Each student's progress toward meeting the standards for the award of the MBA degree is evaluated at intervals throughout the course of the MBA Program. The Academic Performance Committee (APC) is comprised of faculty and MBA Program administrators appointed to ensure appropriate equitable application of program standards. On behalf of the faculty, the Academic Performance Committee (APC) analyzes the academic performance of MBA students to identify two key groups:
- Students whose academic performance merits consideration for academic honors.
- Students in academic difficulty.
To support the educational goals of the MBA Program, the APC places emphasis on various performance dimensions at different points in the Program. Evaluation of the Required Curriculum (RC) focuses primarily (but not exclusively) on students' basic abilities and mastery of core concepts presented in RC courses. This mastery is required as a foundation for satisfactory completion of the elective curriculum (EC) year and for performance as a business leader. Evaluation of the Elective Curriculum (EC) places greater emphasis on students' demonstrated mastery of these skills, full commitment to HBS coursework, as well as adherence to the social contract within the HBS community, as defined by the HBS Community Values and the MBA Honor Code.
Academic Difficulty
In the academic performance review process, the MBA Program utilizes three classifications of academic difficulty:
- Academic Concern: When indicated, the MBA Program sends a student a Letter of Concern immediately after grades are released at the end of the term. The letter expresses concern about the student's academic performance, conveys the School's desire to fully support the student's progress, and cites available resources to help the student devise strategies for improvement.
- Academic Alert: Students placed on Academic Alert are notified of their status with a Letter of Alert as grades are released at the end of a term. The letter expresses concern about the student's academic performance, conveys the School's desire to fully support the student's progress, and cites available resources to help the student devise strategies for improvement.
- Academic Review by the APC: As soon as practical after grades are compiled each term, the APC Secretary notifies students who are subject to review by the APC. At the end of this review, a decision is made whether to allow the student to continue into the next term (or graduate, if the review occurs after Term 4) or to require the student to withdraw from the MBA Program.
In addition to this process, an instructor may speak privately with a student whose academic performance needs improvement. The instructor may also recommend that the student seek assistance from one or more MBA Program resources. The APC and the MBA Program are committed to providing reasonable support to any MBA student who encounters academic difficulty at HBS. Students who feel that they might benefit from assistance or guidance, whether academic or personal, are encouraged to consult with MBA Student & Academic Services. Seeking assistance at HBS is regarded as a demonstration of maturity, not an admission of personal deficit or failure.
| Term | Academic Concern | Academic Alert | Academic Review |
|---|---|---|---|
| Term 1 (16.5 credits, 6 courses) | Cat. III in 2 courses | Cat. III in 3 or more courses | No APC Review at end of Term 1 See section below for overall RC Review criteria |
| Term 2 (19.5 credits, 7 courses) | Cat. III/LP in 2 courses | Cat. III/LP in 3 or more courses | Term 2: -- Cat. I/II/Pass in fewer than 6 HBS RC credits; or Terms 1 & 2 combined: |
| Term 3 (15 credits req’d; see notes below) | -- Cat.III/LP in 6 of 12 HBS credits; or -- Cat.III/LP in 4.5 of 10.5 HBS credits; or -- Cat.III/LP in 3 of 9 HBS credits |
-- Cat.III/LP in 9 HBS credits | -- Cat. I/II/Pass in only 3 HBS course credits; or -- Cat. IV/X/Fail in any course*; or -- Review or Alert after Term 2 and Alert in Term 3; or -- A "No Credit" designation in a cross-registered course needed to meet MBA requirements |
| Term 4 (15 credits req’d; see notes below) | Not applicable | Not applicable | -- Cat. I/II/Pass in only 3 HBS course credits; or -- Cat. IV/X/Fail in any course*; or -- Cat. III/LP in 50% or more of HBS credits in Terms 3 & 4 combined; or -- A "No Credit" designation in a cross-registered course needed to meet MBA requirements |
| *For joint degree students, this includes a Cat. IV/X/Fail (or equivalent) in any jointly-offered course taken as part of your formal program |
Notes:
- HBS EC courses carry either 3 or 1.5 credits. Credit values are considered when evaluating EC academic honors and difficulty.
- HBS EC Independent Projects factor into degree requirement totals and the Low Pass (LP) and Fail (F) credits impact academic honors and difficulty.
- Grades from cross-registered courses are not tallied with HBS grades, but are considered by the APC if a student is in academic difficulty based on HBS grades.
- Students in joint degree programs may have alternate academic performance standards. Please contact registrar@hbs.edu for details.
- HBS EC January-term grades are considered during the Spring term cycle unless the student is a March degree candidate.
- Grades for SIPs carry zero credits and, therefore, are not part of APC calculations. They are, however, part of the record provided to the APC for consideration when evaluating academic honors and difficulty.