Stanford School of Education with Clock Tower to the right.
- Joint and Dual Degrees
- Second Year Electives
- Classes at Stanford University
- School of Earth Sciences
- School of Education
- School of Engineering
- School of Humanities & Sciences
- School of Law
- School of Medicine
- Alliance for Innovative Manufacturing (AIM)
- Bio-X Program
- Institute of Design at Stanford (d.school)
- IPER (Interdisciplinary Graduate Program in Environment and Resources)
Curriculum—Second Year
| AUTUMN QUARTER | WINTER QUARTER | SPRING QUARTER |
|---|---|---|
| Intensive Seminars | Synthesis Seminar | |
B r o a d C h o i c e o f E l e c t i v e s |
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| Accounting Entrepreneurship Finance Global Management Human Resources Information Technology Leadership Managerial Economics Marketing Operations Organizational Behavior Political Economics Public Management Strategic Management |
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Second Year: Deep and Tailored
This is your chance to broaden your experience and perspective, deepen knowledge in a specific area, develop your skills, or simply spark your interests.
During your second year you may choose from more than 100 electives.
Electives also allow you to shore up weak areas and ensure a solid general management foundation. This is the time to take risks and stretch beyond your comfort zone.
The electives we offer evolve to reflect changes in the business world, the social sector, and students' interests. While all courses are refreshed annually, approximately 50 percent of our electives are new or substantially revised every five years.
Because the GSB operates on a quarter system, you will have the opportunity to take up to 18 electives—most second-year MBA students take approximately 14.
Intensive Seminars
These one- and two-week seminars launch your second year. Choose among a variety of cutting-edge business topics. You will work closely with a faculty member to think deeply and build profound knowledge in that area.
During the first half of autumn quarter, you will meet in these seminar courses for several hours per day for one or two weeks.
The seminars meet only during half of the day, giving you a concentrated period for career development during this time.
Synthesis Seminar
The Synthesis Seminar complements the Critical Analytical Thinking (CAT) seminar from your first year, and involves the same group of 14-16 students with whom you experienced the CAT course.
The Synthesis Seminar will offer a weekly plenary in which faculty from distinct areas address your class on the key insights they hoped to impart in your courses.
You also will have weekly sessions with your CAT groups, led by a faculty member, that will form the basis for your personal take-aways from the MBA experience.
You take this capstone seminar in the spring quarter of your second year.
The goals of the Synthesis Seminar are to:
- Give you a chance for structured reflection on your personal growth over the last two years.
- Synthesize your key learnings at the end of your MBA experience.
- Prepare you to apply the knowledge you gained at Stanford to the professional world.
Classes At Stanford University
You also can take Stanford University classes outside of the Business School and apply approximately 12 class units toward your MBA degree.
Some students apply these units toward a second master's degree while others pursue specific interests in areas such as biotech, design, education, foreign language, geology, manufacturing, politics, and public policy.