Robinson College Hosts MIS Leadership Conference
The Georgia State University – J. Mack Robinson College of Business recently served as host for the MIS Academic Leadership Conference, a gathering of almost 100 leaders in management information systems.
Jones School’s Veterans in Business Association Aids MBA Transition
The Rice University—Jones Graduate School of Business (Rice Business) recently highlighted its Veterans in Business Association (VIBA)—a unique student club that works to increase the number of veterans in Rice Business’s MBA program and bring a national awareness to their efforts—as part of a feature article in Rice Magazine.
VIBA was founded in 2011 by former Navy SEAL James Battista, who served for a decade in the military. The student organization aimed to provide mentoring opportunities for students making the challenging transition from military life to academia.
The following year, Rice Business dean Bill Glick, along with Rice trustees and others from the leadership team, began a scholarship that would help cover the cost of tuition, fees and living expenses for one veteran earning his or her MBA degree. This year, the recipient is Major William E. Lyles, a first-year MBA student at Rice Business who lost both of his legs after stepping on a buried improvised explosive device (IED) in Afghanistan. And while the transition from military to civilian life has not been an easy one for Lyle—including four years of rehab at the Brooke Army Medical Center in San Antonio—he nonetheless finds some overlap in the skills used in the Army and in an MBA.
“I wish I was still able to do what I did, but this is good, too.” Lyle told Rice Magazine. “I’m going to get a chance to lead again, in a different capacity.”
At Rice Business, special care is taken to consider the specific challenges facing veteran applicants. Annie Hunnel, Rice Business associate director of recruiting and admissions, travels across the nation to meet with potential students and help them understand how to transfer their military experience to the professional world.
With such an important focus placed on addressing the challenges of military applicants, Rice Business has quickly gained a reputation as one of the top veteran-friendly business schools in the country. “Rice valued my background in the military, and when I came down and got to meet some of the supporters, that clinched it,” former Green Beret Steve Panagiotou told Rice Magazine. “The support was almost overwhelming from alumni who have been successful in their careers. At that point it was a no-brainer for me.”
To read the complete Rice Magazine article, “The Next Mission,” click here.
Over 90% of India’s MBA graduates are “unemployable,” according to report
The Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) in partnership with Ernst & Young has released a damning report about the current state of affairs regarding Indian MBA and engineering graduates.
The Higher Education Summit report states that nearly 93 percent of Indian MBA grads are “unemployable.” That was also true for engineering grads, at nearly 80 percent.
The greatest deviation in why so many recent Indian graduates may not be ready for careers in MBA and engineering is a pronounced skill-gap, according to the report. Many of the six million annual graduating students in the fields earn degrees from a wide-array of institutions, some of which can be considered significantly more substantial than others as well.
“According to the observations made in the report, the outdated curriculum being taught to students adds up to the skill-gap,” writes DNAIndia. “Inadequate infrastructure and poor quality of faculty, combined with old delivery platforms, make it difficult to equip students with relevant skills, it adds.”
In addition to the issues of teaching and infrastructure, another problem with recent MBA and engineering grads may be the excessive saturation of institutions which award the degrees in the country.
According to Sunaina Mattoo Khanna, chief people officer and head of transformation at Bajaj Capital, “The numbers are quite alarming and the credit for this goes to all the local institutes which have mushroomed in every nook and corner of India, certifying students as MBAs and engineers. It hardly matters what degree people have in hand but the point that matters is that they have to be ‘employable’ and future trainable.”
“We ourselves are surprised that many candidates with MBA degrees from these small institutes fail miserably in general aptitude or IQ tests,” Khanna continues. “Even questions like what are the highest slabs of tax etc. are not known to them. Other factors include, students who have a vision of self-employment and remain unemployed for a longer time because of rising capital, discussing business plans etc.”
While the figures are, in a word, dire, there is hope that schools are beginning to more properly diagnose the issues now.
BML Munjal University in Kapariwas has a Centre Of Excellence that teaches students invaluable soft-skills, which are vital in overcoming hurdles in the business world.
Read the entire report at the official FICCI website.
Entrepreneurship Centers and Resources For NYC MBAs
Think you have enough moxy, bravado, gumption, etc. to be the next Elon Musk, Warren Buffett or Richard Branson? There are more resources and opportunities than ever before to go rogue and start your own business, especially in New York City
International Students Wary Of Potential Immigration Changes
As the wake of the recent presidential election begins to settle, among the first effects has been a possible trajectory change where international students pursue an MBA.
The Financial Times recently followed the story of Amrita Dwivedi, a marketing executive from New Delhi who has worked with Google and Deloitte. Prior to last Tuesday, Nov. 8, 2016, Dwivedi was considered several standout U.S. business schools. After the results, however, they’re rescinding those suggestions, instead opting to focus on the London Business School and Insead to pursue their MBA.
“I want to be able to work in the country where I study after graduation,” they said in an interview with FT reporter Jonathan Moules. “So it is important to be in a place that is immigrant-friendly.”
