Last visit was: 19 Nov 2025, 13:07 It is currently 19 Nov 2025, 13:07
Home
GMAT
Messages
Tests
Schools
Events
Rewards
Chat
My Profile
Close
GMAT Club Daily Prep
Thank you for using the timer - this advanced tool can estimate your performance and suggest more practice questions. We have subscribed you to Daily Prep Questions via email.

Customized
for You

we will pick new questions that match your level based on your Timer History

Track
Your Progress

every week, we’ll send you an estimated GMAT score based on your performance

Practice
Pays

we will pick new questions that match your level based on your Timer History
Not interested in getting valuable practice questions and articles delivered to your email? No problem, unsubscribe here.
Go to My Error Log Learn more
Close
Request Expert Reply
Confirm Cancel
User avatar
westsider
User avatar
Joined: 23 Jan 2008
Last visit: 17 Dec 2009
Posts: 498
Own Kudos:
62
Posts: 498
Kudos: 62
First year classes 13 Aug 2008, 16:24
Kudos
Add Kudos
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
Just thought I would ask - For first year classes do people generally get to chose what they do or do they just tell you what your schedule is? I'm sure this must vary... just somewhat curious.
User avatar
terp26
User avatar
Current Student
Joined: 22 Oct 2006
Last visit: 06 Apr 2020
Posts: 1,210
Own Kudos:
380
Given Kudos: 12
Schools:Chicago Booth '11
Posts: 1,210
Kudos: 380
First year classes 14 Aug 2008, 11:11
Kudos
Add Kudos
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
varies by school. Chicago let's you pick whatever you want, other schools have your classes picked out for you.
User avatar
emoryhopeful
User avatar
Current Student
Joined: 18 Jun 2007
Last visit: 05 Mar 2010
Posts: 392
Own Kudos:
48
Location: Atlanta, GA
Concentration: Organization and Management
Schools:Emory class of 2010
Posts: 392
Kudos: 48
First year classes 15 Aug 2008, 16:14
Kudos
Add Kudos
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
Emory has switched to a new curriculum this year where they have a core for the first semester, but pretty much after that, you have all electives. so, you get the regular core, but you have a lot of flexibility in what you want to study.
User avatar
riverripper
User avatar
Major Poster
Joined: 10 Apr 2007
Last visit: 20 Aug 2022
Posts: 4,306
Own Kudos:
806
Given Kudos: 5
Location: Back in Chicago, IL
Concentration: General/Operations Management
Schools:Kellogg Alum: Class of 2010
GMAT 1: 740 Q49 V42
Posts: 4,306
Kudos: 806
First year classes 15 Aug 2008, 16:26
Kudos
Add Kudos
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
Many schools offer the option to waive out of classes if you have a background in them and also you can take turbo classes if you want a challenge. Even schools that dont have a solid core require you take classes in specific subjects to build a strong base for the advance classes to build on.
User avatar
kryzak
User avatar
Major Poster
Joined: 04 Jun 2007
Last visit: 10 Aug 2013
Posts: 5,452
Own Kudos:
744
Given Kudos: 14
Status:Um... what do you want to know?
Location: SF, CA, USA
Concentration: Technology, Entrepreneurship, Digital Media & Entertainment
Schools:UC Berkeley Haas School of Business MBA 2010
GPA: 3.9 - undergrad 3.6 - grad-EE
WE 1: Social Gaming
Posts: 5,452
Kudos: 744
First year classes 29 Sep 2008, 20:05
Kudos
Add Kudos
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
I know Haas and UCLA have set core classes. At Haas we have 12 core classes that take up 40% of the 2 year program. Fall semester is ALL core classes (and it's pretty crazy right now). Spring semester is half core and half electives, and 2nd year is all electives.
User avatar
togafoot
User avatar
Current Student
Joined: 18 Dec 2007
Last visit: 29 Jul 2014
Posts: 983
Own Kudos:
145
Given Kudos: 10
Location: Hong Kong
Concentration: Entrepreneurship, Technology
Schools: Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) - Class of 2010
Schools: Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) - Class of 2010
Posts: 983
Kudos: 145
First year classes 30 Sep 2008, 18:55
Kudos
Add Kudos
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
HKUST its all core courses in the first semester, and some core and mostly electives after that,

If you have a background in some of the cores, then you can exempt them and take an elective instead.
Hence, first semester is very very intense.
User avatar
kryzak
User avatar
Major Poster
Joined: 04 Jun 2007
Last visit: 10 Aug 2013
Posts: 5,452
Own Kudos:
744
Given Kudos: 14
Status:Um... what do you want to know?
Location: SF, CA, USA
Concentration: Technology, Entrepreneurship, Digital Media & Entertainment
Schools:UC Berkeley Haas School of Business MBA 2010
GPA: 3.9 - undergrad 3.6 - grad-EE
WE 1: Social Gaming
Posts: 5,452
Kudos: 744
First year classes 30 Sep 2008, 19:17
Kudos
Add Kudos
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
that's pretty crazy to cram all the core in one semester... :shock: I'm kind of glad it's spread out to the 2nd semester for me.
User avatar
pelihu
User avatar
Joined: 31 Jul 2006
Last visit: 11 Jan 2010
Posts: 2,208
Own Kudos:
526
Schools:Darden
Posts: 2,208
Kudos: 526
First year classes 30 Sep 2008, 20:52
Kudos
Add Kudos
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
Darden's system is extremely similar to the system at Haas as described by Kryzak.
User avatar
kwam
User avatar
Joined: 09 Jan 2007
Last visit: 19 Oct 2013
Posts: 1,018
Own Kudos:
167
Given Kudos: 3
Location: New York, NY
Concentration: Analytic Finance, Economics and Strategic Management
Schools:Chicago Booth Class of 2010
Posts: 1,018
Kudos: 167
First year classes 01 Oct 2008, 14:25
Kudos
Add Kudos
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
terp26
varies by school. Chicago let's you pick whatever you want, other schools have your classes picked out for you.
Show more

Just correcting, is not whatever you want, it's a bid system, and even though it is extremely flexible there are some requirements, you can skip basic courses though and take more advanced ones to fill these requirements. Courses content may also change a little with the professor one's taking the class, so at the GSB one gets to choose the Course and the Professor. There are 6 bids phases, and the system is new, so prices are a little crazy right now. Anyway, it's a market and you use your points to get the classes and professors you want. I know some people who bidded for classes only from Tuesdays to Thursdays, so that they have a longer weekend, some people got it, but had to pay much more for that, I decided to spare my points for next quarters when I will bid for some REALLY expensive courses.

