The following information refers to all Early Career/Career Change, BA/MBA, JD/MBA, Accelerated, Exchange and non-degree students enrolled in an Atkinson School course.


Topics in Management - GSM 6000 to 6099
Courses with numbers between 6000 and 6099 are special "topics" courses. No more than six (6) credit hours of special "topics" courses with course numbers between 6000 and 6099 may be applied toward graduation requirements.


Foreign Language - GSM 6290
Willamette University foreign language courses numbered 331, 332 or higher may be completed for Atkinson School credit through GSM 6290. Successfully completing a 331 foreign language course would allow you to say you are competent to conduct standard management activities in that language; 332 would allow you to say you are proficient.

The language instructor has the right to assess and confirm the capacity of the student to take the course, and may require MBA students to complete additional course work not required of undergraduates.

Academic Regulations Related to GSM 6290: Students should be aware of all of the following regulations regarding Foreign Language Study:

  • A maximum of 6 credits from GSM 6290 may be applied toward graduation requirements of the MBA degree.
  • GSM 6290 is graded Pass/Fail. An Atkinson grade of "Pass" requires a grade of "B" or better in the language class.
  • The maximum number of P/F and P/N credits that can be applied toward graduation requirements of the MBA degree is limited. See the Pass/Fail and/or Pass/No-Pass Credits note at the bottom of this page.


Grant Administration: Concepts to Consequences - GSM 6013A and GSM 6013B

GSM 6013A (fall semester) and GSM 6013B (spring semester) is a year-long course. Students who successfully complete both the fall and spring semester will receive 3 credits for the year. Students who do not successfully complete both fall and spring semester will receive zero credits.


Student Investment Fund - GSM 6292A and GSM 6292B
GSM 6292A (fall semester) and GSM 6292B (spring semester) are two separate three (3) credit courses. Students may complete GSM 6292A fall semester and choose to enroll or not enroll in GSM 6292B for spring semester. However, students cannot enroll in the spring semester course GSM 6292B without having successfully completed the fall semester course GSM 6292A.


Internships for Management - GSM 7251, 7252, 7253
The internship program is available for eligible students enrolled in the Early Career/Career Change MBA, BA/MBA, MBA/JD, Accelerated MBA formats.

An internship is an on-the-job learning experience intended to supplement the MBA curriculum and provide an important educational and professional experience. Internships provide opportunities to strengthen interpersonal skills, use research design and methodology, organize and implement projects, and gain greater understanding of organizational realities. Employers benefit from the new problem-solving techniques and approaches brought by students. Students have the opportunity to test their interest in prospective employers.

The majority of students secure a paid work experience during the summer between their first and second year of study. However, eligible students may participate in an internship in the summer between the first and second year of MBA study, during fall semester of the second year of MBA study, and during spring semester of the second year of MBA study.

The school markets the internship program to employers and provides counseling and job search assistance to students. However; securing an internship remains the ultimate responsibility of the student.

GSM 7251: Internships for Management I (3 credits): Internship I is for students participating in their first semester of internship with an employer. This course provides students the opportunity to undertake professional level employment that applies and leverages their first year MBA studies and supports their career objectives while earning credits toward their degree.

Internship I requires students to complete a significant work experience of at least 135 hours over a minimum 6 week period. Internship students will interact closely with their Faculty Internship Coordinator (FIC). Coursework is designed to clarify goals, strategy, action steps, and metrics, to maximize integration of material, and to aid the student in communication of the implementation of their plan with the employer. This assures that the projects are completed on time and meet the expectations of the employer. The coursework includes a position plan, progress updates, mid-term paper, and final paper. A sampling of professional deliverables is required to be shared with the FIC. Internship for Management courses are graded on a "P/No Pass" (P/N) basis.

Prerequisite: Registration for Internship I requires official approval from the Director of Career Management, completion of a at least 24 credits of the first-year curriculum, good standing, and a cumulative Atkinson grade point average of 3.00 or higher.

