All Master of Business Administration (MBA) students are required to fulfill all MBA core course requirements. MBA core course requirements follow a “no waiver” policy with limited exceptions as listed below. If a student has taken the equivalent core course in a Smith School MS program, it is an automatic waiver.
Exceptions to the No Waiver Policy
The following core courses may be waived if the following conditions are met:
COURSE | WAIVER REQUIREMENT |
| Financial Accounting (BUSI610 / BUSM602 / BUSO602 | Current CPA license |
| Corporate Finance (BUSI640 / BUSM758J / BUSO601) | Equivalent course at the MS or MBA level taken at an AACSB accredited university within three years of matriculation in the Smith MBA program AND successful passing of waiver examination |
| Data Driven Analytics (BUSI718D / BUSM606 / BUSO603) | Equivalent course at the MS or MBA level taken at an AACSB accredited university within three years of matriculation in the Smith MBA program AND successful passing of waiver examination |
Waiver Procedures
Waiver requests should be submitted as soon as possible after matriculating in the program (enrolling in first semester courses). Students must take the waiver exam at least two weeks before the start of the course. This is to allow enough time for the exam to be graded and final course scheduling decisions to be made. Waivers will not be considered after this deadline.
Waiver exams are comprehensive of the course material. Students are allowed two hours to complete the exam. The Masters Program Office (MPO) will provide a copy of a recent course syllabus if requested, but no other information (including a faculty/staff contact to answer questions) will be provided prior to (or during) the exam. Faculty will not be available to discuss the content or results of the examination. Waiver exams are graded “pass/fail”.
Waiver decisions are final and are not subject to appeal or negotiation. If a student is granted a course waiver, that course must be replaced with another course of equal or greater credit hours. Course waivers do not diminish the number of credits required for graduation. If a waiver is granted, please contact your advisor for guidance on replacement credits.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I drop a waived course from my track?
Once you receive a decision on your waiver request, your campus advisor will put clearance in the registration drop/add system that will allow you to drop the course(s) from your track. Do not attempt to drop course(s) from your track until you receive a decision, as the system will block the transaction until you have received the proper clearance. You must be in touch with your campus advisor to do this.
What do I take in place of a waived course?
All waived courses must be replaced with an elective. Prerequisite requirements for each elective must still be met before registering for those courses.
If I waive a course, will this reduce the number of credits required to complete the program?
No. Permission to waive a course does not reduce the number of credits required to complete the program (54 credits). All waived courses are to be replaced with an elective.
If granted a waiver but I change my mind and want to take the course, can I do so?
Yes. Students who are granted a waiver for a core course may opt to enroll in the course, thus nullifying the granted waiver.