In the Fast Track program, you can . . . Earn a nationally ranked MBA in two years
Work in a collaborative, team-based learning environment
Build your personal and professional network
Learn from world-class faculty teaching in the #1 program for entrepreneurship
Apply what you learn immediately to your career
Babson leads the field in creating innovative solutions for part-time students. Our Fast Track program now makes it possible for working professionals like you to continue your career while earning an MBA—in just 24 months. Ranked #1 in entrepreneurship by U.S. News & World Report, Babson offers the flexibility of online and on-campus study that makes learning on your own time a reality.
The program is delivered via distance learning, approximately 18-22 hours per week, and face-to-face instruction which will take place at Babson College and in Portland, Oregon. The two day face-to-face sessions are held approximately every six weeks, all day on Fridays and Saturdays.
Our next classes start September 2007 for both the Babson Campus and Portland, OR locations. While program calendars have yet to be established, the following are past calendars offered for reference: Babson Campus (enrolled September 2006) and Portland, OR (enrolled September 2006).
The curriculum is divided into Building Business Insight, Advanced Business Leadership, and electives that trace the business development cycle across the entrepreneurial thinking curriculum. More flexibility is afforded as students enter the elective portion of their programs. Elective choices include distance-learning courses, independent studies, international electives, and on-campus as well as seminar-style courses offered through Babson Executive Education.
Pre-Work
Following admission to the Fast Track program, students are required to show competency in several areas in order to prepare for the program. These prerequisites to enrolling in Fast Track cover the following areas: basic accounting, basic statistics, basic IT fluency, and basic microeconomics. Pre-Work requirements can be fulfilled based on your prior coursework or work experience. For those who do not meet the requirements based on previous experience or coursework, online tutorials are available for self-study preparation followed by online examinations. All pre-work must be successfully completed prior to beginning the program.
Residency Kickoff at Babson and in Portland, Oregon (Five Days)
The Fast Track program begins with a five day Residency Kickoff designed to introduce students to the program and each other. The Kickoff includes an introduction to entrepreneurship, creativity, and a business simulation. All features are designed to prepare students to work in teams, think creatively, and begin to look holistically at business issues. Students also will have the opportunity to meet Babson faculty and staff and will get to know their classmates through team activities and various social networking events.
Building Business Insight (BBI) (Eight Months)
The Fast Track program continues with a series of eight courses which we call Building Business Insight. These courses cover foundation material designed to provide all students with the skills that all managers need to have. The courses include:
- Creativity, Innovation and Entrepreneurship
- Leadership and Human Behavior
- Managerial Assessment and Development
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Finance and Financial Statement Analysis
- Managing and Controlling Operations
- Markets and Marketing
- Ethics and Law
- Strategy
Students have the opportunity to waive several of these courses by taking waiver exams that will confirm competency in those selected areas. The BBI's that cannot be waived are Creativity, Innovation and Entrepreneurship, Managerial Assessment and Development, and Strategy.
The BBI's are delivered in a blended learning format of both online distance learning and face-to-face classroom sessions.
Advanced Business Leadership (ABL) (Eight Months)
Following the completion of the BBI's, students embark on the integrated and applied holistic management perspective. With entrepreneurship at its core, ABL is subdivided into the following cross-disciplinary curriculums:
- Opportunity Assessment
- Delivery Systems
- Growth and Renewal
Each of the curriculums is comprised of different disciplines. Opportunity Assessment is comprised of marketing, finance, strategy, and decision support/analysis. Delivery Systems is comprised of operations, managerial accounting, information technology, marketing, organizational design, and finance. The final ABL, Growth and Renewal, includes national business systems, macroeconomics, and finance.
Electives (18 Weeks)
Following the completion of ABL, students take four elective courses (two at a time) taking place in two segments of nine weeks each. The electives are delivered in the flexible blended format and will provide more detail into a student’s area of interest.
Capstone Project (13 Weeks)
The Fast Track program culminates with the Capstone Project. The goal of the required capstone is to pull together newly developed capabilities and apply them in an integrated managerial fashion. The capstone experience involves a student-driven project based on a real workplace issue. The project may be individual or team-based. Corporate sponsored students may have their project outlined by their employer.
Online Tool Kits (Ongoing)
Throughout the Fast Track program, students have access to online tool kits. These tool kits are designed as a Web-based learning unit that allows the student to review and master a single concept.
