UNDERGRADUATE Profiles Publish Date 2/26/09

University of Delaware

Lerner College of Business & Economics

Getting In

PROGRAM BASICS

University of Delaware Lerner College of Business & Economics Undergraduate Programs

Dean's Office
303 Lerner Hall
Newark , Delaware 19716

Public Institution

Web site

http://www.lerner.udel.edu

Program e-mail address:

advise@lerner.udel.edu

Program telephone number:

(302) 831-2553

AACSB accredited:

Yes

Accreditation other than AACSB:

Middle States Assoc of Colleges & Secondary Schools

Year in which the undergraduate business program was founded:

1963

Length of entire institution:

Four Year

Business program length:

Four Year

Degrees offered:

Degree/Program Name:
BA, BS Economics
BS, Accounting
BS, Finance
BS, Management Information Systems
BS, International Business Studies
BS, Management AND BS, Operations Management
BS, Marketing

PROGRAM COSTS

Annual Tuition (Resident):

$ 7,780

Annual Tuition (Non-Resident)

$ 20,260

Cost per academic credit (resident)

$ 325

Cost per academic credit (non-resident)

$ 845

Required fees

$ 866

Books:

$ 800

Room and board:

$ 8,478

ENROLLMENT

Full-time undergraduate business student enrollment:

2,821

Part-time undergraduate business student enrollment:

Distance undergraduate business student enrollment:

Total College enrollment for 2008-09:

16,075

ADMISSIONS

Interviews for entire college:

Not required

Additional application requirements for entire college:

TOEFL or IELTS

Upcoming application deadlines for entire college:

Semester: Fall 2009
Deadline: January 15, 2009
Semester: Spring 2010
Deadline: November 1, 2009
Semester: Fall 2010
Deadline: January 15, 2010

Freshmen admitted into business program:

Yes

Percentage of business students admitted as freshmen:

93 %

Are the freshman admits to the business program required to complete pre-business courses before beginning upper-lever courses in the junior year?

Freshmen admitted by:

Indicate interest on university application

Minimum requirements for business program:

Entrance exam requirement other than SAT/ACT for business program:

Interview to enter business program:

Not required

Additional application requirements for freshman admits:

1. Rigor of overall high school curriculum. 2. Rigor of Math courses. 3. Trend in grades from 9th - 12th. 4. Teacher recommendations. 5. Admissions essay.

Minimum college GPA for internal business program transfers:

2.7

Additional requirements for internal transfers:

2.0 for Economics majors

Total number of full-time applications for entire college:

27,306

International applicants, entire college, 2008-09:

3 %

Female applicants, entire college, 2008-09:

58 %

Selectivity--applicants admitted to undergraduate business program, 2008-09:

49 %

Yield -- applicants enrolled in undergraduate business program, 2008-09:

28 %

Relative Importance of Application Elements:

Secondary School Record:

Very Important

Class Rank:

Considered

Talent/Ability:

Considered

Interview:

Considered

Extracurricular Activities:

Considered

Volunteer Work:

Considered

Character/Personal Abilities:

Considered

Application Essay:

Considered

Work Experience:

Considered

SAT/ACT Scores:

Important

Recommendations:

Important

High School GPA:

Very Important

Admissions program managed by:

The university admissions office

Total undergraduate business program applicants, 2008-09:

5,745

Applicants enrolled in undergrad business program 2008-2009:

27 %

Applicants admitted to undergraduate business program, 2008-09:

46 %

CLASS PROFILE

Class Profile:

Female: 44 %
International : 1 %

Entering students by age:

Mean: 18
Median: 18

Citizenship of Entering Students

U.S.: 99 %
Canada: 0 %
Other countries: 1 %
Unknown: 0 %

Percentage of US citizens in entering class who are:

African American: 4 %
Asian American: 6 %
Hispanic or Latino American: 7 %
Multiethnic/Multiracial : 0 %
Native American: 0 %
White (Non-Hispanic): 82 %
Chose not to report: 0 %
Other: 1 %

Entering students from the following region:

Northeast: 58 %
Mid-Atlantic: 38 %
South: 1 %
Southwest: 1 %
Midwest : 1 %
West: 1 %
Possessions and territories: 0 %

SAT Scores for full-time entering business students on 1600 scale:

Mean: 1212
Median: 1210

SAT middle 50% range on 1600 scale:

From: 1,150
To: 1,270

ACT Scores for full-time entering business students:

Mean: 0
Median: 0

ACT middle 50% range:

From: 0
To: 0

Percent of Students Who Were In:

Top 10% of high school class

37 %

Top 25% of high school class:

74 %

HS GPA of 3.75 or higher

28 %

HS GPA of 3.5 to 3.74:

28 %

FINANCIAL AID

Financial aid handled by:

Central financial aid office at the university

Institutional scholarship money distributed to undergraduate business students in previous academic year:

$ 6,334,959

Institutional scholarship money to be distributed to undergraduate business students in current academic year:

$ 7,869,674

Scholarships awarded to students in the business program based on:

A combination of need and merit

Scholarship consideration process:

All candidates are considered for scholarships

Other scholarship considerations:

Incoming freshmen are evaluated for scholarship based on their admission credentials by a committee (no separate application is required.) Current students are evaluated as monies become available during school year, based on academic standing. Optionally, an application may be placed on file with the Financial Aid Office.

Students receiving institutional scholarships for 2008-09 academic year:

41 %

Undergraduate business students with full-tuition scholarships 2008-09:

14 %

Percentage of institutional scholarship money distributed to business students based on merit, 2008-09 year:

46 %

Percentage of institutional scholarship money distributed to business students based on need, 2008-09:

1 %

School offers guaranteed loans:

Financial aid web site

http://www.udel.edu/finaid

Academics & Lifestyle

PROGRAM BASICS

Business students who graduate within four years:

72 %

Business students who graduate within 6 years:

81 %

Freshman retention rate:

91 %

PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS

Credit hours required for graduation:

Degree: BS
Hours: 121
Degree: BA
Hours: 120

Other degree requirements:

First year experience - 1-3 credits completed with passing grade. Discovery Learning Experience (includes experiences such as internship, service lerning, independent study, undergraduate research and study abroad) 3 credits with passing grade. Multicultural Course requirement-3 credits in approved courses stressing multicultural, ethnic and/or gender related content. Must be taken for a letter grade, not P/F option. ENGL 110-Freshman English-3 credits completed with minimum grade of C-. BA Degree-Economics-Completion of intermediate level course(s) in a given foreign language. BA/BS Degree in Economics-Completion of a second writing requirement

ACADEMICS

Average class size in required business courses:

Average class size in business electives:

Average class size in non-business electives required for admission to business program:

Class size:

Classes with fewer than 20 students: 20 %
Classes with 21 to 50 students: 64 %
Classes with more than 50 students: 16 %

Required business courses that reached maximum enrollment by the first day of class, previous academic year:

54 %

Required business courses that had waiting lists, 2007-08:

0 %

CURRICULUM

Number of elective courses available in business program:

Electives added current year:

Emerging Technologies
Business Application Development
Management Information Systems in Practice
Strategic Behavior of Firms
Financial Modeling and Valuation

Year of the last major change to the business program's core curriculum:

2006

Leading areas of study:

Accounting

Finance

General Management

International Business

Marketing

Entrepreneurship

Special programs for business students:

UD business students have additional opportunities to participate within the college. The College's Executive-Mentors Scholars program matches students with executives in the region. In the Undergraduate Research Program, highly motivated undergrads can serve on research teams, and work with faculty mentors. The First Year Experience program focused on business is required of all business freshmen and provides a learning experience that develops the social and educational skills necessary for academic success. An Honors Program allows the business honors students to complete an Honors Degree option in all of the business-related majors. Minors are offered in Economics, Business Adminstration, Entrepeneurial Studies, International Business, and Management Information Systems.

Business program offers work study or co-op opportunities:

Yes

Students at UD are required to take 3 credits of Discovery Learning, which can be satisfied by completing an internship for credit. Each department in the College offers an internship course specifically designed to highlight and enhance the educational value of the work experience. Supporting sutdents in the job search, the Career Services Center subscribes to several national and international internship databases and maintains an extensive online listing of local internship opportunities. The Center also provides counseling on everything from resume writing to dining etiquette.

Business program offers study abroad opportunities:

Yes

Study abroad program description:

UD is a recognized leader in study abroad, with a top-10 ranking in the percentage of students it sends overseas. Businesss students have the opportunity to travel with faculty from all 7 colleges to over 70 destinations on all 7 continents, including Antartica. In addition, the College sponsors several of its own study abroad programs and works closely with the Center for International Studies on 5-week and semester programs designed specifically for our majors. The International Business Studies (IBS) major focuses on indepth study of a region of the world with heavy emphasis on advance language skills and international studies to accompany a strong curriculum of business and international business courses. The IBS major requires students to spend a semester abroad studying in the region of the world in which the language of study is spoken.

