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Academics
Introduction The full-time MBA curriculum at the Ross School of Business is intense one, featuring four 7-week half-semester (Fall A, Fall B, Winter A, Winter B) over the course of a normal academic year. Full-time MBA students are generally required to attain 57 credits, subject to a maximum of 18 credits per semester (i.e., Fall A & B or Winter A & B), or 72 credits over the two-year full-time MBA student career. Generally, the path to completing all 60 credits includes the following:
First-Year Fall A The first term (Fall A) starts off with four core classes in accounting, corporate strategy, economics, and statistics. First-year, full-time MBA students are separated into 6 sections, with whom they take all their core classes for the remainder of the year. In some cases, students may waive some core classes (accounting for those students with a CPA or other prior accounting experience, economics/statistics for those students with significant prior academic/work knowledge); these students are free to take electives filling the place of the core classes they have waived. If you do have substantial prior knowledge or academic/work experience in those classes that can be waived, then, by all means, you should go ahead and waive them; otherwise, if you have any doubts about your skills, then it's never a bad idea to refresh and/or deepen your memory and knowledge. In general, all the professors in Fall A core classes are highly competent and engaging. In particular, the corporate strategy classes, taught by Professors Allan Afuah and Prashant Kale, are characterized by lively classroom discussion and debate. Additionally in Fall A, first-year students who have a particular interest in finance careers (including, but not limited to, investment banking, sales/trading, research, private wealth management, and corporate finance) have the option of taking a 5th core class in finance, which would otherwise be taken during Fall B. The advantage to doing this that students are able to take an extra elective course, instead of the core finance course itself, in Fall B. Most students focusing on finance use this extra Fall B elective as an opportunity to take an additional elective in finance - thereby maximizing their finance exposure before internship recruiting begins in Winter A. On the flip side, the disadvantage to taking the core finance course as a 5th course in Fall A is the added pressure of having to take a 5th course on top of what is already a busy workload of 4 courses over a short 7-week term. At times, the coursework in the finance class can sometimes exceed that of the other 4 classes combined! The choice is there for students to make - but for students particularly interested in finance, the advantages should outweigh the disadvantages. Additionally, the early Fall A finance class was taught in Fall 2004 by Professor Gautam Kaul, one of Ross's finest and most enthusiastic ("feel the love!") - yet one of the most challenging - professors, so if it is being taught by him again in Fall 2005, then even those students who are not necessarily interested in finance should still consider taking the early finance class just to tackle the tremendous challenges Prof. Kaul offers, and to experience Prof. Kaul's infectious enthusiasm and passion for the subject matter. Having said all this, note that it may be possible for students with significant prior finance experience to waive the finance core class altogether; alternatively, those students who have waived one or more of their other Fall A core classes are in a good position to take the early finance core class as a 3rd or 4th class, instead of as a 5th overload class. If you're an admitted Ross student and want more information on waiving any of the core classes, check the waiver application form that you will receive in the mail in late spring/early summer. At the end of the first term, there is a one-week fall break, during which first-year MBA students have the opportunity of attending the Wall Street, West Coast, and/or other Forums. The Wall Street Forum in New York is geared towards students seeking summer internships in finance, while the West Coast Forum is geared towards students interested in working in San Francisco, Los Angeles, and other West Coast cities, particularly in industries like technology, media, and entertainment. In addition to these two major forums, there are smaller forums taking place - for example, one for students interested in marketing, sports, and entertainment took place in New York at the same time as the Wall Street Forum in October 2004. All of these forums are extremely valuable opportunities to make key contacts at companies of interest, in preparation for internship recruiting season. First-Year Fall B If the intensity of Fall A and the excitement of Wall Street or West Coast Forum wasn't already enough, then first year students get to head back to classes for another 7 weeks during Fall B. Most first-years take core classes in finance, marketing, and organizational behavior, and also have the opportunity to take their first elective class. For those students who have already taken the finance core in Fall A, they should be able to take 2 electives in addition to their marketing and organizational behavior core classes. If you have Professor Christie Nordhielm for your marketing class, then you're in for one of the best classes you've ever taken. Prof. Nordhielm was consistently ranked as one of the Kellogg School's best professors before she was hired by Michigan in 2004, and has made a significant impact on the way marketing is taught at Michigan by revamping the core marketing class. She's also known for her flawless cold-calling and laser-pointing techniques, so be prepared for class! Moreover, while organizational behavior classes are derided by some as being "soft" classes, many students find the insights and skills learned in the core class to be useful in evaluating past work experiences and in preparing for future internships and work assignments. Professor Kathleen Sutcliffe is one of the most engaging and enthusiastic professors in the entire business school, while Professor Jeffrey Sanchez-Burks has been recognized as a rising star among younger professors. First-Year Winter A During Winter A, first-year students have only two core courses in managerial accounting and operations management; of the two, managerial accounting may be waived by those students who have significant prior accounting experience like a CPA. While room exists for students to take up to two additional electives, it is important to note that first-years are not required to take any additional classes beyond their two core classes. The intent is to give first-year students extra time to research and prepare for internship recruiting - and from the perspective of many students, a lightened course load in Winter A can be useful, given the intense nature of internship recruiting - which can be as time-consuming as several classes' worth of work. Resources for International Students If you feel you need help in adjusting to life at Ross, UM, and Ann Arbor, then please don't hesitate to ask for help (in addition to the resources provided by GCA and its members) - there are several resources available to international students.
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Greater China Association at the University of Michigan - Stephen M. Ross School of Business http://webuser.bus.umich.edu/Organizations/GCA/academics.htm | Last updated 05 Nov 2006 |