Go To Businessweek.com
Distance MBA Profile Publish Date 05/27/12

Thunderbird School of Global Management

  • Program Basics

      • Thunderbird School of Global Management
      • Global MBA On-Demand
      • 1 Global Place
      • AZ
      • Glendale AZ, 85306, Arizona
      • United States
      • Status Private
      • Distance MBAs graduating since distance program's founding 317
      • Distance MBA students who enroll in the program who go on to graduate within six years 92 %
      • Average number of months to complete the distance MBA program 20
      • Maximum months permitted to complete the distance MBA program 60
      • If the distance MBA program has a set program length, how long is it, in months? 19
      • Do individual online courses have a time limit for completion? Yes
      • Does the school offer a separate on-campus, full-time MBA program? Yes
      • Can students transfer from distance program to full-time program? Yes
      • At what point can this be done? Any point up to 15 credit hours.
      • Are there specific locations from which students must attend the distance MBA program? No
      • Is the distance MBA program open to students from other states? Yes
      • Is the distance MBA program open to students from other countries? Yes
      • Students living more than 45 miles from school 85 %
      • Distance MBA students have full student privileges to use the following
        • School library
        • School gymnasium / athletic center
        • Student rates for tickets
        • School career office

  • School Basics

    • Graduate business school enrollment

      • Total: 1,234
      • Full-Time MBA: 509
      • Executive MBA: 112
      • PhD Program: 0
      • Undergraduate business school enrollment 0
      • Graduate degree programs
        • Master of Finance
        • Master of Marketing
        • Master of International Management/Business

  • PROGRAM COSTS

    • Total direct costs (tuition and required fees) of the entire program

      • Residents $68,800.00
      • Non-Resident $68,800.00

  • ADMISSIONS

    • Application fee for distance MBA program

      • Residents $125.00
      • Non-Resident $125.00
      • Applications (admitted and denied) to the newest distance MBA class 65
      • Applicants who were accepted to the most recent distance class 80 %
      • Admitted applicants who enrolled in the newest distance MBA class 68 %
      • Are applicant interviews required for the distance MBA program? Recommended
      • Does the program offer rolling admissions? Yes

  • CLASS PROFILE

    • Students are from the following regions

      • Asia 6 %
      • Europe 3 %
      • North America 81 %
      • Dual citizenship 10 %

    • What percentage of U.S. citizens in the newest entering class are from the following regions?

      • West 28 %
      • Midwest 3 %
      • Southwest 41 %
      • South 4 %
      • Mid-Atlantic 17 %
      • Northeast 7 %
      • Possessions and territories 0 %

    • U.S. students in the newest entering class are from the following groups

      • Asian American 6 %
      • White (Non-Hispanic) 81 %
      • Other 13 %

    • Postgraduate work experience (months)

      • Mean 91
      • Median 60
      • One year or less 1 %

    • Middle 80% range

      • From 24
      • To 156

    • Age of new entrants to distance MBA program:

      • Mean 31
      • Median 31

  • FINANCIAL AID

      • Distance MBAs apply for financial aid through Central financial aid office at the university
      • Distance MBAs who applied for financial aid for the current academic year 58 %
      • Distance MBAs receiving financial aid through school 56 %

    • Percentage of distance MBA students applying for financial aid for the upcoming academic year who received

      • Institutional Scholarships 75 %
      • Assistantships 0 %
      • Loans 97 %

    • Financial aid for new entrants for the current academic year

      • Mean $18,703.00
      • Median $19,165.00

    • Middle 80% range of financial aid packages

      • From $3,516.00
      • To $30,716.00
      • On what basis are scholarships awarded? Academic merit
      • Full-tuition scholarships for current academic year 0
      • How does an applicant apply for scholarship consideration? unique scholarship application
      • Average scholarship awarded to distance MBA students $3,748.00
      • Percentage of first-year scholarship recipients who receive the same amount or more in their second year: 100 %
      • Does the school offer a guaranteed loan regardless of nationality to Distance MBA students? No

  • GMAT

      • Are applicants required to take the GMAT? Yes
      • Are applicants allowed to submit the GRE? Yes
      • Mean GMAT score of newest entering class 592
      • Median GMAT score of newest entering class: 590

    • Middle 80% range GMAT scores:

      • From 530
      • To 680
      • Is the TOEFL required for non-English speakers? Yes
      • Minimum TOEFL score required for MBAs: 600

  • CONTACT INFORMATION

  • FACULTY

      • Faculty employed by the B-school: 80

    • Full-time faculty:

      • Tenured: 27
      • Non-Tenured: 21

    • Adjunct/Visiting Faculty:

      • Tenured: 0
      • Non-Tenured: 32

    • Women on Faculty:

      • Tenured: 8
      • Non-Tenured: 17

    • Minority Faculty:

      • Tenured: 8
      • Non-Tenured: 9

    • International Faculty:

      • Tenured: 4
      • Non-Tenured: 7

    • Faculty with PhDs:

      • Tenured: 37
      • Non-Tenured: 7

    • Distance program faculty who:

      • Teach in the school's full-time MBA program: 100 %
      • Have tenure: 87 %
      • Are adjuncts: 25 %

  • STUDENT LIFE

      • Professional clubs available to distance MBA students:
        • Other
        • Corporate Social Responsibility/NetImpact
        • Entrepreneurship
        • Finance
        • Human Resources
        • Marketing
        • Investment Banking
        • Nonprofit
        • Consulting
        • Business Ethics
        • Environmental
        • VC/ Private Equity
        • Manufacturing
      • Networking clubs available to distance MBA students:
        • Black MBA Association
        • Hispanic Student Organization
        • Volunteer
        • Women in MBA
        • Gay/Lesbian/Bisexual
        • International Club
        • Wine
        • Partners/Family

  • STUDENT LIFE

      • The distance MBA program is delivered by:
        • Internet/Web-based delivery
        • Online forums
        • E-mail
        • Textbooks
        • Chat Rooms
        • Videoconferencing
        • Satellite Television
        • CD-ROMs
      • Are faculty members required to travel to off-campus sites to meet with distance MBA students? No

    • Estimated number of hours a student will spend working in the class and outside the classroom:

      • Hours per week in class: 30
      • Hours per week outside of class: 50
      • Does the program offer 24-hour technical support? No
      • Classes meet:
        • Via the Internet (unscheduled)
      • Average number of students in a distance MBA core class: 35
      • Elective courses available to distance MBA students: 0
      • Concentrations and specializations offered to distance MBA students:
        • International Business
      • If the school offers joint-degree programs, can distance MBA students participate? Yes
      • Joint-degree programs offered to distance MBAs:
        • MBA/MIM (International Management)
      • Does the school offer an accelerated distance MBA program? No
      • Leading areas of study for distance MBA students are:
        • Finance
        • General Management
        • International Business
        • Entrepreneurship
        • Marketing
      • Requirements for graduation:
        • Students must have attended a minimum number of classes
        • Students must have earned a pre-determined GPA/Letter grade average
        • Students are required to complete international experience
      • Other Requirements for graduation: None
      • If distance MBA students are required to spend time on campus, please explain: Students must attend two one-week sessions on campus--one at the beginning and one at the end of the program.
      • Number of credits or credit hours required to complete distance MBA program: 46
      • If applicable, are distance MBA students invited to campus for graduation? Yes
      • Does the distance program diploma distinguish whether the student earned the degree on-campus or off? No

  • TECHNOLOGY

      • Technology improvements in the last three academic years: High Availability to Virtualization environment; Wireless network connected to classrooms and auditoriums; Wireless network to new Wireless-N technologies; Rolled-out of Windows 7 on desktop clients; Piloted of iPad usage in instruction and course material delivery; Portal project (initial testing phase); SharePoint pilot project; New ‘temporary TAC replacement’ project
      • Amount spent: $1,000,000.00

  • CAREER SERVICES

      • Do distance MBA students have access to a career development office? Yes
      • When in the degree process are they able to use the service? At any time
      • Do distance MBAs have access to an alumni database? Yes
      • Are distance MBAs permitted to interview on campus for summer internships? Yes
      • Are distance MBAs permitted to interview on campus for full-time jobs? Yes
      • Are distance MBAs included in resume drops for prescreening by recruiters? Yes
      • Career services Web site URL: http://www.thunderbird.edu/graduate_degrees/distance_learning_mba/career_management_center/index.htm

Getting In

B-School Life

Finding a Job

Paying the Bills