FAQs

Undergraduate FAQ

How do I apply to Memorial University?

If you are new to the University or haven't been enrolled at Memorial in the last three consecutive semesters, head to the University's admissions page to find out about the admissions process; when you're ready to apply, you may complete the online application for admission/readmission.

The cost of tuition and other student fees can be found here.

First time applicants: If you are interested in coming to Memorial University for the first time or for the first time in more than three consecutive semesters, you will first need to apply for general admission/readmission. On the undergraduate application, you must select "Grenfell" as your campus (even if you plan to complete some/all of your program online), and you must choose "Business Administration" as your program.

Looking for advanced standing? If you are applying for advanced standing in the Grenfell Business program by way of individual course transfers or through existing articulation agreements, after applying for general admission to the University, you will next have to request that your previous post-secondary institution (e.g., CNA, other university) send your official transcript to Memorial once your course or diploma has been awarded. Memorial's Transfer Credit Office (transfer.credit@mun.ca) will determine whether you meet the criteria for course or block transfer. Please visit our Transfers & Articulation Agreements page for further details.

Students should not presume that they will be eligible for a course/block transfer until they have received formal notification from the Transfers & Articulation Agreements page for further details.

Already a Memorial student? If you are already a Memorial University student and you wish to enroll in the Grenfell Business program, please complete the declaration/change of academic program form and contact the program chair who will sign the form before sending it to the Registrar's Office. This includes students who have already begun business studies in the Faculty of Business Administration on the St. John's campus—you will need to declare the Grenfell Business program before being considered a Grenfell Business students.

Congratulations and welcome to Grenfell Business! Now that you have been accepted to the program, you will need to register for your courses. Each term, you will take a combination of required program courses, business elective courses and non-business electives.

If you are completing the four-year BBA program, you will find all of your program requirements here, including a detailed program guide, which you should maintain throughout your program.

If you have been approved for advanced standing in the Grenfell BBA program under one of our existing articulation agreements with the College of the North Atlantic, you will have been awarded a block of 60 or 75 credit hours, depending on your previous program. Please review your specific program requirements here, where you will also find detailed program guides that will help you to track and plan your progress.

Registration-related Questions

University degree programs are designed to provide students with a broad range of knowledge that is both professionally and academically focused. Students not only obtain expertise in their primary field of study (in this case, business), but also in other complementary areas (such as mathematics, economics, or communication); these areas are generally considered core to a business program.

University study also aims to enhance student knowledge, experience, and skills more broadly through electives that are not directly related to a core program. These course choices are entirely individual and should be selected based on your own personal interests and what you believe will help to enhance your future learning or career prospects.

All students are required to complete electives (some business, some non-business). As a student, you are responsible to review available course offerings in a given term, and to choose from that list based on personal interests, skill-building potential, appealing time slot, mode of delivery, or a host of other factors that will be important to you.

Business electives in the Grenfell Business program include any course listed in Table 7 of the University calendar, found here. These courses are primarily from the business discipline, but also include courses from non-business subject areas that have been identified as having substantial business-related content.

Non-business electives are those course that do not have the prefix BUSN or BUSI, and are not included on the list of business electives (Table 7, referenced previously). While there are numerous opportunities for non-business electives both online and on-campus each term, there is no standing ‘list' of non-business electives in the University.

You may be interested to know that many Grenfell Business students take non-business electives in subject areas such as Psychology, Tourism Studies, Sociology, Mathematics, Anthropology, Historical Studies, and Human Kinetics & Recreation, though any discipline is free to explore!

In Memorial Self Service, you will see a section entitled "View Registration Times"; here you will find the specific date and time when you can begin registration before the start of each term.

All students are assigned individual registration dates/times, which are the earliest dates/times that they may register for courses. Your specific registration date/time may not be the same as other students you know, and after your first semester, these dates/times are determined by the number of credit hours and GPA you have earned.

You are strongly encouraged to register for courses as soon as you are eligible to do so. Courses fill quickly and there are limits on the number of students who can enrol in each class. Once course capacities are reached, it is unlikely that you will be able to gain entry to the course in that term, and this will have implications for your program plan.

On a related note, be reminded that most BUSN courses are reserved for Grenfell Business students. If you intend to complete a Grenfell BBA or Grenfell Business Minor program but haven't formally declared yet, you must complete a Declaration/Change of Academic Program form.

Students register for courses online through Memorial Self Service; step-by-step instructions can be found here.