About the requirements for instance, every GSB student is required to make 3 foundations courses: Stats, Accounting and Microeconomics. I am, for instance, taking Financial Accounting (which is the basic one), Microeconomics (I'm taking the basic one but with the professor known to ask more from students), I decided to take Stats next quarter, though a mode advanced level (Applied Regression Analysis), and decided to 2 more advanced courses: Competitive Strategy and Investments.

The GND policy at the GSB makes people challenge themselves, really, I could have played safely thinking about only my GPA otherwise, but I decided to get an extra course and try to learn more even if this can in the future translate in a lower GPA.
User avatar
riverripper
User avatar
Major Poster
Joined: 10 Apr 2007
Last visit: 20 Aug 2022
Posts: 4,306
Own Kudos:
806
Given Kudos: 5
Location: Back in Chicago, IL
Concentration: General/Operations Management
Schools:Kellogg Alum: Class of 2010
GMAT 1: 740 Q49 V42
Posts: 4,306
Kudos: 806
First year classes 02 Oct 2008, 22:14
Kudos
Add Kudos
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
At Kellogg there are 9 core classes (and one half credit pre-term before 2nd year) but they grant waivers for (I believe) 6 of them if you meet certain requirements. Personally I am a fan of a core now that I am in one. I decided not to waive out of classes I could have waived out of because I took them so long ago I think there is a much bigger benefit to take them than to waive out. I have 4 core classes right now and will have another semester of all core this winter. I think a school is going to know better than a brand new student what classes are necessary to build a foundation of knowledge needed for more advanced classes. If you have the background you waive out and take more electives otherwise they are subjects that every MBA should learn. Another advantage of our core is that we dont bid for classes 1st semester. This is great because lots of the core professors are ones that bid for huge points in other classes later in the year. One marketing professor for example you can get for no points in a core class in the fall but her classes in other semesters go for roughly half of all the points you get for a year.

Personally I think wherever you go you are going to get a great education. You will take lots of classes that will be very helpful in your future career.
User avatar
kryzak
User avatar
Major Poster
Joined: 04 Jun 2007
Last visit: 10 Aug 2013
Posts: 5,452
Own Kudos:
744
Given Kudos: 14
Status:Um... what do you want to know?
Location: SF, CA, USA
Concentration: Technology, Entrepreneurship, Digital Media & Entertainment
Schools:UC Berkeley Haas School of Business MBA 2010
GPA: 3.9 - undergrad 3.6 - grad-EE
WE 1: Social Gaming
Posts: 5,452
Kudos: 744
First year classes 02 Oct 2008, 22:31
Kudos
Add Kudos
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
I have to second RR's comment about the core classes being great for someone without much business background. At Haas, the 12 core classes (we're divided into 4 half semesters in the first year) are:

Fall A: Microecon, Stats, Org Behavior, Leadership Communication
Fall B: Marketing, Accounting, Finance
Spring A: Strategy, Operations
Spring B: Macro Econ, Ethics, Leadership Comm (part two)

I'm currently learning a LOT from all my classes and am glad I didn't try to waive of of them. But Haas lets you waive out of both econs, stats, finance, accounting, and operations. so you can waive 6 out of 12 classes.

OB is SO relevant that I'm glad they make everyone take it. Leadership Comm is really helping my speech giving skills a lot. I'm looking forward to the other non waive-able classes like Strategy, Ethics, and Marketing. :)
User avatar
togafoot
User avatar
Current Student
Joined: 18 Dec 2007
Last visit: 29 Jul 2014
Posts: 983
Own Kudos:
145
Given Kudos: 10
Location: Hong Kong
Concentration: Entrepreneurship, Technology
Schools: Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) - Class of 2010
Schools: Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) - Class of 2010
Posts: 983
Kudos: 145
First year classes 03 Oct 2008, 04:45
Kudos
Add Kudos
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
We have 15 core courses :-

Fall A :- Managerial Problem Solving, Introductory Statistics for Business, Financial Accounting Foundations, Marketing Strategy and Policy, Fundamentals of Information Technology Management
Fall B :- Managerial Accounting Foundations, Managerial Microeconomics, China in the Global Economy, Corporate Finance, Operations Management

Spring A :- Management of Organizations, Managerial Communication
Spring B :- Business Law and Ethics, Developing Business Plans, Strategic Management

It's all crammed in because the course is either 12 or 16 months depending on whether you want to do an internship or not.

If you have studied some of them before you can drop it and take an elective instead. Altogther you can drop 7 of the 15 core courses
User avatar
westsider
User avatar
Joined: 23 Jan 2008
Last visit: 17 Dec 2009
Posts: 498
Own Kudos:
62
Posts: 498
Kudos: 62
First year classes 08 Oct 2008, 15:46
Kudos
Add Kudos
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
WE have the core system here at UW. I agree it is nice for non-business background folks (in terms of getting up to speed for internships), although it does provide quite a heavy workload.