Anderson School of Business, UCLA
An essay submission is a routine part of any application process for MBA programs and in order to be considered they must be meticulously written. UCLA's Anderson School of Business has added a twist to the process for their 2011 class. Students were invited to submit an audio essay and although it was presented as a voluntary option about 70% of applicants chose to submit their essays through this format.
All applicants were given the same question choices regardless of whether the essays were being submitted traditionally or in an audio format. The most popular choice for both submissions asked students to describe what the entrepreneurial spirit meant to them. The second most popular question asked students to contemplate what they thought to be the most disconcerting global issues of the day.
These essay audio submissions provided the admissions team with valuable insights about potential students in many ways including:
- Their command of the English language
- Their communication skills
- Their performance under pressure
Considering its success, Anderson School of Business is contemplating audio clips for future submissions as mandatory in the application process and may also turn to video clips which could even replace required audio submissions in the future.
Graziadio School of Business, Pepperdine
Alumni of UC Santa Barbara are now being given the opportunity to enroll in Graziadio's School of Business part time MBA Business Professional program designed for those who are employed full time. In order to smooth the enrollment process Pepperdine will work closely with UCSB's alumni office. At the outset students can take classes at the Westlake Village campus of Pepperdine and in the future will be given the option of attending other campuses such as West Los Angeles, Encino and Irvine. MBA courses in Santa Barbara are also being considered for the future.
Three information sessions have been planned for UCSB alumni who have an interest in this new MBA opportunity. The first session will be held at UCSB Mosher Alumni House on April 29th.
Mannheim Business School, Germany (MBS) & Tongji University, Shanghai
Tongji University and Mannheim School of Business are launching an Executive MBA (EMBA) double-degree program to begin in the spring of 2011. Students will have the opportunity to complete this program in just 14 months but will have the option to spread their studies over a 5 year period.
Although all courses are conducted in English this EMBA program will have a distinctive Sino-German focus. The core of the program will have significant bearing on the increased trade between Europe and Asia. Students applying to this programs should have established leadership skills along with a minimum of fives years work experience.
Henley Business School, University of Reading
EMBA students at Henley Business School will now be able to enroll in classes that have been designed with specific themes. They will cover a wide range of topics from a variety of industries such as construction management, corporate finance, real estate, etc.
The core of Henley's two year EMBA program will remain the same with students having the opportunity to place a greater focus on specific specialties. For more detailed information regarding the program you can visit Henley Business School website at www.henley.reading.ac.uk
