Cornell MBA - Curriculum Analysis

The Cornell MBA is a two-year program with a curriculum that was recently updated based on feedback from over 1,000 corporate recruiters and alumni to place a greater emphasis on strong analytical and decision-making skills. 

The program is structured around three main learning goals: Advanced Business Fundamentals, Performance Learning, and Highly Flexible Electives.

In this in-depth analysis of the Cornell MBA Curriculum, we cover:

•    Cornell MBA: Program Structure
•    Cornell MBA: Cores and Electives
•    Cornell MBA: Immersions and Intensives
•    Cornell MBA: Experiential Learning
•    Cornell MBA: Global Opportunities

Cornell MBA: Program Structure

The Cornell Two-Year MBA is a full-time program spanning four semesters with a summer internship between the first and second years. The first year is designed to front-load the required core learning and leadership work, while the second year offers freedom for students to customize their studies.

•    Year One: First Semester (Fall): The fall semester focuses on foundational courses in areas like finance, accounting, and strategy, along with leadership courses. This structure allows students to immediately apply the core concepts they learn to team-based projects.

•    Year One: Second Semester (Spring): In the spring, students complete the remaining core courses and participate in a semester-long immersion. This immersion blends classroom learning with a project component to prepare students for their summer internship.

•    Summer (Between Years): Most students complete a full-time summer internship during this break.

•    Year Two: First Semester (Fall): The second year is when students can customize their degree. The fall semester is primarily dedicated to electives, which can be taken as standalone courses or grouped to form a concentration.

•    Year Two: Second Semester (Spring): Customization continues in the final semester. Students can finish their concentrations or take additional electives, including leadership electives, workshops, and mini-courses for targeted skill development.

Cornell MBA: Cores and Electives

The Core Curriculum at Johnson comprises the entire first year of the Two-Year MBA program. It was designed with direct input from alumni and corporate recruiters to provide students with the practical skills and experiences that employers expect early on. By the end of the spring semester, students will have completed all core courses and taken part in an industry immersion. 

The schedule for core course are:

Fall Semester: Core Teams Practicum, Leading Teams, Financial Accounting, Microeconomics for Management, Marketing Management, Critical and Strategic Thinking, Managerial Finance, and Strategy.

Spring Semester: Managing Operations and Data Analytics and Modeling.

Students can begin taking electives as early as the spring semester of their first year. 

Johnson offers more than 80 electives across finance, strategy, and marketing. Cornell also offers the opportunity to cross-register for courses at other Cornell schools, such as the Law School or the College of Engineering. 

Nine Credits – Cross-Functional Specialization

Students can choose to group their electives into optional areas of focus, requiring about nine credits in a particular field, to demonstrate specialization to employers.

Cornell MBA: Immersions and Intensives

Cornell’s MBA curriculum integrates Immersions and Intensives, which combine classroom learning with hands-on application. 

Immersions – Functional Expertise

Immersions cover functional domains such as Corporate Finance, Investment Banking, Strategy and Consulting, Strategic Marketing, and Digital Technology, while also offering customized paths for niche interests. 

Intensives – Industry Exposure

Intensives, like FinTech and Culture & Media Tech, add concentrated industry exposure through project-based learning. 
Together, immersion and intensives allow students to move beyond theory by working directly on sector-specific challenges in close collaboration with faculty and industry professionals.

Cornell MBA: Experiential Learning

The Cornell MBA also embeds experiential opportunities designed to shape leadership and entrepreneurial skills while connecting students to Cornell’s wider ecosystem. 

Leadership Development at Johnson

The Leadership Program at Johnson is a deeply integrated framework designed to shape students into well-rounded leaders. Rather than relying on a single course, leadership development here unfolds through a blend of assessments, coursework, outdoor experiences, electives, and real leadership opportunities. The program is anchored around the “4Cs” model—Character, Cognition, Connection, and Courage—which collectively define how students reflect on values, analyze complex problems, build meaningful relationships, and act decisively under pressure.

From the very start of the MBA, students undergo a leadership assessment that highlights their strengths and areas for growth. This baseline shapes their journey through first-year courses such as Leading Teams and the Core Team Practicum, where collaboration, feedback, and conflict resolution are central themes. Early in the program, students also participate in the Johnson Outdoor Experience (J.O.E.), a retreat in the Finger Lakes that immerses them in team challenges and helps them understand their behavior in high-stress situations.

Entrepreneurship at Johnson

The academic foundation begins with Business of Entrepreneurship, a prerequisite for most entrepreneurship electives. From there, students can tailor their studies through courses such as Entrepreneurial Finance, Startup Legal Issues, and Cases in VC and PE, or practice-based options like Life Science Entrepreneurship in Practice and Green Tech Innovation in Practice. Each course combines theoretical insight with applied projects, ensuring students build not just knowledge but execution skills.

Perhaps the most defining element of Johnson’s entrepreneurial pathway is eLab, the year-long student accelerator. Teams enter with early-stage ideas, develop their models through customer discovery, and receive mentorship from entrepreneurs, investors, and faculty.

Cornell MBA: Global Opportunities

The Johnson School's approach to international business learning includes a variety of international business courses, some of which are sponsored by the Center for Sustainable Global Enterprise and the Emerging Markets Institute. 

The school integrates international content into other courses through cases, guest speakers, and student presentations. 

Additionally, eight student clubs with an international focus provide informal learning opportunities about different countries and regions.

International Study Trips

The Johnson School organizes international study trips that are an integral part of the curriculum, offering students direct exposure to global business practices and cultures. These trips typically occur during the Winter Break (December/January) and Spring Break (March). 

While destinations vary by year, past trips provide insight into the types of experiences students can expect. 

For instance, a recent winter trek to Korea and Japan allowed students to visit companies like Red Bull, Kewpie, and Kundal, gaining a better understanding of how global business strategies are adapted for regional markets and cultural nuances. 

Another trip to Brazil focused on the local business community in São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro, with visits to companies like Natura, Nubank, and Rock in Rio, where students learned about local ventures and sustainable practices. These trips combine company visits with cultural activities, providing a holistic and practical learning experience.

International Exchange Program

The International Exchange Program offers a unique opportunity for second-year MBA students to spend one semester studying abroad. A formal selection process choose students who will swap places with their counterparts at one of Johnson's partner institutions. Students continue to pay tuition to Cornell and remain registered at the school, with all financial aid and academic credits transferring normally.

The Johnson School is a member of the Partnership in International Management (PIM), a network of leading business schools worldwide. This membership ensures that all exchange partners maintain a standard of excellence in business education. 

Selection Process – International Exchange Program

The application process for the exchange program is conducted during the spring semester of the first year. The list of partner institutions includes a wide range of schools in Europe, Asia, and other regions, such as the China Europe International Business School (CEIBS), London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE), and SDA Bocconi.

 Reference

• Cornell MBA