January Term: Start Late, Finish on Time
Columbia Business School recognizes that the traditional two-year MBA schedule may not be right for every student. The School’s January-entry option allows qualified students to skip the summer internship and get their degree in just 16 months.
The J-Term Experience
Aziza Jamgerchinova ’13 shares what her experience in Columbia’s January-entry MBA program has been like, particularly in the surprisingly active summer months.
One MBA, Two Paths
The January term is identical to the August-entry option in every way but the schedule: same professors, same rigorous core curriculum, same highly selective admissions standards. January students attend orientation in the spring, while August-entry students are beginning their second terms, and finish their core courses over the summer, while August-entry students take summer internships.
In the fall of the second year, the two tracks become one, and all MBA students choose from the same pool of electives, gain access to the same career management resources, lead the same clubs, and graduate as a single class. About 30 percent of full-time MBA students enter in January.
Requirements
The primary requirement for the January term is that you do not feel you need an internship. This tends to attract students who wish to remain in the same industry (including sponsored students), entrepreneurs, and students in family businesses.
Please note that there is no early decision option for January entry and that, due to the timing of the application cycle, January term applicants are not eligible for merit fellowship consideration. The Admissions Office begins reviewing applications for January entry once the application becomes available in June. The final application deadline is in early October.
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