MBAs finishing new curriculum

One sixth of first-year Wharton School MBA students are following a radically different curriculum this semester, according to David Reibstein, vice dean of the Wharton graduate division. The students are participating in the pilot program for the a new MBA curriculum which focuses on leadership skills, interdisciplinary skills and global perspectives. Reibstein said that corporations, business leaders, alumni, administrators and students have been consulting during the two years spent developing the new curriculum. "What we've been developing is very market-driven," Reibstein said. The pilot program began in August when 135 of the 820 first year MBA students arrived at the University four weeks early for a non-credit pre-semester program. The students spent the month taking courses in areas they were unfamiliar with. "In the pre-entry program we provide some rounding out," Reibstein said. "People with social science background do work in math, statistics, and macroeconomics whereas people with quantitative backgrounds do work in humanities," said Isik Inselbag, director of the Wharton graduate division. In addition to the humanities, accounting, economics and statistics courses, basic math and computer courses are offered. Instead of taking five semester-long courses, the students take 10 six-week modules on different topics each semester. "It provided us with much more flexibility," Reibstein said. Geopolitics, risk management, technology and quality are new topics being taught in modules. Courses that cover several different topics are being offered. "We've worked very hard to integrate the courses with one another," said Reibstein. "We've got the faculty developing the courses and working with one another." Students also take a year-long leadership skills seminar. Reibstein said he is pleased with the new curriculum. "The students are working very, very hard," said Reibstein. "In general, I think things are going very well." The other students are still following a traditional program, although slight changes are being made to it. "Some of the minicourses are being worked into the traditional curriculum,"Inselbag said. "We will be looking at the most successful aspects of both programs." Next fall, 250 of the expected 750 first year MBA students will enter under the new curriculum, Reibstein said. The year after that, the new curriculum will go into effect. The heads of the graduate division all rotated last August as a result of the new curriculum. Reibstein, who was the director and the vice dean of the graduate division, handed the job of director to Inselbag and took on the task of coordinating the new curriculum. "For the last three and a half years I've been vice dean and director of the graduate division," said Reibstein. "While I've been doing that Isik [Inselbag] was in charge of the executive MBA program. In my reorganization of the graduate division I changed my title." "Because of the importance of the pilot program [Reibstein] has the main responsibility for spearheading the pilot program," said Inselbag. Inselbag then appointed Legal Studies Department Chairperson Arnold Rosoff to his old job, director of the executive MBA program. Reibstein said that although the administration could shift back when the new curriculum is fully implemented, it is still too early to tell.

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