Enrollment: 124
Average GMAT: 563.00
GMAT Range (25-75%): 490-620
Average Undergrad GPA: 3.44
Regular Application Deadline: 03/15
Rolling Admission: Yes
School Type: Private
Average Age: 26.00
Average Work Experience (months): 48
Student Faculty Ratio: 7:1

Part Time Program: Yes
Evening Program: No
Executive MBA Program Offered: No
Total Faculty: 19

Average Starting Salary: $58,900.00
Hired Consulting: 10%
Hired Finance: 0%
Hired Operations: 0%
Hired Marketing: 70%

In-State Tuition: $29,300.00
Financial Aid Deadline: 08/01
Students Receiving Some Aid: 93%
Average Annual Total Financial Aid: $24,803.87

Best Business Schools

School Says - General Information
The Fisher International MBA Program at the Monterey Institute of International Studies prepares professionals to operate successfully in the global business environment of the 21st century.

Its diverse student body, comprised of 50% international students and 50% women, as well as its 10:1 student-to-faculty ratio makes the Fisher MBA program particularly unique and highly personalized.

The Fisher International MBA Program has been providing MBA degrees with an international emphasis for over 30 years and is accredited by AACSB International, the premier accrediting agency for schools of business. For the past four years, the Princeton Review and Entrepreneur Magazine have ranked The Fisher International MBA Program as one of the top graduate business programs committed to success in entrepreneurial endeavors.

School Says - Student Body
The Fisher MBA program is characterized by its diverse student body, comprised of 50% international students and 50% women. Fisher MBAs have a broad range of previous work experience including software engineers, entrepreneurs, linguists, non-profit managers, accountants, former Peace Corps volunteers, and many others. As a microcosm of the world, the Fisher International MBA Program is the ideal setting for aspiring business executives to acquire the skills necessary to succeed in today's complex, cross-cultural business environments.

School Says - Academics
Two Year MBA program
Designed for students from non-business undergraduate programs, looking to transition to business management opportunities.

Advanced Entry MBA Program
An accelerated, one-year Advanced Entry MBA for applicants with undergraduate degrees in business and previous business experience.

Peace Corps Master's International MBA
Offered in conjunction with the US Peace Corps.

Dual Degree Programs
Students may choose to pursue a second MasterÂ's Degree by combining MBA curriculum with coursework from International Policy, International Environmental Policy, or Translation Localization Management.

School Says - Admissions
Applicants must submit an application form, a statement of purpose, a current resume or curriculum vitae, official transcripts from all colleges previously attended, two letters of recommendation, GMAT score, and a nonrefundable $50 application fee.

International students should apply at least three months before enrollment. Non-native speakers of English must also submit a satisfactory TOEFL or IELTS score.

To apply, applicants may submit all documents to:

ADMISSIONS OFFICE
Monterey Institute of International Studies
460 Pierce Street
Monterey, CA 93940
Telephone: (831) 647-4123
Toll-free in US: 1-800-824-7235
FAX: (831) 647-6405
E-Mail: admit@miis.edu

School Says - Campus Life
The Monterey Institute is located in downtown Monterey just blocks away from historic Fisherman's Wharf. The Monterey Institute campus consists of 16 buildings comprised of academic and administrative facilities, some of which are listed on the Monterey historical register.

Research Centers
The Center for Globalization and Localization of Business Exports provides education, consulting, and research in the area of business globalization and localization. The Monterey Institute also houses the Center for East Asian Studies and the Center for Russian and Eurasian Studies.

Students Say - Academics
As its name indicates, the graduate business program at the Monterey Institute "focuses on international business" from its curriculum (which includes "a three-semester advanced language component") to the composition of its student body (one American student calls it "the most international environment I have ever been in, and I have been living abroad since the end of high school. Half the students in every class are international students."). The Fisher School excels in entrepreneurship studies, receiving a top- 10 ranking from Entrepreneur magazine and the Princeton Review in 2006. Students praise its offerings in language, country and political risk assessment, cross-cultural negotiation, and corporate responsibility.

