Mba how many courses

Students who enroll part-time in an MBA program take one or two courses per semester, which may extend the time to completion by a year or more. In addition to the number of courses taken per term, there are structural factors that can lengthen or shorten the time it takes to earn an MBA. For example, many programs operate on a trimester system fall, spring, and summer , which allows full-time students to finish their degree in 16 months of year-round enrollment and part-time students to graduate in two years.

There are also programs that hold shorter terms, five or six times a year. These terms typically run for eight or ten weeks, allowing full-time students to graduate in 12 to 15 months. Finally, there are one-year MBA programs that allow qualified students to bypass one or more introductory business administration classes and graduate in one calendar year of full-time enrollment. There are several structural factors that determine the amount of time it takes to complete an MBA program: how many sessions or terms the program holds per year; whether the program is designed for part-time or full-time enrollment; and the number of courses or credit hours required for graduation.

While there are variations in how programs allot credits, a typical MBA program requires students to earn 36 credits by taking 12 three-credit courses over four academic semesters.

Taking three courses per week semester for four consecutive semesters generally constitutes full-time enrollment in these programs. MBA programs that offer courses twice a year, during a fall and a spring semester, generally require a commitment of two years of full-time enrollment. MBA programs first teach financial accounting: the measurement of economic activity for decision-making.

Students initially learn to analyze key transactions, followed by financial statements like balance and income statements, and finally sophisticated reports like the statement of changes in financial position. They also learn the judgment involved and discretion allowed in choosing generally accepted accounting methods, creating estimates, and disclosing information in financial statements.

MBA programs also require a course in managerial accounting, which teaches students alternative costing methods so that they can analyze the profitability of different products and control costs in a variety of business settings. No longer do these courses merely present methods for hiring, promoting, and disciplining employees.

As we note in our guide to general management MBA programs, perhaps no other discipline within business schools has evolved so dramatically over the years, reflecting a paradigm shift in its basic conceptual framework from management to leadership.

The course then looks at successful leaders in action to see how they develop a vision of the future, align the organization behind that vision, motivate people to achieve that vision, and design and change effective organizations to achieve superior performance.

Topics include managerial skills, managing groups and teams, organizational behavior, strategic leadership, and human resource management with their leadership labs experiential module required of all students. Economic statistics is a type of applied statistics that concerns the analysis of economic data.

After considering hypothesis testing, these courses present topics incorporating the method of least-squares estimation. These topics include linear regression, followed by multiple regression which correlates two or more independent variables with a dependent variable.

Courses often close with statistical decision theory, which presents decision-tree approaches to optimize decision making under uncertainty. Courses in operations research can spend up to half their time on linear programming, a technique to achieve the best outcome such as maximum profit or lowest cost in a mathematical model where the requirements are represented by linear relationships involving equality and inequality constraints.

The courses then present topics like the Program Evaluation and Review Technique, or PERT, a statistical project management tool that analyzes and represents the tasks involved in completing a project. Nonexistent in the core curriculum at many MBA programs 30 years ago, courses in professional responsibility and business ethics are now required within the core at all three of the schools profiled in this report.

These courses typically focus on the responsibilities of corporations, their leaders, and their boards of directors. The Harvard course then poses difficult dilemmas set in diverse world regions in order to construct a framework for decision-making and explores the elements of effective corporate governance. Concentrations, which some schools refer to as specializations, are focused subject areas where a student conducts research or scholarship.

However, not all business schools require students to select concentrations, most notably Harvard and the Sloan School of Management at MIT. Nevertheless, the current trend appears to be toward offering concentrations, probably because students believe they will be more competitive as job candidates if given the opportunity to specialize.

So which are the most popular concentrations among MBA students? In one significant study , nearly one-quarter of men planned to specialize in finance once they entered an MBA program. No other concentration even came close to that proportion among men, with general management and entrepreneurship trailing far behind in second and third positions. But among women, the top three concentration choices seem to be equally divided among marketing, accounting, and finance at about 14 percent each, also followed by general management and entrepreneurship.

The vast majority of graduates then pursue specializations in areas such as finance, marketing, accounting, entrepreneurship, or general management, among others, by supplementing their core requirements with additional courses in those fields.

First, you'll need to decide which type of MBA suits your current level of experience, life circumstances and career goals. Courses fall under these main categories:. You'll need to read course descriptions carefully as universities sometimes use these terms to mean slightly different things. Full-time MBAs tend to last 12 or 15 months, starting in September, although some courses are longer and January starts are also available.

However, part time study is more popular, as MBA students are usually already in employment and want to carry on working throughout the course.

Programmes are generally intense and consist of core and optional modules and a dissertation or work-based project. You'll be assessed through exams, essays and group activities. You'll learn how to carry out operational management, develop a marketing strategy, do strategic planning, lead a team, and read and assess financial reports. Many courses also offer opportunities for work placements and studying abroad. An MBA is an advanced programme that differs from other postgraduate courses in that it develops the skills you've gained through professional experience, as opposed to building on your academic knowledge as most Masters degrees do.

An MBA is not an entry-level business qualification. It is usually taken by professionals who have gained at least three years of business and management experience since graduating from undergraduate study. The average age of students on top-ranking MBA courses is typically between 27 and This means you'll be studying alongside fellow business people who can share their insights. Consider taking an MBA when you feel you're ready to take the next step in your career, whether that means progressing with your current employer or moving elsewhere.

Executive MBAs are generally studied by more senior managers and the minimum required level of experience can be up to ten years. Here are some examples of current MBA course fees to give you an idea of what to expect:. Fees for home and international students are often the same, though sometimes overseas non-European Union students will have to pay more.

Don't automatically go for the cheapest option to save money or for the most expensive on the assumption it must be the best. You need to think about several factors to find the right MBA for you, such as location, course content and staff expertise. Different MBA courses will have strengths in different areas of business and management. The next most popular method is employer sponsorship, followed by loans and finally scholarships.

Get more information on funding an MBA. With the high cost of courses, it's important to see a return on your investment. An MBA can often lead to a promotion, increased earnings or a career change. MBAs are known and respected globally, so if you're interested in working abroad then the qualification will be beneficial - particularly as UK business schools are so well regarded. An MBA can also help you to specialise in your current sector or a new industry you want to move into.

Often, the majority of students on MBA courses will be international, giving you a unique chance to network with business people from diverse backgrounds - opening up an array of potential career opportunities.

However, given the cost and the requirement to have a number of years' work experience before taking an MBA, the decision to apply shouldn't be taken lightly. Think hard about whether you could achieve your goals without taking the course, or by opting for a different postgraduate course.