Course registration: The Director of Career Management approves registration in GSM 7251. To prepare for registration, the student’s internship proposal must be submitted via Internwatch and must demonstrate the application and leverage of MBA level content. Approval to register conveys that the student’s internship is credit-eligible. Actual credit is awarded based on fulfillment of all course requirements and receipt of a grade of P for the course.

Students may take additional semesters of GSM 7251 provided the internship is with a different employer than any previous internships. However, students may only count a total of 6 credits from a combination of internship, independent study or research courses toward the total number of credits required for graduation. Students planning to take more than one semester of GSM 7251 should talk with Beth Ursin, Assistant Dean and Director of Career Management,  to learn about the requirements, processes and procedures for taking more than one semester of GSM 7251.

Important note for international students: U.S. law applies to students on an F1 or J1 visa. Please see the GSM-7251 course syllabus for a summary of considerations and contact the Office of International Education staff, for complete details.

GSM 7252: Internships for Management II (2 credits): Internship II is for students participating in the second semester of internship with the same employer. Enrollment in Internship II is limited to students who successfully completed the requirements of Internship I who will be continuing a significant project or assignment started in Internship I, adding a new project or additional responsibilities to their Internship I experience, or working with a new supervisor or department. Internship II provides students the opportunity to undertake professional level employment that applies and leverages AGSM studies and supports career objectives while earning credit toward the MBA degree. This course requires students to complete a significant work experience of at least 90 hours over a minimum 6 week period.

Internship II students will interact closely with their Faculty Internship Coordinator (FIC). Coursework is designed to clarify goals, strategy, action steps, and metrics, to maximize integration of material, and to aid the student in communication of the implementation of their plan with the employer. This assures that the projects are completed on time and meet the expectations of the employer. A sampling of professional deliverables is required to be shared with the FIC. Internship for Management courses are graded on a "P/No Pass" (P/N) basis.

Prerequisite: Successful completion of GSM 7251 with the same employer is a requirement for registration in this course. Registration for GSM 7252 requires official approval from the Director of Career Management, a passing grade of GSM-7251, AGSM good standing, and a cumulative Atkinson grade point average of 3.00 or higher.

Course registration: The Director of Career Management approves registration in GSM-7252. To prepare for registration, the student’s internship proposal must be submitted via Internwatch and should explain the project/work that the student will undertake and how it builds upon the work and learning of GSM-7251. Approval to register conveys that the student’s internship is credit-eligible. Actual credit is awarded based on fulfillment of all course requirements and receipt of a grade of P for the course.

Important note for international students: U.S law applies to students on an F1 or J1 visa. Please see the GSM-7252 course syllabus for a summary of considerations and contact the Office of International Education staff, for complete details.

GSM 7253: Internships for Management III (1 credit): Internship III is for students participating in their third semester of internship with an employer. Internship III is limited to students who successfully completed the requirements of Internship I and Internship II. In general, students in Internship III will be continuing a significant project or assignment from Internship II, adding a new project or additional responsibilities to their Internship II experience, or working with a new supervisor or department. This course requires students to complete a work experience of at least 45 hours over a six week minimum period.

Internship III students will interact closely with their Faculty Internship Coordinator (FIC). Coursework is designed to clarify goals, strategy, action steps, and metrics, to maximize integration of material, and to aid the student in communication of the implementation of their plan with the employer. This assures that the projects are completed on time and meet the expectations of the employer. A sampling of professional deliverables is required to be shared with the FIC. Internship for Management courses are graded on a "P/No Pass" (P/N) basis.

Prerequisite: Successful completion of GSM 7252 with the same employer is a requirement for registration in this course. Registration for GSM 7253 requires official approval from the Director of Career Management, a passing grade of GSM-7252, AGSM good standing, and a cumulative Atkinson grade point average of 3.00 or higher.

Course registration: The Director of Career Management approves registration in GSM 7253. To prepare for registration, the student’s internship proposal must be submitted via Internwatch and should explain the project/work that the student will undertake and how it builds upon the work and learning of GSM-7252. Approval to register conveys that the student’s internship is credit-eligible. Actual credit is awarded based on fulfillment of all course requirements and receipt of a grade of P for the course.

