What UC MBA Students Told The Princeton Review About...

UC’s College of Business has an outstanding MBA program, according to The Princeton Review. The New York-based education services company announced the results on Oct. 3, 2006, in the just-published 2007 edition of its “Best 282 Business Schools.”

What UC MBA Students Told The Princeton Review About...
Academics

Future MBAs may choose from multiple options at the University of Cincinnati's College of Business. For full-timers in a hurry, UC offers a full-time 12-month MBA; a 15-month degree that packs the coursework just as tightly but adds a three-month internship; and a 21-month degree that, along with a three-month internship, combines an MBA and MS for those "seeking a high degree of rigorous specialization in addition to an applied general management education." UC's full-time programs take advantage of their ability to sequence classes, allowing advanced classes to build on concepts taught in previous classes.

UC also offers part-time options at a variety of sites, including the Uptown Campus, the Blue Ash Professional Development Center (both evening programs) and Wright Patterson Air Force Base (a mid-afternoon program). The part-time program is by necessity more flexible than its full-time counterpart, but is otherwise similar, employing the same professors and providing the same support services. In both the full-time and part-time programs, concentrations are available in construction management, finance, information systems, international business, management, marketing, operations management, quantitative analysis and commercial real estate.

The UC MBA program stresses teamwork, which students appreciate. One writes, "The team structure that is fostered from day one is instrumental in making our program unique and successful. The teams are organized in such a way that no one gets left behind. There is almost an imperative that everyone graduates; an instilled sense of community and support, which has been so refreshing. Coming from Procter & Gamble, I recognize the necessity of teaching a team-based structure. It's remarkable."

The small size of the program "means students get a lot of attention, something you can never have too much of."

For many, "the greatest strength of UC is its focus on global business. The College of Business stresses to every student the need to look at business from a global perspective. There are study-abroad opportunities. There are also many foreign students in class with us to give us a different viewpoint of a situation." Offerings in quantitative analysis and commercial real estate also receive high marks.

What UC MBA Students Told The Princeton Review About...  
Career and Placement

Students tell us that "the MBA Career Office puts extensive effort into assuring us that we have the tools to find a job and brings in various employers for recruiting activities." The office's efforts include one-on-one counseling meetings, career development workshops, career days, online recruiting and contact databases, videotaped mock interviews and on-campus recruiting events.

Employers most likely to hire UC MBAs include Fifth Third Bank; Deloitte; Procter & Gamble; The ARS Group; Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America, Inc.; L'Oréal; Cincinnati Bell; Sara Lee; Cintas; Eli Lilly and Company; Burke, Inc.; Steak n Shake; and Charter Consulting.

What UC MBA Students Told The Princeton Review  About...  
Student Life and Environment

The "driven and intelligent" MBAs at UC enjoy a "diverse mix" that includes a one-quarter international population, a range of experience levels ("we have students right out of undergraduate schools, as well as students well into their careers"), and backgrounds ("a lot of the students are engineering undergrads looking to utilize an MBA for the opportunity of advancement in the engineering field; most others are business undergrads looking for career advancement").

The program has an unusually even gender split as well. One student sums up, "UC doesn't recruit a specific mold of what is perceived as ‘the MBA Student.' They recruit a diverse mix that makes the experience surprisingly worldly in decidedly Midwestern Cincinnati." The mix "adds a lot of value to the classes."

"The majority of students are commuters" in the UC MBA program, one student notes "and it is challenging to have graduate students involved in on-campus activities. We do enjoy the academic strength and fellow classmates, but not all of us feel fully integrated into the campus."

As part of UC|21, the university’s strategic plan for the 21st century, opportunities are there, though, “24/7.” Full-time students generally take advantage of them, reporting that "the administration is focused on activities and connecting students to the university and community. We have weekly networking dinners or happy hours with people from General Electric, Procter & Gamble, and Cincinnati Bell. The MBA Association has been active in organizing social activities for students as well."

In addition, "we have a lot of free lunches associated with training sessions and academic and career development sessions. They are wonderful. And we have all kinds of recreational facilities and free movies to broaden our view of the world."

UC's men's basketball team is "amazing, and everyone rallies around it. As one student puts it, "…there are plenty of opportunities to get involved on campus."

The Princeton Review’s “Best 282 Business Schools” has two-page profiles of the schools with write-ups on their academics, student life and admissions, plus ratings for their academics, selectivity and career placement services.

Read more about the rankings.