University of Kentucky Gatton College of Business and Economics

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School Says - General Information
The Gatton MBA Program is defined by three important qualities that set us apart: Value Ââ€" Ours is a small program by most standards. But, the advantage of small size becomes obvious when considering the numerous factors that drive the quality of the program. For starters, our program affords closer interaction with our world-class faculty, greater cohesion among MBA students, and tighter networking opportunities with employers, alumni, and visiting executives. Also, value is also a function of our highly competitive tuition rates, which creates a higher rate of return (the overall cost of the MBA versus post-MBA starting salary) on your educational investment. Experience-enhancing Ââ€" Whether you enter the program as a highly experienced, seasoned manager, an early career corporate fast-tracker, or a relatively inexperienced, yet energetic executive-to-be hopeful, our curriculum features many experience-enhancing activities, exercises, and simulations that are real-world, real-time, and hands-on. Each is designed to build your skills set, broaden your perspectives, and challenge and test your capabilities. Expedience Ââ€" Our 36-hour program enables most students to earn their degrees in three semesters (beyond the program prerequisites). Though expedient, the program doesnÂ't sacrifice quality. Our program is rigorous, intense, and fast-paced. Simply put, it gets you prepared for the job market sooner, thus further enhancing the value of the Gatton MBA. The Gatton MBA is fully accredited by the AACSB International (The Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business).

School Says - Student Body
In Fall 2002, the College enrolled 106 new MBA students. Of this new class, women represented 44 percent, international students 9 percent, and members of minority groups 11 percent of the student body. Thirty-nine percent of the students were part-time. The average age of students was 26, the average work experience was about 3 years, and the average GMAT score was 608. There are more than 1,300 MBA alumni in all 50 states and in 22 other countries. Prominent alumni of the College include the presidents and CEOs of numerous corporations including public companies listed on the NYSE. Inductees into the College's Hall of Fame include, but are not limited to, CEO of Bearning Point (formerly KPMG)Consulting, former Kentucky State Governor Edward T. Breathitt; Carl F. Pollard, former chairman and CEO of Columbia Healthcare, Inc.; James E. Rogers, chairman, president, and CEO, PSI Holdings, Inc.; Warren W. Rosenthal; Chris Sullivan, CEO, Outback Steakhouse; Paul Chellgren, CEO, Ashland Oil, Inc.; and Carol Martin Gatton.

School Says - Academics
The Gatton MBA offers two distinct tracts. The Business Track is for students who hold an undergraduate degree in business and seek a course of study designed to develop more advanced skills across a wide range of business functions or focused within a particular functional area of business. The Non-Business Track is for students who seek a course of study that will provide broad-based management training, but do not have an undergraduate degree in business (often possess a degree in engineering, computer science, or a liberal arts degree). Both programs require a minimum of 36 hours after the completion of all prerequisites and have a basic core of six courses. For the business undergraduate, the remaining six courses are electives that reflect the studentÂ's individual career interests or a specific area of study. For non-business undergraduates, four additional courses beyond the core focus on organizational behavior, production management, marketing, and finance. The remaining two courses are electives. The MBA curriculum also includes three Â"experiential learning modulesÂ" (ELMs) designed to expose both Business Track and Non-Business Track students to a set of complex, real-world managerial challenges designed enhance the skills, perspective, and understanding gained through MBA class work. 1. Lean Manufacturing and Business Systems Simulation MBAs will participate in a variant of UKÂ's world-class lean manufacturing simulation to gain first-hand experience of the managerial skills necessary to create a lean, effective, and profitable organization. More than just mastering Â"manufacturingÂ" competence, achieving a lean organization requires managers to develop and integrate a broad mix of leadership skills, strong unit culture, technology, planning and control systems, and attitude. 2. Leadership, Strategic Planning, and Tactical Execution Exercise Drawing from a rich set of military-to-business concepts, MBA students will utilize the key features of the US ArmyÂ's military decision-making and tactical execution processes to reconnoiter, plan, and execute an assault [paint-ball battle] against the Â"enemyÂ" in a real time, high-intensity, yet fun competitive context. 3. MBA Case Competition Drawing from their coursework, prior experience, teamwork, and intuition, teams of MBA students present a consulting-quality analysis and detailed recommendations (to an executive and faculty judging panel) that addresses the key competitive challenges and issues that confronts the particular company selected for the focus of the competition. Teams delivering the best presentations are invited to the competitionÂ's Â"final fourÂ" Ââ€" a final round of presentations where the winning team is chosen. Qualified students are also able to participate in a growing number of independent field study projects for 1-6 credit hours. Some field studies are centered on a research project facilitated by one-on-one interaction between a particular MBA faculty member and a student. Such projects might involve, for example, the development and administration of a large-sample employee skills, job satisfaction, and salary survey. Other projects involve participation on a small team of MBA students that works with a local company to, for example, develop and conduct a market viability analysis for a new product concept, etc. UK MBA teams have and continue to participate in field study projects with a wide range of companies Ââ€" from small biotech start-ups like ChipRx, to Fortune 500 companies that include Valvoline, Lexmark, KelloggÂ's, to non-profit organizations like Habitat for Humanity.

