BBA Change of Major Application Process for Current UMass Students : Isenberg School of Management : UMass Amherst

Isenberg’s Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) Degree Program includes Accounting, Finance, Management, Marketing, and Operations & Information Management.

Isenberg Information Session: Change of Major Application Process

Friday, October 23, 1-2 p.m. Isenberg N135

Enrollment management staff from Isenberg Undergraduate Programs will facilitate an information session regarding the change of major application process, eligibility, and timeline.

UMass Amherst students are currently eligible to apply to Sport Management or Hospitality & Tourism Management for Spring 2027 enrollment. The application opens November 1 and will close December 1, 2026.

UMass Amherst students will be eligible to apply to Isenberg’s BBA degree program for Spring 2028 enrollment. The application will open November 1, 2027, and will close December 1, 2027. The BBA degree program includes Accounting, Finance, Management, Marketing, and OIM. Admission will be highly competitive. Admission to Accounting and Finance will be extremely limited.

This information session is offered for non-Isenberg students.

Admissions Overview

Admission is highly competitive, with extremely limited capacity.
Very few spaces are expected in Accounting and Finance.
Meeting eligibility requirements, completing predictor courses, and presenting a strong academic portfolio, does not guarantee admission.

Grade Requirements

Applicants must earn a B (3.0) or higher in Calculus and ACCOUNTG 221 or ACCOUNTG 233
Finance applicants must earn an A (4.0) in Calculus and ACCOUNTG 221 or ACCOUNTG 233
A cumulative GPA above 3.5 is strongly recommended.
Applicants with a cumulative GPA below a B (3.0) will not be included in the application review process.

Application Eligibility

UMass Amherst students will be eligible to apply to Isenberg’s BBA degree program starting Fall 2027. The application opens November 1, for Spring 2028 admission.
Isenberg students admitted directly into an Isenberg BS degree program as of Fall 2022 continue to be eligible to apply to the BBA degree program.

Eligibility Based on Enrollment at UMass Amherst*	Number of Required Predictor Courses	Required Predictor Course/s
Completed or in Process of Completing 1st semester	3	Calculus
Completed or in Process of Completing 2nd semester	4	Calculus
Completed or in Process of Completing 3rd or 4th semester	5	Calculus and ACCOUNTG 221 or ACCOUNTG 233 (Business Minor students using ACCOUNTG 233 as a predictor course will need to take ACCOUNTG 221 to fulfill BBA core requirement, if admitted)

Eligibility Based on Enrollment at UMass Amherst*

Number of Required Predictor Courses

Required Predictor Course/s

Completed or in Process of Completing 1st semester

Calculus

Completed or in Process of Completing 2nd semester

Calculus

Completed or in Process of Completing 3rd or 4th semester

Calculus and ACCOUNTG 221 or ACCOUNTG 233

(Business Minor students using ACCOUNTG 233 as a predictor course will need to take ACCOUNTG 221 to fulfill BBA core requirement, if admitted)

*Students entering UMass Amherst as transfer students should contact Jennifer Towler their first semester to determine eligibility.

Students are ineligible to apply or reapply once their fifth semester has begun. This cutoff is based on the number of semesters enrolled, not the number of credits earned, class standing earned through AP, dual enrollment, transfer, or other credits. Transfer students should contact Jennifer Towler their first semester at UMass Amherst to determine eligibility.

Predictor Course Requirements

Predictor courses can be completed through:

AP credit
Transfer credit, including high school dual enrollment, community college coursework, or other college credit earned before enrolling at UMass Amherst
Coursework taken at UMass Amherst

Important: Pass/Fail grades are not accepted.

Required Predictor Courses:

Calculus:
- MATH 127 for the Life and Social Sciences (R2) or
- higher-level calculus
Microeconomics:
- ECON 103 Introduction to Microeconomics (SB) or
- RES-ECON 102: Introduction to Resource Economics (SB)
Macroeconomics:
- ECON 104 Introduction to Macroeconomics (SB)
Statistics:
- RES-ECON 212 Introduction to Statistics/Social Sciences (R2) or
- STATISTC 240 Introduction to Statistics (R2) or
- R2 or higher-level statistics
Accounting:
- ACCOUNTG 221 Principles of Financial Accounting or
- ACCOUNTG 233 Financial and Managerial Accounting Principles (Business Minor students using ACCOUNTG 233 as a predictor course will need to take ACCOUNTG 221 to fulfill BBA core requirement, if admitted)

Students who have not completed required predictor courses are not eligible to apply and will not be included in the application review process.

Applications receive a holistic review based on:

Performance in predictor courses
Cumulative GPA and overall academic performance
Demonstrated campus leadership and engagement in your community and campus
Personal and professional achievements
Likelihood of successfully completing graduation plan

Double Major Notes:

If admitted, the BBA major becomes a student’s primary major
BBA majors are not offered as a secondary major

No substitutions are permitted for the following BBA core course requirements:

SCH-MGMT 200, 260, 310, 315, 317
OIM 210, 301
MANAGMNT 301, 494BI
MARKETNG 301
FINANCE 301
ACCOUNTG 221, 222

Resources

Information Sessions: An information session will be held Friday, October 23, 1-2 p.m. in Isenberg N135. The information session will cover eligibility requirements, application timelines, admission expectations, and alternative pathways to pursue business interests.

