Full-Time M.B.A. Degree Program

The M.B.A. Curriculum

The Yale School of Management (SOM) offers a two-year, full-time program leading to the degree of Master of Business Administration. A Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Science, or equivalent undergraduate degree is requisite for admission to the M.B.A. program. The program requires two years of full-time study in residence and comprises both course work and non-course activities.

In the first year, students devote the majority of their time to the core courses and are also required to participate in the orientation curriculum, required pre-term work, and other degree requirements. In the summer following the first year, students continue their management training through internships or other appropriate activity, in fulfillment of the M.B.A. Internship Requirement. In the second year, elective courses complete requirements for the degree. See M.B.A. Degree Requirements in this chapter.

Yale SOM also offers a twenty-two-month M.B.A. program for working professionals; see the chapter M.B.A. for Executives Program for requirements and procedures specific to that program.

The Core Curriculum

Traditional functional management disciplines are integrated in an innovative core curriculum designed to reflect the contexts encountered by today’s leaders and to better prepare students to navigate the increasingly complex global economy. Courses in the first-year curriculum are taught in two segments: Orientation to Management and Organizational Perspectives.

Orientation to Management

The Orientation to Management segment introduces students to essential concepts and skills. Courses include Managing Groups and Teams, Basics of Accounting, Probability Modeling and Statistics, Basics of Economics, Modeling Managerial Decisions, and Introduction to Negotiation. A student may be granted exemption from Probability Modeling and Statistics, Basics of Economics, and/or Basics of Accounting by taking an exam designed and evaluated by the instructor of the course. Each exam will be offered only once, before the start of the fall term. Students must score the equivalent of Honors (H) or High Honors (HH) on the exam to qualify for exemption from the respective course.

Organizational Perspectives

The heart of the first-year curriculum is a series of multidisciplinary, team-taught courses called Organizational Perspectives that teach students to draw on a broad range of information, tools, and skills to develop creative solutions and make strategic decisions. These courses include Competitor, Customer, Investor, State and Society, The Workforce, Operations Engine, Sourcing and Managing Funds, Innovator, and The Global Macroeconomy.

Fundamental frameworks and concepts are often taught through multimedia “raw” cases and group assignments on topics drawn directly from real-world challenges facing business, government, and nonprofit organizations.

The final Organizational Perspectives course, The Executive, presents students with a series of complex, interdisciplinary case studies, many of them involving cross-national or global business challenges. These cases require students to draw on the subject matter learned in the other Organizational Perspectives courses.

Leadership Distribution Requirement

M.B.A. students are required to complete the Leadership Distribution Requirement before they graduate. The requirement is met by completing, at any time before graduation, at least one course from an approved list of leadership electives. These courses supplement the individual and team focus on leadership in our core courses with a focus on leadership at the organizational and global level. The options are listed on the SOM internal website. Students who wish to request that an additional course be considered for fulfillment of the requirement should contact the dean of students to initiate a review by the director of core curriculum.

Global Studies Requirement

M.B.A. students are required to complete the Global Studies Requirement (GSR) before they graduate. The requirement is met by completing, at any time before graduation, at least one of the following:

• An International Experience course
• A Global Network Week
• A Global Network Course
• A Global Social Entrepreneurship course
• A term-long International Exchange with a partner school

International Experience

The International Experience (IE) is a faculty-led course that bears 4 units of academic credit and includes, in addition to in-class lectures and seminars, travel to a country or region of the world to meet with business, government, and nonprofit leaders. Enrollment in the IE is facilitated via the regular course auction used for electives.

Students who withdraw from enrollment in an IE course will be responsible for assuming any associated nonrecoverable costs incurred by SOM and will lose the associated GSA funding. All requests for modification to these cancellation charges must be approved by the assistant dean on a case-by-case basis. SOM will not reimburse students for any expenses incurred related to travel arrangements.

Global Network Week

Global Network Weeks (GNW) are not-for-credit weeklong courses at schools around the world—gaining from the regional and subject matter expertise of Global Network faculty. Learning happens both in the classroom and in the relationships that students build with peers from other countries, regions, and industries.

