Eastern Michigan University College of Business

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Students Say - Academics
Offering an affordable, flexible, and "very student-oriented" MBA program, Eastern Michigan University is a public school with a contemporary touch. Within the two-year MBA, Eastern Michigan excels at "staying current with business trends and developing a program aimed directly at reaching higher placement in the workforce." The "innovative curriculum" integrates fundamental business areas with contemporary business topics such as global knowledge, innovation, analytical skills, ethics, and critical thinking. "Course content is extremely current" with a pointed focus on "preparing students…through exposure to business and industry." With an emphasis on discussion and critical thinking, "professors do less lecturing and [use] a lot of case studies." Through these practical examples, students have the opportunity to "exercise their realworld experience and apply [it] to solve real-world problems." In fact, students say that EMU may very well be "the most practical and project-centric program in Michigan." Outside the core, the program offers the opportunity to specialize in contemporary fields like e-business, entrepreneurship, international business, and nonprofit management, in addition to traditional fields like marketing and supply chain management. The most popular professors at EMU are those who are very experienced and "very active in the industry" (though, thanks to their sought-after expertise, class is sometimes interrupted when professors "travel for foreign teaching stints and conferences.") Bringing examples from the workplace to the classroom, "Their stories enhance students' understanding of how the theory is applied." On the flip side, other EMU "professors have spent their entire career in academic institutions," and therefore, "The currency of their examples, data, and anecdotes demonstrate that they learn about new ideas and trends about three to five years behind those [who] are living it daily." Whether educators or executives, the good thing about EMU professors is that "A student can tell that the faculty really care about their students and their future success." What's more, "Classes are usually limited to 30 students, so teachers and students know each other." A current student enthuses, "There is an open environment in each classroom to share your work experience and how it relates to topics and ask other opinions as well." EMU's MBA programs are appropriate to students in every stage of their career, and classes can be taken full-time, part-time, online, or through a hybrid of online and inclass coursework. For working professionals, the campus provides "ease of access from Ann Arbor, Detroit, and Toledo"â€"as well as "offerings online and at extended locations." A current student shares, "The business school definitely works for working, older students like myself. Classes don't start until 6:30 so I have time to drive from work in Detroit."

Students Say - Admissions
GMAT scores, a one-page personal statement describing your plans and goals, and GPA rank, along with TOEFL scores for non-native speakers of English, are required for admission to Eastern Michigan's MBA program. The minimum GMAT score required is 450 and the minimum GPA accepted is 2.75/4.0. The average GMAT score is 465, and the average GPA of students accepted into the MBA program was 3.0. Eastern Michigan generally accepts about 60 percent of those who apply to the MBA course, and on average, students have 4 years of work experience.

Students Say - Campus Life
Eastern Michigan University draws a friendly, "motivated," and "ethnically diverse" group of students from the local region, as well as many international students. While the program attracts "mostly working professionals," there are also plenty of younger students who "continued their studies into the graduate program without a break" after undergraduate work. A current student shares, "Everyone is different and has their own story. There are international students, young professionals like me, [and] people with young or older children going back to school to better provide for their family." For graduate students, social life is somewhat limited at EMU. Most students live in one of the surrounding cities, and "commuter students don't hang around campus very long" after class. In recent years, however, "EMU has made great strides in becoming less of a ‘commuter' school. There are numerous activities to participate in, [including] clubs, and organizations." The "university main campus has many good resources and facilities." Among other amenities, "the library is excellent," and the "student center is a very nice building to work in teams." A boon to commuters, there is "easy access to parking for the Business School." In and around EMU, there's plenty to do, and "the neighboring city of Ann Arbor, MI, has outstanding social and cultural activities."

Students Say - Careers
The Career Services Center (CSC) within the College of Business helps EMU students plan and prepare for their job search and career. Among other services, the CSC offers skills workshops, operates an internship program, and coordinates on-campus recruiting events. The CSC also hosts an annual Career Day, which combines career development workshops with a company career fair. Enrolled graduate students and EMU alumni have access to all CSC services. Even though there is a large alumni network from EMU, "The business school does not have a good ‘networking community' of past students like other schools such as the University of Michigan, Wayne State, even Michigan State." While EMU enjoys a great local reputation, students would like the CSC to make contact with "better companies coming to recruit at the university" as well as more graduateappropriate contacts. Right now, "Companies that do come to recruit are looking for lowlevel employees," which are more appropriate to undergraduate students. On that note, working students complain, that the "placement office is not convenient for graduate students. Most students attend classes at night or weekends, but the placement office closes before 5pm."

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