Interview With The Dean: SMU Cox School of Business
Since 1997, Albert W Niemi, Jr. has served as the Dean of the Edwin L. Cox School of Business at Southern Methodist University (SMU Cox) in Dallas. He is also currently the Cox School’s Tolleson Chair in Business Leadership, as well as the William J. O’Neil Chair in Global Markets and Freedom.
During his tenure, the Cox School has undergone many changes. He has helped to expand the degree offerings at the business school—expanding the school’s offerings to include four specialized master’s programs as well as multiple interdisciplinary program opportunities and a new Fast-Track MBA—and has also grown the school’s endowment from $78 million to more than $200 million.
This past August, Dean Niemi announced his intention to step down as Dean after serving the Cox School for more than twenty years. He will continue to remain in his faculty position, but will pass on his administrative responsibilities to Matthew B. Myers, a global marketing and strategy expert with expertise in Latin America who currently serves as dean of the Farmer School of Business at Miami University, Ohio.
To mark the occasion, we took the opportunity to interview Dean Niemi about his tenure as Dean and to gain his insight into what the future of the Cox School could look like. Continue reading…
The Best Dallas Consulting And Strategic Management MBAs
Year after year, consulting and strategic management careers are a top draw for MBA students. In fact, 41 percent of millennials and 27 percent of Generation X MBA candidates place a job in consulting services or management consultation as their first choice, according to the 2015 Prospective Student Survey conducted by the Graduate Management Admissions Council (GMAC).
A few reasons for this attraction to consulting and strategic management are the prestigious firms such as Boston Consulting Group that hire MBAs as well as the starting salaries. According to Management Consulted, MBAs that go into consulting can expect to earn between $110,000 to $140,000 for a base with a signing bonus between $20,000 and $40,000 and a year-end bonus of another $20,000 to $40,000.
There is one issue because consulting is such a sought after career field for MBAs it can be incredibly competitive. That’s why it’s important to go to the right school that offers a best-in-class education for consulting and has a track record of success. For MBA candidates in the Dallas area, the following schools are your best options for a consulting and strategic management MBA. Continue reading…
What Are The Best SMU Cox Dual Degrees For MBAs?
MBA degrees may be the best way for business students to master business, management and leadership skills. However, some prospective MBAs enter the graduate business school setting with a clear idea of which industry they want to enter following graduation. For such graduates, dual degree programs offer the chance to pair a general MBA education with a specialized degree that’s tailored to their a chosen field. For those in the Dallas-Forth Worth metro, there are plenty of viable SMU Cox dual degrees to choose from. Continue reading…
Matthew Myers Announced as New Dean of SMU Cox
The Southern Methodist University – Cox School of Business has recently announced that Matthew Myers, a strategy expert on global marketing and Latin American economies, will take on the role of dean for the school.
The Top Dallas Marketing MBA Programs
With the recent growth of the “Silicon Prairie” in areas like Dallas, Texas, it’s no wonder that business students are heading south for their business education. With a low cost of living and an ever-increasing number of job opportunities, Dallas may just be a perfect place for such students to get their education and start a career.
And while most MBA degree programs provide a general foundation of business knowledge to launch such a career path, many programs also give students the opportunity to specialize within a particular field. With such tailored learning, whether in the form of a specialized MBA or MBA concentration, such graduates will have a competitive edge in the job market.
Students looking to enter the marketing field in the Dallas metro area have a number of opportunities to earn their MBA degree in the area while still focusing more specifically on their marketing education.
The Top Dallas Marketing MBA Programs
Cox School of Business – Southern Methodist University
At the SMU Cox School of Business, students have the opportunity to concentrate their MBA degree in a particular field. Selecting a concentration can better help students prepare for their future career path and demonstrate a more specialized experience for graduates entering the work force.
