The Cohort MBA Program

“Cohort” essentially means a group that spends a significant amount of time together. The Cohort MBA program can either be full-time, part-time, executive or traditional, and requires a group of students admitted at the same time, who take the same classes together. While most educational programs may find you sharing classes with some people, it is unlikely you will share every class with the exact same group of people, yet this is what the MBA Cohort Program accomplishes. The Cohort model is designed to allow the students to get to know one another on a much deeper level, interacting with them extensively.

Students gain unmatched teamwork, interaction, and networking opportunities that can last an entire lifetime. To achieve such lofty goals, the cohort must remain relatively small, so MBA programs have a maximum intake of 25 in each cohort. Generally speaking, students either love or hate the cohort MBA program, although most will agree they learn to work with people, whether they like or dislike them. The students within a cohort model will have no choice but to work together for a favorable outcome on a group goal. Because these are things we all struggle with in the workplace, the cohort method can offer incredible insights into our day-to-day work lives as well as successful strategies for coping with issues and problems.

The MBA Cohort degree is considered an alternate pathway for full-time MBA students who already possess undergraduate business degrees. Along with the typical MBA core curriculum the cohort of students participate in different learning activities as a group. Generally, the cohort MBA is only offered for students who are beginning in the fall, and the student who enters will be required to declare whether they are interested in the traditional MBA or the cohort MBA program. While not every student will find it so, many MBA cohort graduates have forged relationships which extend above and beyond the classroom, and, in many cases, last a lifetime.

The Focus of the Cohort Model
The ability to be successful in today’s global economy requires a clear understanding of the marketplace. Business leaders must be fully cognizant of the actions of all their supporting players, as well as take full responsibility for the system, whether it works or crumples in a heap. Business leaders must engage in constant strategic creation of the partnerships which are responsible for the innovation of the future. In larger MBA programs the cohort may be divided into smaller sub-cohorts; the members of this tightly-knit team will take a journey together, watching each other’s personal and professional growth. The cohort is almost like a family in many ways, in that each student takes an interest in the other student’s professional and educational attainments. Because MBA programs can be grueling in nature, having others who are experiencing the exact same things as you are can be incredibly helpful in supporting your through your MBA quest. Support systems are crucial when opening new chapters in your life or lessening the intimidation of the new circumstances in your life. The students in a cohort model learn the skills they need to succeed in the business world—together. Having other students to prop you up during difficult times can be an invaluable asset in the business world, and your peers act as a sounding board for you as you learn the necessary skills for the competitive business world.

Where Will Your Fellow Cohorts Come From?
Students in most cohort MBA programs are professionals who come from a wide range of industries and backgrounds, including engineering, health care, IT, social services, government and even the more traditional businesses. Your cohort’s undergraduate degrees may be in business, English literature, history, sociology, pre-law, biology—or any number of other degrees. Professors hand-pick students for specific cohort study teams, and many times your team will work together to create a team charter, or a plan for success in the cohort program.

The Cohort Model
The cohort model in an MBA program essentially allows students to govern themselves, although each cohort group will have a “leader,” who reports to the MBA director and discusses any questions or problems for his or her group. The cohort group is expected to respect one another’s talents and opinions, and in some programs the cohort is broken into teams, with each team consisting of four or five individuals from various walks of life and with varying talents. As with many things in life, communication is the key to the overall success of your cohort model group, and it is noted that students should not forget that each individual in their group brings their own “baggage,” along with them in the form of family obligations and work responsibilities. When such responsibilities interfere with group study and activities, the other members of the team should, ideally, pull together and really operate as a team.

Benefits of a Cohort MBA
Joining a network of professionals in your cohort program can significantly heighten your learning experiences, and give you a class identity. Suppose you are finding a particular course or topic difficult or challenging, or even if you must be absent from a class due to family issues or professional travel, you now have a team of your cohorts who will work with you to get you up to speed on what was learned quickly. The colleagues you have in your cohort program can continue to be friends and colleagues for many years to come; the benefits of the cohort program are many, and, unless you are largely a loner-type of person, something you might want to consider.

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