FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

The only requirement to be accepted to SBI is that students must be in good academic standing and submit their application. There are a limited number of seats in SBI, and students are encouraged to apply and submit their deposit as early as possible. Seats in SBI are not reserved until the deposit is submitted.  VSB reserves the right to deny admission to any applicant who does not meet its academic, behavioral, or application criteria. 

Most students complete SBI in the summer after their first or second years at Villanova, but plenty of students complete SBI after their third and fourth years, too.

Yes! Students applying for internal transfer to VSB are encouraged to apply to SBI at the same time. Internal transfer admissions decisions will be released a few days before SBI begins. Students enrolled in SBI and accepted for internal transfer will be dropped from their SBI courses and receive a full refund on their SBI tuition and deposit. Internal transfer students who do not accept their offer of admission, but, still wish to continue with SBI, should contact the SBI admissions team for further instructions.  No action is required for students enrolled in SBI and not accepted for internal transfer, as they will already be registered for their SBI courses. It is strongly recommended that all internal transfer applicants consider SBI.

Yes! Students interested in applying for SBI scholarships must have demonstrated financial need as determined by the Villanova Office of Financial Assistance and apply to SBI by February 15. No exceptions can be made to this deadline. Average scholarships range between $2,000 to $4,000, with limited scholarships in the $5,000 to $10,000 range available.

Classes in SBI run Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. - 5 p.m. EST, with holidays off. There is a morning class session from 10 a.m. - 1 p.m. and an afternoon class from 2 p.m. - 5 p.m. There may be slight fluctuations to this schedule that will be communicated to students in advance. Contact vsb-ug@villanova.edu with any questions  about this year’s schedule for SBI.

With classes running from 10 a.m. - 5 p.m., SBI is a full-time commitment. However, on average, students tend to perform comparably in SBI as they do during the academic year. Our graduates tell us that using time management strategies and ensuring you don’t fall behind on the content covered in your classes are the keys to succeeding in SBI. The professors who teach in SBI offer office hours to support students throughout the program, and Learning Support Services (LSS) offers academic coaching to all students. Manage your time, engage with the program, reach out to your professors and your classmates when you need help, and you will be fine!

Yes! Any student enrolled in a 4-year college program in the United States is eligible to apply to SBI. However, students outside of Villanova will earn a Certificate in Business, because students cannot earn a minor at a school where they did not earn a major. Non-Villanova students will be required to submit an unofficial transcript to verify their enrollment status. High-school students and recent high-school graduates not yet in college are not eligible to apply to SBI.

Students need to have:

•  A computer (Mac or PC) with reliable internet access. Students planning to take courses at a location where they are unsure about internet access strength should confirm the internet is capable of supporting Zoom calls.
• A quiet location to attend their classes and focus on studying.
• Their textbooks, purchased either through the Villanova Textbook Access Program or individually if they choose.
• A TI BAII Plus or HP10B II Plus calculator. Free, digital versions of these calculators may be found online.

Yes! Students who complete SBI are eligible to declare additional minors in specialized areas like Accounting, Finance, Marketing, AI and Machine Learning, etc. within VSB after they complete SBI. Students will receive more information about registering for additional VSB courses towards the end of SBI.