Marketing is among the available concentrations for students at Cox, which requires just 16 credit hours. Some classes available to fulfill the requirement include, among others:
- Customer Insights and Market Intelligence
- New Product Development
- Understanding What Customers Value
- Consumer Behavior
Commerce College of Business – Texas A&M University
Student at the Cox College of Business are able to select a minor for the MBA degree by concentrating all of their elective courses within a particular field. While the rest of the course requirements for a Commerce MBA consist of generalized business courses, students can take four marketing courses as part of their elective credits to create a marketing minor. Possible classes for a marketing minor include:
- Small Business Brand Management
- Business-to-Business Marketing
- Internet Marketing
Hankamer School of Business – Baylor University
Students at the Hankamer School of Business may add a concentrate their MBA degree by devoting nine elective hours to their chosen field, such as marketing. Typically, a full-time MBA at Hankamer consists of 12 credit hours of business foundation courses, 35 credit hours of core classes, 15 credit hours of electives (nine of which would need to be focused within marketing to constitute a concentration) and three credit hours for an internship.
McCombs School of Business – University of Texas at Austin
The McCombs School of Business at UT Austin espouses that an education in marketing can be crucial in preparing students for a number of careers in management and entrepreneurship. Students at McCombs may choose to pursue a Marketing specific MBA degree, with courses offered through the marketing department and tailored specifically to graduate marketing students. Such class offerings include, among many others:
- Marketing & Customer Insights Practicum
- Creativity & Leadership
- Integrated Marketing Communications
- Business and the Environment
Naveen Jindal School of Management – University of Texas at Dallas
At the Jindal School, students are encouraged to concentrate their MBA degree in a specific business area or specialization. In order to select one of the many concentration offerings at Jindal, students must simply take a cluster of 12 semester credit hours within their particular area of study.
In a marketing MBA concentration at Jindal, students “learn how to understand customers’ needs and purchase behaviors, how to satisfy those needs and how to make a profit in competitive industries and markets.” Within the concentration, students will learn how to develop strategy, manage various brands, conduct research and much more.
Neeley School of Business – Texas Christian University
Students in the full-time Accelerated MBA at Neeley have the chance to focus their electives in a particular area of study, such as marketing. And with the accelerated degree plan- a program developed for each individual student based on their past academic and professional experience — students can have an MBA degree in hand within just twelve months.
University of North Texas College of Business
The University of North Texas’ Department of Marketing and Logistics offers programs which give students the chance to specialize their MBA degree within the marketing field. With the combined general business knowledge of an MBA and specialized marketing education, graduates from the program can open the door to a number of career opportunities and move quickly into managerial roles.
MBAs concentrating in Marketing at UNT have a number of background and core courses that must be taken as part of the general MBA program. The six hours of required marketing courses consist of: Advanced Marketing Research and Analytics and Effective MKTG Planning in Dynamic Environments, as well as nine hours of supporting courses and three hours of an elective outside of marketing.
University of Texas at Arlington College of Business
The MBA Flexible program at at UT Arlington offers students the chance to concentrate their degree in marketing. The program helps students to appreciate the key role marketing plays in the overall strategy of an organization by providing a deeper understanding behind product strategy and staying up-to-date with trends, along with many other key aspects of marketing.
Students looking to concentrate their Flex MBA in marketing must complete at least three upper-level graduate marketing courses in addition to the required course, MARK 5311.
SMU Cox & the Maguire Energy Institute Honor Top Energy Leaders
Texas consumes more energy than any other U.S. state, both per capita and as a whole. In addition, several major oil companies have Texas headquarters, including BP, ConocoPhilips and Exxon-Mobil. Because Texas is a global energy leader, many of the business schools in the state, like the SMU Cox School of Business, maintain connections to the industry through clubs, MBA concentrations, faculty and course work.
Each year at SMU Cox, the Maguire Energy Institute honors one of the top leaders in the energy industry with the L. Frank Pitts Energy Leadership Award. The award—created in 2010—recognizes an individual who exemplifies a spirit of ethical leadership within the energy industry. This year, the award committee chose Trevor Rees-Jones, the founder and CEO of Chief Oil & Gas LLC.
