Welcome
External Transfer Students!

Congratulations, The UDC welcomes you to Boston University and Questrom School of Business.

We are excited for you to join us and look forward to working with you throughout your time at Questrom. In my role as an academic advisor at the Undergraduate Academic & Career Development Center (UDC), one of my primary focuses is supporting external transfer students like yourself. I have had the privilege of working with transfer students for several years, so I am happy to continue to be a resource, advocate, and support system for you, as you continue your academic journey. Understanding that transferring to a new institution is a big transition, we have created this website to help you navigate Questrom. If you have questions about what you read here or any other information about your new academic home, please do not hesitate to reach out. We look forward to connecting at Orientation June 29-30, 2022!

See you soon,

Danielle

Orientation

Before beginning your first semester here at BU there are a few important things you’ll need to take care of: setting up your BU accounts, attending Orientation, and registering for classes.

As a transfer student, you should plan to attend the in-person Orientation session June 29-30, 2022.

To register for Orientation, or for more information on Orientation, contact BU Orientation, by phone at 617-353-3555 or via email at OOCS@bu.edu.

At Orientation you will learn about the resources available to you at Boston University, the School’s policies and procedures, and the multitude of extra-curricular clubs, sports, and activities on campus. It will also give you a chance to meet other new-to-BU students.

Please select Technology Set-Up from the navigation bar so that you can access all the resources available to you as a Questrom student. If you have any questions about anything, you can always contact the Undergraduate Academic and Career Development Center (UDC) by phone at 617-353-2650.

Technology Setup

Introduction to Questrom Information Technology Services:

In line with the Questrom School of Business’s mission statement to “create value for the world,” the goal of Information Technology Services (ITS) is to leverage the use of information technology resources upon the production and delivery of business education. The department provides computer and communications support, as well as software development, for the School community. Examples include a school-wide course management application, on-line and workshop training, collaboration tools, data resources and information repositories. You will meet members of the Questrom IT staff on your first day of classes, but in the meantime, you can reach us at questromhelp@bu.edu if you should have questions.

Before You Arrive:

There are a few simple but critical things that every student must accomplish before the start of the semester. Below is a check-list of what must be done starting with creating your BU email which is required before you can gain access to Questrom School of Business specific resources.

• Create a BU email account
• Create your Active Directory account – see below
• Ensure your laptop meets the requirements of the curriculum

What is Active Directory?

Active Directory (AD) is a Microsoft networking technology used by Boston University and Questrom. It allows students, faculty, and staff to access lab computers, printers, class resources, such as, QuestromTools and QuestomPortal, websites, etc.

All Questrom users need an AD account. The process to activate your AD account can be found here: https://questromworld.bu.edu/tech/essentials/activate-ad-account/

Please click here to review the AD Account Activation video and if you are having any difficulty, please contact the helpdesk at questromhelp@bu.edu.

What is QuestromTools?

QuestromTools, located either through Questromworld or alternatively at https://questromtools.bu.edu, is a Course Management System designed to assist instructors, students and researchers in the creation and use of websites for teaching and collaborative purposes. A QuestromTools course site is created by default for all Questrom courses shortly before the beginning of each semester and registered students are automatically added to their appropriate course sites. You may be able to log in sooner, but until a professor chooses to publish their site (usually late August for the fall term and early January for the Spring term), even if you are properly registered for the course, you will not see the site.

Learn more about QuestromTools at https://questromworld.bu.edu/tech/web-applications/questrom-tools/

Courses & Credits

Curriculum

Questrom School of Business Curriculum

Transfer students are required to fulfill all degree and residency requirements of the Questrom School of Business.

The sequential nature of the Questrom School of Business curriculum means that most transfer students will need to enroll in a minimum of five full-time semesters in order to earn the Bachelor of Science in Business Administration (BSBA) degree. This is due to the prerequisite nature of the business core curriculum.

Required Courses

Credit Minimum: Some transfer students may need additional elective credits to reach the minimum number of credits to graduate with the Bachelor of Science in Business Administration.

