Curriculum

The Richmond MBA program's state-of-the-art curriculum has six major components.

Pre-course instruction gives the students a basic background in fundamental business disciplines. This instruction, consisting of CD-ROMs or an online program, is a self-paced learning activity that students must complete before attending the Opening Residency.

The Opening Residency is designed to develop esprit de corps among the students, to provide concrete take-away knowledge, and to introduce students to the goals, expectations, and methods used throughout the program. The Opening Residency is conducted over two weekends prior to the beginning of the fall semester. All students must complete the Opening Residency before beginning their MBA program.

Eleven core courses emphasize advanced analysis and decision-making in all areas of business. All students must complete MBA 501 Financial Accounting, MBA 504 Statistical Analysis for Business, and MBA 506 Economics for Managers within the first year after beginning the program. Certain advanced courses have prerequisite requirements.

The International Residency provides an in-depth experience designed to enhance students' ability to conduct business internationally. During the residency, students work on a consulting project, either for an international firm or for a US firm with interest in doing business internationally. All students are required to complete the International Residency. Students take the International Residency after completing approximately half of their MBA core courses. MBA 506 Economics for Managers, MBA 510 Financial Management, and MBA 520 Marketing Management are prerequisites.

Four elective courses, chosen from a broad set of options, further students' skills and knowledge in areas of interest.

The Capstone Project gives students a chance to incorporate the knowledge gained in their prior courses by solving a specific business problem. The Capstone project is a three-credit-hour class that students take as their last class in the program. MBA 580 Strategic Management is a prerequisite.