In this week’s instalment of Trivia Tuesday, we turn our focus to the Clear Admit School Guide to MIT Sloan, examining how the school creates first-year teams and how these teams impact students’ experiences.
“Each first-year class of approximately 400 MBA students is divided into six smaller cohorts, or “oceans” (Atlantic, Baltic, Caribbean, Indian, Mediterranean and Pacific), which help to give shape to the core curriculum experience. Oceans are comprised of approximately 65 students each, and the students in each ocean take all seven of their core courses together. As a result of this shared academic experience, students within each ocean tend to spend time together outside of the classroom as well, often forming close-knit social groups.
“Within the oceans, Sloan assigns all first-years to small core teams of 6 or 7 students, each of which is named after a type of bird. 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 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.”
To read more about MIT Sloan, be sure to check out MIT Sloan’s School Profile.
