Find out which classes are required for MBA admissions and which are highly recommended.
When it comes to preparing for an MBA as an undergraduate, there isn’t just one path. Many business majors go on to get an MBA, but plenty of engineering and English majors do as well. While business majors may have an advantage because they took some of the relevant coursework, MBA programs look for diverse backgrounds and accept undergraduates from many different fields of study. That said, there are some general guidelines and coursework that you can do to help prepare for an MBA program.
In order to prepare for an MBA program, it would be helpful to have taken classes in finance, financial analysis, mathematics, accounting, statistics and economics.
MBA Degree Prerequisites
Although not everyone heading into an MBA degree program will be a business major, MBA degree programs will assume that you have some knowledge of business and its associated fields. In order to prepare for an MBA program, it would be helpful to have taken classes in finance, financial analysis, mathematics, accounting, statistics and economics. In addition, experience with the Excel computer program is a big plus.
If you are unfamiliar or shaky in these areas, you may want to take classes to help prepare yourself for the rigors of an MBA program. Some schools offer a pre-MBA course, either as a seminar or online, to help familiarize or re-familiarize students with basic business concepts such as finance, accounting, statistics and economics. These classes are not only beneficial for non-business majors who may not have taken basic finance classes in college, they are also helpful to business majors who have taken time off before pursuing an MBA degree.
Coursework for MBA Degree Prerequisites
By taking finance, accounting, statistics and economics classes, you will be able to show MBA degree program admissions officers that you are familiar with business and able to handle the coursework.
Prerequisite coursework might not be needed for business majors who recently graduated or for those who took college courses in business.
Colleges may require you to complete coursework in prerequisites before enrolling in MBA courses. Courses may be done during summer or fall semesters before begining MBA classes. Common prerequisite classes include business math, business economics, statistics, marketing and finance.
Other Common Classes for MBA Degrees
While basic math courses are necessary prerequisites for MBA degrees, other classes might be beneficial to prepare for an MBA degree. These classes include:
- Macro/micro economics
- Statistics
- Math
- Calculus
- Economics
- Business
- Accounting
- Marketing