Enrollment: 334
Average GMAT: 612.00
GMAT Range (25-75%): 580-650
Average Undergrad GPA: 3.02
Regular Application Deadline: 05/01
Rolling Admission: Yes
School Type: Private
Average Age: 26.00
Average Work Experience (months): 24
Student Faculty Ratio: 4:1

Part Time Program: Yes
Evening Program: No
Executive MBA Program Offered: No
Total Faculty: 104

Average Starting Salary: $62,500.00
Hired Consulting: 1%
Hired Finance: 38%
Hired Operations: 23%
Hired Marketing: 1%

Out-of-State Tuition: $32,070.00
In-State Tuition: $32,070.00
Financial Aid Deadline: 03/01
Students Receiving Some Aid: 75%
Average Annual Total Financial Aid: $30,453.00

2010 Entrepreneurial Programs: Business Schools

School Says - General Information
Whitman is thriving! Business Week regards Whitman as one of the cream of the crop in its inclusion of MBA programs considered for their ranking. And Princeton Review ranks the Whitman among the "Best Business Schools." From opening our new Real Estate Center to launching the Orange Value Fund to our most recent grant to create a WomenÂ's Business Center, Whitman is thriving!

The Whitman School is proud to nurture graduates who want to develop as entrepreneurial managers who will become leaders in an era of global competitiveness and technological advancements. We do this in an environment that promotes firsthand experiences where students can hone their communication and interpersonal skills as well as their analytic and problem solving capabilities, giving our students a dynamic and relevant business education.

School Says - Student Body
International students comprise 55 percent of the student body at the Whitman School. The Office of International Students (OIS) offers services ranging from immigration advice to personal counseling. OIS is housed in its own building and is a friendly place for all students to visit, relax, read a newspaper, and talk with staff. The office organizes many social and cultural events to promote on-campus diversity.

School Says - Academics
Full-Time MBA
The program offers students a rigorous and experiential two-year program that prepares them to become strategic thinkers and innovators in an ever-changing global economy. Students generally complete an internship in the summer between the first and second.

Full-Time Accelerated MBA
Students with four or more years of full-time work experience and an undergraduate degree in business from an AACSB International-accredited institution are eligible for the one-year 36-credit accelerated program.

Independent Study MBA (iMBA)
The iMBA is a limited-residency distance learning MBA program for executives that follows a unique flexible format combining in-person residency and online learning. A minimum of five years of full-time professional work experience is required for admission.

MS in Accounting
The MS in Accounting program aproduces graduates with the educational requirements needed to take the CPA exam in New York. An undergraduate degree in accounting is required for this one-year program.

Independent Study MS in Accounting (iMS)
The iMS program offers full-time accounting professionals a distance-learning program that prepares them to qualify for the CPA exam in New York. The program follows a unique flexible format combining in-person residency and online learning. An undergraduate degree in accounting is required for admission.

MS in Finance
Students in the MS in Finance program graduate from the rigorous, one-year curriculum prepared to manage the risks associated with operating in a global marketplace. An undergraduate degree in finance or economics is required for admission.

MS in Media Management
Syracuse University's Newhouse School of Public Communications and Whitman teamed up to offer this program.

PhD
The program emphasizes independent study and close collaboration with Whitman faculty.

School Says - Admissions
Admission to the Whitman School MBA and MS programs is highly selective. We seek candidates who can contribute to the school and who aim to assume leadership roles in organizations around the world--individuals who have displayed the drive, the leadership potential, and the intellectual capacity to achieve their goals.

The Admissions Committee uses several criteria in their admissions decisions, including the applicant's academic achievement, communication skills, previous work history, and standardized test scores. A completed application form must be accompanied by two letters of recommendation preferrably from past supervisors, a current resume, all academic transcripts, a GMAT score, essays, and a $75 application fee. Since the admissions decision involves several criteria, there are no set minimums for the GMAT or GPA average. The 2008 entering class had an average GPA of 3.2 (on a 4.0 scale) and an average GMAT of 612.

School Says - Campus Life
Classrooms facilitate creative use of educational technologies. Quality spaces for public events and informal interactions include a state-of-the-art auditorium, a Grand Hall, a cafe, plentiful team breakout rooms, and comfortable conversation areas throughout the entirely wireless-access building. A lounge and a computer cluster specifically for graduate students builds identity and cohesion.

