FAQs of the
GRADUATE STUDENT SERVICES STAFF
- How can Graduate Student Services help me?
- How do I find out about enrollment and other academic information?
- What are the pertinent Web sites for current students?
- Do I have a program advisor?
- How does the Graduate Office contact students?
- What should I do to update my address or telephone number?
- How do I get a parking decal?
- Is there an office that provides assistance with career decisions and/or jobsearches?
- When does enrollment begin?
- How am I notified about enrollment?
- What should I do if I do not receive an enrollment notice?
- How do I enroll?
- What if ACCESS.SMU.EDU will not allow me to enroll?
- What courses do I take?
- When do classes meet?
- What should I do if a course I need is closed?
- May I waive a course prerequisite?
- When and how do I pay my tuition?
- Who do I contact regarding financial aid?
- How can I get a degree audit?
- What is a concentration?
- May I change my concentration(s)?
- What is the deadline for changing my concentration(s)?
- How many concentrations can I declare?
- What are my degree requirements?
- How soon can I complete my degree?
- May I switch MBA programs?
- How do I request transfer credit?
- What grades must I earn in order to graduate?
- What should I do if I have missed classes?
- What should I do if I miss an exam?
- What should I do if I need more time to take exams?
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Q: How can Graduate Student Services staff help me?
A: Student Services staff help students manage their academic program by providing information and answering questions about degree requirements, curriculum changes, enrollment in or withdrawal from courses, transfer credit, concentration updates, and related issues. Students can contact the staff by email, by telephone, or in person on a walk-in or an appointment basis.
Q: How do I find out about enrollment and other academic information?
A: The main sources of information are:
Q: What are the pertinent Web sites for current students?
A:
Q: Do I have a program advisor?
A: Students are responsible for understanding and meeting the requirements for their degree program and are urged to seek advice as needed. Students are not assigned an advisor.
Q: How does the Graduate Office contact students?
A: The official method of communication is through the student’s SMU email address.
- Email is used to notify students of changes in academic policies and procedures and reminders of academic deadlines.
- In addition, check the announcements from other offices such as the University Registrar, MBA Career Management Center, Financial Aid, and the International Student Office then read the ones appropriate to your individual situation.
Q: What should I do if my address or telephone number has changed?
A: Students maintain addresses (home and mailing), telephone numbers (home, mailing, and cell), and emergency contact information in ACCESS.SMU.EDU using the following navigation.
- Select Self Service
- Select Personal Information
- Select the information you wish to update
- Remember to save your updates.
A: After selecting parking under Campus Essentials in ACCESS.SMU and making payment online through http://www.smu.edu/bursar/webpay.asp students must go to the Park ‘N Pony Office at 218 Hughes-Trigg Student Center to complete the registration form and get your parking decal.
Q: Is there an office that provides assistance with career decisions and/or job searches?
A: The role of the Career Management Center (CMC) is to help students discover, define and attain their career goals. The CMC is located in Room 146 Fincher Building. The staff can be contacted by telephone at 214-768-6227 or email at careers@cox.smu.edu.
Q: When does enrollment begin?
A: For continuing students the enrollment generally takes place as follows:
- Fall term enrollment takes place in April.
- Spring term enrollment takes place in November.
- Summer term enrollment takes place in April, approximately one week prior to the Fall enrollment period.
New entering students enroll approximately one-two weeks prior to their Orientation.
Q: How am I notified about enrollment?
A: Continuing students are notified by the Student Services Staff via SMU email messages. A student’s appointment time for priority enrollment is dependent upon the number of hours earned – the more hours, the earlier the appointment time.
New students receive information with their orientation packet followed by a more detailed email to their SMU email address approximately one-two weeks prior to their Orientation.
Q: What should I do if I do not receive an enrollment notice?
A: It is the student’s responsibility to check their SMU email. If you are not receiving list serve email, contact Student Services to verify you are on the appropriate list. Be sure that your mailbox is NOT full. Also, if you take a leave of absence for two or more semesters your account may be inactivated.
Q: How do I enroll?
A: Students enroll through ACCESS.SMU.EDU – the student records and transactions web-based system. Tutorials for students are available by selecting “Help” on the ACCESS.SMU.EDU website.
Q: What if ACCESS.SMU.EDU will not allow me to enroll?
A: Do you have a negative service indicator (Hold) on your record? Check YOUR personal record on Access.smu.edu for detailed information if you have a hold.
