Merage School of Business MBA Earns Praise From The Economist
The UC Irvine’s Merage School of Business received some good news after the school was ranked in latest business school rankings of The Economist. The school placed 39th in the nation, 16th among public schools, and 56th in the world. The Los Angeles metro business school also scored well in categories including 29th in Open New Career Opportunities; 17th in alumnus rating of career services; and 13th in salary increase.
The Merage full-time program is a cohort-based, 21-month daytime program taking place Monday through Thursdays. The program also boasts a number of study away opportunities for students: MBAs can participate in a week-long international study trip or participate in a quarter-long International Exchange Program at partnering schools in Asia, Europe, and Latin America.
“Our full-time MBA program prepares business leaders for successful careers managing the disruption of today’s digitally driven world. By leveraging everything they learn at the Merage School, they are realizing a high return on their investment, not just in terms of salary, but also management responsibilities and opportunity,” said Jon Kaplan, Assistant Dean, Full-Time MBA and Specialty Masters programs at the Merage School.
The Economist compiles its rankings by surveying thousands of MBA students about why they decided to enroll in a full-time MBA program. Data was collected during spring 2017 via two separate surveys. One survey, completed by schools with eligible programs and covers quantitative matters such as the salary of graduates, the average GMAT scores of students and the number of registered alumni, accounts for around 80 percent of the ranking. Another survey filled out by current MBA students and a school’s most recent graduating MBA class accounts for the other 20 percent. You can read more about The Economists methodology here.
Last month, the school landed in Forbes’ “Top American MBA Programs” report ranking full-time MBA programs based on return-on-investment. Those rankings placed the Merage School full-time MBA program at 41st in the nation, and 19th among public schools. According to College Affordability Guide, the Merage MBA among the most affordable programs in the country—with a catch. If you’re a California resident, prospective MBAs admitted to the full-time program are automatically guaranteed to receive at least a $10,000 fellowship. Ultimately, tuition is $43,830.50 per year for California State residents, and $51,479.50 for out-of-state students.
The Merage School MBA Career Center provides unique programming for students, such as Career Visioning, which helps students determine which career fits them best, as well as Career Management Workshops such as Behavioral and Case Style Interviewing and Job Offer Evaluation and Negotiation. Second year MBA students provide career coaching and are available to provide first-year students guidance and advice to help them effectively conduct a job search.
“The goal of our Career Center is to help our graduates successfully launch, grow and manage their careers,” added Tom Kozicki, Executive Director of the Career Center. “This latest ranking reflects both the value companies find in the contributions of Merage School MBAs and the ability of our alumni to effectively navigate their careers.”
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Max Pulcini
Max Pulcini is a Philadelphia-based writer and reporter. He has an affinity for Philly sports teams, Super Smash Bros. and cured meats and cheeses. Max has written for Philadelphia-based publications such as Spirit News, Philadelphia City Paper, and Billy Penn, as well as national news outlets like The Daily Beast.
