Vanderbilt University

Program Basics

• • Vanderbilt MBA
  • Vanderbilt University
  • 401 21st Avenue South
  • TN
  • Nashville, 37203, Tennessee
  • United States
  • Program Web site: www.owen.vanderbilt.edu
  • Status: Private
  • Program e-mail address: admissions@owen.vanderbilt.edu
  • Graduate business school is accredited by:
    • Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB)

SCHOOL BASICS

• Graduate business school enrollment:

  • Total: 459
  • Full-Time MBA: 347
  • Executive MBA: 103
  • PhD Program: 9
• • Other graduate degree programs:
    • Master of Accounting
    • Master of Finance

PROGRAM COSTS

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

  • Resident: $87,804.00
  • Nonresident: $87,804.00

PROGRAM LENGTH

• • Full-time program (months): 21

ADMISSIONS

• Application Deadlines

  • Semester: Fall 2012
  • Deadline: Oct 3, 2011
  • Semester: Fall 2012
  • Deadline: Nov 28, 2011
  • Semester: Fall 2012
  • Deadline: Jan 16, 2012
  • Semester: Fall 2012
  • Deadline: Mar 5, 2012
• • Does the program have rolling admissions? Yes
  • Is proficiency in English required for admission? Yes
  • Is a minimum score on an English language proficiency test required? No

• Which English language proficiency tests are accepted?

  • • IELTS
    • TOEFL Internet Based Test
    • TOEFL Paper-based Test
• • Minimum paper-based TOEFL score required for MBAs: N/A

• Relative Importance of Application Elements:

  • GMAT Score: Very Important
  • Resume/Work Experience: Very Important
  • Application Essays: Important
  • Interviews: Very Important
  • Recommendations: Important
  • Undergraduate Transcripts: Very Important

APPLICANTS

• • Applications (admitted and denied) to the newest class: 1,013
  • Applicants who were accepted to the most recent class: 29 %
  • Admitted applicants who enrolled in the newest class: 55 %
  • Applicant interviews are: By invitation only
  • Applicants (admitted and denied) who were interviewed: 65 %
  • Admitted applicants who were interviewed: 100 %

APPLICANT POOL

• • International applications received: 45 %
  • Applications from women received: 30 %
  • Mean base salary forgone: $48,338.00
  • Median base salary forgone: $48,550.00

CLASS PROFILE

• Full-time students in newest entering class (2011-2012) that are:

  • Female: 36 %
  • International: 25 %
  • Married: 27 %

• Students from following regions:

  • Africa: 2 %
  • Asia: 18 %
  • Europe: 4 %
  • North America: 75 %
  • Latin America and the Caribbean: 1 %
  • Oceania: 0 %

• Percentage of U.S. students in newest entering class that are:

  • African American: 5 %
  • Asian American: 8 %
  • Hispanic or Latino American: 1 %
  • Multiethnic/Multiracial: 0 %
  • Native American: 2 %
  • White (Non-Hispanic): 79 %
  • Chose not to report: 5 %

• Percentage of U.S. students in newest entering class who are from the following regions:

  • Northeast: 16 %
  • Mid-Atlantic: 10 %
  • South: 39 %
  • Southwest: 10 %
  • Midwest: 14 %
  • West: 11 %
  • Possessions and territories: 0 %
• • Mean months of work experience of newest entering class: 54
  • Median months of work experience of newest entering class: 48

• Middle 80% range of work experience of newest entering class in months:

  • From: 17
  • To: 84
• • Median age of entering class: 28
  • Mean age of entering class: 28

FINANCIAL AID

• • Full-time MBAs apply for financial aid through: Central financial aid office at the university
  • Full-time MBAs who applied for financial aid for the current academic year: 100 %
  • Full-time MBAs receiving financial aid in the current academic year: 83 %
  • Mean MBA financial aid package for the current academic year: $48,160.00
  • Median MBA financial aid package for the current academic year: $50,500.00
  • On what basis are scholarships awarded?
    • some other criteria
  • How does an applicant apply for scholarship consideration? all candidates are considered for scholarship
  • Mean scholarship awarded to full-time MBAs in the previous academic year: $25,402.00
  • Percentage of first-year students receiving financial aid who receive at least the same amount in their second year of study: 100 %
  • Does the school offer a guaranteed loan to all MBAs regardeless of nationality? No
  • Mean outstanding debt among the most recent graduates from the full-time MBA program: $86,018.00

