The Section Experience

Upon arrival at Harvard Business School (HBS), students are assigned to a specific “section”— a group of approximately 90 students with whom they will complete the Required Curriculum. The section's rich mix of backgrounds, interests, experiences, and ambitions reflects the diversity of the class.

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Students quickly discover that the section experience gets them fully engaged during their first year at HBS and beyond, helping to forge lasting friendships and invaluable contacts for life.

Sectionmates take their first-year classes together, sharing cases, classroom facilities, and their own dedicated team of faculty. Section faculty teach and manage the learning environment, using their own research and real-world experience to introduce innovative ideas and approaches to learning.

In turn, students exercise their team-building and management skills to develop protocols for effective learning and shape the distinctive norms and personality of their sections. Through field-based projects, first-year students enrich their section experiences by participating in small, cross-section teams that change throughout the year, connecting participants to the broader HBS community.

Students quickly discover that the section experience gets them fully engaged during their first year at Harvard Business School and beyond, helping to forge lasting friendships and invaluable contacts for life. In effect, the section becomes a safe and intimate haven where, under the encouragement of mutual support, students can apply newly acquired skills and leadership abilities. It's one of the most formative and defining experiences at HBS.

  • 45%
    Women
  • 39%
    International
  • 60
    Countries Represented
  • 315
    Universities Represented