Emory University Goizueta Business School

Statistics

Programs & Curriculum

Employment

Scholarships & Financial Aid

Rankings & Lists

Students Say - Academics
"The community is the greatest strength" of the Goizueta Business School at Emory, where "there are 200 other [students] happy to help with any project or connect [you] to their network." And it's not just the student body that personifies the "culture of collaboration over severe competition" that presides here. "The community outside the current students is also phenomenal," we're told. "Alumni are happy to mentor, connect you to networks, and help you find directed study [opportunities], jobs, or internships." Collaboration is encouraged in part through Goizueta's "lack of a hard-lined grading system" (grades are evaluative and do not correspond to GPA). It "definitely helps the community atmosphere," although students "still feel pressured to do well personally." The size of the program also helps; "the smaller school size makes Goizueta thrive on the ambition, creativity and curiosity of its students," one student writes. Given the communal vibe, some might find it ironic that Goizueta's primary curricular emphasis is leadership. Regardless, the school offers "wonderful leadership courses with guest speakers and applied learning." It's all part of a "flexible" curriculum to which "new and relevant courses are frequently added (e.g., e-marketing, globalization, and illiquid assets in times of financial crisis)," and which provides ample opportunities for students to pursue their unique interests through electives. As one MBA student explains, "Emory's curriculum is very customizable, which comes from having a small class size." Despite the laid-back atmosphere, academics are demanding at Goizueta. As one student puts it, "you genuinely need to push yourself hard and are challenged to reach the top of any class, but the focus is on really internalizing and learning the basics and foundations well. It's not an insanely competitive environment; it's one where you can truly learn and if you want to excel with grades and recognition, you can without feeling as though such things [are] easy or commonplace." Goizueta's location in Atlanta, a major metropolis home to many Fortune 500 companies, provides plenty of networking opportunities and a steady stream of well-connected professors and guest lecturers. Faculty members "are leaders in their fields, passionate about the material, and very accessible." "Every one of them brings great work experience as well as academic credentials to the classroom. They are willing to bring in current business-related events into the classroom and are eager for students to bring in their work experience into class discussions," students tell us.

Students Say - Admissions
Applicants to the Goizueta MBA program must submit the following materials: a completed online application; official transcripts for all undergraduate and graduate schools attended; an official GMAT score report; two letters of recommendation; essays; resume; personal interview. An interview is required. International students whose first language is not English must also submit official score reports for either the TOEFL, Pearson Test of English, or the IELTS. Candidates for the 1-year program must have an undergraduate degree in a business-related discipline, engineering, or a strong quantitative background and "solid business experience." In addition they must have completed the following courses: Financial Accounting, Corporate Finance, Microeconomics, and Statistics.

Students Say - Campus Life
Because of the small size of the program, Goizueta MBAs form a "very close group" that participates in "lots of social activities, both formal and informal." Student life "is very busy, but we learn so much in such a short time. Our networking opportunities are extensive as well, with Thursday afternoon networking activities, our mentor program, and very accessible alumni. Social activities and clubs are numerous," so much so that "it is difficult to decide which clubs to become involved in and which social activities to attend." As one student puts it, "The quality of life is great." The city of Atlanta helps in that regard; not only is it "a great place to live," it also "provides a wealth of business opportunities." Goizueta students "are very collaborative." "We all want to see each other succeed, so although we are very competitive (all business school students are), we all want to help each other out," one student explains. Another adds, "This is not a cut-throat environment, but rather one in which everyone wants everyone else to succeed." The prevailing attitude is "nice, professional, and polished (this is the South and it does show through)."

Students Say - Careers
Student perspective on the Goizueta Career Management Center is mixed. "Career services could use some love," is how one student puts it. "No one seems to be able to pinpoint what exactly goes wrong there, but in general people seem less than satisfied with their help. Placement seems to be good, though, so something is working." Several voiced the feeling that the office "struggles with attracting large companies to recruit here. Despite our name, we are not a feeder school for Coke nor do we see much of the other major companies in the Atlanta area. On the other hand, we have many alumni at all those companies who through the power of networking are happy to help students find jobs and placements." Despite the fact that many Atlanta companies have been on a hiring freeze in recent years, over 150 companies have visited Goizueta for on-campus recruitment. Employers who most frequently hire Emory MBAs include: Accenture, AT Kearney, AT&T, Bank of America, Citigroup, Chevron, Delta Air Lines, Ernst & Young, General Electric, Georgia- Pacific, Humana, IBM, JP Morgan, Kimberly-Clark Corporation, Kurt Salmon Associates, PricewaterhouseCoopers, SunTrust, The Coca-Cola Company, and Wipro.

Other Schools To Consider Top Programs