MBA Program Advising, Registration and Permission Requests

Program Advising and Course Selections

Faculty are assigned each year to act as the MBA program advisor for the marketing department. Please contact the advisor  if you need specific assistance with program requirements or require faculty signatures on forms.  (Students may also contact and their Academic Advisor in the MBA Program Office about general program requirements.)

David Reibstein, JMHH 743
reibstein@wharton.upenn.edu (215) 898-6643

Students who have general questions about the Marketing MBA course offerings, should contact the Marketing Department staff at marketing.dept@wharton.upenn.edu.(700 JMHH, 215-898-8243).

Registration (MBA and non-MBA Candidates)

For Non-MBA Candidates: Students who are non-MBA candidates, who wish to take one of the Marketing Department graduate courses (6000, 7000 or 8000 level), can do so only if there is room in the course after the MBA Course Match is over and with permission from the course instructor (if he or she believes that the course is appropriate for the student).

Please be aware that because the MBA Course Match results are not determined until only a week or two before class starts, the “Current Enrollment” field in Path@Penn will not show any enrollments for most of the registration period.  The MBA students do not use Path@Penn to register for MBA courses – the MBA Program Office manually enrolls the MBA students as a group once Course Match is over.

If you are interested in being considered for a seat in a course (in the event there are any still available after the MBA students are registered) please do the following:

  • Once registration opens for the term, Request Permission via Path@Penn at the “Add to Cart” stage of registration. It is not necessary to email the department or instructor. (For help, see How to Request Permission to Take A Class.)
  • In your Permission Request please include your academic program and a brief statement about why you want to take the course and/or your background or qualifications. This will help the instructor determine if you will be able to be successful in the course.
  • Read the information in the “Section Details” heading of the course listing in Path@Penn for any additional instructions relevant to that specific course section.

Once the MBA Program office lets the Marketing Department know if there are any available seats, the course instructor will review the requests, and ask the department’s course coordinator to approve the permissions for the number of available seats. In some instances the course coordinator  will email you first, before approving the permission request, to see if you are still interested in the course, have no time conflicts with another course that you are already registered for, and that you have not exceeded your maximum credit load for the semester. (We have some students who request permits in dozens of courses, and leave permission requests in the system for courses they no longer want to take.)

If a permission is approved, you will get an automated message from the Registration system. It will then be up to you to login to Path@Penn and register once you have been issued the permission. You will have 48 hours to register for the course. If you fail to do so by then, the permission will be revoked and given to another student. If you have trouble claiming the permit, please check to see that you do not have any holds, have not exceeded your max CU limit, or have a conflict with another course, before contacting the course coordinator.

In the event there are no seats left after Course Match runs, the permission requests will be denied. You will not be notified by the Marketing Department if denied, so be sure to check your cart in Path@Penn.

Please note that for popular courses, there may be no seats available. It is recommended that you select a backup course in the event you do not get a seat. A list of potentially available courses will be post by the MBA Program office here once Course Match runs.

For MBA Candidates: With the exception of  Independent Study Courses (MKTG 8990) students can only be registered for marketing department elective courses by participating in the MBA Course Match. Non-MBA candidates cannot participate in Course Match.

Waiting Lists: The department does not keep wait lists for courses that are fully enrolled. MBA students should use the wait list system established by the MBA Program Office.

Independent Study

Independent Study:  The department’s MBA independent study course (MKTG 8990) is offered on a limited basis to advanced students who wish to conduct academic research under the supervision of a Marketing Department faculty member. In order to register for MKTG 8990, a student must:

  • Find a faculty supervisor. It is the student’s responsibility to find a faculty member who is willing to supervise and evaluate their research; the department does not assign any particular faculty member to “teach” this course. It is recommended that students approach a faculty member who shares their research interest. Faculty research interests are listed on each faculty member’s profile.
  • Complete the Forms. All students need to fill out the MBA Program Office’s Independent Study/Advanced Study Projects (ISP/ASP) Authorization Request Form. Students will also need to complete the Marketing Department’s MKTG8990_Supplemental_Approval_Form if they are asking a non-standing faculty member to supervise the project. Make sure the credit units (0.5 or 1.0) are filled in. The department will fill in the course and section number.
  • Obtain Marketing Department Approval. The student should get the faculty member who is supervising their project to sign and date the “Instructor” line on the ISP/ASP form. (If needed the student should also obtain the signature of the MBA Advisor on the supplement form). Once the student obtains the necessary faculty signature(s), the form(s) should be emailed to the department’s Course Coordinator who will sign the “Department Administrator” line, create the course in the Registration System and ask the MBA Program Office to register the student for the course**.
  • Meet the Deadlines: Ideally, MKTG 8990 approval should be obtained prior to the start of the semester in which the research will be conducted. Forms for 1.0 CU sections may be submitted up until the course add date (“Course Selection Period ends” date as published on the Registrar’s Calendar.) Forms for 0.5 CU projects are to be submitted no later than 7 days after the first day of the quarter in which the project is to be completed. Forms submitted after the deadline will not be accepted.

NOTE:  The Marketing Department will permit a total of no more than 1 CU credit from any Advanced Study Project (MKTG 8900 – including Global Consulting Practicum), Independent Study (MKTG 8990), or Global Modular Course (MKTG 8930 and 8970), to count toward the Marketing Major elective requirements. Students may combine such courses as long as the total credit does not exceed 1 CU.

** If registration for an ISP puts a student above the Maximum course units for the semester, they should consult with their advisor in the MBA Program Office. MBA students are only allowed to register for a total of 1.0 CU of Independent Study per semester across all departments. Students should not request registration from the Marketing Department for an Independent Study if they are already registered for an Independent Study in another department for that semester.

For more information or to request admission application forms, see Wharton MBA Programs