MBA Business: Luxury & Retail

Program Prerequisites

Before beginning the MBA Business: Luxury & Retail, students must complete the following:

Stern plagiarism tutorial (available on the admitted student website)
Review and sign the NYU Stern Code of Conduct (available at orientation)

Business Writing Proficiency

Writing skills are vital to success in business. Students are strongly encouraged to explore the self-paced Fundamentals for Business Writing preparatory course to refresh and improve the use of critical thinking skills in their writing.

Students who enrolled in the MBA program prior to Fall 2024 and did not satisfy the business writing requirement set at the time of admission are still required to take a non-credit workshop in Business Writing with a non-refundable $400 course fee.

Default Policies for Stern Courses

Students should assume the following policies apply to all of their Stern courses unless explicitly stated otherwise by the instructor(s).

Laptops, Cell Phones, Smartphones, Recorders & Other Electronic Devices
May not be used in class.

Attendance
Required and part of grade.

Faculty may excuse absences and consider requests to change exam and assignment due dates only in cases of documented serious illness, family emergency, religious observance, or civic obligation. If you will miss class for religious observance or civic obligation, you must inform your instructor no later than the first week of class. Recruiting activities, business trips, vacation travel, and club activities are not acceptable reasons for absences or requests to reschedule exams and assignments.

Arriving Late, Leaving Early, Coming & Going
Students are expected to arrive on time and be present for the entire class.

Arriving late or leaving class early may impact a student's grade.

Students may show up to class late only if given permission by the instructor and can do so without disrupting the class.

(Note: instructors are not obliged to admit late students or readmit students who leave class early. Alternatively, instructors may choose to admit students only at specific times.)

Late Submission of Assignments
Late assignments will either not be accepted or will incur a grade penalty unless due to documented serious illness or family emergency. Instructors may make exceptions to this policy for reasons of religious observance or civic obligation only when the assignment cannot reasonably be completed by the due date and the student has made advanced arrangements with the instructor for late submission of work.

Note that the following policies are in force for all Stern courses:

General Behavior
Students will conduct themselves with respect and professionalism toward faculty, students, and others present in class and will follow the rules laid down by the instructor for classroom behavior. Students who fail to do so may be asked to leave the classroom. (NYU Stern Code of Conduct)

Collaboration on Graded Assignments
Students may not work together on graded assignment unless the instructor gives express permission. (NYU Stern Code of Conduct)

Recording Classes
At any time, your classes may be recorded for educational purposes. (Stern policy)

Endorsed by:
MBA Core Course Committee, July 9, 2007
Vice Deans, July 13, 2007
Academic Programs & Teaching Resources Committee of Faculty Council, August 1, 2007
Revision approved by Core Course Committee and program Vice Deans, February, 2011

Deadline for Degree Completion

The deadline for degree completion is 6 years.

All Luxury & Retail students must complete the MBA degree requirements within six years of the first semester of enrollment. Students who do not meet this deadline must re-apply through the Admissions Office and will compete with the current pool of applicants. Students who are re-admitted to the MBA Business: Luxury & Retail must fulfill program requirements and all other policies of the school in effect for the semester for which they are re-admitted. This may mean that additional coursework is required when a student is re-admitted and they may need to repeat courses. Only one re-admission is allowed. Students who do not complete the degree requirements within six years of the second admission will forego the opportunity to receive an MBA from the Stern School of Business.

Graduation Requirements

Application for Degree Candidacy:
All Luxury & Retail students must file an Application for Degree Form with the Office of Records and Registration.

Incomplete Grades:
All courses with incomplete grades (IP or IF) must be completed in order for a degree candidate to be eligible for graduation. For students graduating in May, all courses with incomplete grades must be completed and graded by the first Friday of May. Incompletes not made up by this deadline will lapse to N in the case of an IP (Incomplete Passing) and F in the case of an IF (Incomplete Failing).

Scholastic Requirements:
All Luxury & Retail candidates must have a minimum grade point average of 2.500 in order to graduate.

Tuition and Fees:
All financial obligations (including tuition and fees, library fines and books, housing charges) must be met before a student will be allowed to graduate. In addition, the University reserves the right to withhold all information regarding the record of any student in arrears in paying tuition, fees, loans, or other charges.

