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..........................Message from the Associate Dean .....................................................Why Manderson? ................................................................Curriculum .................................................Concentration Areas ..................................................Faculty Biographies ............................................Career and Alumni Services ...................................................Student Experience ..............................................................Testimonials ............................................Admissions Information ..........................................Dual and Joint Programs .....................................................................Centers
The MBA program has a full staff to support you with the admissions process and as alumni. Visit our office in 101 Bidgood Hall to learn about the following: R ecruiting and Admissions Student Services Career Services Corporate Relations Alumni Relations
Thanks for your interest in the Manderson MBA program at The University of Alabama. There are many excellent MBA programs out there. What makes the Manderson MBA program special? We keep our entering class size small in order to provide richer experiences and more interactive relationships among our students and faculty. Manderson MBA faculty and staff provide a program, rather than simply a collection of courses, that is designed to prepare our students to become the business leaders of tomorrow. Our courses are designed to challenge students from any background, business or nonbusiness. Our Manderson career services and professional development activities prepare our students for launching their careers and to hit the ground running on their first day on the job. Manderson MBA faculty and staff are committed to the success of our students and our MBA program. I encourage you to visit The University of Alabama and the other schools you are interested in to find the right fit for you. If you have any questions about the Manderson MBA program after looking over this material, or if you are interested in scheduling a visit to our beautiful campus and state-of-the-art facilities, please contact Ms. Tut Wilson, our director of MBA recruiting and admissions, or me. We will be glad to assist you. Roll Tide!
J. Brian Gray, PhD Associate Dean, Manderson Graduate School of Business Culverhouse College of Commerce and Business Administration The University of Alabama
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Wh y M a nde rson?
With a long-standing reputation backed by a strong tradition of excellence, The University of Alabama offers a unique MBA experience. The Manderson MBA program provides high-quality, goal-oriented students with a complete business education emphasizing applied practical learning in a team-based environment. The select group of students admitted each year is able to take advantage of an intimate learning environment combined with the resources of a major state research institution.
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We consistently rank among the top MBA programs in the nation for return on investment, which is reflective of our affordable program costs and strong placement opportunities.
We consistently award at least 40 percent of our students some type of scholarship, assistantship or fellowship.
As a Manderson MBA student, you will have a dedicated career services office that will help you make the connections you need to find the right fit.
Flexibility
The Manderson MBA program offers a variety of concentrations and joint programs, plus the flexibility to create your own interdisciplinary concentration.
You will build relationships with corporate executives through the Lowder Lecture Series and our distinguished alumni network, as well as make strong connections with our outstanding faculty, who will be mentors and valuable resources for years to come.
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As we teach best practices, we also try to follow these same principles. We have gathered extensive feedback from CEOs and past alums who have given us a consistent message todays leader must possess quantitative skills with ever-increasing emphasis on strong leadership and communication skills to succeed in an increasingly global environment. We have listened, and as a student you will be pushed and challenged with a program schedule and reallife consultative business experience that will serve to put you in the position of competing with anyone in the world.
By providing the basics of all management disciplines with an integrated group of required core courses, the Manderson MBA supplies the knowledge and skills that every manager must possess. The basic framework of knowledge provides a broad understanding of the individuals role within the corporation, the elements of managerial problem solving and decision-making tools that managers will use throughout their careers. The qualities we seek in you, the student, are those that typify business leaders in todays world strong verbal and written communication skills, a
solid ethical foundation and a strong desire to succeed. We also look for those who can help others grow, the ability to work as part of a team and the ability to learn from both successes and failures. As a first-year MBA student, you will pursue an integrated curriculum that will provide a practical understanding of core business disciplines and help you learn how to relate these to real-world business challenges. As a second-year MBA student, you will focus on a concentration area working with real companies and real challenges.
