Graduate Business Foundation Requirements | Rowan University
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Foundation Fact Sheet
Graduate Business Foundation Requirements | Rowan University
Graduate Business Foundation Requirements
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.Prospective Students and Applicants
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.
Admitted and Current Students
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.
Confirm Your Requirements
Check the Foundation requirements assigned to you before enrolling in any course.
Complete Foundations with Sophia
Use the custom RCB portal to select approved courses and activate streamlined transcript delivery.
Get Foundation Support
Find the correct admissions, advising, coaching, or Graduate Business contact for your status.
Request a Review of Prior Coursework
Foundation requirements vary by graduate program and individual academic background. Review the curriculum information on your RCB graduate business program page for the Foundation requirements typically associated with that program. Admitted students should rely on the requirements assigned through admissions review and reflected in their official admissions offer letter and DegreeWorks.
If you believe prior coursework should satisfy an assigned Foundation requirement, first confirm that Rowan received the official transcript showing the course and grade. You do not need to submit a transcript for coursework completed at Rowan.
Email GraduateBusinessStudies@rowan.edu and identify the Foundation requirement you want reviewed. Include the following for each course:
- college or university;
- course number and title;
- semester or term completed;
- grade earned; and
- an official course description with a link to the institution’s website, or an official syllabus if a description is not available online.
If the course information is not available in English, provide an official English-language course description or syllabus from the institution. The Graduate Business Studies Office will complete the equivalency review after the official transcript and supporting information are available.
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.Sophia currently offers monthly access for $99*. Discounted pricing is available for students who purchase multiple months at one time. Review current plans and pricing in the Rowan RCB Sophia Learning Portal before enrolling.
A Sophia subscription allows you to enroll in up to two courses at one time. You may complete additional courses during the same subscription period as you finish each course. As a general planning estimate, most Sophia courses require about 20 to 40 hours to complete. Actual completion time varies based on prior knowledge, comfort with the subject, and available study time.
When creating your Sophia account, consider using your Rowan email address. It is not required, but it can make it easier for Rowan and Sophia to locate your account if support is needed.
*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.
Foundation requirement only: Sophia courses satisfy designated RCB Graduate Business Foundation requirements. They do not transfer as Rowan graduate credit, reduce the graduate credits required for a degree or certificate, or count as Rowan enrollment for financial aid, loan, or F-1 full-time enrollment purposes.
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. Students who enroll through the Rowan RCB Sophia Learning Portal should complete the approved course with an overall score of at least 70%. When you enroll through this Rowan RCB Sophia Learning Portal, Sophia automatically sends an official cumulative transcript to Rowan after each successfully completed course. No separate transcript request is required.
A free trial allows students to preview the Sophia course environment, but a trial does not produce an official transcript.
Monitor DegreeWorks after Rowan processes the transcript. If the requirement does not update after normal processing, contact your Academic Advisor, Rowan Online Success Coach, or the Graduate Business Studies Office.
ACCESS THE ROWAN RCB SOPHIA LEARNING PORTAL
Please 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 04101 – Macroeconomics
Approved Sophia option: Macroeconomics - Microeconomics
Rowan course equivalent: ECON 04102 – 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
Other Ways to Satisfy Foundation Requirements
Complete Foundation Courses at Rowan University
- Accounting I / Financial Accounting
Rowan course equivalent: ACC 03210 – Principles of Accounting I - Accounting II / Cost Accounting
Rowan course equivalent: ACC 03211 – Principles of Accounting II - Calculus: Techniques and Applications
Rowan course equivalent: MATH 03125 – Calculus Techniques and Applications - Macroeconomics
Rowan course equivalent: ECON 04102 – Macroeconomics - Microeconomics
Rowan course equivalent: ECON 04101 – Microeconomics - Operations Management
Rowan course equivalent: MGT 06305 – Operations Management - Principles of Finance
Rowan course equivalent: FIN 04300 – Principles of Finance - Principles of Marketing
Rowan course equivalent: MKT 09200 – Principles of Marketing - Statistics I
Rowan course equivalent: STAT 02260 – Statistics I
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.
Prior Coursework and Courses at Other Colleges or Universities
Please review the full Foundation Fact Sheet for details, including transcript submission instructions, timing, cost approximations, and restrictions.
Approved Study.com Courses
Please review the full Foundation Fact Sheet for details, including transcript submission instructions, timing, cost approximations, and restrictions.
Approved StraighterLine Courses
Please review the full Foundation Fact Sheet for details, including transcript submission instructions, timing, cost approximations, and restrictions.
CLEP Exams and Modern States Preparation
Please review the full Foundation Fact Sheet for details, including transcript submission instructions, timing, cost approximations, and restrictions.
Submit Documentation for Other Foundation Options
Sophia Courses Completed Outside the Rowan RCB Portal
Request an official Sophia transcript through Parchment and have it sent electronically to electronic-transcripts@rowan.edu. Notify your Academic Advisor, Rowan Online Success Coach, or the Graduate Business Studies Office after requesting the transcript.
Study.com, StraighterLine, CLEP, or College Coursework
After the final grade or exam result is posted, arrange for the provider, College Board, college, or university to send the official transcript or score report directly to Rowan University.
Electronic delivery: electronic-transcripts@rowan.edu
Postal delivery: Rowan University, Global Learning & Partnerships Graduate Admissions, Enterprise Center, 225 Rowan Boulevard, 2nd Floor, Glassboro, NJ 08028
After the official record is sent, email GraduateBusinessStudies@rowan.edu so the Graduate Business Studies Office can coordinate the review and update process.
Electronic delivery: electronic-transcripts@rowan.edu
Postal delivery: Rowan University, Global Learning & Partnerships Graduate Admissions, Enterprise Center, 225 Rowan Boulevard, 2nd Floor, Glassboro, NJ 08028
After the official record is sent, email GraduateBusinessStudies@rowan.edu so the Graduate Business Studies Office can coordinate the review and update process.
Foundation Questions and Support
Admitted and Current Students
Schedule an appointment with your assigned Academic Advisor or Rowan Online Success Coach through Rowan Success Network. The Graduate Business Studies Office reviews Foundation equivalencies and reconsideration requests.International Students
International students may use approved Sophia courses and other eligible options to satisfy Foundation requirements. Foundation coursework completed outside Rowan does not count toward F-1 full-time enrollment requirements.International applicants: international@rowan.edu
Admitted and current international students: rowanic@rowan.edu
