Maybe you majored in philosophy as an undergrad or spent a few years after college teaching kindergartners their ABCs. But now you want to get an MBA and the idea of taking a class that involves math, as many MBA courses often do, scares you.
The good news is you’re probably not alone.
“Students have the most challenges with the quantitative classes,” says Don Harter, the associate dean for master’s programs at Syracuse University’s Whitman School of Management. The classes can cover statistics, finance and supply chain management, he says. Some MBA instructors would also add accounting to this list.
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Even students who took math classes in college may have trouble with similar MBA courses. A number of years may have passed between a student’s sophomore year accounting class and the first day of that student’s accounting class in an MBA program, says Ajay Adhikari, senior associate dean for academic affairs and a professor of accounting in the Kogod School of Business at American University. The skills they once learned could be long forgotten.
Whether you’re an aspiring MBA who can’t remember the basics of algebra or didn’t really learn them to begin with, there are a few options for preparing for the quantitative classes you’ll face in graduate school.
“Get ready before you even apply to these programs,” says Harter. He encourages students to assess their math skills while studying for the GMAT or GRE, the exams most graduate business schools require applicants take.
Students can aim to improve their math skills by taking practice exams or “sometimes they can simply buy a test prep book,” he says.
If students notice their scores improve, they’re moving in the right direction, he says. A better score can also have the added benefit of helping students get into more competitive programs, he says.
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For students who have already taken admissions exams and are accepted into a program, their schools may offer resources to help them prepare for classes that teach quantitative skills.
At the Merage School of Business at University of California–Irvine, students have the option of taking a workshop on the basic concepts of statistics, says Rick So, a professor and associate dean of undergraduate programs for the business school. The Kogod School of Business requires students to take a preparation course to refresh their basic skills that can help with quantitative courses, says Adkhikari.
If a school doesn’t offer a course, the campus bookstore might also help incoming students.
“Most university book stores will have refresher books on how to practice algebra, calculus and statistics,” Harter says. He also suggests students read the outlines from the Schaum series, which has published books on algebra, statistics, geometry and several other subjects, the summer before classes begin.
So, who teaches statistics for management, recommends students prepare by reading the beginning of their textbook before their course starts. But students shouldn’t expect to instantly grasp concepts when reading the text by themselves. If they’ve never taken a statistics class before or had a job that involves using statistics, reading about it might not be easy.
“If they don’t have the right background, they find it very difficult to read it on their own,” he says.
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If reading the material doesn’t sink in, another method of learning may work.
“Students learn in different ways,” says Harter from Syracuse.
In the weeks before classes start, they can consider watching YouTube presentations on algebra and statistics or taking a massive open online course in math subjects through a service such as Coursera, he says.
Many MBA programs have students from diverse backgrounds, and expect to teach some students who have a strong quantitative background and some who don’t. But, “they should be able to learn the material and pass the class,” says So.
He encourages students to do what they can to stay on top of the work when the semester begins.
Early preparation, after all, is just the beginning for students who will later take quantitative courses for weeks or months at a time.
For his statistics course, he says, some students may spend an hour on homework assignments while those who find the material more difficult may spend two or three. Keeping up with the pace of the class is critical, he says.
“Once you’re behind it’s very difficult for you to catch up on your own.”
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Get a Head Start on Business School by Improving Quantitative Skills originally appeared on usnews.com
