The Wharton MBA program is a 20-month program with an intensive, cross-functional core curriculum that teaches the fundamentals of business as well as leadership, communication, and analytical skills. Students may specialize in one or more areas by selecting from 21 majors and more than 200 complementary electives. All MBA coursework varies depending on the instructor and class setting, but the core course offerings remain consistent throughout the program.
The core curriculum, a staple of the Columbia experience, is designed to give students an in-depth mastery of the academic disciplines and applied functional areas. Exemption exams are given before each term, allowing students already well-versed in a subject to replace core courses with electives.
The MBA program at Columbia University lasts two years and is divided into four terms. Applicants for the program can choose between a fall entry date and a January, J-term entry date. Unlike the two-year MBA program, which begins in the fall, the J-term program does not include the option of a summer internship.
Wharton MBA Curriculum - Flexibility
The course begins with a Pre-Term, that prepares them for the challenges, such as relocating to Philadelphia, adjusting to life in the United States, and balancing the demands of academics, career preparation, and extracurricular activities.
Students need to work in a group of five or six in the first-year projects. In the first year, students are required to complete the compulsory 6 fixed Core courses. After completing the fixed cores, they can select the flexible cores which help them with summer internships, Global opportunities, and business ventures.
After the summers, students will begin the second year, completing any remaining core requirements, delving deeper into the wide range of electives, and developing one or more areas of expertise. Students frequently collaborate with faculty and businesses on individual advanced student projects to pursue customized interests.
Columbia MBA Curriculum - Flexibility
Students take classes from the core curriculum during the program's first year. Students must complete eight half-term and two full-term courses during the first term of the MBA, including Managerial Statistics, Strategy Formulation, and Corporate Finance. Columbia University's elective curriculum includes over 325 courses. Students may also choose from any graduate-level course offered by Columbia University.
Majors and Specialization
The MBA program at Columbia University does not have any official majors or concentrations. Students can specialize in one of the 15 academic divisions at Columbia Business School. Wharton offers 21 majors, with the addition of 3 new majors, allowing students to add more than one major i.e., giving an MBA degree with two majors.
| Wharton MBA Curriculum | Columbia MBA Curriculum |
| Fixed Core Courses Themes: 6 | Fixed Core Courses: 10 |
| Fixed Core Courses: Leadership: Foundations of Teamwork and Leadership, Marketing: Marketing Management, Microeconomics: Microeconomics for Managers, Microeconomics: Advanced Microeconomics for Managers, Statistics: Regression Analysis for Managers, Management Communication: Speaking and Writing. | Fixed Core Courses: Financial Accounting, Corporate Finance, Managerial Statistics, Strategy Formulation, Managerial Economics, Business Analytics, Marketing, Global Economic Environment, Operations Management, Foundations of Valuation. |
| Flexible Core Courses Themes: 8 | -- |
| Flexible Core Courses: Operations, Information, and Decisions, Marketing, Communication, Accounting, Corporate Finance, Macroeconomics, Management, Legal Studies & Business Ethics. | -- |
| Elective Themes: 11 | Elective Themes: 7 |
| Electives Department: Accounting, Business Economics and Public Policy, Communication Program, Finance, Health Care Management, Legal Studies and Business Ethics, Management, Marketing, Operations, Information and Decisions, Real Estate, and Statistics. | Electives Department: Finance, Accounting, Business, Economics, Management, Marketing, Decision, Risk and Operations |
| MBA Majors: 21 (below) | Academic Divisions: 6 |
| Accounting | Accounting |
| Business Analytics | Decision, Risk, and Operations |
| Business Economics and Public Policy | Economics |
| Business, Energy, Environment and Sustainability | Finance |
| Entrepreneurship and Innovation | Management |
| Finance | Marketing |
| Health Care Management | Centers: 5 |
| Individualized MBA Major | Entrepreneurship |
| Social and Governance Factors for Business | Leadership and Ethics |
| Management | Real Estate |
| Marketing | Social Enterprise |
| Marketing and Operations | Value Investing |
| Multinational Management | Programs: 4 |
| Operations, Information and Decision | Global Family Enterprise |
| Organizational Effectiveness | Healthcare and Pharmaceutical Management |
| Quantitative Finance | Media and Technology |
| Real Estate | Private Equity |
| Statistics | |
| Diversity, Equity and Inclusion | |
| Environmental, Social and Governance Factors for Business | |
| Strategic Management |
Flexibilty and Majors: Wharton > Columbia
Experiential Learning
The experiential learning at Wharton can be broadly classified as Leadership Ventures, Expeditions, and Workshops.
