Mays Business School

-The Mays MBA program is unique for several reasons. One, it's only 18 months long. Graduation is in December, which affords more post-graduation flexibility. Travel, work, job hunt are all activities people have pursued. Two, the program is ridiculously affordable when average salary and quality of coursework is factored in. Three, scholarships and financial aid seem relatively easy to obtain at Texas A&M. Finally, the program is very small for a major MBA program. I enjoyed having a small class with intelligent and driven individuals. They do not dilute the quality of students for an extra buck.

-Concentrate on what works: the small-class, well-organized four-term format with electives in Terms 3 and 4. The inter-term enrichment activities could be reduced or eliminated. Highlight and emphasize the Term 4 consulting project, which is excellent. Develop closer ties to the energy industry, which is centered nearby in Houston. Be aware of and encourage students who have unusual goals or backgrounds (older students, less common career aspirations) to spend their enrichment time creatively.

-Texas A&M's full-time MBA is very small with less than 100 enrolled, but the program benefits by having the resources of one of the largest universities in the US. The Aggie Network is one of the strongest alumni networks in the country. In addition, the program has one of the best ROIs in the country as a result of the accelerated schedule and low cost of living.

-The school needs more options for aspiring entrepreneurs. They currently have some limited courses available, but there's not much of a culture for it at the MBA level. The diversity of on-campus recruiting specific for MBAs was a little poor. Some major companies were nowhere to be seen.

-A&M's MBA program offers students an exceptional educational experience at a great price. The compressed schedule encourages students to work hard and apply themselves to the program. The time commitment is high but the return on investment is also high. The program genuinely dedicates the best faculty to the students and students have the faculty's undivided attention. I also really enjoyed the guest lecturer series.

-Because of the small size of the program, students are forced to reach out to other departments if they desire specific classes in a field. It could be helpful to collaborate a little more with these other programs.

-A&M's MBA program is highly competitive. After speaking with friends at other MBA programs I can honestly say we had one of the most demanding academic experiences. The program demanded that we manage our time wisely and left little room for social activities. I loved the boot camp mentality of the program and felt fully prepared when I left because of it.

-I would like to see the faculty facilitate networking to a greater degree. We expressed the need to add more economics related curriculum and the program added the course the following year.

-The sense of community is what makes Texas A&M's MBA program unique. Between the students, the faculty, and the program office, everyone knows everyone else very well. The faculty is extremely accessible and very engaged with the students. It creates a family-like feel and a situation where it is almost impossible to "slip through the cracks".

-While the small class size is a direct contributing factor to my reason for attending, I believe that 60 people is too few. They should aim to have 85-100. We have a world-class faculty at a affordable price. Our faculty is invested in our success and push our limits. There is not a program in the country with a higher ROI.

-There needs to be more collaboration between the Graduate Businesses Career Services Office and the centralized, Undergraduate Career Center on main campus. Texas A&M has one of the best Career Center’s (that services almost everything at the university except graduate business students) in the nation and I can attest to that as a former recruiter at a Fortune 100 company. Located in the Texas Economy with a tradition of great students, there is no shortage of companies or jobs at the Career Center. As evidence of this, A&M was ranked #2 in the nation by the Wall Street Journal in the fall of 2010 by companies looking to hire college students. However, the Graduate Business Career Services Office does struggle to get enough companies and job offers for its MBA students. This is not entirely their fault (as MBA students must work for jobs themselves) but I do feel there is so much more that can be leveraged if it (GBCS) will work with the Career Center on main campus.

-The size of the program compliments students in that professors and career advisors can hand tailor appropriate plans to help students be employed once they walk the stage. The unique culture of Texas A&M breeds students who practice its values when they leave the campus. These include a commitment to integrity, excellence, self-reliance, determination and collegiality. Texas A&M grads, no matter their undergraduate institution, are Aggies once they leave. They are part of a family. The schools military tradition and commitment to excellence insures this.

-We need to focus on leadership a little more. The Dean recently implemented a new leadership program that I believe will take the program to a new level.