Core Courses
Leadership/Ethics Spreadsheet Analytics Business Communications Statistics for Business Application Survey of Marketing Financial Management Business Strategy Project and Process Management Concepts of Managerial Accounting Managerial Economics International Business Administration Operations Management
business programs to prepare you for certification in SAS Enterprise Miner, the premiere software tool for the data mining industry. Data mining reveals how organizations can improve their performance. By detecting hidden patterns and relationships among massive amounts of raw information, data mining produces knowledge that leads to action that produces results. Data skills wont do it alone. It also takes a broad understanding of business and hands-on experience solving real business problems. Precious few professionals possess this unique combination
Enterprise Consulting
Enterprise consulting is a market-driven program that leverages people, processes and technology to deliver business value. The core focus is the design and delivery of business solutions with an emphasis on project management. Graduates of the EC program are resultsoriented, with project successes visible to top management. They conduct and direct crossfunctional projects that provide high returns on
investment. They solve business-critical problems early in their careers and use all of their MBA skills from accounting to strategy to communications to team management. They also work collaboratively in teams, empowered to make decisions that have consequences. When pursuing the enterprise consulting concentration, students have the option to graduate with two degrees, an MBA and an MS in Enterprise Integration.
of corporate finance, financial restructuring, securities analysis, portfolio management, and financial institutions and markets. The mission of the finance concentration is to provide students with the specific knowledge and information necessary for gaining expertise in analyzing the financial dimensions of business decisions.
Financial Risk
Any business or nonprofit organization is exposed to a variety of risks. In short, financial risk management is a complex, dynamic process requiring quantitative measurement. In recent years, there has
been explosive growth in the need to manage financial risk and the firms that provide it. People who manage financial risk must be quite comfortable with quantitative concepts and must have the ability to handle large amounts of information. Therefore, the mission of the financial risk area is to produce MBAs who can compete effectively for professional positions in the emerging area of financial risk management.
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Real Estate
The last decade of the 20th century had a significant impact on the real estate industry. Real estate has become more liquid, more public and more global. The real estate concentration involves study and analysis of the economic, social, physical, governmental, legal and financial aspects of real estate in the United States and other countries. Real estate is not only a physical product but also a financial product with transactions taking place locally as well as in the global asset market.
and consulting. Todays information-powered business environment requires organizations to constantly reinvent themselves, developing new structures, work processes and decisionmaking techniques that can provide a clear advantage in the marketplace. The perspective of this concentration is primarily long-term and broad, moving from the organizations internal operations to include consideration of business partners, competitors, markets and the overall environment. Emphasis
is on planning and control, evaluation of capabilities and core competencies, appraisal of present and future partners and competition and implementation of chosen strategies.
and collaboration with channel partners, which can be suppliers, intermediaries, third-party service providers and customers. In essence, supply chain management integrates supply and demand management within and across companies. Supply chain professionals manage and coordinate activities in this global pipeline to ensure an effective and efficient flow of materials and information from the time a need arises until it is satisfied and beyond.
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Dr. Bruce E. Barrett ST 509 Statistics for Business Applications (Page 16) Dr. Burcu Keskin OM 506 Spreadsheet Analytics (Page 18) Dr. James E. King MGT 517 Leadership/Ethics (Page 20) Dr. Donald Minyard AC 506 Managerial Accounting (Page 22) Dr. Kevin E. Pflum EC 500 Managerial Economics (Page 24) Dr. Clay Posey MIS 511 Management Information Systems (Page 26) Dr. R. Glenn Richey M KT 518 Marketing Management (Page 28) Dr. Charles R. Sox O M 516 Production Management (Page 30) Dr. Shane Underwood F I 504 Financial Management (Page 32)
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Dr. Ronald E. Dulek MGT 542 Management Communications (Page 34) Dr. Louis D. Marino GBA 525 Business Policy (Page 36) Dr. Jase Ramsey IBA 550 International Business Administration (Page 38)
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Bruc e E . B a r r e t t
Associate Professor of Statistics and Young J. Boozer Excellence Faculty Fellow and APST M.S. Program Coordinator Information Systems, Statistics and Management Science Office: 352 Alston Hall, 205-348-8903 bbarrett@cba.ua.edu Specialty areas: Linear regression, data analysis and regression diagnostics, statistical computing, simulation Education: The College of Charleston (BS), Clemson University (MS and PhD)
Honors, achievements and affiliations: Among Dr. Barretts publications are articles in Journal of the American Statistical Association, Management Science, Journal of Computational and Graphical Statistics and Computational Statistics and Data Analysis. His professional interests include exploratory
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and graphical methods of analyzing real data sets, robust resampling methods, rank-order weights and multivariate methods.
