Year One: The Foundation

Your first year core curriculum concentrates on the three fundamentals of business: strategic analysis, leadership, and financial management.

Your courses (outlined below) were developed in partnership with some of the world's leading companies and senior executives. They are also subject to the continuous input of Smeal industry councils that advise our faculty in functional areas such as marketing, finance, and supply chain management. This ensures our curriculum always reflects the skills businesses demand.

You will learn the specific tools and techniques to apply to any situation in order to reach the right business decision. The curriculum is also highly pragmatic: no one can become an expert overnight, so we make sure you learn how to ask the right questions as well.

At the end of year one, you get to apply these skills on the Strategic Assessment Project, which is your chance to tackle some of the more challenging issues and opportunities facing your firm.