One Day Before Applying to Grad School, a Chilling Discovery: Missing a Prerequisite...

发布时间：Date: 2024-05-10 返回新鲜资讯Back to News

Application season retrospect reveals a commonly overlooked yet crucial detail: prerequisite courses. Many students focus solely on GPA, standardized scores, and internships, neglecting the specific undergraduate courses required by their target master's programs. In reality, missing prerequisites can not only prevent application submission but also lead to waitlisting or rejection. For cross-disciplinary applicants, failure to plan ahead and earn necessary credits may force them to abandon their dream schools or take a gap year. To help students avoid these pitfalls, this article highlights prerequisite requirements for popular business majors. Using finance, business analytics, accounting, and statistics programs as examples, schools often demand a solid foundation in mathematics and economics, including core courses like calculus, linear algebra, probability and statistics, and micro/macroeconomics. CheersYou（清柚教育） reminds all international students to carefully check their target programs' specific course lists, identify and fill gaps early, and satisfy all academic prerequisites to build a strong foundation for successful admission.

As the application season winds down, the next cohort of aspiring international students, like warriors sharpening their weapons before battle, have launched into "review mode" for the 24fall graduate applications!

Upon review, they discovered one important application preparation item that always seems to be overlooked in the corner of the checklist—and many have suffered dearly for it: prerequisite courses!

Prerequisite courses refer to courses that must be taken during undergraduate study and are relevant to the master's program you're applying to.

But for many novice international students, they only focus on the most familiar application elements: GPA, standardized test scores like GRE, internships, and other soft skills.

Prerequisite course requirements thus become the most easily overlooked item when researching application requirements!

In fact, whether or not you've completed prerequisite courses is directly tied to your eligibility. At some schools that strictly enforce prerequisite requirements, you may not even be able to submit your online application without them!

Every year, many students suffer greatly in this regard—some are waitlisted by their dream schools due to incomplete prerequisites, while others are outright rejected because their prerequisite grades are too low!

Source: Xiaohongshu

Therefore, it's crucial to pay close attention to your target program's prerequisite courses. This is especially true for students applying across disciplines—they must allow ample time to complete these foundational courses.

Otherwise, if they cannot finish the required courses, they'll either have to give up the program they've longed for, or take a gap year to make up the credits.

So, what are the basic prerequisite requirements for different majors?

Summary of Prerequisite Requirements for Business Majors

Most business programs have fairly extensive prerequisite requirements. For popular fields like finance, financial engineering, accounting, and statistics, applicants are typically required to have taken certain math courses and related coursework during their undergraduate studies.

Common Prerequisites for Finance:

Linear Algebra
Calculus
Probability and Mathematical Statistics
Corporate Finance
Econometrics (Highly recommended)
Economics of Money and Banking
Investment Management

Common Prerequisites for Business Analytics:

Calculus
Linear Algebra
Probability and Statistics
Microeconomics
Macroeconomics
Econometrics (Highly recommended)
Computer Science courses: C, C++, Python, R, Java, MATLAB

Common Prerequisites for Financial Engineering / Financial Mathematics:

Calculus
Linear Algebra
Probability and Statistics
Ordinary Differential Equations
Random Processes
Multivariate Data Analysis
Numerical Methods
Introduction to Computers
Introduction to Finance

Common Prerequisites for Accounting:

Basic Accounting Courses:

Financial Reporting,

Auditing,

Financial Accounting,

Managerial Accounting,

Cost Accounting;
Fundamental Subject Courses:

Principles of Microeconomics,

Principles of Macroeconomics,

Statistics;
Advanced Accounting Courses:

Intermediate Accounting,

Advanced Financial Accounting,

Accounting Information Systems

Common Prerequisites for Operations Research:

Advanced Mathematics
Computer Programming
Linear and Nonlinear Programming
Random Processes
Statistics

Common Prerequisites for Marketing:

Probability Theory and Mathematical Statistics
Calculus I and Calculus II
Statistics
Marketing Management
Financial Management
Finance

Prerequisite Requirements for STEM Majors

For students applying across disciplines, STEM programs can be the most challenging. Although many programs have no strict undergraduate major requirements, prerequisite courses are still very demanding, often involving extensive math and programming coursework.

