University of Massachusetts Amherst - Isenberg School of Management

For savvy business students, Isenberg School of Management unites convenience, quality, and value. Any way you slice it, Isenberg School of Management is an "exceptional value," boasting a low in-state tuition, yet all the prestige and resources you'd expect from the UMass name. All students who are accepted into the full-time MBA program are automatically enrolled in the graduate fellowship program. That deal is very sweet, covering tuition, fees, healthcare, and a stipend. A student enthuses, "The best business decision I've made so far is to get my MBA in the full-time program where all of my tuition and fees are waived and I get paid" to be a fellow working on strategic initiatives for the school. A comprehensive thirty-seven to fifty-two-unit program (depending on concentration), the full-time MBA at UMass is completed on the school's main campus over the course of two years, or little as one year plus two courses. For those already in the workforce, Isenberg "caters to part-time students who have to work full-time" by offering a convenient part-time MBA, which can be completed in class at Springfield, Shrewsbury, Boston, or online. In addition, UMass offers dual degree programs in many fields, including sports management, public policy and civil, environmental, industrial, and mechanical engineering.

Although the full-time MBA enrollment is usually under fifty students each year, UMass is a large, public university. Therefore, it can be "hard to get a hold of the administrators because they're very busy." A student continues, "The administration has been nearly invisible, which is exactly how it should be—there have been no hassles over courses or deadlines." In 2013, the administration was reorganized under one Associate Dean. In contrast, the academic experience is surprisingly intimate, boasting small class sizes and "very supportive" professors. In the classroom, "discussions are interesting and it's easy to participate," and professors "welcome discussion and feedback and are willing to let students run with ideas while still…keep[ing] us on track."

Uniting practical knowledge with academic savvy, "professors are very knowledgeable within their respective fields" and "very current" on industry trends. Students also get a taste of the real world through various experiential learning opportunities. After completing the core curriculum, students have "freedom to choose courses, practicum, and search for jobs." Among other offerings, the "Practicum" is a semester-long consulting project, which lets second-year students test their business acumen while working directly with for-profit and not-for-profit regional businesses. A current student enthuses, "The end-of-program practicum project is extremely well put together, and is valuable for both real-world experience and resume-building."

Isenberg's MBA Career Management Office helps MBA candidates prepare for their career through a variety of services and networking programs. Among other offerings, the office operates a fully funded mandatory first-year Orientation to prepare students for the internship and job search through participation in MBA conferences and con- necting with recruiters. It also focuses on practical lifelong learning skills that will make graduates better leaders in their organizations. While "the career center is good if you have specific questions," students admit that, "you really need to go out there and work for yourself to get anywhere" with the job search. Speaking of classmates, one student tells us, "We rely on each other to bring our personal networks into the program." Here, "people know what you are looking to do and keep their ears open for opportunities to pass along."

On campus, students have access to career fairs and networking events; however, MBA candidates would also like to see more upper-level recruiting at UMass. In fact, compa- nies "often come to campus to recruit undergrads but have no interest in the MBAs." A student adds, "Since the program is so small there are no visits from recruiters. While the career center has been infinitely useful for me, it would be more beneficial if they could interest recruiters in the MBA class." In recent years, Isenberg graduates have taken jobs at Ford, Lego, Google, Capital One, EMC, Goldman Sachs, United Technologies Corp., Bj's Wholesales, Treavelers, and Mars.

Amherst, Massachusetts, is the quintessential college town, and students in the business program aren't immune to their lively surroundings. Here, the atmosphere is collegial and friendly, and "students are active in clubs, sports/healthy living, arts activities, and more." Moreover, "being a small program affords the majority of us to continue to prac- tice our leadership skills in clubs, which provides a semblance of running a business and gives us high visibility in the university, with alumni, and in the broader community."

With only fifty students in the full-time program, Isenberg is "truly a community." During the challenging first-year curriculum, "the class gets very close, works hard together, and works to help each other." In addition, "second-years are very active in helping the first-years adjust to the workload." In their free time, MBA candidates get together for "hikes, pot-luck dinners, [or] ice skating," and many attend the "weekly Thursday Night Out event sponsored by the Graduate Business Association." On the school's satellite campuses, students rarely get involved in any activities beyond classes. Nonetheless, they "enjoy interacting with the other students," and tell us that, "the facil- ities function well for what we need to accomplish."