A multi-year study has yielded an innovative new design for the MBA program at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania.
The design reflects an institutional commitment to a radically new vision of business education as a life-long knowledge partnership between Wharton and its graduates, including ongoing tuition-free, executive-education training for new MBA graduates.

Approved by an overwhelming majority of the Wharton faculty, the new program offers MBA students greater customization and increased flexibility based on their background and experience. Building on the premier strength of the Wharton School’s academic reputation for rigor and relevance, the curriculum allows more opportunities for student self-analysis and self-understanding, which underlie effective leadership.

 “The architecture of the curriculum addresses the needs of a new global generation through flexibility, rigor and innovation,” says Dean Thomas S. Robertson. “Our research shows that this generation of business leaders wants greater control over educational choices, continued exposure to peers with deep, global experience and more opportunity in their academic experience to self-analyze and self-reflect.”

As part of the new design, Wharton is introducing a series of global modular courses that will be offered in eight countries, Robertson explains. Combined with the appointment of vice deans in global initiatives, social impact and innovation, Robertson says, Wharton intends to retain its leadership position in business education.

News articles detailing the restructuring have appeared in BusinessWeek, Inside Higher Ed and Bloomberg News.