Students team up on case studies and enjoy camaraderie at the Mid- Program Academic Retreat (MPAR). Held near Santa Cruz, California, the MPAR weekend is the culmination of core learning and a launch into deeper study through elective coursework.
Evening & Weekend MBA Program
Mid-Program Academic Retreat
The core curriculum culminates with an academic retreat where you demonstrate the knowledge acquired in your first year of study and prepare for more in-depth learning in elective courses. The retreat takes place at the midpoint of the second year and is an intense weekend of off-campus team competition and camaraderie.
"I returned charged up for the new classes that would wrap up my second year," says Gareth Hancock, MBA 06. The weekend is built around a major case study and computer simulation that integrates all of the material from the core courses. Hancock notes, "Two years earlier I wouldn't have understood much from the lectures or how to approach the simulation decisions, but I now had a new way of thinking about business and economics."
The session is also an opportunity to spend leisure time with classmates in a recreational setting. "With good food, engaging activities, and even a bonfire beach party, we quickly forgot about debt ratios and market shares and just relaxed with great friends," says Hancock. "There's no doubt MPAR will remain a highlight in the midst of a challenging and worthwhile Haas education."
