Guest speakers sometimes appear in class to share their experiences. Class participation in the discussions by all students is essential. The course work requires, in addition to going to class, reading the text and management journals as well as other books that may be assigned by the instructor, writing term papers and book reports if required, and similar work designed to show the student's mastery of the topic. Students should expect at least two to three hours of additional individual or group study for every hour of class time. Formal written exams are used in some courses.
Many courses require projects to be completed by small teams of students.
Students enrolled continuously in the program take between two and five years to complete the degree, depending on whether they take more than one course at a time and whether they take summer courses. Students can take up to seven years, but are advised against doing so in their own interest. A four-year schedule is illustrated in the Model Curriculum Track following in this catalog. Selected courses are offered at remote sites and during the summer. Students may take courses at any site, if their circumstances permit.