All students are required to attend MBA Orientation at the end of August. MBA Orientation is designed and delivered by faculty, program staff, and second-year MBA student mentors (Core Mentors). It provides students with a welcoming introduction to MIT Sloan and prepares students for the Core, Cohort, and Core Team experience.
All entering MBA students are required to complete the Fall Core subjects in their first semester. Waivers and/or substitutions for the Fall Core subjects are not allowed. One of the fundamental principles of the Core curriculum is to provide a common experience and foundation for all MBA students. Because of this, students with prior experience in a particular area are encouraged to take a more active role in the educational process of their cohort and team. All students are expected to adhere to academic honesty standards.
The Fall Core consists of six required Core courses, one of four elective courses, and an optional Entrepreneurship & Innovation, Finance, or Enterprise Management Certificate Seminar. First year MBAs are not permitted to register, including as a Listener, for any courses beyond those listed below.
Required Core Courses
- 15.002 Leadership Challenges for an Inclusive World (LEAD Week)
- 15.010 Economic Analysis for Business Decisions
- 15.060 Data, Models, and Decisions
- 15.280 Communication for Leaders
- 15.311 Organizational Processes
- 15.515 Financial Accounting
Core Elective Classes
First-year MBA students enroll in one introductory-level elective course during their first semester at MIT Sloan.
- 15.401 Managerial Finance
- 15.761 Introduction to Operations Management
- 15.814 Marketing Innovation
- 15.900 Competitive Strategy
15.002 Leadership Challenges for an Inclusive World
During LEAD week, first-year MBA students in 15.002 engage in a series of workshops over three consecutive days in the middle of the Core semester. You’ll reflect on your values, leadership style, and how to foster high-impact, inclusive organizations. Through experiential sessions and peer dialogue, you’ll develop practical skills in leading yourself, leading others, and leading with integrity, anchoring your academic experience in self-awareness, accountability, and the ability to shape thriving cultures.
To ensure focused immersion in this course, all regular academic activities at Sloan are suspended throughout LEAD week. Refer to the course Canvas site for more information. This course is graded P/D/F and is an MBA degree requirement.
LGO students participate in one Ethics workshop during LEAD week for 15.002.
MBA Core Semester Attendance Policy
Students are required to fully attend all classes. Attendance and participation enhance the quality of learning in the MBA Core through the sharing of lived experience and perspectives of class participants.
An excused absence will be granted for religious observance, illness or emergency. MBA Core semester faculty will also allow students up to 2 excused absences per course (1 for courses that only meet once per week) for pre-arranged and unavoidable professional development conflicts.
It is the responsibility of the student to notify their faculty or TAs of all absences. Any request for an excused professional development absence should be sent in advance and include the name of the company and briefly identify the nature of the conflict (e.g. interview or conference).
The following class sessions are mandatory and excused absences are not available for professional development:
- Midterms and Final Exams in all Core semester courses
- 15.002 LEAD Week
- Course-specific sessions as indicated in each Core semester class syllabus (e.g. 15.311 Team Day on 9/19/25)
Unexcused absences will result in a student receiving a zero for class participation credit for the missed class.
Please refer to your course syllabus for course-specific attendance-tracking practices, make-up work expectations, and grading policies. Students whose attendance is impacted by recurring illness/ personal emergency should notify their faculty/ TAs of absences immediately and meet with their program advisor to discuss.
Cohorts and Core Teams
Entering MBA students are assigned to one of six cohorts, named after oceans and seas. Each cohort is divided into twelve small groups of six to seven students each, known as Core teams. Students take all of the Core subjects with their assigned cohort and Core teams act as study groups throughout the Core semester. Note that Leaders for Global Operations (LGO) students are assigned to MBA cohorts and Core teams but do not take 15.060 in the Fall semester. LGO students also take additional electives in engineering during the Core semester.
Cohort Advising
Each cohort will be assigned an advisor from the MBA Program Office. Cohort advisors are available to students for any academic or personal issues or questions that may arise during the two years of the MBA program. Advisors also help students plan their course of study and choose classes in subsequent semesters after the first semester Core.