FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

The Clay Center at VSB, named in honor of VSB alumnus, faculty member, and Dean Emeritus, Alvin A. Clay, is located on the first floor of Bartley Hall (suite 1054). The Clay Center is dedicated to undergraduate student services, including academic advising and curricular planning, and is home to the Charlotte and James V. O’Donnell ’63 Center for Professional Development. Each VSB student is assigned a supportive and knowledgeable academic advisor who will help you navigate the many different paths and opportunities in VSB and Villanova. Academic advisors remain with you throughout your entire academic experience and provide holistic support by engaging in developmental conversations about your personal, professional, and academic goals. Academic advisors are here to support students during the transition from high school to college, provide guidance regarding class and major/minor selection, and help connect them with on-campus resources and programs. If students ever have a question and don’t know where to start, their academic advisor can be their first point of contact. The O’Donnell Center manages the first two years of the Backpack-to-Briefcase (B2B) program, coordinates VSB academic internships and CoOps, hosts business career education programs, oversees the VSB Mentor Program, and provides guidance to student business societies. In addition, the O’Donnell Center collaborates with the Villanova Career Center to serve the professional development needs and interests of business students.

Real-time information about VSB activities is provided through the Clay Center/O’Donnell Center and VSB social media accounts (Instagram, Facebook, and X). Info about upcoming events is communicated frequently via email, including the weekly email containing the “Buzz Around Bartley” calendar of advising and professional development events/deadlines. The digital screens throughout Bartley Hall are also a source of information. Handshake, VU’s career management portal, is the primary student resource for employer and career-related event details.

An academic advisor and a peer advisor (a junior VSB student) will be assigned to students prior to New Student Orientation. Academic advisors support students throughout their academic career. Faculty mentors in all academic areas are also available to meet with and guide students regarding discipline-specific coursework and career planning.

Your academic advisor and peer advisor will be in contact with you throughout the summer. You will meet face-to-face at New Student Orientation. During registration periods, students meet individually with their academic advisor or peer advisor and attend a mandatory group advising meeting. Students are encouraged to schedule appointments with their academic advisor and peer advisor at any time throughout the year.  

The Registrar creates a fall semester class schedule for each incoming student. Final schedules will be available through myNOVA in mid-August. Typical first year courses include:

• VSB 1000: Information Technology (1 credit)
• VSB 1015: Business Dynamics (3 credits)
• VSB 0099: Backpack-to-Briefcase: FR Experience (0 cr.)
• VSB 2004: Financial Accounting (3 cr.)
• VSB 2006: Intro to MIS (3 cr.) or VSB 2007: Corporate Responsibility & Regulation (3 cr.)
• ACS 1000: Ancients (3 cr.)
• ACS 1001: Moderns (3 cr.)
• MAT 1500: Calculus I (4 cr.)
• STAT 1430: Business Statistics (4 cr.)
• ECO 1001: Intro to Microeconomics (3 cr.)
• ECO 1002: Intro to Macroeconomics (3 cr.)
• ENG 1050: Literary Experience (3 cr.)

Schedules may be adjusted only during the drop/add period (the first week of the semester) for extenuating circumstances only. ACS 1000 and VSB 1015 may not be changed. Courses may not be dropped or added after the drop/add deadline, which is typically the fifth day of the semester. A course dropped within the drop/add period will not appear on your transcript.  

You may receive credit for AP courses completed in high school provided that a score of 4 or 5 has been achieved on the College Board Advanced Placement Exams. AP credits and VSB course equivalents can be found on the VSB Academic Advising homepage under “Academic Resources.” No limit is placed on the number of AP credits awarded; however, VSB accepts a maximum of 60 transfer credits (including AP credits). All AP score reports must be submitted before the completion of two semesters; credit will not be granted retroactively once an equivalent course has been completed at Villanova. Incoming students are required to submit an official AP score report directly to the Registrar’s Office. Upon receipt of the score report, the Clay Center will determine if credits will be granted. Schedules will be adjusted once official AP reports are received by the University. Please request your official comprehensive score report by contacting the College Board Customer Service Office or visit apstudents.collegeboard.org/sending-scores.  

