North Carolina State University Jenkins Graduate School of Management

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School Says - General Information
At NC State, we've created an MBA with focus. Our emphasis on technology and business sets us apart. The curriculum revolves around the role of technology in business, and the ways technology can improve business processes in all kinds of industries. From new e-commerce ventures to more traditional manufacturing and consumer services, the intelligent use of technology is making the difference for successful organizations. The NC State MBA Program will help you develop a keen understanding of general business and management principles. And your concentrated study of a technology-oriented business process or function will give you an edge in the marketplace. The NC State MBA offers both a full-time program and part-time evening program. Our focus on outstanding MBA education is illustrated by a reputation for excellence in technology management, an innovative faculty with cutting-edge teaching and research, quality students from diverse backgrounds, and unmatched value in management education.

School Says - Student Body
Almost all MBA students have professional work experience, many in high-technology industries, such as telecommunications or software and others in industries, such as health care or financial services, where technology is the key to a competitive advantage. A technical background is not essential for the MBA., but all students must be willing to learn about technology and the management challenges it creates. More than 50 percent of MBA students have undergraduate degrees in science, computer science, or engineering. Over 30 percent were business majors. The rest come from a variety of fields, including the social sciences and humanities. The average full-time MBA student has four years of work experience. The age range of students is between 22 and 45. Women comprise approximately 35 percent of each entering class; members of minority groups, approximately 9 percent; and international students, 40 percent.

School Says - Academics
The NC State MBA curriculum was designed to prepare students for management careers and to provide unique offerings of technology-oriented courses and concentrations. In this program, you will develop a clear understanding of the business functions, such as marketing and finance. You will also gain knowledge and hands-on skills in technology-related fields. This approach will make your skills and knowledge adaptable to a variety of industries, functions and work environments. Our alumni have built successful management careers, often in technlogy-oriented firms and the technical areas of traditional companies. The curriculum is built around core classes in the basics of management, a specialized concentration and open electives. Many of the MBA concentrations emphasize business processes, such as new product development, while others focus on traditional organizational functions, such as finance or operations. The concentration requirement ensures that our graduates have depth in one area that will distinguish them from MBA graduates with a general management orientation. Introductory courses in accounting, economics, finance, marketing, management, operations and strategy lay a foundation in the business basics. In concentration and elective courses, you will begin to integrate the functions as you explore specialized business processes in depth. Our faculty have created an integrated curriculum that incorporates technology, global perspectives, and real-world business problems into each class. The interdisciplinary courses and concentrations help students get the most out of their MBA experience. You'll gain valuable experience as you work in teams to solve business problems. No matter what your background, you will be surrounded by classmates with a wide range of experience--from electrical engineers and bench chemists to sales representatives and project managers. In some of the technical courses, you will work on projects with students from NC State's highly regarded graduate programs in computer science, engineering, design, and the sciences. Faculty from other NC State colleges, such as Engineering and Design, often participate in instructor-led practicum experiences. Your MBA concentration will give you an opportunity to focus your studies on a specialized technology process or critical business function. Each concentration includes some required courses and a choice among electives in that field, and most require students to complete a semester-long team project by working closely with a corporate client to solve a relevant business problem.

School Says - Admissions
Admission to the MBA program is highly competitive. Applicants need to demonstrate the following personal accomplishments and attributes: 1. Strong intellectual performance and academic promise, evidenced by previous undergraduate and graduate work as well as GMAT scores 2. An employment history demonstrating management potential through full-time work, volunteer, or military experiences 3. Leadership skills, maturity, creativity, initiative and teamwork orientation 4. A desire and willingness to learn about technology and the management challenges it creates MBA students must have a baccalaureate degree from an accredited college or university and are strongly encouraged to have had courses in calculus, statistics, and economics. Admissions decisions are based on previous academic performance, GMAT scores (610 average), two essays, letters of reference, and previous work and volunteer experience. Applicants whose native language is other than English, regardless of citizenship, must also submit TOEFL scores of at least 250 (computer-based test). Interviews are required for applicants for both the full-time and part-time MBA programs.

School Says - Campus Life
The College of Management is located in Nelson Hall, which houses classrooms, computer labs, and the offices of the faculty members and students. Classrooms have been completely remodeled with tiered seating, laptop connections, and complete multimedia facilities. Much of Nelson Hall is also wireless accessible. The college of Management's computer lab houses over 100 microcomputers connected to a campus-wide network. Students have access to a wide range of spreadsheet, word processing, database, statistical, and econometric software, along with several large databases. D.H. Hill Library, located near the center of campus, offers access to millions of volumes of books and journals and an extensive and growing collection of CD-ROM and electronic databases. Graduate students also have borrowing privileges at Duke, UNC-Chapel Hill, and NC Central.

