Harvard MBA
This Ivy League institution in Boston, Massachusetts is ranked so highly, in part, because of its stringent selection criteria. They only accept the most outstanding MBA applicants, and their rejection rate is said to be as high as 85 percent.
The MBA program at Harvard takes two years to complete. During the first year, all students are required to take the same courses, regardless of the specialization they will later pursue. Mandatory first year courses include those focusing on general finances, leadership, marketing, information technology, international business issues, and negotiation. In total, 11 courses must be completed during the first year.
During the second year, students are allowed to enroll in courses that will aid them in finding a career in their area of specialization. Students are entirely free to choose which courses they wish to take, and there is an extensive list of electives offered. Each course falls under one of several main categories, including accounting and management, finance, general management, marketing, strategy, and technology and operations management.
At Harvard Business School, student participation is encouraged and highly valued, often accounting for as much as 50 percent of the student's grade in any given class. The institution is a huge advocate of the case method, and this approach was actually developed by Harvard faculty decades ago. Students are presented with a business situation and asked to study the information and come up with a solution to address the problem or issue presented. Then, they participate in class discussions, comparing opinions, analyzing the effectiveness of suggested approaches, and offering other solutions based on the input of others. There is no right answer, but the goal is to look at issues from many different sides. In this way, Harvard classes are quite different from those offered by many institutions in which the professor often spends class time presenting facts and material.
For those who are successful in being accepted to Harvard Business School, there is no doubt it is a great institution with a strong reputation. A Harvard MBA will go a long way towards ensuring graduates are gainfully employed upon graduation.