Enrollment: 270
Average GMAT: 590.00
GMAT Range (25-75%): 560-650
Average Undergrad GPA: 3.33
Regular Application Deadline: 07/15
Rolling Admission: Yes
School Type: Private
Average Age: 29.00
Average Work Experience (months): 84
Student Faculty Ratio: 20:1

Part Time Program: Yes
Evening Program: Yes
Executive MBA Program Offered: No
Total Faculty: 17

Average Annual Total Financial Aid: $0.00

Students Say - Academics
At Butler, an MBA student may major in finance, international business, leadership, or marketing. There is also a combined program leading to both a Doctor of Pharmacy and an MBA. All students must take a core curriculum, which begins with what's known as a Gateway Experience, a day-long immersion in the activities of a local business followed by an evening of analysis by the students. Students "love how this school works with local businesses to enhance experiential learning and to also provide a sort of 'symbiotic' relationship." The students "help the businesses by offering solutions to their current problems, and they also help us learn by providing us with actual business problems." That practical exercise gets students thinking about scenarios that will show up in future courses such as ethics, financial management, managerial finance, and related subjects, which account for about half the credits needed for the degree. The students then move into areas of specialization and finish things off with what's known as a Capstone Experience, which is somewhat of an extended version of the Gateway Experience they encountered at the beginning of the program. It addresses more complex issues and allows the student to make good use of the knowledge gained during the program.
"Flexibility" is a definite key word when in comes to describing the MBA program at Butler. "It is not a lockstep program, meaning that if I missed a class, I would not have to wait an entire year to retake it," one student explains. "The approach that the school takes at understanding that the part-time MBA students have lives outside of the classroom" is a strength of the program, students say, and "I travel frequently for my job, and I have yet to encounter a professor who has not attempted to help ensure I would be caught up when I return," adds another. Classes are offered on evenings and weekends, and though some students would like to see the schedule of classes expanded, they uniformly praise the quality of teaching that goes on in them. "The professors at Butler are excellent. They make themselves available to their students and truly enjoy interaction in the classroom," and "Professors have demonstrated mastery of their subject as well as an ability to relate theory of a subject to real-world situations," students say.
Throughout the program students find that the emphasis is on "high-quality and high-value, in-class lessons, and great real-world learning." Many courses are taught by professors in conjunction with business leaders, and the case studies and problems students work on in class are most often real-world business issues. "Incorporation of practical business cases and scenarios in conjunction with the course work" is a hallmark of the program, as are "up-to-date, relevant [classroom] activities and problems" and "small class size, so that one can really get to know the other students and the professors."

Students Say - Admissions
The Admissions Committee for the MBA program at Butler weighs an applicant's undergraduate GPA, GMAT score, letters of recommendation, and work experience most heavily. Though most students are from the Midwest, residency is not a factor that Butler, a private institution, takes into account, and it also does not consider a student's extracurricular activities. In 2008 the average GPA of admitted students was 3.33/4.0, and their GMAT score ranged from 480-720. Most students had 7 or more years of work experience.

Students Say - Campus Life
MBA students love Butler's small-school atmosphere and personal touch. "Butler is a beautiful campus. Although I live off campus, I am always surprised by how many students are around participating in various on-campus activities," notes one student. "My classes include students from different ethnic, cultural, social, and religious backgrounds. This leads to great discussions on the wide varieties of experiences we have had in our careers." "Everyone on campus is engaging and helpful. Because of the small campus and class size, you get to know a number of peers, professors and administration well," others say. Students find the workload moderate, the administration responsive, and their fellow students friendly and focused. Noting that "the school is small enough to have a personal touch," "You can easily get the help and support that you need." Some would like better child care support and more opportunities to involve spouses in their academic lives, but they like the attention both faculty and staff pay to the needs of working students with families. "Most are busy with careers just like I am, but that gives us common ground to support each other in balancing work, school, and life," one student says.

Students Say - Careers
Most of Butler's MBA students are employed while completing the degree. Some students feel that "since almost all students are already working full-time, there is little emphasis on new career opportunities," remarking that Career Services seem to be geared toward undergraduates. However, being located in Indianapolis, a city ranked in the "Top 10 Best Places for Business and Careers" in a ranking of the 200 largest metropolitan areas in the United States by Forbes, helps with prospects. "There are thousands of top companies right in our backyard," students point out. "Many local companies have allowed students to participate in hands-on business simulations, and prominent business leaders have come to campus to speak and network." Butler's "regional reputation with business and community leaders and the number of very successful alumni working in the region" are also strong points for those who are job hunting. Eli Lilly and Company, Roche, M&I Bank, Regions Bank, Firestone, and the NCAA are among those who employ Butler's MBA graduates.

Indiana Universityâ€"Purdue University Indianapolis
Ball State University, Distance MBA

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