In this week’s installment of Trivia Tuesday, we turn our focus to MIT Sloan and the structure of its first-year class, examining how the school creates first-year teams and how these teams impact students’ experiences.
Each class of first-year students is divided into six smaller groups, called cohorts or “oceans” (Atlantic, Baltic, Caribbean, Indian, Mediterranean and Pacific), which help to give shape to the core curriculum experience. Oceans, comprised of approximately 60 students each, take all seven of their core courses together, thereby getting to know each other quite well in the academic environment. As a result of their shared academic experience, students within each cohort tend to spend time together outside of the classroom as well, often forming close-knit social groups.
Within each cohort, Sloan assigns all first-years to small groups of 5-6 students each. These groups work together throughout the core semester to complete homework assignments, prepare projects and study for exams. Students report that teammates are usually drawn from across the professional spectrum and from around the world, mirroring the diversity of teams in the global workforce.
Sloan says that the process of separating students into cohorts and teams is both an art and a science. An automated process conducts the first division, “mixing and sorting” students into cohorts and teams. The MBA Student Affairs Office then personalizes the process by refining groups with an eye to diversity of race, gender, nationality, professional background and other characteristics.
Although students are not obligated to work with their assigned teams once the core semester is complete, they do continue group work throughout their time at Sloan. The school reports that most elective classes involve teamwork, with group selection usually left up to the students. Because students will likely work with different groups in each course, scheduling meeting times can be challenging, but Sloan administrators hope that by working with groups of varying compositions on numerous projects, students will be better prepared for the kind of collaboration required in professional situations.
For more information on the first year at MIT Sloan or other leading business schools, be sure to check out the Academics section of the Clear Admit School Guides!
Read the full article: Trivia Tuesday: MIT Sloan’s First Year Class