BPA Requirements

The condition of admission for Business Pathway Academy (BPA) learners is the completion of academic skill development and community engagement requirements. Requirements are based on academic wellness plans to stay on track, engage in a vibrant community, and build crucial skills.

Students who successfully complete the requirements for the BPA program will receive numerous benefits, such as gifted course materials, potential scholarships, networking, and professional development opportunities.

Requirement Tools

Use the following tools to keep track of your requirements.

Spring 2026 Requirements Map
BPA Events
Mid-Week Check-In Newsletter (Bi-Weekly)
Progress Report
College Committed Community (CCC)
BPA Teams Chat

Academic Skill Development

Maintaining a semester and overall GPA of 2.00 - Good Academic Standing
Completion of the BPA Cohort Curriculum
Adhere to academic integrity according to the Illinois Student Code.
Completion of the Undergraduate Advising Series: New Student Registration, Spring Semester Planning, Major Course Planning, and Graduation Planning
Monthly Study Table attendance with Peer Mentors and Peer Tutors

Full engagement in all supplemental offerings and study groups

ACCY 201, Discussion Section ADJ (reserved discussion seats)
BUS 199, Section BPA
Econ 199, 102 Section BPA
Study Groups: CS 105, FIN 221, STAT 100
Individual Tutoring: ECON 103 & STAT 107

Community Engagement

Apply to the Illinois Scholar Program and attend if selected (incoming students only)
Participation in the Academic Wellness Challenge with Peer Mentors
Fully engage in site visits using the Gies Professional Pathways Reflection Journal.
Attend regular BPA benchmark events with staff and faculty: Retreats, Mid-Week Check-ins, trips, etc...
Apply for Spring Break abroad and attend if selected (sophomore BPA only)
Apply for Student Success Team positions for junior and senior year service.
Submit enrollment in a College Committed Community

Engagement Requirement Scoring

Academic Skill Development and Community Engagement

As part of BPA’s commitment to academic and professional success, we are using an Engagement Scoring System to track participation in key BPA requirements.

How Engagement Works: Your level is based on the number of approved activities you complete over the course of the spring semester

High Engagement: Participation in 2 or more engagements
Medium Engagement: Participation in 1 engagement
Low Engagement: Participation in 0 engagements

What Counts as an Engagement: You earn engagement points by participating in select activities.

Study Tables with mentors
Study Groups and Tables with tutors (Silent Study)
Gies Experience Volunteering
RSM Visit Progress
Report Submission
Spring Kick-off Attendance
Any activity listed on the Spring Map

Account Holds: Holds will be placed on your accounts for medium to low engagement if any of the following apply.

You have 0 engagements (Low Engagement)
You have not submitted a Progress Report
You have only 1 engagement (Medium engagement) and have not advanced to High Engagement by April 23rd.

Account holds may affect registration and other university services

What You Should Do Now: Contact your mentor to check your current engagement status. Mentors will have a list of with everyone's engagement status.

Review the Spring Map for upcoming opportunities
Complete additional engagements if needed
Submit your Progress Report if you have not already done so.

Remember, your individual engagement impacts the collective community. The condition of your Gies enrollment is your participation in BPA. If you have High engagement, help your peers get to where you are. No one should be on their own when it comes to earning their degree! If you have questions or need help finding engagement opportunities, please reach out to our program staff (Mentors, Leslie, Alyssa and Natalie) at StudentSuccess@business.illinois.edu. We encourage you to take advantage of these experiences and ensure you remain in good standing.