Please review the sections below for more information about this program's policies.

Degree Completion

The Full-Time MBA degree program requires completion of a minimum of 67 credit hours based on the following parameters*:

• Students must complete 25 credits of required core courses and a minimum of 42 elective credits.

• A minimum of 58 credits must be completed in 5000-level MBA courses taught by faculty members of Olin. The remaining 9 credits may be comprised of the following:
  • Additional Olin MBA electives;
  • Preapproved Washington University non-business, graduate-level electives taken after the student has begun study as an Olin MBA candidate; or
  • A maximum of 9 credit hours of graduate coursework if the grades earned are B or better and the MBA Academic Director deems the course to be equivalent to Olin MBA classes in quality and content.
• Students studying in an approved semester-long international exchange partner program must complete a minimum of 52 credit hours in 5000-level courses taught by faculty members of Olin. The remaining credit hours (a maximum of 15) will be applied from the preapproved partner school.

*

Degree requirement rules vary for dual degree students; see "Dual Degree Programs" below for more information.

Academic Policies

Academic Performance Standards

A FTMBA student with an NP in a required course or whose combined No Pass (NP) and Low Pass (LP) credits are 15 or more is not considered to be in good academic standing and cannot graduate. To restore good academic standing, a student must repeat core courses with an NP and achieve a passing grade. Non-required courses can also be repeated after an NP or LP to improve the grade and restore good academic standing.

The Graduate Program Office evaluates the cumulative academic performance of each student at the end of each semester to determine continuation eligibility. All attempted and completed coursework is reviewed. When a student’s cumulative performance meets one of the following conditions, their record is brought to the Academic Review Committee for review:

1. An NP in any required course or
2. The combined NP and LP credits are 9 or more.

The Academic Review Committee can place a student who meets either of the above conditions on academic probation. Academic probation typically imposes student-specific limits and requirements designed to help the student achieve good academic standing. Common examples include limits on the number of credits in which a student may enroll, requirements to retake a core course, or to meet with an academic advisor. Academic probation also serves as a notice to the student that they are either no longer in good academic standing or at risk of no longer being in good academic standing.

For each student on academic probation, the Academic Review Committee can establish student-specific conditions for reinstatement to good academic standing and removal from academic probation. If the student remains enrolled, the Academic Review Committee can either remove them from academic probation in case of satisfactory progress or continue to review their record at the end of each semester and until graduation.

Olin maintains the right to remove financial scholarships for students on academic probation or not in good academic standing, and the Academic Review Committee can dismiss from the program any student whose combined NP and LP credits are 21 or more.

Attendance Expectation

Olin's Full-Time MBA program requires in-person attendance as a mandatory component of the educational experience. Students must attend courses in person for the duration of each semester of enrollment. Exceptions for short-term extenuating circumstances should be directed to the faculty for each course. 

Degree Completion Time Limit

Students in the Full-Time MBA program must complete the degree within seven years of beginning the program.

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 good financial standing by the add/drop date of the semester, the leave of absence will be initiated by Graduate Programs Office.

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, Flex 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 will be required to meet all admission requirements for the program.

Dual Degree Programs

Pursuing an Olin Dual Degree

Students admitted to the Full-Time MBA and one of the full-time Specialized Master’s Programs (SMPs) at Olin Business School can pursue a dual degree format.

Full-Time MBA students are encouraged to apply to and enroll in the chosen SMP during their first year. Dual-degree students can share up to 15 credits between the two programs, which can shorten the time needed to complete both programs. The total number of credits required will vary depending on the selected SMP degree program. Students should consult with their academic advisors for clarification of degree requirements.

Pursuing a Washington University Dual Degree

Students are able to complete the following preapproved dual degrees: MBA/JD, MBA/MSW, MBA/MPH, MBA/MD, MBA/March, MBA/MS-BME, and MBA/MEng-EECE.

Students pursuing a dual degree with another school at Washington University in St. Louis must complete a minimum of 52 credits in 5000-level MBA courses taught by faculty members of Olin Business School. These may include credits from an approved international exchange program. The remaining 15 credits will be applied from the preapproved dual degree program.

Washington University dual degree and 3/2 Engineering, Arts & Sciences, or BSBA dual degree candidates are not eligible to pursue Olin dual degree status and may not add an SMP during their program of study.

Grade Changes

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 of N providing that the work is made up within 60 days of the completion of the course. Exceptions to the 60-day limit must be discussed with the faculty member and/or an academic advisor.

