Virginia Tech Pamplin College of Business

Statistics

Programs & Curriculum

Employment

Scholarships & Financial Aid

Rankings & Lists

Students Say - Academics
A small business program within a large university, the Pamplin College of Business offers an appealing blend of academic excellence, affordable tuition, and an intimate student atmosphere. Depending on your needs and career experience, the school offers a number of MBA options, including a full-time MBA, a part-time MBA, and an executive MBA, each offered in a different Virginia location. All programs provide an advanced education in marketing, management, finance, and leadership. The full-time and parttime MBA offer the option of pursuing an area of concentration in a particular business field. The school also operates a dual-degree program with an international focus, offered jointly with Thunderbird School of Global Management in Arizona or Telecom Management SudParis in France. In addition, a number of special programs help add depth and distinctiveness to a Pamplin MBA. For example, the SEED program (Student managed Endowment for Educational Development) allows business students to manage about $4 million of Virginia Tech's endowment through stock investment. Thanks to its low graduate enrollment, Pamplin offers uniformly small class sizes and plenty of personal attention. In both full-time and part-time programs, "professors are more than willing to meet with students outside of class" and "are very knowledgeable, easily accessible and always ready to help." Despite their uniform accessibility, some of the teaching staff may have passed their prime. A student explains, "I have had some really inspiring professors, but I have also had the opposite, ones who have taught for so long that they just go through the motions." In addition to academics, the "school has great support functions, be it administration, HR, IT or any other department.… Everyone is on their toes to help and guide the students in all administrative affairs." The downside to the smaller student body is that the school cannot offer as diverse a course selection as larger schools. However, students point out that "the program is also willing to help create a concentration tailored toward the students' wants and goals through work-studies and outside courses." On that note, "the program [is] also very helpful in providing fellowships and assistantships," which can be an excellent way to offset the costs of the education while also providing valuable professional experience.

Students Say - Admissions
Admissions criteria at Pamplin vary by program. For the full-time MBA, last year's entering class had an average GMAT score of 636. For part-time and professional MBA students, the average GMAT score was 600. Students in all programs submitted an average GPA of 3.34. During the admissions process, applicants may be contacted for a personal interview.

Students Say - Campus Life
Pamplin offers a number of MBA programs in various Virginia locations, with the main campus located in Blacksburg. To each of these campuses, the school draws students from "a wide variety of different ethnicities, backgrounds, ages, and genders, which makes class much more interesting." A current student elaborates, "We have a diverse cohort made up of about 50 percent international students, mostly from India, China, and France." Despite diversity, everyone works together with ease, and "fellow students are very friendly and helpful…. No one faces any issues being in groups with anyone for the class assignments, and everyone is extremely polite." In fact, friendships quickly extend beyond the classroom as "most students venture outside their nationality and peer groups without hesitancy. Many have active social lives and make an effort to get to know the other students."On that note, many Pamplin students are able to find some downtime amidst their busy schedule, enjoying "very social lives while working extremely hard at our school work." When they aren't hitting the books or preparing a presentation, "students get together out of class to hike on the Appalachian trail, bike, play golf, or just socialize at a pub/cafe." In the immediate area, the "Blue Ridge Mountains offer excellent hiking, trail running, rock climbing, kayaking, and mountain biking within close proximity to Blacksburg." While Blacksburg is a smaller city, you'll nonetheless find "a lot of good places to hang out and spend your Saturday nights." What's more, commuters and campus residents will like the fact that "Blacksburg has an excellent public transportation system and is pedestrian- and bicycle-friendly."

Students Say - Careers
Pamplin takes the job search seriously, offering personalized career counseling and placement assistance for students at every professional level. Through the MBA Program Office, students can participate in career talks and workshops, company field visits, mentoring programs, and alumni symposia, among many other useful offerings. During the first semester of their second year, full-time students are also required to take a one-unit course called Job Search Strategy. Future students should be aware that this small program does not attract as many recruiters as other large graduate programs might, and for "people doing MBA in Finance there are no companies that come to campus." Many international students also complain that the school does not offer enough assistance for those seeking positions that will sponsor them for professional work visas. On the flip side, Pamplin students benefit from the fact that "the size of the school attracts many recruiters, despite a relatively small MBA program." MBA students can also augment Pamplin's career services by using the extensive services offered through the university's Career Services center.

Other Schools To Consider Top Programs