MBA Program Office

Graduation Requirements

The graduation requirements for the Master of Business Administration degree are:

REQUIREMENTS (in credit units*)

*See Course Load section for explanation of credit units

** Taking ACCT621 or FNCE621 will decrease "Core Courses" by 0.5cu per course taken and increase "Electives" accordingly. The minimum number of credit units required is always 19cu.

Waiving Courses

You may waive most of the required core courses (check out the Waiver Information Guide under the Publications link for details). We encourage you to waive any of the courses in which you have substantial academic background. In some courses professional experience with the subject matter may also qualify for a waiver. If you do waive courses, you must replace the waived credits with electives. The minimum requirement for graduation remains 19 credit units at the graduate level regardless of waivers.

Full-time Program

The MBA program is designed for a two-year full-time residency consisting of four academic terms. While it is possible to graduate in less time by attending three academic terms and the summer term, summer course offerings are quite limited. Summer study may also preclude an internship, which is a valuable part of the MBA experience. Keep in mind also that finishing early is a tuition-neutral decision; you pay the same amount whether you finish in 3 or 4 semesters.

Non-Wharton Courses

You may take electives in any of the graduate programs at the University of Pennsylvania. However, you may not count more than four credit units taken outside Wharton toward the MBA. You can use the "extra" two credit units between 19 and 21 credit units in any course at the University, even undergraduate-level courses. Please note: Wharton does not count coursework from other universities towards its MBA degree nor does it count any coursework completed at the University of Pennsylvania towards its MBA degree prior to matriculation in the MBA program.

Course Load

Course load in the MBA program is measured in credit units. A full-semester course, meeting twice a week in one-and-a-half-hour sessions over the entire semester, is counted as one credit unit (1.0 cu). A half-semester course, meeting twice a week in one-and-a-half-hour sessions over a six-week term is counted as one half of a credit unit (0.5 cu). The structure of the MBA program allows you to complete the core requirements in the first year.

However, the heavy workload in core courses and transition to the rapid pace of the academic program at Wharton often requires a period of adjustment and you may wish to carry less than the maximum load in the first year. Pages 12 of the 2006-07 MBA Resource Guide displays alternate roadmaps for completing the core requirements. The speed at which one completes these requirements is often dependent upon the student's quantitative background. Students with modest quantitative backgrounds often postpone FNCE601 to the spring semester (and FNCE602 to the fall semester of the second year). If you have waived only 1 cu (or less) of core courses, we strongly advise you not to replace the waived course(s) with electives in the first year. Any credits you don't consume in the first year are still available in the second; so there is no reason to front-load your academic program. You may not take any elective in the first two semesters until you have met the core requirements for that semester. To discuss your individual course plans, please make an appointment with an academic adviser in the MBA Program Office.

OVERLOAD POLICY: If you have a strong academic record, you may petition the MBA Program Office for permission to carry a course load above the maximum of 6.0cu. You must be in good academic standing and must demonstrate the ability to handle the extra workload. See the Financial Information section of the MBA Resource Guide for information on the additional costs associated with coursework overload and summer courses.