GMAT

• • Are applicants required to take the GMAT? No
  • Are applicants allowed to submit the GRE? Yes
  • If not, how are applicants' quantitative abilities checked before enrollment? GRE and Undergraduate Qaunt Courses

• GMAT score distribution (incoming class):

  • 25th Percentile 660
  • 50th Percentile (median) 700
  • 10th Percentile 640
  • 75th Percentile 720
  • 90th Percentile 760
  • Average GMAT Score 695

CLASS OFFERINGS

• • Average number of students in a full-time MBA core class: 45
  • Average number of students in a full-time MBA elective class: 30
  • Elective courses available to full-time MBA students: 102

• Electives that have been added to the full-time program since June 30, 2010:

  • Corporate Strategies, Financial Analysis
  • Compensation Decision Making, Managerial Writing
  • Communications, Leadership and Ethics in Accounting
  • Audit Engagement Documentation
  • Business Ethics in Accounting

• Concentrations and specializations offered to full-time MBA students:

  • • Finance
    • Entrepreneurship
    • General Management
    • Marketing
    • Health Care Administration
    • Real Estate
    • Accounting
    • Human Resource Management
    • Operations Management
    • Strategy
    • International Business
  • Brand Management, Investment Management, Corporate Finance, Human and Organizational Performance, Health Care (Industry Specialization)

• Joint-degree programs offered to full-time MBAs:

  • • MBA/JD (Law)
    • MBA/MD (Medicine)
    • Other
• • Does the school offer an accelerated full-time MBA program? No

• The school believes that its leading areas of study for full-time MBA students are:

  • • Finance
    • Entrepreneurship
    • Marketing
    • Health Care Administration
    • Strategy
    • Human Resource Management

FACULTY

• • Faculty employed by the B-school: 42

• Full-time faculty:

  • Tenured: 30
  • Non-Tenured: 12

• Women on Faculty:

  • Tenured: 4
  • Non-Tenured: 1

• Faculty with PhDs:

  • Tenured: 30
  • Non-Tenured: 12

STUDENT LIFE

• Professional clubs available to full-time MBA students:

  • • Biotech/Health care
    • Corporate Social Responsibility/NetImpact
    • Entrepreneurship
    • Consulting
    • Other
    • Finance
    • Marketing
    • Nonprofit
    • Environmental
    • Manufacturing
    • Media & Entertainment
    • Human Resources

• Networking clubs available to full-time MBA students:

  • • Black MBA Association
    • Hispanic Student Organization
    • International Club
    • Partners/Family
    • Women in MBA
    • Other
    • Volunteer
    • Gay/Lesbian/Bisexual
    • Wine

TEACHING/ACADEMICS

• Teaching methods used:

  • Case Study: 30 %
  • Distance Learning: 0 %
  • Experiential Learning: 5 %
  • Lectures: 40 %
  • Simulations: 10 %
  • Team Projects: 15 %

• Requirements for graduation:

  • • Students must have attended a minimum number of classes
    • Students must have earned a pre-determined GPA/Letter grade average
    • Other
  • 62 credit hours and ethics course requirements

TECHNOLOGY

• • Technology improvements in the last three academic years: LCD panels installed in all study spaces, a virtual desktop service providing access to all necessary course software from any platform, two classrooms completely remodeled and upgraded, lifecycle replacement of all computers for faculty, staff and classrooms, digital signage installed in public spaces, lecture capture and synchronous learning platforms, upgrade to learning management system, upgrade of email and calendar systems.

