Question: What do MBA students do over the summer?

Answer: Walton MBA students either study abroad or do an internship. This a very important component of our MBA program. This new program was rolled out in January of 2007. Prior to this, Walton College had a one year accelerated MBA program. It was decided we wanted to accomplish more, add more value to our program. The full-time MBA program was redesigned into a three semester program with a summer internship. Our third class just stared and the GSB is working on getting the fourth class admitted.

This summer internship has ended up being an incredibly valuable and important component of our program. Approximately half of our MBA students do not have a background in business. Also, we do admit a small percentage of students without work experience. Graduating with an MBA with limited work experience can make placement quite challenging. The internship greatly increases our students odds of placement. Our Career Development Center plays a very important role in this process. Our students will typically work 10-12 weeks with occasional exceptions where their placement is shorter in duration. Students who complete the Walton MBA do so with added work experience on their resume.

For those students entering the program with many years of work experience, study abroad is an option. There are several programs that are designed and led by Walton faculty. Students can also find their own study abroad as long as it is given approval by the MBA Director, Dr. Alan Ellstrand.

So, for the Walton MBA program, no summer coursework. Our students usually work. A few will do a study abroad which will have a classroom component. The summer portion of the program is designed to add valuable experience to classroom learning by allowing our students to apply in real-life situations the new knowledge they have gained. It will also add more value to their future courses. Finally, this summer internship adds significantly to their odds of being placed after graduation.

Walton MBA students are getting hired. Even in this economy with MBA hiring down nationwide, we are seeing success. This is due to many factors, one being the summer internship. Another is our graduate assistantship program. I'll tell you more about that tomorrow.