Columbia Business School recognizes that the traditional two-year MBA schedule may not be right for every student. Our January-entry option allows qualified students to skip the summer internship and get their degree in just 16 months, thereby reducing the opportunity cost of being out of the workforce during their studies. The January-entry is identical to the August-entry option in every way but the schedule: same professors, same rigorous core curriculum, same highly selective admissions standards. January-entry students attend orientation in the spring, while August-entry students are beginning their second terms, and finish their core courses over the summer, while August-entry students participate in summer internships.