Cross-Registration (MBA Courses)

Select Business School MBA (8000-level) offerings are open to all currently enrolled:

Graduate degree candidates at Columbia University, Teachers College, and Union Theological Seminary
Undergraduate seniors at Columbia College (CC), Barnard College (BC), The Fu Foundation School of Engineering and Applied Science (SEAS), and the School of General Studies (GS)
Post-baccalaureate students in the School of Professional Studies (SPS)

Course Availability and Enrollment Instructions

Most students may enroll in an MBA elective course (B8000-level) through Student Services Online (SSOL).

Instructors do not manage the enrollment of academic courses. Only courses with availability for cross-registrants will be listed. The list of open courses will be published in the Registration Periods & Available Courses section below once available, typically during the week before the first class session. If a course is not listed on this website as available to cross-registrants, there is no other form of appeal to gain access to the course.

The MBA Course Directory provides access to full course descriptions and whether a course has a pre- and/or co-requisite.

Pre- and Co-Requisite Enforcement

Electives with core course pre- and/or co-requisites beginning with B6xxx will not be enforced. Cross registrants will unable to register for these core courses. Non-These courses are listed below:

B6500 Lead: People, Teams, Organizations	B6100 Managerial Statistics
B6101 Business Analytics	B6200 Managerial Economics
B6001 Financial Accounting	B6601 Marketing
B6300 Corporate Finance	B6502 Strategy Formulation
B6301 Foundations of Valuation	B6302 Corporate Finance
B6201 Global Economic Environment	B6102 Operations Management

By enrolling in an MBA elective with a core course pre- or co-requisite, you assume responsibility for having the necessary background and preparation. If it is determined that you do not have the necessary background, instructors do have the right to request that you be deregistered.

Electives that have course pre- and/or co-requisites beginning with 8xxx will be enforced.

The Finance course Capital Markets & Investments (FINC B8306) is a prerequisite for most finance courses. The following Columbia courses offered outside of the Business School have been approved as equivalent to B8306:

IEOR E4711 Global Capital Markets (SEAS)
MATH G5280 Capital Markets and Investments (GSAS)
INAF U6045 International Capital Markets (SIPA) and INAF U6022 Economics of Finance (SIPA) taken together, fulfill the Business School's prerequisite of FINC B8306 Capital Markets & Investments.
Note for SIPA Students: For Business School electives that list B8306 Capital Markets as a co-requisite, one class (U6045 or U6022) should have already been taken, and the other class should be taken concurrently with the B-School elective requiring the B8306 Capital Markets co-requisite.

All other stated prerequisites have to have been taken at the Business School. Instructors may not waive these prerequisites. Students with the appropriate background may take the applicable exemption exam.

Exemption Exams

We offer online exemption exams for the following electives:

Capital Markets & Investments (B8306)* Students can sign up for the Exemption Exam here (sign-up expires at 12:00 pm EST on August 23, 2024).
Real Estate Finance (B8331)* Students can sign up for the Exemption Exam here (sign-up expires at 4:00 pm EST on February 23, 2024).
Many of the pre-requisites for Python classes can be waived by taking Python qualification exams - see the Python at CBS page for details. These exams are available at any time on an on-demand basis, and cannot be waived - students with pre-requisite knowledge should easily be able to pass them.

Drop or Withdrawal Procedures and Deadlines

Dropping or withdrawing from business school courses occurs via SSOL. For students without SSOL access, MBA course drop or withdrawal requests must be submitted via email to [email protected]. Relevant registration deadlines will be included in Registration Periods & Available Courses section below.

Registration Periods & Available Courses (Subject to Change)

We will post cross-registration information for eligible summer courses in late August and students in most schools should be able to cross-register in eligible MBA courses (B8XXX level) via SSOL (please check Fall registration appointments assigned by your school if your school uses SSOL).

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

The professor permitted me to take a CBS course. How do I enroll?

The only way to enroll in a a Business School course open for cross registration is through SSOL. Professors do not manage enrollment in academic courses. Even if they approve, your request will be denied.

There are open seats in SSOL. Can I still enroll in the course?