An important point to be aware of: Grenfell Business courses have the prefix "BUSN"; courses with the prefix "BUSI" are offered through the Faculty of Business on the St. John's campus. Grenfell Business students must ensure they are selecting BUSN courses to avoid any issues with completion of their program.

The majority of seats in most BUSN courses are reserved for students who are declared in either the Grenfell BBA or Grenfell Business Minor programs.

While you may see seats that are "available" in a course, if you are not declared as a Grenfell Business student, you will have to wait until the formal registration period has ended before you will be permitted to enroll. If there are open seats remaining in the course at that time, you will be moved from the waitlist to the course roster. If the course fills to capacity before the end of the registration period, you will have to wait until the next offering of the course before you can try to enroll again.

Luckily, there is a way to minimize the chance of running into this problem! If you intend to complete a Grenfell BBA or Grenfell Business Minor but have not yet formally declared your program, you are strongly encouraged to complete a Declaration/Change of Academic Program form. Once your declaration is approved and processed, you will be able to access seats that are reserved for Grenfell Business students.

All courses have maximum enrollment limits (caps), and most courses also have a limited waitlist. When a class is fully registered, the Memorial registration system maintains a limited waitlist of students who would like to take that course. If a student currently registered in the course withdraws, the next person on the waitlist is automatically transferred to the registered list.

Students should note that waitlists are removed ("dropped") prior to the beginning of the semester so if you have not rolled into a class before the start of a term, there will no longer be a record of the waitlist, and you will have to wait until the next offering of the course before you may enroll.

This is why it is so important to register for your courses as soon as your registration time permits. Classes and waitlists fill quickly, particularly for required courses, and class capacities are generally not increased.

Course-related Questions

The Office of the Registrar posts the University's official course offerings just before registration time begins each term. Check out this link to view the upcoming term's slate of courses.

Be sure to choose the correct term, then "All" for your campus and "Business Admin (Grenfell)" for your subject area; this will generate a list of all BUSN courses (online and on campus offerings).

Students should note that course offerings each term are not finalized until a few weeks before the start of registration for that term; for this reason, it is only possible to set your program plan one term at a time, and not for an entire academic year.

If you are uncertain about which specific courses you should be taking, you are strongly encouraged to connect with an academic advisor before the start of registration each semester.

Grenfell business courses have a "BUSN" prefix; FBA (St. John's campus) business courses begin with "BUSI".

Students should note that BUSN and BUSI courses are not necessarily interchangeable, and should take care to enroll in the appropriate course based on their declared program.

prerequisite (noted as PR) is a course that must be completed before you will be permitted to register for a subsequent course. For example, BUSN 3010 is a prerequisite for BUSN 4010; students must complete BUSN 3010 before being able to enroll in BUSN 4010. Prerequisite requirements for Grenfell Business courses are noted in the University Calendar and may be reviewed here.

If a course has an identified prerequisite, it means that the knowledge gained in that prerequisite is required for you to be able to successfully complete the course (and your professors will assume that you remember what you learned in the earlier courses!)

You may also see courses listed as a corequisite (noted as CO). A corequisite is a course that may be taken at the same time as another.

Neither prerequisite nor corequisite courses are waived for students, and so must be taken into account as you plan your program. It is worth noting that failure to complete required prerequisite/corequisite courses in sequence will impact the length of time it will take to finish the overall program.

A notable exception: In some instances, Memorial's registration system may not recognize that you have actually completed a course prerequisite. If you have received transfer credit for a prerequisite course that was completed at another institution, or if you were admitted to Grenfell Business under a block transfer agreement, the registration system may not recognize those credits appropriately, so while atypical, it is possible that you have already completed the required prerequisite.

If you believe you fall under this exception and have received notice from the registration system that you don't have the appropriate prerequisite, please email the Chair of the Business Administration program as soon as possible to request a prerequisite waiver; you must provide your student number as well as the course name and number for which you are trying to register. Once received, your request will be evaluated and where appropriate, a prerequisite waiver will be approved.

Prerequisite waivers are not approved in circumstances where a student feels confident they would excel without the prerequisite, or simply wants to "get ahead" in the course sequence.

While many Grenfell Business courses have been developed for online delivery, students should note that not all courses required for the complete Grenfell BBA program or our two-year block transfer agreements are available online.

Students should also note that the completion of Grenfell's BBA program requires both business and non-business courses, and that Grenfell Business has no control over the offering of non-business courses (online or on campus). Any questions related to non-BUSN course offerings should be directed to the appropriate discipline unit.

Students who have been awarded a block transfer as graduates of the three-year Business Management program at CNA may complete their degree online on a full-time basis, with a full course load (5 courses/semester) in consecutive FALL-WINTER-FALL semesters, provided they complete program requirements (including prerequisite courses) in a prescribed sequence.

