Full-time MBA Academic Policies

Cumulative academic performance of a student is evaluated at the end of each semester to determine contination eligibility. All attempted and completed coursework will be reviewed. When a student’s cumulative performance meets one of the following conditions, their record will be brought to the Academic Review Committee for review. If the student remains enrolled, their record will continue to be reviewed at the end of each term.

1. Two or more No Pass (NP) grades are earned, OR
2. Three or more Low Pass (LP) grades are earned, OR
3. The combination of No Pass (NP) and Low Pass (LP) grades meets or exceeds three grades or six credit hours.

Satisfactory Academic Progress

The minimum GPA requirements needed to maintain eligibility for Satisfactory Academic Progress are dictated by the specific program of study. In each case, per the requirements of 34 C.F.R. 668.34(a)(4(ii), the federal student aid program requires a minimum of a C average to maintain eligibility for aid, but an individual degree or certificate program may have a higher minimum GPA for federal Satisfactory Academic Progress. The Full-time MBA program requires, at minimum, no more than three LP grades, no more than 2 NP grades, and/or less than 6 credits of NP and LP grades.

Students may add a course to their registration during specified periods at the beginning of each term; please refer to the Olin Graduate Programs Academic Calendar. A faculty member’s signature is not required to add a class.

Short courses or weekender courses may be added to the student’s registration until 24 hours before the course begins, unless otherwise specified by the course instructor.

We expect Students to attend each class session. Students who must miss a session for any reason should make every effort to notify the instructor prior to the class meeting. Students should never register for courses scheduled in conflict with one another.

Students wishing to audit a course must first speak with the professor of the course to determine if auditing is an option and, if so, learn the specific requirements for a successful audit. If approval is granted, the student should send the email approval to their academic advisor who will work with the Olin Registrar Office to change the grading option for the course from ‘P’ to ‘A’.

• Audited courses do not apply to the credits required to graduate, but do apply to the semester credit cap.
• Audited courses are listed on student transcripts. A grade of ‘L’ is given for a successful audit, and a grade of ‘Z’ is given for an unsuccessful audit.
• Audited courses do not meet pre-requisite requirements. If a student has audited a particular pre-requisite for a course, they will need instructor permission to enroll in that course.

Course Waivers are intended to allow students to avoid redundant study of subjects already mastered. They do not reduce the number of credits required to earn the degree.

No more than 6 credits of required MBA courses can be waived. The following courses may not be waived:

• MGT 5311 – Introduction to Management and Strategy
• MGT 5305 – The Global Business Environment in the 21^st Century
• MGT 560P – Business Models in Global Context
• MGT 560Q – Implementing Strategy through Global Operations
• MGT 560R – General Management Practice for International Business
• MGT 560T – Effective Communication for Business Leaders
• MGT 560U – Global Institutions and Values
• MGT 560V – Values-Based/Data-Driven Decision Making
• OB 500F – Foundations of Impactful Teamwork
• OB 5603 – Diversity, Equity and Inclusion

Students wishing to request a course waiver should complete the Course Waiver form and return it to their academic advisor. Course waiver requests will then be reviewed for approval by the Academic Director for the Full-time MBA program.

Olin Business School recognizes that students may wish to take coursework outside of Olin in order to achieve an individual education. Students may elect to take coursework in other divisions of Washington University, under the following conditions:

• No such course may be taken during the first and second semesters of the program.
• Courses must be selected from the day division of our partner schools (courses offered through University College or in evening divisions are not eligible.)
• Students must be in good academic standing.
• Courses must be pre-approved in order for the associated credits (up to 9) to be applied toward the 67 credits required for the MBA degree.

Students hoping to enroll in coursework in other divisions should contact their academic advisor to submit the course waiver and substitution request form. Requests will be reviewed for approval by the Academic Director of the Full-time MBA program.

Students may drop or withdraw from courses during specific periods during the resignation period and term as listed in the Olin Graduate Programs Academic Calendar. A faculty member’s signature or Graduate Programs Office approval is not needed for students who are dropping or withdrawing from a course during the period specified by the academic calendar.

Before the first day of a short course or weekender course, students may drop a course unless the instructor indicates others.

A non-disciplinary grade may be changed only by the professor in whose course the grade was initially given. A faculty member may change a grade from “N” providing that the work is made up within 60 days of completion of the course. Exceptions to the 60-day limit must be discussed with the faculty member and academic advisor.