Enrollment in GNWs is facilitated via the regular course auction used for electives. Students who withdraw from enrollment in a GNW course will be responsible for assuming any associated nonrecoverable costs and will lose the associated GSA funding. All requests for modification to these cancellation charges must be approved by the dean of students on a case-by-case basis.

Global Network Courses

Global Network Courses are Small Network Online Courses (SNOCs) taught by a Global Network faculty member with expertise in a particular subject. The courses bear 2 or 4 units of credit and are open to students from across the Global Network. Students log in through an online platform and participate in video conferencing for synchronous lectures and discussions. Students collaborate on team projects, developing virtual teamwork skills, and benefit from cross-cultural perspectives in lectures and discussions.

Enrollment in SNOCs is facilitated via the regular course auction used for electives, but there is a selection process by the faculty member leading the course.

Global Social Entrepreneurship

The Global Social Entrepreneurship (GSE) courses introduce students to issues faced by mission-driven entrepreneurs, linking teams of Yale students with social enterprises (SEs) in emerging economies. Student/SE teams work together to address specific management challenges faced by the SEs, culminating with the development of an analysis and set of recommendations (operational, financial, or otherwise) to meet the identified challenges.

GSE India runs Fall2–Spring1 and is comprised mainly of second-year students; Spring GSE (alternating between Kenya, Brazil, and Indonesia) runs Spring1–Spring2 and is comprised mainly of first-year M.B.A. students. Both courses include fieldwork midway through the course (for GSE India: two weeks in January; for Spring GSE: one week in March).

Students who withdraw from enrollment in a GSE course will be responsible for assuming any associated nonrecoverable costs incurred by SOM and will lose the associated GSA funding. All requests for modification to these cancellation charges must be approved by the dean of students on a case-by-case basis. SOM will not reimburse students for any expenses incurred related to travel arrangements.

International Exchange

The International Exchange allows students to spend one term studying abroad as partial fulfillment of the requirements for the M.B.A. degree. Specifically, Yale SOM students are permitted to spend the fall or spring term of the second year studying at an approved academic institution. A list of exchange partners and details about the application process are available from Academic Affairs and Student Life or on the SOM internal website. Students can petition on an ad hoc basis for an exchange with any Global Network partner.

While abroad, students will be evaluated on the exchange partner’s grading scale. Courses completed successfully will appear on the SOM transcript with an indication that the credits were completed abroad. Students will not be assigned grades based on the SOM grading scale. Students are required to speak with the SOM registrar regarding their specific course schedule and course load while abroad to ensure they meet all SOM requirements.

Students selected to participate in the exchange program are expected to attend the exchange program in its entirety and participate fully. Students who withdraw from the International Exchange program after they have accepted a place in it will lose the GSA funding associated with the exchange.

Exchange participants are expected to be ambassadors for SOM and to represent the School well. While abroad, students are expected to uphold the highest standards of professional behavior. Student conduct while abroad remains subject to the SOM Honor Code.

For additional information, see Global Studies Financial Support in the chapter Tuition and Fees.

M.B.A. Internship Requirement

Between the first and second years of the program, all M.B.A. students are required to further their management education through an internship in an organizational setting. The internship, which must be related to the student’s major area of study, is an integral part of the M.B.A. academic program. This required internship must be completed prior to re-enrollment in second-year course work. Silver Scholars fulfill this requirement during their mandatory internship year.

Elective Courses

Elective courses, chosen from the offerings listed in the chapter Courses for 2023–2024 or from the approved offerings in other Yale schools and departments, complete the course requirement for the M.B.A. degree unless an extended internship is approved by the dean of students as a leave of absence.

M.B.A. 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, Number of Course Units, Timing Requirement, Distribution of Courses, and the Quality Standard. See Academic Policies for Residential Master’s Degree Programs in the chapter Rights and Responsibilities of Students for information on the Yale School of Management grading system and definitions of the grades referenced below.

To qualify for the M.B.A. degree, a student 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 receives advance permission from the dean of students 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. Students enrolled in the Silver Scholars program are expected to complete the M.B.A. program in three consecutive years, with a one-year full-time internship after the first year of the core M.B.A. program, unless an extended internship is approved by the dean of students as a leave of absence.