Students who fail a required course must retake the course. Students may choose to retake failed elective courses but are not required to do so. Students will not earn the course credit required for program completion for failed courses.

If a student would like to dispute a grade, they should first speak with their Academic Advisor regarding the process. Course grade appeals must be made within 120 days following the official end of the semester in which the course occurred. The official end of each semester is available on the university website and should align with the deadline date for course grades to be uploaded. Appeals after 120 days will only be allowed in extenuating circumstances and will require approval from the Vice Dean of Education.

Grading System

Leave of Absence (LOA)

Students who need to take an LOA should discuss the process and implications with their academic advisor and Olin Financial Services.

Voluntary LOA: A student may request an LOA for academic or personal reasons by filling out the form linked on the University Registrar's website. Requests for LOAs must be approved by the Assistant Dean for Academic Advising. 

LOA Impact on Financial Aid: Students receiving financial aid should be advised that at the end of 60 days or more LOA, the grace period for loan repayment during an LOA may be exhausted. In such cases, there will be an obligation for the student to start making payments. According to the federal rules under which loans are made, the use of a grace period during an LOA will generally mean that the schedule for loan repayment may be changed. Students who are receiving financial assistance should consult with the Olin Financial Services to determine the implications of an LOA for their financial aid.

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. 

Full-Time MBA Specializations

Full-Time MBA students can choose to add one or more specializations to their degree. Each specialization requires 12 unique credits to complete. Specializations are optional and not required for degree completion. Students must declare their specialization(s) in Workday before they apply for program completion.

Transfer Credit

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.
• 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.
• The credits were completed within seven years of the student's anticipated graduation date.

Students seeking the acceptance of transfer credit should submit a transcript, applicable syllabi, and a petition requesting a 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.

Transfers Between MBA Programs

Students must complete the program to which they were admitted and enrolled as it was designed. Transfers from one program to another are not allowed. Students enrolled in the Full-Time MBA program are required to pay at least four semesters of tuition at the Full-Time MBA flat-tuition rate. If a student has completed the tuition requirement for the Full-Time MBA program but still has degree requirements remaining, they will be required to pay additional tuition at the credit rates identified in the Semester Credit Cap section below. 

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. All individuals associated with Olin must 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.

Courses and Registration

The Graduate Programs Office works with the Olin Registrar Office to register Full-Time MBA students for their first semester of coursework. Each semester thereafter, students perform their own registration via Workday. Students are required to meet with their academic advisors to obtain authorization for registration.

Adding a Course

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 course.

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

Auditing a Course

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, to 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 they do apply to the maximum credits allowed each semester without paying additional tuition.
• 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 prerequisite requirements. If a student has audited a particular prerequisite for a course, they will need instructor permission to enroll in that course.

Course Waivers

Course waivers are intended to allow students to avoid the 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 core courses can be waived. The following courses may not be waived:

Course List

Code	Title	Units
MGT 5311	Introduction to Management and Strategy	1.5
MGT 5341	Advanced Topics in Management & Strategy	1.5
MGT 5602	Building Business Narratives	2
OB 5000	Foundations of Impactful Teamwork	3
OB 5001	Foundations of Impactful Teamwork II	1.5

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.

Coursework in Other Divisions

Olin Business School recognizes that students may wish to take coursework outside of Olin in order to achieve an individualized 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 semester of the program.
• Courses must be selected from the day division of our partner schools (courses offered through the School of Continuing & Professional Studies or in evening divisions are not eligible).
• Students must be in good academic standing.
• Courses must be preapproved 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 request. Requests will be reviewed for approval by the Academic Director of the Full-Time MBA program.

Dropping or Withdrawing from a Course

Students may drop or withdraw from courses during specified periods during the registration 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. It is recommended that students speak with their advisor prior to dropping a course.

Before the first day of a short course or a weekend course, a student may drop a course unless the instructor indicates otherwise.

Dropping a course will leave no record of the enrollment on the student's transcript. Withdrawing from a course will keep the enrollment on the transcript with a W grade. The student's GPA will not be impacted.

Independent Study

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, a 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 units of independent study credit toward the 67-credit degree requirement.

Once a project is agreed upon between the student and the 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, the texts or other research material to be used, and the research methodology to be employed. Students must be in good academic standing to be approved for independent study.