Important note for international students: U.S law applies to students on an F1 or J1 visa. Please see the GSM-7253 course syllabus for a summary of considerations and contact the Office of International Education staff, for complete details.


Academic Regulations Related to Internship for Management Courses:  Students should be aware of all of the following regulations regarding the "Internships for Management" courses:

  • Prerequisite: Students must meet the prerequisites for the course.
  • BA/MBA students are required to satisfactorily complete "GSM 7251 -Internships for Management I" for three credits.
  • Internships for Management courses are graded on a "P/No Pass" (P/N) basis. The maximum number of P/F and/or P/N credits that can be applied toward graduation requirements of the MBA degree is limited.
  • A maximum of six credits from a combination of Internships for Management courses can be applied toward the graduation requirements of the MBA degree.
  • A maximum of six credits from the combination of Internships for Management, Independent Study and Research courses can be applied toward the graduation requirements of the MBA degree.
  • A student may enroll in and complete only one internship course per semester (7251 or 7252 or 7253). Exceptions to this policy require a formal appeal to the Director of Career Management. Contact Beth Ursin for more information.
  • Students on academic probation are not eligible for Internships for Management courses. Students may appeal eligibility through submitting a formal written appeal to the Sr. Associate Dean Alex Subert who will take the appeal to the Dean for a decision.


Independent Study and Research Courses - GSM 7261 AND GSM 7262
The elective curriculum includes opportunities for students to do individualized in-depth study with a professor about a management topic of interests. These courses include:

Independent Study - GSM 7261 (1 to 3 credits)
Research - GSM 7262 (1 to 3 credits)

Enrolling in an Independent Study or Research course requires permission from the supervising professor. The supervising professor must be a member of the Atkinson School full-time faculty who is either tenured or on a tenure track.

Students seeking to register for an Independent Study or Research course must obtain a registration form from the Atkinson Recorder, discuss the project with the full-time tenured or tenure track faculty member who will supervise the project, complete the form, obtain the signature of the faculty supervisor on the registration form, and return the form to the Atkinson Recorder.

Academic Regulations Related to Independent Study and Research Courses: Students should be aware of all of the following regulations regarding Research and Independent Study courses:

  • Prerequisite: Students participating in an Independent Study or Research course must have completed at least 24 credits of core/required first-year courses, must be in good standing, must have a cumulative Atkinson grade point average of 3.00 or higher, and must have the consent of the supervising professor.
  • Independent Study and Research courses are graded on a P/F basis. The maximum number of P/F and/or P/N credits that can be applied toward graduation requirements of the MBA degree is limited. See Pass/Fail Credits note at the bottom of this page.
  • A maximum of six credits from the combination of Internship for Management, Independent Study and Research courses can be applied to toward the graduation requirements of the MBA degree.
  • The supervising professor for an Independent Study or Research course must be a member of the Atkinson School full-time faculty who is either tenured or in a tenure track position.


Global Study and International Experience - Independent Study - GSM 7261G
Global Study is a one credit Independent Study course that involves global study and group site visits in a specific country. The course is graded P/N. GSM 7261G courses will include required pre-trip class meetings and meetings during or after the trip, and visits to numerous companies and other organizations in the country of travel. Students will study: fundamentals of international business, the environments and challenges of emerging markets, strategies and operations for succeeding in emerging markets, and specific aspects of business in the country to be visited. Participants in the course will pay charges as specified for the international trip (includes airfare, etc.). Tuition is not charged for this one credit course. In addition, credits from GSM7261G will not be counted toward academic regulations that limit the number of P/N, P/F, or internship, independent study and research credits that can be applied toward graduation.


