Top Houston MBA Programs for a Consulting Career

When it comes to getting an MBA, a consulting career is a top draw for most candidates. A 2015 Prospective Student Survey by the Graduate Management Admissions Council (GMAC) revealed that consulting topped the list of industries for both millennial and Gen X respondents at 41 and 27 percent respectively. As an industry, consulting covers a wide-range of careers from banking to tech/entrepreneur consulting, but what about for MBAs?

We decided to take an in-depth look at Houston MBA programs—particularly the Mays School of Business at Texas A&M University and the Jones Graduate School of Business at Rice University—to see what Houston MBA candidates can expect and which MBA program offers the most help for a career in consulting. While almost every Houston school offers career services and MBA specializations/concentrations, a few programs offer a little more.

At Mays School, 27% of MBA grads work in consulting with the top industries being technology (40%) and consulting (24%). The numbers are not surprising considering the variety of consulting opportunities that Mays School offers their students.

• Mays Business School Consulting Club (MBSCC): The MBSCC is a student-run organization that is focused on providing an educational and networking platform for students interested in a consulting career. The club hosts networking events, conducts information sessions, and helps members acquire skills and knowledge in recruiting, interviewing, and the consulting process.
• Business Consulting Project: Full-Time MBA students at the Mays School can apply the skills and knowledge they learned in the classroom during the Business Consulting Project. It’s a three-credit course scheduled during the final semester. The course allows students to work in teams to help solve real-world business problems for clients large and small.
• Consulting Panel: Held on March 1, 2016, the Consulting Panel will allow students to engage with professionals in the consulting industry and ask questions about pursuing consulting as a career.
• Consulting and Strategic Management Specialization: MBA students have the option to earn a specialization in Consulting and Strategic Management. The specialization is a customized set of graduate level courses that may or may not extend studies past the 16-month MBA program.

As for the Jones Graduate School, 28% of their MBA grads have a career in consulting with an average base salary of $110,640. The top industries are petroleum/energy (32%) and consulting services (23%). To get a better idea of their consulting focus, we spoke to LaTonya Tichavsky, the Associate Director of Career Management at the Jones Graduate School.

MetroMBA: How does the Jones Graduate School MBA program prepare students to enter a career in consulting?

LaTonya: “The Jones Graduate School of Business offers students a diverse portfolio of resources to prepare for careers in consulting, as well as multiple opportunities to engage with consulting companies through on campus recruiting, alumni contacts, and club events.”

MetroMBA: What resources are available to Jones Graduate School students who are interested in a consulting career? 

LaTonya: “The Career Management Center offers multiple workshops on behavioral interviewing and case preparation, including those facilitated by nationally recognized outside vendors and consulting companies. The Consulting Club also offers students opportunities to practice cases, participate in case competitions, and further engage with consulting firms.”

MetroMBA: Are there specific professors, resources, or coursework that make Jones Graduate School stand out in consulting?

LaTonya: “The Jones Graduate School of Business offers a concentration in Strategic Management, which prepares students for careers in management consulting and global business management across a variety of industries such as health care, energy, high technologies, consumer products, and professional services. Beyond analytic frameworks and skills in strategic management, the concentration offers students, through required and elective courses, the opportunity to develop expertise in a number of related areas. As part of the elective courses, students can participate in a Jones EdGE program in Asia, Central America or South America that includes speaker engagements and company visits while abroad.”

MetroMBA: How does the Jones MBA differ from other programs in Houston?

LaTonya: “While all of the schools offer consulting programs to their students, the smaller size of the Jones Graduate School of Business program allows students a unique opportunity to engage with alumni while preparing to pursue consulting jobs.”

MetroMBA: Why should an MBA candidate interested in consulting choose Jones Graduate School?

LaTonya: “The Jones Graduate School of Business has a consistent track record of success with its students receiving offers from a wide range of consulting firms including national firms, as well as regional and industry specific firms.”

For MBA candidates in Houston, both the Mays School and Jones Graduate School offer unique opportunities to enhance consulting knowledge and skills. To learn more, be sure to visit the school websites and call the admissions teams to see which program suits your goals best.

regions: Houston

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