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Advanced Standing in Business (BA/BS & MBA)

An opportunity for high-achieving undergraduate students

get a jump start on your graduate degree

The world of business is getting more complex and competitive every day. That’s why Bentley now offers an Advanced Standing in Business (BA/BS & MBA) program. In the four years you would spend getting an undergraduate degree, you can also complete your first four graduate courses. Once you graduate from the Advanced Standing in Business program, you move into the MBA program, combining the start of your career with a commitment to continued learning.

remy cofield
A major advantage at Bentley was the network. The ability to connect with the right people in my field made it much easier to create a path to reach one of my career goals.
Remy Cofield
MBA

Program Details

  • Accessible from any Bentley major, both business and arts and sciences.
  • Applications submitted during sophomore year and overlap courses begin in junior year.
  • Four graduate courses are completed during junior and senior years. The remaining eight graduate courses are completed once in the MBA program.
  • All MBA Foundation courses waived.

Are you a current student looking to apply to the program?

Curriculum 

The Advanced Standing in Business program is easily accessible for all business and arts and sciences majors. Depending on your major, you'll replace four undergraduate courses with graduate courses. Read more below about how the curriculum will work for each major.

See how the program works for students whose primary major is in business
  • All students will be required to take IPM 300 and MG 300 as part of their core; these courses will be taken as GR 602 and GR 604.
     
  • Students take 2 MBA electives using 2 unrestricted electives.
     
  • In some isolated instances, there may be an opportunity/need to use graduate courses that have undergraduate course equivalents to either replace a course required for your major, or an arts and sciences elective instead of the standard process above. 
     
  • To complete the foundation waivers, students will be required to take EC 112, AC 215, and MK 250 (or two of the graduate equivalent courses as explained above). Students can take these courses standalone, or as part of completing the Business Administration double major.

 

See how the program works for students whose primary major is in arts and sciences
  • Students will need to take grad equivalents GR 602 and GR 604 in lieu of IPM 300 and MG 300, which is not part of their core.
     
  • Students take 2 MBA electives using 2 unrestricted electives. 
     
  • In some isolated instances, there may be an opportunity/need to use graduate courses that have undergraduate equivalents to either replace a course required for your major (this likely only applies to Actuarial Science, Data Analytics and Mathematical Sciences majors) instead of the standard process above.
     
  • To complete the foundation waivers, students will be required to take EC 112, AC 215, and MK 250 (or two of the graduate equivalent courses as explained above). Students can take these courses standalone, or as part of completing the Business Administration double major. Because there would be only one more course that these students would need to take (MG 215), it is recommended that arts and sciences majors who do the Advanced Standing in Business also do the Business Administration double major. (In the case of business majors, there are two extra courses that would have to be taken to upgrade to the Business Administration double major: MG 215 and ID 313 – so business majors may find it slightly less attractive to simply do the Business Administration double major to fulfill the waiver/grad substitute course needs).
iris bedrow
Iris Berdrow, MBA, Ph.D.
Program Director and Associate Professor of Management
Program Director and Associate Professor of Management
781.891.2130

Have Questions? Connect with the the Program Director. 

Are you current Advanced Standing student?

Advanced Standing in Business (ASB)

Students are required to pay a $250 non-refundable deposit by an annually announced deadline. The deadline is typically two weeks after admission decisions are released. Failure to pay the deposit will result in cancellation of admission to the Advanced Standing program. 

Costs and Financial Aid

Below are some frequently asked questions regarding financial aid and how it works for this program. Student Financial Services will be able to provide you with details of the program expenses in light of any financial aid you receive.

FAQs

What are the Costs?

Students enrolled in this program will be eligible to apply for and receive, based on their eligibility, financial assistance for the entire length of their program. Academic scholarships and grants are only available during the academic year for students enrolled full-time and are applicable to the standard academic year terms of fall and spring.

Please note, academic merit scholarships are not available for the graduate semesters, and need-based grant aid available at the graduate level is limited. Students can expect graduate-level financial aid to be heavily weighted toward federal loans.

Undergraduate costs do not change except for an additional $8,000, normally billed as a $2,000 per semester program fee. This $8,000 cost is required for enrollment in the program. During the standard academic terms of fall and spring, you pay tuition at the undergraduate level.

If enrolling in courses during the summer, you will pay on a per course basis. Once you’ve completed your undergraduate degree, you will pay regular graduate tuition for the remaining courses toward your graduate degree. Tuition rates can be found on the Student Financial Services website.

Are there academic scholarships at the graduate level?

Academic scholarships are not available for the graduate portion of the program.

If I am enrolled part-time in a term, what happens to my academic scholarship and/or need-based aid?

Academic scholarships and grants are only available during the academic year for students enrolled full-time and are applicable to the standard academic year terms of fall and spring. Some federal aid, such as Pell Grant and Federal loans, may be available to students enrolled less than full-time.

Pell Grants are available for year-round enrollment at the undergraduate level, as long as you are enrolled at least half-time. However, the amount of Pell Grant for which you may be eligible will be less than when enrolled full-time. Please note, Pell Grant eligibility is based on a federal formula and there will be some cases where a student receiving Pell may demonstrate eligibility at full-time enrollment but not at part-time.

Federal loans are available during the academic year so long as you are enrolled at least half-time.

Can I receive my academic scholarship and/or grant in the summer?

Bentley grants and scholarships are only available during the academic year for students enrolled full-time and are applicable to the standard academic year terms of fall and spring. Some federal aid, such as Pell Grant and Federal loans, may be available to students enrolled in the summer so long as their eligibility has not been fully used during the standard academic year.

Under current regulations, Pell Grants are available for year-round enrollment at the undergraduate level, as long as you are enrolled at least half-time.

If you have unused Federal loan eligibility after fall and spring during the academic year or have moved up in class standing by the summer term, you can complete a summer loan request form for loans to be processed. Federal loan limits can be found here.

Can I use the part of my academic scholarship and/or grant that I don’t use during a part-time semester toward a different undergraduate semester?

You are eligible for grants and scholarships for up to 8 terms or until you meet your degree requirements, whichever comes first. Aid not used in a term when part-time or if a student completes their undergraduate coursework in less than eight terms will not be applied to another term. Amounts are not transferrable between semesters.

If I take a course for winter or May intensive, can I use my academic scholarship and/or grant to cover it? What are the tuition rates?

Your undergraduate scholarship and grant is available for up to eight semesters, during the fall and spring academic terms only. The winter intensive is an extra term that is not included. May intensives are also considered an addition to a standard academic year and are not covered by merit scholarships or need-based grant. Tuition rates can be found on the Student Financial Services website.