!

The Ross Academic Advising team is looking forward to meeting you and working with you throughout your time at Michigan.  The below information will help provide answers to frequently asked questions (FAQs) as you start to plan your first year:

What happens during Orientation this summer?
What steps do I need to complete prior to my Orientation experience?
What academic requirements do I need to complete during my first year in Ross?
How can I find out more about the BBA curriculum?
Will I take any business courses in my first year?
What is course swapping?
What core classes am I eligible to swap?
What do I need to know about course swapping?
When can I submit a swap request?
How do I know if my swap request will be processed?
What kind of courses should I look at completing my first year?
What are the Ross distribution requirements?
What is the Inclusive Leaders Pathway and when should I complete this?
What do I do if I still have questions?​ 

What happens during Orientation this summer?

Orientation this summer will consist of three parts: some pre-advising online activities (including placement exams), a virtual Academic Advising Day with your home school (e.g., Engineering, Kinesiology, etc.), and a one-day on-campus experience. As a Preferred Admission student, 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., Engineering, Kinesiology, Stamps, or SMTD.) 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.

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 to you over the summer with resources and information to prepare you for your first year as a Preferred Admit as well as details on how to connect with an academic advisor to review the BBA curriculum and ask any questions you may have about Ross requirements.

What steps do I need to complete prior to my Orientation experience?

You will receive messaging in late April from the Office of New Student Programs (ONSP), instructing you to register for an Orientation session and complete any necessary steps in advance of that session, including the UM virtual Orientation course.

Once you complete the ONSP portion of the virtual Orientation course, you must complete the portions for both your home school and for the Ross School of Business. It is required that you complete every section of the Ross portion prior to your Advising Day. You will notice several other steps on this site that you must complete prior to your Advising Day, as well, including:

  • Complete the Math placement exam, UWrite placement exam, and a Foreign Language exam (if applicable) at least two weeks prior to your Advising Day. Please go here to learn more information and find links to complete placement exams.
  • Complete the 2025 First Year Student Pre-Advising Day Questionnaire. This survey will be emailed to your Umich email account during the week of May 5 and will give us an idea of your experiences so far, as well as your expectations and goals while at Michigan and Ross.

What academic requirements do I need to complete during my first year in Ross?

In your first year at Ross, we recommend that you plan to take 15 credits per term, which must include the following requirements:

  • Complete the following three courses at UM-Ann Arbor, each with a grade of C- or better, by the end of Winter Term 2026:
  • Successfully complete the following three core courses at the Ross School of Business by the end of Winter 2026: BA 100 (Fall), BCOM 250 (Winter), and ACC 300 (Winter).
  • Enroll in a minimum of 12 credits or more at UM-Ann Arbor during Fall Term 2025 and Winter Term 2026.
  • Maintain “Good Academic Standing” at Ross with a term and cumulative grade point average of 2.500 or higher at UM-Ann Arbor.

Please note: These First Year Requirements are the Admissions requirements for Preferred Admit 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.

How can I find out more about the BBA Curriculum?

During your first year, you will take a broad range of courses in addition to those required for the BBA program. Below is some general information and answers to common questions regarding Ross program requirements.  For more detailed information, please visit the BBA curriculum page. Ross academic advisors are another great resource for answering curriculum and course planning questions.

Will I take any business courses in my first year?

  • All First Year students are required to attend BA 100 (3.0 credit hours), Intro to Ross: Foundations for Learning Business, in the Fall term of their first year.  You will be assigned to a specific section of BA 100 prior to your Advising Day.
  • All First Year students are required to take BCOM 250 (1.5 credit hours), Introduction to Business Communications, during the Winter term of their first year.
  • All First Year students are required to take ACC 300 (3.0 credits hours), Financial Accounting, in the Winter term of their first year.
  • ​BA 100, BCOM 250, and ACC 300 are the only business courses students take in their first year.  Aside from these courses, students are encouraged to explore the liberal arts to provide a strong foundation for their academic career, in addition to completing the First Year requirements.