Students Say - Academics
A tiny MBA program at a "great, nationally recognized" university, the Whitman School of Business at Syracuse University provides a thorough business education in an intimate academic setting. With fewer than 30 students per entering class, students benefit from uniformly small class sizes, and "the opportunity to develop relationships with every classmate as well as professors." These relationships are incredibly valuable, as "Professors get to know students on a personal level and help out in every way they can." One student elaborates, "By talking with faculty and administration, I have been put in close personal contact with a number of prominent alumni and have even been offered internship positions at some of the top firms in their respective fields due to these alumni relationships."
Whitman's challenging 54-unit curriculum includes a year of core course work in essentials like economics and finance. Core courses extend into the second year; however, by the final semester, course work is comprised entirely of electives, and students may complete a concentration in accounting, entrepreneurship, finance, general management, supply chain management, or marketing management. In addition to the traditional program, the school offers an accelerated MBA for students with a business background. Students may also pursue a joint-degree with any other graduate department at the university, including "a great JD/MBA program with a lot of connections in and around New York City."
Mixing traditional lectures with hands-on projects, Whitman's curriculum introduces Syracuse students to both the practical and theoretical sides of business. A student shares, "Our leadership class was mostly lectures and reading and more of an in-class discussion that did not require intensive study. Our GEM class [involved] creating a whole new business from scratch, presenting to a venture capitalist and having a certain number of deliverables ready in 3 months." As a result of this variety, "The workload can be anywhere from easy to killer depending on deadlines and classes." Fortunately, students find lots of support: "Professors are regularly available, but especially on days they know students will need them-they are in their offices later than most students remain at school."
A great option for those early in their careers, Syracuse does not require previous professional experience for entry into the MBA program and "The majority of the MBA students in my class have had less than 5 years work experience, so [they] are fairly young." As one student explains, "I had internship experiences but no professional work experience. Syracuse University was one of the only universities that allowed me to get a quality MBA earlier in life when I have the time to go to school versus later in life when family and work become a higher priority than education."

Students Say - Admissions
Admission to Syracuse is competitive. Last year's entering class (for the full-time program) had an average GMAT score of 619, with a range of 560-700 and an average under-graduate GPA of 3.3. To apply to the accelerated program, students must have an degree in business, a GMAT score of 650 or better, and 4 or more years of professional work experience. Reviews are made on a rolling basis and students are notified of their acceptance or nonacceptance within 4 to 6 weeks.

Students Say - Campus Life
You might be surprised how much you'll learn from your classmates on this tiny but diverse campus. A student praises, "Many of the students have international backgrounds and offer an international/alternative perspective to traditional North American ways of thinking." Despite students' cultural differences, the environment is noncontentious and friendly, and "People here really care for others, especially new students." There are many ways to fill your free time at Syracuse, and students say the "Many academic, social, and cultural activities to choose from [make] the experience rewarding." When they aren't hitting the books, students "plan trips together (to national and international destinations), events together (i.e., bowling night, international day), and involve the faculty as well (i.e., student versus faculty softball)."
While the city of Syracuse isn't the most happening location, students reassure us that communities outside Syracuse are "clean, crime-free, and cater to professionals. We have golf courses and ski resorts around the area that cater to people with those interests. There is also plenty to do in term of hiking, camping canoeing." In addition, many Syracuse students "take part in charity work around the city, offering their business skills and acumen to small business owners who may not always have a solid business background."

Students Say - Careers
Career placement is taken seriously at Syracuse. During their studies, students hone their skills through internships at local companies, and "Every week there is some event for students to take part in, whether it is a guest speaker or networking reception." When it comes to permanent placements, "The school's strong accounting and supply chain [management] programs are well recognized nationally, and students in those fields get good job offers." However, with a young and largely international student body, placements can occasionally be more difficult. A current student explains, "Part of the problem is that because they accept students with little to no work experience, it is also tougher to place those MBA students in jobs, specifically international students in finance and marketing fields."
Companies that offered positions to graduates include: Bear Stearns, ChinaTrust Commercial Bank, Citigroup, Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu, Ellis Deming Development, Ernst & Young, Health Net, JPMorgan Chase, PricewaterhouseCoopers, Rockefeller & Co., Samsung SDI, and Verizon Wireless. Another nice perk is that the school "pays for CFA testing and travel expenses for job interviews."

Boston University
Cornell University

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