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| University of Maryland Robert H. Smith School of Business |
OVERALL 1998 RANK: 22 BW corporate rank: 30 BW graduate rank: 23 BW 1996 rank: N/A |
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1999 Profile Update School Profile School Statistics Graduates' Comments: The University of Maryland provides top value for the tuition dollar. I found the environment friendly, and people are cooperative rather than very competitive. I particularly liked the use of "tracks" during the first year. With this system, you attend all of your classes for the semester with the same group of about 50 people. It is a good way to get to know people well. The administration seems to continually tinker with the structure of the MBA program based upon feedback from students, which helps to strengthen the program. --Research Fellow Although the program, at times, was very intense and busy, the atmosphere was not. I expected to encounter students and people completely focused on themselves. However, everyone I met was friendly and accommodating. I think I will remember this the most after I have forgotten all those fancy business terms and techniques. --Information Technology (Entrepeneurship) The Maryland MBA program proved to be exactly as advertised, and in many ways better. I have done extensive research on all of the top programs in the country and found only a handful which were as comprehensive and well organized as the one at Maryland. The atmosphere was very congenial, and students often had the opportunity to mingle with faculty and administration on an informal basis. This helped to foster an environment of mutual respect. Additionally, second-year students made concerted efforts to be involved in the development of the first-year class, which created a sense of community. --Unknown In the classroom, I often found myself pleasantly surprised at the intelligence, work ethic, and overall friendliness of my classmates. They made the uncounted group projects a lot easier to handle and extracurricular activities fun. Also, cooperation was clearly favored over competition. I never saw a student refuse to help out a peer in need. As a group, the teachers at Maryland were the best I ever had anywhere. The majority of them had practical business experience, which they readily brought into the classroom for our benefit. They strongly encouraged the development of communications skills. --Unknown The administration incorporates student input into all facets of the decision-making process (including the selection of the new Dean), and are constantly on the lookout for ways to improve. I was often reminded of a corporation which keeps one eye on the competition and the other on the road ahead. And they do all this, despite being part of a large public university. Of course I cannot leave out the location. College Park is a great place to attend business school. The Maryland campus is very attractive, and the proximity of both Baltimore and Washington, D.C., offers a great many possibilities for weekend socializing. --Finance I was most impressed with the noncompetitive atmosphere among students at Maryland. My classmates seemed always willing to help each other, with schoolwork and by sharing knowledge and experiences. This environment greatly improved learning for everyone. --Information Technology Most notable was the caliber of students who attended the program. The student body was diverse, extremely bright, sociable, and contributed significantly to the learning environment. As I graduate from the program, I am very excited about the future of the school having witnessed our new dean's enthusiasm and competence. In just a short time Dean Howard Frank has redirected the school's energy, refocused the faculty, secured substantial resources for the betterment of the program, and has added tremendous style and personality to the school. I am very confident that future MBA students will have an even better experience than I did. --Consulting [N]one could offer the resources, reputation and faculty at such a low tuition as Maryland. I only paid about $5,000 per year and had a paid assistant scholarship. I have a colleague who went to Georgetown who is $50,000 in debt -- and Georgetown still couldn't offer the organization or resources of a large university. Maryland has to be in the top 5 nationwide for combined value and caliber of education. --Marketing Manager Maryland has offered me every opportunity that exists at higher ranked institutions, yet at a much lower cost. This is THE school to attend if you want the greatest educational and experiential value for your dollar. --Marketing I had a wonderful experience at the University of Maryland. I beleive I received a top notch education, and I know that I got a the best bang for the buck. I accepted a job that is typically reserved for the Ivy League types. I have the same salary as them, but not the student loans. (Maryland paid for much of my education through various scholarships and programs, and I only have about $1,000 in student loans). --Unknown Maryland is working on improving its reputation with recruiters, which is a clear weak spot. The career placement center has come a long way in the two years I spent at Maryland, but I do admit that there is still work to do. The new dean seems great, and most of us anticipate good things to come under his leadership. My impression was that the student body and some faculty were tenative at first about the new dean, but after his first eight months, I feel that most everyone is behind him and believes in his abilities. --Finance University of Maryland's program is highly underrated. The curriculum and teaching are excellent, and an atmosphere of teamwork and support is fostered. It is just a question of time before they get the recognition they deserve. --Marketing I was very pleased with the school, curriculum, instruction, and fellow students. The key issue for Maryland is to build its reputation among recruiters, so that more top level recruiters come to campus. --Finance It's a very good school, they just need more time to build up the alumni network and get the Maryland name out there. The recruiting could be better; especially with marketing. We don't get alot of marketing positions recruiting on campus. We also don't get enough Fortune 500 Companies on campus. --Marketing I was very pleased with my experiences at Maryland, with the exception of the