Find more information on minimum credits here.

CAS EC101 & EC102
CAS WR120*
CAS MA121
QST SM131 & QST SM132 (2cr.)
QST AC221 & QST AC222
QST QM221 & QST BA222/QM222
QST SM275
QST MO221
QST IS223
QST LA 245
Cross Functional Core (16cr.)
QST SI422
4 QST Functional Concentration Courses (16cr.)
Career Management Seminar: QST ES215 (2cr.) and QST ES310 (1cr.)

*CAS WR 100, CAS WR120, or WR 150 transfer credit can fulfill QST WR requirement.

For descriptions of these Questrom courses, please click here.

Minimum Grade Requirement:

Students must successfully have earned a minimum grade of “C” in five of the following courses, and no less than “C–” in the sixth course of the Gateway Suite, in order to apply these courses toward their BSBA major and advance into upper-level Questrom courses:

MA 121 or MA 123 (4 cr)**
SM 131 (4 cr)
SM 132 (2 cr)
EC 101 (4 cr)**
EC 102 (4 cr)**
BU Hub First-Year Writing Seminar (4 cr)**

For all other Questrom courses applied toward the major, students must earn a grade of “C–” or higher.

**Equivalent previous coursework successfully transferred can fulfill requirement.

External Transfer Student Fall 2022 HUB Curriculum Tracking

Hub Units

Beginning Fall 2020, entering transfer students will follow a specially tailored HUB curriculum that builds on the coursework they have completed while assuring that they develop the capacities required of all BU graduates.

Transfer students take BU courses that fulfill units in each of the Hub areas below and must earn all 10 HUB units in order to graduate. More information on the HUB requirements for incoming transfer students can be found here.

BU-Hub-Requirements-for-Transfer-Students

Multiple HUB units can be fulfilled by AP/IB credit or will be completed by upper level required Questrom courses. In the form below some BU Hub general education unit lines are pre-populated by courses you will need to take as a Questrom student, highlighted HUB units distinguish areas AP/IB and/or Questrom courses will not fulfill.

Writing Placement Test & Language Placement Exams

Writing Placement Test Information

If you have taken a writing course (or courses) at your previous institution please send a copy of all writing syllabi to the Registrar’s Office (credeval@bu.edu) so that they can have them evaluated by the Writing Department. You may be eligible for transfer credit that will fulfill your Questrom Writing Requirement, CAS WR 120.

Students who have taken composition classes at other schools or who would like to take an external course for writing credit in the future may apply to get CAS WR transfer credit for their external classes. WR transfer credit will not give students any Hub units. More information can be found here: https://www.bu.edu/writingprogram/writing-program-curriculum/transfer-credit/

Beginning with transfer students entering in Fall 2020, the Writing Program will award the following transfer credit:

General elective credit: for external writing classes that are not equivalent to any CAS WR classes
CAS WR 01*: for external classes that are equivalent to CAS WR 111
CAS WR 02*: for external classes that are equivalent to CAS WR 112
CAS WR 13*: for external classes that are equivalent to CAS WR 120
CAS WR 16*: for external classes that are equivalent to CAS WR 150, CAS WR 151, or CAS WR 152

If your previous writing courses were not awarded CAS WR 13* or CAS WR 16*, or if you have not taken any Writing courses at your previous institution and if you submitted a TOEFL as part of your application process, you will need to follow the instructions below.

** Please note that you will be notified via email by me if you need to take the writing placement test.

If you have any questions or concerns about the placement test, please email writing@bu.edu. You can also read the answers to frequently asked questions here: https://www.bu.edu/writingprogram/writing-program-curriculum/placement/placement-faqs/.

Who has to take the Writing Placement Test?

All students who submitted English-language proficiency test scores (such as TOEFL, IELTS, and DET scores) to Admissions are required to take the Writing Placement Test before taking a CAS WR course. This applies to both international and domestic students.

