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| Michigan State University The Eli Broad Graduate School of Management |
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1999 Profile Update School Profile School Statistics Graduates' Comments: Michigan State went out of its way to cater to all the needs of its international students. I found everybody very approachable, all the way to the dean of the business school. --Cost Analyst Over the time I have spent at Michigan State, the program has constantly improved. MSU offers great placement services, practical and team experiences to their students. --Finance Supervisor/Financial Analyst MSU's faculty and administration have ensured that a practical and business-appropriate curriculum has been developed and taught. In addition, the MBA program has included a great deal of leadership, teamwork, and presentation development. My two years at MSU have allowed me to grow these skills tremendously. --Senior Financial Analyst I believe my degree from the Eli Broad Graduate School of Management is valuable. However, if I could change some aspects of the program, several areas would be addressed. To start, there needs to be more fairness in grading. During the first year, core classes were taught by professors with a wide range of challenges in the classes. Some sections were easier and graded on a curve, others were not. Although students should look past grades and value the greater enrichment received in the more difficult classes, recruiters do not have the same view. Telling a recruiter that you had the more difficult sections sounds like you're whining. --No career path given I would also improve on the school's diversity. There was little diversity among international students -- the majority of them were from one country. As a minority, I found the representation of minorities extremely disappointing. Plus, the admissions office actively recruited only one class of minorities and gave graduate assistantships to this one particular class. Also, the school didn't have a national appeal. There were too many Midwesterners. Many weren't open and accepting of international students and made little effort to take advantage of learning about other cultures.--No career path given On a positive note, I feel the school has a very strong supply chain management program. --Sr.Consultant The program is on a solid path and I believe it will follow in the footsteps of the likes of Texas at Austin and UNC Chapel-Hill. However, geography is not on Broad's side. Broad has an excellent program for those interested in supply chain management and corporate finance, and the students, recruiters, and alumni respect this fact. --No career path given My biggest complaint about the program is that "it can't be all things to all people." There are only 125-150 students admitted to the program each year. In order for the program to move ahead it must specialize. It should not forget that the school is located on the banks of the Cedar, not the Charles or the shores of Lake Michigan. Schools at these locations can allow reputation to carry students in weaker program areas. MSU does not have that luxury, it must communicate to prospective students what it is good at (supply chain and corporate finance) and work at attracting the appropriate students. A generalist mentality will not allow the program to satisfy everyone. --Financial Analyst Every week the program holds coffee socials that the Dean and faculty regularly attend. These breaks allow students and administration to discuss concerns and initiatives that will launch the program into the future. In the rare instances where problems or concerns arise, they are addressed amicably and openly. Student participation in the decisions is encouraged. From the first day in the program, students are exposed to alumni contacts. The Placement Office allows each student to compose a tailored job search for full-time and intern positions. You are encouraged to use, but not limited to, the list of visiting companies. A database exists providing E-mail, addresses, and phone numbers for alumni at several hundred companies. I have had the opportunity to meet everyone in the program on professional and personal levels. I find it hard to believe I would know everyone in a program larger than MSU's. Also, I've become friends with people of ethnicity ranging from Peruvian and Greek to Lebanese and Thai, just to name a few. --Consulting My low marks for the Placement office reflect my opinion for the previous staff. The MBA program should improve markedly, but I had to rate the Placement office according to my experience. Otherwise, the Finance department has a number of excellent professors while Supply Chain Management is overrated, particularly in its teaching mission. --Consulting I was put in touch with supply chain management thought leaders, and I also had the opportunity to work with the professors and contribute to their research. Michigan State is often overlooked. From the interactions with my fellow MBA'ers to the lifelong friends I have made, Michigan State is a school that encourages you to work as part of a team and develop bonds with your classmates. --Consulting I was accepted at a top 20 school but chose to attend MSU instead. In addition to receiving an unbeatable financial package from the school, I was also very impressed with what MSU has to offer. Prior to attending MSU I established three criteria that I felt were mandatory in whatever program I decided to attend. These included a current and challenging curriculum, knowledgeable and dedicated faculty, and experienced and aggressive students. After spending two years at MSU I do not feel that I compromised my expectations on any of these three issues by not attending a top 20 program. --No career path given Some may argue that the name recognition benefits associated with attending a top 20 school are worth any price. I