Core Course Waivers
Students who have completed prior coursework may qualify for core course waivers as part of your Kellogg curriculum. NOTE: This does not apply to students in the Accelerated Option.Waivers do not reduce the number of courses a student must take to obtain the degree. A total of 20 ½ credits are required of all part-time students. A Partial Waiver allows the student to substitute the core course in a particular field with a higher level elective course in that same field. A Full Waiver allows the student to substitute the core course in a particular field with a higher level elective from any field offered at Kellogg.
WAIVER BY APPLICATION
Of the nine required core courses, the following are eligible for waiver by application for transcript review:
Accounting 430
Finance 430
Marketing 430
Operations 430
In addition, students may elect to take a waiver exam for the following courses:
Accounting 430
Decision Sciences 433
Decision Sciences 434
Finance 430
Managerial Economics 430
Operations 430
There are no waiver options for Management of Organizations (MORS) 430 and Management and Strategy (MGMT) 431.
Details on the core courses can be found in the course catalog on the Kellogg website.
To apply for a waiver through transcript review, please assemble a separate packet for each course that you intend to waive and send it to:
Carol Lucido
Kellogg School of Management
340 E. Superior St., Floor 2M
Chicago, IL 60611
Deadlines:
Fall 2012: August 9, 2012
Winter 2013: November 14, 2012
Spring 2013: February 13, 2013
Summer 2013: May 8, 2013
Saturday Class: May 15, 2013
A complete packet consists of the following:
1. A completed and signed application form
2. A copy of your previous institution’s transcript, with relevant courses highlighted. An unofficial copy is acceptable.
3. Supporting documentation including syllabi and/or professional certification. If the information is written in another language, you must provide a translated (English) copy.
Waiver applications will be forwarded to the appropriate academic departments for review and results will be sent from the PTMBA office to the student. You can also view the results online once the results are entered into the system.
Many students are not granted waivers because the coursework is old (i.e., more than five years), the grade in the course(s) was not strong, the academic content of the course(s) was not compatible with course(s) at Kellogg, or for various other reasons which preclude a waiver from being granted. In such cases, a waiver examination may be taken.
If you receive a waiver, but you feel you should still take the core course, please contact ptmba-registrar@kellogg.northwestern.edu to decline the waiver.
WAIVER BY EXAM
Some core courses only offer an exam to obtain a waiver. Or if you expect a waiver in a course, but do not receive it through transcript review, you will have the opportunity to take an exam to determine if you should be granted the waiver. Waiver exams are offered each quarter. Please see below for dates.
Waiver Exam Dates
Waiver exams are offered each quarter on a Friday from 6:00-9:00pm and Saturday from 9:00am-12:00pm.
Fall 2012: October 5-6
Winter 2013: February 1-2
Spring 2013: April 19-20
Summer 2012: July 12-13
If you have any questions about the waiver process, please contact Carol Lucido.
| Summary of Core Course Waiver Procedures | ||||
| Course Number | Course Name | Application | Exam | Notes |
| ACCT-430 | Accounting for Decision Making | Yes | Yes | Contact Mark Finn with questions. |
| FINC-430 | Finance I | Yes | Yes | Students awarded a waiver are eligible to take an exam to waive out of Finance II. Click here for self-assessment. |
| MKTG-430 | Marketing Management | Yes | No | |
| OPNS-430 | Operations Management | Yes | Yes | Only partial waiver (i.e., upper-level course must be substituted) awarded by application. Students must take exam to earn a full waiver. Click here for sample exam. |
| DECS-433 | Mathematical Methods For Management Decisions | No | Yes | Sample exam |
| DECS-434 | Statistical Methods for Management Decisions | No | Yes | Sample exam |
| FINC-440 | Finance I/II | No | Yes | You must waive out of Finance I prior to taking the Finance II/Turbo waiver exam. Contact Professor Mitchell Petersen to schedule. |
| MECN-430 | Microeconomic Analysis | No | Yes | Self Test |