International Baccalaureate scores of 5, 6, or 7 will be reviewed for college credit approval by the Clay Center at VSB; credit is only given for “higher level” exams. IB credits and VSB course equivalents can be found under “Academic Resources” on the VSB Academic Advising homepage.  

College-level work completed prior to high school graduation, including college courses that fulfill high school graduation requirements, must meet the following criteria to be considered for transfer credit: (1) The course must be taught by a member of a college or university faculty for college students and enroll college students; (2) If the course is taught on a high school campus, by high school faculty members, and the enrolled students are only high school students, then the course is not eligible for transfer credit.

If the above criteria are met, send supporting documents to VSB Academic Advisor.

1. An official letter from the high school principal, secondary school counselor or other educational professional describing the college-level program of study

2. An official letter from the college/university stating that the courses were taught by members of the regular college faculty, open to enrollment by and graded in competition with regularly matriculated undergraduates at the college and a regular part of the normal curriculum published in the college catalog

3. A course syllabus

4. An official, seal-bearing transcript from the college/university showing a grade of C or better

5. With respect to courses taught in a distance learning format, and for other requirements, each academic program will review on a case-by-case basis
 

All pre-matriculated credit must be accepted and approved before the completion of two semesters at Villanova. No business courses will be awarded transfer credit.
 

If the courses taken by high school students do not meet the above criteria, the student may decide to pursue a Credit by Examation after enrollment at Villanova..  

You may take non-business courses during the summer at an accredited institution if you have a minimum 2.0 cumulative GPA. Applications to take classes elsewhere must be reviewed and approved by your academic advisor. A grade of “C” or better is required to receive transfer credits; only credits transfer to Villanova, not grades.

Although not required for VSB, students are encouraged to take a foreign language. If you choose the International Business co-major or minor, you must satisfy a language requirement. A foreign language may also fulfill VSB’s humanities requirement. If you have completed two years of a language in high school, credit for introductory courses in that language taken at the college level will not satisfy degree requirements.

VSB offers a Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) degree with majors in Accountancy, Economics, Finance, Management, Management Information Systems (MIS), Marketing, and Real Estate; co-majors in Business Analytics and International Business (IB); concentrations in Applied Quantitative Finance (Finance majors), Consulting (Management majors), Business Development (Marketing majors), and Digital Marketing (Marketing majors). Students may complete a minor in Accountancy, Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning, Business Analytics, Business Law and Corporate Governance, Consulting, Economics, Finance, IB, MIS, Marketing, and Real Estate. Students completing VSB Honors requirements will earn a BBA, Honors.

Students declare a VSB major in January of sophomore year. Information regarding major selection and major exploration-related events is shared throughout first and sophomore years. Though not required, students may declare a second major, co-major, or minor during the initial major selection process, or later in their academic career.

Students may also complete a major or minor in a CLAS discipline. Interested students should contact the appropriate department in CLAS for information regarding application processes and program requirements.

Students need a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.0 and a minimum technical GPA of 2.0 to satisfy graduation requirements. The technical GPA is calculated using only business courses. The academic records of VSB students falling below a 2.0 GPA in any semester are reviewed which could result in placement on academic probation or dismissal from VSB.

VSB Peer Tutors provide free individual tutoring and drop-in office hours for core business classes. The Learning Commons, located on the second floor of Falvey Library, houses additional University academic support resources including the Office of Learning Support Services, The Learners’ Studio, The Math Center, and The Writing Center. For more information on other campus resources, visit our Academic and Support Resources website.

The Villanova School of Business curriculum relies on several software applications which work only in Windows. A PC running Windows 10 or 11 with Microsoft Office 2016 or newer is required for all VSB undergraduates. Please do not plan to use a Mac. The following configuration is recommended: (1) 250 GB hard drive, (2) Intel i5 processor, and (3) 8GB RAM.  The Microsoft Office Suite can be downloaded for free.

