MBA Degree

All MBA students have eight years (32 quarters) to complete the degree requirements. Full-Time MBA students typically complete the degree requirements in six quarters. Most Evening and Weekend MBA students complete the degree in 2.5 to 3 years.

Students who wish to accelerate or decelerate their program of study should meet with Academic Services to learn the implications of this decision.

Students are expected to attend all scheduled classes beginning Week 1 of the quarter through scheduled final exams. Any potential conflicts should be addressed with Academic Services to ensure students remain on track to graduate as planned.

Students are expected to graduate in the quarter they complete their degree requirements. If a student fails to submit an application for graduation in the quarter the degree requirements are met, Chicago Booth will graduate the student in the following quarter.

Any student seeking to extend their studies beyond 32 quarters must request an exception, by petition, to the dean of students.

1. Satisfactory completion of the LEAD course. Evening MBA and Weekend MBA Program students will begin their LEAD course by attending LEAD Part 1 prior to the start of the quarter and then attending LEAD Part 2 at the start of the quarter. LEAD must be completed concurrently with at least one other credit-bearing course during a student’s first quarter at Booth. If LEAD is not offered in a student’s first quarter, the student will take LEAD in their second quarter.
2. Satisfactory completion of 2,000 units of credit at the University of Chicago, of which at least 1,400 units are from the Chicago Booth curriculum. Students in joint-degree programs must satisfactorily complete 1,400 units only from the Chicago Booth curriculum and should consult their other department for degree requirements.
3. Satisfactory completion of the Foundations and Functions, Leadership and Management, and Business Environment requirements (these must be 1,000 units of distinct Chicago Booth credits) and remaining elective options.
4. A cumulative grade point average of at least C+ (2.33) in all courses counted toward the MBA degree.
5. Satisfactory completion of qualified work experience for Full-Time MBA students during their program of study. Full-Time MBA students are expected to complete an internship to meet this requirement. Students can petition Academic Services to request a substitution for practical experience gained through select experience-based lab courses, entrepreneurial ventures, and faculty or center-led internships.

In completing degree requirements, students may elect to earn concentrations in certain subject areas. Concentrations are not required for graduation.

Concentration requirements are outlined on the intranet under Academics: Course and Degree Requirements subsection.

To earn a concentration, students must:

1. Complete for a quality grade of D or better in each required course of the concentration sequence; and
2. Obtain a minimum, cumulative GPA of 2.33 within that course sequence.

All earned concentrations post to student transcripts by Week 4 of the quarter following graduation. All concentrations are listed in the transcript and include concentration name only, not the cumulative GPA for the course sequence.

If a student intends to take courses that differ from the approved sequence, a petition for a change in a concentration sequence must be submitted to Academic Services no later than Sunday, Week 3, of the graduating quarter. Students may not petition more than one IBEP or Chicago Booth course into any concentration. An area faculty member will evaluate the petition.