strongly disagree. Once I began the program at MSU, I was even more impressed with the integration, execution, and continuity of the program. The school's responsiveness to the changing business environment is evidenced by the new curriculum that was introduced in the fall of 1997. The School's Town Hall Meetings with the Dean show its commitment to hearing and meeting the needs of the students. Examples of some recent changes include updated and expanded computing facilities, additional high-technology classrooms, and a brand new business library. I was also very impressed at how accessible and visible the Dean of the MBA Program is at MSU. Finally, I think MSU must have one of the finest placement offices in the country. Every need I ever had was met in a way that exceeded my expectations. --Finance Overall, from a cost perspective the Michigan State MBA is an excellent value. However, if I had the economic means I would not have attended the MSU program. From an academic and practical standpoint the program offered an excellent value as well. The biggest drawbacks with the MSU experience are: The computer/lab (IT and Research included) facilities are beyond pathetic, below market standards, this is not the result of a lack of effort or understanding on the behalf of the MBA program staff/administration, but a seemingly endless lack of political/financial means. The undergraduate program and the greater university as a whole tend to dwarf the MBA program. The resources and the facilities of the university as a whole are subpar in my opinion as well. Fortunately, the MBA program is acutely aware of these shortcomings, and is diligently working to improve them. Just in my time there I did see good progress. But they still have a long way to go.--No career path given Secondly, the social and networking opportunities for graduate students in East Lansing, Mich., were extremely disappointing. However, this is largely out the control of the MBA program. But I do feel the MBA program needs to do a better job in assesing the social/business skills and maturity/commitment level of applicants/matriculants. From a diversity perspective MSU looks good on paper, however, the problem really lies not in the gross percentages but the individual language/business/cultural skills of fellow students. I come from a multicultural background and English was not my first language. Unfortunately, it was my experience that working with the particular international students at MSU was usually disapointing. This was not because they were 'bad' people or 'free-riders.' But more likely is the fact that many were sent by their respective companies or governments and viewed the program as a reward and as a two-year "break" from their previous posting.--No career path given In the 'end game' I personally did well in terms of choices, opportunities, and financially. This may be the result of the outstanding efforts and appropriate emphasis to create a 'world-class' operation in the MBA PCC (Placement/Career Center). --Finance The best parts of the program were a very responsive and proactive administration and a fabulous placement office (including state-of-the-art Web-based placement system: online interview scheduling, company info, job-hunting tools and skills development, recruiter database and links). My biggest complaints are too much emphasis on teams/group assignments and cases, and some language barriers due to the large number of international students. --Finance I feel the true strength of MSU's Broad School lies in its supply chain management program. With increasing globalization, many of today's firms are realizing the possible competitive advantages that can be achieved through a strong integration of the firm with its suppliers and customers. Therefore, as one of the leading schools in the country teaching these principles, an MBA from MSU's Broad School can provide a candidate with the necessary tools to help these firms to succeed in the 21st century.--No career path given MSU has also structured their program to give students the opportunity to pursue two concentrations. The dual concentration allows students to focus their effort on a more well-rounded business education, while simultaneously opening the door for students to interview with a wider variety of firms, in hopes of finding the best match for their future career goals. The administration at MSU's Broad School was also very responsive to student's needs and concerns. "Town hall" meetings were regularly held with the Associate Dean of MBA Programs as well as the Dean of the Business School. At these meetings, students were kept apprised of new developments and were given the opportunity to voice their concerns regarding the direction of the program. --Finance I accepted a position with the Daimler-Chrysler Corporation in the Advanced Degree Development Program -- Management Roll. I truly believe that the skills that I contributed to Chrysler during my internship were instrumental in securing a competitive offer at the end of my internship. Many of these skills came from the classes that I took in the first and second semester of the MBA program. --Marketing I was limited geographically to choices for employment and my MBA program. I had an internship with Kellogg and accepted its full-time offer. Despite the fact that MSU was the one of two schools that accepted me, it still was the best choice for me since I was able to concentrate on a topic, such as food and packaged goods marketing, whereas other programs only provide a general business MBA. Although my previous work experience was in marketing, my MBA experience, combined with the internship, catapulted me into an industry leader's employment in a position that would've taken me years to achieve without the degree. --Marketing Back to Top 1999 Profile Update School Profile School Statistics |
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