The M.B.A. students’ fulfillment of the enrollment requirement is not precluded by any of the following:

• The compression of the academic calendar caused by public health directives, as long as the student completes the normal academic credit units;
• Visa delays or travel restrictions that result in enrollment from a non-U.S. location and/or the lack of F-1 visa status for a part of the academic year;
• Virtual participation in courses due to emergencies as defined by SOM academic policy, public health directives, travel restrictions, or visa delays;
• Enrollment beginning in the spring term, should the School make an allowance for this in response to national emergencies, public health directives, or travel restrictions.

Number of Course Units

A student must:

1. Achieve credit, i.e., a grade of Pass or higher, in 72 units of course work (52 units for joint-degree students), of which 30.5 are normally earned in first-year core courses.
2. Enroll in and receive a grade in a minimum of 16 units of course work in each of the first three terms. Taking a course overload in any term does not excuse a student from the 16-unit minimum in another term. Students in their fourth term may request permission from the dean of students to enroll in fewer units if they will otherwise satisfy M.B.A. degree requirements.

Timing Requirement

To be permitted to enroll for the second year of the M.B.A. program, a student must have received grades in all first-year core courses.

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 (2.5 units)
   • Probability Modeling and Statistics (2 units)
   • Modeling Managerial Decisions (2 units)
   • Competitor (2 units)
   • Customer (2 units)
   • Investor (2 units)
   • State and Society (2 units)
   • Introduction to Negotiation (1 unit)
   • The Workforce (2 units)
   • Operations Engine (2 units)
   • Sourcing and Managing Funds (2 units)
   • Innovator (2 units)
   • The Global Macroeconomy (2 units)
   • The Executive (2 units)
2. Complete the Leadership Distribution Requirement (courses that fulfill the requirement are listed on the SOM internal website).
3. Complete the Global Studies Requirement (as described above in M.B.A. Curriculum).
4. Achieve credit in at least 41.5 units of elective courses as necessary to meet the 72-unit course requirement, or for joint-degree students, credit unit totals as specified in requirements for the specific program.

Grades

There are five grades at Yale SOM: High Honors, Honors, Proficient, Pass, and Fail. The grade distribution that instructors use, and the policy with respect to the reporting of grades on official transcripts, are described below.

HH: High Honors Up to top 10 percent of class. Reported on transcript.

H: Honors Next 25 percent. Reported on transcript.

PR: Proficient Next 55 percent. Not reported on transcript.

P: Pass Lowest 10 percent in core courses; guideline of 5 percent in electives. Not reported on transcript.

F: Fail An absolute standard; no minimum requirement. To the extent it is used, the F grade counts toward the 10 or 5 percent Pass category. Not reported on transcript.*

Once grades are officially recorded, they may not be changed except in cases in which a mathematical error has been made in computing the grade or a clerical error has been made in recording it. Students seeking correction to a grading error must contact the instructor within two weeks (ten working days) from the receipt of the grade.

If a student takes a course in another school at Yale, the SOM registrar will ask the instructor to submit the grade according to the SOM grade scale.

*F grades in core courses require remediation. The failed core course is not reflected on the official transcript until remediated. Elective courses with F grades are not reflected on the official transcript. Students must replace failed electives with other electives to meet total credit requirements for graduation.

Quality Standard

Failure to meet the Quality Standard for the M.B.A. program results in dismissal from the program. A student falls short of the Quality Standard if the student:

1. Accumulates Pass or Fail grades in more than 15* units of core courses; or
2. Accumulates a grade of Fail in more than 4 units of core courses; or
3. Accumulates Pass or Fail grades in more than 23.5 units of core and/or elective courses (more than 16.5 units for joint-degree students).

Further information on academic grounds for dismissal, the Academic Standards Committee, and appeals of academic dismissal can be found in the chapter Rights and Responsibilities of Students.

*The acceptable unit totals of grades in core courses as stated in point 1 of the Quality Standard will be adjusted down by one credit unit for each core course exemption granted to the student. In particular, a student exempting from one core course falls short of the Quality Standard by accumulating more than fourteen units of Pass or Fail grades in core courses; a student exempting from two core courses falls short of the Quality Standard by accumulating more than thirteen units of Pass or Fail grades in core courses; a student exempting from three core courses falls short of the Quality Standard by accumulating more than twelve units of Pass or Fail grades in core courses.