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Burc u K e s k in
Assistant Professor of Operations Management Office: 355 Alston Hall, 205-348-8447, bkeskin@cba.ua.edu Specialty areas: Production/distribution network design, facility location, inventory control, supply chain management, applied optimization, metaheuristics Education: Bogazici University, Istanbul, Turkey (BS and MS) and Texas A&M University (PhD) Honors, achievements and affiliations: Dr. Keskin is an active member of the Institute for Operations Research and Management Science (INFORMS), the Decision Sciences Institute (DSI), the Production and Operations Management Society and the Institute for Industrial Engineers (IIE). She is also the faculty adviser of the INFORMS student chapter at The University of Alabama. She received the INFORMS Judith Liebman Moving Spirit Award in 2007. Noted publications include Naval Research Logistics, IIE Transactions, European Journal of Operational Research, and International Transactions in Operational Research.
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James E . K in g
Associate Professor of Management Management and Marketing Office: 161 Alston Hall, 205-348-8916 jking@cba.ua.edu Specialty areas: Religion and work, human resource management, work/life conflict and balance Education: The University of Alabama (BS), Indiana University-Bloomington (MBA), University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (PhD) Honors, achievements and affiliations: Dr. King has published articles in such journals as the Human Resource Management Journal of Vocational Behavior, Management Decision, Journal of Change Management and Human Resource Management Review. Previously, he was on the faculty of Samford University in Birmingham, Ala. Prior to entering academia he was a human resource professional for the General Electric Corp. where he completed the Human Resource Management (Leadership) Program and worked in areas including recruiting, appraisal, training and labor relation.
Manderson Graduate School of Business
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Dona ld M i n y a r d
Instructor in Accounting Culverhouse School of Accountancy Office: 365 Alston Hall, 205-348-2911, dminyard@cba.ua.edu Specialty areas: Financial reporting, using accounting information in decision making, business valuation, forensic accounting Education: Auburn University (BS, MBA), University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (PhD) Honors, achievements and affiliations: Dr. Minyard is a CPA with accreditation in business valuation and certification in financial forensics. He is also a certified fraud examiner member. He is also in the American Institute of CPAs, the Alabama Society of CPAs and the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners.
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Kev in E . P f lum
Instructor, Managerial Economics Department of Finance, Economics and Legal Studies Office: 245 Alston Hall, 205-348-0788, kpflum@cba.ua.edu Specialty Areas: Industrial organization, health economics, applied theory and empirical economics Education: The University of Victoria (BS), New York University (MA), The Ohio State University (PhD) Honors, achievements and affiliations: Dr. Pflum is an editorial reviewer for China Economic Review and European Economic Review. His research has been the selected papers at the 2010 and 2011 International Industrial Organization Conference, the 2011 Southern Economic Association Conference and the 2012 ASSA Winter Meeting. Previously, Pflum was an instructor at The Ohio State University, where he received a department citation for excellence in teaching. He also served as a senior consultant at Booz Allen Hamilton. While at Booz Allen Hamilton, Pflum designed and integrated software programs for organizations, including the Air Force Research Laboratory and Premier Health Partners. He is a member of the American Economic Association, the Industrial Organization Society and the Southern Economics Association.
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C lay P o s e y
Assistant Professor, Management Information Systems Department of Information Systems, Statistics and Management Science Office: 354 Alston Hall, 205-348-6615, cposey@cba.ua.edu Specialty areas: Information assurance, behavioral information security, protection-motivated behaviors Education: Mississippi State (BBA), Jackson State University (MBA), Louisiana Tech (PhD) Honors, achievements and affiliations: Dr. Posey began his professional career as a systems analyst in the freight industry for Data-Tronics Corp. While obtaining his doctorate, he worked as a research assistant in Louisiana Techs Center for Information Assurance. He also worked as a research assistant for the Air Force Research Lab, investigating changedetection methodologies in hyperspectral images. Recently, Posey has studied the role managers play in communicating organizational informationsecurity changes to employees and the impact their decisions have on overall trust of the firm. Poseys research has also been funded by the U.S. Department of Defense.
