CORe

Overview

• Build a routine. Create a weekly schedule to manage your time, distribute your activities evenly throughout the course, and allow 8-15 hours per week of study time.
• Don’t procrastinate. Start assignments when they are released, and try to put in consistent effort each day.
• Submit on time. Get ahead of schedule, and do not forget to always submit assignments on time. A late quiz scores a zero!
• Form a community or study group. HBS Online champions the social learning experience. Collaborating with peers can provide new insights and enhance your understanding of course concepts.
• Know HBS Online policies. Withdrawals, deferrals, and deadline extensions are available to those who qualify. For more information, please view our program policies.

Study Tips & Study Groups

Engaging with your Peers, the HBS Online Community, & Study Groups

• Interact using the HBS Online platform. Interact with peers by commenting on their responses on the HBS Online course platform, and learn by exploring the perspectives of others.
• Seek out your peers for help. Seek out advice on difficult concepts by using the peer help tool on the HBS Online course platform.
• Connect beyond the platform. Connect with other CORe participants and develop relationships outside of the HBS Online course platform by interacting with the HBS Online Community. Ask questions, share insights, and organize study groups! 

If you utilize Peer Help and the Community Networking Group, but still have questions about course content, please reach out to the HBS Online Support Team via the Support Portal.

Planning Your Time

• 10-week CORe program (CORe May and CORe June)
• 12-week CORe Program (CORe January, CORe September, and November)
• 17-week CORe Program (CORe February, CORe March, CORe July, and CORe October)

All course deadlines are shown in Harvard Business School's local Eastern Time zone. It is your responsibility to convert these deadlines to your own local time zone as needed. Modules are due on Thursdays at 1:00 p.m. Eastern Time. CORe Connections assignments are due on select Fridays at 1:00 p.m. Eastern Time.

Note that the three courses in CORe (Financial Accounting, Business Analytics, and Economics for Managers) run concurrently, so there is a deadline for a different course each week. Please check the schedule on your Course Dashboard regularly so that you can plan your work and check due dates and times of module quizzes against your local time zone. This will help you ensure that you complete your coursework before the deadlines.

Policies

Need More Time? We may be able to help!

We understand unexpected life events happen. HBS Online has a process by which you may request an exception to our course policies on a case-by-case basis due to extreme circumstances and life emergencies. Please first review the article Do I qualify for an exception to your policies? to determine if you are eligible for an exception.

If after reviewing this information you wish to request an exception, please log in to your HBS Online Dashboard and submit your request. Detailed instructions can be found in our How do I Submit an Exception Request article.

Notice about Disability Accommodations:
If you believe you need an exception based on your own ongoing disability or chronic medical diagnosis, HBS Online has a process by which to formalize these requests. For more information on this process, please review our Requesting a Disability Accommodation page.

Withdrawal and Deferral Policy

HBS Online Policy Pages

• CORe Deferrals and Withdrawals
• Disability Accommodations Policy
• Exceptions Policy
• Honor Code, Community Values, Terms of Use, and Privacy
• Academic Honesty Policy

Resources

CORe Resources

• CORe Grading Information
• CORe Final Exam Information
• CORe Interventions
  • Financial Accounting Interventions
  • Business Analytics Interventions
  • Economics for Managers Interventions

Further Readings

HBS Online keeps a list of books that could be helpful during your CORe journey. Please remember that sometimes there are multiple views and variations on the same subject matter. The HBS Online quizzes and final exam will cover the subjects as taught in CORe. Please reference the suggested readings below if you are interested in learning more about the concepts taught in CORe:

Financial Accounting:

• Financial Accounting, 2015 Edition by Larry M. Walther (out of print)
• An Easy Introduction to Financial Accounting: A Self-Study Guide by V.G. Narayanan

Business Analytics:

• "Statistics" by Terry Sincich and James T. McClave
• A Step by Step Introduction to Statistics for Business by Richard Landers
• Khan Academy in the Statistics and Probability section, under math

Economics for Managers:

• Principles of Economics by Gregory Mankiw
• The Economist Guide to Business Strategy
• Naked Economics by Charlie Wheelan

Frequently Asked Questions