No, just because there are open seats does not mean the course is available for cross-registration. It is not open for various reasons, so all requests will be denied unless we post it on the website. Please note that the professor's approval will not be accepted.

A course that I am interested in is not on the list. Can I still register for it?

Why was I denied from the waitlist for the course?

Every course has limited space for cross-registrants, regardless of whether the class has open seats. We can only allow a certain number of students to enroll, and unfortunately, we have reached our capacity for this particular course.

If I send my resume and background, would I be given priority to enroll in the course?

No. To maintain a fair system, all students must be eligible to register via SSOL. If registration is restricted, then the course is not open to you. For students whose home schools do not use SSOL, we will work with them if a course of interest is open for cross registration during the cross registration period.

What is the difference between Block Week, Full-Term, A-Term, and B-Term Classes?

Typically, Block Week classes are offered the week(s) before the start of our regular semester.

Full-term classes are those that run the entire length of the semester.

A-Term classes run the first half of an entire semester, while B-Term classes run the second half.

For related dates, see the MBA Academic Calendar and EMBA Academic Calendar. MS and PhD courses follow the MBA academic calendar.

Can I audit a Business School course?

Auditing is only available for matriculated Business School students. Cross-registrants are not able to audit courses at the Business School.

I just enrolled in a course. How long will it take to get Canvas access?

Most students will be able to access their course materials by visiting http://canvas.gsb.columbia.edu two days after being registered in a course.

How will I be graded?

All cross-registrants are graded on the A-F letter scale regardless of the grading system used by the department offering the class or the student's home school. Acceptable grades in cases of cross-registration (with MBA/EMBA grade equivalents) are A+ (H+), A (H), A- (H-), B+ (HP+), B (HP), B- (HP-), C+ (P1+), C (P1), C- (P1-), D (LP), F, IN, and W.

Required CBS Elective Grade Distribution

H+/A+: No more than 2%*
H+/H/H- AND A+/A/A- : < or = 50%

*Note: For courses with less than 50 students, no more than one H+ grade is assigned.

Any non-business school (cross-registrant student) will be included in this curve.

Can I take a Business School course on a pass/fail (P/F) basis?

While all students, regardless of academic program, will receive a letter (A-F) grade, cross-registrants can elect pass/fail for all courses registered if their home schools permit pass/fail. Electing pass/fail "covers" the original passing grade earned, while failing grades will post as "F."

A cross-registrant should follow the procedure and timeline of their home school to set up pass/fail. CBS Office of Academic Records and Registration does not oversee this process.

Typically, a cross registrant coordinates with their home school registrar or authorized administrator using a Registration Adjustment Form after checking the pass/fail deadline on https://www.registrar.columbia.edu/event/academic-calendar. 

Can I enroll in an MBA (B6000-level) Core course?

No. Only select electives, courses starting with B8xxx, will be available for cross-registration. Core classes, courses starting with B6xxx, are not available for cross-registration. The following MBA core courses are only open to MBA students:

B5/6500 Lead: People, Teams, Organizations	B5/6100 Managerial Statistics
B5/6101 Business Analytics	B5/6200 Managerial Economics
B5/6001 Financial Accounting	B5/6601 Marketing
B5/6300 Corporate Finance	B5/6502 Strategy Formulation
B5/6301 Foundations of Valuation	B5/6302 Corporate Finance
B5/6201 Global Economic Environment	B5/6102 Operations Management

How do I drop a course?

MBA course drops must be processed via SSOL. For students without SSOL registration access, MBA course drop requests must be submitted via email to [email protected].

Students wishing to drop EMBA courses should email [email protected].

How much tuition and/or fees will I be billed when enrolled in a Columbia Business School course?

Columbia University & Union Theological Seminary Students: Columbia University & Union Theological Seminary students do not pay extra tuition if enrolled in a Business School course. They will pay their home school's tuition rates. However, some courses have special fees, which will be denoted separately on your tuition bill.

Teachers College Students: Teachers College students are charged a per-point rate for courses taken at Columbia University; these rates vary depending on the host school. See Non-TC Tuition Rates for further information. Additionally, some courses have special fees, which will be denoted separately on your TC tuition bill.

If your particular question is not covered on this site, you may email [email protected].