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R . Gle n n R i c he y
Interim Associate Dean of International Business, Chain Management and Robert C. and Rosa P. Morrow Faculty Excellence Fellow Management and Marketing Associate Professor of International Marketing and Supply Honors, achievements and affiliations: Dr. Richey is a member of Beta Gamma Sigma, the National Society of Collegiate Scholars, the Phi Kappa Phi National Honorary and the Pinnacle National Honor Society. Richey is also on the editorial review boards of the Journal of World Business, Industrial Marketing Management, Supply Chain Management: An International Journal and International Journal of Logistics Management. He is a member of the Academy of Management, Academy of Marketing Science, American Marketing Association, Council of Supply Chain Management Professionals, the Food Industry University Coalition of the National Grocers Association and is executive director of the Society for Marketing Advances. Prior to entering academe, Richey worked for 10 years in purchasing/ procurement management, operations management, sales management, retail consulting and supply chain management. Currently, he is on the boards of the Commonwealth Yogurt LLC, the Green Light Marketing Group, the Supply Chain Management and Industrial Distribution Symposium, and School Page.Net.
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Office: 129 Alston Hall, 205-348-8922, grichey@cba.ua.edu Specialty areas: International and domestic research, interorganizational exchange relationships, logistics and reverse
logistics, marketing and management strategy, retailing strategy and finance, resource management, supply chain management and disaster preparedness and recovery Education: The University of Alabama (BS), Middle Tennessee State University (MBA), The University of Oklahoma (PhD)
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C har le s R . S o x
Information Systems, Statistics and Management Science Department Head and Professor of Operations Management Office: 304 Alston Hall, 205-348-8992 csox@cba.ua.edu Specialty areas: Supply network analysis and design, production planning and scheduling for uncertainty, inventory control, logistics and transportation Education: Furman University (BS), Cornell University (MS and PhD)
Honors, achievements and affiliations: Dr. Sox has published articles in journals of management science and production/ operations management, including Management Science, IIE Transactions, Manufacturing & Service Operations Management, Operations Research Letters and International Journal of Production Economics. He has served
as associate editor of Management Science and IIE Transactions and has served on the editorial board of Manufacturing & Service Operations Management. He was the 1997 and 1999 Outstanding ISE Faculty Member and the 2000 Alumni Engineering Council Senior Faculty Research Award recipient at Auburn University. He
also received the 1997 IIE Transactions Best Paper in Scheduling and Logistics award sponsored by i2 Technologies Inc. He is the vice president of meetings for the Birmingham APICS chapter as well as a member of INFORMS and CSCMP. Dr. Sox is also a faculty mentor for the Supply Chain Leaders in Action Program.
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Shan e U n de r w o o d
Assistant Professor of Finance Economics, Finance and Legal Studies Office: 223 Alston Hall, 205-348-7076 seunderwood@cba.ua.edu Specialty areas: Market microstructure, corporate finance Education: University of Alabama (BS), Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania (MA and PhD) Honors, achievements and affiliations: Dr. Underwood has published articles in leading finance journals, including the Journal of Financial Economics, Journal of Financial and Quantitative Analysis and Journal of Financial Markets. He is a member of the American Finance Association, Western Finance Association and Financial Management Association. A 1999 graduate of The University of Alabama, Underwood earned his doctorate from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania in 2004. Prior to returning to Alabama, he served on the faculty at the Jones Graduate School of Business at Rice University, where he taught corporate finance in the executive MBA program. He has also taught personal finance courses for members of the NFLs Houston Texans.
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R ona ld E . Dule k
John R. Miller Professor of Management Management and Marketing Office: 151 Alston Hall, 205-348-8930 rdulek@cba.ua.edu Specialty Areas: Management communications, business strategy Education: St. Marys College (BA), Purdue University (MA and PhD) Honors, achievements and affiliations: Dr. Dulek has published more than 40 articles in the fields leading refereed journals. The journals he has published in include Journal of Business Communication, Management Communication Quarterly, Business Horizons, IEEE Transactions on Professional Communication and Journal of Business Ethics. He has twice served as associate editor for Journal of Business Communication and is co-author of six books on business communication. These book titles include Strategic Messaging, Throw Me the Bottom Line, Principles of Business Communication, BottomLine Business Writing, What Do You Mean I Cant Write, The Business Writing Style Book and The Elements of Business Writing. The latter title was the number one seller on the Executive Booklists at Prentice-Hall, Houghton-Mifflin and Macmillan Publishing. He has presented papers at various national and international conferences and has worked extensively in the area of strategic communication with IBM, OSHA, Sony and Stora Enso. Dulek has been selected numerous times as MBA Teacher of the Year. He has also received the Penny Allen Award for outstanding service to students as well as the National Alumni Associations Outstanding Commitment to Teaching Award. In the last three years he has been invited as a visiting lecturer at universities in Budapest, Hungary; Dresden, Germany; Helsinki, Finland; Riga, Latvia; Pretoria, South Africa; and Shanghai, China; and at Tulanes Executive MBA program.
