MBA Program Office

Academic Honors Overview

The Graduate Division recognizes outstanding academic performance in the MBA program in several different ways. Academic honors are determined on the basis of the Grade Point Average (GPA). The GPA is determined by assigning the following numerical weights to the letter grades received in Wharton MBA courses: A=4 points, B=3 points, C=2 points, D=1 point, and F=0 points, with + (plus) increasing the full grade value by 0.33 and – (minus) decreasing the full grade value by 0.33. Courses outside the Wharton MBA program are not included in the GPA computation nor are the Global Immersion and Curricular Practical Training courses or any other course taken on a Pass/Fail basis. The GPA is reported on the student’s transcript. Further information on academic honors can be found on the MBA Program website under the Honors and Awards tab.

Director's List

The Director’s List is compiled and published each semester to recognize superior academic performance in that semester and is awarded to students who rank in the top 10% of their class based on their GPA for the semester. Eligibility for Director’s List requires that the student take at least 4.5 credit units in the first semester and at least 4 credit units in each subsequent semester, 3 cu of which must be from Wharton courses.

First-Year Honors

First-Year Honors: Students ranking in the top 20% of their class at the conclusion of the first-year will be awarded First-Year Honors. The ranking for First-Year Honors is based on the cumulative GPA during the first year and requires that students take at least 9 credit units during the fall and spring semesters.

Isik Inselbag Scholarship

To be eligible for the Isik Inselbag Scholarship, a grant of $7,500, a student must have a first-year GPA that places him or her among the top students in the class. In addition, the Inselbag Scholar must exemplify the spirit of Wharton through leadership, teamwork, scholarship, and service, as determined by the Vice Dean of the Graduate Division with inputs from the faculty and Graduate Division directors. Professor Inselbag, for whom the scholarship is named, served as Vice Dean and Director of the Graduate Division during 1992-95 and taught in the Finance Department for over twenty years.

Ford Fellowship

The student (or students) who achieved the highest academic performance during the first-year of the MBA program is (are) awarded the Ford Fellowship, a grant of $10,000. Academic performance for the Ford Fellowship is measured by the GPA during the first year and requires that the student take at least 9 credit units during the first year.

Graduation with Honors

Students who rank in the top 20% of their class at graduation are awarded Graduation with Honors. The ranking for Graduation with Honors is based on the cumulative GPA earned during the program.

Palmer Scholars

Students graduating in the top 5% percent of the class are designated Palmer Scholars. Class rank is based on the student’s cumulative GPA earned during their two years at Wharton.