School Says - Admissions
Admission to the full- and part-time programs are for the fall semester only. An undergraduate degree with a minimum GPA of 2.75 is required, together with the following course work: two principles of accounting courses (financial, managerial), two principles of economics courses (micro, macro), a course in statistics and probability, and an elementary calculus course. All prerequisite courses should be equivalent to at least three semester hours. Applicants must also submit a GMAT score, and international applicants must also present a minimum TOEFL score of 550 (paper-based) or 213 (computer-based) overall and a minimum Test of Written English (TWE) score of 4.5. Academic background, GMAT score, personal recommendations, and the applicant's statement of purpose are all considered in the evaluation for admission. Demonstrated academic ability and potential for subsequent success in the business world are qualities that are looked for in applicants. Admission to the College's graduate business programs is achieved by applying to both the Graduate School and the MBA program. The MBA program accepts applicants for the fall semester only. Deadlines for applying are as follows: for international students, February 1; priority deadline for domestic students and financial aid consideration for full-time students, April 1; final deadline for completed applications to be submitted for consideration, July 15. Successful applicants are usually notified two to four weeks after the receipt of all required documentation. For information, applicants should visit our web site at: http://gatton.uky.edu/

Students Say - Academics
The Gatton College of Business and Economics at the University of Kentucky offers both a part-time MBA designed for the needs of local professionals and a full-time, 11-month immersion MBA. Many students in our survey identified the accelerated pace of the fulltime program as a major attraction. It's "a quick program that offers a more intense learning experience along with the opportunity to work with executives at some of the largest world corporations" through "Project Connect, a partnership between the university and industry to provide practical education via projects" with regional businesses. Students in both programs appreciate that Gatton "is recognized [as] the best graduate business school in the state," which "is very helpful in getting a job." "Good professors" and the "relatively low" tuition is also appealing, of course. The Gatton curriculum "is broken into modules such as new product development, mergers and acquisitions, supply chain management, and financial analysis," and "all tools and skills (finance, accounting, ops) are taught around the basis of these modules." The program "stays on top of the latest trends and technologies in business," another plus. This "very structured" program requires "a lot of group work." "The whole program is team-based, which is going to be helpful in the future," one student writes. The Gatton MBA emphasizes new product development, supply chain management, and mergers and acquisitions. Cross-functional teams of five are created and work with companies on projects in each of the three areas of emphasis. This is complemented by professors who are generally "very good and have a fairly structured teaching style" and blend "theory and real-world experience." In recent years the school "has added many faculty with real-world experience and shaped the program and skill sets you learn around executives' requests for incoming employees. It is amazing how tailored this program is to real work experience." Part-timers appreciate how "the professors understand that their students are also working professionals and have other lives besides the classroom." As a result, "The course load has not been unbearable, but it keeps you busy."

Students Say - Admissions
In the fall, the average undergraduate GPA was 3.4, and the average GMAT was 584. Sixty-seven percent of the student population was male, and 17 states and 4 countries were represented. Students had an average of 2.6 years of work experience, and their average age was 26.

Students Say - Campus Life
For full-time MBAs, "Life at UK is focused on school rather than extracurricular activities, largely because of the length and intensity of the program." Cramming two years' worth of learning into eleven months doesn't leave a lot of time for extracurriculars or socializing. Full-timers generally live in "nice…well-priced" housing located "relatively close" to campus, "which is nice considering we are all working with companies [on Project Connect projects] and we have to meet daily." The MBA group forms "a very strong community." On days we have class, nearly all students arrive 45 minutes to an hour early to socialize and visit" in the "dedicated MBA lounge...Professors will stop by as well." When time permits, students enjoy getting out and about in Lexington, an "exciting" and "excellent city" with "plenty to do." Gatton full-timers don't have "as much work experience as [students at] some schools," but they are "hard workers and add a certain competitive edge in the classroom which I feel improves the overall experience. Outside of class, many of us commonly get together to socialize and even discuss business-related topics/concerns that arise in our workplaces and in the economy." The part-time student body includes a substantial number of "engineer-schooled and extremely goal-oriented" professionals.

Students Say - Careers
The MBA Center provides MBA Career Services in conjunction with the James W. Stackert Career Center. Among other services, MBA Career Services hosts a mentoring program and offers a MBA career development course. Two large, two-day career fairs are hosted each semester as well as a MBA Networking Reception in the spring. To help students prepare for these events, MBA Career Services offers individualized coaching sessions on topics including: resume writing, job searching, networking, interviewing, salary negotiating, etiquette, and more. Last year the average salary for a Gatton graduate was $53,385. Companies hiring Gatton MBAs include Alltech, Brown-Forman, Cummins, Deloitte, Eastman Chemical, Eli Lilly & Company, Ernst & Young, Fifth Third Bancorp, Humana, Kaba Mas, KPMG, Lexmark International, Inc., P & G, PriceWaterhouseCoopers, LLP, Ryder Integrated Logistics, Tempur-Pedic, Toyota, U.S. Department of Labor, IBM, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Aldi, BB&T, and Wal-Mart.

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