Wharton Leadership Ventures: encourages participants to step outside their comfort zone and gain firsthand leadership experience. Leadership Ventures lasts for 6 to 10 days.
Expeditions are typically physically demanding and last for 6 to 10 days. Some of the past Expeditions include the Atacama Desert, Antarctica Trekking, Small Crew Sailing, and Andes Mountaineering. Such expeditions engage students in mountain biking, sailing, Rafting, trekking, and other adventurous activities.
Intensive leadership ventures are group-based experiences that are consolidated and immersive, lasting 1-3 days and providing genuine environments of uncertainty and challenge.
Workshops are one-to-three-day programs that highlight alternative leadership methodologies.
At Columbia, the experiential learning component is closely linked to the Tamer Center for Social Enterprise. Students can participate in initiatives such as the International Development Consulting Project Fund and the Nonprofit Board Leadership program through the center.
Students not only integrate social enterprise into their MBA experience, but they also help build the foundations of social enterprise across Columbia Business School by initiating events, community service, internships, and extracurricular projects.
Exchange Programs and Global Study Opportunities
Wharton: In addition to the required global-focused core classes, Wharton offers three primary international programs: international dual-degree programs and consulting opportunities in emerging markets.
Global Modular Programs: Students will take short, full-credit courses in the form of intensive workshops in a country relevant to the topic. Brazil, China, Israel, India, the United Kingdom, and South Africa have all hosted courses since 2012.
Global Immersion Program: Students will receive a high-level overview of the economic, cultural, and geopolitical drivers underlying regions critical to the global economy, followed by in-country experience.
Combined International Studies Degrees: Through the following institutions, students can combine their Wharton MBA with full interdisciplinary degree programs in International Studies:
● The Lauder Institute at the University of Pennsylvania
● Johns Hopkins University's School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS).
● Harvard Kennedy School of Government
The other Wharton International Study Opportunity includes International Conferences where students can participate in student-led international student business conferences.
Wharton Global Impact Consultants and Global Treks are among the other major extracurricular activities for International study at Wharton.
Exchange Program: Wharton allows its students to participate in semester-long exchange programs in 17 partner schools spread in 15 different countries.
Columbia: Columbia's international study program is housed at the Chazen Institute for Global Business. Chazen Global Study Tours allows students to participate in a foreign country’s business practices and gain a global business perspective.
Chazen Global Study Tours: Student groups organize study tours. The Chazen Institute provides guidance and logistical support throughout the tour planning process.
Global Immersion Program: The Global Immersion Program (GIP) classes connect classroom lessons with business practices in another country. These 3-credit classes meet in New York for half a term before traveling to the country of focus for a one-week visit. Students can enroll in GIP classes using Course Match. During the immersion week, students meet with business executives and government officials while working on team projects. After returning from the travel portion of the class, students attend at least one wrap-up meeting at Columbia Business School.
Exchange Program: The MBA Exchange Program allows third- and fourth-term students to immerse themselves in the business environment through study abroad. In locations ranging from South Africa to Singapore, nearly two dozen of the world's most prestigious graduate management institutions participate in the exchange program with Columbia Business School.