Students Say - Academics
The Jenkins Graduate School of Management at North Carolina State University tailors its MBA program to the strengths of the surrounding area and to those of the university at large. Located in the state capital of Raleigh (with a satellite program in nearby Durham's Research Triangle Park), NCSU serves a variety of governmental and commercial interests well. For example, the school "offers strong programs that are relevant for technology companies in the area," including concentrations in Innovation Management and Entrepreneurship & Technology Innovation. These programs are "offered to people with a technical background looking to make the transition into management" and excel at "relating business skills to those with a technical background." The school's Biosciences Management program dovetails neatly with Durham's self-proclaimed distinction as ‘The City of Medicine' and with the presence of several pharmaceutical and bioengineering giants in RTP. The MBA program exploits NCSU's strengths in engineering, textiles, and natural resources to provide unique business-related study opportunities in these areas. And to top it all off, the school also serves up an "excellent Supply Chain program" featuring a faculty that is "among the best in the country." Across disciplines, NCSU professors "have a good balance of work experience and academic experience" and are "very open to discussion and welcoming of students outside the classroom." The administration here "is very responsive to the student's needs" and "encourages students to get a broad taste of many different concentrations," although it also "pushes some concentrations more than others." One student told us how much he appreciates the way the school "has increased global programs, allowed me to do independent studies so I can really focus on my marketing concentration, and encouraged networking. I also really enjoyed the public speaking class all students are required to take. That has helped me immensely in my career." Full-time students attend NCSU's main campus in Raleigh; part-timers may choose between the main campus and the "great satellite program in Research Triangle Park," a 7,000-acre research park where nearly 40,000 people work for more than 130 companies. Part-timers tell us that they enjoy "a great program that is not too intensely scheduled." Many students in both programs would agree that NCSU offers "the best value for the money in the Raleigh-Durham area."

Students Say - Admissions
Admission to the NC State MBA program is based on academic record, GMAT scores, essays, letters of reference, and work and volunteer experience. Admission is highly competitive, with an emphasis on academic achievement and evidence of management potential and leadership skills through prior employment, volunteer, and/or military experience. Two years of full-time employment is "strongly recommended" for full-time applicants and is required of applicants to the part-time program. A background that includes coursework in calculus, statistics, and economics is "strongly encouraged." Applicants whose primary language is not English must submit TOEFL or IELTS scores; a minimum TOEFL score of 250 on the computer-based test or 100 on the Internet-based test or a minimum IELTS score of 7.5 is required. Interviews are required prior to admission; the school contacts applicants who are deemed potential candidates for the program.

Students Say - Campus Life
Founded as a land-grant institution in 1887, NCSU today is home to 11 schools and nearly 30,000 undergraduate and graduate students. MBA classes on NCSU's main campus are held in a remodeled facility featuring computer labs, multimedia facilities, widely available wireless service, laptop connections, and tiered-seating classrooms. The large campus is located just west of central Raleigh and is surrounded by shops that cater to the student population. Students report that the RTP facility "is very convenient" but that "the building is old" and the facilities "are only fair. However, the education is comparable to any of the better-known schools in the area." Beginning fall 2010, the RTP program was relocated to a new facility with state-of-the-art technology and equipment that is available solely for the use of NC State University's College of Management, scheduled to open in 2010. This will be a major improvement and will reflect the professional image of the working part-time student. The majority of MBAs at NCSU have considerable professional experience. In fact, many work full time in addition to attending the MBA program. "Most of the students are from a scientific or engineering background" and "Everyone is genuinely interested in building a new business mindset and actively challenging themselves to try classes that may be outside their concentration." Other backgrounds are also represented, however; "I had someone in my study group with a PhD in Russian literature, one with a masters in engineering, and one with a masters in life sciences," one MBA reports.

Students Say - Careers
MBAs at NC State enjoy the services of an MBA-dedicated Career Resources Center that, according to the school, is "continually building relationships with companies seeking graduates in the areas of expertise that correspond to your education…recruiting top employers to provide our students with limitless opportunities to meet their career goals…[and working] with the NC State University Career Center to stay abreast of events and networking opportunities." The MBA program also provides workshops on resume writing and cover letters, interviewing skills, and job search strategies. Companies that have paid recruiting visits to the NC State campus in the past three years include American Airlines, BB&T, Chevron, Cisco Systems, Deloitte, Eaton Corporation, Ericcson, Glaxo Smith Kline, Lab Corp, Net App, Novartis Animal Health, Novozymes, Progress Energy, Red Hat, Research Triangle Institute, SAS, Siemens Medical, and Yang.

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