B-SCHOOL ALUMNI

• • Living MBA alumni: 7,818
  • Active MBA alumni clubs: 15
  • Countries in which MBA clubs exist: 1
  • Living MBA alumni who gave in past year: 21 %
  • Mean gift from MBA alumni: $844.00
  • Median gift from MBA alumni: $200.00
  • Did school receive an individual gift in excess of $10 million in the past academic year? No
  • Business School endowment: $250,000,000.00
  • Does the main university offer career placement services for alumni? Yes
  • Does the main university have an alumni networking Web site? Yes
  • University alumni networking site: http://www.vuconnect.com
  • Does the B-School have an alumni networking Web site? Yes
  • Business school alumni networking site: http://www.vuconnect.com
  • Does the B-SCHOOL offer career services for alumni? Yes
  • Do current MBA students have access to an alumni database? Yes

CAREER SERVICES

• • Graduates seeking full-time professional MBA employment: 79 %
  • Graduates not seeking employment: 14 %
  • Graduates for whom you have no information regarding employment: 8 %

• Annual job-searching trips that the school coordinates or participates in:

  • Destination: Wall Street Week - New York, NY
  • Month: October
  • Amount Paid By School: None
  • Destination: Southeast MBA Interview Forum - Atlanta
  • Month: March
  • Amount Paid By School: None
  • Destination: Day in the Bay Interview Forum
  • Month: April
  • Amount Paid By School: None
  • Destination: New Your Interview Day
  • Month: January
  • Amount Paid By School: Partial

• Primary source of job offer:

  • School-facilitated activities: 71 %
  • Graduate-facilitated activities: 21 %
  • No information provided by graduate: 8 %

• Job Offers for 2011 graduates

  • Received first job offer by graduation: 77 %
  • Received first job offer in three months following graduation: 10 %
  • Did not report having received a job offer: 13 %
  • Accepted first job offer by graduation: 67 %
  • Accepted first job offer in three months following graduation: 16 %
  • Did not report having accepted a job offer: 17 %

• Top recruiting organizations most recent academic year:

  • Deloitte Consulting 7
  • Bank of America Merrill Lynch 5
  • Goldman, Sachs and Company 4
  • General Electric 4
  • Johnson and Johnson 4
  • Barclay's Capital 3
  • Delta Airlines 3
  • Mars, Inc 3
  • Procter and Gamble 3
  • Vanderbilt University Medical Center 3
  • AT&T 2
  • Capgemini US, LLC 2
  • Exxon Mobil 2
  • Humana 2
  • Mariott International 2
• • Job-accepting graduates who received a signing bonus: 59 %

• Base salary, signing bonuses and other compensation for most recent employed graduates:

  • Mean base salary: $91,653.00
  • Median base salary: $91,000.00
  • Mean signing bonus: $18,643.00
  • Median signing bonus: $15,000.00
  • Mean other guaranteed compensation: $16,128.00
  • Median other guaranteed compensation: $10,000.00

• Graduating students who accepted jobs in the following functional areas:

  • Consulting: 19 %
  • Finance/Accounting: 28 %
  • General Management: 11 %
  • Human Resources: 10 %
  • Marketing/Sales: 19 %
  • Management Information Systems: 1 %
  • Operations/Logistics: 7 %
  • Other: 5 %

• Graduating students who accepted jobs in the following industries:

  • Government: 1 %
  • Consulting: 19 %
  • Consumer Products: 12 %
  • Financial Services: 19 %
  • Manufacturing: 7 %
  • Media/Entertainment: 0 %
  • Non-Profit: 2 %
  • Petroleum/Energy: 2 %
  • Pharmaceutical/Biotechnology/Health Care: 14 %
  • Real Estate: 2 %
  • Technology: 9 %
  • Other: 14 %

• Graduates who accepted full-time jobs in the following regions:

  • Africa: 0 %
  • Asia: 2 %
  • Europe: 2 %
  • North America: 94 %
  • Oceania: 0 %
  • Latin America and the Caribbean: 2 %

• Within the U.S., graduates who accepted full-time jobs in the following regions:

  • Northeast: 18 %
  • Mid-Atlantic: 5 %
  • South: 47 %
  • Southwest: 6 %
  • Midwest: 9 %
  • West: 15 %
  • Possessions and territories: 0 %

• Top recruiting organizations for internships, most recent academic year:

  • Nissan North America 6
  • Goldman, Sachs and Company 5
  • Johnson and Johnson 5
  • Mars, Inc 5
  • Credit Suisse 4
  • Hanes Brands 4
  • Deloitte Consulting 3
  • Bank of America Merrill Lynch 3
  • Amazon 3
  • ECG Management Consultants 3
  • FedEx 3
  • McKesson 3
• • Internships awarded that are paid: 91 %

• Weekly internship compensation:

  • Mean: $1,362.00
  • Median: $1,333.00
• • Average internship length in weeks: 10

SCHOOL COMMENTS

• • School Comments: The Health Care MBA is a specialization within the Vanderbilt MBA program. Designed in conjunction with health care executives, this program offers insight and experience in all facets of the health care system. Graduates are prepared for leadership positions in various types of health care forms and functional areas.

