Arizona State University W.P. Carey School of Business

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School Says - General Information
Success in the job market is the hallmark of the W. P. Carey MBA Ââ€" Full-time Program at Arizona State University (ASU). Our placement rate after graduation places us among the top ten MBA programs in North America. Consider the Full-time Program if you seek to build broad business skills in conjunction with a functional emphasis in one of many areas of specialization. Delivered over the course of 21 months, the case-based and team-oriented learning format integrates a core business curriculum with an in-depth specialization. Classes are small, with less than 50 students in core courses, allowing you to interact closely with your peers and faculty members. A required internship between the first and second years of the program, together with a career leadership course, set the stage for a successful post-graduate career. Our student-services and career management teams provide you with the personalized service and individual attention you need to achieve academic success, while also focusing on your future.

School Says - Student Body
W. P. Carey MBA Full-time Program students hail from diverse backgrounds. The average student in the fall 2007 entering class was 27 years old, with 4.5 years of professional work experience. The class included 35 percent international students and 10 percent total ethnic minority enrollment. Our 2007 incoming class brought students from around the globe Ââ€" including Bangladesh, China, Costa Rica, France, India, Mexico, South Korea and other nations.

School Says - Academics
The W. P. Carey MBA builds and strengthens your knowledge, skills and managerial abilities through a rigorous curriculum, as you engage in technical and analytical skill-building exercises and case studies. During the first year, you will build fundamental knowledge in the disciplines of accounting, marketing, ethics, statistics and management. Integrated courses will teach you how business disciplines relate to one another, and how singular decisions affect company success across functions. In the second year, you will select courses from diverse focus areas that complement the foundational core courses. Your specialization choices include financial information and markets, information management, real estate, sports business, strategic marketing and services leadership, supply chain financial management, and supply chain management. Optional secondary specializations are available in health sector management, international business, and management. The small and cohesive class size provides for individual learning, close faculty interaction and an intense sense of community and commitment to personal and professional development.

School Says - Admissions
Admission to the W. P. Carey MBA is selective. Most students have three to five years of full-time work experience and have earned a bachelorÂ's degree or the equivalent from a regionally accredited institution. The W. P. Carey MBA Admissions Committee looks for well-rounded individuals with strong leadership skills and academic credentials, managerial experience or potential, and the ability to contribute to the diversity of the class. Transcripts, GMAT scores, TOEFL scores (for international students), work history, essay questions, letters of recommendation and a required interview all influence the admission decision. Qualifying domestic students will be invited for a personal interview through our campus visit program. Many scholarship opportunities are available annually to full-time applicants, based on the merit of individual applications. Early participation in the application process ensures consideration for the most lucrative financial awards. While applications are accepted on a Â"rolling admissions cycleÂ" basis, with applications accepted throughout the year, admission is to the fall term only.

School Says - Campus Life
The W. P. Carey School of Business is housed in two buildings that contain an auditorium, lecture halls, seminar rooms, a graduate suite and a coffeehouse. The business complex is equipped with wireless access ports within its buildings and patio area. The graduate suite offers a student center, technology-equipped team rooms and open study areas.

Students Say - Academics
The W.P. Carey School of Business at Arizona State offers an "excellent value for its cost," a leading distance-learning MBA program, and a "growing reputation not only in the Southwest, but also throughout the country." Depending on your professional experience and educational goals, W.P. Carey offers several MBA options: a full-time program, an accelerated evening program, a fast-paced Executive MBA, and a flexible online MBA. Both full-time and part-time programs combine core course work in business fundamentals with advanced electives in specialized topics. For those with focused educational goals, the curriculum allows for "specialization courses to be taken in the first year," as well as the "option to pursue a dual degree within the same two years as the MBA." Many students come to ASU for its "high-ranked supply chain management program," while others note that the "corporate finance course work is [among] the best in the country." Students can further tailor their MBA experience through international elective courses (usually scheduled during breaks in the academic calendar) and summer internships. Arizona State is rated among the best distance-learning MBAs in the country, and with good reason; Students in this program say it's a "stellar experience." Unlike the full-time and part-time programs, online students take "one class at a time, but compressed into only six weeks each." In many ways, this schedule "works very well for working professionals because you don't have to try to balance between competing classes, just drink from the fire hose." Students feel connected to campus, and have access to "customized modules with professors available live through chat and email." Especially noteworthy is the "outstanding" student services program run by dedicated staff members who always "keep students informed of upcoming events and requirements and assist with any academic or related needs." Administration is a breeze, and online students "are registered for classes and sent books automatically" each semester. No matter what program you choose, W.P. Carey professors are "recognized leaders in their fields and often provide expert opinion[s] to newspapers, journals, and congress." While not every professor gets top marks in the classroom, the majority are "are passionate, current, and very open to discussion." A current student assures, "If a professor is not a leader in his or her field, you can be sure that he is an exceptional educator." In ASU's oncampus programs, "class size ranges around 25 people" and professors "are very accessible and willing to work with students to help improve their experience." In addition, "The school is committed to including students in the planning and decision-making processes. Student input is sought out on nearly all major decisions." Patently student-friendly, "The dean knows most students by first name and keeps an open door policy."

Students Say - Admissions
Admissions vary for the full-time; executive; and technology, science, and engineering programs. Applicants to all programs must submit a completed application form, undergraduate transcripts, and official GMAT scores. Full-time entering students have an average GMAT score of 676 and an average undergraduate GPA of 3.43. The school admits students who demonstrate a combination of strong academic credentials, leadership potential, work experience, and strong communication skills.

Students Say - Campus Life
A near-perfect place to live and learn, ASU boasts a comfortable campus, friendly people, and even better weather. On the pretty Southwestern campus, "The facilities are great," including a "graduate suite where all the students from the different graduate programs at the school spend most of their time." There's also a "gym, library, wireless Internet, and offcampus housing minutes away from school." With such "beautiful" weather to work with, "the campus offers several options to maintain a balanced life of school, family, work," including "plenty of outdoor activities." Through ASU's many student clubs and organizations, students "are encouraged to get involved in activities for professional, social and community development." Within the business school, "Students are always mingling, which opens up…networking opportunities." "Whatever reputation ASU has as a party school does not translate to the graduate program," though "Thursday night is a casual happy hour for all students." A student adds, "The small class sizes enhance the ability to develop close-knit relationships with other classmates. I am married and my wife is highly involved in MBA activities."

Students Say - Careers
Students in the ASU's full-time program must complete a required Career Leadership course in their first year, which focuses on career development and preparation. In addition, every student must complete a summer internship between the first and second year of the MBA. Moreover, students are pleased to report that career management counselors "take a very aggressive approach to the job hunt and they are incredibly helpful." On campus, "recruiting is amazing," and "The Career Management Center regularly accepts challenges to build relationships with companies that even one student is interested in." Within three months of graduation, about 80 to 90 percent of full-time students have accepted employment, with students reporting a base salary between $50,000 and $125,000, plus signing bonuses ranging from $2,000 to $37,000. Part-time and online students have access to the career services website and may schedule individual counseling sessions. They may also participate in the On-Campus Recruitment Program, but must first attend the school's Boot Camp course, which teaches students how to use ASU's eRecruiting system and prepare for campus interviews.

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