Accelerated Options
The accelerated MBA option allows students to complete nearly a third of the MBA curriculum before they graduate from the College by applying six courses taken as an undergraduate student and applying them toward the MBA. Students are eligible to pursue the accelerated option through the Full-Time MBA Program if they meet the course requirements and after completing the UChicago undergraduate degree and two years of pre-college or at least two years of post-college full-time work experience.
Students are eligible to pursue the accelerated option through the Evening MBA or Weekend MBA Programs if they meet the course requirements and after completing the UChicago undergraduate degree and two years of pre-college full-time work experience or at least one year of post-college full-time work experience. Students pursuing the accelerated option have 32 quarters to complete the MBA degree requirements, which includes the quarters that courses were taken while an undergraduate student toward the MBA.
All students pursuing the accelerated option have 32 quarters to complete MBA degree requirements. Full-Time students pursuing the accelerated option typically complete the degree requirements in four quarters. Most Evening MBA and Weekend MBA students pursuing the accelerated option complete the degree in two to two and a half years. Any student seeking to extend their studies beyond 32 quarters must request an exception, by petition, to the dean of students.
There are no degree requirement differences for traditional MBA students and accelerated option students. However, students pursuing the Accelerated option count 600 units taken for their undergraduate degree toward the Booth MBA. These 600 units can complete the Foundations, Functions, Leadership and Management, and Business Environment requirements, and elective MBA requirements. Students can transfer MBA-level Booth classes or Business Economics BUSN undergraduate courses. Students should speak with their undergraduate academic advisor and Booth’s director of Joint Degree Programs on which 600 units are eligible to transfer before enrolling in any courses.
The Course Bidding, Bid Points, and Transfer of Booth and Non-Booth (UChicago) Courses policies below are those that differ for students pursuing the accelerated option.
Beginning in year four, students who have met the work experience requirement may use iBid and must follow Booth’s enrollment procedures and timelines for Booth classes at the graduate level. Students should follow their other department’s enrollment systems, procedures, and timelines for classes in their other program.
Students who have met the work experience requirement will begin the fourth year with a variable number of bid points based on the number of BUSN units completed. Students will start with anywhere from 4,000 to 14,000 bid points. Full-time students pursuing the accelerated option who defer to gain work experience will begin the MBA with 14,000 bid points. New Evening and Weekend students pursuing the accelerated option who defer to gain work experience will begin with 10,000 bid points.
Booth undergraduate level classes and MBA-level Booth courses taken at the University of Chicago prior to matriculating to Chicago Booth are applicable toward the MBA degree under the following conditions:
- Students must petition their courses for transfer to Academic Services by the end of the first quarter at Chicago Booth.
- 600 Booth units must be completed and are counted toward the total 2,000 required for the degree. No more than 600 units can be transferred.
- Transfer courses are applicable toward the MBA degree if the student satisfies the degree requirements for the MBA within 33 quarters. The 33-quarter degree completion deadline begins with the quarter/year of the first course approved for transfer. Courses are conditionally approved for transfer until an application for graduation is submitted.
- Chicago Booth graduate and undergraduate courses are not approved for transfer toward the MBA if the coursework was graded pass/fail, R, or any grade lower than C+.
- Students receive 2,000 bid points for three approved courses.
- Transfer courses applied to the degree also count toward the total units earned for the degree and will count toward a student’s cumulative GPA.
Students will pay the undergraduate tuition rates and fees until their undergraduate degree is completed. Thereafter, students will pay Booth tuition and fees. Undergraduate and Booth tuition and fees are posted on the bursar’s website. Full-Time, Evening, and Weekend MBA students pursuing the accelerated options are assessed the tuition rate based on the published rate for the current academic year.
Students in the Full-Time MBA Program must pay four quarterly installments to Booth before they can complete the MBA degree program. Students in the Evening MBA or Weekend MBA Programs are assessed Booth tuition on a per course basis and must pay for 1,400 units.
Fees mirror those listed on page 27 with the exception of the lifetime transcript fee. Students will have paid this fee while in the undergraduate program and will not need to pay it in the MBA program.
The Grading Effects on Tuition section refers to Booth classes only. Students should follow their undergraduate policies for undergraduate classes. For all Business Economics classes, grading effects on tuition can be found on Booth’s Business Economics website and the FAQ page.