Academic Planning: Students should work with their current academic advisor regarding course selection, degree requirements, graduation plan, and academic planning. Upon admission, students will be able to connect with an Isenberg academic advisor.

Questions About the Application or Admissions Process: Students can connect with Isenberg Undergraduate Programs with general questions. After reviewing this webpage, FAQs, and attending an information session, students can schedule an appointment using Navigate360 with Jennifer Towler, Assistant Director of Enrollment Management. Students should plan accordingly in their meeting with Jennifer by planning to discuss the application process, admissions process, and/or eligibility related to predictor course completion and GPA. Students should work with their current academic advisor regarding course selection, degree requirements, graduation plan, and academic planning.

Have a quick question?

Expand Section View FAQs

How many students are expected to be admitted, and does availability vary by major? We anticipate that up to 50 students may be admitted each academic year across the two admission cycles combine

How many students are expected to be admitted, and does availability vary by major?
We anticipate that up to 50 students may be admitted each academic year across the two admission cycles combined. Availability will vary by major, with very limited space expected in Finance and Accounting.

Are there spaces available in Finance and Accounting every cycle?
Capacity is extremely limited. Finance may have few or no available spaces in some admission cycles, and only a small number of students are expected to be admitted to Accounting each semester.

If I retake a predictor course and earn a higher grade, which grade will count?
The higher grade will be used to evaluate your application.

How is the five-semester eligibility cutoff calculated?
The cutoff is based on the number of semesters you have been enrolled in college, not your class standing or the number of credits earned through AP, dual enrollment, transfer credit, or other sources. Students are eligible to apply only before the start of their fifth semester. Semesters when a student did a co-op or studied abroad are counted as they are active semesters.

Does it matter which order I take the predictor courses in?
Yes, interested students should take calculus first and then select among economics or statistics, then the accounting course.

Will my AP exam credit count as a predictor course?
Yes. Predictor courses completed by AP exam credit will factor into your predictor course GPA as a letter grade of A.

Will predictor courses I’ve taken at another school be accepted for my application?
Yes. Transfer courses are accepted and the grade earned will be factored into the predictor course GPA with the grade earned. We’ll also accept AP credit, high school dual enrollment credits, and community college coursework, as well as coursework taken at UMass Amherst including winter/summer through U+.

May I apply as a first semester freshman if I will have the necessary predictor courses completed?
Yes. Students should plan to have completed, or be in the process of completing, one semester at UMass Amherst before applying. Review the course requirements.

When and how will I be notified about the status of my application?
Admissions decisions are determined after grades are posted for the fall and spring terms. Notifications are sent to a student’s UMass Amherst email in mid-January for spring admission and mid-June for fall admission.

How do I know which classes to enroll in if I don't know whether I will be admitted to Isenberg?
Students should plan their subsequent course schedule based on their current (or secondary) major.

If I am accepted, how will I know which Isenberg classes to take in the following semester?
Admitted students will be eligible to self-enroll if they meet enrollment restrictions. Decision notifications will identify how to connect with an Isenberg academic advisor who can assist with course planning. Isenberg curriculum plans can be found here. What happens if I am not admitted to the BBA? Can I apply again?

What happens if I am not admitted to the BBA? Can I apply again?
If you are not admitted, you may reapply in a subsequent admission cycle as long as you meet the academic and predictor course requirements and submit your application before beginning your fifth semester.

If you apply during your fourth semester and are not admitted, you will not be eligible to apply again, because you will have reached the application cutoff before the next admission cycle.

Students who are no longer eligible to apply should continue toward completion of their current undergraduate degree. Depending on your academic record and goals, you may also consider the Isenberg business minor and 4+1 pathways for graduate business education.

What is the application process, is there an essay?
The application link on our website will become available to open during the timeframe when we are accepting applications (Nov 1-Dec 1 and April 1-May 1). The application will collect academic and demographic information, confirm the predictor courses, and has open ended questions about campus involvement and future career goals. Leadership, involvement, research, service, and other achievements from any area of campus or community engagement may be considered.

Deadlines to Apply

Spring

Applications for Spring admission open on Nov. 1st and due by Dec. 1st at 5pm. Admission decisions are communicated via UMA email by mid-Jan.

Fall

Applications for Fall admission open on Apr. 1st and due by May 1st at 5pm. Admission decisions are communicated via UMA email by mid-June.

Check Here for Application

https://umassamherst.co1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_eLiDgEI6M6vedb8

Contact Us

Please contact Jennifer Towler in the Isenberg Undergraduate Programs Office with any questions.

Email: jtowler@isenberg.umass.edu

Phone: 413-545-5610

Location: Isenberg Business Innovation Hub, N230