Suffolk University Sawyer Business School

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Students Say - Academics
Boston's Suffolk University offers a conventional MBA as well as specialized MBAs in health administration, nonprofit management, and accounting. The school also offers a Global MBA in which students combine upper-level course work focused on international finance and marketing with a required international internship. Students laud the "diversity [of] hands-on learning experiences through global travel seminars" in the Global MBA program. One reports, "I will be going to Brazil and London for week-long seminars this year." Another adds, "The company that currently employs me does business throughout the world. This program would allow me to advance within this organization." Suffolk "caters to the working professionals" who make up the majority of its MBA student body with "great scheduling" and "program flexibility" that "allow us to balance both work and school." "Classes are offered at night, on the weekends, online, and through the summer" to maximize students' opportunities to complete needed classes. A convenient "urban setting close to work" is another boon for those who work in and around the Financial District. To many though, "Suffolk's greatest strength is the professors' holistic approach to management." Suffolk professors are "working professionals teaching relevant courses" emphasizing "a balance of quantitative management skills while recognizing the importance of interpersonal qualitative skills." "Many professors have a ‘This is your class' mentality, where they are open to student input on the structure of the class," one student writes approvingly, adding "I have learned a tremendous amount."

Students Say - Admissions
To apply to Suffolk University Sawyer School of Business, students must submit undergraduate transcripts, a resume, and a completed application, including essays. Those applying to the full-time program must have at least 1 year of work experience; however, the average admit has logged 3 years in a professional position. Part-time applicants are expected to have spent more time in the professional world and average 5 to 7 years of work experience. Applicants must also submit GMAT scores, though exceptions may be made for practicing CPAs, and attorneys.

Students Say - Campus Life
Over 80 percent of Suffolk MBAs are part-time students, and the university designs its program to accommodate their schedules. "Classes are [almost] always offered during evenings," with "very few day classes for full-time students." The downside is that the system necessitates a very long day for some. "When you are taking two classes back to back from 4:30 P.M. to 10 P.M., it is tough," one student explains, adding "I worked full time this last semester and went to school full time. It was tough but doable." Overall, however, students appreciate the lengths to which Suffolk goes to serve its evening students. The school "has amazing networking events and an exceptional ‘Meet the Firms Night,'" and is also "very active in promoting networking and helping to improve social interactions in preparation of interviews." As one student observes, "As a full-time professional, work, school, and life are a balancing act. I would say that Suffolk caters to my needs, extends my breadth of knowledge, and positions me well for future success." The school is not without its shortcomings, however. "The gym is awful," says one. Worse, "The actual b-school building is old and resembles a high school in some regards. They need a dedicated facility for the business school." Students wish there were "more resources for graduate students. There is a graduate student lounge, but it only accommodates about seven people. The computer lab is always full. The dining options in the graduate school are nothing special." Suffolk MBAs are "a very diverse group," with many part-time students who are "midto upper-20-somethings in their second or third jobs" and "full time students from India, the Middle East, and Eastern Europe" as well as from the United States (the majority of full-timers are international students who "add a global perspective"). Part-timers note that "Everyone is at a different point in the program, so it is hard to foster and maintain friendships since everyone has busy and changing schedules."

Students Say - Careers
Suffolk prides itself on preparing students for the real world, and effective, long-term career planning is a major piece of the puzzle. In fact, every student at Suffolk must take an introductory course aptly named Effective Career Planning, designed to help students evaluate their professional skills and career paths and to make a solid plan for what they wish to accomplish with an MBA. In addition, the Suffolk MBA EDGE offers professional development events throughout the academic year. These events run the gamut from seminars on power lunches and the professional image to MBA Networking Week and Technology Day. MBA EDGE also hosts a number of career services events such as workshops on resume writing and salary negotiations. Students tell us that these "programs and classes required for new students have been great. They really push us to develop career plans and help us develop many different skills that will help us in planning and pursuing our careers." Student opinion of Suffolk's career services office is mixed, with a number of supporters observing that recruiting and placement disappointments "may be a product of the poor economy and lack of jobs due to the recession" rather than shortcomings in the placement office. Top employers of Suffolk MBAs include: Bank of America, Fidelity Investments, Investors Bank & Trust, KPMG, PricewaterhouseCoopers, and State Street Bank.

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