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| University of California, Davis Graduate School of Management |
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1999 Profile Update School Profile School Statistics Graduates' Comments: I came to UC Davis targeting Intel and HP as the dream companies I wanted to work for. I received exactly what I wanted in that UCD had Intel interviewers on campus and allowed me to focus my education on high-tech. With only one exception, the faculty, I felt, was phenomenal and the staff great. We had only 130 students (both first- and second-years) in the program at any one time and it allowed us to get to know each other. Even though I originally wanted to attend a top five MBA program, attending one wouldn't have given me anything more than I have now except for a lot of student loans. I have left UCD debt-free! Can Harvard or Stanford graduates say the same? --Information Technology Undertaking the pursuit of an MBA is a risky venture when one looks at the opportunity cost. The Graduate School of Managment at UC Davis does not have a fancy building, but the efforts that the faculty and staff make to ensure students are given every opportunity to learn clearly differentiates this school from the others which I visited. --Finance UC Davis is a very uneven program. A large amount of courses are taught by adjunct faculty, who are either the best, or the worst. Social skills are far more important than merit in terms of grading, and getting the career services office to actually do something, rather than just offer homilies and oversimplications, is difficult. The program lacks focus. The good faculty leave for private industry, and the truly inept end up teaching redundant electives. There are really two UCD MBA programs -- those headed for the SF Bay Area, and those wanting to stay in Sacramento. The second group is grossly overlooked. Overall, it is a good program, but one that could stand improvement through a bit more academic rigor and contact with the local business community... The UCD GSM is taking advantage of the fact that they're the only affordable and decent program in Northern California. Haas is a much better program, and in retrospect, I wish I'd gone there instead. At least you learn something at UCD though, as opposed to Stanford, where you're just buying a name on top of a mediocre program. --Consulting The program has recruited some of the best students out there, making the program very much alive with new ideas and initiatives coming from the student body itself. I doubt anyone will ever complain about the excellent faculty and staff support being provided by the program. I am very proud of my education here. --Entrepreneurship The emphasis on teamwork and small classes were two areas that definitely enhanced the MBA experience. --Finance The greatest strengths of UC Davis are the extensive teamwork, top-notch faculty, and personalized experience of being in a class of just 60 students. Also, many of the on-campus career fairs are characterized by a student-recruiter ratio of about 4 to 1, which is great for students. Hewlett-Packard and Intel alone hire approximately 20% of each year's graduating class. The capstone 240 team consulting project, which brings together strategic, financial, and marketing analyses of a Sacramento-area organization, was the single most valuable experience I had while at the UCD GSM. It stretched my limits in terms of time commitment, teamwork, intensity, and rewards. GSM staff and faculty really encourage entrepreneurialism: students are given the resources to launch numerous independent projects, from new student organizations to high-level pro bono consulting opportunities. Finally, the student body places a high value on giving back to the community. --Human Resources I feel I received a thorough education at UC Davis that has prepared me well for my future career. I have not aggressively started my job search at this time for personal reasons. The program has areas of improvement, but it is a relatively young program, and administration and faculty seem interested in constantly improving on "weak" areas. --Consulting UCD is a small program, and its biggest strength is the personal interaction available with professors. Some professors are very bright but are not very good speakers or educators. Similar to my experience at UCLA, many professors may be good at research, but are not very good at teaching. The biggest improvement the school needs to make is to its career services program. However, given the age and location of the school, it has made considerable progress. As a general education program, the school does well. However, for people attempting to make a career change, some needs were not met either in education or in career services. --Operations Overall, I was very pleased with my experience at UCD. The program's small class size facilitates close interaction with the faculty, administration, and fellow classmates. However, the small class size does limit the number of electives offered by each department, as well as the number of companies willing to recruit on campus. Despite this handicap, the school is doing an excellent job of bringing more and diverse companies to campus recruiting events. As a marketing major, I was somewhat disappointed in the number of marketing electives being taught. The school is correcting this situation by hiring more marketing faculty. Also, I was disappointed by the lack of international business courses. Members of my class were the first in the school's history to plan an international study trip. Happily, the interest in international business has continued with this year's class, which is also planning an international study tour. Most of the school's shortcomings (e.g. no dedicated B-school building, limited electives, etc.) can be attributed to the program's relative infancy by business school standards. The school's greatest strength is the enthusiasm and caliber of the faculty, staff, and students, who are committed to improving the quality of the program and its reputation. --Marketing I specifically chose Davis, because I was unhappy with my job in the SF Bay area and I wanted to relocate. The job offers and salary offers I recieved in Sacramento, combined with the cost of living made my two years at Davis a very sound investment. I was most pleased with the one-on-one aspect of the teaching. Most elective courses have a 20-to-1 teacher-student ratio. This allows for the best possible understanding of the course material. While I would like to see Davis rise in the rankings, I certainly hope it is not at the expense of these attributes. --Marketing UC Davis provides students the opportunity to pursue their interests in a flexible and family-oriented environment. The faculty are excellent and are getting better every year. The caliber of students has increased tremendously as well. Students are empowered to design their own classes. Our trip to China last year was student-driven and designed. Our strategic planning class is one of a kind, giving teams of students the opportunity to serve a business in the community. --Consulting The school needs a more international focus. Leadership is great. Overall I received a good education. --Marketing Back to Top 1999 Profile Update School Profile School Statistics |
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