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Louis D. Ma r in o
Professor of Strategic Management and James D. Nabors Instructional Excellence Faculty Fellow Management and Marketing Office: 152 Alston Hall, 205-348-8946 lmarino@cba.ua.edu Specialty areas: Strategic management with subspecialties that include strategic alliances (domestic and international), business-government relationships and partnerships, mergers and acquisitions and new venture creation Education: SUNY at Geneseo (BS), SUNY at Buffalo (MBA), Indiana University (PhD) Honors, achievements and affiliations: Dr. Marino is a member of the Academy of Management and the Strategic Management Society. His research has been presented at both national and international meetings and has been published in the Journal of Managerial Finance . He is the co-author of a teaching manual in entrepreneurship. He received various teaching awards while at Indiana University. He has been a guest lecturer at Tulanes Executive MBA program.
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Jase R a ms e y
Assistant Professor, International Business Department of Management and Marketing Office: 163 Alston Hall, 205-348-6615, jase@cba.ua.edu Specialty areas: International strategy, expatriate management, international subsidiary performance, international travel performance, cross-cultural management and travel stress Education: University of Kansas (BA and BS), Thunderbird (MBA), University of South Carolina (PhD) Honors, achievements and affiliations: Dr. Ramsey has published and presented papers in the areas of international strategy, expatriate management, absenteeism, methods and international travel
performance. He has published in a number of academic journals, including the Academy of Management Journal, Journal of International Management and Journal of World Business. Before joining The University of Alabama, he was a professor of international management and coordinator of the International Business
Research Center at Fundacao Dom Cabral in Brazil. He is a member of the Academy of Management, Academy of International Business and Southern Management Association. Ramsey has worked as a senior business analyst for Payless ShoeSource and Disney Corp. He was the president of Previal Online, as well as the owner of a number of small businesses based on
imports and exports. He has also consulted with many of the largest firms in Brazil regarding their international strategies. He is frequently summoned by media to discuss Brazilian firms and their internationalization prospects. Ramsey has lived in Mexico, Spain, Moldova, Barbados and Brazil.
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Manderson Career Services staff provide resources and guidance that result in solid and lasting relationships between the business school and its recruiters, faculty, staff, students and alumni. Our experienced team focuses on corporate relations, career services and alumni relations by providing personalized customer service.
The Manderson Graduate School of Business MBA program is committed to the professional advancement and success of its graduate students. A comprehensive range of career services is available through the MBA Office. Individual career advising Assistance with rsum and cover letter writing Social media guidance Career fairs On-campus recruiting Networking Alumni career panels Coordination with the Universitys Career Center to provide online job announcements Mock interviews Student workshops Negotiating Corporate partnerships (we proactively target and personally meet with many potential recruiting companies each year) CareerShift (an organizational tool for job hunters that takes the best of the Web and consolidates it for easy access to key information)
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A r e i e n s ) r a u m e ued C l i ccontin A v ( d r n Se
Alumni
The network of more than 7,000 Manderson graduates and more than 40,000 Culverhouse College of Commerce graduates represents diverse industries and professional backgrounds. Graduates have the opportunity to leverage professional networks worldwide. Companies have earned substantial rewards by hiring Manderson graduates and have significantly expanded their leadership pipeline.
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Teamwork Focus
The ability to effectively build and lead a highperformance team or to work productively as a key player contributing to the success of your group is critical in the business environment. At Manderson, we offer valuable opportunities to develop and test these skills. Teamwork-related skills
are nurtured through the program beginning at orientation, where students have their first opportunity to interact with the team and group that they will be working with over the next year. Throughout the first year, each MBA student will have multiple opportunities to play key leadership roles in their cohorts development. As team members work together
to master course material and complete challenging assignments, they often find that they are learning as much about themselves as they are about key business concepts.
Community Service
The Manderson MBA Program is very involved in community service activities, and a community-service focus drives many of our student organizations and activities. MBA students support several local organizations, such as Habitat for Humanity, RISE, Boys and Girls Club of Tuscaloosa,
Salvation Army, BrewerPorch and many others. For those who wish to start their own service, the University offers a program that allows students to construct their own service projects through the Community Service Center.
