Degree Candidacy
Download Degree Candidacy Requirements (PDF 338K)
What is Degree Candidacy?
In Price College of Business, Degree Candidacy is an application process that only applies to business majors. To declare a business major, students must meet the 2.75 OU and Combined Retention GPA minimums. Once becoming a business major, students must earn Degree Candidacy and complete prerequisite courses to begin upper-division business courses. Degree Candidacy requires students to meet minimum GPA requirements within certain courses and maintain overall GPAs.
What are the Minimum GPAs?
Students must have at least 2.50 OU and combined overall retention GPAs and a 3.00 cumulative GPA within the degree candidacy courses.
Cumulative GPA – all attempts are counted in GPA
Students must repeat any D’s or F’s in the degree candidacy courses
Students are not allowed to repeat a course in which an A or B is earned
Degree Candidacy Courses:
ACCT 2113 – Fundamental Financial Accounting
B C 2813 – Strategic Communication for Business Professionals
ECON 1113 – Principles of Economics-Macro
ECON 1123 – Principles of Economics-Micro
ECON 2843 – Elements of Statistics
MIS 2113 – Computer-Based Info Systems
What are the Required Prerequisite Courses?
The following courses must be completed in order to begin upper-division business courses:
ENGL 1113 – English Composition I
ENGL 1213 – English Composition II or EXPO 1213 – Expository Writing
MATH 1743 – Calculus I for Business, Life, and Social Sciences
B AD 1001 – Personal Computing Productivity Tools
What do I have to do to Receive Degree Candidacy?
In the semester you are finishing your degree candidacy courses, you will need to submit an application. Do NOT wait until you have finished your DC courses. To apply, you must complete the online form found at the bottom of this page.
Please note that you will only be able to take upper-division business courses once you have completed ALL the required prerequisite courses listed above.
What is Early Approval for Degree Candidacy?
Early Approval allows students with a high level of success in business courses to enroll in upper-division business courses before final Degree Candidacy course grades post. However, if a student does not meet the above standards, Degree Candidacy may be revoked causing un-enrollment from all upper-division business courses.
Do I qualify for Early Approval process?
You must currently be a business major and meet the following requirements:
- Apply for Degree Candidacy by deadline listed below
- Have OU and combined GPAs of 3.00 or higher
- Have a 3.00 GPA or higher in three or more Degree Candidacy courses on OU transcript
- Have all Degree Candidacy courses and prerequisites for upper-division business completed by the last day of the current term
Important Degree Candidacy Dates
Fall 2023
August 28, 2023 – Degree Candidacy application opens.
October 27, 2023 – Deadline for Early Approval consideration.
November 6, 2023 – Students meeting Early Approval requirements will be notified of status.
December 15, 2023 – Degree Candidacy application closes
January 9, 2024 – All Degree Candidacy courses taken outside of OU must be posted to transcript.
January 12, 2024 – Students will be notified of Degree Candidacy status through OU email.
For more information, please contact Price Academic Advising Services
What if I still want to earn degree candidacy, but do not currently meet listed criteria?
If you meet the following standards, then you can still apply for degree candidacy.
- Be a declared business major in Price College of Business
- Complete all degree candidacy courses with a minimum 2.70 cumulative GPA (all attempts are used)
- Have OU and combined GPAs of 2.50 or higher
Your application will be reviewed by a committee as an appeal for degree candidacy. Each application is viewed holistically. Here are the top two things they want to see:
- A thoughtful essay explaining your specific situation. We recommend you include the changes you’ve made to earn higher grades in the future.
- Repeated Cs and lower grades. The committee will note if they were taken at an AACSB-accredited business school. https://www.aacsb.edu/
