Course Enrollment

Students must be enrolled in a minimum of 10 credit hours at all times to remain in full-time status, which is a requirement of the program and for visa purposes.  Courses, with the exception of the seminar series, are worth 4 credit hours.  So, in each of the two main quarters of the program (Winter & Spring) students have to be enrolled in the seminar series, and two other 4 credit hour courses.  The seminar series is the only requirement of the program; students may select two courses of their choice, from the courses schedule that is distributed prior to arrival in Columbus.

KAIST students register for courses at the same time as all other Fisher students, and need to submit their requests for courses in a timely manner, otherwise some of the courses you request may already be full.  If a class you request is full, you will have to give program administrators an alternative course to enroll you in.

Course Offerings

Course offerings change every single year; the following list is simply an example of what is typically offered.  A complete list of up-to-date course offerings will be given to you prior to your arrival in Columbus.

Specialized KAIST Seminar- Requirement

The KAIST Seminar, titled Recent Advances in Financial Markets, is the most beneficial part of the program.  The Seminar is the only required course for KAIST students during both academic quarters (Winter & Spring).  Each Friday morning throughout the Winter & Spring quarters, a different Finance Department faculty member will present on a number of different subjects, including findings in the latest research in the field.  On these days, the department arranges breakfast for everyone in the class to have before the seminar begins.  This seminar series is an unprecedented opportunity to hear so many of the world's finance research leaders speak in one location. 

Over the course of the seminar, students are required to develop a thesis idea.  This thesis idea will help students to fully develop and write their required thesis back at KAIST.  At the end of the first quarter students will be required to submit a brief paper detailing their potential thesis; this paper will count for 100% of the grade for that quarter.  At the end of the second quarter students will be required to submit a more detailed paper, either elaborating on their original idea from the first quarter, or starting work on an entirely different subject.  As with the first quarter, this paper will count for 100% of the grade for the quarter. 

Specialized Courses

Provided that there is sufficient student interest, one course that has been specifically designed for KAIST students will be offered in the Winter Quarter.  This course is Business Finance and Excel Modeling, taught by Professor Dan Oglevee.  This course focuses on developing students' financial modeling skills in Excel, but Professor Oglevee also provides a vast amount of information to students regarding American business practices, and general information about life in the United States.  This course is an integral part of the program, as is Professor Oglevee, so this course is highly recommended to all students.

When the Winter Quarter course enrollment paperwork is sent to you prior to your arrival in Columbus, you will be asked if you are interested in taking Excel Modeling.  If we have enough interest from students, the course will be offered.

English as a Second Language

In addition to regular classes, students will also have the opportunity to participate in the English as a Second Language course.  This is a specialized course for KAIST students and lasts both Winter and Spring Quarters.  This course helps develop students' English language skills as well as their understanding of the cultural norms of American society.  Each year, this course is taught by Professor Robert Eckhart from the English department, and has always been a very informative and enjoyable part of the program.

KAIST students will also have the opportunity to partner with a local OSU student to practice English skills.  Information about this opportunity will be given to students by the Office of International Affairs during program orientation.

Course Grades and Credit

All classes in the Fisher College of Business are worth four credit hours, with the exception of the KAIST seminar, which is two credits for each quarter.  After all grades are submitted by professors in the Department of Finance, transcripts will be sent back to KAIST, and will be considered transfer credit, applicable to your MBA at KAIST.

Program Completion

At the end of the Spring quarter, which is the last academic quarter of the program before the extended study period begins, the Department of Finance will meet with all students to congratulate them for completion of the program, and to have lunch.  From this point on, you will always be alumni of the Ohio State University.