Yale School of Management

MBA Program Stats

Academics And Programs

This year, the B-School has an enrollment of 738 MBA students. Yale has moved well beyond the conventional case-based style of teaching, employing a whole team of people both in their 21-month MBA and in the wider Global Network for Advanced Management (GNAM) network of over 30 international schools to put together its unique “raw” cases. Rather than tidy, paper-based cases, students are presented with a mass of information in several media channels like videos, news reports, interviews, and data. There is by design too much for any individual to absorb, meaning that students are forced to work in teams to create a coherent analysis all completed in 72 credit units or 624 instruction hours. The point, of course, is to mimic the way information presents itself, and the way people make decisions, in the real world.

When it comes to electives, Yale SOM students have the amazing opportunity — rare, even in business schools that are embedded in world-class universities — to take as many as they like from other university schools and departments. MBA candidates have taken perspective-broadening courses such as Native American Art & Architecture and Faith & Globalization. DelMonico says roughly 15% of SOM students are pursuing a joint degree with another Yale school.

Of course, leadership is also central to this MBA. At Yale SOM, they look at developing leadership in four dimensions: individual, which involves developing skills and knowledge, but also understanding your own strengths and limitations and ways to persuade and influence others; working in, and leading, teams; seeing an organization, rather than broken down by geography or function; and being aware of global challenges such as inequality and climate change.

Yale founded the Global Network for Advanced Management (GNAM), a network of 31 leading business schools from diverse regions and countries, and MBA candidates are encouraged to develop global perspectives by traveling to these partner schools for courses. Students have visited IE Business School in Madrid for a course on the euro crisis, and Renmin University Business School in China to learn about entrepreneurship in emerging markets. If they like, they can take courses in languages or international relations.

Students are required to complete a summer internship between their first and second year. As for co-curricular activities, the SOM hosts student-led conferences and case competitions at the school annually. The SOM also houses multiple research and learning centers where students can get involved, such as the Center for Customer Insights, the Program on Social Enterprise, the International Center for Finance, the Center for Business and the Environment, the Program on Entrepreneurship, and many more.

Why Students Chose

“Yale is so much more than the sum of its parts. The interdisciplinary collaboration occurring at Yale SOM with other graduate schools is what makes this program so special. I was attracted to SOM because its program is consistently breaking down barriers to allow students to fully explore their scholarly interests so that we are best equipped to solve the world’s most pressing challenges.” Hana Ezaldein (‘24)

“A key draw of Yale SOM’s MBA curriculum was the flexibility to take elective courses across Yale’s various academic programs. This is especially true for someone like me, who is interested in exploring the intersection of sustainability and well-being. The ability to attend classes at Yale School of Environment, Yale School of Public Health, and Yale Center on Climate Change and Health will broaden my understanding of the health impacts of sustainability. Classes at these schools in addition to my MBA education will also allow me to naturally expand my network across Yale’s other graduate schools and hear the thoughts of my peers at the respective schools on how the private sector can support and advance public health and climate justice efforts.” Eunjee Koh (‘24)

“I was attracted to the integrated curriculum that pushes you to look at a problem or decision point from multiple perspectives and underscores the importance of breaking down silos. In all my conversations with students, faculty, and alumni, it was clear to me that through this approach, and throughout the program as a whole, Yale SOM trains empathic leaders ready to tackle real world problems.” Joe Califiore (‘24).

Career Stats

From Yale School of Management

The mission of the Yale School of Management is to educate leaders for business and society.

We believe that to be an effective leader in an increasingly complex world, you’ll need to leverage connections across boundaries of function, industry, and region. That’s why Yale SOM developed an integrated curriculum that uses diverse disciplines and areas of expertise to better understand management challenges. The school is closely linked to our parent university, giving you the chance to take courses throughout campus, collaborate with Yale scientists on a startup, or even get a second degree in law, environmental management, or medicine. And it is a founding member of the Global Network for Advanced Management, through which you’ll study with faculty and team with students at 27 other top schools around the world.

Curriculum

The integrated Yale MBA curriculum is designed to teach fundamental business tools and give you the context to understand how your whole organization works and how it impacts the larger society. In unique MBA courses taught by multiple professors, you’ll learn to take multiple perspectives and draw on multiple business disciplines as you confront a problem.

Professor Olav Sorenson on the Yale MBA core curriculum

Learn about Yale SOM’s newest core course, Global Virtual Teams

Student Experience

The Yale SOM student community is ambitious and supportive. You’ll learn from classmates with a remarkable diversity of backgrounds and aspirations, and develop your leadership skills by participating in student clubs and conferences.

Essay Questions For Yale

Yale has just one essay question: Describe the biggest commitment you have ever made.

The B-School wants to hear about something that is genuinely meaningful and distinctive to prospective students in their own voice. The commitment can be personal, specific or expansive and can cover a wide range of topics.

Yale says regardless of the commitment that is chosen, the most effective essays do a great job of describing how a student approached their commitment. They want to hear about the specific actions that a prospective student has taken over time to bolster their commitment. This is especially important if a broad topic is chosen like an ideal or a belief.

Rankings Data For Yale

Yale MBA Rankings

MBA Program Consideration Set

If you believe you’re a close match to this school–based on your scores, age and work experience, you could look at these other competitive full-time MBA programs as well. We list them by stretch, match, and more to consider. These options are presented on the basis of brand image and ranking status as a general guideline. These are meant to be a starting point for further exploration.