Undergraduate Programs

FAQ's for Minors

Business Minor

Global Business Minor

Business Leadership Minor

Real Estate Minor

Do all of the requirements have to be completed to apply for the minor?

You can apply for the minor as long as you have completed 24 hours at Virginia Tech, have at least a 2.0 GPA, have completed the math requirement, and have no grades below C- in any ACIS, BIT, ECON, FIN, MGT or MKTG course you may have taken at Virginia Tech. Back to questions.

Is it hard to be accepted into the Minor? What GPA do I need for the minor?

The minor is not competitive. As long as you meet the minimum criteria to apply and complete the application, the minor will be awarded. The minimum GPA for the minor to be awarded at graduation is a 2.0 average in the five junior level required courses. This average includes all retakes of any class. Back to questions.

How many hours does it take to get a business minor?

While the minor requires only 15 hours of specific junior level business classes, there are an additional 27 hours of prerequisite courses. Therefore, in order to get the minor, there are 42 hours required.Back to questions.

I'm in the business minor, but I can't course request BIT 2405. How can I get the class?

BIT classes, as well as many other business classes, are restricted during course request to majors that must have the course to graduate. The restriction often continues during the drop/add period. At the beginning of the semester, you can request to force add the class. If there are spaces available, you may be added. There is no guarantee you will get the class. This class is taught during both summer sessions and there are no restrictions for summer.Back to questions.

I am a computer engineer. Do I have to take the information systems class?

Any of the following combinations is a suitable substitution for ACIS 1504:

ENGE 1024 and 1104 or 1114 ENGE 1015-1016 ENGE 1005-1006

Back to questions.

Will STAT 2004 count for BIT 2405?

This STAT course does not cover statistics to the extent required by the BIT class.Back to questions.

Will my two statistics classes substitute for both BIT 2405 and BIT 2406?

No. THe first quantitative methods, BIT 2405, is all statistics. However, BIT 2406 only has one topic in statistics and then it moves to management science topics. These are topics not covered in a statistics class. While you find some overlap in the beginning of the second quantitative methods class, most of it will be new and required material.Back to questions.

I am a junior and still taking principles of accounting. Can I still take the management and marketing courses required for the minor?

As long as you have at least 60 earned hours (junior standing), you can take MGT 3304 and MKTG 3104. You can also take FIN 3055 (Legal Environment of Business). However, MGT 3304 is restricted to majors, so you would need to force add this class on a space available basis. Requests for force adds are taken in the management department office in 2007 Pamplin Hall.Back to questions.

What other math can I take to get the prerequisite for the minor?

Any of the following combinations will count for the math requirement (Math 1525 and Math 1526):

MATH 1205-1206-1114 MATH 1205-1526
MATH 1015-1016-2015 MATH 1016-1526
MATH 1114-1205-2015 MATH 1114-1016-2015

Back to questions.

If I have a minor in Business and I am accepted into the College of Business as a Management major, will the substitutions on the minor count for the management major and the minor?

Not all of the course substitutions will count. The math equivalencies will count for any major in Business. The statistics substitutions for BIT 2405 will count. However, you will need to go back and take ACIS 1504, since the management major does not have an in-major information systems course. Also, the business minor is only open to students outside the Pamplin College of Business.Back to questions.

I looked over the global business minor application and it wants me to give a plan for when I am going to take courses and do a study abroad. I don't know when I will be able to take the study abroad, what should I do?

The reason the application requires you to do a plan is to get you to understand the requirements and put some thought into when and how you will complete the requirements. You are not committed to the plan, but you must fill in all of the blanks or your application will not be reviewed.Back to questions.

Do I have to complete all of the courses and do my study abroad before I apply for the minor?

As long as you are a sophomore, junior or senior, with a 2.0 GPA, you can apply for the minor. However, you must complete a plan of when you will take the courses and when and where you plan to complete the experience portion of the requirements.Back to questions.

I took two years of Latin and two years of German in high school. Will this meet the language requirement for the global business minor?

The requirement is three years of foreign language. It does not specify all must be the same language.Back to questions.

I heard that if I go on the fall program to Switzerland, I will automatically have the global business minor. Is this true?

It all depends on what you have already taken. If you have taken either an Area 7 course, such as GEOS 1024 for your science or a foreign language course, then you may very well have everything for the minor by going on this program. If you took ITAL 1105 and no other foreign language or Area 7, then no, you would not have everything for the minor.

Students participating in the Pamplin fall CESA program in Switzerland, take three of the required business classes, so that part of the requirement is met. This program is approved as the international experience requirement. Students in the program must take ITAL 1105 in the spring before they go and take a three hour study abroad course while in Switzerland. These two classes will fulfill two of the elective classes. This leaves one more elective class. If you have already taken an Area 7 class or a foreign language, then you will have the minor if you participate in this program. Otherwise, you will need one more class. You could take an Area 7 class for either your Area 2 or social science requirement and this would not mean using an elective for the other course.Back to questions.

I am majoring in Marketing. Will the international marketing class count for my major and the global business minor?

Yes. One course can satisfy more than one requirement. In fact, the class could count for not only your major and minor, it could also be your Area 7 course. However, you only get the three credits for the class.Back to questions.

While I am a U.S. citizen, I grew up in England and it is still my permanent residence. Can this count as the international experience?

Yes. Nonetheless, it is highly recommended that you participate in a study abroad program. Why not consider going with one of the Asia programs or South Africa to broaden your international experience. Have you ever been to Greece or Turkey?Back to questions.

I am majoring in Management. Can I still do the Business Leadership Minor?

Yes. The leadership minor is open to all students who have completed at least 24 hours and have a 2.50 GPA.Back to questions.

I can't get into the sociology or communication courses to get my electives for the minor? What can I do?

Dr. Lang, Director of the Leadership Center, has selected some alternate courses as the electives. You can go to 28 Pamplin Hall to see what else will count. The secretary will be glad to help you.Back to questions.

I saw that MGT 3304 is required for the leadership minor. Can it also count for the requirement in my marketing major?

Yes. Courses can count in both a minor and major.Back to questions.

I have an internship this summer with a consulting firm. Will it count for the experiential activity?

Dr. Lang, Director of the Leadership Center, must pre-approve it. His office is in 28 Pamplin Hall. Call his office at 231-2604 for an appointment.Back to questions.

Do I have to complete all of the requirements to apply for the minor?

No. In fact if you look at the courses, all of them are upper level courses. The vast majority of the students who apply for the minor have not taken more than one class at the time they apply.Back to questions.

Why does it have 13-16 hours of required courses? How many am I suppose to take?

The college wants business majors who complete the real estate minor to take both the finance and marketing courses. As the footnote states, if you are a business major you must take all five of the required courses for 16 hours and then just one of the elective courses. Many students outside of business who complete the real estate minor have more than one of the elective courses required for their major. Everyone doing the minor still takes a total of 19 hours.Back to questions.

One of the classes listed as a prerequisite for FIN 4154 is ACIS 2004. Can I take this class?

No. This class cannot count toward a degree for any business major. You must take the other accounting class, ACIS 2115.Back to questions.

I have decided I can't fit the real estate minor in and still graduate on time. How do I drop it?

Simply fill out the Request to Change Major or Drop Major or Minor form. Click here. Just complete the form and give it to one of the secretaries in 1046 Pamplin.