Alternative transcript - "business" classes necessary?

Question

Hi all, Long-time lurker, first-time poster

I have a quick question about alternative transcripts I hope someone could shed some light on. Alternative transcripts are supposed to compensate for low undergraduate GPA by showing that the applicant can handle the quantitative rigor of an MBA education. In this regards, is it absolutely necessary to take business classes (like finance, accounting) for the alternative transcript? The reason is ask is because I am interested in a joint MBA-CS degree, and would rather kill two birds with one stone by taking CS classes. Would a CS-based alternative transcript (with a mix of math and programming classes) be equivalent to a transcript of business classes? Many thanks in advance.

ClearAdmitJonFuller · Answer

cappled1989 -

I see your logic, but if you're going to construct an alternative transcript, you're going to get the most mileage from courses that are best aligned with the MBA curriculum - stats, finance, a quantitatively-oriented econ class, etc. When schools look at your academic profile (typically your undergrad and GMAT), they're looking for data points (majors and courses, obviously the quant section of your GMAT) that are going to given them the confidence that you're going to be able to hack it in a fast-paced, quantitatively rigorous course of study. While I don't question that the other kinds of CS courses you mentioned may also convey quantitative aptitude, they'll likely require additional explanation about their merits. The relevance of business-related courses will be more immediately apparent to the MBA adcom and will be valued more highly.

If you've already developed a short-list of programs you're considering, look at the FAQ section of their websites to see if they mention parameters for additional coursework. If you can't find something there, I recommend that you contact those admissions offices directly to get some specific direction - what kinds of courses they typically recommend; whether it's OK for them to be online or if they should be traditional, in-person classes; if the courses can be taken at a community college or extension school or other, etc. That way you'll be more sure that you're investing your time and energy most appropriately.

I hope that helps!

Regards,
Jon

becs5213 · Answer

I'm also looking at taking some quantitative coursework to build an alternative transcript as I was a communications major in undergrad and my Q score on the GMAT is on the low side.

I know that Wharton now offers there first year core MBA curriculum online for free via Coursera and schools like MIT Sloan offer a number of both undergrad and graduate classes for free online. My budget is limited so would something like this be sufficient? Or, if I'm going to spend the time on the coursework, would I be better off investing the money and taking 2-3 courses at UCLA or UC-Berkeley extension online instead?

Looking forward to your advice, thanks!

CriticalSquare · Answer

Hi @cappled1989,

I definitely understand your desire to kill two birds with one stone. However, I agree with Jon here. CS courses are rigorous in their own right, but not necessarily in the way adcoms want. Let me give you a little context. An MBA curriculum is designed to be fast paced (they don't want you to waste your ~$5,000 a class) and building on knowledge you should, theoretically, already have. If you don't have the foundation, you're going to struggle. For example, if you don't have a solid grasp of statistics, you're not only going to have to take the basic stats course which may not be why you went to bschool, but you're going to struggle in other courses as well. Everything from finance to marketing uses advanced stats and, potentially, regressions. Taking courses that align well with the bschool foundation are what they're looking for. A CS course, no matter how difficult or applicable, won't necessarily enable you for success IN the program. Does that make sense?

@becs5213,

Go the extension route. Coursera, at the moment (they may evolve and this may not be true in a couple of years), is not a substitute in the eyes of most adcoms for alternative coursework. Also, UCLA's and Berkeley's courses are well known and convey not only an alternative transcript, but dedication.

If either of you have questions, let me know!

Bhavik

becs5213 · Answer

Thanks! Very helpful - how many classes do you think is the right number and which classes? Is two enough or should I go with three or four? And in terms of classes, if I was just going to take two, which would be the most critical? Statistics and ...?

CriticalSquare · Answer

Hey there,

So there's no right answer here. 2 should be ok but if you feel you need another, it can't hurt. However, 2 is a pretty common number. If you do that, I'd recommend Math for Mgmt in addition to Stats. The latter will set you up for most statistical analysis as well as for regressions, should you choose to take it, and the former will cover most of the common math concepts used in business analysis and decision making.

Bhavik

Alternative transcript - "business" classes necessary?

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