The Manderson Graduate School of Business at The University
of Alabama recently welcomed the MBA Class of 2012 to campus. At 93 students, the MBA Class of 2012 has
been the third class in a row to obtain the "largest in history” title. It is
also one of the most academically qualified…students’ average GMAT score rose
to 640 (as opposed to 633 for Fall 2009 entering students) and the average GAP
was 3.50 (compared to 3.4 last year).
While schools are talking about encouraging diversity in the
class room, the Manderson MBA Program is actually doing it. The MBA Class of 2012 has student
representatives from 17 states and from 6 countries including the United
States. 32% of the students are female
and 17% of the students represent minorities.
With the ages of students ranging from early 20’s to early 40’s, this is
probably one of the most diverse classes the Manderson MBA Program has ever
enrolled.
Part of the program growth over the past few years could be
attributed to expansion of dual-degree program opportunities. "Thirteen of the entering students will be
participating in dual-degree programs with the Law School or the College of
Engineering. Our relationships with
these other graduate degree programs has allowed us to reach markets beyond the
traditional MBA student, and we are looking forward to expanding our
dual-degree options in the future,” says Blake Bedsole, Director of Admissions
and Student Services for Manderson.
Manderson’s MBA combined enrollment (entering and 2nd
–year students) has increased almost 60% since 2007, increasing from 114 to 181
total students. "The intentional
increase in class size has been embraced by our faculty and encouraged by our
corporate partners. We believe that our
competitive advantage such as a strong work ethic, team approach to problem
solving, and excellent interpersonal and communication skills set our students
apart from other MBA programs. Additionally
we can attract new companies with a larger class size,” says Ms. Connie
Chambers, Coordinator of Corporate and Alumni Relations.
With a class like this, expectations run high both with the
faculty and the student body. "We look
forward to their growth as individuals through many experiences, both in and
out of the classroom. Their
contributions will solidify our overall mission of increasing the value of the
UA MBA degree,” says Ms. Susan West, Assistant Dean and Director of MBA
Programs.
The new incoming class is seated and settled in their core
classes; we are already gearing up for the Class of 2013. The recruiting cycle has
begun with new applicants rushing to be considered for early admission into the
Class of 2013. As alum of our program we encourage you to spread the word….
The MBA program is in
the Business of Building Champions!!!
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