Remediation of Failing Grades in Core Courses

A student who fails a core course must remediate the failing grade either by retaking the course or through alternate activity as specified by the instructor and the dean of students. In no case will a grade higher than Pass be recorded when a failed core course is remediated.

A student is required to remediate failing grades in all core courses to graduate from the program.

Management Science Concentration

The Management Science concentration is a general program focusing on the application of statistical modeling, data warehousing/mining, programming, forecasting, and operations research techniques to the analysis of problems of business organization and performance.

M.B.A., M.A.M., and M.M.S. in Global Business and Society students at the Yale School of Management may pursue an optional concentration in Management Science drawing on Yale SOM faculty’s broad expertise in applying quantitative methods to challenges in business and management. Students will earn the concentration by completing a minimum of 16 units of eligible courses. For M.B.A. students, 6 units of the requirement will come from the M.B.A. core. An M.B.A. student exempting out of one or more core courses must make up the exempted credits from electives courses. Students may apply one non-SOM course (4 units) toward the Management Science concentration from the list of eligible courses.

International students who pursue the Management Science concentration will have the opportunity to qualify for an additional two-year STEM extension of the Post-Completion OPT work permission. Students wishing to declare the Management Science concentration must meet the deadlines referenced in the SOM academic calendar (see the chapter Calendars). Further information about eligibility and requirements for the STEM OPT extension is available through Yale’s Office of International Students and Scholars (https://oiss.yale.edu).

Joint-Degree Programs

Yale SOM offers joint-degree study with certain master’s programs in the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences and with a number of the other professional schools at Yale. At present, these are Architecture, Divinity, Drama, Environment, Law, Medicine, and Public Health. These agreements make it possible for a student to complete two degrees in at least a year less than would be required if the two programs were taken sequentially. SOM also offers opportunities for joint-degree study with doctoral programs in the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences. Information about these programs, including enrollment and degree requirements, is available on the SOM internal website.

Admission decisions for joint-degree programs are made independently by the two schools. Students may apply for concurrent admission to both schools. Alternatively, students may apply for admission to the other school during the first year at SOM. Students already enrolled in one of the other schools with which SOM has joint-degree program agreements may apply to SOM in their first or second year of study, as specified in the appropriate agreement.

The normal pattern for joint-degree candidates in programs totaling three years of study is to spend the entire first year almost exclusively in one school and the entire second year almost exclusively in the other, combining courses from both schools and completing requirements for both degrees during the third year. Candidates in joint-degree programs totaling four years of study (Architecture, Drama, and the four-year Law degree) normally spend two full years almost exclusively in those schools, one full year in SOM, and one year in combined study. Candidates for the three-year joint-degree program with Yale Law School will complete two years at the Law School and one year at SOM. Candidates for joint degrees in Medicine normally spend three years exclusively in the School of Medicine, one year almost exclusively in SOM, and one year in combined study.

Students in joint-degree programs are not permitted to enroll in SOM core courses before matriculating at SOM. They must maintain full-time enrollment in both schools at all times. They must satisfy degree requirements in both schools and must receive both degrees simultaneously. In all joint-degree programs, students must enroll in at least two terms of course work at Yale after completing the M.B.A. core. In all joint-degree programs other than the three-year J.D./M.B.A. degree program, joint-degree students are required to spend three terms of residency at SOM and pay three terms of tuition to SOM.

Students in all joint-degree programs except the three-year J.D./M.B.A. degree are required to complete 52 units at SOM to satisfy the M.B.A. degree requirements. At least 35.5 units of grades of Proficient or higher grades must be listed on the SOM transcript; 17 or more units of Pass or Fail grades will be grounds for academic dismissal. Joint-degree students completing their core year of study in the M.B.A. program are subject to the same quality standards as all other students (see the Academic Standards section of this bulletin). Students in the three-year J.D./M.B.A. degree should contact the SOM registrar for specific degree requirements.

