University of California—Irvine Paul Merage School of Business

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Students Say - Academics
"Strong ties to the local business community" are among the many assets that make the Merage School of Business at University of Californiaâ€"Irvine a top choice among southern California business students. Consulting is a particular strength, and students here crow about "the access to great consulting firms"â€""I am currently mentoring under a senior associate at Booz Allen Hamilton," one writes. Irvine's "strong ties to the local healthcare industry" are also lauded for affording "networking opportunities in the medical device industry" and elsewhere. Merage admits only about 100 full-time students per year, resulting in "small class sizes" that "really make a difference and give more people an opportunity to participate in discussions so we can learn from one another." Students "are able to connect very closely with each other and don't have to fight for time with faculty and staff. Professors know all our names by heart and have had a genuine interest in our education and careers. Some of my professors have even become my mentors and have connected me very well with the industries and functions I am interested in." Merage MBAs appreciate "the effort that every single department makes to create a 360- degree program. From career development to research opportunities to great professors…to the Centers of Excellence that cooperate with the community, to...you get the idea. Every facet of Merage is well-thought out, well-executed and well-maintained." Administrators are "very accessible and friendly and professional," and "they listen to and react to feedback from students." Professors, too, "are very in tune with…students' needs and wants. . .and are willing to adjust when appropriate." In short, the school "actually operates like a business and not like academia, which is really refreshing." The curriculum here "focuses on innovation and entrepreneurship," with a strong emphasis on teamwork. Students "are placed in diverse teams of five" during their first year "and expected to work together all year. It keeps you thinking in terms of team management, motivation, etc." Aside from the full-time MBA, Merage offers a fully employed MBA, an executive MBA, and a healthcare executive MBA. Merage also offers a doctoral program.

Students Say - Admissions
The average undergraduate GPA of recently admitted students was 3.4, and their average GMAT score was 677. The average age of the students was 28, and most had around 5 years of work experience. International students make up 35 percent of the student body.

Students Say - Campus Life
"The student life balance is amazing" at Merage, where "Students visit the beach, go to Laguna art walks, and have lots of wonderful companies to visit close by." Students' schedules are "always busy between classes and other activities on campus, so you have to be organized and [have] high energy to take advantage of so many opportunities the school offers." Many here "are very active in the community through volunteering, networking, and social activities," which include "school-sponsored mixers every week to bring together students from the different classes" and "a non school-sponsored party night every Thursday." The program vibe is "very collaborative," with students "leading review sessions for finals and midterms. It's that kind of environment. No one gets left behind." Irvine is in SoCal with "the beach and the mountains close by," so unsurprisingly "the quality of life could not be any better." The "heart of OC" is always "sunny, warm, beautiful…for undergrads it may be too quiet or residential, but for graduate students, [it] is perfect." Hometown Irvine "has for the past decade been ranked as one of the safest cities in America, so students are comfortable living here and [trust] the community." And while "Irvine is more of a suburb than a college town, the Newport Beach Peninsula and Laguna Beach Art Walks are hip, classy, close-by entertainment for the young crowd," and Los Angeles "is close," yet "just far enough to be out of the traffic and congestion."

Students Say - Careers
Merage has "clout" with employers in Orange County, and that's a huge plus. Still, students wish the school would "build stronger relationships with employers across a greater variety of industries," telling us that "Merage seems to have strong ties with only a few companies (Mattel, Beckman Coulter, Blizzard, Disney, Broadcom, Marriott), so if you're looking to become a financial analyst, this isn't a great place for you. However, if you want to go into healthcare and/or IT, this place is fabulous." Counselors at the Career Center earn generally high marks, and the office's Career Visioning Program "really helps you tailor your job search. They have you put together a personal marketing plan at the beginning of the program to help guide you through the two years. You can adjust that marketing plan, but it keeps you focused and helps you identify where you want to be and how you are going to get there." Students tell us that the most prominent recruiters of Merage MBAs include Allergan, Amgen, AT&T, Beckman Coulter, Deloitte & Touche, Disneyland Resort, Edwards Lifesciences, Experian, Johnson & Johnson, Mattel, Mazda, Niagra, Taco Bell, and Verizon.

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