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Student Organizations
The Manderson MBA program has several chartered student organizations, both social and service driven. In addition to the organizations listed here, MBA students have been active in other UA organizations such as the Student Government Association and the Graduate Student Association.
Net Impact is a community service organization with a mission to improve the world by growing and strengthening a network of new leaders who are using the power of business to make a positive net social, environmental and economic impact.
Net Impact
The MBA Association is open to all MBA students and organizes both social and community service activities.
MBAA
The Council of Supply Chain Management is the preeminent, worldwide professional association dedicated to the advancement and dissemination of research and knowledge on supply chain management. CSCMP offers networking and professional educational opportunities.
CSCMP
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Returning to school to get my MBA was one of the best decisions I have ever made. I had worked for three years and was ready for a change. I wanted to get into consulting, but I needed some additional skills. Although I had gained valuable experiences at my job, I knew that an MBA would help me get the skills that I needed, plus it would be invaluable for me in the future. It was a tough decision to quit work for two years and go back to school. However, the business fundamentals and the unique experiences that I thought I would receive made the opportunity look promising.
All of the challenges helped me discover my capabilities and strengths. The challenges also showed me the areas where I needed improvement. There is no way I could have learned as much as I learned in two years at a normal job as I did in school. The two years at Manderson gave me a solid foundation to build my career. One of the greatest aspects of Manderson is its return on investment. You get way more than you pay for. I did not choose The University of Alabama based on its cost. I chose it for the quality level of the program. But the cost of the program is an important factor to consider. I received a lot more from the program both in terms of education and experiences, plus the program helped me land my dream job. Several months before graduation, I was able to land the exact job I wanted with the exact firm that I wanted. This would not have been possible if I had not returned to school and received my MBA. As an added bonus, due to the low cost and the quality of the program, I was able to repay all of the costs of the program and make up the lost wages in just a short time. An investment with this kind of return is tough to beat. Frank Skinner Class of 2001 Senior Director of Business Development Premier Inc.
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My MBA experience allowed me to work on different types of projects with several different people. I learned how to work well in teams with tough deadlines and how to solve difficult problems. Of course, I also gained a deeper understanding of all the functional areas of business. Most importantly, I learned a lot about myself. The whole program was very challenging and not just in the classroom. To get the complete experience, you have to get involved in several activities such as the case competition, community service events and even the social events. The activities and challenges beyond the classroom are what help make you a well-rounded person.
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Our students subscribe to a global, youthful, and nonmyopic view of business consulting for our partner firms. Using superior research skills and cutting-edge quantitative tools, they are better able to craft winning solutions in an environment that demands precise and decisive action.
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Maintaining relationships is a critical factor in the success of any business; however, relationships with educational institutions may not be foremost in everyones minds. When I had a strategic deliverable in process and a need for resources, it was an alumni event with Dean Mason that led me to rekindle my relationship with the Manderson Graduate School of
Business MBA program. Because of that meeting, Dean Mason helped me to fulfill my need: the two MBA summer interns I secured from the multitude of qualified candidates were the mature business generalists I required for my project. It also gave me the opportunity to get a preview of what the school has to offer me when I will be recruiting next spring, with these two summer
interns at the top of my prospect list. Today, as the human capital market continues to tighten, our relationship with The University of Alabama allows us access to the best talent and raw material that this fine institution has to offer.
Stephen Butler MBA class of 1994 Vice President of Professional Services Teradata Inc.
In listening to employers, we recognized there was increased demand for MBA candidates with a thorough understanding of business analytics. Now, by incorporating four rigorous courses into a Business Analytics concentration with SAS as our data mining software, we have enriched the program and are meeting industry needs. We have found companies hire our MBAs because they are an excellent liaison between the analytics side and the business side of an organization. This year we are celebrating a decade of leadership in analytics education. One annual highlight is our Business Analytics Symposium that attracted more than 150 in the third year. Several companies attend because of their interest in recruiting UA students. We are discovering that companies want to establish a relationship with our students very early in their academic careers. This leads to higher placement rates and increased starting salaries all important factors in considering your MBA path.