Independent Study under the direction of a faculty member is available on a selective basis. The purpose of independent study is to provide an opportunity for students to pursue subject matter beyond the specific course offerings found in the school. Independent study is not viewed as a vehicle for getting credit for something in which the student may already be involved (e.g., a job or project in another course). It is an opportunity to get more in-depth exposure to an area of interest under the supervision and direction of a faculty member.

Typically, a student will discuss with a particular faculty member the possibility of receiving supervision on an independent study research project. Projects may receive anywhere from 1.5 to 6 academic credits, but normally no more than 3 credits may be granted in any one semester. Students may apply a maximum of 6 hours of independent study credit toward the 67-credit degree requirement.

Once a project is agreed upon between student and professor, the student must submit an Independent Study form to the academic advisor for evaluation and approval. The petition should outline the topics to be covered, texts or other research material to be used, and research methodology to be employed. Students must be in good academic standing to be approved for independent study.

Students may need to consider pursuing a Leave of Absence during their time to degree for various reasons. If a student is considering a Leave of Absence, they should contact t their Academic Advisor to discuss.

Olin Business School is a community of individuals with diverse backgrounds and interests who share certain fundamental goals. Primary among these goals is the creation and maintenance of an atmosphere conducive to the learning and professional growth of everyone in the community.

Becoming a member of the Olin community is a privilege that brings certain responsibilities and expectations. The success of Olin in attaining its goals and maintaining its reputation of academic excellence depends on the willingness of its members, both collectively and individually, to meet their responsibilities. It is imperative that all individuals associated with Olin conduct themselves with the utmost integrity in all aspects of their life, both on and off campus.

Plagiarism and other forms of cheating will not be tolerated. Where a student has violated the integrity of the academic community, an instructor may recommend that the student be brough before the Academic Review Committee. Please review Integrity Matters for more information.

Each semester, students are able to enroll in a maximum number of credits. If the semester’s established limit is exceeded, the student will be charged the per credit rate for all hours beyond the limit. If the student has extenuating circumstances, they may petition the Graduate Programs Office to exceed the stated semester credit cap without incurring additional tuition charges. Students cannot exceed 76 total credit hours during their MBA degree.

Class of 2024*

Class of 2025*

A student is considered disengaged when they rail to attend class, do not respond to communications form faculty and/or staff or have not completed the registration process for the next academic term. Advisors will attempt to contact the student by utilizing both the phone and email addresses on record with the school. If the student fails to respond to communication, does not register in their required academic course load or is not in financial good standing by the add/drop date of the semester, the leave of absence would be initiated as soon as the Graduate Programs Office becomes aware.

If a student is placed on an administrative Leave of Absence in the middle of a semester, they remain responsible for the tuition charges according to the refund schedule. If the student fails to respond at the end of the leave term, the leave will be extended of one additional semester (excluding summer terms). At the end of the two semesters on a leave of absence, if they student has a not developed a plan to complete their curriculum with their academic advisor, the student will be administratively withdrawn from their graduate Business program at Washington University. Summer terms are excluded for Full-time MBA and SMP students but included for Executive MBA, Professional MBA and online programs. IF the student wishes to return to the program at a future date following their withdrawal, they will follow the application process for the program in the term they wish to start and be required to meet all admission requirements for the program.

Students interested in making such a transfer should contact their academic advisor. Students enrolled in the Full-time MBA program are required to pay for at least four semesters of tuition at the Full-time MBA student rate. After fulfilling the tuition requirement of the Full-time MBA program as stated in the Conditions of Enrollment, students are able to formally request to switch to the PMBA or OMBA program by completing a petition with the Graduate Programs Office. This approval will allow them to switch to the PMBA or OMBA and pay the associated program tuition rate. Any scholarship awarded upon admission to the Full-time MBA program will not apply to students switching to the PMBA or OMBA program.

Students who transition from the Full-time MBA to Professional or Online MBA program will be required to complete a total of 60 credit hours to satisfy the degree requirements.

As many as 9 units of transfer credit may be accepted toward Olin MBA degree requirements, provided that the prior coursework meets the following criteria:

• The credits were taken at the graduate level at another business school program accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB).
• It can be demonstrated (e.g. by course syllabi) that the coursework taken is comparable in content (for required courses) or acceptable in quality  (for elective courses) to Washington University courses.
• A grade of ‘B’ or better was achieved in the coursework for which transfer credit is requested.

Students seeking acceptance of transfer credit should submit a transcript, applicable syllabi, and a petition requesting review of the proposed coursework to their academic advisor. Transfer credit requests will then be reviewed for approval by the Academic Director for the Full-time MBA program.