Program Progress

Satisfactory Academic Progress:
To maintain satisfactory academic progress, Luxury & Retail students must maintain minimum grade point average standards. Specifically, students must earn cumulative GPAs according to the criteria outlined below:

For graduation eligibility: 2.500 and above.
To avoid Academic Probation: 2.300 and above.
To avoid dismissal from NYU Stern: 2.100 and above.

Grade point averages include all coursework that appears on the Graduate Stern transcript.

A 2.500 grade point average is required of all Luxury & Retail students to meet eligibility requirements for graduation.

If a student’s GPA falls below 2.300 at any point while matriculated in a degree program, he or she will be placed on Academic Probation. Academic Probation signals that a student is not in good academic standing and that he or she is at risk of falling below the minimum program GPA requirements.

Regardless of GPA, students may also be placed on academic probation for earning a grade of “Incomplete” for multiple courses and/or failing to satisfactorily complete agreed upon program completion requirements.

If a student’s GPA falls below a 2.100, he or she will be dismissed from the program.

Full-time Student Employment Policy:
Luxury & Retail students are strongly discouraged from taking on any type of employment that interferes with their full participation in the MBA Business: Luxury & Retail.

Transfer Credits

The Stern School will not accept transfer credits from other educational institutions toward the MBA Business: Luxury & Retail.

Students previously enrolled in another NYU division or master's program must take 52 credits after matriculation at Stern to satisfy the MBA Business: Luxury & Retail requirements. Stern courses taken prior to matriculation at Stern do not count towards the MBA Business: Luxury & Retail degree requirements.

Dean’s List

Stern Dean's List is intended to recognize academic achievement by students who are enrolled in the MBA Business: Luxury & Retail program.

The designation of Dean's List is based on grades earned within the evaluation period and does not include grades received prior to that period. The grade point average for courses taken during the evaluation period must be at least 3.700 (NYU Stern does not round up). A student who has any outstanding grade(s) of incomplete at the time evaluation-period GPAs are computed will not be eligible for Dean's List designation for that evaluation period.

For Luxury & Retail students maintaining a full-time course schedule, the three separate evaluation periods will be:

Grades received for course enrollments for the Summer semester of the program.
Grades received for course enrollments for Fall semester of the program.
Grades received for course enrollments for Spring semester of the program.

Additional information:

"Semester" (or "term") refers to a course enrollment period. The Summer semester includes all Summer-enrollment courses. The Fall semester includes all Fall-enrollment courses. The Spring semester includes all Spring enrollment courses, including the January term.
Stern reserves the right to make modifications to this program and to make decisions about specific unusual student situations.

Independent Study

Students may enroll in an independent study if they wish to pursue the study of a subject that is considered to be of merit and is not addressed by any current course offerings.

Independent studies are intended to allow students to study material not included in current courses at Stern, as a complement to a carefully designed MBA program of study.

Requirements:

Students wishing to pursue an independent study must create a written proposal of study to be approved by a NYU Stern full-time faculty member. The proposal will then be presented to the department's chair and require his or her written approval.
Upon approval by the department chair, a faculty member must submit the Independent Study Form to the Office of Records & Registration.
To ensure the academic integrity of the independent study, all independent studies must be sponsored by a NYU Stern full-time faculty member.
Independent studies may be 1.5 or 3 non-Core credits, depending on the workload. An independent study should have an intellectual load equivalent to that of a conventional course of the same value, as determined by the faculty member.

Important Guidelines:

Independent studies are for Stern MBA students only.
Independent studies are voluntary for both faculty and student.
Independent studies should be completed in one semester, like a traditional course, and a grade should be assigned at the completion of the study.
Students may not take more than three (3.0) credits of independent study during their MBA program.
Independent studies do not involve course credit for the volunteer instructor.
Independent studies may not be used to give credit for work experience alone, including paid or unpaid internships.
Students are not eligible for independent study in their first semester.
Independent studies may only be counted toward elective credit.

Credit Overload

Luxury & Retail students are permitted to take up to 3.0 credits of Credit Overload during the MBA program. Students may take all 3.0 credits of credit overload in one semester or may take 1.5 credits of credit overload in two semesters. Credit Overloads are not permitted in the first semester.

