By now, many of you have probably heard of or read about UCLA Anderson's new curriculum, set to go into effect with this fall's incoming students. We're excited with these changes as they will be even more effective at preparing students for their chosen career tracks early on, while retaining the flexibility and breadth of incredible classes that we're known for.
In a nutshell, the MBA curriculum is structured around four key components:
- A customizable core course sequence;
- Tracks that enable students to deepen their knowledge in marketing, finance or consulting, while adding certificate programs in areas of interest;
- Development of leadership and communication skills through specialized courses at the start of the first year;
- Team-based Applied Management Research (AMR) projects conducted over 6 months, in organizations in the US and globally.
A comprehensive overview of these components are found in the Academics section of our website - I highly encourage you to read this when you have a chance. At this time, I'd like to address some common questions from prospective applicants about the new curriculum.
Why did UCLA Anderson decide to change the MBA program curriculum?
Our curriculum was redesigned to provide the strongest level of preparation for students' chosen career objectives. Tracks provide students the flexibility to customize their core curriculum to maximize their success in the summer internship search their first year, while certificates provide depth of knowledge in specific industries and sectors in the second year. Development of strong leadership & communication skills and completion of our capstone AMR project round out the MBA experience at UCLA Anderson.
Does the new curriculum affect any other MBA programs? (FEMBA, EMBA, etc.)
No, the changes to the curriculum only affect the full-time MBA program.
Are tracks and certificates mandatory?
Tracks will be mandatory starting with the Class of 2014. Certificates are optional.
What if I decide to switch tracks during my time in the program?
Students are not locked into a track once they begin the program, so if you decide to change your career focus from, let's say, finance to marketing, you have the opportunity to do so during your first year in the program. However, keep in mind that the new curriculum is designed to prepare you early on for summer internship recruiting, which starts the beginning of winter quarter, so it's very important to take the time to figure out what your post-MBA career goals are during the MBA application process.
Feel free to leave questions in the comments section below or email us at [email protected].
Your efforts on tailored curriculum are impressive. I believe it will help to build more competitive students in job-hunting and future career development.
Btw, I'd like to know where we can find the detailed list of curriculum, including core courses, electives, tracks and certificates? Thanks!
Posted by: Meiqing | October 07, 2011 at 01:59 AM