Q. What is course swapping?

A. Course swapping is the method Ross students use to resolve BBA core course conflicts. Generally, students choose to keep their assigned schedule of courses, swapping sections only if there is a significant need to do so. If you do request to swap a course and it is approved, you will remain in the new section that you are assigned, moving forward in all other Ross core courses.

Q. What core classes am I eligible to swap?

A. The only Ross core class you will take in Fall 2025, and therefore the only course eligible to swap, is BA 100.

​Q. What do I need to know about course swapping?

A. To submit a swap request is to commit to swap and, once a swap has been processed and permissions to enroll in the new section have been entered into Wolverine Access, the commitment to swap is complete and the student must switch sections. Since your original seat is given to another student during the swap processing, wanting to revert back to your original section after swaps have been processed will require that you submit another swap request. Please note that there is no guarantee that a swap request will be processed, and you are encouraged to have a back-up plan in place in consultation with your academic advisor. The link to the course swap request form is located at the bottom of this page.

Q. When can I submit a swap request?

A. You should meet and talk with an advisor prior to submitting a swap request. This would typically happen during your virtual Advising Day as part of Orientation. This conversation will help ensure you understand the implications of course swapping and that you have already explored course schedules that would allow you to stay in your assigned section.

Q. How do I know if my swap request will be processed?

A. When submitting your swap request, you can indicate the reason for submitting the request. Once it is submitted, the Ross Registrar’s Office will evaluate your request to determine if a swap can be processed. Course swaps for BA 100 may be rare and will typically only be processed for the following reasons:

  1. If you have a conflict between your assigned BA 100 section and another course that you must take in the Fall semester (such as a First Year Requirement, and only if there are no other available sections of that First Year Requirement at a time that would fit in a student’s schedule). As a reminder, Calc, ECON 101 and the FYWR can be completed in either the Fall or Winter terms of your first year.
  2. If you have a conflict between your assigned BA 100 section and a foreign language course that is only offered at limited times.

If you have a documented disability, intercollegiate athletic obligation, official University or religious obligation, or a required course for a dual degree that conflicts with BA 100. In any of these cases, you can provide a letter from the SSD office or your coach, advisor, or religious leader/organization via e-mail to the Ross Registrar’s Office (rossregistrarsoffice@umich.edu) so that they can review and process the necessary schedule adjustments where possible.

What kind of courses should I look at completing my first year?

Your first year at Michigan provides you with a great chance to explore different academic interests. You will want to work with your home school advisor to select the appropriate required courses for that degree program, particularly if you are planning to complete a dual degree.

Aside from the required classes, you must complete during your first year, it is suggested that you take courses counting toward your distribution.  You could also consider completing ECON 102.

Another suggestion would be taking coursework that may lead to a possible dual degree, minor, or another area of interest.

What are the Ross distribution requirements?

​Ross students must complete three of the four areas listed in the chart below.  We adhere to the same distribution course list as LSA so you should utilize the LSA Course Guide 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 (MATH 105/115 counts toward this requirement)

What is the Inclusive Leaders Pathway and when should I complete this?

The Inclusive Leaders Pathway is a degree requirement that is designed to introduce Ross students to the concepts of diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging in the contexts of their business education and roles as future business leaders.  Students must complete all four components of the milestone requirement to receive the BBA degree. This year, you will complete your first Inclusive Leaders Pathway Milestone through BA 100. Your BA 100 Canvas site will have information about how to fulfill the requirement. You can also reference the BBA Bulletin, talk with your academic advisor, or reach out to BBAmilestone@umich.edu.

What do I do if I still have questions?

​Ross academic advisors are great resources for answering curriculum questions and helping you develop a course plan that supports your academic goals as well.  You will be able to start scheduling future academic advising appointments later this summer after our Virtual Advising Days are complete.  In the meantime, you may reach out to Ross Advisors via email at rossugacadadvising@umich.edu with any questions or concerns you may have.

BA 100 Swap Survey