Students may earn a MBA degree with as few as 30 semester hours, but even a student with a bachelor's degree in business will be generally required to take a few foundation courses. However students with other majors may need all foundation courses to complete a MBA program for a total of 60 semester hours. Graduate courses require roughly twice as much effort as undergraduate courses. For example a graduate principles of accounting foundation course covers as much material as two undergraduate principles of accounting courses. Term papers or presentations may be required weekly, and courses may require extensive readings.
Graduate programs follow strict rules.
Also very few graduate hours may be transferred from another school, so students should finish the graduate program where they begin. Many graduate business programs do not have residency requirements, but some require two consecutive semesters of full-time enrollment. Graduate programs demand higher grades than undergraduate programs. Graduate classes require many hours of hard work including group projects and presentations. Personal computer skills and research skills are essential.