Metro News & Notes: What Is A Pop-Up Business School?
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Here are a few stories you may have missed from the week that was …
Jones School of Business To Host Veterans Business Battle
The Rice University – Jones Graduate School of Business will welcome Marcus Luttrell, decorated veteran and author, at a banquet celebrating the Houston Veterans Business Battle.
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.
The Best Business Schools For Dallas Veterans
Each November, the country observes Veteran’s Day—not just to honor those who have served and fought for our freedom, but also to celebrate all that veterans in this country can be. Though transitioning from military service back to school and work can be challenging, veterans today play a number of different roles, from community leaders to artists to business professionals.
Thankfully, a number of schools and various organizations offer programs to help ease the transition for veterans returning home, making it easier for those who have served to begin the next chapter of their life. Indeed, veterans looking to pursue an advanced business education will find many business schools that provide opportunities for military applicants to easily and affordably earn their degree.
With the country’s second highest number of active duty and reserve members of the military—not to mention the home of several important business centers—Texas is a perfect place for veterans to earn their degree. Below are just a few of the Texas MBA programs which offer benefits for military applicants:
Baylor University – Hankamer School of Business
The Hankamer School of Business at Baylor University offers a number of benefits for military applicants. Among them, the application fee of $50 is waived for active military personnel applying to the program.
Many military officers earning their MBA at Baylor take advantage of the Army’s Advanced Civil Schooling (ACS) program, which, considering that certain requirements are fulfilled, allow military personnel to earn a graduate degree tuition free.
Baylor was been named a military-friendly school in the Graduate Management Admissions Council MBA planner for military officers, and the Registrar’s Office includes a Veteran Services Division to ensure all military applicants are able to fully take advantage of the services offered them. In addition to the benefits already listed, military personnel are also eligible for academic scholarships which will help cover any additional costs of the program.
University of North Texas – College of Business
The University of North Texas helps students to make the most of the benefits provided to them from the GI Bill and Hazlewood, but the school also offers specialized services and opportunities which go beyond the classroom. Included in this is the UNT Student Veteran Services office, which provides a safe space for student veterans to connect and learn about the resources available to them.
There are also student organizations, such as the SALUTE Veterans Honor Society and Student Veterans Association, which aim to recognize veterans and ease the transition for such students into the academic community. The school also offers a number of services that focus not just on academic success, but also supporting the mental well-being of student veterans. UNT’s counseling and testing services provides several different counseling options which emphasize the specific issues facing veterans.
Texas A&M University – Commerce College of Business
Texas A&M Commerce offers a number of opportunities for veterans pursuing both their undergraduate and graduate degrees.
According to the school website, military students can explore the many services and benefits available to them, as well as many links and resources for aiding in the transition from military service to academics. There are also a number of scholarships available for veteran students, such as the Fund for Veterans and Heroes at Home Women Veteran’s Scholarship. Commerce additionally encourages veterans to take advantage of their counseling center and student health services, if needed.
Southern Methodist University – Cox School of Business
The Cox School of Business at SMU is home to a supportive Veteran community dedicated to helping each other and serving the community as a whole. In fact, MilitaryMBA.net recently named Cox among the “Top 40 MBA Schools for Veterans” (Top 25 for Private Colleges).
Cox participates in the Yellow Ribbon Program, which covers almost 70 percent of tuition and fees for eligible applicants. A number of other military scholarships are available from private donors that can help cover additional costs or assist those not eligible for the Yellow Ribbon program.
For veterans worried about jumping right into academia, SMU Cox provides summer preparatory mini-courses which can help ease veterans back into student life. Additionally, organizations like the Veterans in Business Club aim to empower MBA veterans at Cox by providing a professional and personal support network.
NYU Stern Announces New Veterans Scholarship Program
Brothers Lorenzo and Frank III Fertitta, sons of retired casino magnate Frank Fetitta Jr., have recently gifted the NYU Stern School of Business with a generous $15 million endowment for the newly established Fertitta Veterans Program.
The donation will assist the full-time acceptance of around 20 military veterans looking to pursue an MBA, reducing tuition to a flat $30,000 per year. The current tuition rate for the NYU Stern MBA program is just above $66,000 per year.
Speaking with NYU Stern, MBA student Samantha Sarkis says, “Business school is a huge financial investment and an even bigger one when attending one in NYC because the cost of living is almost as much as your tuition. When considering what schools to attend, I weighed out the opportunity costs of the school brand, location, opportunities and tuition. While researching schools, NYU was the only school that offered a non-9/11 GI Bill scholarship, which was extremely appealing given the strength of its brand, location and unique opportunities of living in NYC.”
The program will not only provide a significantly reduced tuition rate, but will also provide courses to spearhead MBA students into their future business careers.
Isser Gallogly, the associate dean of MBA admissions and program innovation, says, “Students will participate in a six-week summer term during which they earn six credits and participate in a variety of academic, leadership and career development activities. Students will take the core course statistics and data analysis, as well as accounting.”
The effort to naturally integrate returning military veterans is not just limited to the school, says Raghu Sundaram, vice dean of MBA programs.
“A part of it is professional: connecting them to alumni who are themselves veterans and who can act as mentors, assisting in this transition process and to corporations who hold special events for veterans,” Sundaram says. “And a part of it is social, allowing them to bond with each other even as they get to know the school and the city.”
The scholarship will officially go into effect in 2017.
The Fertitta brothers both work in the casino and sports entertainment industry. Frank III, who earned a BA/BS from the USC Marshall School of Business, is the current CEO of Station Casinos, which was originally founded by his father. He is also a part-owner of Zuffa LLC, the company that owns the UFC, of which Lorenzo works for. Lorenzo graduated with an MBA from NYU Stern in 1993.
Click here for more information on the NYU Stern Fertitta Veterans Program.
The Best Business Schools for San Diego Veterans
Home to the third largest concentration of veterans in the country, San Diego is an ideal stopping place for military personnel. In fact, each year, around 15,000 sailors and Marines stationed in San Diego leave the service, according to the Voice of San Diego. So, it’s no wonder that programs, organizations and services dedicated to helping them readjust to civilian life are essential. And there’s no doubt that education is one of the vital pieces.
In honor of Veteran’s Day on Nov. 11, we researched San Diego’s top business schools to find out what each school offers regarding scholarships, financial aid, career services and more. Continue reading…