The presence of an English-language proficiency test score on your BU record is the only factor that determines if you have to take the test or not. Other information about your background (ex. you attended an American high school, you took AP classes, you got high TOEFL scores, you weren’t required to submit scores) will be considered later in the placement process after you test.

Transfer students who will be taking CAS WR classes are required to test, even if they have WR transfer credit. You will use the writing placement results, along with transfer course equivalencies, and a conversation with your advisor to determine which writing courses you will need to complete your Hub requirements.

What is the Writing Placement Test?

The test is the first step in the writing placement process. It is a 60-minute, timed, online test. Your test consists of one essay question and will be graded by two experienced Writing Program teachers on the basis of the following elements:

Organization and development
Comprehension and analysis of the assigned text
Evidence for a thesis and supporting ideas
Logic, coherence, and progression
Syntactic variety and appropriate word choice

Scores will be assigned ranging from 6 (high) to 1 (low). The average score will be used as the basis for your placement. Your advisor will send you your WR class level placement about a week after the end of the test session. You will be placed into WR 111 (Academic Writing for ESL Students 1), WR 112 (Academic Writing for ESL Students 2), or WR 120 (First-Year Writing Seminar).

To learn more about the test, watch this brief video: https://mymedia.bu.edu/media/t/1_8w0w1n6v

Taking the Writing Placement Test

We strongly recommend using Firefox as your web browser. You will need a stable Internet connection. You will need your Boston University user name and password to log in. Please make sure you have at least 60 minutes to take the test. The test is timed. You can’t retake the test or pause it once you start.

Check the Test Dates section below to find out when the test is available. You can take the test any day or time during the session. We recommend you don’t wait until the last few days. If you encounter a problem, it may take time to fix it.
Set up your BU email as far before the test as possible to avoid log in problems. You may not be able to access the test until a few business days after you create your account.
When you are ready to test, go to https://learn.bu.edu/.
Log in to Blackboard using your BU user name (the part of your BU email before @bu.edu) and your BU password.
Go to the Courses section. A course called “Writing Placement Test 2021” should appear there. Click on it.
On the left side of your screen, click on “Instructions.” Read and follow the test instructions.
When you get to the test page, click on the test title (the name of the test above the test description) to start the test and the test timer.

Please note that the Academic Conduct Code prohibits students from using any outside sources or assistance during test taking. This will be considered cheating.

If you have any technical problems with the test, please submit a Test Help Form: https://www.bu.edu/writingprogram/student-resources/.

If you have a condition or situation (like no access to a stable internet connection) that makes this test format difficult for you, please submit the Test Help Form to request test accommodations and be specific about what accommodations would help you.

Test Dates

The test will be available from 12:00 am Eastern Standard Time on the first date listed to 11:59 pm EST on the last date listed. All sessions are open to all students.

Test Session 1: May 24-30, 2021

Test Session 2: June 21-27, 2021

Test Session 3: July 19-25, 2021

We encourage you to test as soon as possible so that you have the most registration options. Please note that you are not allowed to register for any CAS WR classes until you take the test and receive your writing placement.

After the Test

Your advisor will send you your placement about a week after the test session end date. You will be placed into WR 111, WR 112, or WR 120. Some students may be recommended to take WR 120 ESL. WR 120 ESL sections fulfill the same requirements as other WR 120 sections and have the same major assignments. They are taught by instructors with ESL experience and cover common ESL writing issues in addition to the standard WR 120 material.

You should register for a WR class that matches your placement level. Your advisor can help you if you need assistance. For freshmen and transfer students with no WR transfer credit, this is a required placement. If you have WR transfer credit, please read the answer to the “What class level should I register for if I have WR transfer credit?” question on this FAQ page: https://www.bu.edu/writingprogram/writing-program-curriculum/placement/placement-faqs/.

If you have questions or concerns about your placement, you may submit a Test Help Form (https://www.bu.edu/writingprogram/student-resources/) to request a review of your placement. On the form, you are welcome to provide additional information about your educational or personal background that relates to your writing skills. The Writing Program’s ESL Director will review your test and consider the additional information. She may change your placement, or she may ask you to attend the class that matches your original placement and to take the writing diagnostic explained below.