Semester Credit Caps

Each semester, students can enroll in a maximum number of credits as follows:

• Fall Semester/Year 1 = 21 credits
• Spring Semester/Year 1 = 19 credits
• Fall Semester/Year 2 = 18 credits
• Spring Semester/Year 2 = 18 credits

If a semester credit cap is exceeded, the student will be charged charged additional tuition based on their program's calculated credit rate. This rate is calculated by dividing the total program tuition cost (assuming no annual tuition increases) by the total number of credits required for degree completion. For intra-Olin dual degree candidates, the rate used is the lesser of the two program rate calculations. A student with extenuating circumstances may petition the Graduate Programs Office to exceed the stated semester credit cap without incurring additional tuition charges.

Tuition and Financial Information

For helpful information about Olin Financial Services, including the Tuition Refund Schedule, please visit the Financial Information page of this Bulletin.

Note: This schedule may not apply if a student is dropping all courses or withdrawing from their program. Questions should be directed to the student's academic advisor.

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 coursework should contact the Olin Financial Services team to understand the implications for their current student loan amount and the impacts on their grace period.

Curricular Practical Training (CPT)

CPT is work that is a part of a structured program offered in the FTMBA curriculum. Examples of CPT at Olin include summer internships and internships during the final semesters of the program.

• Students must get approval from Olin, enroll in the CPT-approved course, and then obtain approval from the Office for International Students and Scholars (OISS).
• Students must complete one academic year (both fall and spring semesters) before becoming eligible for CPT.

Enrolling in CPT

After a student has accepted an offer of paid or unpaid employment, they must follow these instructions:

1. Report the offer to the Center for Career Engagement.
2. Request that the company mail or email an offer letter on company letterhead to the student.
   1. Status: Part-time work is considered up to 20 hours/week. Full-time work is considered 21 or more hours/week. Students are permitted to work part-time during the academic year (fall and spring semesters), but they can work part-time or full-time during the summer semester or the final semester if enrolled in fewer than 10 credits.
   2. Length of internship: Minimum one month for full-time internships, or six weeks for part-time internships.
   3. Term Dates: Washington University Academic Calendar
3. Complete the internship registration survey, including the CPT application form and offer letter, which can be accessed in the Graduate Programs Office or by contacting their academic advisor.
4. The student will be enrolled in MGT 5515 Internship, Business and Application for the appropriate term. This course does not count toward the 67 credits needed to complete the FTMBA degree program.
   1. Credit units = 1.5; grading method = pass/fail
   2. Note: Students will not be charged tuition by the credit unit for this 1.5-credit course during the summer term.
   3. If students complete MGT 5515 in a spring or fall semester, the 1.5 credits will count toward their semester total.
   4. This course is tied to semester dates. Therefore, if employment extends beyond one semester, this entire process must be repeated before the new semester begins. Semester term dates can be found in the Washington University Academic Calendar.
   5.  Deliverables for MGT 5515 must be completed for the student to successfully pass the course.
5. OISS will issue the student a new I-20 based on the offer letter’s dates of employment. These must fall within the semester dates listed above.
6. Receive the new I-20 from OISS before starting the internship. The new I-20s will be ready three to five business days after the completed CPT application form has been received by OISS. The entire process, after the submission of the offer letter, will take three to seven business days. Students will need to present the I-20 to their employer on their first day of work and should not begin work until the process is complete.

Other Olin Policies

Group Study Room Policies and Reservations

The primary purpose of Olin Business School group study rooms is to provide a space for Olin students and clients to engage in collaborative and cooperative study in small groups. The following policies exist to ensure that Olin students and clients have priority use of the rooms, the rooms are appropriately maintained, and clear expectations are in place.

• Group study rooms in Bauer Hall and Knight Hall may be reserved only by Olin Business School degree candidates and only via the online reservation system. Students not enrolled in Olin Business School degree programs may not reserve these rooms.
• Group study rooms in Simon Hall may not be reserved. They are subject to the policies below, as applicable.
• Group study rooms in the Kopolow Business Library located in Simon Hall may be reserved by any Washington University student. Students should visit the library’s front desk for information.
• Charles F. Knight Executive Education & Conference Center group study rooms (located on the second floor of the Knight Center) are strictly for the use of Olin Executive Education students and clients. Olin undergraduate and non-Executive Education graduate students may not use Knight Executive Education & Conference Center group study rooms under any circumstances. Knight Center group study rooms located on the first floor are available as noted below.
• Rooms are primarily intended for group use. A group is defined as two or more users engaged in collaborative study. Individuals engaged in simultaneous individual study are not considered a group.