MIIS offers a "small and personal" program that is nonetheless large enough to accommodate "the ability to customize degrees, classes, specializations, and extracurricular activities." A number of our respondents noted the dual-degree programs available here , which include an MBA/MA in international environmental policy, several MBA/MA options in international policymaking, and an MBA/MA in translation. The program's size is not without its drawbacks, however. One student explains: "Being a small school with limited resources strains the ability of the faculty to offer core courses every semester. Also, being in a small town also isolates the school from strong local internship opportunities. The faculty does a great job in their respective fields, but often has to teach classes outside of their specialties. Overall, the academic experience is great, but somewhat diff e rent than most other business schools. The focus is more on language studies, negotiation and cross-cultural issues, leaving less emphasis on the core business studies."

In addition to the above-mentioned areas, the MIIS curriculum also focuses "on ethics, corporate social responsibility, and environmental issues," an aspect of the program students find appealing. They also love how "This place is pretty laid-back, and everyone from the security folks to the Dean wants to see you succeed. Ain't no sabotaging here in Monterey!" Finally, MBAs appreciate "the strong alumni network and mentor program."

Students Say - Admissions
Proficiency in a second language is required by the MIIS graduate business program; students are required to demonstrate reading and listening proficiency in their second language during New Student Orientation. The MBA Plus program, which is designed for students with limited proficiency in a second language, provides an intensive language immersion program in the summer prior to enrollment in the MBA program, allowing students to gain the needed language skills. Applicants whose native language is not English must demonstrate proficiency through TOEFL or IELTS testing. Applicants must have achieved a minimum 3.0 undergraduate GPA and must submit an official score report for the GMAT. Letters of recommendation, a resume, and a personal statement are also required. An interview, while not required, are strongly recommended.

Students Say - Campus Life
The MIIS MBA program is a small one; "The entering business class is about 50 students. We all know each other well and freely mingle inside and outside of class well. For the size of the school, it does very well to give each student as many opportunities to gain both intellectually and professionally as possible." MBAs report: "There is a lot of interaction between business school students and the students of other schools. The student council organizes happy hours every month to encourage the interaction between students of all schools as well as professors." They also tell us, "There are many clubs on campus, including a golf club, scuba club, international trade and development club, women in business club, language clubs, and many others." Languages are very important, and thanks to the translation and interpretation school, one gets many opportunities to practice his second language throughout the day.

The campus here "is well equipped. All classrooms have brand-new furniture, and most have multimedia equipment. The library is top-notch; I rely on its internal collection, on the collection of the consortium to which it belongs, and on its interlibrary loan services. However, the campus has no gym and no discount arrangements, which is a shortcoming." Quality of life in the Monterey region "is excellent," although "because of Monterey's large student population, rents are high and housing quality is low." Monterey "is a beautiful and quiet place" that "has rich nature," but "it is isolated from centers of business activity." San Jose is about an hour's drive to the north; San Francisco is two hours off.

Students Say - Careers
The Career Management Center (CMC) for the Fisher MBA program offers "a customized approach to each individual's goals, skill set, [and] educational and personal background," according to the school. The office "acts as an ‘executive search firm'" to help students "target potential employers and enhance their added-value" through online career assessments; one-on-one consultations; and workshops in interviewing skills, salary negotiation, internship, and networking. Students report that the office "is slowly pulling things together, but our size and location, and the fact that no one has heard of us, definitely limits the number of recruiters coming to campus."

Employers who most frequently hire MIIS graduates include: Accenture, Bank of America, Cargill, Central Intelligence Agency, Cisco Systems, CTB McGraw Hill, Daimler Chrysler, Deutsche Bank, Deloitte & Touche Consulting, EMDAP (Emerging Markets Development Advisors Program), Ernst & Young, Frost & Sullivan, Hewlett Packard, HSBC (Hong Kong Shanghai Bank Company), Intel, JP Morgan, LanguageLine Services, Paul Kagan & Associates, PriceWa t e rhouse Coopers, Seagate Technology, Silicon Graphics, Inc., Sun Microsystems, Target, Ubisoft, US Dept of Commerce, US Dept of Labor, US Dept of State, US Peace Corps, Wells Fargo, and West Marine.

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