The University of North Carolina at Wilmington - Cameron School of Business

Uniting a top-notch business faculty with an intimate campus atmosphere, getting an MBA at the University of North Carolina at Wilmington’s Cameron School of Business is a “warm, rewarding experience.” This small public school offers several graduate business programs, including the popular Professional MBA, as well as a full-time International MBA (conferred in conjunction with partner universities overseas). For working professionals in the PMBA program, convenience is a key factor in their decision to attend UNCW. “The campus is conveniently located in the center of Wilmington” and all classes are held in the evenings or on the weekends. The school offers a “lock-step program where all students take the same classes together,” and the curriculum spans two years (twenty-one months if you were a business undergrad), with four courses per semester. While the course load is demanding (especially for those holding down a full-time job), “classes are...manageable” and professors are friendly, accessible, and “reasonable regarding student expectations.”

With a competent administrative team at the helm, “the MBA program is well-designed and run,” and many students say the “caliber of professors and course material has exceeded my expectations.” Group work is encouraged, and through assignments, “[students] to learn to work with all different types of people—just like the real work force.” Among many of the school’s special programs, the Learning Alliance is a sixt to nine-month project through which “students are put into groups and assigned a [regional] company” where they study and consult on business problems and opportunities. A student elaborates on the Learning Alliance: “Rather than just writing a marketing report based on a case study, an actual marketing project will be performed where students work with local businesses on their particular marketing needs.” On the flipside, students would like the curriculum to include a broader international perspective, while others would like to see more specialized course offerings, as well as “more freedom to choose classes within the program.”

UNCW students are impressed with the teaching staff, describing them as “highly educated with a lot of ‘hands-on’ work experience.” Drawing from a wide range of industries, Wilmington professors range “from economics teachers who have worked at the Fed for thirty years, to management teachers who have worked for large corporations in high positions globally, to significantly published authors and highly sought-after consultants.” In the classroom, they are on top of their game; “Professors of UNCW exhibit strong, experienced leadership in preparing, teaching, and guiding students through the business program.” Likewise, “the administration is very service-oriented and goes out of [its] way to make student administrative obstacles easy [to overcome].” “Affordability” is the cherry on top of the cake—here, in-state tuition runs less than 50 percent the price at comparable private schools.

The UNCW Career Center serves both the undergraduate and graduate student com- munity, assisting with internships, as well as full-time and part-time job placements. The Career Center organizes annual career fairs and networking events on campus, and offers an online job board and resume posting service for UNCW students. However, the business school does not have graduate-specific resources for career planning, and stu- dents say, “There is very little discussion about various fields and ways in which to apply an MBA degree.” At the same time, the school does provide opportunities for network- ing through speaker panels, alumni events, and special events with local executives. For students who would like to make a career change after completing their MBA, career services at UNCW can be a disappointment. A current student admits, “UNCW needs to do a better job with attracting recruiters to hire their MBA students. With top-level fac- ulty and a top-level business education, our MBA students should be given networking and interviewing opportunities with various businesses in different fields on a regular basis.” On the other hand, students point out, “So many people’s employers are paying for their MBA education, they feel it is a violation of ethics to strongly encourage us to find new jobs.”

While they come from diverse professional and educational backgrounds (“from engi- neers to business students”), MBA candidates at UNCW are generally “hard-working, funny, and willing to support and help others.” Competitiveness is kept to a minimum, and within cohorts, “a tight-knit bond forms between classmates.” On campus, business students have access to “quiet study lounges in each building” and a “well-equipped library;” however, the classroom experience could improve with the introduction of “more technology tools.” In fact, some students think, “CSB could really use a new building” altogether.

In the professional MBA program, “most all of the students are working professionals, so they are not involved in the day-to-day campus activities.” However, graduate stu- dents do have access to the facilities and resources on the greater campus, and “about 10 percent use the gym facilities and library during non-class hours.” Nonetheless, the atmosphere is friendly and social, boasting “that homey feeling of a small town where everyone knows and cares about everyone else.” While they may not go out every weekend, “most of the students belong to the MBA Association, and participate in social events with each other outside of class.” Even in the classroom, the feeling is laid-back; “Because of the warm climate and laid back atmosphere, I believe some students have never worn footwear besides flip flops ever.”