Bauer Hall/Knight Hall

• Group rooms may not be reserved for individual student use.
• An individual may use an unoccupied or unreserved room. However, should a group need the room, the individual must vacate it. One group member must reserve the room using the online system at that time and before informing the individual that they must vacate it.
• If no more than one individual representing a group reservation is present 15 minutes or more after the reservation start time, the reservation is considered forfeited, and the room may be used by another group during the time that the forfeited group had reserved it.

Simon Hall and the First Floor of the Knight Center

• An online reservation system is not currently in place for the group study rooms in Simon Hall and on the first floor of Knight Center. An individual may use an unoccupied room. However, should a group wish to use the room, the individual must vacate it.

Reservation Instructions

• Rooms in Bauer Hall, Knight Hall, and Knight Center (first floor only) are reserved through the Graduate Programs Office.
• Reservations for the current day are displayed on the monitor outside each Knight Hall/Bauer Hall group study room. Reservations will also display on the GO WUSTL calendar of the student who has made the reservation on behalf of the group. First-floor Knight Center study rooms are not equipped with a monitor outside of the room, but reservations will appear on the GO WUSTL calendar of the student who made the reservation.
• Reservations may be made up to two weeks in advance. Any reservations made in advance of two weeks will be charged a fee.
• Reservations are limited to a period of two hours in length.

Room Usage Policies

• Room users are responsible for their personal property and should not leave items unattended. Olin Business School is not liable for loss or damage to personal property. Rooms cannot be reserved or held by placing personal belongings in them. Unattended items (e.g., backpacks, coats, laptops, binders) may be removed and taken to lost and found for safekeeping. Lost and found is located in the Undergraduate Office (Simon Hall) or in the Graduate Programs Office (Knight Hall and Bauer Hall).
• Rooms must be left clean and in good condition for the next users. Whiteboards must be erased and trash thrown away. “Do not erase” requests on the whiteboards will not be honored.
• Do not remove items from the group study rooms (e.g., chairs, markers, erasers, remotes).
• Should a room need to be cleaned or should an accident occur (e.g., a spilled beverage), students should email General Services immediately.
• Should audiovisual assistance be required, students should email General Services.
• Violation of these policies may result in suspension from room reservation and usage. Students should report all violation issues to their program office.

Graduation

Apply for Program Completion

Every candidate for a degree must apply for program completion via Workday. Deadlines vary depending on the anticipated graduation date, and students should reach out to their Academic Advisor if they do not know the deadline.

If the student is completing more than one degree program at Washington University, they must file a separate form for each degree program and provide all of the requested information.

Awards and Honors

Olin Business School awards are given to honor outstanding achievement. Recipients of the awards listed below are selected based on a variety of factors, and the selection process may include one or more of the following criteria: faculty vote, overall academic record and course performance.

• The Charles F. Knight Scholar Awards are presented to the top 7.5% of MBA graduates. This distinction is based on the percentage of credit units receiving HP grades.
• The top 20% of graduates in each program are invited to join the Beta Gamma Sigma business honor society. This distinction is based on the percentage of HP grades.
• The Dean’s Special Service Award is presented to those students or student organizations that have rendered extraordinary service to the school.
• The Dean’s Award for Corporate Social Responsibility recognizes a graduating MBA student who has demonstrated outstanding scholarship, leadership, and/or practice in the area of corporate social responsibility.
• The Hubert C. “Hub” Moog Prize is awarded to a graduating MBA who, in the opinion of their fellow students, best exemplifies qualities of character, leadership, and service and who also enjoys the respect, admiration, and affection of their classmates.
• The John Wayne Latchum Memorial Award is awarded to a graduating MBA who has best exemplified the qualities of integrity, loyalty, courage, and high standards of personal conduct as judged by the faculty.
• The Joseph W. Towle Prize in Organizational Leadership is awarded to the student with the strongest academic achievement in the area of organizational leadership.
• The Milford Bohm Prize is presented to an outstanding graduate student in the field of marketing as judged by the marketing faculty.
• The Paul Cuffe MBA Award for Outstanding Leadership is awarded to a graduating MBA student for outstanding leadership, academic excellence, and involvement in Olin extracurricular activities.
• The Powell Niland Prize in Operations and Manufacturing is awarded to the student with the strongest academic achievement in the area of operations and manufacturing management.
• The Olin MBA Finance Award is presented to an outstanding student in the area of finance.

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