Penn State Erie, The Behrend College Sam and Irene Black School of Business

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Students Say - Academics
The Black School of Business at Penn State Behrend College "provides the best value for a working student in the local area," one MBA here explains, adding, "You get the Penn State name, an outstanding general MBA education, and student-work flexibility." Behrend enjoys "an outstanding reputation" in the region, making it an excellent choice for students looking to build their careers in and around Erie. A general degree that aims to develop the critical-thinking skills necessary for a career in mid- and upper-level management, the Behrend MBA curriculum consists of 48 units, or 14 courses. Of these, 18 units form the foundational core courses, which are comprised of four introductory classes: Business, Government, and Society; Costs, Competition, and Market Performance; Demand, Operations, and Firm Performance; and Integrated Business Analysis. After completing these courses, students must complete 18 credits of required advanced courses and 12 credits of elective course work. For those who have already taken business courses, the program can be streamlined through the omission of certain foundation courses. Depending on their previous academic preparation, full-time students can usually complete the MBA curriculum in three semesters; part-time students usually require two to four years to complete the program. Behrend works hard to keep its MBA program student-friendly with an "attractive and clean" campus (that includes "a new facility for the business school"), "small classes" and "accessible professors." Most faculty members "have extensive real-world experience that greatly adds to their lessons. Additionally, many are locals and have experience at the major companies in the area and understand the general job situation of the area." Students describe the curriculum as challenging, citing "tough courses" that "equate to well-educated students." Another reports, "The professors expect a lot. No class was easy. I consider myself to be an intelligent person, but have felt less so at times because of the difficulty of the work." Among the drawbacks of a Behrend MBA, "some courses are only offered one semester each year," making it "very difficult to have a consistent workload. Some semesters are much heavier than others due to course offerings." Even so, students here agree that Behrend is "the best school, academically, for the region."

Students Say - Admissions
Students may apply to begin study at Penn State in the fall, spring, or summer semester. Admissions decisions are made on a rolling basis. To apply, students must submit two official transcripts, official GMAT scores, a statement of purpose, an application fee, and three recommendation forms. Candidates with the highest GMAT scores and GPA are given priority in admissions. Candidates are evaluated based on the strength of their combined GMAT score and GPA; therefore, a lower GMAT score can be compensated for by a higher GPA, or vice versa.

Students Say - Campus Life
Behrend MBAs enjoy "state-of-the-art" classrooms that "allow us to utilize multimedia learning," which they very much appreciate. The campus itself is "very clean, safe, and attractive," "not so large that it is overwhelming but still offering most [of the] opportunities of a large school." And here's something you rarely hear at any school, much less a state institution: there's "plenty of parking" here. Campus life offers "a number of clubs and organizations for students," and "the school also hosts a very wide array of speakers, and events," but most of these events seem planned primarily for undergraduates. "There are no solely business school programs of any kind. The most activity available is an unofficial happy hour at the end of the semester," one student writes. There's a clear divide among the Behrend MBA population. "The morning sessions of class are more geared toward the younger generation," while "the evening sessions [consist] more of your business professionals who take things more seriously." The student body includes "a large number of engineers due to the engineering school at the Behrend School." Several full-time students reported that they were only attending full time as a result of the down economy; otherwise, they'd be working and attending part time.

Students Say - Careers
A high percentage of Penn State Behrend students are currently employed in professional positions and are pursuing an MBA with the intention of improving their career opportunities at their current companies. In fact, a considerable number of Penn State Behrend students receive tuition assistance from their employers. Some, however, see their MBAs as a stepping stone to a new career (or, for students pursuing MBAs straight out of college, simply a career). For those, the Penn State Behrend Academic Advising and Career Development Center serves both the undergraduate and graduate population at the college, including students in the MBA program. The CDC hosts career fairs, on-campus recruiting and interview events, seminars, and workshops. A growing number of organizations participate in Penn State Behrend career fairs each year. Employers who frequently hire Behrend MBAs include: Deloitte Consulting, Paradigm Wave, Ingentor, GE Infrastructure-Transportation Systems, IBM, Erie Insurance Group, National City Corporation, Graham Packaging, HealthAmerica, and the Pennsylvania State University.

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