SBE Undergraduate Computer Competency Policy

The SPU School of Business and Economics undergraduate program has a competency requirement in the use of electronic spreadsheets.  This is not a course requirement, but is rather a skill requirement. Your proficiency in the use of spreadsheets can be attested to by one of the methods described below. If the option you chose is one other than passing CSC 1123 or BUS 1700, a written record of your approved waiver must appear in your student file in the School of Business and Economics.

The SBE spreadsheet competency requirement must be satisfied before courses such as ACCT 2362 Managerial Accounting or BUS 2700 Statistics for Business and Economics are taken.  It should be satisfied before a student is admitted to a major in the School of Business and Economics. 

(1)   Satisfactory completion of a college-level course, at SPU or elsewhere, a major portion of which is the use of spreadsheets. At SPU both CSC 1123 and BUS 1700 satisfy this requirement. If you have taken a spreadsheets intensive course at another college or university, please submit a catalog course description along with an SBE petition form requesting a waiver for the SBE spreadsheet competency requirement.  A "spreadsheet intensive course" is not simply one where a spreadsheet was used as a tool to solve course-related problems, but rather, is one where the use of the spreadsheet software was the principal object of study.  A minimum grade of C- (1.70) is considered passing.

(2)   Satisfactory completion of a non-college level training course in the use of spreadsheets which requires at least 8 hours of instruction and is evidenced by a certificate or other written documentation, copies of which must be provided to SBE.

(3)  Satisfactory completion of the SBE competency examination on the use of Microsoft Excel. Sample exams are available for those who wish to pursue this option. This option is recommended for part-time students and others for whom registration for CSC 1123 would require an additional tuition charge. Sample exams and review materials are available at myhome.spu.edu/sl8/Excel.

 (4)  Under very special circumstances where actual college credit is needed, a student may request to take the exam “CBE” (credit-by-exam). Please review the SPU Undergraduate Catalog for instructions on the CBE option.  (Note: Grades earned by students who have chosen the CBE option have not averaged as high as those for students who have completed the regular BUS 1700 or CSC 1123 courses.)

(5)   You may submit a letter on company letterhead from your employer attesting to your proficiency with Microsoft Excel in the specific areas and topics covered in BUS 1700. These areas include, but are not limited to, formatting, formulas and functions, sorting, charting, and using the mail merge feature in Microsoft Word to report data located in Excel worksheets. This letter should be mailed or faxed (206.281.2733) to the SBE Undergraduate Coordinator.

(6)   Evidence that you have passed a Microsoft Office User Specialist (MOUS) certification in the area of Microsoft Excel may substitute for the SBE competency exam described in item (3).  Note:  You must pass both the Level 1 and Level 2 MOUS exams to qualify for the waiver.

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