Students must understand and agree to the following policies:

Good Academic Standing:
To be considered for a credit overload, students must maintain a minimum 3.0 GPA and be in good academic standing.

Full-time Course Load:
In order to maintain Full-time status, students must enroll in a minimum of 9 credits every semester.

Credit Overload per Semester:
Students may overload for a total of three (3) credits only:
18 credits in one semester; OR
16.5 credits in two semesters.

Tuition and Fees:
Luxury & Retail students pay flat rate tuition and fees for three semesters of study.
Standard tuition refund and scholastic standing policies are in effect regardless of credit load.
If a student withdraws from any course after the 100% tuition refund date during a semester in which they have received a credit overload, they will not be eligible to request a credit overload in a subsequent semester.
Per point tuition will be charged for any credits above 54.

Registration:
Students are only permitted to lottery for a maximum of 15 credits per semester and the total of 52 overall credits.
Approved Course Overloads will be applied after the lottery during the drop/add period to be fair to all students and provide equal opportunity to students for course selection.
Any additional credits above 52 (see Free Course), must be added during the add/drop period.
Students are expected to adhere to all drop deadlines as outlined by the Office of Records and Registration.

Applying for a Credit Overload:

Submit a Credit Overload request through the Credit Overload site. Please note that these requests will be processed once all grades have been submitted and the lottery has ended.
Once your request has been reviewed, you will receive an automated decision.
If your Credit Overload is approved, your credit limit will be raised accordingly.
You may add your additional credits after the lottery during the Drop/Add period through Albert.

Other NYU Division Elective Courses

Many Luxury & Retail students find that there are elective courses offered at other NYU graduate schools that are of interest to them and complementary to their goals for the MBA program. If you are interested in registering for an elective course at another NYU graduate school, you should first review the Non-Stern Pre-Approved Course List to determine whether the course you are interested has already been pre-approved by Academic Affairs and Advising. If the elective course is pre-approved, you should follow the procedure listed under "Registering for a Pre-Approved Course", below. If the elective course you are interested in has not been pre-approved by Academic Affairs and Advising, you should follow the procedure listed under "Registering for a course that is not Pre-Approved", below.

A complete list of elective courses within other NYU divisions, with times and locations, can be found in the NYU Directory of Classes. Students can review the Albert Course Search online. For a list of Law School classes, please go to www.law.nyu.edu.

Eligibility:

In order to register for an elective course at another NYU graduate school, you must have completed your Stern Core requirements or be completing them this semester.
To be eligible to graduate, Luxury & Retail candidates may not complete more than one elective course outside of Stern.
Stern does not accept credit for online courses, under any circumstances.
New York University students may not pursue two degrees simultaneously at different schools of the University, unless accepted and enrolled into one of the established dual degree programs.

Grades:
Other NYU Division elective courses approved by Academic Affairs and Advising to count toward the MBA Business: Luxury & Retail program will be included in the Stern GPA. A student must receive a passing grade to receive credit toward the MBA for a non-Stern course. After registering for a non-Stern NYU elective, the course will appear on the My Academic Progress page under "Courses Not Credited to MBA." After a passing grade has been submitted, the NYU course will be moved under the Elective area.

Specializations:
Non-Stern elective courses do not count towards Specializations, with the exception of the Law and Business, Real Estate and Digital Marketing Specializations.

Credit Equivalency:
The assignment of Stern credits is based on the number of credits assigned by the NYU Division offering the course, up to 3 credits maximum per course. The credit value for courses varies by school and, sometimes, by course.

Important Guidelines:

Seats in elective courses at other NYU divisions are not guaranteed.
Students pay tuition for these courses through Stern according to their Stern credit equivalence.
It is the student's responsibility to be aware of the add/drop dates and deadlines for any approved courses taken outside of the Stern School of Business.
Non-Stern elective courses are added during the drop/add period and are not included in the lottery selection.

