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| Southern Methodist University Edwin L. Cox School of Business |
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1999 Profile Update School Profile School Statistics Graduates' Comments: SMU's top-notch academics coupled with the development of one's "soft" skills through seminars offered by the Business Leadership Center provide the school's MBA's with a strong competitive advantage in the workplace. --No career path given The Business Leadership Center provided an extremely valuable "curriculum" in the form of professional and personal development courses, seminars, and skill-development training sessions. Subjects include presentation skills, development of subordinates, coaching/couseling, goal setting/time management, ethical leadership in business, and dealing with the media. There is a well developed network of senior business executives in the Dallas/Fort Worth metroplex that support this center. The Associate Board Mentor Program placed each participating student with their own personal mentor -- a successful business executive from the Dallas area. My personal experience was outstanding. My mentors (I had three), were willing to help me in any way possible, including assisting me in making contacts with potential investors in my entrepreneurial venture. Many students find that the mentors will provide career guidance, help with expanding a network for job search, or exposure to their own business environment. This program was a major factor in my decision to attend SMU. The Caruth Institute is the school's entrepreneurship center. By far the most integrative and encompassing academic experiences are involved in courses offered by this institute. One especially valuable aspect is the exposure in class to successful businesspeople who share their experiences as they relate to a particular topic. The value of studying venture finance or management of small to midsize enterprises is not lost on those seeking a career in larger organizations. Students recognize that large corporations especially need management that can recognize opportunities, manage change, and create an innovative atmosphere. I was most impressed with the ability of the MBA staff to deal with issues or suggestions from the students. When immediate change was not possible or prudent, the staff and faculty allowed students to take the lead in planning changes and improvements for the near future. Finally, it is difficult to place a value on the intimacy and personal attention received during the program. Professors and students are on a first-name basis and students were always welcome to meet with professors outside the classroom. --Entrepreneurship The faculty, the career office, and the corporate ties of SMU are an outstanding combination for a successful career in business. --Finance The school's ties to the Dallas business community put me in touch with many company executives. The professors were available, and many even gave out their home phone numbers. --Finance The only detriment to the school is that a majority of students decide to work in the South after graduation, which lowers our average starting salary. These salaries would be considered very high if they were adjusted for cost of living. I truly enjoyed my experience at Cox and strongly believe the MBA Program should be ranked in the Top 15 Programs. --Finance With my liberal-arts background and work experience, I realized that I needed more than a high-caliber MBA to get a good job in finance. I had my pick of top MBA programs, and I selected SMU because I wanted the extensive personal development the program had to offer. The program administrators and counselors were continuously aware of my goals, and helped me polish my personal and technical skills to get the job I wanted. Also, SMU has unsurpassed connections in the Southwest. In the end, I'm very glad I chose a smaller, more personalized MBA program. --Finance SMU is situated in what is currenty a booming business community, and the university takes advantage of the opportunities offered by this context. I was very impressed by the Cox School's success in courting local executives through our Associate Board Mentor Program as well as through the Business Leadership Center. I was able to meet face-to-face with executives that I would, otherwise, never have been able to meet. The networking opportunities are phenomenal! I am specifically pursuing a career in IT consulting (package solutions) and have had most of my resume submissions solicited by consulting firms through events arranged by the school. I've had a great experience at SMU and recommend the school to anyone interested in receiving an excellent education in not only the fundamentals of quantitative and qualitative business fundamentals but also in leadership and networking skills. --Consulting SMU's best-kept secret is the quality of its faculty. In addition to being first-rate educators, they were readily accessible for discussion outside the classroom, which was complemented by a small class size. This individual attention is what made my experience such a great one. --No career path given ...The finance department at SMU is especially strong -- classes are mostly taught using the case method and guest lecturers are frequent.--No career path given The quality of teaching was mixed. While many professors were great, far too many seemed uncommitted and unprepared. The new dean seems very committed to making SMU a nationally recognized program, and has received high marks from students, faculty, and the Mentor Board. --Marketing Marketing classes stressed NPV and break-even analysis, while finance classes discussed marketing implications. I feel fortunate to have studied under top-rate professors that not only are hired by corporations for their business expertise, but also are great teachers. --Marketing I believe the entrepreneurship program at SMU is one of the best-kept secrets in business schools. Jerry White and his staff at the Caruth Institute offer a wealth of real-world experience, contacts, and access to venture capital funds and guardian angels. I strongly recommend this program to incoming students who plan to pursue entrepreneurial activities upon graduation. --Marketing SMU has developed a good full-time program. However, the combination of the FT and PT classes forces the school to offer most of its elective courses at night. FT students effectively become PT after they complete the core classes. --Consulting While the placement office has improved, it remains the underperformer of the business school. The Business Info Center underwent a face-lift to provide more computers and resources to satisfy increasing demand. The Business Leadership Center is the heart of the school, providing both seminars and support for the MBAs -- a peaceful sanctuary in a frenzied sea. Instructors were first-rate. --Information Technology