Exchange Programs: Columbia > Wharton
Global Immersion Programs: Wharton > Columbia
| Wharton Partner Schools for Exchange Program | Columbia Partner Schools for Exchange Program |
|---|---|
| Australian Graduate School of Management (AGSM), Australia | Universidad de San Andrés (Argentina) |
| University of New South Wales, Australia | Escola de Administração de Empresas de Sao Paulo/Fundação Getulio Vargas (Brazil) |
| COPPEAD, Brazil | Haas School of Business, University of California, Berkeley (United States) |
| China Europe International Business School (CEIBS), China | Wirtschaftsuniversität Wien, University of Vienna (Austria) |
| Guanghua School of Management, Peking University, China | Aalto University School of Business (Finland) |
| INSEAD, France | The HEC MBA Program (France) |
| HEC Paris, France | WHU - Otto Beisheim School of Management (Germany) |
| Indian School of Business (ISB), India | Scuola di Direzione Aziendale, Bocconi (Italy) |
| Arison School of Business, Interdisciplinary Center (IDC), Herzliya, Israel | Rotterdam School of Management, Erasmus Universiteit Rotterdam (The Netherlands) |
| SDA Bocconi School of Management, Italy | IESE—International Graduate School of Management, Universidad de Navarra (Spain) |
| Keio University’s Graduate School of Business and Commerce, Japan | Stockholm School of Economics (Sweden) |
| INSEAD, Singapore | Ecole des Hautes Etudes Commerciales, Université de Lausanne (Switzerland) |
| IESE Business School, Spain | University of St. Gallen for Business Administration, Economics, Law and Social Sciences (Switzerland) |
| Stockholm School of Economics, Sweden | London Business School (United Kingdom) |
| Sasin Graduate Institute of Business Administration, Thailand | Melbourne Business School, University of Melbourne (Australia) |
| Rotterdam School of Management, The Netherlands | Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (China) |
| Asian Institute of Management (AIM), The Philippines | Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad (India) |
| London Business School, UK | Keio University, Graduate School of Business (Japan) |
| National University of Singapore (Singapore) | |
| University of Cape Town (South Africa) |
Dual Degree Programs
Wharton: At the University of Pennsylvania, Wharton offers three integrated interdisciplinary MBA programs. These programs enable students to draw from various academic disciplines, pursue various interests, and develop into interdisciplinary thinkers who solve problems creatively and analytically. Wharton has long-standing dual MBA programs with the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies and the Harvard Kennedy School. Students can combine their MBA with a degree from one of the top-rated graduate and professional schools at the University of Pennsylvania. At the University of Pennsylvania, students considering a dual MBA and another degree can choose from 13+ fully integrated programs.
Columbia: For students who want to broaden their knowledge outside of business, Columbia Business School offers dual degree programs that usually take one year less than pursuing the degrees separately, though this varies depending on the program.
A Columbia MBA can be combined with one of 11 other professional degrees, including law, engineering, medicine, international affairs, and social work. Interested candidates must apply to both the Business School and the secondary school or program separately. Admissions decisions are made independently by each school.
| Wharton Dual Degrees | Columbia Dual Degree |
|---|---|
| Wharton Integrated Interdisciplinary: 3 | Architecture: MBA and MS in Urban Planning |
| MBA/MA LAUDER JOINT DEGREE IN INTERNATIONAL STUDIES | Dental and Oral Surgery: DDS and MBA |
| THE FRANCIS J. & WM. POLK CAREY JD/MBA | Engineering and Applied Science: MS and MBA |
| MBA IN HEALTH CARE MANAGEMENT | International and Public Affairs: MBA and MIA |
| Dual MBA and another degree at the University of Pennsylvania Program: 12 | Journalism: MBA and MS |
| MBA/MA Lauder Joint Degree in International Studies | Law: JD and MBA |
| Joint MBA/JD Degree | Nursing: MBA and MS in Nursing |
| MBA in Health Care Management | Physicians and Surgeons: MD and MBA |
| Joint Dental MBA with Wharton and Penn Dental | Public Health: MBA and MPH |
| Joint Design MBA with Wharton and Penn Stuart Weitzman School of Design | Social Work: MBA and MS in Social Work |
| Dual Degree Wharton/Education | Teachers College: MBA and MA in Private School Leadership |
| Wharton MBA for Engineering | |
| Environmental MBA with Wharton and Penn SAS | |
| Dual MBA and Medicine | |
| Dual degree Wharton MBA and Nursing | |
| Dual degree Wharton MBA and Social Work | |
| Wharton/Veterinary Medicine | |
| Partnership with Other Schools | |
| Wharton +School of Advanced International Studies Dual Degree | |
| Wharton + Harvard Kennedy School MPA/MBA and MPP/MBA Dual Degrees |
Dual Degree Options: Wharton > Columbia
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