Registering for a Pre-Approved Course:
Once you have reviewed the Non-Stern Pre-Approved Course List to confirm that the course you are interested in has been pre-approved by Academic Affairs and Advising, please complete the following procedure to register:

Complete the online request form through the Other NYU Division Courses site. For pre-approved courses, students do NOT need to include a course description or syllabus.
Academic Affairs and Advising will review and process the request. If approved, you will need to determine the availability in the course directly with the NYU division and, if necessary, receive approval from the other NYU division to register for the course.
Once approval has been issued by Stern and the other NYU division, follow the instructions in your communication from Academic Affairs and Advising regarding your request.

Registering for a Non-Pre-Approved Course:
Note: Non-Stern courses must be at the Masters degree level, must address a business or management subject that is not covered by Stern electives, and must fit clearly into the student's Luxury & Retail program. Language and undergraduate courses never qualify. It is the student's responsibility to verify course expectations directly with the other NYU division. Students should confirm their ability to handle the coursework before submitting their request.

Online courses are not permitted to count towards the MBA program requirements and will not be approved.

To request approval of a course that does not appear on the pre-approved list:
1. Complete the online form through our Other NYU Division Courses site at least two weeks prior to the first class meeting. (Petitions submitted any later may not be reviewed.)

The following information must be included in the petition (petitions will only be reviewed upon receipt of all below items):

Course description
Syllabus with meeting times, lecture topics and deliverables
A detailed explanation of how the course will enhance or complement the student's academic program and their "education in possible"

2. Academic Affairs and Advising will review and process the request. If approved, you will need to determine the availability in the course directly with the NYU division and, if necessary, receive approval from the other NYU division to register for the course.

Requests will be reviewed by the appropriate advisors and Stern faculty. When submitting a petition, please keep in mind that the Stern faculty has already reviewed and approved courses which they feel are appropriate for Luxury & Retail students and have included them in the Non-Stern Pre-Approved Course list. Students are advised to make sure that the subject matter is not covered in an existing Stern class.

All students registering for courses at the School of Law that are not pre-approved must also fill out the following form and take it to the School of Law and Academic Affairs and Advising for faculty and administrative signatures.

3. Once approval has been issued by Stern and the other NYU division, follow the instructions in your communication from Academic Affairs and Advising regarding your request.

Grading

The Stern Grading System

Prior to Fall 2018		As of Fall 2018
Grade	Point Value	Grade	Point Value
A	4.0	A	4.000
A-	3.7	A-	3.667
B+	3.3	B+	3.333
B	3.0	B	3.000
B-	2.7	B-	2.667
C+	2.3	C+	2.333
C	2.0	C	2.000
C-	1.7	C-	1.667
D+	1.3	D+	1.333
D	1.0	D	1.000
F	0.0	F	0.000

Grading Information:
The below grades are without numerical value and are not included in the grade point average:

IF - Incomplete Failing: Student was failing at the time grade was submitted and lapses to an "F" by the following deadlines: Fall classes - June 1; Summer and Spring classes - January 1.
IP - Incomplete Passing: Student was passing at time the grade was submitted and lapses to an "N" if not made up by the following deadlines: Fall classes - June 1; Summer and Spring classes - January 1.
N - No Credit. Used to indicate that an "IP" has lapsed or that a course taken on a Pass/No Credit basis was not successfully completed.
P - Pass. Used only for passing grades received while on Study Abroad Exchange programs, for Business Writing workshops and other specially designated courses offered on a Pass/No Credit basis.
R - Registered Auditor. Students may not retake a course for credit in which an "R" is granted. Auditor status should be noted at the time of registration or within the first four weeks of the Fall or Spring semester and within the first two weeks of the Summer semester. Auditor status cannot be revoked once it has been requested. Students must pay full tuition for a course taken as a registered auditor. Also used for non-credit, pre-term workshops.
S - Satisfactory. The grade is used for dissertation seminars or to indicate that a final grade is pending for a yearly course.
W - Withdrawal. This means the student voluntarily and officially withdrew from the course. A "W" is a grade that carries no weight in the GPA. It does not reflect on the academic performance of a student but simply means that a student remained in the course past the drop deadline. Students who receive a "W" may re-take the course for credit provided that they register and pay for the course a second time. The student pays for the credits associated with the "W" and it is recorded on the transcripts as attempted credits. Because of this, a student will be considered matriculated for that semester for Leave of Absence purposes and the "W" will count against the Free Credits available to the student.

