How long is an MBA program?
The flagship Full-Time MBA program at Northeastern's D'Amore-McKim School of Business prepares you to lead in today's complex business world and stand out amongst your peers. An MBA can be a significant investment, and it's imperative to understand how much time you'll need to spend in the program.
How long will it take to get an MBA? On average, most students complete our Full-Time MBA program in 2 years including our signature corporate residency, an opportunity to work full-time at a leading firm or startup in and earn a salary for up to 12 months.
To understand the time commitment, let's break down the structure and timeline of our Full-Time MBA.
Year One
Students can expect to advance their skills and knowledge in the first year through rigorous academics and project-based work. Beginning with the fall semester, students undertake foundational MBA courses and a career management course.
“In my first year at D'Amore-McKim, I have experienced myself grow tremendously into the individual and professional that I am seeking to evolve into in the future,” said Syed Amir Ali, MBA'18. “I developed the confidence to trust my inner voice in a room of other business-minded individuals—not just as a mark of my own thoughts, but also to hone my thinking by allowing my ideas to interact comfortably with the thought processes of others. Secondly, I have kindled a fire to embrace the fun within a challenge.”
In the spring semester, students begin courses in their concentration, which includes experience-powered learning.
Experience-powered learning opportunities are tailored for driven professionals and set you up for real-world opportunities. They include the ability for students to manage a real mutual fund, called the 360 Huntington Fund; the chance to take international field studies and similar elective courses, where students are immersed in the business practices of another culture; and even Global or Domestic Consulting Projects where students can collaborate with other professionals and tackle real business problems for a multinational company, local firm or startup.
Students can engage in these exciting opportunities at any time throughout their D'Amore-McKim experience.
Corporate Residency
In the summer, students begin a paid corporate residency with a leading firm or start-up. During their corporate residency, students apply in-class learning to real-world business scenarios, take on significant responsibilities, deliver on business goals, and make an impact on day-to-day operations. With a historically 100% placement rate and support from the Graduate Career Center, this opportunity allows you to graduate with a robust industry network already in place. In fact, 78% of students in the class of 2020 accepted a job offer within 3 months of graduation.
“My corporate residency has allowed me to use skills I've developed in the classroom and hone my strategic thinking capability to solve complex problems. I've been working alongside senior leadership, and the exposure has been invaluable to my professional development,” said Leah Riley, MBA'20.
Year Two
Depending on your corporate residency length, you may continue to work through the fall or even the following spring. Most of our MBA program's second year is about wrapping up electives and concentration courses, so if you participate in a year-long corporate residency (we offer in 3-, 6-, and 12-month durations), work will carry over into the spring of the second year.
“I worked on the Customer and Market Insights team at Biogen, a global biotech company, for a year. It was an excellent introduction to the business side of biotech companies,” said Irina Zolotnitskaya, MBA'21.
In our MBA program, you'll also have the opportunity to gain exposure to diverse perspectives and competencies in multiple disciplines
Our corporate partners and hiring alumni have told us clearly that they want leaders with multidimensional backgrounds. That's why our curriculum allows you to take courses outside of the business school. You might experiment with classes in our College of Arts, Media & Design; learn from distinguished professors in our College of Engineering or College of Engineering; improve your tech abilities at the Khoury College of Computer Science; pursue a passion for liberal arts in our College of Social Sciences & Humanities, and even explore something new through our College of Science.
You'll be able to work with your academic advisor to choose to tailor these classes to align with your career goals.
Does a Full-Time MBA work for you?
Pursuing an MBA is a rewarding and life-changing decision, and part of that decision requires exploring the length of MBA programs and deciding what is manageable for you.
If you're a working professional pursuing a graduate degree, Northeastern's immersive Full-Time MBA may not be suitable for your schedule. In this case, our Part-Time MBA could be a great alternative. On average, the Part-Time MBA program takes three years to complete, and the flexible curriculum makes it easier to balance both work and school.
Regardless of which program length works best for you, an MBA will prepare you to graduate as a resilient and agile leader—one who is ready to lead in today's complex business world.