Rochester Institute of Technology College of Business

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Students Say - Academics
Located in upstate New York, Rochester Institute of Technology is known for its academic excellence in technology and applied science. Accordingly, RIT's MBA programs provide a "great blend of management and technical education," preparing students for the realities of the workplace through practical instruction, teamwork, and applied learning. Within the MBA curriculum, "Courses are updated frequently to allow for new events, technologies, and information." (In recent years, "green sustainability is growing in importance," as is entrepreneurship.) A major benefit of the program is the "the wide array of concentrations offered," including such unique offerings as digital marketing, quality and applied statistics, and environmentally sustainable managementâ€"as well as more traditional business fields like accounting and supply chain management. In addition to established concentrations, students can tailor their education through elective courses in other RIT departments, like public policy or web programming. The MBA can be completed on a full-time or part-time basis, with classes offered in the daytime and the evening, as well as online. Course work is "fast-paced" and challenging, yet students like the school's academic calendar, saying the "quarter system is great because it keeps things moving at a fast pace." Despite the "vigorous schedule," "Professors are extremely flexible if students need to miss class for work." On that note, most RIT instructors "know students' names and take interest in the students' personal lives." With an average class size of just 25 students, "Professors go out of their way to be sure concepts are well understood and topics are relevant and beneficial to us." Even in the classroom, RIT emphasizes practical skills, and most professors "have significant corporate experience and tie it well with the academics to offer an enriched experience." In fact, many RIT instructors "still work as consultants for major companies." Students who received an undergraduate business degree from RIT can "waive some classes" in the MBA program, or, if they are currently enrolled, complete a BS and MBA through on accelerated five-year schedule. Taking advantage of this attractive opportunity, many "students seem to come directly from undergrad," though "Each class tends to have at least some students who have been in the workplace." Furthermore, RIT undergraduates "are required to have a good deal of co-op (internship) experience before they graduate (usually between six months to one year or more.)" For those who want to build on their real-world credentials, RIT offers plenty of "hands-on, experiential, practical learning" experiences. Here, students can participate in optional internships or coop work experiences, business plan and case competitions, and team-based projects both on and off campus. Among other offerings, the school's "Innovation Center is a newbusiness incubator, and they are always asking for the business students to come and consult for them."

Students Say - Admissions
Under RIT's quarterly calendar, "The general course load is three classes. Some people take four, but that makes it hard to really learn the stuff without getting overworked." Classes here "are generally taught at night (6:00 p.m. to 9:20 p.m.) once a week. Some courses are also taught during the daytime, and some are even offered online." The school's facility "has recently been extensively remodeled and is beautiful. It has a lot of glass on the front of the first floor, new computer labs, new wall coverings and flooring, and more solid oak trim." Students "meet before class and socialize in the lounge on the first floor or in the graduate student lounge on the second floor. Students also gather before class around the lounge chairs that are interspersed in the upstairs hallways and discuss course work." They also bond through "the many clubs that are available to all," although many are too busy with work and personal obligations to participate. Hometown Rochester "is a lot of fun" with "a great downtown life," although "The local weather is awful." Diversions include "skiing, bars, parks, casinos, and day trips" to Buffalo and Canada.
RIT students include a large number who come "straight from undergraduate programs, meaning they are not always able to contribute that much practical knowledge to class discussion." They are "smart, friendly, and motivated without being overly competitive."

Students Say - Campus Life
Part of a large, private, comprehensive university, Saunders College of Business offers a well-rounded student experience, which appeals to both part-time and full-time students. Here, "the facilities are good and campus activities are diversified," and there are plenty of "great resources available"â€"including an "outstanding" gym. As you'd expect from a technical school, business students enjoy contemporary technology in the classroom and "have access to amazing equipment" to prepare their "group presentations." In fact, "The whole campus has Wi-Fi, and you can even find plugs near picnic tables and other outdoor locations for your laptop!" On this large campus, students "come from about 20 different countries," creating a "very diverse and global environment." All totaled, you'll probably meet "more parttime, employed MBA students" than full-time students at RIT, though there are also plenty of recent graduates who are completing the MBA full-time. While they enthusiastically participate in class, "It is hard for graduate students to be more involved due to the late night classes and other obligations." Still, even these students acknowledge that "There are lots of opportunities on campus for fun and Rochester is a great place to live." Among full-timers, "The students are friendly and very focused when it comes to school, but don't shy away from playing the occasional poker game now and then."

Students Say - Careers
Serving the undergraduate and graduate community, RIT's Cooperative Education and Career Services offers robust career preparation services, including an executive-in-residence program, mentorship program, online job resources, career fairs, and networking events. While the campus maintains a robust recruiting program, "the greatest weakness is the lack of opportunities for business majors at the career fairs." Based on the school's strength in engineering, technology, and science, "Most of the companies at the career fair are looking to hire tech students with very few hiring management students." As such, "The campus is still trying to get more interest from the business community to send companies here for new talent." In recent years, full-time MBA candidates reported a median starting salary of more than $52,000, with a range between $30,000 and $90,000. They took jobs at Alstom Signaling, Bausch & Lomb, Carrier Corporation, Citibank, Coopers & Lybrand, Deloitte & Touche, Eastman Kodak, Global Crossing, Harris Corporation, IBM, JP Morgan Chase, Johnson & Johnson, M&T Bank, Merck & Company Inc., Paychex, Toyota, Unisys Corp., Wegmans, and Xerox.

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