Even in Europe, however, those options may also soon become limited. Just months after Great Britain opted to leave the European Union, new Prime Minister Theresa May has already gone on record saying that the number of student immigrant visas will likely be reduced. This could also potentially impact Dwivedi’s final decision.
The potential changes come after a wave of international students joined U.S. business schools with a record number of applications at many institutions, including at Michigan Ross.
Ross’ recently hired dean Scott DeRue shared some similar concerns over what could come during a Donald Trump presidency, as the new president-elect has gone on record multiple times against many immigration policies.
“I understand and empathise with those concerns but let’s remember that most presidents campaign in poetry and govern in prose,” DeRue says.
“If there was a restriction on visas to students that would clearly be somewhat harmful to us,” adds Chicago Booth School of Business dean Douglas Skinner. Booth has seen a precipitous rise in applicants in recent years, including a double-digit percentage increase in 2016. However, Skinner notes that nearly a third of students at Booth are from overseas—a figure that’s actually lower than many other business schools across the U.S.
Shading optimism, Skinner also notes that there’s a significant chance that domestic applicants may rise in the wake of policy changes. That, and the fact that Booth has been through some tough times before.
“We have been around since 1898, and the school has survived lots of ups and downs in the economy during that time,” he says.
Top 5 Finance MBAs in New York City
Wall Street anchors the economy of New York City, and much of the U.S. So, it’s no wonder that it’s considered the world’s premier financial center. It’s home to the New York Stock Exchange, NASDAQ and more prominent financial institutions. Plus, Manhattan is a leading center of banking, finance and communication. In fact, financial services account for more than 35 messages of the city’s employment income.
That’s why it makes sense to get a finance MBA in New York City. There’s no better location to dive into the industry and all of its many facets, but which MBA program is the best? Of course, every school offers courses in finance, but there are a few schools that stand out.
Below, we’ve outlined the five best finance MBAs and why they stand out.
Stern School of Business – New York University
At the Stern School of Business, the finance department is home to world-renowned faculty, including Professor Robert Engle, the 2003 Nobel Prize winner in economics. And those professors are in charge of teaching a variety of finance courses for the MBA program. What makes Stern stand out is the myriad of finance specializations available to students. Unlike most programs, which offer a single finance concentration, Stern breaks it down into unique specializations:
- Banking
- Corporate Finance
- Finance
- Financial Instruments and Markets
- Financial Systems and Analytics
- FinTech
- Quantitative Finance
The courses that make up the specializations include everything from bankruptcy and reorganization to behavioral finance, valuation and financial information systems.
Outside of the classroom, Stern offers students an opportunity to join the Graduate Finance Association, and to participate in the Center for Real Estate Finance Research. And thanks to their focus on finance, 5 percent of MBA graduates enter the diversified financial services industry and 24 percent enter investment banking.
Columbia Business School
MBAs at the Columbia Business School can easily and effectively focus their career path in finance. The finance program includes such courses as asset management, investment banking and risk management. Outside of the classroom, the school offers students seven different programs and centers dealing with finance and economics. The most interesting programs include:
- Private Equity Program: The program serves as the business school’s primary point of contact with the private equity industry.
- Heilbrunn Centre for Graham & Dodd Investing: The center promotes the practice and study of original investing principles, to improve investing with a world-class education and research.
And it’s obvious that the finance MBA works at Columbia. In 2015, 15 percent of graduates went into finance: investment management, 14 percent went into finance: banking, and another 14 percent went into finance: other.
Gabelli School of Business – Fordham University
The finance MBA at the Gabelli School is a standout program. The concentration includes eight courses on finance including hedge funds, equity analysis and emerging markets. But it’s not just the concentration that makes Gabelli a good choice. It’s also the MBA Immersion Week experience, which allows students to spend five days immersed in the inner workings of the finance industry.
Outside of the program, students can participate in the Fordham Finance Society, which is student-run and provides a diverse range of events, speakers and resources in finance. As part of the society, the school offers a variety of challenges and events for graduate students including the University Trading Challenge.
Zicklin School of Business – Baruch College
At the Zicklin School, the MBA in finance is a major that covers a broad range of careers in the financial industry. There are dozens of courses that students can choose from, and 12 credits are required to complete the major. An example of possible courses include futures and forward markets, advanced managerial finance and measurement and management of credit risk.
The school is also home to the Subotnick Financial Services Center, which is a state-of-the-art instructional facility that provides hands-on finance practice. And the crowning achievement of the Center is the Wasserman Trading Floor. This floor includes 55 high-end workstations and high-tech financial tools that can be used for experiential learning experiences.
Zarb School of Business – Hofstra University
The finance MBA at the Zarb School is dedicated to helping MBAs achieve a career in the financial services industry. The degree requires 41-48 semester hours to complete and includes courses such as managerial finance, investments and advanced quantitative analysis for managers.
MBAs at Zarb also have the opportunity to use The Center for International Financial Services and Markets. To help students on their career path, the center regularly hosts conferences and workshops as well as offering resources for faculty and student study. There’s also the Financial Management Association, Graduate Finance Association and the Hofstra Investment Banking Association, which offer additional finance guidance and experience.