International MBA Exchange Programs - GSM 7240,7241,7242,7243,7244
The Willamette Early Career/Career Change MBA program has graduate study exchange agreements with Copenhagen Business School in Denmark; KEDGE Business School in Bordeaux, France (previously named Bordeaux School of Management); Strasbourg School of Business in France; and Peking HSBC School of Business in Shenzhen, China. Students enrolled in the MBA, BA/MBA, Accelerated and MBA/JD program are eligible to participate.  Depending on the exchange program chosen, Willamette MBA students who are selected to participate in an exchange program will study abroad during either:

* the summer semester between the first and second year of study, or
* the fall semester of the second year of study

Complete information about the eligibility, application and selection process for the exchange programs is available at http://www.willamette.edu/agsm/students/exchange. Questions about our exchange programs should be directed to Beth Ursin, Assistant Dean and Director of Career Management, not the exchange institution.

Academic Regulations Related to International MBA Exchange Program Courses: Students should be aware of all of the following regulations regarding International MBA Exchange courses

  • Atkinson exchange students will be enrolled at Willamette University while on exchange. Exchange students will register for the GSM MBA International Exchange course appropriate for their exchange program (GSM 7240, 7241, 7242, 7243 or 7244).
  • Atkinson School International MBA Exchange courses are graded Pass/No-Pass. Passing grades received from the exchange university will be recorded as "Pass" by the Atkinson School. Non passing grades received from the exchange university will be recorded as a "No Pass." The Atkinson School transcript will list the name of the exchange institution, courses completed and the P/N grade assigned.
  • Accelerated MBA students who participate in MBA International Exchange must complete a minimum of 30 credits of Atkinson School elective course work in residence at the Atkinson School on the Willamette campus in Salem.
  • Students participating in a fall semester exchange program at Copenhagen Business School, Strasbourg Business School or Peking HSBC University must successfully complete and pass a minimum of 30 ECTS credits or 15 semester credits at the exchange institution to complete the 15 credit GSM MBA International Exchange course. Students must complete at least one MBA level course in Ethics, Social Responsibility or Sustainability during their semester of study at their exchange school.
  • Students participating in a fall semester exchange program at KEDGE Business School must successfully complete and pass a minimum of 24 ECTS credits at the exchange institution to complete the 12 credit MBA International Exchange course for fall semester. Students must complete at least one MBA level course in Ethics, Social Responsibility or Sustainability as part of their 24 ECTS credits while at KEDGE.
  • The required course "GSM 6121 - Politics and Public Policy for Managers" will be waived for students who successfully complete an AGSM Fall Semester Exchange program.
  • Students participating in a summer semester exchange program must successfully complete and pass a minimum of 12 ECTS credits at the exchange institution to complete the 6 credits International Exchange course for summer semester
  • At the completion of the exchange semester, exchange students must order an official copy of their transcript from the exchange school be sent to the Associate Dean/Director of Admission at the Atkinson School.


Pass/Fail and Pass/No-Pass Courses and Credits
The maximum number of Pass/Fail and/or Pass/No-Pass credits that can be applied toward graduation requirements varies with the program option.

Credits from "GSM7261G - Global Study and International Experience" are not counted toward the maximum limits discussed below.

Academic Regulations Related to Pass/Fail and Pass/No-Pass Credits for MBA and BA/MBA Students: A maximum of twenty-one (21) credits from a combination of Pass/Fail and/or Pass/No-Pass course work, waived credits or transfer credits may be applied toward graduation requirements. Credits may be applied from a combination of courses/credits within the limits listed below, and may not exceed a total of twenty-one (21) credits.

  • A maximum of fifteen (15) credits may be applied from International Exchange courses.
  • A maximum of six (6) credits may be applied from a combination of Internship for Management, Research, Independent Study courses.
  • A maximum of six (6) credits may be applied from the GSM course Foreign Language Study.
  • A maximum of six (6) credits may be applied from a combination of approved transfer course work and Atkinson School waived credits.

Academic Regulations Related to Pass/Fail and/or Pass/No-Pass Credits for Accelerated MBA Students:

  • Accelerated MBA students must complete a minimum of 30 credits of graded (A-F scale) Atkinson School course work at the Atkinson School.


Request for Exception to Academic Policies or Procedures

Willamette University

Early Career and Career Change MBA

Salem Campus

Address
900 State Street
Salem Oregon 97301 U.S.A.
Phone
503-370-6167

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