Volunteer work and community service opportunities:

Yes

Volunteer opportunities description:

UD recently created the Center for Service Learning to provide students with a resource for locating volunteer opportunities that enhance their academic program. The Center sponsors several Service Learning Scholars each year and a Lerner student was one of the first recipients. The importance of service learning is reflected within the College by the creation of several courses whose main objective is to serve the community. The most notable, ACCT 363, educates students about the Earned Income tax Credit and sends them into the community to complete tax returns for low income individuals.

Business clubs and extracurricular activities:

Accounting Student Association; Entrepreneur Club
Alpha Mu Alpha; Beta Gamma Sigma; Delta Sigma Pi Omnicron elta Epsilon; Mu Iota Sigma; Alpha Kappa Psi Eta Sigma Delta
Blue Hen Investment Club; Business Student Association
American Marketing Association; Business Student Advisory Board
Financial Management Assoc; Women in Business; Hospitality Club
National Association of Black Accountants; United Students for Fair Trade Org
Blue Hen Marketing Club; Club Managers Association of America
Professional Convention and Meeting Association

FACULTY

Faculty:

Full-time faculty : 101
Adjuncts and visiting faculty: 26
Permanent/tenured professors: 74
Percentage of permanent/tenured professors who are women: 18
Percentage of permanent/tenured professors who are underrepresented minorities: 3
Percentage of permanent/tenured professors who are also members of company boards of directors or of advisors: 4
Percentage of permanent/tenured professors who are business owners: 5

Prominent faculty:

Charles Elson
Larry Seidman
William Poole

STUDENT LIFE

Largest on-campus organizations for business students:

Blue Hen Investment Club
Accounting Student Association
Business Student Advisory Board
Blue Hen Marketing Club
Mu Iota Sigma

Freshmen are required to live on campus:

Yes

Business students are grouped in learning communities:

Yes

TECHNOLOGY

Wireless network available:

Yes

Technological improvements made in the last three years:

Several significant improvements have been made within the Lerner College during the past three years. The College has designed and built The Exelon Trading Center, a financial markets simulation lab which gives students access to worldwide real-time financial data, as well as training and experience using applications and tools in use at financial institutions all over the world. The Venture Development Center (VDC) is another new addition to the College, providing students with office space, meeting space, and equipment to explore entrepreneurial opportunities, as well as access to professionals for advice on all aspects of starting a business. In addition, the College's computer lab hardware and software was upgraded in the summer of 2008 to include the latest versions of business operating systems and software. The University of Delaware implemented a new emergency alert system that broadcasts emergency messages via e-mail, text messaging, phone, campus television, and classroom projectors in the event of an emergency situation. The university also opened the Student Multimedia Design Center in the Morris Library, which provides students the opportunity to learn the basics of multimedia, and access to digital video and audio equipment, production studios, and multimedia computers. In the fall of 2008, UD launched a new, easier to navigate web site as well as a new course management system.

Trading laboratory available:

Yes

Alumni Affairs & Careers

ALUMNI

Total number of undergraduate business program graduates since inception:

20,825

Total living alumni:

20,193

Percent of alumni who gave, 2007-08 academic year:

11 %

Mean alumni gift 2007-08:

$ 324

Median alumni gift, 2007-08:

$ 75

Single donation in excess of $10 million in 2007-08?

Prominent alumni:

Name: Lawrence Probst '72
Title: Director, US Olymic Committee, Former Chairman, EA Sports
Name: Michael Geltzeiler, '80
Title: CFO, New York Stock Exchange Euronext
Name: John Partilla, '86
Title: President, Time Warner Global Media Group, Senior VP, Time Warner

CAREER SERVICES

Percent of 2008 graduates who provided employment information:

85 %

Seeking full-time employment in business: 97 %
Not Seeking full-time employment in business: 3 %

Number of companies recruiting undergraduate students on campus in previous academic year:

142

Companies that posted full-time job offers/positions on school job boards, previous academic year:

970

Other activities and services provided for business majors:

Career fairs - we offer approx. nine career fairs that provide opportunities for business majors. Career Service website - we offer 24/7 access to handouts and webstreams (workshops). Students also have access to Major Resource Kits (http://www.udel.edu/CSC/mrk.html) which outlines specific career resources and provides advice about career alternatives. Employer Mock Interviews and Resume Reviews - employers come on campus 1-2 times per semester to assist business majors with their interviewing skills and resumes Campus Interview Program - allows employers to interview students in our state of the art facility. Job Posting Board - employers and studetns can utilize eRecruiting to post and look for full-time and part-time jobs, internships and volunteer opportunities. Career Services workshops - we offer over 500 career related workshops every year around career topics such as resume writing, interview preparation, salary negotiation, and job search strategies. These workshops are offered to the general public as well as the business student organizations and classsrooms. Individual career advisement - students can meet with any of our seven qualified professional career consultants to seek job searching advice, review reseumes or discuss any other concerns. Starting January 2009, a satellite office of Career Services has been established within the Business College to allow our services to be more accessible for students. Offer large scale programs for business students including Dining Etiquette, How to Start Your Own Business, and Dress for Success

Job offer results, 2008 graduates:

Received first job offer by graduation: NA %
Received first job offer in three months following graduation: NA %
Received first job offer more than 3 months after graduation: NA %
Did not report having received a job offer: NA %
Accepted first job offer by graduation: 58 %
Accepted first job offer in three months following graduation: 32 %
Accepted first job offer more than 3 months after graduation: 7 %
Did not report having accepted a job offer: 3 %

Top hiring firms:

Ernst & Young
JPMorgan Chase & Co.
PricewaterhouseCoopers
Deloitte Touche Tomatsu
KPMG LLP
Bank of America Corp.
Citigroup Inc.
Barclays Bank PLC
Morgan Stanley
Boeing Company
Cigna

ING Direct
Eli Lilly
Northwestern Mutual
DuPont

Graduate compensation:

Mean base salary: $ 47,748
Median base salary: $ 50,000
Mean signing bonus: $ 4,200
Median signing bonus: $ 4,000
Mean other guaranteed compensation: $ 0
Median other guaranteed compensation: $ 0

Grads accepted jobs in following functional areas:

Consulting: 2 %
Finance/Accounting: 47 %
General Management: 10 %
Human Resources: 3 %
Management Information Systems: 8 %
Marketing/Sales: 21 %
Operations/Production: 6 %
Logistics/Transportation: 2 %
Other: 1 %

Grads accepted jobs in following industries:

Accounting: 20 %
Consumer Products/Retail: 16 %
Consulting Services: 3 %
Financial Services: 27 %
Government/Education: 4 %
Pharma/Biotech/Health: 3 %
Manufacturing: 9 %
Media/Entertainment: 8 %
Petroleum/Energy: 3 %
Real Estate: 1 %
Sports/Leisure: 0 %
Technology/Science: 4 %
Non-Profit: 2 %
Transportation: NA %
Utilities: NA %
Other: NA %

Percentage of job acceptances, US and Canada:

US: 100 %
Canada: 0 %

Grads accepted jobs in the following US regions:

Northeast: 31 %
Mid-Atlantic: 61 %
Midwest: 1 %
South: 2 %
Southwest: 2 %
West: 3 %
US Possessions/Territories: 0 %

Number of companies recruiting interns on-campus, 2007-08 academic year:

Internship postings on job boards, previous academic year:

339

Top internship recruiters, 2007-08:

Ernst & Young
JPMorgan Chase & Co.
KPMG LLP
Target Corp.
Deloitte Touche Tomatsu
PricewaterhouseCoopers
PepsiCo Inc.
Bank of America Corp.

Macy's
Hess
Enterprise Rent A Car
ING Direct
Blackrock
Aramark
Northwestern Mutual

Percentage of internships that were paid, previous academic year

85 %

Average internship, in weeks:

Graduate Comments

I honestly don't know too much about other business programs in the country, but I know that the University of Delaware has done a great job in preparing students for the working world. The professors, students, and administration are all very knowledgeable and helpful. The career services center that UD offers is outstanding. They always offer workshops and help students by working with employers to facilitate job placement. This service probably impresses me most about the University. It is also very beneficial that the career service center offers help to alumni of the University.

Great location which helps create opportunities in many surrounding major cities. Many companies recruit from UD (however, not much diversity in industries), which gives students a great opportunity to practice interviewing skills and interacting with employers. Professors are very knowledgeable and enjoy teaching at UD. The Excelon Trading Room is a tremendous addition to the business school, as long as they introduce all students to the room, not only finance majors.