Common Prerequisites for Computer Science:

Calculus I, II
Probability and Statistics
Linear Differential Equations
Numerical Analysis
Fourier Analysis
Discrete Mathematics
Introduction to Programming
Problem Solving & Programming
Computer Architecture
Data Structures
Principles of Computer Systems or Operating Systems
Algorithms
Introduction to Discrete Structures
Machine Structures
Programming Languages (JAVA, Matlab, Python, C/C++)
Introduction to Computation

Common Prerequisites for Mathematics:

Calculus
Linear Algebra
Differential Equations
Probability
Statistics

Common Prerequisites for Data Science:

Calculus I
Linear Algebra
Intro to Computer Science
Programming
Calculus, Probability, Statistics
Advanced Physics
Econometrics course with heavy mathematical content

Common Prerequisites for Electrical Engineering:

Calculus
Advanced Mathematics
Linear Algebra
Probability and Mathematical Statistics
Computer Fundamentals
Programming Languages (C, Java, databases, etc.)
Physics
Communication Engineering
Microelectronics

Common Prerequisites for Industrial Engineering:

Multivariable Calculus
Differential Equations
Linear Algebra
Applied Probability and Engineering Statistics
Operations Research Foundations

Common Prerequisites for Biomedical-related Fields:

Biology
Clinical Medicine
Life Sciences
Chemistry

Prerequisite Requirements for Humanities and Social Sciences Majors

Apart from law programs, which require law-related coursework, most humanities and social science programs have less stringent prerequisite requirements and accept a wide range of backgrounds. However, schools still have preferred academic backgrounds for different programs.

Common Prerequisites for Economics:

Intermediate Microeconomics
Econometrics
Linear Algebra
Statistics
Intermediate Macroeconomics
Multivariable Calculus

Common Prerequisites for Psychology:

General Psychology
Experimental Psychology
Psychometrics
Psychological Statistics

Common Prerequisites for MPA/MPP:

Statistics
Economics
Mathematics (Algebra / Linear Algebra / Calculus)
Probability

How to Fulfill Prerequisite Requirements

While many programs have extensive and complex prerequisite requirements, they can be completed smoothly with early planning and preparation.

Of course, the first step is to determine your target field and programs. Be sure to check the specific prerequisite requirements on the official website of each program, and then compare them with your undergraduate curriculum to see if you meet them.

If you cannot meet the prerequisite requirements of your target program—for example, if you're applying across disciplines—you can fulfill them through the following methods:

Take relevant courses at your undergraduate institution

Many universities offer a wide range of elective courses, so you can supplement your prerequisites through undergraduate electives and boost the value of your GPA.

However, note that each school may have restrictions on cross-disciplinary course selection and general electives, and these courses could also affect your GPA, so be sure to weigh the pros and cons.

Transfer credits

If you have previously taken similar courses that are recognized by your target school, you can usually complete a credit transfer application with an Academic Advisor to convert those credits into the required prerequisite credits.

Take prerequisite courses offered by the program after admission

Some schools are less strict about prerequisites and may allow admitted students to make up the courses after enrollment. Others may arrange for early enrollment to complete prerequisite coursework.

However, if you haven't taken enough relevant courses during your undergraduate years, your application will naturally be less competitive, and you may even face outright rejection.

Take online courses

For students who start preparing in their junior or senior year, on-campus elective options may be full or unavailable. In such cases, you can also fulfill these courses through online platforms!

Many schools post university-level courses on third-party platforms like Coursera or Khan Academy. Students simply pay the course fee, complete the required online hours and assignments, and pass the exam to earn a certificate.

However, note that some schools do not recognize prerequisite courses or grades earned this way. It's best to consult your Academic Advisor to find out which course formats are accepted by your school before enrolling.

Every aspect of the study abroad application process is critical. Be sure to start comprehensive preparation and planning as early as possible.

CheersYou（清柚教育） wishes everyone a successful application season—may you receive your offers and begin your journey at your dream school soon~

For more admissions case studies and questions about graduate school applications, feel free to reach out to the CheersYou（清柚教育） advisor via the information below.