The final step in the placement process is an in-class writing diagnostic given in the first week of a WR 111 or WR 112 class. Your WR instructor will review your diagnostic carefully. If the instructor believes you belong in a higher WR level, the instructor recommend to the program that you be moved up. The ESL Director will review instructor recommendations. If she approves the recommendation, your placement will be changed, and you can change your WR registration. If she does not approve the recommendation, you will stay in your current WR class.

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Languages

If you are interested in continuing a foreign language at Boston University, you will need to take a placement exam to determine your proficiency and appropriate course level. The Questrom School of Business does not have a foreign language requirement, unless a student is planning to concentrate in International Management. Also, if you are planning to complete a dual degree there may be a language requirement in the partner school.

If you are continuing study in Chinese, German, Hebrew, or Japanese, please see instructions for the on-line placement tests here: https://www.bu.edu/mlcl/academics/placement-tests-transfer-credit-ap/

If you are continuing study in French, Italian, Portuguese, or Spanish, please see instructions for the online placement tests here: https://www.bu.edu/rs/undergraduate-languages-literatures-and-linguistics/placement-test-information

These are not the only languages we offer! The above languages have online placement exams, but all other languages will have placement exams during the first week of classes in September. In addition to the languages listed above, Boston University also offers: Arabic, American Sign Language, Amharic, Greek (both ancient & modern), Hindi-Urdu, Housa, Isixhosa, Korean, Latin, Persian, Russian, Sawhili, Turkish, Wolof, and Zulu.

Please check with the Modern Languages and Comparative Literature, the Department of Romance Studies, the Department of Classical Studies, or the African Studies Department for placement exam times and locations.
Remember to print your placement results and bring them with you to Orientation.

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Register For Your First BU Semester

1. Get ready to register

Step 1:

A. Set up your BU Web Login and email account. If you have not already set up your BU Web Login username and Kerberos password, you must do this first.

DO NOT FORGET your Kerberos password. If you need help with this, click here.

B. Additionally, Boston University requires that you are “compliant” before you can register for classes. This means that you have:

added an Emergency Alert phone number to your student record

paid your bill

submitted proof of immunization

To check your “Compliance Status,” please log on to the Student Link, click on ‘Personal’ then ‘Compliance Status’, and follow the instructions.

2. Choose your courses

Step 2:

Courses: In their first semester at Boston University, Questrom transfer students will take five or six courses, either 16 or 20 credits. A student is considered to be enrolled full time in a semester when the student has registered for 12–18 credits. PLEASE NOTE during your first semester that you will be assigned cohorted sections of SM131 and SM132 in advance, you must register for those specific sections. Additionally you will register for ES 215, Calculus, the CAS writing course, and/or Micro or Macroeconomics if you are not transferring these credits in.

QST SM131 and SM132: SM131 Business, Ethics, and the Creation of Value and SM132 Measuring Financial Value are required for all new transfer students. Incoming transfer students for the Fall 2020 will be assigned sections of both SM131 and SM132, these sections can not be changed as they are a cohorted experience. SM131/SM132 are prerequisites to all other Questrom courses. Please be sure to review important minimum grade requirement information.
QST ES215: Executive Skills Seminar. This is the first of two executive skills seminars you will take as a Questrom students. It is a 2-credit course you must take during your first semester in Questrom.
CAS MA 121 or CAS MA 123: if you do not have calculus credit you must take either CAS MA 121 or CAS MA 123 as calculus is a prerequisite for many of the Questrom courses. Please also follow up with your assigned academic advisor immediately if you have not yet taken or your calculus credit does not transfer in.
CAS writing course (if necessary): All students are required to take the writing seminar WR120. If you have previous composition coursework please send your syllabi to the Registrar’s Office to as soon as possible as you may place out of the Writing course requirements, allowing you to take an additional elective.
1-3 additional courses: This will vary based on your transfer credits. For example, you may take microeconomics (CAS EC101), macroeconomics (CAS EC102), or courses to fulfill Hub requirements, depending on your transfer credit. You should focus on the highlighted Hub units.

