BUSINESS WEEK ONLINE: BEST B-SCHOOLS

The University of Texas at Austin
Graduate School of Business
  OVERALL 1998 RANK: 18
BW corporate rank: 12
BW graduate rank: 26
BW 1996 rank: 20


1999 Profile Update
School Statistics
Graduates' Comments


SURVEY DETAILS
     The University of Texas at Austin rose two places in BW's Top 25 list in 1998. UT's jump is based largely on a three-spot gain -- from 15 to 12 -- in the recruiter poll, as companies ranked Texas seventh among B-schools showing the greatest overall improvement. That's a testament to its sizable investment in infrastructure. In the past few years, UT has completed construction of the world's largest Windows NT lab, as well as trading and tech centers. Recruiters were also satisfied with the ultimate UT product, rating grads' accounting skills 10th-best overall. Grads were pleased with their experience, elevating the program two spots in the student poll -- from No. 28 to No. 26 overall. One explanation for the satisfaction: They were able to choose from a pool of 184 electives, the second most of the 61 B-schools evaluated (behind only MIT). Moreover, UT's elective courses had an average class size of just 25 students -- among the smallest of the Top 25 -- providing for a close-knit learning environment. Another plus: The school is still quite a bargain for MBA wannabes. Tuition and fees -- even for nonresidents, which for the 1998/99 academic year totals just $14,762 -- is second-lowest (behind Maryland) in the Top 25.

   UT's Career Placement Office faired well in 1998 by hooking up many of its 440 second-year recruiters with capable employees. The result: average pay packages of $111,580. Also in the placement mix, a guaranteed yearend bonus for 27% of the class. And for 24%, lucrative stock options -- the fourth-highest percentage in the Top 25. The school's placement office has come a long way since 1996, when it was rated fifth-worst in the Top 25 for connecting recruiters with students. On a down note, UT could stand to diversify its student population: Just 25% of its total full-time enrollment is female, 22% is international, and 6% is made up of underrepresented minority. That lands them near the bottom of the elite Top 25 grouping in all three categories.

STRATEGY FOR APPLICANTS
     Texas continues to provide a great MBA bargain, with 1998-99 tuition the second lowest in the Top 25, both for nonresidents and residents, the latter paying just $5,612 a year. Although as recently as 1990 students here had an average of only one year of work experience, that's no longer the case: Now the school requires a minimum of two years of full-time experience and says work history is just as important as your GPA, GMAT, and recommendations. In 1998, students averaged five years on the job before matriculating.

   Texas does not conduct admissions interviews. However, candidates are encouraged to visit the campus and attend an information session, held every Friday during the school year at 1 p.m. in the Office of the Graduate Business Dean. (To reserve a space, call the admissions office in advance.) Student-led tours of the school begin at 11:30 a.m. Monday through Thursday, and class visits may also be arranged for those days. Apply early if you can, since acceptances are made on a rolling basis with application reviews beginning in mid-December. About half the class is filled by mid-March, and the entire class is usually in place by the beginning of May, so waiting until the April 15 final deadline is probably not wise.

CURRICULUM
  Electives available in 1998: 184
New electives in past three years: 25%
The core curriculum was last revised in: 1998
Accelerated MBA program offered? No

New Courses in Past Three Years
The Entrepreneurial Process, Harvest Finance and Negotiation, New Service Developments, Non-Profit Strategic Management, Computer Audit and Security, Information Technology Management, Cross Functional Integration, Foundations of Energy Finance, Fixed Income Security Valuation, Risk Management, Managing Information Intensive Change, Technology Strategies, Health Care Management, Customer Insights

Most Popular Electives
Entrepreneurship and New Ventures, Small Business Finance, Management and Marketing in the Global Arena, The Art and Science of Negotiation

Most Popular Professors
Michael Granof, Steve Tomlinson, Jeff Sandefer, John Doggett, Jim Nolen, Gautam Ahuja, Tassu Shervani

Majors or Concentrations Added in Past Three Years
Information Management and Accounting, Energy Finance, Real Estate & Mortgage Securitization, Financial Information Management, Customer Insights, Technology Strategies, Managing Information Intensive Change, Systems Management Controls and Assurance, Health Care Management

Teaching Methods
Lecture: 45%
Case Study: 35%
Projects with Companies: 20%

Full-time faculty members:   180
Adjunct or visiting faculty: 29
Average core class size: 60
Average elective class size: 25

Laptop computer required? Yes

Grading System
The grading system is A, B, C, etc., and grades typically include consideration of group work, individual reports, exams, presentations, and class participation.

Exchange Programs or International Campuses
Chinese University of Hong Kong; Copenhagen Business School; ESAN-Lima; ESC Paris; Fundacao Getulio Vargas; Helsinki School of Economics; London Business School; Manchester Business School; IESA-Caracas; ITESM Monterrey; Kobe University; McGill University; National University of Singapore; Pontifica Universidad Catolica; Rotterdam School of Management; University of Sidney; WHU-Koblenz

Best Areas of Study
Information Management, Entrepreneurship, International Business, Marketing, Finance, Accounting, Operations Management

Areas School Would Like to Improve
Human Resources Management, Natural Resources, Envrionmental Management

1998 PLACEMENT
  On-campus recruiters for graduates: 440
On-campus recruiters for first-year internships: 218
On-campus student full-time job interviews: approx. 4,385
On-campus student internship interviews: 2,730
Job opportunities posted via the Internet or E-mail: 1,596

Top Employers/Number of 1998 Hires
A.T. Kearney   17
Coopers & Lybrand 15
Deloitte & Touch Consulting 14
Intel 14
Enron Capital & Trade 10
Andersen Consulting 9
Frito-Lay 8
Procter & Gamble 8
Hewlett-Packard 7
PriceWaterhouseCoopers 7

ALUMNI NETWORK
  Number of living alumni: 11,201
Alums who gave to the school during the 1997/98 academic year: 12%
Median alumni gift: $100
Number of alumni clubs: 17
Number of dues-paying members: 11,201
Number of staffers devoted to MBA alumni relations: 3
Placement services offered for alumni? Yes

Description of Alumni Placement Services
UT alums have access to the Career Services Office (CSO), an employer contacts database, advisors/workshops, job search info, CSO resources, on-campus recruiting, Web job postings, alumni networking through online database, and specific networking events.

Back to Top
1999 Profile Update
School Statistics
Graduates' Comments

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Key Contacts
School Web Site

E-Mail:
texasmba@bus.utexas.edu

Address:
Graduate School of Business
Austin, TX 78712

Dean:
Dr. Robert May
(512) 471-5921

Director of MBA Programs:
Dr. Ramesh Rao
(512) 471-7603

Director of Admissions:
Dr. Carl Harris
(512) 471-7612

Director of Alumni Relations:
Ms. Elissa Ellis
(512) 232-2441

Director of Financial Aid:
Mary Gielstra
(512) 471-7612

Director of Career Services:
Sharon Lutz
(512) 471-7748

Application Deadlines:
U.S.
April 15, 1999

International
February 1, 1999





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