PcW Brings Diversity Training Course to USC
Earlier this month, PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) conducted a diversity training course at the University of Southern California. According to a press release, the program was part of PwC’s recruiting efforts at the Marshall School of Business and Leventhal School of Accounting. Continue reading…
Part-Time MBA Battle: Los Angeles vs. San Diego
When someone decides to pursue an MBA, there are a lot of decisions to make. From choosing between full-time and part-time programs and deciding on the perfect city in which to launch your business career, there are a lot of factors to take into consideration.
For prospective MBA students who want to maintain the momentum of their career—rather than take a break for the degree—and earn all the benefits and job growth of an MBA while preserving flexibility, a part-time MBA program may be perfect. But even when you’ve settled on the type of degree you’d like to receive, choosing where to pursue that degree can be a challenge.
It’s well-known that the Golden State has a number of business centers—even outside of the famous Silicon Valley and San Francisco—and can be the perfect place for someone to earn a degree or start their business career. With excellent part-time MBA programs in business hubs like San Diego and Los Angeles, it can be difficult for students to figure out the city and program that is perfect for them.
San Diego
Although San Francisco is well known around the world as a hub for startups, it was ultimately San Diego that took the top spot on Forbes‘ list of the “Best Cities to Start a Business.” Rated the fifth-best business community in the country, San Diego’s community of entrepreneurs has been growing exponentially in recent years.
Some businesses may be concerned about San Diego’s high real estate prices or high taxes for businesses. Yet, with a comparatively low cost of living—in contrast to New York or San Francisco—the benefits for a business (especially a new one) in San Diego may far outweigh any concerns.
There are three main part-time MBA programs in San Diego: the Rady School of Management at UC San Diego; the California School of Management & Leadership at Alliant University; and the Fowler College of Business Administration at SDSU.
Rady’s part-time MBA, better known as the Flex MBA, is the top-rated part-time program in the metro area. Students can complete the program on two distinct paths: the FlexWeekend track or the FlexEvening track. FlexEvening students attend classes on two nights per week over the course of 30 months, while FlexWeekend students attend classes on Fridays and Saturdays on alternative weekends. Unlike the FlexEvening option, however, this FlexWeekend path can be completed in 24 months, while still offering flexibility around professional work schedules.
At the California School of Management & Leadership, the MBA program requires students to take a full course load but offers the schedule and flexibility of a part-time program. Providing a strong foundation in business, leadership, and analytical skills, Alliant’s program can be taken either on campus in San Diego or completely online. The courses are entirely offered in the evening and all scheduling is done in consideration of working professionals. Even with the incredibly flexible schedule, however, students will take a full course load of two courses per eight-week term and therefore can still complete their degree in just two years. The program also allows students a number of concentrations to further focus their education.
At the Fowler College of Business, the part-time MBA requires students to complete 15 classes (or 45 units) total, but allows students three-to-four years to complete their degree, rather than just one or two. Classes are typically offered during evening hours and allow students to continue in full-time jobs. The program requires 15-21 units of core courses as part of the degree, but also permits students to use their additional elective credits to focus in a concentration such as international business, accounting and more.
Los Angeles
While it might seem like the film industry dominates the LA metro, it is also a vibrant and growing city for business, tech, and entrepreneurship. Between the diversity of the city, which brings together people from around the world, and a population bursting with creativity, it can be a perfect place for people to show off their talents, and that just might be in marketing, sales, or getting a new company off the ground. Many of the most successful companies in the country have had their start in Los Angeles, such as CitySearch (sold to Ticketmaster for $260 million) or LowerMyBills (sold to Experian for $330).
Several part-time MBA programs in Los Angeles include:
- Peter F. Drucker and Masatoshi Ito Graduate School of Management – Claremont Graduate University
- Graziadio School of Business and Management – Pepperdine University
- Marshall School of Business – USC
The Drucker and Masatoshi Ito Graduate School of Management offers a part-time MBA program for working professionals which takes roughly two and a half years to complete and includes two sessions over the summer. The part-time program is similar to full-time, offering classes that provide a strong business foundation such as Quantitative Methods and Marketing Management or Managerial Accounting. Students can still be active in the workforce while earning their degree, but if they have time away from their jobs they can also pursue study abroad in countries like China, New Zealand, or the Czech Republic.
The Graziado School at Pepperdine’s part-time MBA is available to students either on-campus, online, or a combination of the two. The program can also be pursued at any of Pepperdine’s four campus locations in the Los Angeles metro area. The program consists of 52 semester units with the opportunity to specialize electives in areas such as Dispute Resolution or Organizational Change.
The part-time MBA at USC’s Marshall School of Business allows students to take classes only in the evenings and weekends, and can be completed in 33 months. The credits are evenly split between elective and core courses with the option of almost 100 elective courses offered ever year. After 12-months of core courses, all part-time students will also take PM.GLOBE, a semester-long macroeconomics class which also includes a 10-day international trip.
Paul Merage School of Business Full-Time MBA Earns Spot On Forbes’ Best Of List
The Paul Merage School of Business at the University of California, Irvine received some heavy honors from the recently-revealed Forbes list of the “Best Business Schools” in the U.S., which analyzes how much graduates typically earn five years after graduation. This year, the business school ended up 41st on the list overall, with a $47,000 USD five-year expected gain for full-time MBA grads.
Continue reading…
Neely Center Opens at USC Marshall School of Business
According to USC News, the Neely Center for Ethical Leadership and Decision Making has officially opened on the school campus. The Center is a multidisciplinary research center focused on examining ethical leadership and decision-making processes. Jointly housed at the USC Marshall School of Business, the USC Viterbi School of Engineering, and the USC Price School of Public Policy, the Center is led Ali Abbas. Continue reading…
UC Irvine Becomes Latest LA Business School to Offer GMAT/GRE Waiver
Applying for an MBA program is a long process: There’s plenty of applications, essays, and interviews involved in getting you into the program atop your list. To add insult to injury, many programs require a GMAT or GRE score, only adding to potential workload and stress. Continue reading…
$16.6 Million Grant to Fund Cal State LA Dental Care Project
Here’s some news that may make you smile.
Cal State LA has been awarded a $16.6 million grant from the California Department of Health Care Services. According to a press release issued by the school, the grant is the largest in Cal State LA history.
The money will be used to promote dental health in some of Los Angeles most underserved communities. The project is targeting areas that experience high rates of dental diseases, such as children with special needs, American Indian, and Alaska Native families.
“This grant recognizes our long history of service and engagement in underserved communities,” Cal State LA President William A. Covino said. “With this grant we will be able to assist children who desperately need dental care. We’re grateful for the opportunity to serve in new ways.”
The stated goals of the grant include:
- Increasing access to oral health care.
- Identifying and treating dental disease.
- Incentivizing continuity of care for children enrolled in Denti-Cal, a program that provides dental services to approximately 6 million children in California.
- Deploying mobile care teams to provide oral health screenings.
- Establishing ongoing relationships with a dentist.
“Oral health is directly connected with overall health status and well-being across the lifespan. Oral health can affect academic achievement, self-esteem, relationships, income, and quality of life,” Cal State LA Professor Rita Ledesma also added. She is the Associate Dean of Diversity and Student Engagement in the Rongxiang Xu College of Health and Human Services.
Ledesma continued: “The grant provides a unique opportunity to build partnerships with community-based organizations and deliver oral health screening, oral health education and supplemental services to address dental health disparities that children and families experience in our community.”
Cal State LA is one of 15 recipients of the Local Dental Pilot Project funding. The project will be directed by Ledesma and Ashley Munger, an Assistant Professor in the Department of Child and Family Studies.