3. Introduction to your planner

Step 3:

Before you arrive at Orientation, you should know which courses you need to take in your first semester. You can arrange your schedule in your Planner, and/or Register for those courses. We will be helping with any questions/comments/concerns at Orientation.Boston University students register online through the Student Link. The Planner is an online tool that allows you to arrange a schedule of courses and their times before actually registering. This means that nothing in the Planner is permanent until you actually choose to register for courses, and even after you register, you can still change things around.
So, do not feel nervous about playing around with your Planner, or even registering for courses. You cannot do anything bad, or mess anything up, but you can get a jump start on the registration process, and be better prepared when you arrive at Orientation.

You will access the Planner through the Student Link: www.bu.edu/studentlink
- Click on the table titled “Academics” (it is orange)
- You can search for courses one of two ways: either click on University Class Schedule option or on Registration
- Enter your username and Kerberos password (if you have yet to sign up for these, please click here)
- Choose “Reg Options” under the Fall 2021 semester
- Click on “Plan”
- Click on “Add”

4. Add courses to your planner

Step 4:

You can now begin to search for courses to put into your Planner.A few important points to remember, however, are:
- All courses at Boston University have a College, Department, Course, and Section assigned to them. For example, as a Questrom School of Business transfer student, you are required to take QST SM131, QST SM132, and QST ES 215 .
  - Some courses have a lecture and a discussion component, and you will need to add both to your Planner.
  - Other courses have only one section (“Independent”) so you will only need to add one section to your Planner.
- When you are searching for courses to add to your Planner, please pay attention to the instructions next to the blue pushpins in the course listings.
  - If it says you need to register for a lecture and discussion, and it also notes that the sections must match, not only do you need to sign up for both a lecture and a discussion component, you need to follow the matching rule. That means, if you put a lecture into your planner that is section AA or A1, you need to find a discussion that also begins with the letter A_. Please note that the Questrom School of Business course lecture and discussion letters do not match, but this will not be typical of other courses.
- When you search for your additional courses, many times not all available sections will be listed on the first page you see. Be sure that you click “Continue Search From” at the bottom of each page to see all available options until you no longer see the course number you are trying to find.
- You can click on the course number (highlighted in red) to see a course description and any pre-requisites.
- Do not be concerned if you have two classes back-to-back, you will have 15 minutes to get from one course to the next.

5. Finalize your registration

Step 5:

Once your Planner is completed:
- Click on “Reg Options” in the upper right-hand corner.
- Click on “Register for Class”.
- Next to Search by: click Planner.
- Check the boxes next to all the courses in your Planner.
- Click on add classes to schedule.
- In the popup that asks if you’re sure you want to add, click “OK”.
- If you get green check-marks, that means the courses have successfully been added to your schedule. If you get a red “X” that means a course did not get added. Do not worry, please contact your academic advisor and we will help you.
- Click on “View” highlighted in red.
- Click on “Graph” to view your schedule.
Once you have finished, click in the upper right-hand corner. Your registration will be saved automatically.

And you’re done.

If you need to make any changes to your schedule, you can do so throughout the summer and up to the first week of classes. Remember, you can not change your SM131 or SM132 sections.

Transfer Credits

Transfer credit evaluations are coordinated by the Office of the University Registrar for all admitted students who have completed college coursework in the U.S.

For course credit to transfer, the grade earned must be equal to a C or better, and the content and depth of the course must be similar to a course offered at Boston University.

Note that the grade you earned in the course does not transfer; only the credits do (i.e., your previous grades will not contribute to your Boston University GPA).

Please visit the Registrar’s website to learn more about the transfer credit process and courses from your college that may already have transfer equivalency at Boston University.

Transfer students who have completed college coursework internationally will receive their transfer credit evaluations through Undergraduate International Admissions. You may contact this office at intadmis@bu.edu or 617-353-4492.