The School of Management and the schools in which M.B.A. students are enrolled for joint degrees regularly share information about the status of the enrolled students. Shared information may include course registrations and grades, disciplinary actions, or any other information that is normally part of a student’s record. In addition, the academic officers of the two programs may share other information that they believe relevant to understanding a student’s overall performance.

The School of Management and the schools in which M.B.A. students are enrolled for joint degrees separately apply their rules governing a student’s academic performance. In applying these standards, either school may consider the student’s performance in all of the student’s course work. A student whose performance does not meet the requirements and standards of a program may be advised or required to withdraw, or may be dismissed from that program. Such a withdrawal or dismissal does not automatically require dismissal or withdrawal from the other program.

The School of Management and the schools in which M.B.A. students are enrolled for joint degrees jointly apply their rules governing a student’s conduct. A charge of academic dishonesty in a course shall normally be handled by the school offering that course. If the course is jointly offered by the two schools, the charge will normally be handled by the school granting credit for that course.

A charge of general misconduct not related to a particular course or to an event in one of the schools will normally be handled by the school in which the student is currently registered. Jurisdiction over any case may be transferred if the disciplinary officials or committees of both schools agree. The final determination of fact, and any penalty, shall be communicated to the appropriate officials of both schools. A penalty of suspension, expulsion, or loss of course credit will apply to both degree programs.

Silver Scholars Program

College seniors and graduate students who have not yet entered the workforce can apply to the Yale MBA program through the Silver Scholars Program. Admitted Silver Scholars candidates complete the M.B.A. in three years, participating in a one-year full-time internship after completing the first year of the M.B.A. program. Silver Scholars are expected to focus full attention on their employment responsibilities during the internship, though they retain their access to all SOM resources during that year. They then return to campus to complete their M.B.A. course work. The dean of students may grant special permission for a student to extend the internship by one or more additional years. Students wishing to extend the internship must petition for a leave of absence (see Leaves of Absence in the chapter General Information). The request must be submitted no later than the first day of classes in the term they are scheduled to return. The required internship year will be counted toward the limit placed on the length of a leave of absence, such that a Silver Scholar must resume their degree program no more than ten terms or five years after completing the first year of the M.B.A program. Students who fail to register for the term following the end of the one-year internship and who do not have permission to take a leave of absence will be considered to have withdrawn from the M.B.A. program.

Admissions

Application Requirements

To apply to the Yale School of Management, applicants must have a four-year bachelor’s degree from an accredited U.S. institution or the international equivalent and must have taken an approved standardized test (typically the GMAT or the GRE). Applicants must also complete the online application form (including an application form, essay, and other written or recorded components), provide transcripts from every college or university attended, submit two recommendations, complete the behavioral assessment, and pay a tiered application fee that ranges from $125 to $250 [U.S.].

Application Deadlines

• Round 1: September 12, 2023
• Round 2: January 4, 2024
• Round 3: April 9, 2024

Application Review

During the admissions process, Yale SOM takes a holistic approach in reviewing applications; no one aspect of an application alone is determinative. The School is committed to matriculating a student body that is diverse along many dimensions and demonstrates a commitment to the School’s mission to educate leaders for business and society. In addition, the Admissions Committee is looking for applicants with a strong academic background, leadership potential, and professional experience who will add to the Yale SOM community, as well as the greater Yale University community.

Admissions Interviews

An interview is required to be admitted to the Yale School of Management. Interviews are by invitation of the Admissions Committee. If an interview is offered, the candidate will be notified by email. Applicants may be invited at any point throughout the admission cycle.

Admissions Decisions

Admissions decisions are released on the following dates:

• Round 1: December 5, 2023
• Round 2: March 26, 2024
• Round 3: May 16, 2024

On- and Off-Campus Events

Many prospective students feel that visiting campus is the best way to get a real sense of academic and student life at Yale SOM. Our campus visit program runs throughout the year. If a candidate is unable to visit campus, admissions officers also participate in many events across the globe, in addition to online events. Check https://som.yale.edu/programs/mba/admissions/campus-visits before planning your visit.

Learn More

To learn more about the Yale School of Management, please visit https://som.yale.edu. Prospective students may also contact the Admissions Office, mba.admissions@yale.edu or 203.432.5635.