The Citadel School of Business Administration

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Students Say - Academics
The Military College of South Carolina, The Citadel operates undergraduate programs for a corps of 2,000 cadets, while simultaneously offering a range of graduate programs to 1,000 civilians in the evenings. The school's MBA program, offered through the School of Business Administration, "is accredited by the AACSB International and has an outstanding reputation for the quality of its academics." In addition to its reputation, the "low faculty to student ratio," small class sizes, and convenient evening class schedule attract a wide range of Charleston professionals to this well-recognized program. Academically, the school blends tried-and-true academic theory with practical know-how, maintaining "a good mix of some older, tenured professors, but also some new professors coming in to mix things up." Whether young or old, "the professors are all experienced professionals that are capable of lending a wide range of practical knowledge to the lessons they teach." With an excellent faculty to student ratio, "classes involve discussion and interaction," which helps to bring "theoretical and real life experiences" together in an effective manner. By all accounts, the "School of Business office goes out of their way to answer questions, assist in admissions, class registration, and financial aid." Acurrent student attests, "The staff is very helpful. They go out of their way to help in any way they possibly can, even if it is not their particular job." Recently, The Citadel's School of Business Administration has been busy overhauling the MBA curriculum. The recently refurbished program has a reduced number of pre-requisites and electives, and simultaneously introduces a substantial emphasis on leadership within the curriculum. Today, the MBA curriculum consists of 12 required courses and three elective courses. Students may also take additional coursework to satisfy the requirements for a certificate in health care administration, or sports management, or continue working towards one of two joint-degree programs: PharmD/MBA or MD/MBA. One unique co-curricular offering at The Citadel is the Mentor Association, which matches business students with leaders in the local business community. Students who choose to participate in this program will be matched with a powerful business leader based on common interest and career path. Current mentors include executives at companies like Corning, Xerox, Oracle Corporation, Philip Morris, Ernst & Young, Kimberly Clark Corporation, IBM, and Wachovia Bank.

Students Say - Admissions
Admission to the Citadel's MBA program is based on a student's scholastic aptitude and capacity for graduate study. To apply, students must submit official GMAT scores, undergraduate transcripts, two personal essays, a resume, two letters of recommendation, and, for international students, a TOEFL score. In addition, a personal interview with the Director of Business School Operations or the Director of External Programs may be required.

Students Say - Campus Life
Given The Citadel's distinct identity as a military college, graduate students admit, "the Graduate School has a noticeable stigma of being ancillary to the corps of cadets." While they recognize the school's long-standing history and reputation, many feel the administration should "place more emphasis on graduate school (the new president has been much better about this)." While they aren't in the limelight, the business school nonetheless creates a nice, insular community, attracting "friendly and engaging" students from "a multitude of cultures and backgrounds." In the academic arena, "the student body is easy-going and willing to participate in class and group projects. Overall, the experience is one of learning and social gathering." All students commute to campus from across Charleston and "because school is taught at night, there is little opportunity to mingle outside of the classroom." Nonetheless, students reassure us that "most people are extremely busy but they are happy to meet for a burger or beer." In addition, the school hosts an MBA Association, a social and networking group for graduate business students.

Students Say - Careers
The Citadel's Career Services Center maintains an online job and resume database for current students and alumni. The center also has working relationships with several online job boards, which give students a wide breadth of places to begin their job hunt. In addition, the center organizes several annual career fairs, which are open to the entire school community. In recent years, the following firms have recruited students at The Citadel's career fairs: AT&T, ArborOne Financial, Computer Sciences Corporation, Elliott Davis LLC, Mass Mutual Financial Group, MetLife, and Deloitte Consulting. Students admit that "there is not as much big business in the city, therefore there is not much bigtime job opportunity here." However, they are quick to point out that "the administration does the best they can at getting us totally prepared for big business." In addition to the efforts of the Career Services team, "The Citadel's rich tradition allows its students to draw on enthusiastic alumni for guidance and support." In fact, many students feel that the school's "career network is the biggest strength" of the program, as a Citadel degree places them among the school's loyal and extensive alumni network.

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