Academic honesty and integrity lie at the heart of the values expressed in the University’s mission statement and are inspired by the spirit of Saint Augustine. Villanova has adopted a Code of Academic Integrity that applies to all students. The University does not tolerate any form of academic dishonesty or misconduct. Dishonesty (including plagiarism) on any assignment, test, or examination may result in varying consequences, such as zero points (or an “F”) for the given assignment, or an “F” for the course. In the School of Business, all faculty members assign a grade of zero to any work in violation of the Code. The student in violation of the Code will be expected to complete an academic integrity education program. A second offense will result in dismissal from the University with the reason noted on the student’s official transcript. All incoming students are required to complete the Academic Integrity Tutorial in the “Freshman Checklist” on myNOVA.

VSB encourages all students to participate in an overseas experience while at Villanova; there are opportunities to pursue study abroad programs that include an internship experience. International Business co-majors are required to participate in an overseas experience. The Clay Center collaborates with the Office of Education Abroad to support student participation in study abroad programs.

All VSB students have an account for the interactive edition of the WSJ.  Students can access their subscription by using their Villanova username and password at this address: WSJ.com/Villanova. Hard copies are also available throughout Bartley Hall and in the Connelly Center.

Professional development is a critical element of each student’s VSB experience, demonstrated by the required B2B curriculum. B2B integrates professional development into the core business curriculum throughout a student’s 4-year academic program and provides a structured approach for managing the career development process. B2B requirements are embedded in both semesters of the first year and include an introduction to campus career-related resources, exploration of academic programs and career paths, building professional skills (e.g., resume writing, networking, etc.), utilizing Handshake (VU’s career management portal), and instruction on business writing. You will continue to focus on your career and professional development through B2B in your sophomore through senior year.

VSB’s O’Donnell Center for Professional Development works closely with the Villanova Career Center to develop relationships with employers. A growing number of employers offer short-term, on-site educational programs known as externships or leadership programs for first-years and sophomores to explore career opportunities and company culture. Internships and CoOps allow students to work in professional business settings on a part-time or full-time basis, during the academic semesters and summer. Students may elect to earn academic credit for participation in approved business internships and CoOps. The O’Donnell Center’s Workshop Series and individual coaching appointments provide students with guidance and support throughout the internship search process.

Students will interact with successful alumni and employer representatives through professional development programs including career panels, company information sessions, student competitions, and conferences. Students may also participate in TREKs which provide the opportunity to go “on the road” and visit employer sites for a first-hand view of key industries (e.g., advertising, financial services, fashion, sports/entertainment, etc.). After declaring a major sophomore year, students will be eligible to join the VSB Mentor Program and build a 1:1 relationship with an alum mentor to gain industry knowledge, prepare for interviews and internships, and develop professionally. For more information, visit vsbmentorprogram.villanova.edu.

Yes. There will be instances where “business casual” (i.e., dress pants/skirt, button down shirt/blouse, dress shoes, etc.) will be the expected attire; this includes when participating in career events associated with B2B. “Business professional” attire (i.e., full business suit) may be required when you are delivering presentations in some business courses and/or if you participate in externship/internship interviews. The Villanova Career Center offers the Wildcat Wardrobe, providing students access to free professional attire regardless of financial circumstances.

Yes. VSB hosts various business societies and service groups. The 30+ business societies provide a forum for peer-to-peer learning among students with common career interests. You may learn about the societies through VU’s Involvement Fair, VSB’s Student Business Society Fair, O’Donnell Center for Professional Development, your Academic Advisor and Peer Advisor, faculty, etc. VSB service groups - Ambassadors, Peer Advisors, and Peer Tutors - also offer opportunities for involvement.

Yes. Many thanks to the generosity of Jim C. Davis ’81 VSB and Kim Davis, the Davis Fund for Student Experiences advances VSB’s long-standing commitment to experiential learning. The Davis Fund provides financial support to VSB students to encourage engagement in experiences that will enhance academic and professional growth. Some examples that have been funded include conferences, case competitions, nonprofit service, global opportunities, and other experiences that reflect the University’s mission and values. To learn more about the Davis Fund and the application process, please visit the webpage: business.villanova.edu/davisfund. You may also reach out to Caitlin Gilmore, Director, Davis Fund for Student Experiences at caitlin.gilmore@villanova.edu.