Business School
The method of instruction |
Curriculum | Reputation |
Placement records | School location
How To Select A Business School
Finding
the optimum combination of characteristics for you demands a careful
investigation of your alternatives. To this end, you will find the ETS
publication Graduate Study in Management an invaluable tool. It gives
brief profiles of over 400 business schools. Several other publications found in
the Career Resource Center library are worth reviewing. They include: The
Official Guide to MBA Programs, The Insider's Guide to the Top Ten
Business Schools and The Best Business Schools. Olin Library
has a complete set of business school catalogs. They can help you in your
preliminary search for information. On occasion, representatives from various
business schools visit campus to discuss their programs with interested
students. They can provide information not available in the catalog and answer
your individual questions. Although business schools rarely interview students
for evaluative purposes, most welcome visits from prospective students. They
will usually try to introduce you to a student, possibly a Wesleyan graduate, who can
show you around and answer questions on the realities of life as an MBA student.
Method Of Instruction
Although no school relies solely on one teaching method, most favor one style of
teaching/learning. The case method is an inductive learning process in which
students acquire business skills by dealing with specific examples. There is a
strong emphasis on classroom discussion and group work and students are
frequently asked to "think on their feet." Students with little work
experience are sometimes overwhelmed by this teaching method. Harvard is
probably the staunchest proponent of case method instruction.
Other schools (the University of Chicago, for example) place far greater emphasis on
theoretical learning. There may be significant attention paid to developing
strong quantitative skills. Instruction is similar to that of undergraduate
institutions; lecture courses are standard. Understandably, students entering
business schools directly from undergraduate study tend to feel comfortable in
schools emphasizing this teaching method.
In considering schools, it is important to note the balance between the case method
and theoretical teaching. Keep in mind that various approaches will not only
affect your compatibility with the school, but also indicate the qualities a
particular school might be seeking in its applicants. Thus, Harvard, with its
heavy use of case method teaching, tends to accept a class of which a high
percentage has had prior work experience.
Curriculum
The curriculum and opportunity to specialize are important factors for
you to review in selecting business schools. Most programs include a group
of core courses to give knowledge of fundamental areas--finance,
accounting, marketing and general management. However, the flexibility of
elective options varies widely. At some schools you will be asked to
select a concentration and courses are highly regulated. At others, you
will be able to select courses from outside your concentration and
possibly from outside the business school as well. If you are interested
in a particular aspect of business- entrepreneurship, e-commerce,
Not-For-Profit management, etc., choosing a business school with these
courses in their curriculum is wise.
Reputation
With the proliferation of MBA programs and the resulting sharp increase
in the number of MBAs, the reputation of the school can have a major
influence on the marketability of its graduates. Various surveys rating
the "top" business schools are published each year. You may find
consulting several of them useful and informative. Other schools enjoy
excellent regional reputations and may be equally good choices for you.
Talk to professionals in your target field for recommendations for
programs known for producing successful graduates.
Placement Records
One of the primary motivations of students entering business school is
to get a good job upon completion of their MBAs. It is certainly important
to consider how a particular school's graduates do in the job market. Many
schools publish a placement report that you can request and study
carefully. Sometimes information on placement is contained in the catalog.
You can also ask questions of the representatives of the business schools
when they visit campus. Some questions to note and consider in judging a school's placement
record are:
- Is it a regional or a national school?
- In other words, are its graduates placed all over the country or
predominantly in one locale?
- How extensive is its on-campus recruitment program?
- Are the companies interviewing on campus from all over or just one
section of the country?
- Is a wide range of industries represented?
- What other services does the placement office provide?
- What kinds of jobs do graduates accept?
- At what salary?
- What differences are there for those who entered business school
directly from undergraduate work and without technical degrees?
Although the placement record of a school is only one of a number of
factors to be considered, it is nevertheless one important indication of
the return your investment of time and money will provide.
Location
The
location of a business school can have a significant effect on your personal and
social life, but its impact on educational opportunities should not be
minimized. Location can determine the type of internships and projects likely to
be available. Thus schools located near the steel industry, for example, will be
likely to offer projects involving that. If you plan to go into business in a
particular city or region, you may do well to consider the schools with good
reputations and placement records in that area.
Return to the Business School Guide table
of contents
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