Degree Completion

The Executive MBA requires the completion of 60 credit units in a lockstep fashion as part of a cohort.

MBA Grading System

All Olin MBA programs utilize a pass/fail grading system. As such, grade points are not assigned, and semester class rankings are not calculated. The Olin MBA grading system is as follows:

• HP (High Pass): Maximum of 20% of any section/course
• P (Pass): Satisfactory performance
• LP (Low Pass): Minimum level of acceptable performance
• NP (No Pass): If a required course, the course must be repeated. There is no credit for NP.
• N (No Grade): The faculty member has not yet entered a grade for the course.
• I (Incomplete): Course work is not complete on the date that grades are recorded. After 90 days, an incomplete grade is  automatically changed to an NP unless prior arrangements have been made with the Assistant Dean and Director of Graduate Programs Student Affairs, the academic director, and the faculty member teaching the course.

Grade Changes

A nondisciplinary grade may be changed only by the professor in whose course the grade was initially given. A faculty member may change a grade from "I" providing that the work is made up within 60 days of faculty posting grades. Exceptions to the 60-day limit must be discussed with the faculty member and/or an academic advisor.

Academic Performance Standards

At the end of each semester, student academic performance is evaluated and must be maintained at a level consistent with the standards established by Olin.

• If a student receives an NP grade, they will be required to retake the course or to take a preapproved equivalent course in the Full-Time MBA or Professional MBA program. The student will not be able to graduate until completion of the makeup course.
• Any student with an NP grade or more than three LP grades will be placed on academic probation. The case will be considered by the Academic Review Committee, and the student may receive additional academic sanctions, up to and including academic dismissal.
• Any student earning more than one LP grade is encouraged to meet with their academic advisor to determine the underlying cause of the low grades and to develop a plan for improving performance.
• Students with more than 9 credits of LP grades are ineligible to graduate.

Satisfactory Academic Progress

Federal aid recipients' academic progress will be evaluated on an annual basis by WashU Student Financial Services. Failure to meet the necessary criteria can result in the suspension of future aid eligibility, although students will be granted an opportunity to appeal. Graduate students are expected to achieve the minimum GPA requirements for their specific programs, in addition to meeting federal standards for cumulative pace and completion of their degree program within a prescribed number of attempted hours (grades of W, I, and NP will place a student in jeopardy of not meeting these standards). Please direct any questions about Satisfactory Academic Progress standards or the appeal process to olinfinancialservices@wustl.edu. 

Professional Code of Conduct/Academic Integrity

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 personal 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 lives, 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 brought before the Academic Review Committee. Please review Integrity Matters (PDF) for more information.

Class Attendance

Class attendance is mandatory for all EMBA students.

• Regardless of whether prior approval is received from a professor, a student who misses more than 25% of the class hours for the course will be considered to have missed the entire course. The student will be given an NP grade if they do not attend 75% of the course.
• If a student misses a course, they are required to make up the course with the next EMBA cohort.
• Students should work with the EMBA advising team to ensure they are enrolled in a makeup class. Graduation from the program will be delayed until completion of the makeup course.
• A student who misses more than two courses may be asked to begin with a new cohort.

All EMBA students are expected to attend class and to be prepared for active participation at each meeting.

• If students find themselves in a situation in which absence cannot be avoided, they may watch an online recording of a St. Louis–based class session, when available, through Canvas. Class recordings should therefore be considered a tool provided to aid learning when absences are unavoidable.
• Relative to the EMBA attendance policy, viewing recordings of missed class sessions is not considered a substitute for or equivalent to live classroom participation.
• All EMBA program recorded material is protected under the copyright laws of the United States. Therefore, all EMBA students will sign the policy statement, which will be kept on file until they graduate, indicating their understanding that class session recordings are the intellectual property of each individual instructor and under United States copyright law may not be copied or distributed without express written permission.

Course Registration

In the EMBA program, students complete courses in a lockstep fashion, and they will be registered by the Graduate Programs Office for all courses. Requesting changes to the course schedule will need to be communicated to the academic advisor and the appropriate registration policies adhered to, depending upon the situation.

Tuition Refund Schedule

Note: This schedule may not apply if a student is dropping all courses or withdrawing from the program; students in these situations should consult with their Graduate Programs advisor.

Flat-Rate Tuition Programs

Withdrawal Date/Refund

Withdrawal Date	Refund
Within the first week of classes	100%
After the first week and before the end of the third week	75%
After the third week and before the end of the seventh week	50%
After the seventh week and before the end of the eighth week	25%
After the eighth week of classes	No refund or withdrawal

Withdrawal and Federal Loans

Regulations governing the return of Title IV funds (unsub and Graduate PLUS loans) require the school to determine the earned and unearned portions of disbursed loans as of the date the student ceased attendance. Students who are considering a withdrawal from any or all course work should contact the Olin Financial Services team in order to understand the implications for their current student loan amount and the impacts on their grace period.

Leave of Absence

Students who need to take a leave of absence should discuss the process and implications with their academic advisor and Olin Financial Services.

Disengagement

A student is considered disengaged when they fail to attend class, do not respond to communications from 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 for their required academic course load, or is not in financial good standing by the add/drop date for 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 for one additional semester (excluding summer terms). At the end of two semesters on a leave of absence, if the student has 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.

Time Limit

Students in the EMBA program must complete the degree within seven years of beginning the program.

Intent to Graduate

Every candidate for a degree must indicate their intent to graduate by filing an Intent to Graduate form via WebSTAC in late December for May graduates and in early October for December graduates. Failure to complete the Intent to Graduate form by the respective deadline will result in failure to post the student’s degree during the semester in which they complete their program.

Awards and Honors

Graduating EMBA students will be considered for graduation with honors and asked to join the Beta Gamma Sigma National Business Honor Society if they rank in the top 20% of their graduating class. The rankings are based on the number of “High Pass” credit units earned within the EMBA curriculum.

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