Holds are placed on a student’s record primarily for an outstanding financial balance, a Personal Information (address) update is needed, or an academic status issue. If the Hold is for financial reasons and you need more information or clarification contact Angela Mejia in the Student Financials Office at amejia@smu.edu.
If you cannot determine the problem by checking your ACCESS record, send an email to the Student Services staff at gradcox@cox.smu.edu.
Q: What courses do I take?
A: GRADUATE Course Schedules are published each term for reference and guidance. There are separate course schedules for the elective and core required courses. Core required courses are listed in the Graduate Programs Catalog and in the Curriculum given to students at Orientation.
The choice of elective courses is made by each student based on personal academic goals and declared concentration. The concentration listing has the course options for each concentration.
Q: When do classes meet?
A: Graduate business courses are offered Monday through Thursday throughout the day and on Saturday. The summer term has different hours.
Day class sessions are
8:00 am – 10:50am; 11:10 am -2:00 pm; 2:20 pm – 5:10 pm.
Evening class sessions are
6:30 pm – 9:20 pm.
Saturday class sessions are
9:00 am – 11:50 am or 9:00 am – 12:20 pm; 1:10 – 4:30 pm.
Q: What should I do if a course I want is closed?
A: Some courses and sections are in greater demand than others. In ACCESS.SMU.EDU the wait list option is available on courses with a history of being in high demand. Up to six students at a time can be on the Wait List of a class section. If the course does not have the wait list option, then monitor on ACCESS.SMU.EDU the desired course closely for openings. Courses cannot be overbooked by the instructor; Graduate Student Services staff manage the enrollment process.
After priority enrollment all unused restricted seats are released for general enrollment which continues through the first week of classes. During the general enrollment period students who meet the prerequisite(s) can enroll regardless of declared concentration as space is available.
Q: May I waive a course prerequisite?
A: (1) Students who need a prerequisite override because of transfer credit should contact Graduate Student Services for approval prior to registration.
(2) It is unusual to receive an exemption to meeting a course prerequisite, however, if a student believes the course prerequisite is met in another manner it may be possible. The student sends an email to Student Services (gradcox@cox.smu.edu) stating how the prerequisite is already met and provides appropriate documentation as needed. Student Services reviews the request with the course instructor and/or department chair and then notifies the student of the decision.
Q: When and how do I pay my tuition?
A: The University’s Student Financials Office will send an invoice notice to the students’ SMU email address that their invoice is available on ACCESS.SMU.EDU.
Information on tuition and fee rates, on payment due dates, and on refund deadlines is posted on two websites:
- the University Bursar’s page: http://www.smu.edu/bursar/ and
- the Cox Current Student page: http://www.cox.smu.edu/intranet/grad/studentservices.
Q: Who do I contact regarding financial aid?
A: Barbara Waters, Graduate Financial Aid Counselor, is your point of contact regarding financial aid. Her contact information is: email, bwaters@smu.edu; phone number, 214-768-2371; and office, Fincher Building, room 107.
Q: How can I get a degree audit?
A: In Access.SMU the degree audit is called the
electronic Graduate Degree Progress Report (eGDPR). Students will find this option under the SA Self Service in Access.SMU.edu; note that the eGDPR will not appear in Access.SMU but it is emailed to you at your SMU email account. Instructions for running the eGDPR are found at
http://www.smu.edu/sas/aa/student_eGDPR.asp.
If you have questions on content in the eGDPR contact the Graduate Student Services Office at gradcox@cox.smu.edu. If you have a problem with running your eGDPR contact the University’s ITS Help Desk at 214-768-HELP (4357).
Q: What is a concentration?
A: A concentration is the academic area in which the MBA student decides to focus by the selection of elective courses similar to a major in an undergraduate program. Concentrations are offered in eight academic areas with the possibility within some concentrations to specialize even more.
The eight concentrations are: Accounting; Finance; Financial Consulting; General Management; Information Technology & Operations Management; Marketing; Strategic Leadership; and Strategy & Entrepreneurship.
None of the Master of Science programs has concentrations.
Q: May I change my concentration(s)?
A: Yes, during the specified time each Fall term in October and Spring term in March. These concentration declaration/update periods are scheduled so that students can make changes prior to the enrollment periods. Graduating students can also update the declared concentration(s) on the Application for Candidacy to Graduate form.