• • -Owen not only prepared me for the Finance world (as it has prominent professors such as Robert Whaley, who invented the VIX, and Hans Stoll, who created put-call parity), but the school also helped me match my skill set to my chosen career (through the Career Management Center). The school has a powerful network in all industries, which is helpful in the recruiting/hiring process. I also liked how the most prominent teachers taught both core and elective courses.
    
    -My experience at Owen was fantastic, however the current economy has driven down starting salaries to the point where it will not be as easy to pay back all the loans I took out as I expected it would be upon enrolling. As one of the most expensive MBA programs in the nation, Owen should either freeze tuition hikes or look to provide more scholarship availability to students to counter this trend. In lieu of either of these, I may recommend that prospective students look at more affordable schools with a more balanced tuition/starting salary ratio. Additionally, as someone who was looking to stay in Nashville after graduation, the school did not do a fair job disclosing that individuals staying locally should expect to earn a salary lower than the median Owen starting salary.
    
    -Great program. Small class sizes, access to flexible and encouraging professors, established and well-known professors, personal attention, great social life, challenging coursework, people from various backgrounds.
    
    -The school culture (i.e., team oriented or friendly) is outstanding. In addition, Nashville is a nice place to live because there is a lot of nature and the weather is so mild.
    
    -I particularly liked Owen for two reasons:
    1) The small size of the school allowed for a significant amount of one on one time with professors and a quaint atmosphere amongst students. For me, coming off of five combat deployments with the Army I particularly valued the camaraderie between students, faculty, and the greater Nashville community.
    2) The second reason I would recommend Owen to other potential students is the fact that it is on a quarter system and not a semester system. As an older student looking for a career change from the military, I enjoyed gaining exposure to a wide variety of subjects and career paths.
    
    -For me, as a person with no business background, Owen was a great place to learn everything from the basics to very advanced concepts, in a friendly environment that challenges you without being cutthroat competitive.
    
    -Vanderbilt under-promised and over-delivered for me. The school knows its strengths and its weaknesses and prepares its students to capitalize on its strengths. If I had one word to describe the school or its typical student it would be "scrappy." Vanderbilt students get what they want by being scrappier than their Ivy League rivals.
    
    -Owen has been a great experience. To me, the thing that differentiates Owen from other schools is its people, both the students and the faculty. Owen students are outgoing and fun, but they work hard and push each other. There is a strong sense of camaraderie amongst us. The faculty is also very approachable, and even the high profile professors are happy to meet with students one on one. When you combine the people with the small class size, Owen is a very tight community. Even in a terrible economy, the alumni were very helpful in networking for a job, and I was able to secure the job I wanted and more than double my pre-b-school salary. It's been great.
    
    -The MBA curriculum is woefully inadequate in equipping future leaders with "big picture" understanding and dynamic logic (i.e. the effect of the effect of things). The MBA in its current structure provides effective makeup, but does not actually develop the intellectual and quantitative skills that students will need to be successful (or at least to not contribute to the collapse of civilization).
    
    -Owen is great. The only reservation I have is the physical facility itself. The administration knows that they need to build a new building. Capital projects are tough these days, but they say the initial planning is underway.
    
    -Truly one of the most balanced MBA programs I have come across. Tremendous opportunity for those interested in a diverse education, including finance and entrepreneurship, among others. I thoroughly enjoyed my time at Owen, and would recommend it to anyone interested in attaining an MBA education. Fantastic faculty that have experience in both the academic and professional fields, students that strive to help each other versus act selfishly, and multiple opportunities for social interaction. Overall, a fantastic experience.