Auburn University - College of Business

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Auburn University offers one of the South's premiere business programs. Those interested in earning their MBA are often attracted to the school's great location and "reasonable price." Students at Auburn are quick to highlight the "small class [size] and student faculty ratio," which virtually guarantees "close relationships with professors." The curriculum allows students to master the fundamentals of business theory and focus on a particular area of interest, such as finance, supply chain management, management of information technology, or business analytics.

While opinions on professors do vary, by and large students are very happy with their teachers. The vast majority are "very helpful and resourceful" and extremely "knowledgeable." And one pleased student adds that professors are "always willing to help with your classes or even other ventures." Indeed they "care about students' progress in and outside of the classroom."

MBA students are thankful for the program's administrators, who are "a big help to students." Time and again the "staff members [show that they] care about the students and handle their problems on a timely basis."

The MBA candidates at Auburn really believe that the University offers "great and numerous opportunities for students to get involved and to find jobs. There are so many tools available to them to achieve success." As one content student sums up, "Overall, I think [Auburn] is a hidden gem in terms of an MBA program in Alabama."

Networking, career services and placement resources are provided to MBA students as they consider options and connections for MBA Internships and full-time career jobs. Several career fairs are conducted on campus and in the Lowder Business Building each year. Additional networking opportunities are offered via the frequent Visiting Executive Program.

The Office of Professional and Career Development serves the Business school's entire undergraduate and graduate student population and has a dedicated MBA career adviser. The career specialists understand that job hunting is an in-depth process and provide the tools and techniques for success. They help students develop and implement an effective job search strategy, showing them how to create a marketing plan and craft a target list of potential companies. Additionally, they host numerous seminars and events, offering students everything from resume writing workshops to mock interviews. The office also hosts several career fairs each academic year and city trips to visit corporations. The college attracts companies hiring students into consulting roles such as CapGemini, Deloitte, Ernst & Young, KPMG, and Quorum Business Solutions, as well as major companies focusing on supply chain management, including Delta, Exel Logistics, Home Depot, Lexmark, Target and Walmart. Financial services organizations including AFLAC, BB&T, BBVA, Regions Financial, and SunTrust, as well as the FDIC, Federal Reserve, OCC, the Alabama Securities Commission, and the Georgia Department of Banking and Finance also recruit Auburn's MBA students.

Financial aid is available in the form of graduate research assistantships and fellowships as well as merit-based scholarships. Assistantships are awarded on a competitive basis with GMAT scores, previous academic achievement, and skill set/experience being the key criteria. Expenses (2004): Alabama resident tuition: $2305 per semester* Non-Alabama resident tuition: $6915 per semester* Student fees: $300 per semester (approx.) Books: $400 per semester (approx.) Room and Board: $5,000 per semester (approx.) [*University tuition may be waived for students who are awarded a Graduate Assistantship]

The Auburn MBA Program invites up to 50 new students to join each year. The recent diverse group is comprised of students from the U.S., Germany, Egypt, Thailand, Turkey, Honduras, Columbia, Brazil, West Bank, India, China, Taiwan, France, Nigeria, and Korea. Approximately one-third have undergraduate degrees in business, one-third with engineering degrees, and one-third in other academic disciplines.

MBA candidates at Auburn speak very highly of their peers. They are "very friendly" and are always "helpful when doing projects together." Students are also quick to report that their classmates are "easy going" and "highly intelligent." For the most part, they all seem to make a concerted effort "to contribute their opinions and share in class." This appears to be greatly appreciated as they often "provide [great] insight" and "bring great examples of real-time issues." Another student attempts to illuminate life at Auburn by stating, "There seem to be distinct groups: younger students, who participate in activities and clubs and hang out on campus vs. those like me, who come to school [just] for class."

Athletics play an important role in the social life on campus, particularly in the fall, where SEC football reigns supreme. Auburn's football team won the BCS National Championship in January 2011, and tailgating activities before each game provide an opportunity to network with alumni, prospective employers, and other students. Intramural sports are popular; outstanding golf courses are nearby, and the beaches of the Gulf of Mexico are three hours away by car. Since 2008, a ten-day International study trip has been built into the cost of the program; each spring groups of students and faculty travel worldwide to learn about doing business in various countries. Previous student groups have gone to Argentina, Brazil, China, France, Germany, Italy, South Africa, and other countries. Students say that this trip is a highlight of their Auburn experience.

Atlanta is a two-hour drive from Auburn, and provides a popular big-city weekend road trip destination, as well as permanent employment location for many students after graduation. Nearby Columbus, Georgia and Montgomery, Alabama, also offer plenty of entertainment options and distraction from schoolwork. Columbus is also the home of Fort Benning, one of the Army's largest bases.

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