Marriott School of Management

I don't think the world realizes how good BYU is at business. They are excellent at it. The professors are spectacularly good and are there out of a unique dedication to the school and the vision. Also, the class size was so small (160 students) which means that professors know me. This is a bigger deal than it sounds, because these professors are well connected and act as gate-keepers, advisors, counselors, and resources for research. It adds to the richness of the experience significantly in a way that would not be possible in a larger program. Also, the alumni network is tight. BYU alum are more dedicated than most and will go the extra mile to get you in. It's a powerful network. It is hard to argue against BYU when these advantages are stacked up with the 1/4 tuition price.

The weakest part of our program is career placement. We don't have a large group or lots of resources dedicated to bringing companies to campus or prepare us for interviews. As a result, we have our Sherpa program to help incoming students. This program assigns 3 - 5 first year students to a paid 2nd year Sherpa or mentor. Through this program as well as our Marketing, Finance, Supply Chain, and OBHR group presidencies new students are taught how to find jobs, interview, and set a career path.

A high percentage of students have lived in foreign countries and speak foreign languages. While diversity at the school seems low on paper, the fact that there is so much diverse, international human experience in the student body is really undervalued by most observers. Also, an extreme majority of students are active members of the Mormon faith, which creates a unique social environment that encourages teamwork and collaboration. I never viewed my classmates as unruly competition.

It needs a better career services center. Right now, the core of the career services program is run by the students. We set up meetings with alumni, companies, and help each other with resume review and interviewing skills. The career counselors are non-existent. I did not receive a single job lead from them my entire b-school experience, and I did reach out to them multiple times. My internship and full-time job offers came from my own diligence in working with alumni and networking.

Standards are taught with religion in mind. International influence is felt because of foreign students as well as students who have spent more than 2 years living abroad. Entrepreneurship is highly encouraged. Lasting friends are more than just a network. Combination degree of the MBA and Masters in Mechanical Engineering (my track) was an excellent strength to the program as well. We were able to add an analytical aspect to many of our projects and the program allowed us to merge our business and engineering skills into a tight knit package that is now desired by employers. This is different than an undergrad in engineering and then an MBA because it forces you to focus on both and see the overlaps.

The school needs to focus on diversity; it does this very poorly. Unfortunately, some of the poor performance in this aspect stems not from the administration so much as from attitudes and cultural bents of the students themselves. The Marriott School needs to implement training or programming to counteract this and build the brand.

BYU is a teaching institution. The faculty do research and publish -- but they are very focused on the quality of their teaching and actually applying their insights to the classroom and not just the niche network of academics.

There needs to be more opportunity for leadership development, as well as more focus on extracurricular activities.

It's very strong alumni network helps grads to get jobs and makes it so that BYU gets much better professors teaching at it than one would initially think. They provide excellent value for the cost of the program, and the HR program heavily emphasizes organizational behavior and change management--something not typically seen amongst HR programs.

The primary thing that could be done to make my program stronger would be to strengthen the career center. While the student mentor program is incredibly helpful, it would ideal to have a member of the career/placement center be involved in your search and provide help and advice. The current office is simply understaffed and unable to provide sufficient help to all the students.

One of the most unique aspects of the MBA program at BYU is the student mentor organization. We consult one another throughout the job search, offering resume advice, interviewing practice, networking etc. The willingness of students to help each other out rather than viewing the job search as merely a zero-sum game was incredible to see and be apart of.

BYU is far from financial centers - so when I was courting the investment banks, I flew to NYC probably 10 times on my own dime. Sure, the cost of attendance is lower, but I wish there was an way to get grants or loans to finance the costs.

BYU has some of the best professors that you can find anywhere. The professors and students are driven by more than just the need to get ahead; they are driven by a sense of mission to improve the world and make a positive impact professionally and personally wherever they go. They hope to stand out as ethical leaders who will lead others to success at work and in life. At BYU it's about much more than business skill, it's about becoming a leader.