Computing Grade Point Average:
To determine grade point average, divide the total number of credits completed into the total number of honor credits granted. Honor credits for each course are computed by multiplying the credit value of the course by the value (i.e., honor credits) of the grade assigned. For example, a 3-credit course with a grade of “A” (4 honor credits) contributes 3 x 4, for a total of 12 honor credits. Thus, a student completing 20 credits with 50 honor credits would have a grade point average of 2.5. The grade point average includes grades in all MBA Business: Luxury & Retail courses. Grades of “N” or “W” are not computed into the grade point average. A grade of “F” remains in the calculation, even if the student retakes the course and receives a passing grade. Courses offered in other divisions of NYU, taken at Stern with the approval of the program advising office, are included in the grade point average calculation, provided they earn the minimum grade required by the degree program. Courses taken outside of NYU that have been approved for transfer credit purposes are not included in the grade point average.

Grade Reports:
An official grade report is available online through Albert once ALL of the student's grades for the term have been recorded and the student's record is not on any "hold."

Appealing a Grade:
To appeal a grade received, the student must speak directly with the course instructor about the grade in question. After this first step, any further appeal is addressed to the Department Chair for the academic department of the course.

CE Submission Requirement:
Stern students who do not submit Course Evaluations by the deadline will not have access to their final grades until the grade release date, 30 days from the end of the CE evaluation period. This policy was determined by a committee of students to ensure full student participation. Faculty are requested not to release final grades to students who fail to submit evaluations and students should not ask.

Incomplete Grades

If a student is unable to complete the coursework for a course before the last class of the semester, the student may request a grade of Incomplete.

The procedure for requesting an Incomplete Grade:

A student should discuss the option for an incomplete grade with the course instructor before the last class of the semester.
If the instructor agrees, the student and instructor should complete an Incomplete Grade Form. This multi-page form is obtained from the Office of Records and Registration and a copy of the form should be returned to the Office of Records & Registration.
After receiving an incomplete grade, the student must complete the coursework by the required deadline in order to earn an official grade. The deadlines are: June 1 for Fall courses and January 1 for Spring or Summer courses. Extensions are not granted.

Incomplete Pass (IP) and Incomplete Fail (IF):
Students may be awarded one of two types of Incomplete grade:

Incomplete Pass (IP). An Incomplete Pass may be given if the student was passing at the time the incomplete was given. An "IP" will lapse to an "N" or no credit, if not completed by the deadline.
Incomplete Fail (IF). An Incomplete Fail is given if the student was failing at the time the incomplete was given. An "IF" will lapse to an "F" or fail if not completed by the deadline. A failed course must be re-taken if needed for degree requirements (core courses and/or credit requirements). A grade of "F" will figure into the GPA.

Deadlines for Completion:

Semester of Incomplete Grades	Deadline to Complete Coursework
Fall	The following June 1
Spring	The following January 1
Summer	The following January 1

For students graduating in May, all courses with incomplete grades must be completed and graded by the first Friday of May. Incompletes not made up by this deadline will lapse to N in the case of an IP (Incomplete Passing) and F in the case of an IF (Incomplete Failing).

"Sitting in" on a course during the following semester to make up the incomplete is not permitted.

Free Course

Students in their final semester of study (the semester in which they earn their 52nd credit) may take up to 3 extra credits, free of charge, beyond the 52 credits required to complete the MBA Business: Luxury & Retail. Students may register for their free course at the end of the add/drop period. Because the free course is not necessary in order to fulfill the MBA Business: Luxury & Retail program requirements, students are not permitted to register for the free course until all other students have had the opportunity to register for courses they may need to fulfill their program requirements.

Procedure:
Luxury & Retail students may add their free course through Albert during the add/drop period. If a Full-time student will exceed the 15 credit maximum for their last semester in order to take the Free Course, they must request approval through the Credit Overload site. Once the overload has been processed, the student may add the course on his or her own. Please note that the credit overload requests will not be processed until the lottery period has ended. All credit overload policies apply.

Free Course Grades:

Free courses are taken for a letter grade and will figure into a student's GPA.
Auditing is not permitted.
All grading policies and deadlines apply including drop and withdrawal deadlines.
Courses may be applied towards Specializations.

