Curriculum
Prepare to take on the world.
Few business schools prepare you for success like Owen does. It starts with academic rigor, under the leadership of outstanding faculty who have helped shape entire industries and fields of study. It includes an unusual degree of practical learning and real-world projects.
Owen also gives you the flexibility to shape your own curriculum to your needs and career goals. And the small-by-design closeness of our community means that you have opportunities to form deeper and more rewarding relationships with our faculty and staff.
Curriculum Structure
The Vanderbilt MBA academic calendar is based on the “mod”—a unit in our modular system of short, intensive courses, each seven weeks in length. Two mods equal one semester. Mods give you a fast start by allowing you to take courses in your chosen specialty as early as Mod 2 of your first year. You can complete significant study in your field of interest before taking on a summer internship. The total number of courses over a two-year period allows you the freedom and flexibility to take electives within your chosen specialty or in cross-functional areas of interest.
Claudia Escobedo
MBA 2011
Learning & Development Program Manager—Sales, Marketing & Services Group
Microsoft
Another great aspect of my studies at Owen is that the structure of its modular curriculum and the depth of its courses have allowed me to gain rapidly an excellent understanding of the key areas of business.
As a candidate for a Vanderbilt MBA, you will study on campus for two years for a minimum of 62 credit hours. During your first year you will receive an intense and immediate immersion in the fundamentals of management through 11 required Core courses. The majority of core courses are taken during the first two mods.
You have multiple options to customize your degree to your career goals. Choose from a number of market-driven Concentrations, Specializations and Emphases as the foundation for your chosen career.
*Curriculum and course information on the Owen website is updated annually and is subject to change. Current students should consult the YES student services application for the most updated information.
Ethics Integrated Throughout
As part of the required core curriculum foundation, faculty place ethics in a larger framework, teaching you critical strategies to protect your integrity in the workplace. In addition, Vanderbilt students are bound by the Honor System, which was inaugurated when the university opened its doors in 1875. All students are required to read and accept the Honor Constitution of the Owen Graduate School of Management.
Learning Across Vanderbilt
Full-time Vanderbilt MBA students may take courses for credit at other Vanderbilt graduate schools with approval from the Director of Academic Programs. Many students choose to take interdisciplinary classes at the Law School, Divinity School, Peabody School of Education, Medical School and the Nursing School. Students generally choose to take these classes during the spring semester. Another popular option is language courses.
