Carlson School of Management (CSOM) houses the majority of business-related majors like Accounting, Finance, and Marketing. 

There are also other business and communication majors at the U. 

• List of CSOM majors 

• List of majors by theme (see the Business & Communications section)

Course Information

The curriculum requirements changed for students entering as freshmen for fall 2022.  

Here are the common first-year courses that, if seats are available, may be open to PSEO students:

• ECON 1165: Business Economics - 4 crs [or take ECON 1101 or APEC 1101 as alternatives; this course is reserved for Carlson School students until the Friday before the start of the semester. If sections are open at that time, PSEO students can register for them.]

• ACCT 2051: Introduction to Financial Reporting - 4 crs  [PSEO students can take the non-Carlson sections]

• BA 2051: Modeling Business Scenarios in Excel - 2 crs [Required before taking the Impact Core. Explore equivalents at other institutions.] 

• BA 2551: Business Statistics in R - 4 crs [or take STAT 3011 or STAT 3021 as an alternative;  PSEO students can take the non-Carlson sections.] 

  • • NOTE: Review information about BA 2551 for students who completed a statistics course at another institution that has not been approved as an equivalent to BA 2551 but has been approved as a STAT 3011 or 3021 equivalent.

Some courses are generally closed to PSEO students but may be open in some rare cases, especially for graduating PSEO seniors who are admitted to Carlson for the following year:

• BA 2005: Business Ethics, Corporate Responsibility & Sustainability - 3 crs 

• BA 2062: Impact Lab Problem Solving - 2 crs 

⚠️ ⚠️ For math, most Carlson students should have at least college algebra, MATH 1031 or 1051 (The prerequisite for BA 2551 Business Statistics in R). Students interested in economics, finance, data analysis, or computer science majors might want to work towards MATH 1271 Calculus 1. Additionally, some specialized master's degrees might require MATH 1271 Calculus 1.

Course Access & Permission

🔑 NOTE: for ACCT 2051, BA 2551, BA 2005, and BA 2062, PSEO students can request permission into an open Carlson-only section of the course on or after the date when PSEO students are allowed to register. Do the following to request permission:

1. Be sure this request is on or after the date when PSEO students can register for the upcoming semester.

2. Complete the Carlson Registration Assistance and Permission Number Request form. 

However, many courses are not open to PSEO students at all. These will generally list "CSOM students only" in the prerequisites or in the more detailed class notes in Schedule Builder. For example:

• BA 1011: Leading Self & Teams - 1 cr

• BA 1021: Design Your Life - 1 cr 

• BA 2021: Design Your Career - 1 cr 

⚠️ ⚠️ Carlson majors eventually require a series of courses called the Impact Core. PSEO students should NOT usually take these courses. 

• Students who have completed the common first-year Carlson courses listed above should contact their PSEO advisor to discuss whether trying an Impact Core course may be appropriate. If the first-year Carlson courses are completed, students could take ACCT 3001: Strategic Management Accounting, HRIR 3021 Human Capital Management, or IDSC 3001: Information Systems & Digital Transformation.  

• The prerequisites for the Impact Core are ACCT 2051 Financial Reporting, BA 2051 Modeling Business Scenarios in Excel, BA 2551 Business Stats in R, and ECON 1165 Business Economics (or 1101 Microeconomics or APEC 1101). 

General Information

• During the first two years at Carlson, degree-seeking students have exposure to companies and recruiters.  Additionally, each semester Carlson students can attend the Carlson Career Fair. As a result, many PSEO students who enter with 60 credits might feel behind in networking and/or understanding what their intended major might be while in Carlson. 

• It’s typically not possible to graduate in 2 years after completing 2 years of PSEO, given the course sequencing and study abroad requirement.  Usually, Carlson students do an internship after their junior year. PSEO students with 60 credits would need to secure an internship and declare their major as soon as they enter Carlson, which can be difficult.  Furthermore, companies often want students with more college-level leadership experience and/or an internship. 

Student Groups

• Over 30 different Carlson student organizations. Many are career-focused.

• Some community/ID-based organizations with lots of freshman (and non-CSOM students) that are great for PSEO students include:

  • Women in Business

  • BAM - Business Association of Multicultural Students

  • Collegiate DECA