The Kellogg School of Management

In addition to their traditional Part-Time MBA Program, Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern is now offering an Accelerated Part-Time Option. This new option caters to those who have fulfilled certain requirements as undergrads or graduates and can jump straight to the more advanced courses needed for an MBA.

The Accelerated Option provides flexibility: Students can choose the Saturday or evening program, and can take up to three courses a quarter. Working at their own pace, they can complete the degree in anywhere from one-and-a-quarter to five years.

Regarding the requisite courses for the Accelerated Option, Accounting is required, in addition to at least five other courses in Economics, Statistics, Organizational Behavior, Operations, Finance, and Marketing. Students must have earned a B or better in these courses to be eligible. To check your eligibility, take a look at the core course summaries, or complete the course template and see if your courses qualify.

My Take:

Dean Blount of Kellogg had previously announced her intention to grow Kellogg’s 12-month, full-time MBA program after a strategic review revealed it is an “underappreciated asset” at the renowned school. This accelerated, part-time program has strong similarities to the full-time 12-month program, which also requires that participants have an academic foundation in business.

Furthermore, Dean Blount also acknowledged that “we are preparing for a world where the best students may not want [the two-year, full-time MBA] and they have options.”  The flexible Accelerated Option is just one more way in which Kellogg intends to compete in a world where students — including part-time students—have options. Kellogg clearly wants to offer programs that provide students with the options they seek.

By Linda Abraham, president and founder of Accepted.com and co-author of the new, definitive book on MBA admissions, MBA Admission for Smarties: The No-Nonsense Guide to Acceptance at Top Business Schools.

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