Free Course Eligibility:
Luxury & Retail students that have withdrawn from a course may not be eligible for a free course. Although a grade of "W" has no credit value, it is included in attempted credits, the basis by which Stern determines Free Course eligibility.

All program requirements must be met without using the free course (e.g., the free course may not be used to fulfill a Core requirement)

Course Selection:
Stern courses, Study Abroad credits, and Pre-Approved Non-Stern (other NYU Division) courses may be counted toward the free course.

Bursar:
Luxury & Retail students pay a flat fee for tuition and the free course is included within this flat fee.

Financial Aid:
Please check with the Office of Graduate Financial Aid with any questions on qualifying for financial aid in any given semester.

Course Evaluation

Course Evaluations are administered over a one-week period at the end of each semester or session. CEs will open one week before the last class and end the day before the last class for regular and non-intensive MBA classes. Note: CEs for intensives and short classes (meet for less than a month), will open ONE day before the last class, and seven (7) days after the last class. Students will receive two emails informing them of the CE policy, timeline and how to complete the CE online. Students must pay careful attention to the deadlines of each individual CE as students will not be permitted to fill out an evaluation after the deadline has passed.

All students must fill out an online Course Evaluation for each course for which they are registered. CEs are a critical assessment tool of class and instructor quality that assists students in course selection. Because CEs are only effective if all students contribute their feedback, grades are withheld from students who do not complete CEs for one month from the closing of each evaluation period. This policy was recommended and approved by a committee of Stern students and faculty.

The responses to all online evaluations are completely anonymous and confidential. Students may fill out CEs online through Albert.

Curricular Practical Training for International Focused MBA Students

Full-time international Focused MBA students with valid F-1 visa status are able to pursue a U.S. spring semester internship during the MBA program (known as Curricular Practical Training, or CPT) and full-time employment for up to 12 months after completion of the MBA program (known as Optional Practical Training, or OPT).

Curricular Practical Training (Spring semester Internship)

For more information about Curricular Practical Training (CPT), please visit NYU's Office of Global Services (OGS) website.

To apply for Curricular Practical Training, you must complete the following procedure:

You must have a job offer in order to apply for Curricular Practical Training.
Once you have obtained a spring semester internship job offer, you should obtain an offer letter from your employer stating the job title and beginning and ending dates of employment. If the position is part-time, the letter should specify the number of hours required per week.
Attend an OGS workshop on Curricular Practical Training.
Complete the Curricular Practical Training Request Form on the OGS Website. Please contact academicaffairs@stern.nyu.edu for your academic advisor's information.
Report your job offer by logging into Career Account and clicking 'Report Your Job Offer' on the homepage

Optional Practical Training for International Focused MBA Students

Full-time international students with valid F-1 visa status are able to pursue full-time employment for up to 12 months after completion of the Focused MBA program (known as Optional Practical Training, or OPT).

In order to apply for Optional Practical Training (Full-time Position after Graduation), both of the following requirements must first be met:

Students must have valid F-1 visa status for at least nine months.
Employment must be directly related to the field of study.

To review additional information and application requirements for Optional Practical Training (OPT), please visit NYU's Office of Global Services (OGS) website.

Withdrawing from the Program

In rare cases, students may need to withdraw from the MBA Business: Luxury & Retail. Students must meet with Academic Affairs and Advising first and then follow the procedure outlined below.

Procedure:

Meet with Academic Affairs and Advising to discuss your circumstances and options.
Meet with the Dean of Academic Affairs and Advising or the Director of Academic Affairs and Advising if necessary.
Submit a formal written notification of withdrawal to Academic Affairs and Advising (via email is acceptable).
Academic Affairs and Advising will send a letter of confirmation of withdrawal to you and copy the Office of Records & Registration, the Bursar, the Office of Financial Aid, and Admissions.
You will be withdrawn from all of your courses.
Direct any requests for tuition refunds to the Academic Policy Board.

First Semester Withdrawal:
If a student withdraws in the first semester of study:

Tuition refunds will be provided according to the Bursar Refund Schedule.
Student must re-apply for admission in a subsequent semester and compete with that applicant pool. Admission is not guaranteed.

Academic Affairs and Advising | MBA Business: Luxury & Retail