Students should note that not all Grenfell Business courses are offered in all semesters; this applies to both online and on campus offerings. As much as is possible, fall and winter term course offerings are scheduled in a way that permits all Grenfell Business students to progress in their program according to our published program guides.

For this reason, it is critical that you familiarize yourself with your program guide and revisit it each term. As a refresher, if you are completing the four-year BBA program, you will find your program guide here; if you are completing the BBA program under one of our existing articulation agreements with the College of the North Atlantic or St. John's College Junior College, you can review your specific program guide here.

Of course, students are encouraged to connect with an academic advisor to discuss their program plan before the start of registration each semester.

It depends.

Students may complete any non-business electives at any Memorial University campus, however, it should be noted that certain courses are ONLY available through Grenfell Campus (e.g., MATH 1052, BUSN 2310, BUSN 4010, BUSN 4070). It should also be noted that not all credits are “interchangeable” or considered “equivalent"; students should check in with an academic advisor to discuss before registration.

With respect to business courses, students should not assume that BUSN (Grenfell Business, Grenfell Campus) courses and BUSI (Faculty of Business Administration, St. John's Campus) courses are either available to them or interchangeable as course credits. Both programs reserve their courses for their own declared students, which means if you do not meet the specific BUSI prerequisites and are not identified as a Faculty of Business Administration students, you will normally not be permitted to register.

Students who are interested in pursuing BUSI courses through the Faculty of Business Administration will need to contact them directly to inquire about registration (busihelp@mun.ca), and will also need to meet with the Chair of Grenfell Business to ensure the BUSI course will satisfy the Grenfell BBA program requirements.

The Grenfell Business program does not typically offer courses during the Intersession, Spring or Summer sessions.

Students interested in pursing courses in any of these terms are encouraged to explore non-business required courses (e.g., Economics, English, Mathematics, or non-business electives).

As always, seeking the direction of an academic advisor before you register is always a good idea.

A common question is whether or not students can complete Grenfell's BBA in a more timely manner than the prescribed eight, four or three semesters dictated by their program pathway. Students should first note that each academic year's course offerings in Grenfell Business are planned to enable students to complete their programs according to these specific sequences.

Students who have course credits from previous post-secondary study or who complete non-business courses in the intersession/spring/summer terms may be able to reduce their overall course load in any given semester, however, since Grenfell Business courses are typically only available in the fall and winter terms, it is generally not possible to complete these courses any faster than the stated sequence. Students are also reminded that prerequisite course requirements further limit the order in which business courses may be completed.

Students pursuing the four-year BBA program may review their specific program requirements here; students pursuing the BBA program by way of one of our articulation agreements may review their specific pathways here.

As always, students are strongly encouraged to consult with an academic advisor to identify the most appropriate program plan.

Course offerings in the Grenfell BBA program are designed such that full-time students complete five courses each fall and winter semester, in a prescribed sequence. If you decide to drop a course at any point in your program, your scheduled program progression will be interrupted, and it will take you longer to complete your BBA.

Students are strongly encouraged to meet with their academic advisor to discuss your potential program implications before making the decision to drop a course.

Students should also note that dropping a course before the University deadline to drop without academic prejudice will not carry academic consequences on your transcript, however, course drops after that deadline will only be granted in exceptional circumstances. Again, students are advised to meet with a faculty advisor to discuss options.

You may read more about the process and implications of dropping a course here.

Academic Integrity is an online non-credit course that all students must complete. It is a brief study of Memorial's academic integrity regulations. Students do not receive credit for this course, but it is a requirement of all students during their first semester at Memorial. If you do not successfully complete this course by the registration period for the next semester, you will not be assigned a registration time.

You can read more about Academic Integrity here.

BUSN 4010: Strategy I and BUSN 4070: Strategy II are Grenfell Business program's senior capstone courses; students will take these courses across their final two semesters. These courses are designed to be taken in sequence (i.e., BUSN 4010 is the prerequisite for BUSN 4070), and under no circumstances are they permitted to be taken together as one is a continuation of the other.

Beyond needing to be sufficiently prepared in Strategy I to succeed in Strategy II as an individual student, be aware that there are significant teamwork requirements in both courses. The expectation from instructors and peers is that all students will be equally prepared with the same base knowledge.