Dr. Denise McManus Director of the Institute of Business Analytics Associate Professor, Management Information Systems
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After extensively researching several MBA programs, it became clear that the Manderson Graduate School of Business was one of the leading MBA programs in the Southeast. The program provides each MBA with a strong academic foundation by employing caring and supportive professors in a team-oriented learning environment. The atmosphere is also friendly and diverse with individuals coming from as close as Birmingham and Tuscaloosa, Ala., and as far away as China, South Africa and the UK.
The first year, professors will challenge you to reach beyond the classroom and apply what you have learned through interactive classroom lectures and real-world case studies. I found each of the first-year professors to be dedicated to the intellectual growth of their students and willing to provide each student with individual attention. As a financial professional, it was important that I find a school that would provide a significant return on my investment. I have found that the rigorous academic challenges of Manderson have strengthened my
business acumen and that the strong relationships that I have built with my classmates both in and out of class have strengthened my interpersonal skills. In addition, the opportunity to be a part of a program that is quickly becoming one of the best in the country has been an incredible experience. As a prospective MBA student, who could ask for more?
Leonard Spencer President MBA Class of 2002 Manager of Procurement Operations at The Walt Disney Co.
Analytical expertise, result-oriented behavior, strong interpersonal skills and an understanding of business complexities are required recruiting characteristics for FedEx. Knowledge acquisition drives our corporate growth there is no margin for error. By hiring Manderson Graduate School of Business graduates, we have capitalized on hiring instant contributors.
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Each fall, we admit a small class of around 80 students. We keep the class size small so that each member of the class has the advantages of a close-knit community and world-class faculty, while still enjoying the numerous resources available at a state flagship research institution. We seek to admit a diverse student body, so we encourage applications from highly motivated individuals from a variety of backgrounds and experiences. The Manderson MBA program is a unique and rewarding investment, and the first step to getting here is through the application process. The Manderson Graduate School of Business MBA Admissions Committee is excited to begin the application process in the fall semester of each year. Decisions then are made on a rolling basis throughout the fall and spring semesters. After candidates submit all of the required materials, they are contacted regarding an admissions interview. After the interview, candidates are normally notified of admission and scholarship decisions within two to three weeks. Due to the limited class size, applicants are encouraged to submit all materials as soon as possible. (Please note that entry to the MBA program occurs only in the fall semester; the programs structure does not allow for enrollment to begin in the spring semester.)
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Transfer Requests
All candidates for admissions are evaluated for all available awards, with award decisions being made after admission has been determined. No additional forms or applications are required to be considered for our merit-based awards. Awards are made in the form of scholarships, graduate assistantships and fellowships.
Transfers may be accepted from AACSB-accredited institutions; requests are evaluated on a case-by-case basis. If you are interested in transferring to the Manderson MBA program, please contact the MBA office.
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Deadlines
January 5: Early admission deadline
Provides applicants with the widest opportunities to secure financial support.
Regular deadline, with very limited scholarship and assistantship opportunities available. Applications submitted will be reviewed on a space-available basis due to our rolling admissions process.
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t in o ms J d ra n a og l a Pr u D
The Manderson MBA program and The University of Alabama School of Law currently offer three-year and four-year versions of a joint JD/MBA program. Also, dual programs exist in cooperation with the masters in civil engineering and masters in mechanical engineering programs. Both of these dual programs allow students to complete both degrees (the MBA and either the MSME or MSCE) in two calendar years. A dual program between the MBA and the MFA-Theatre Management program was announced in spring 2011. The STEM path to the MBA focuses on attracting highquality undergraduate students majoring in the science, technology, engineering and mathematics disciplines. The program is an innovative approach to engage students early on as undergraduates and employ nontraditional classroom methods to allow top students to complete the MBA in one additional calendar year. Students wishing to pursue dual or joint-degree programs must be admitted individually to both programs. Students should indicate in their MBA application materials that they plan to pursue one of these specialized programs. Information tailored specifically to our dual and joint program options is available from the MBA office by request.
Manderson Graduate School of Business
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C E N T E R S
The Culverhouse College of Commerce and Business Administration and the Manderson Graduate School of Business are home to a multitude of research centers and programs. Alabama Center for Real Estate (ACRE) Alabama International Trade Center Alabama Productivity Center Alabama State Data Center Center for Business and Economic Research The EDGE Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation Enterprise Integration Lab Alabama Entrepreneurship Institute Institute of Business Analytics Paul Garner Center for Current Accounting Issues Alabama Small Business Development Center Network Sales Program Supply Chain Institute
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