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| University of Southern California Marshall School of Business |
OVERALL 1998 RANK: 25 BW corporate rank: 55 BW graduate rank: 18 BW 1996 rank: N/A |
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1999 Profile Update School Profile School Statistics Graduates' Comments: One of the best experiences at Marshall was the PRIME program in which every first-year not only learns about international business but experiences it with a one-week trip to either Mexico or Asia. --Marketing The "core" is packed with professors who are leaders in their fields. The program fosters a deep commitment to teamwork and a culture of healthy competition. And the curriculum is among the most comprehensive and cutting-edge in the nation. Among the most exciting initiatives was my visit to Nanjing, China through Marshall's PRIME program. As part of my experience, I worked with a team that researched a Chinese apparel company and presented our analysis/recommendations to the company's CEO. --Consulting Our school's PRIME trip, which allowed us to visit companies in a Pacific Rim country, was the most valuable experience of my MBA. I visited 10-15 companies in Mexico, learned how to do business in Mexico, set up my own maquiladora (Mexican factory), and gained over 50 contacts within Mexico to network with on future business opportunities. This experience was invaluable and not available at other top MBA programs. --Unknown USC's Marshall School of Business does a wonderful job of not just teaching us what to think, but more importantly, it teaches how to think. They place an enormous amount of emphasis on teamwork and applied thinking. The PRIME program, which sends every first year MBA to a major Pacific Rim city, is outstanding. And, it's anything but a vacation: We spent an entire month learning a culture, analyzing an industry, and working with multinational firms to provide solutions to their actual problems. The entrepreneur program is without equal, in my opinion. The faculty, led by Tom O'Malia, energizes and enriches the minds of students. Before coming to B-school, I seriously doubted whether entrepreneurism could be taught. This program changed my perception. --Consulting I have been challenged, enlightened, impressed, and inspired by my USC classmates and professors. The program has frankly exceeded my expectations --I never thought I would enjoy going to classes, thrive on the adrenaline created by professors pushing us to work harder than we had ever in any setting, and revel in the satisfaction of work when it was truly well done. I really don't believe my friends at other top ranked business schools feel as passionate about their programs as I do about mine. The Trojan network is unlike anything one can describe. I would trust my classmates in all situations (Is this too sappy? It's true!). I am armed with the latest intellectual weapons and tools to battle any business challenge courtesy of Marshall. Finally, I think the PRIME program makes Marshall a leading business school in terms of commitment to international business education... --Unknown My classmates were all bright and extremely helpful in group projects. USC encourages teamwork... With high-caliber professors who are recognized leaders in their field, and quality classmates, the two years I spent at USC were well worth the cost and time. The huge alumni base was extremely helpful in providing career guidance and job leads. Dean Westerfield is doing an outstanding job. --Operations I came to USC because of the entertainment concentration -- classes are taught in conjunction with the cinema school. Every class has far surpassed my expectations, and I actually got my job through a contact I made with one of the guest speakers. Anyone looking to get into entertainment can't do better than USC (although my background was in entertainment). As someone involved in student government, the best part of my education was interacting with the other students. I visited many schools, and nowhere were students more friendly and supportive than at USC. This support carries over into club activities as well -- I got my internship through a club-sponsored "Day on the Job." As someone who came from a liberal arts background, I never could have gotten my job without my USC MBA. The best part of my core courses was how much emphasis was put on real-world skills. For example, statistics class focused on Excel, not textbook exercises. --Users The cameraderie at the Marshall School was what made USC different from many other B schools. All of the classmates helped each other, and there was no rivalry among us. This made the educational experience exceptional by allowing us to form lifelong friendships in the business world. --Consulting The quality of my classmates and professors was paralleled only by the outstanding Trojan network of current professionals willing to bend over backwards to help me in any way possible. USC has excellent programs in my two main interests -- international and entertainment management. I also had the time of my life in LA -- it was all swimming pools and movie stars. --Consulting USC's strong suits include: the visionary and aggressive dean (Randy Westerfield); the school's smaller classes which allow for intimate experiences; very easily accessible faculty, administrators, and alumni; a progressive and proactive campus; a dynamic setting in Los Angeles; and a new building and facilities that open in 1999. --Finance The administration was responsive to our needs and really tried to meet the needs of the students. The glue to all of this was the superior use of technology, especially the FirstClass (intranet) system, which