Stanford Revamps MBA Program

Stanford's Graduate School of Business will revamp its MBA curriculum beginning in the fall of 2007, emphasizing global management practices in a more individualized approach.

Fundamentals subjects such as finance, accounting, operations, marketing and strategy, organizational behavior and economics remain a part of the curriculum, says Prof. Garth Saloner, who led the task force recommending the changes. "But the plan capitalizes on the school's strategic choice to remain small, and it makes students think about what is necessary to good management from the first week they arrive here."

The school said its revised approach includes a high degree of customization, a more global curriculum, and expanded development of leadership and communication skills. After a common program during the first quarter, students will face a distributed set of requirements intended to give them the range of knowledge managers require, the school says.

The plan is also intended to be more global, requiring students to get experience with international issues through travel, internships or student exchanges.