Please refer to the Fact Sheets posted on the Getting Started page for even more information on Academics at Babson.

Course Offering

Participants in the Babson College International Student Exchange Program are eligible to take courses in all disciplines, including Accounting, Arts & Humanities, Economics, Entrepreneurial Studies, Finance, History & Society, Management, Marketing, Math/Science and Technology, Operations, and Information Management - as long as they have completed any corresponding pre-requisites.  However, enrollment restrictions may apply to certain courses, such as the 5-credit core courses in the MBA evening program and the 9-credit bundled undergraduate courses OEM and MCE. Additionally, please note that Entrepreneurship courses at Babson are very popular and may fill up quickly during Online Course Registration. While exchange students will likely be able to register for one or two Entrepreneurship courses, they should not expect to be able to take only Entrepreneurship courses during their studies at Babson. 

Course Restrictions:

• For undergraduate students: Students wishing to register for OEM or MCE courses, which are considered "bundled courses," must register for all three disciplines (total of 9 credits) unless a discipline specific waiver is awarded.
• For graduate students: The five credit cluster courses in the MBA evening program are not open to exchange students. These core courses include MBA8500, MBA8510, MBA8520 and MBA8530. Also, graduate MCFE is only open to students who are here for an academic year, and students may only apply to participate during their second semester.

Online Course Registration

Exchange students will participate in Online Course Registration a few months prior to the start of their exchange program. Since many courses fill up quickly, it is important that students have a list of alternative courses available when completing the online registration form, in the event they are unable to register for one or more preferred courses.

Click here to view the course catalog for current and past semesters. 

Please be aware that course availability may change a few weeks before registration begins. Additionally, if the semester that students will be studying at Babson is not currently available on this system, looking at the courses offered during the same semester from the PRIOR year will provide a guideline for the type of courses generally offered during that semester.

All exchange students will receive more specific information via email regarding Online Course Registration, including important dates and deadlines, before arriving on campus.

Course and Workload

In order to maintain J-1 immigration status, exchange students must remain enrolled in a minimum of 12 credits per semester (“full-time status”), and may enroll in up a maxium of 17 credits per semester (Undergraduate) or 18 credits per semester (Graduate). Depending on language proficiency level and home university requirements, most exchange students take between 15 and 17 credits per semester (equivalent to 4-5 courses).

Class Format, Participation, and Attendance

Classes at Babson are a mix of lectures, case studies, group projects, presentations, and discussion groups.  The average class size is 29 students.  Students are expected to actively participate in class discussions and complete all required course work. Courses are quite demanding; for every hour spent in class, students should expect to spend at least 3 hours outside of class – studying, writing papers, or meeting with other classmates to coordinate group projects. Attendance is mandatory for all courses. 

Assessment and Examinations

Students are evaluated at the end of the semester as well as continuously throughout the semester.  The assessment of student performance varies: essays, in-class presentations, written quizzes and examinations, and group projects.  Attendance and class participation also contribute to students’ final grade.

Contact hours

For information on the number of hours that each course meets per semester, please visit the Registrar's website.

Languge of Instruction

All courses are taught in English.  Intensive English language courses are not offered at Babson.