UGA Terry College BBA prerequisites: every course you need and when to take them

The BBA core curriculum: areas I through VI

The BBA requires UGA’s General Education Core Curriculum, which is organized into six areas. Below is what each one includes and what to put first.

Area I: foundation courses (9 hours)

• ENGL 1101 (English Composition I), which requires a C or better
• ENGL 1102 (English Composition II); together with 1101, you need a 2.0 average across the two
• MATH 1101 or MATH 1113; if you place into MATH 1113 (Precalculus) and count it here, you’ll need a different course for Area III

MATH 1113 is a hard prerequisite for the Terry application: a passing grade or exemption has to be posted to your record before you can apply. If math isn’t your strongest subject, don’t put it off. Take it early, so you have time to retake it if you need to.

Area II: sciences (7 to 8 hours)

One physical science and one life science, at least one of them with a 1-hour lab. Terry has no preference about which sciences you take, so pick for your strengths and your schedule.

Area III: quantitative reasoning (3 to 4 hours)

If MATH 1113 went to Area I, you need a different course here. The options include STAT 2000, MATH 2200, MATH 2250, CSCI 1301 and several others listed in the UGA Bulletin.

Area IV: world languages, global culture, humanities, and the arts (12 hours)

Four courses from approved lists, with no Terry-specific requirements. International Business co-major applicants do have a language requirement: you must be enrolled in or have completed the third level or higher of the same language (SPAN 2001, for example), with at least a B in each language course.

Area V: social sciences (9 hours)

Three courses from approved lists. Terry recommends POLS 1101 and HIST 2111 or 2112, because they also count toward Georgia’s legislative graduation requirements (the Georgia and U.S. Constitution and history requirements), and then you don’t have to satisfy those separately later.

Area VI: major-related courses (18 hours)

This is where the Terry coursework lives:

• ACCT 2101 (Principles of Accounting I), which must be completed before you apply
• ACCT 2102 (Principles of Accounting II), which requires ACCT 2101
• ECON 2105 (Principles of Macroeconomics)
• ECON 2106 (Principles of Microeconomics)
• LEGL 2700 (Legal and Regulatory Environment of Business)
• MIST 2090 (Introduction to Information Systems in Business)

Additional eligibility requirements

Beyond the core curriculum, these are hard gates for the application:

MATH 1113 (Precalculus): Passing grade or exemption posted by the application deadline. Higher math (MATH 2200, 2250 or 2260) also satisfies it, and if you take those courses, their grades are evaluated.

ACCT 2101 (Principles of Accounting I): Passing grade posted to your UGA record by the application deadline, with no exceptions.

BUSN 3000 (Applied Statistics and Data Analysis for Business): Completed, or in progress during the semester you apply. It used to be called MSIT 3000.

Minimum GPAs: 2.0 UGA GPA (good academic standing) and 2.6 overall GPA (transfer and UGA coursework combined). Those are floors. Competitive applicants have a prerequisite GPA well above 3.0.

ACT or SAT Scores: Must be on file with UGA. If you haven’t taken either, you’ll take the E-Proficiency Profile (EPP) instead. If your ACT/SAT scores undersell your college work, the EPP can supplement your application.

What decides admission

Meeting the eligibility requirements puts you in the applicant pool. It doesn’t get you admitted.

Your grades in ACCT 2101/2102, ECON 2105/2106 and MATH 1113 carry heavy weight, because they’re the courses that best predict how you’ll do in upper-level business work. Strong grades there count for more than a high overall GPA propped up by easy electives.

The Statement of Purpose (300 to 400 words) is where you say why you want this particular major and what you realistically plan to do with it. An essay about “wanting to succeed in business” won’t set you apart from anyone.

Accounting and Finance applicants also have to take the Accounting Exam. It covers ACCT 2101 as taught at UGA, so if you took accounting somewhere else, study UGA’s version of the course before you sit for it.

More Terry applications turn on ACCT 2101 and BUSN 3000 than on anything else. One-on-one, I work the problem types those two grades depend on. Tell me about your student →

A practical semester-by-semester approach

Semester 1 (Fall of First Year): ENGL 1101, MATH 1113 (or place out), one science with lab, one Area IV course, FYOS

Semester 2 (Spring of First Year): ENGL 1102, one science, ECON 2105, one Area IV course, one Area V course

Semester 3 (Fall of Sophomore Year): ACCT 2101, ECON 2106, MIST 2090, Area III (if not satisfied), Area V course

Semester 4 (Spring of Sophomore Year): ACCT 2102, BUSN 3000, LEGL 2700, Area IV or V courses. Apply to Terry major during this semester.

This is a template; adjust it for AP credit, transfer work and what’s offered. The sequencing you can’t change: MATH 1113 before you apply, ACCT 2101 before you apply and before ACCT 2102, and BUSN 3000 at least in progress in the semester you apply. ECON 2105 before ECON 2106 is recommended, though not strictly required.

Common mistakes that delay your Terry application

Pushing off MATH 1113. Students who struggle with precalculus put it off, and the whole application timeline slides with it. Take it early and get help if you need it.

Not understanding the two-application process. You apply to UGA first and to Terry separately, later. Students who assume they’re “in” the business school when they arrive at UGA find out about the internal application late.

Ignoring the EPP. If your ACT/SAT scores are weak, the EPP gives you a way to supplement them. Use it.

Taking ACCT 2101 pass/fail or at a school where grading is lenient. Terry evaluates the grade itself, and a strong grade from a rigorous course counts for more.

Withdrawing from required courses. If you withdraw from ACCT 2101, BUSN 3000 or another required course after admission to a Terry major, you risk having that admission rescinded.