let students know about everything from social funcitons to downloading course syllabi. --Finance I have gained experience balancing multiple activities due to the heavy workload in the USC Marshall program. --Marketing USC's MBA program enabled me to develop powerful frameworks with which to analyze and understand complex business issues. I will never regret the decision I made to attend the Marshall School. The program is expensive, but well worth the investment. As a student in the Marshall MBA program, I have toured foreign factories, met some of the world's most successful entrepreneurs, made lifelong friends from a couple dozen nations, acquired a broad spectrum of business skills, and landed a great job. Life is good in Southern California. Also, the alumni network at 'SC is strong! A sense of family and loyalty encapsulates every event here. The school has made tremendous (and successful) efforts to connect current MBAs with alumni. As a result, we've toured high-tech operations in San Diego and dined with CEOs in Silicon Valley. The Marshall School has established itself as a major force in business education... --Operations In addition to USC, I was accepted to Berkeley, UCLA, Wharton, MIT, and Virginia. I chose USC for its outstanding finance program, the Trojan network, and strategic marketing competencies. --Marketing I think the MBA program at USC is one of the best kept secrets in the country. Before and during my MBA, I compared extensive notes with friends and colleauges who either had completed or were in a full-time MBA program at other top schools across the country. Based on that feedback USC comes out on top across the board. I think the Finance department is outstanding. and I received a highly focused and integrated learning experience. --Finance What made the USC MBA program great was the diversity of the students' backgrounds. I was consistently impressed by the quality and the breadth of professional experience which my peers brought to the table. --Marketing The school faculties and staff are working diligently to improve the school and doing everything possible to take it to the next level. We have numerous renowned professors with superb academic credentials and work experience to enhance our learning environment. With the up-and-coming new business building, which is expected to be complete by year 1999, the Marshall School will only get better. --Information Technology USC has done a tremendous job of exposing me to the global realities of today's business. In addition, the faculty in the school's IOM Department has created a set of courses that truly teaches and trains MBAs in understanding the important role that technology plays in today's business. Each Information System course provided a measured dose of technical knowledge, business theory, cases, and veteran practitioners. I think the school has found the right formula for training Techno MBAs. The man behind the vision for the techno MBA is Omar El Sawy. --Consulting During my tenure at the program, I had access to high-level executives of Fortune 500 corporations, to some of this country's most important entrepreneurs, and to some of the greatest minds in business education. I couldn't have been more impressed with the student body, and with the level of commitment of the career resources center. I will be beginning my dream job in July, and I have USC to thank for that. --Consulting The MBA itself was an excellent career change catalyst. It helped me get out of the pinhole in engineering and truly explore other opportunities. USC in particular presented a great environment to study in. At the time of my first year, no other business school in the country had a week trip abroad to Asia as part of the normal curriculum. My trip (to Tokyo) really added value to a very international education. I also took advantage of the semester abroad program that USC offers and spent four months in Paris studying global business practices. While abroad I interacted with other exchange students and confirmed the fact that USC provides an all-around education that is on-par with, or even better than, the top ranked business schools. One of the main strengths at USC was the extent of course offerings. If there was anything business related that I was interested in, they had it. From finance to IT to human resources, USC offered excellent courses taught by knowledgeable professors. The other huge strength is USC's alumni network... --Information Technology My situation is a little different in that I entered into USC's PharmD/MBA five-year degree program, the only one of its kind in the country. Since the dual degree program incorporates the MBA portion of the curriculum concurrently with the pharmacy portion, I was not given the option of applying to other B-schools. I, however, have absolutely no reservations about not being able to attend another school. The business school at USC has provided me with an outstanding framework from which I will pursue my career in pharmaceutical health care. And though I have one more year in the program, I have had absolutely no problems securing internships during the summer (Amgen Pharmaceuticals and Bergen Brunswig). Furthermore, I have been constantly recruited by individuals in the pharmaceutical industry seeking my graduation date. When I compare the caliber of the business school at USC with that of its pharmacy school, the differences are overwhelming. It would take much time for me to elaborate on the details, but you can be assured that my alumni contributions are headed to the business school. --Finance Back to Top 1999 Profile Update School Profile School Statistics |
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