The administration did an exceptional job of being flexible in allowing me to always take the courses I wanted. As long as I could come up with a creative suggestion that would work for myself and others, the administration would make it happen. --Finance The Cox MBA Placement Office has vastly improved its student services (preparation, availability/breadth of expertise) and its ability to attract top firms. It's nice to see such effort on all levels to help improve the quality and value of my degree. --Marketing The number of companies that come and recruit for positions other than finance or consulting is not that high. Whether this can be attributed to the individual firms or SMU's Career Management Office, I do not know. It was frustrating trying to get a foot in the door with companies that did not recruit on campus, but the school is aware of this, and steps are being taken to improve the process. From what I know of Dean Niemi, he has a vision of how SMU needs to evolve from its current perception in order to attract more companies, and subsequently increase the opportunities for students. This can only help the program in the future. I had studied biology all through college, and intended on pursuing a career in medicine. When I decided to make the change, I was not sure how my lack of experience and science background would affect my chances of being accepted to any MBA program. There is no other way that I could invest two years and, as a result, be provided the opportunity I have following graduation. I know my work habits can also be attributed to this, but I am greatly appreciative to SMU for giving me a chance to prove myself. --Marketing The MBA program at SMU has to lose the amateur mentality which is the legacy of Dean Blake. Dean Niemi has certainly moved to change this mindset. He has replaced several administrative personnel, and there is definitely a more professional attitude. Unfortunately these changes will not show up in my survey answers as there is still a lot of work for him to do...[but] I believe the school has a great future. Also please keep in mind the size of the program and the quality of the faculty. The small class sizes allows students greater interaction with professors both in and outside the classroom. Professors are readily available outside of class to further discuss learning points. They really care that the students learn. This combined with their brilliance makes the faculty the greatest asset of the school. --Finance The school's small size made it possible to get to know most of my classmates very well. The administration is very open to feedback from students in terms of core courses and electives, quality of teaching, career management, and leadership training. I could never imagine such accessible faculty. Often I needed to consult a professor or staff outside office hours and I never ran into a problem. The atmosphere of the school is as if it was a big family. The campus is beautiful, the Texas weather is great. What else would an MBA student wish for? --Accounting After being out of school for 10 years and having a career as a CPA, a financial analyst in real estate and energy-related projects, and starting my own consulting business with my husband, I always knew that despite the hands-on experience that only work can give you, something was still missing. That something was the theoretical, intellectual, analytical, and philosophical aspects of issues and subject matters that only business school could provide. It was wonderful to finally fully understand so many issues that during my work days I had learned by rote. By having this new understanding, my confidence in my abilities and knowledge of my field (finance), and in life in general has been enhanced. I am grateful to the wonderful and excellent professors and faculty at SMU who enabled me to add this new dimension in my life. --Consulting Key factors influencing my decision to attend SMU were academic excellence, small class size, executive mentoring, and superior job placement. I am pleased to say that the Cox School far exceeded all of my expectations. --Consulting I had a great experience attending SMU. The faculty was outstanding and was always ready to help students not only in their studies but also in their job searches. My classmates were also wonderful. They were eager to learn and share their experience with others. They were hardworking and always trying to do their best. Most importantly they were not trying to compete against each other. If a student needed any help in his/her classes, he/she could always count on his/her classmates to help him/her. The MBA program is a great program in that it prepares students to meet the challenges that await them in the workplace. This preparation is done not only through high-quality courses but also through Business Leadership Seminars. --Finance The cooperation and teamwork among classmates is unbelievable. Though not totally void of competition, the program maintains a strong sense of camaraderie. I was pleasantly surprised at the quality and level of instruction of the professors. I also had several positive experiences with the adminstration in elective problems. Every effort, including opening new sections, was made to accommodate student requests in scheduling electives. However, one major drawback in the program is the career development office. I do not believe the placement director spends enough time networking or establishing contacts for the school not only in the Southwest but also around the country. --Consulting In addition to an oustanding curriculum, Cox offers "value-added" features that include: The Business Leadership Center, Community Partners Program, Associate Mentor Board, Business Leader Spotlight Series, Career Management Seminars, Management Briefing Luncheon Series, Southwest Venture Capital Forum, and the Caruth Institute for Small Business -- just to mention a few. In addition, all of the business school clubs are very active, due to effective student leaders who work hard to attract outstanding guest speakers and to develop interesting and relevant special events. What I appreciated the most at Cox was the personal attention that was afforded each student by the faculty, staff, and administration. --Marketing One example of the integration of the curriculum is the Emerging Markets class. This class is a six-credit, dual course: Managing Global Operations (MIS) and Managing the Global Firm (OBBP). As part of the course, students spend spring break in Mexico City touring manufacturing plants, visiting the U.S. Embassy and the Mexican Stock Exchange, and having a series of panel discussions with a wide range of Mexican business men and women. The trip was a wonderful way to enhance the concepts we learned in the classroom. --Marketing Back to Top 1999 Profile Update School Profile School Statistics |
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