CURRICULUM AT A GLANCE
Vanderbilt gives you the flexibility to shape your curriculum to meet your needs and career goals. Our Mod System gives you a leg up by exposing you to core and elective courses before interviewing for summer internships. You can further customize your curriculum by adding concentrations, specializations, and emphases, or by taking advantage of our many immersion learning opportunities and independent study courses.
YEAR ONE
YEAR TWO
CURRICULUM STRUCTURE
Modular System
The Vanderbilt MBA academic calendar is based on a modular system of intensive courses, each seven weeks in length plus an exam week. Two "mods" equal one semester. Mods give you a fast start by allowing you to take courses in your chosen specialty as early as Mod 2 of your first year. You can complete significant study in your field of interest before taking on a summer internship.
The total number of courses over a two-year period allows you the freedom and flexibility to take electives within your chosen specialty or branch out by taking courses in cross-functional areas of interest within Vanderbilt Owen Graduate School of Management or other schools at Vanderbilt.
Year One
As a candidate for a Vanderbilt MBA, you will study on campus for two years for a minimum of 62 credit hours. During your first year, you will receive an intense and immediate immersion in the fundamentals of management through 11 required core courses. The majority of core courses are taken during the first two mods.
Year Two
During your second year, you will take a required ethics class while customizing your electives to your desired career goals. Each student will complete at least one Concentration, which consists of 12 credit hours in a single discipline beyond the Core. Students are then free to take a wide variety of elective courses that best match their career aspirations.
Further Customize Your Curriculum
Students interested in a "deeper dive" into a discipline may choose to pursue a Specialization of 20 credit hours. Emphases allow students to augment their course of study with 8 credit hours in one of three areas.
*Degree requirements and course information are subject to change; not all courses are offered every year. View the most recent Course Catalog containing academic policies, degree requirements and individual course descriptions for each of our degree programs.
Concentrations
You’ll choose at least one concentration as your focus of study and may further customize your program by adding additional concentrations, specializations, or emphases.
Vanderbilt offers STEM-designated MBA concentrations, allowing international students to extend their training in the US by 24 months
Concentrations
A concentration represents a minimum of 12 credit hours beyond the Core in a single discipline that is usually the foundation for your chosen career. Click on a concentration below to view course requirements or see more details about all MBA concentrations here.
Specializations
Specializations are focused course tracks for students desiring an in-depth study of the functional area for their chosen career. Specializations require 20 credit hours of coursework beyond the Core. The 20-credit-hour requirement represents the 12 credit hours earned in the related concentration plus an additional eight hours. Click on a specialization below to view course requirements or see more details about all MBA specializations here.
Emphases
An emphasis allows you to delve deeper into a particular industry or area of interest with eight hours of courses. Click on an emphasis below to view course requirements or see more details about all MBA emphases here.
Dual Degrees
There is a significant benefit of time savings in pursuing an MBA as a joint degree. The traditional MBA program requires 62 hours (four full semesters) of course work. However, when pursued as part of a joint degree, the requirement is reduced to 50 credit hours (three semesters), since we will accept 12 hours from the partner school as electives. Vanderbilt MBA offers the following dual degrees in conjunction with other professional and graduate schools at Vanderbilt: MBA/MD, MBA/JD. MBA/MALAS, MBA/MDiv, MBA/MTS, MBA/MPP.
Vanderbilt also has dual degree partnerships with Meharry Medical College. For more information on Dual Degree programs, click here.
CONNECT WITH A STUDENT IN YOUR AREA OF INTEREST
CONNECT WITH A CURRENT STUDENTLEARN THROUGH IMMERSION
At Vanderbilt, learning is an active experience. You will have access to a wide array of hands-on activities, including industry-focused immersion experiences, conferences, career treks, case competitions, entrepreneurial opportunities, and more.
INDEPENDENT STUDY
Hear about Joshua Eniola's (MBA'21) independent study course.
At Vanderbilt Business, you can work with your professors to create independent study courses designed to meet your unique academic and professional goals.
INTERNATIONAL STUDY
Vanderbilt students can choose from a wide range of internationally focused electives. In addition, students have the opportunity to participate in international seminar and research trips or may choose to study overseas through exchange programs with schools throughout the world.
STEM DESIGNATION
International students interested in studying at Vanderbilt Business are able to work in the U.S. for three years after graduation, thanks to the STEM designation awarded to the Vanderbilt MBA degree. The STEM designation allows international students to extend their post-completion Optional Practical Training (OPT) in the U.S. by 24 months, for a total of 36 months.
