MBA Degree Requirements

Degree requirements are designed and administered to ensure the integrity of the M.B.A. degree program. Any exception to the requirements must be approved by the faculty. The requirements fall into the following areas: Enrollment Requirement, Leadership Development Program Requirement, Number of Course Units, Timing Requirement, Distribution of Courses, and the Quality Standard. To qualify for the M.B.A. degree, students must at all times meet the conditions to continue as a degree candidate, and must meet all requirements as follows:

enrollment requirement
The M.B.A. must be completed in four consecutive terms of full-time study, unless a student is permitted to take a leave of absence. A student enrolled in a joint-degree program is required to maintain continuous, full-time enrollment throughout the program and to complete degree requirements within the normal period specified for the program in the appropriate joint-degree agreement, unless granted a leave of absence.

leadership development program requirement
To satisfy the Leadership Development Program requirement, a student must attend all group and individual Leadership Development Program meetings, and participate in peer feedback.

number of course units
A student must:
1. Achieve credit, i.e., a grade of Pass or better, in 72 units of course work, of which 30 are normally earned in first-year core courses. Successful completion of more than 72 units does not offset deficiency in any other degree requirement (in particular, see Distribution of Courses and Quality Standard, below); and
2. Enroll in and receive a grade in a minimum of 16 units of course work each term. Taking a course overload in any part of a term does not excuse a student from the four-course minimum in any other part of a term.

timing requirement
To be permitted to enroll for the second year of the M.B.A. program, a student must meet all of the following requirements:
1. Have achieved Proficiency in at least 20 units of core courses;
2. Have received credit in at least 28 units of core courses;
3. Have received a grade in 30 units of core courses;
4. Have satisfied the Leadership Development Program requirement.

distribution of courses
To graduate, a student must:
1. Achieve credit in each of the following core courses:
Managing Groups and Teams (1 unit)
Basics of Accounting (2 units)
Basics of Economics (2 units)
Data and Decision Analysis (2 units)
Individual Problem Framing (2 units)
Interpersonal Dynamics (1 unit)
Careers (1 unit)
Negotiations (.5 unit)
Competitor (2 units)
Customer (2 units)
Investor (2 units)
State and Society (2 units)
International Experience (.5 unit)
Employee (2 units)
Innovator (2 units)
Operations Engine (2 units)
Sourcing and Managing Funds (2 units)
Integrated Leadership Perspective (2 units)
2. Achieve credit in elective courses as necessary to meet the 72-unit course requirement.

quality standard
A student falls short of the Quality Standard if he/she:
1. Accumulates nonproficient grades in 21 or more units of course work; or
2. Accumulates nonproficient grades in 13 or more units of core courses; or
3. Accumulates failing grades in 5 or more units of core courses.

Remediation of Failing Grades in Core Courses
A student who is Proficient in at least 20 units and receives credit in at least 28 units of core courses but fails one or more core courses must remediate the failing grade(s) either by retaking the course and achieving a passing grade, by passing a proficiency examination, if offered, or through alternate activity as specified by the instructor. In no case will a grade other than Pass be recorded when a failed core course is remediated.

A failing grade in a core course must be remediated in the next term or part of term in which the course is offered. A student who does not remediate the failing grade will automatically be dismissed from the program.

Academic Standards

review process
The Registrar conducts a review of the academic progress of all M.B.A. students at the midpoint and end of each term. Students who have received nonproficient grades are brought to the attention of the Director of Student and Academic Services and the chairman of the Academic Standards Committee. Students who are in possible or imminent danger of dismissal are referred to the Academic Standards Committee.

The Director of Student and Academic Services will notify all students who are referred to the Academic Standards Committee, making every reasonable effort to provide at least twenty-four hours’ notice before the student is to meet with the committee. The student may present to the committee, either orally or in writing, any information that he/she believes is relevant.

the academic standards committee
The Academic Standards Committee is composed of faculty members who hold "track" or "in the practice" appointments. The Director of Student and Academic Services, and the Director of Admissions serve as members ex officio. The membership of the committee is a matter of public record.

The committee's primary purpose is to review cases, to provide counsel to students in academic difficulty, and, if necessary, to dismiss students from the program, according to the policies outlined below. In addition, the committee serves as a faculty committee of review for exceptions to academic rules and for proposed changes to academic rules and/or policies.

academic grounds for dismissal
Any student whose academic performance puts him/her at risk of not fulfilling all requirements for the degree may be reviewed for dismissal. In cases where dismissal is not automatic, the Academic Standards Committee may permit the student to remain in the program if the committee finds that the conditions that caused the deficient performance no longer prevail and judges that the student will be able to satisfy all requirements for the degree.

Dismissal from the M.B.A. program is automatic if and when it becomes impossible for a student to satisfy the degree requirements with respect to the Number of Course Units, the Timing Requirement, the Distribution of Courses, or the Quality Standard. Thus, dismissal becomes automatic if a student:
1. Fails to receive credit in 72 units of course work by the end of the normal period of residency; or
2. Fails to receive a grade in at least 4 courses for each term or part of term; or
3. Accumulates nonproficient grades in 13 or more units of core courses; or
4. Accumulates failing grades in 5 or more units of core courses; or
5. Fails to remediate a grade of Fail in a core course in the term or part of term in which the course is next offered; or
6. Accumulates nonproficient grades in 21 or more units of core and/or elective courses.

Within two business days of his/her meeting with the Academic Standards Committee, the student will be provided by the Director of Student and Academic Services with a written summary of his/her academic situation and the committee's decision and recommendations.

appeal of academic dismissal
A student who has been dismissed by action of the Academic Standards Committee may appeal by written petition to the Dean of the School. An appeal must be filed within forty-five days from the date of the letter notifying the student of the dismissal. The dean will refer the appeal to the Faculty Review Board. The Faculty Review Board, chaired by the Dean, consists of the Dean and two senior faculty members. The Review Board will ordinarily reach a final decision within two months of the receipt of the letter of appeal. However, if the School is not in session during part of this time, or in instances where additional time may be required because of the complexity of the case, the dean may extend either of the time periods specified above. A student who has been dismissed and has exhausted the appeal process cannot be readmitted except through the normal admission process.