The Vanderbilt MBA Core consists of 22 credit hours. The Core provides an early immersion into the fundamentals of management. The two mods of the first semester are composed mainly of Core courses; in Mod II students may begin selecting elective courses that satisfy their Specializations, Concentrations or Emphases. Students must complete all core courses in the first year of the MBA program, unless they have received exemptions based on transcript review or exemption exam. Students may not enroll in the second year of the program if they have not completed the required first year core. In the second year, students will focus on Specialization/Concentration electives.
Recruiters prize Vanderbilt MBAs for many reasons; some of these reasons can be directly attributed to the Core.
Exceptional analytical skills
During the summer before arriving on campus, students are encouraged to prepare for the quantitative requirements of the core by taking our online prep tutorials, Math Camp and Statistics Camp.
A solid strategic foundation
Students are presented with strategic thinking frameworks at the outset, beginning at Orientation. Vanderbilt MBA students can begin applying these skills immediately and supplement and strengthen them over the course of two years.
Outstanding teamwork
Student teams are a standard feature in many of the Core courses. In addition to forging lifelong bonds, Owen students praise the team model for giving them a valuable characteristic that translates well to the workplace: respect for other functional areas, working styles, and diverse perspectives.
Core Courses, Mods I and II, Year One
Exempting Core Courses
Students may request exemptions from the following first-year core courses, if they have mastered them through previous study: Introduction to Financial Accounting, Managerial Economics and Managerial Statistics. Such exemptions are based on transcript reviews. An exemption does not reduce the 62 hour completion requirement for the MBA degree. Exemptions in aforementioned core courses must be claimed prior to registration for the first semester at Owen.