Students who are pursuing their BBA in accordance to recommended program guide should not have a problem enrolling in 4010 and 4070 in subsequent terms. For instance, students studying on campus should note that BUSN 4010 is typically offered in the fall and BUSN 4070 in the winter terms; students completing their courses online will find that BUSN 4010 is generally available in the winter semester, BUSN 4070 is offered in the subsequent fall term.

All Grenfell Business students are required to complete these two courses through Grenfell Business.

Students should expect that most of their courses will require the purchase of a textbook or other supplemental resource.

All textbook/resource materials for online business courses (facilitated at both Grenfell and St. John's campuses) will be published by the MUN Bookstore and may be accessed here.

For the 2021-2022 academic year, Grenfell Business students may also find course materials for their on campus courses at the MUN Bookstore (accessed here.) In this case, students should search “Grenfell Campus/Remote” course listings to find their specific course resources requirements.

Students may also choose to wait until the first day of classes to ask instructor(s) directly about specific course materials, however, they are encouraged to access the MUN Bookstore as soon as they register to ensure they allow for sufficient time for shipping if required to order a hard copy textbook.

Absolutely!

You may complete most CPA PREP courses at Grenfell Campus; check out the list of PREP equivalent courses here.

Common Transfer-Related Questions

At the moment, Grenfell Business only has an articulation agreement with the College of the North Atlantic.

If you have completed a business program at this institution, and are interested in applying for advanced standing in the Grenfell Business program you will first need to apply for general admission/readmissionOn the undergraduate application, you must select “Grenfell” as your campus (even if you plan to complete some/all of your program online), and you must choose "Business Administration" as your program.

Next, you will need to request that your previous post-secondary institution (e.g., CNA,  other university) send your official transcript to Memorial once your course or diploma has been awarded. Memorial’s Transfer Credit office will determine whether you meet the criteria for course or block transfer. Please visit our Transfers & Articulation Agreements page for further details.

If you have completed a business program at another post-secondary institution, while you will not be eligible for a block transfer, once you apply for admission and are accepted to Memorial University (start the process here) you may request that the transfer credit office review the courses you completed in your previous program to determine if any will be accepted as Memorial University credits. This will require you to provide copies of course outlines for each course you completed at your previous institution.

If the transfer review determines that one/some/all of your previously completed courses qualify for University credit, you will be awarded either specific or unspecified credits that may be counted toward the completion of the Grenfell BBA program. Once any transfer credits have been awarded, students are strongly encouraged to meet with a faculty advisor to plan for their remaining program requirements.

It may be possible to use previously-earned credits from Memorial/other university to satisfy your Grenfell BBA’s core, business elective or non-business elective program requirements. Before any credits will be reviewed by an advisor, it is important to note that you must first apply/re-apply to the University; please refer to the "how do I apply to Memorial University" question above.

Students with existing Memorial course credits should meet with an advisor to determine how those credits will impact their individual program plan.

Once accepted to the University, students with credits from other post-secondary institutions may request that the transfer credit office review any existing courses to determine if they will be accepted as Memorial credits. This process will require students to provide copies of course outlines for each course completed at their former institution.

If the transfer review determines that one/some/all previously completed courses qualify for Memorial University credit, students will be awarded specified or unspecified credits, which may be counted toward the completion of the Grenfell BBA program. Once any transfer credits have been awarded, students are strongly encouraged to meet with a faculty advisor to plan for outstanding program requirements.

Students sometimes believe they have already completed one or more of the courses identified as required in the Grenfell BBA curriculum, however, unless you have completed an additional course beyond your diploma program requirements that also was awarded an individual transfer credit for the BUSN course in question, all transfer students must complete every course stipulated in their specific program guides (which you may review here).

Students should note that all courses that have been accepted as a part of a transfer block have been carefully evaluated against Memorial University courses. If courses were deemed sufficient for university credit, they were recognized as a part of the block, and were removed as requirements for the Grenfell BBA. Diploma courses that were determined to be insufficient for university credit remained as a part of the general block transfer; while these courses will have introduced students to general subject areas, it has already been determined that there was insufficient depth in that curriculum to warrant a full university course credit.

For your information, while individual transfer agreements do vary slightly with respect to specific course requirements, the following Grenfell Business courses are generally required by all transfer students, regardless of the courses they completed in their previous institutions’ programs:

  • BUSN 2310: Business Leadership
  • BUSN 3010: Organizational Theory
  • BUSN 4010: Strategy I: Analysis & Planning
  • BUSN 4040: International Business Management
  • BUSN 4070: Strategy II: Implementation & Management.

If you still have questions about extra course credits you have completed that you believe should reduce the number of courses required for the Grenfell BBA, please contact the Chair of Business Administration.