Previous coursework that may be awarded equivalency credit toward degree requirements includes:

AC221 Financial Accounting
AC222 Managerial Accounting
BA222 Modeling Business Decisions and Market Outcomes with Spreadsheets and Statistical Programming
IM345 International Management
IS223 Introduction to Information Systems
LA245 Introduction to Law
MO221 The Dynamics of Leading Organizations
QM221 Probabilistic and Statistical Decision Making for Management
QM222 Modeling Business Decisions and Market Outcomes
SM275 Management Communications.

You must have received a “C” or better for the course you are appealing.

You must have received Questrom elective credit for the course you are appealing. For example, if you took financial accounting at your previous institution, your transfer credit evaluation must show QST AC 2** credit equivalency for that course. This information can be found through your Student Link, under the Academics Tab, by clicking the External Credits & Test Scores Tab. If you took a business statistics course and received CAS MA 1**, CAS MA 113, 115, or 116 the course can be reviewed for QST QM 221 or 222. Similarly, if you received COM CO 1**, elective credit, for a business communications course the course can be reviewed for QST SM 275.

You may appeal for transfer equivalency only once per course, and you must do so in accordance with the deadlines listed on the form.

If your appeal is granted, you will receive transfer equivalency and will not need to take the respective course.

If your appeal is denied, you will retain the elective credit for your previous course but will need to take the equivalent Questrom course.

Questions regarding this policy should be directed to the Questrom School of Business Undergraduate Academic & Career Development Center (UDC), by either visiting 595 Commonwealth Ave., Suite 104, calling 617-353-2650, or emailing questromudc@bu.edu.

Previous coursework that will not be awarded credit toward degree requirements includes coursework in:

Courses for which Questrom does not offer equivalent or similar courses, regardless of level (e.g., sports marketing, fashion business courses)

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Liberal Arts Credits

Most liberal arts courses are awarded transfer credit if they have been completed at regionally accredited institutions. Your preliminary credit evaluation lists courses that have been evaluated as direct equivalents of liberal arts courses that are required for the Bachelor of Science in Business Administration degree.

The Questrom School of Business may also award credit for strong scores in the College Board AP, International Baccalaureate, A-Level, and/or German Abitur Exams. Acceptable exams are limited to the liberal arts.

Other Credits

Credit is not granted for internships, physical education, dance, musical group/class, or ROTC courses, or for activities such as orientation, choir, band, or student service.

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Welcome
External Transfer Students!

Congratulations, The UDC welcomes you to Boston University and Questrom School of Business.

Orientation

Technology Setup

Introduction to Questrom Information Technology Services:

Before You Arrive:

What is Active Directory?

What is QuestromTools?

Courses & Credits

Questrom School of Business Curriculum

Required Courses

External Transfer Student Fall 2022 HUB Curriculum Tracking

Writing Placement Test Information

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Languages

Register For Your First BU Semester

Step 1:

A. Set up your BU Web Login and email account. If you have not already set up your BU Web Login username and Kerberos password, you must do this first.

Step 2:

Step 3:

Step 4:

Step 5:

Transfer Credits

Liberal Arts Credits

Other Credits

CONTACT

FOLLOW US

OFFICE HOURS

WelcomeExternal Transfer Students!

Congratulations, The UDC welcomes you to Boston University and Questrom School of Business.

Orientation

Technology Setup

Introduction to Questrom Information Technology Services:

Before You Arrive:

What is Active Directory?

What is QuestromTools?

Courses & Credits

Questrom School of Business Curriculum

Required Courses

External Transfer Student Fall 2022 HUB Curriculum Tracking

Register For Your First BU Semester

Step 1:

A. Set up your BU Web Login and email account. If you have not already set up your BU Web Login username and Kerberos password, you must do this first.

Transfer Credits

Liberal Arts Credits

Other Credits

CONTACT

FOLLOW US

OFFICE HOURS

Welcome
External Transfer Students!