Foundation Fact Sheet

  • Foundation Fact Sheet

Foundation Fact Sheet

Foundation Facts

Foundation Requirements for RCB Graduate Business Programs 

The Rohrer College of Business (RCB) requires Foundation courses to ensure that students have the shared baseline knowledge needed for success in graduate-level business coursework. These requirements may apply to students in RCB graduate business programs, including MBA, MS Finance, COGS, and CAGS programs. 

A Shared Foundation of Prior Knowledge 

RCB Graduate Business Studies welcomes students from business and nonbusiness academic backgrounds. This mix of perspectives strengthens the graduate learning community and enriches the ways students approach business challenges. Foundation requirements are a support mechanism to help students begin graduate-level business coursework with a shared foundation of prior knowledge. 

Foundation Courses: Prerequisites for Graduate-Level Coursework 

Foundation courses are formal prerequisites for many graduate-level business courses. Typically, students who earned an undergraduate degree in business with strong grades will have satisfied many, if not all, Foundation requirements through prior academic coursework. Students who have not completed equivalent prior coursework in one or more Foundation areas will need to complete the applicable Foundation requirements assigned to them during the admissions review process. 

Students are not required to complete all assigned Foundation requirements before beginning graduate study. However, students should complete assigned Foundation requirements early in their program to maintain forward momentum.

How to Confirm Your Foundation Requirements 

If you are not sure which Foundation requirements apply to you, check one of the following: 

  • Your official admissions offer letter in the admissions portal 
  • Your DegreeWorks page in Banner 
  • Your Academic Advisor or student Success Coach 

Streamlined Option: Sophia Learning

Cost-Effective and Student-Preferred 

For most students who need to complete Foundation requirements, Sophia Learning is the preferred streamlined option. Users sign up for a monthly subscription, which costs about $100* per month, then have access to complete as many Foundation courses as needed to fit their own timeline and academic goals. Sophia Learning lets students go at their own pace. Foundation courses taken at a community college or four-year university typically cost the same as per-credit tuition at those institutions. 

*as of June 2026, cost and payment model subject to change 

Rowan University and Sophia Learning 

Rowan University’s Rohrer College of Business Graduate Programs has an articulation agreement with Sophia Learning. Through this agreement, specific Sophia Learning courses have been pre-authorized to satisfy designated RCB Graduate Business Foundation requirements. 

Please note: Sophia Learning courses satisfy Foundation requirements only. They do not award Rowan undergraduate or graduate credit and do not reduce the number of graduate credits required for a student’s program. 

How to Complete Approved Foundation Requirements on the Rowan RCB Sophia Learning Portal 

Students are strongly encouraged to enroll through the Rowan RCB Sophia Learning Portal so they can access the approved course list and streamlined transcript process. 

ACCESS THE ROWAN RCB SOPHIA LEARNING PORTALPlease note: students should confirm their assigned Foundation requirements before enrolling in Sophia Learning coursework. Students should complete only the Sophia Learning courses that correspond to their assigned Foundation requirements. 

Please visit the next section for a full list of RCB Foundation Areas and corresponding Sophia Learning course titles. 

RCB Graduate Business Foundation Areas

The list below shows Foundation areas used across RCB graduate business programs. The list also shows the equivalent Rowan course number and title and approved corresponding Sophia Learning course under each Foundation area.  

Students should complete only the Foundation courses assigned to them during the admissions process. Foundation requirements vary by program and by student academic background. 

  • Accounting I / Financial Accounting 
    Rowan course equivalent: ACC 03210 – Principles of Accounting I 
    Approved Sophia option: Financial Accounting 
  • Accounting II / Cost Accounting 
    Rowan course equivalent: ACC 03211 – Principles of Accounting II 
    Approved Sophia option: Managerial Accounting 
  • Calculus: Techniques and Applications 
    Rowan course equivalent: MATH 03125 – Calculus Techniques and Applications 
    Approved Sophia option: Calculus I 
  • Macroeconomics 
    Rowan course equivalent: ECON 04102 – Macroeconomics 
    Approved Sophia option: Macroeconomics 
  • Microeconomics 
    Rowan course equivalent: ECON 04101 – Microeconomics 
    Approved Sophia option: Microeconomics 
  • Operations Management 
    Rowan course equivalent: MGT 06305 – Operations Management 
    Approved Sophia option: Operations Management 
  • Principles of Finance 
    Rowan course equivalent: FIN 04300 – Principles of Finance 
    Approved Sophia option: Principles of Finance 
  • Principles of Marketing 
    Rowan course equivalent: MKT 09200 – Principles of Marketing 
    Approved Sophia option: Principles of Marketing 
  • Statistics I 
    Rowan course equivalent: STAT 02260 – Statistics I 
    Approved Sophia option: Introduction to Statistics 

Notes on Rowan Course Options

Students who complete Foundation requirements directly through Rowan University have additional Rowan course options available: 

  • At Rowan University, ECON 04303 – Principles of Economics: A Survey may satisfy both Macroeconomics and Microeconomics. 
  • At Rowan University, ACC 03405 – Foundations of Accounting may satisfy both Accounting I and Accounting II. 

Students using Sophia Learning should follow the approved Sophia course options listed in the section above and on the custom Rowan RCB Sophia Learning portal.

Other Ways to Satisfy Foundation Requirements

Sophia Learning is the preferred streamlined option for most students because approved Sophia courses can satisfy the full set of RCB Graduate Business Foundation requirements through one organization. 

Other options remain available for students who need or prefer another route, including: 

  • Prior equivalent undergraduate or graduate coursework review 
  • Study.com or StraighterLine.com courses, where approved 
  • CLEP exams, where available 
  • Community college or four-year college/university coursework 
  • Rowan University coursework 

Students considering options other than Sophia should review the full Foundation Fact Sheet for details, including transcript submission instructions, timing, cost approximations, and restrictions. 

Download the full Foundation Fact Sheet

Submitting Foundation Course Completion Documentation

Rowan’s RCB Sophia Learning Portal Sends Transcripts Directly to Rowan 

For students who enroll through the Rowan RCB Sophia Learning Portal, Sophia will send official transcripts directly to Rowan University after each approved course is completed. 

Completing a Foundation Directly on Sophia (Without Using the RCB/Sophia Portal) 

Students who complete the correct Sophia courses without using the Rowan RCB Sophia Learning Portal are still able to satisfy the applicable Foundation requirements. However, those students will need to request that their official Sophia transcript be sent to Rowan University through Parchment. The email address for transcript delivery is electronic-transcripts@rowan.edu. 

Students should notify their Academic Advisor or Success Coach after requesting an official transcript so the completion record can be tracked, reviewed, and updated. 

Completing a Foundation Course Using a Different Option 

For other external coursework or testing options, students should review the full Foundation Fact Sheet for transcript and documentation instructions. 

Questions?

Prospective Students and Applicants 

Current Students