services provided by the Career Placement Center. The student body was exceptional: smart, diverse, friendly, cooperative, unpretentious, and industrious. The small class size promoted a real sense of community among the students and allowed free access to the professors and staff, both during and after lectures. Lecture material for most courses was comprehensive, complete, and well-organized. On-campus graduate student employment opportunities were plentiful, allowing students to reduce the already small burden of their education costs. The Terrapin Fund was undoubtedly my most rewarding experience at Maryland; for instance, I found that I could talk on par with many professional equity analysts during my career search. --Unknown Unfortunately, I was continually disappointed with the services provided by the Career Placement Center throughout my studies at Maryland. Summer internship placement activities did not commence until January/February, after which full-time employment placement activities ground to a halt. Much placement advice seemed to be of the "one size fits all" variety. There seemed to be a reluctance by staff members to actively seek out feedback from the student body. Some of the staff members could be surly and uncooperative at times. None of the staff members had extensive placement experience or employer relationships, and staff turnover at the placement office seemed high. As the caliber of the student body increases, so will their career aspirations. The quality of the services provided by the Career Placement Center will have to improve dramatically, or student dissatisfaction will only increase. --Finance My experience with the University of Maryland was outstanding. The professors bring tremendous current information into the classroom and are highly available outside of class time. The administration was highly responsive. I think the size of the program is very good. It's large enough to allow flexibility with program electives yet small enough to assure that each student is treated as an individual. There are several professors who will be lifelong resources for me. --Marketing The Experimental Learning Modules held each semester were a valuable asset to the MBA experience at Maryland. ELM topics included: Ethics, International Business, Washington Week, Career Development and TQM. Also the Group Field Projects were an opportunity to consult as an MBA team. --Marketing Maryland's entrepreneurship and management (strategy) departments are outstanding. Faculty provide practical experience and also case studies, which enhance our development and understanding of our leadership role. With over 35% of its students coming from abroad, Maryland offers a great opportunity to learn from different cultures as well as business practices in other countries. The best aspect for practical learning are Maryland's ELM (experiential learning modules). ELM's allow students to interact with the real world environment. My favorite ELMs was the Washington ELM where we were able to understand how government interacts with the enterprise. I also liked the Ethics ELM, in which Maryland emphasizes the need to have clean and fair business practices worldwide. --Entrepeneurship (Marketing) I felt that the University of Maryland not only provided me with an outstanding academic experience, but also provided a well-rounded extracurricular experience. These additional experiences and learning opportunities were in the form of field projects, experiential learning modules (ELMs), and the many activities coordinated by the business school (such as seminars, CEO speaker series, career fairs, and networking events). --Finance University of Maryland's international student body, top notch teaching, experiential learning modules, and proximity to Washington, business and government employers enhance the dynamic environment of the Robert H. Smith School of Business. I graduated with a job that exceeds my expectations, and I secured it through the Graduate Career Management Center. --Finance As a student interested in starting my own business, I couldn't have asked for a better program than Maryland's. Their Entrepreneurship program has provided me with all the necessary tools to succeed in starting my business, and the support I have received from faculty and staff has been tremendous. It is no wonder that our entrepreneurship program is considered one of the best in the nation. As far as he regular MBA core courses, they provided me with an excellent base from which to build upon. I was very happy with the education I received at Maryland and feel that it is a school on the rise. --Entrepeneurship I had an outstanding MBA experience here at Maryland. Every student coming in is very motivated and highly skilled, yet the diversity of the backgrounds is amazing. Everyone strives for excellence, but not at the expense of teammates, and there are numerous opportunities to be a leader, to help someone else catch up, to learn and get help from someone else, as well as to tackle projects on your own and succeed. --Consulting Maryland provides an excellent education for an economical price. I chose to attend UMD because of the diversity of students attending the program and because of the prime location in the Washington metro area. This provided access to a variety of company headquarters, which was important in the success of our group field project experiences. The semester-long consulting project required of each MBA student was an excellent experience. I gained real-life consulting experience and made professional contacts. What I will remember most from the University of Maryland is the teamwork that helped everyone complete the program successfully. Although I am a competitive person, I believe that everyone does better in the end by helping each other strive for success instead of withholding information to further a personal goal. UMD provided a good mix of individual and team work that will serve me well in the business world. Working with students from a variety of countries also helped me to understand how to negotiate business deals with colleagues from other countries and cultures. I would recommend the program to other students that wish to work in a collaborative atmosphere that allows the student to choose a variety of electives that match their interests. --Consulting Back to Top 1999 Profile Update School Profile School Statistics |
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