Explore Options; Plan Your MBA Academic Program

two majors may count for both majors . Additionally only two
credit units may be counted from one major to another .
joint Majors
Joint majors are designed to provide integration across multiple
functional areas . These majors are supervised jointly by participating
departments . The school currently offers one joint
major in Marketing and Operations Management that requires
7 .5 credit units .
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 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 ( .5 cu) .
The Wharton MBA degree requires 19 cu of graduate
level courses, but allows up to 21 cu to be taken without incurring
additional tuition charges . Thus, the typical course load in
any semester is approximately 5 cu .* Note that because of the
use of half-credit courses in the core curriculum and the program’s
policy of allowing waivers in core courses, you may need
to carry unbalanced loads across semesters .
The structure of the curriculum introduced to the Class of
2014 allows for flexibility of interests and backgrounds . With
the exception of Teamwork and Leadership (MGMT 610),
Microeconomics (MGEC 611 and MGEC 612), Marketing
Management (MKTG 611), Quality and Productivity (OPIM
611), Regression Analysis for Business (STAT 613), and
Management Communications (WHCP 611), you can take
core courses in the term (subject to availability) that best fits
you individual needs, backgrounds, and goals .
Generally, it might be helpful to complete the core courses
within the first year to leave the second year free to explore the
myriad electives that are offered. However if you have already
determined your path, you can take electives in the first year
that would best prepare you for your summer internship, always
remembering that many electives require a prerequisite
from the core .
Relative to the 19 cu required for graduation, taking the
full complement of core courses, 9 cu, allows you to take one
elective and not carry an overload. However, you should not
feel like you have to take an elective in the first year as any credits
you do not consume in the first year are still available in the
second, so there is no reason to front-load your course work .
Advisors from the MBA Office of Academic Affairs will
be a vital resource as you determine the best path for your
Wharton career . Advisors will be available during the summer
months before you arrive, during Pre-Term, and during your
two years to help you navigate and reach your academic and
career goals .
*OVERLOAD POLICY: If you have a strong academic record,
and wish to take more than 6 cu per semester, you may peti-
tion the MBA Office of Academic Affairs for permission . You
must be in good academic standing and must demonstrate the
ability to handle the extra workload . Course overloads may
result in additional costs if you end up taking more than 21 cu
in total . Course loads and limits differ for dual degree students;
please see the section on dual degrees .
REGISTRATION
PROGRAM PLANNING
You must register for all courses through the Wharton MBA
Office of Academic Affairs . We describe the registration process
in the online MBA Bulletins that we prepare for you during the
academic year . You will register for courses each semester (and
simultaneously for the two quarters that constitute the
semester) . We will register you for many of your first semester
MBA core courses . Section assignments in Leadership and
Teamwork, Statistics, Microeconomics, Marketing, Operations
and Communications are based on your cohort and must be
taken in the first semester . For the rest of the courses, both core
and elective, Wharton uses an auction-based process for registration
. When you enter the program you are given an initial
endowment of points to use as currency to bid for seats in
these courses . The registration process for each semester consists
of multiple rounds of the auction during which you make
course selections . We will hold seminars during Pre-Term to
explain the auction process . We have also posted a full auction
description on the MBA Program website .
Last Day to Drop Classes
The course registration process comes to an end with the last
round of the auction . To make changes, students have access
to an online system which helps them secure the instructor
approval required for post-auction changes . Each term, the
MBA Program Office will announce the last dates on which
full or half semester courses may be dropped . Students may
receive a “W” on the transcript and may incur auction point
penalties for certain courses dropped or added outside the
auction registration system . The last date to drop any non-
Wharton courses is listed in the University timetable for that
term (or available online through the Registrar’s website) .
Auditing
On the fourth day after the auction closes, you may register
to audit Wharton electives if the class closed with seats available
and the instructor gives permission . Availability is on a
first come, first-served basis and is open to Wharton and non-
Wharton students . If you elect to audit a course, you may not
later enroll in it for credit, either in that or any subsequent
term; if you elect the course on a graded basis, you may not
later enroll in it as an auditor in that or any subsequent term .
Audited courses are noted on the transcript and count toward
the 21 cu maximum course load but will not count towards
the 19 cu graduation requirement . Audit permission forms
are available in the MBA Program Office and on the MBA
Program website .
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