Duke University - The Fuqua School of Business

Duke’s Fuqua School of Business has a “world-class reputation” for good reason: Students here are privy to a curriculum made up of “balanced case method and lecture-based instruction, experiential learning, student leadership opportunities, … and alumni engagement.” What’s more, the program does a tremendous job of ensuring “each student has the skills to work in diverse and dynamic organizations.” Of course, Duke MBAs also derive great benefit from Fuqua’s “focus on ‘team’,” which helps students realize they are “smarter together than … on [their] own.” Similarly, there’s also a “school-wide commitment to developing ‘Leaders of Consequence…’ who think critically about the impact their decisions [have] on others and seek to use business for good.” To make that possible, the program is rather accessible: As one MBA candidate highlights, “The format of [the] weekend executive program provided tremendous flexibility.” Additionally, “the hybrid in-person and Webex class setup also has been useful for situations [in which] attending in person is nearly impossible as classes are recorded.” In turn, this allows Fuqua to “attract talent from all over the country and people already in very senior executive positions.” Ultimately, the school accomplishes its goals by offering the “best blend of on-campus and [experiential] learning” around.

Though Fuqua definitely has a “focus on general management” academically, students note that the school maintains a “top healthcare … program” as well. After all, “being in the Research Triangle Park (RTP) area gives us a unique perspective on health care … [being] nestled within some of the country’s leading research organizations and medical centers.” Thankfully, no matter your chosen field, the “overall professor quality is extremely high here, translating into a very engaged classroom.” And you can rest assured that Fuqua faculty “know students by name and take time to chat with them in the hallways.”

Given that Duke is one of the country’s premier business schools, it’s no surprise that post-graduation “job prospects are top notch.” Helping in that area is the fact that students can turn to a “strong alumni network in the South,” one that’s typically “open to help with anything.” So while a handful of individuals do feel that “the Career Management Center has room to improve”—they specifically mention that the office could be “a little more in tune with what employers are expecting in job interviews and cover letters”—fortunately, others report that the school is “taking things in the right direction” and that “great companies recruit on campus,” including numerous healthcare firms. Plus, it’s a testament that you can find graduates at leading corporations like Amazon, Nike, Goldman Sachs, Bain & Company, Credit Suisse, Google, McKinsey & Company, and the IBM Corporation.

Simply put, “the culture of Fuqua is outstanding.” Perhaps this can be attributed to an admissions committee that “screens heavily for personality (placing more emphasis on fit than other factors like GMAT [scores]).” As such, they continually manage to attract “kind,” “collaborative,” and “humble” individuals who are “willing to go out of their way to help others.” Indeed, “Students at Fuqua care about one another and are more interested in lifting each other up … than just the competition of getting a good job/receiving the best offer.” As a result of that attention to personality, “there doesn’t seem to be one particular [academic] area that has more weight than others (e.g., finance over consulting over marketing).”

As for what’s to enjoy at Duke beyond the coursework, the university “provides programming to enhance the experience like outside speakers (CEOs of major companies like Procter & Gamble, Bank of America, and Redwoods).” Additionally, Duke “hosts fun networking activities like baseball games, trivia nights, and arcade nights,” and there’s also “Fuqua Friday every week, where all members of the community, from professors to students and their families, gather together for dinner.”