Through the first-semester "core" classes, MBA students build the foundation of their MIT Sloan education - hand in hand with a highly diverse team of five or six classmates. In Fall 2003, there were 66 of these teams, to which students were assigned randomly. Together, students gain fundamental skills through required course work in economics, accounting, managerial communication, business statistics, and organizational processes (as well as an elective in either strategic marketing or finance). And they absorb indelible lessons about teamwork and leadership as they collaborate on joint projects with their assigned team of peers.
Students also enjoy the company and intellectual stimulation of their "cohort" - a larger group made up of 10 to 11 teams who take their courses together. (Source: MIT Sloan School of Management web site.)
Cohorts and Teams in the First Semester at Sloan - Presentation by MIT Sloan MBA Student Affairs (PDF)