Explore Options; Plan Your MBA Academic Program

The MBA Office of Academic Affairs randomly assigns matriculating
students to clusters and cohorts before the beginning
of the first year . You will be notified of your cluster assignment
in mid-June and will meet them when you arrive on August 12 .
You will meet your cohort prior to the start of classes .
CORE COURSE WAIVERS
The faculty offer waiver opportunities in the following core
courses:
• STAT 613 (Regression Analysis for Managers)
• MGEC 611 (Microeconomics for Managers: Foundations)
• MGECT 612 (Microeconomics for Managers:
Advanced Topics)
• MKTG 611 (Marketing Management)
• OPIM 611 (Operations Management: Quality
and Productivity)
• ACCT 611 (Financial Accounting)
• FNCE 611 (Corporate Finance)
• FNCE 613 (Macroeconomics and the Global Economy)
• MKTG 612/613 (Marketing Management)
To attain maximum flexibility in the program, we encourage
you to seek waivers in the core courses in which you have substantial
academic background . Waiver opportunities may come
in the form of waiver by credentials, or waiver by examination.
Details of the waiver process are described in the Waiver
Information Guide (available on our website under the Pre-
Term link) . The main points are summarized below .
Waiver by Credentials
Depending on the course, you may be able to waive on the
basis of prior coursework and/or experience in the subject area.
Waiver requirements differ between courses so it is important
to refer to the Waiver Information Guide to evaluate your credentials
. In rare instances, you will be given permission to substitute
advanced or related courses for the core course . These
substitutions may be made at any time during the two years
of the program . Since the substitute courses are electives, you
are responsible for registering yourself in these courses, so you
should verify when and how often these courses are offered .
If your application for waiver by credentials is denied, you may
take the waiver exam .
Waiver by Examination
Depending upon the course, you will be able to take a written
waiver examination if you have had sufficient prior exposure
to the subject . These examinations test proficiency in the subject
matter of the course . You should prepare by reviewing the
guidelines in the Waiver Information Guide as well as material
from your past courses . . The waiver examinations for the core
courses are given from August to September (see the Waiver
Information Guide for an examination schedule) . Failure to pass
a waiver examination is not recorded on any official student record,
but does preclude the student from waiving by credential .
PROGRAM PLANNING
Rules for the Waiver Process
The following rules govern the waiver process:
1 . If you take and fail the waiver examination, you cannot
qualify for a waiver by credentials . You must take the class .
An attempt to waive by credentials is therefore the logical
first step .
2 . You cannot take a waiver exam more than once .
3 . Waiver exams are given according to a set schedule .
There are no make-up waiver exams for any reason .
4 . Once you enroll in the course, you may not attempt to
waive by examination .
5 . You must complete all waivers (either by credentials or
by examination) in the first year of the program .
6 . If you waive a core course, you may not enroll in it as a
second-year student .
ELECTIVES
Wharton’s curriculum offers a broad range of elective courses
in each of its ten academic departments . Most of the electives
build upon core courses and may not be taken unless the student
has completed the prerequisites . You may also take electives
at the University of Pennsylvania, sometimes with permission
of that program. However, only graduate credits count toward
the MBA degree and you may not count more than four
graduate credit units taken outside Wharton toward the MBA .
Elective courses that are completed with a passing grade may
not be repeated . Please note: Wharton does not count coursework
from other universities towards its MBA degree unless
these are taken as part of an approved dual degree program or
recognized exchange program . In addition, any coursework
completed at the University of Pennsylvania prior to registering
in the MBA program does not count towards the MBA degree,
with the exception of approved dual degree programs .
Advanced Study/Independent Study Projects
Students, under the supervision of a faculty member, can also
register for an Independent Study Project (ISP) for course
credit in order to allow the student to pursue an area of special
interest that may not be covered by a course in the curriculum .
Some departments offer Advanced Study Projects (ASPs) .
These ASPs are coordinated through seminars that may have
regular weekly meeting times . Individual departments and
the MBA Office of Academic Affairs will advertise these seminars
and their prerequisites . If you need to register an ASP
or ISP outside the auction, forms are available in 300 Jon M .
Huntsman Hall and on the MBA Program website. This form
has space for the approval of the faculty member(s) who will
supervise the project . ISPs may constitute up to a full credit
unit, normally may be taken for elective credit only, and are
charged according to the usual tuition policies. Departments
allow ASPs from their department to count toward their own
major, though there may be a limit to the number of ASPs
that can be counted . Permission to count an ISP towards a
major must be approved in advance by the MBA advisor for
9