The new trading lab facility that is located in one of the business buildings is what makes Delaware's business program unique. From my understanding, many schools do not have such a facility. The trading lab helps to prepare students for the real world and helps students with hands-on learning.

The hands-on experience the professors give you by assigning you projects that work with outside firms and companies. Whether it be designing and implementing a database system for a firm or doing a market analysis for them. Great teachers who care and are enthusiastic about what they teach. They also have real world experience�that is, they have been in the corporate world, and give students a lot of insight.

The recruiting efforts at Delaware are among the strongest I have seen out of different universities that my friends all attend. They got me involved in job searches as early as freshman year. Freshman year was when I met the recruiter for KPMG and sophomore year I was given an interview, which led to my eventual employment with the firm. Almost all of my colleagues in the business school have jobs upon graduation, which I feel is pretty remarkable. Not only is the recruiting extremely strong, but they prep you for interviews with seminars, run resume building seminars, and host a great variety of large and small firms. Although Delaware was not my first choice, I am extremely happy with my decision to attend, mostly because of the quality of the business school.

The staff of the University of Delaware is the most diverse one that I know. I have taken classes with professors who are still active in their field, professors who have over 20 years of experience in the subject that they are teaching and even some professors whose full time job isn't even this school. Learning from people who have been there and know first-hand about these subjects makes the education mean that much more to me. I came to this school with very a very limited knowledge of the business world and now that I am about to enter it, I feel like I know more than many people twice my age.

The new Excelon trading center is very cool, you can always get in to the classes you need, advising is great, and Career Services is there to help you during every step.

We have great professors who are engaged in pro-active research, and are very supporting of their undergraduate student body. Also, we have a state of the art trading center with various Bloomberg computers. They always give training and certification classes. Moreover, all of the buildings have wireless connection, which is valuable for researching unknown material during lectures.

The Alfred Lerner Business School is very unique because it combines very intelligent students, highly qualified professors, and an environment which is very helpful to the development of its students. Although the business program is part of a large state school, the teachers' willingness to help gives the students the personal attention they may need. In addition, the business school is very good with the job placement of its students, and there are always opportunities to talk with firms who visit the school.

The program is committed to preparing students for a successful future in the business world. The dedicated professors at UD strive to mentor their students, encouraging them to become young professionals with a sense of ethical responsibility and an interest in pursuing knowledge beyond the classroom. The business program facilitates the exploration of career opportunities and professional networking here on campus. UD's reputation for outstanding academics has attracted the attention of recruiters from top Fortune 500 companies, and we as students benefit.

The requirements to fulfill your major include a variety of courses that really touch on different aspects of the business world. It's not just about punching numbers or memorizing definitions�it's about answering the question, "how can I use this information to help me after college?"

It is difficult to rank the business program as a whole. In my opinion, different departments within the business school do a better job than others. For example, I am an accounting and finance double major. I found that the accounting program was head and shoulders above the finance program.

The career services center is an amazing building, however, they rarely actively reach out to students and rely mostly on students seeking out their services. Some professors have had little success stimulating any interest in their topic because they are too focused on appeasing their department head instead of focusing on ensuring the student learns. Exams are usually not helpful in retaining any information due to the likely event that a student is solely memorizing for that one exam to hopefully achieve a good grade. There is very little reassurance that teacher and course evaluations have any impact what so ever!

I initially came into the University of Delaware as an engineering student with hopes of minoring in Business Administration. The business courses that I took in my freshman year were much more informative, interesting, and had a more intimate feel with the professors teaching them. In my experience with my two summer internships, I feel that the University of Delaware has provided me with a more useful education than what I've seen come out of other schools. Overall, I don't think I could have received a better business education at many other schools.

The accounting program at the University of Delaware is very challenging, and the professors and advisors care for the students. They help in any way possible to ease the difficulty of class by extra help and guidance. They help put us in an optimal position to receive a great job upon graduation. Nearly all accounting students have received good offers from reputable firms before the spring semester begins.

They introduced international business during my four years and I will be part of the first class to graduate with an International Business degree. While there is room for improvement, it has been improving by leaps and bounds every year. � When you can study abroad on 7 continents, you know you've got a good program. They recently introduced a business study abroad option in Germany, for example, which was a long time coming, adding it to a list of great options like France, Spain, Latin America, Australia, China and so on.