Our entering students are self-starters, inquisitive, eager to learn, and ready to make a difference. They also have one of the highest average high school GPAs on campus.
Criteria for acceptance into the College of Business go beyond those for basic admission to the university. Your student type – new freshman, internal transfer, external transfer, or second bachelor/post-bachelor – will determine the process you'll follow to apply.
New Freshmen
You are considered a freshman if you’ve never attended college or if your college credits were earned prior to high school graduation.
Admission Criteria
Business Administration is considered a competitive major so there are additional requirements students need to meet to be directly admitted into the College of Business. Students need to have a minimum 3.2 GPA with no Ds/Fs in 10th – 12th grade.
If you do not meet these requirements, don’t lose hope, you can be admitted to CSU as Exploratory Studies with a Business Interest. You will then need to meet the requirements listed under Internal Transfers as a current student at CSU and then you will be able to change your major to Business Administration. We know that students who enter the College of Business before they complete 45 college credits can still graduate within four years.
CSU is officially test optional, which means that CSU does not require ACT or SAT test scores. All applicants have the same access to admission and scholarship review whether or not they submit scores.
How to Apply
You will apply to Colorado State University and the College of Business simultaneously using the application provided by CSU Undergraduate Admissions. For more information about when to apply, how to apply, and what to expect, visit the CSU Undergraduate Admissions website.
Internal Transfers
You are considered an internal transfer student if you already are a student at CSU and would like to transfer to the College of Business, or if you are an Undeclared-Business Interest student. (If you apply to the College of Business and are not admitted directly, you'll be offered admission as an Undeclared-Business Interest.)
Admission Criteria
- Grade of B- or higher in ECON 202, Principles of Microeconomics or AREC 202, Agricultural and Resource Economics
- Three credits from the following list with grades of C- or higher in each course completed: MATH117, MATH118, MATH124, MATH125, MATH126, MATH141 or a higher-level calculus course2
- Cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher on a minimum of 15 graded credits at CSU3
How to Change Majors
If you meet the entrance requirements or believe you will at the conclusion of this semester, you are invited to attend Change of Major (COM) Event. COM is the only way you can declare the business major (after census) and is hosted at the end of each academic term (fall/spring/summer). Spring 2023 COM event will be a LIVE virtual event held on Friday, May 19, beginning at 8:30am Mountain Time. The event will begin with a LIVE presentation followed by short individual academic sessions with advising staff. Please contact us starting on Monday, May 15 for a link to access the virtual event. The deadline to contact us to sign up for the event is Thursday, May 18 at 12pm.
To better prepare for Change of Major we recommend you:
- Register for nonbusiness courses prior to attending Change of Major*.
- Know your CSU ID number and which concentration you will declare (you must declare a concentration for your major to be changed).
- Have digital copies of any transcripts from transfer courses you've taken that have not yet been processed by CSU.
- Have access to your university email account.
- Log into the LIVE virtual event on-time. Students not logged in to the event by 8:30am Mountain Time will not be able to change their major until after the Change of Major Event.
*NOTE: There are no guarantees you will get into business courses by attending COM; you are highly encouraged to attend this event already registered for a full semester’s course load.
Academic Advising is not conducted during this event. Instead, the event is to officially change your major, find out who your new Academic Advisor will be, see where you are with curriculum completion, and register for open business courses for the approaching semester. You will schedule a full advising appointment with your new Advisor at the beginning of the approaching semester.
External Transfers
You are considered an external transfer student if you’ve attended a regionally accredited college after high school graduation.
Admission Criteria
- Grade of B- or higher in equivalent course ECON 202, Principles of Microeconomics or AREC 202, Agricultural and Resource Economics
- Three equivalent course credits from the following list with grades of C- or higher in each course completed: MATH117, MATH118, MATH124, MATH125, MATH126, MATH141 or a higher-level calculus course2
- Cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher on a minimum of 15 graded, college-level credits
How to Apply
You will apply to Colorado State University and the College of Business simultaneously using the application provided by CSU Undergraduate Admissions. For more information about when to apply, how to apply, and what to expect, visit the CSU Undergraduate Admissions website.
Second Bachelor's/Post-Bachelor
You are considered a second bachelor’s/post-bachelor applicant if you’ve completed an undergraduate degree and wish to complete a second degree or additional undergraduate course work for career enhancement or graduate/professional school preparation.4
Admission criteria
- Grade of B- or higher in ECON 202, Principles of Microeconomics or AREC 202, Agricultural and Resource Economics
- Three equivalent course credits from the following list with grades of C- or higher in each course completed: MATH117, MATH118, MATH124, MATH125, MATH126, MATH141 or a higher-level calculus course2
- Cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher on a minimum of 15 graded, college-level credits5
How to Apply
You will apply to Colorado State University and the College of Business simultaneously using the application provided by CSU Undergraduate Admissions. For more information about when to apply, how to apply, and what to expect, visit the CSU Undergraduate Admissions website.
1. International freshmen must be in the top 5-10 percent of the applicant pool if your credentials cannot be converted to a 4.0 scale.
2. Sufficient AP scores, IB scores or equivalent dual enrollment credit may be accepted.
3. If you do not meet admission requirements because of extenuating circumstances, you are eligible to submit an Appeal for Admission. Download and submit the Appeal for Admission (PDF) and all supporting documentation using your university email account (@rams.colostate.edu or @colostate.edu) to undergradinfo@business.colostate.edu. Appeals for admission are due by 12:00 p.m. MT Friday of Finals week for fall, spring, and summer terms (finals of the 12-week summer session).
4. Applicants with an undergraduate degree in business administration (any concentration) are not eligible for a second degree in Business Administration, even if the concentration is different. We encourage applicants with an undergraduate degree in business to contact us to discuss your options, which include pursuing graduate study.
5. Candidates who earned a bachelor's degree from CSU-Fort Collins and do not have a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher still may be admitted to the College of Business using the
Re-Start Admission Policy (PDF).
Questions?
Connect with our undergraduate recruitment coordinator and learn more about the College of Business.
Contact Us