Q: What is the deadline for changing my concentration(s)?
A: Requests to change/update concentration(s) must be submitted within the specified dates. Students are notified by email of deadlines and the form to submit. The declaration period is prior to the scheduled enrollment periods in November and April as many seats are restricted in elective courses based on concentration requirements during priority enrollment.
After priority enrollment all unused restricted seats are released for general enrollment which continues through the first week of classes. During the general enrollment period students who meet the prerequisite(s) can enroll regardless of declared concentration as space is available.
Q: How many concentrations can I declare?
A: Students complete one concentration. Full-Time MBA have the option of possibly completing a second concentration. Each concentration requires 12 -14 specific credit hours. The Graduate Office cannot ensure that all classes will be available to meet concentration requirements in every term.
Q: What are my degree requirements?
A: The full-time MBA program is a 61-credit hour program and the professional MBA program is a 48- credit hour program. Both programs also have other non-credit degree requirements that must be met.
There are currently three Master of Science programs. The Accounting program is a 32-credit hour program; the Entrepreneurship program is a 32-credit hour program; and the Management program is a 30-credit hour program.
Q: How soon can I complete my degree?
A: Professional MBA students take 8 credit hours per term for 6 consecutive terms. Students with a cumulative GPA of 3.2 or greater may request to take 1 additional course per module.
Full-time MBA students have a 2-year, 5-term program with the third term (summer) being an internship. Full-time students do not accelerate, however, students with a cumulative GPA of 3.5 or greater may take up to 8 additional credit hours during the program, maximum of 20 in a term, beginning with the second term.
MS in Accounting students take 16 credit hours in two consecutive terms and normally do not accelerate beyond this full academic load.
MS in Entrepreneurship students take 8 credit hours in four consecutive terms and normally do not accelerate due to the course sequencing.
MS in Management students in this lock-step program take 12 credit hours for two terms and 6 credit hours in the last term (5 consecutive modules of enrollment). The program does not allow for acceleration.
Q: May I switch MBA programs from full-time to professional and vice versa?
A: PMBA students can accelerate by taking a full time academic load within the professional program but cannot transfer to the full-time program.
Full-Time MBA students, depending upon a student’s specific situation, may be able to transfer into the professional program.
Students receiving financial aid are responsible for coordinating and maintaining the appropriate status for continuing to receive financial aid.
Q: How do I request transfer credit?
A: While the school is not obligated to accept any transfer credit, in certain cases within the MBA programs a limited number of credit hours my be transferred at entrance only thereby reducing the number of Cox credit hours required for the degree. Requests for transfer hour credit will be considered and processed only after the admission deposit has been received in the Graduate Admissions office. For complete details contact the Graduate Student Services staff.
Q: What grades must I earn in order to graduate?
A: To graduate from a Cox School of Business graduate program, students must earn a cumulative GPA of 3.00 or better (without rounding) with no grade less than a C- applying toward the degree.
Q: What should I do if I have missed classes?
A: Prompt and regular class attendance is considered necessary for satisfactory work. All absences should be explained to the instructor in advance if at all possible. The satisfactory explanation of absence may release students from disciplinary action but does not relieve the student from responsibility for the course work during their absence.
Q: What should I do if I miss an exam?
A: A student who misses an announced test or examination with the instructor’s prior permission may be given an opportunity to make up the work at the instructor’s convenience. The instructor determines in all instances the extent to which absences and tardiness affect each student’s grade.
Q: What should I do if I need more time to take exams?
A: Students with disabilities, who need special accommodations, such as extended time to take exams or other reasonable academic accommodations, should contact the Office of Services for Students with Disabilities immediately after accepting admission to a Cox program or as soon as possible after arriving at Cox. The documentation review process for establishing eligibility for receiving reasonable accommodation can take as long as two weeks, and is required before reasonable accommodations may be arranged. Please see the Cox Graduate Programs Catalog for more information.
Additional information and documentation guidelines may be found at the web site: http://www.smu.edu/studentlife/OSSD_Facts.asp. The Office of Services for Students with Disabilities is located at 220 Memorial Health Center; 214-768-4557; the coordinator is Rebecca Marin.
In addition, because of the short duration of Cox modules and once per week class sessions, faculty must have a full week (seven calendar days) to arrange reasonable accommodations once students have been certified as eligible for reasonable accommodations and have notified their instructor.
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