Master of Business Administration
Program Features
Weatherhead’s MBA program is tailored to the individual. In partnership with the faculty and staff, MBA students create personalized learning plans combining the core curriculum and areas of concentration in different program offerings, described generally below:
Full-time/Traditional
This is a traditional 2-year program with a wide variety of electives and experiential learning opportunities. Weatherhead’s four semester, 57-credit MBA curriculum is designed for individuals with diverse academic backgrounds and a minimum of two years work experience. Prior business coursework is not required for admission, but admitted students without experience in the areas of finance and/or statistics are encouraged to enroll in intensive pre-semester prep seminars.
Full-time/Accelerated
This is an 11-month program with all of the advantages of the traditional program, but in half the time. This program is designed for students with an undergraduate degree in business who have practical work experience and are looking for a time- and cost-saving alternative to a traditional, two-year MBA program. With a fully integrated curriculum that uses student’s previous business coursework as a point of departure, Accelerated students immerse themselves in management education from May though the following April.
Part-time/Saturday
This is a unique format, general focus program that combines distance learning via technology-mediated classrooms, workshops, and chat rooms with intense face-to-face traditional classroom learning. Students meet every other Saturday; the entire 48-credit/16-course curriculum can be completed within 2 years on the Saturday schedule, regardless of your undergraduate coursework. Students may also complete courses at a slower pace, so long as the MBA program requirements are met within six years of first enrollment.
Part-time/Evening
This is a traditional part-time program where classes meet once a week with a wide variety of electives that may begin in Fall (late August), Spring (January), or Summer (June) semesters and is normally completed in just over three years. This program is designed to accommodate the constraints of the student who is employed and there are two options, 48-credits or 42-credits, depending upon prior business degree or courses:
- 48-credits/16-courses:
- Students who have taken few, if any, business courses, usually enter this program. The curriculum includes Leadership Assessment and Development (LEAD), Strategic Issues and Applications, up to eight core classes*, and six electives. By taking a course "overload" during one semester, and registering for at least five courses per year, students can complete this program in three years.
- 42-credits/14 course Accelerated Program:
- Students with an undergraduate business degree, or individuals who have taken a number of business courses, may qualify for this program. The curriculum includes Leadership Assessment and Development (LEAD), Strategic Issues and Applications, up to four core courses* and six electives. By taking a course "overload" during two semesters, and registering for at least five courses per year, students can complete this program in two years. Determination of eligibility is confirmed at the time of admission.
*Core Course Substitution: Students who have completed a qualified course(s) in prior academic degree programs equivalent to one or more of the core courses may substitute an elective course(s) for the core course(s). Coursework must have been completed within the last six years, with "A" or "B" grades. Eligibility for substitution is determined at the time of admission. Candidates who qualify for four (4) core course substitutions are placed in the accelerated 42-hour curriculum.
Executive MBA
The Weatherhead Executive MBA is distinguished from the MBA in that it is an innovative 21-month lock-step program (students in each class take all of their courses together) designed for accomplished working professionals with at least 10 years of work experience.
