School of Business

University of Connecticut, School of Business History

University of Connecticut, founded in 1881, is a public, coeducational institution. The 3100-acre campus is located in a rural area 25 miles northeast of Hartford. Total undergraduate and graduate enrollment is 28,481.

The School of Business was founded in 1956 and is located on the main campus, in its own building. Courses also are offered at Waterbury (Evening MBA) and Stamford and Hartford (Evening and Executive MBA programs). The basic educational approach is a combination of experiential learning, team problem-solving, classroom instruction, and alliances between business and education.

University of Connecticut, School of Business Academics

The MBA Program offers the Master of Business Administration (MBA) and Master of Science in Accounting (online) (MSAcc) as well as a doctoral program in business administration, and a joint degree in law (MBA/JD), social work (MBA/MSW), international studies (MBA/MA), medicine (MD/MBA), nursing (MBA/MS), international management (MBA/MIM). Other programs include a cooperative program with Em Lyon in France, foreign exchange with 2 countries, paid summer internships, joint research (particularly in e-business and financial services), the MBA Business Plan Competition, an edgelab (research and learning partnership with GE), SS&C Technologies Financial Accelerator, and the Thomas J. & Bette Wolff Family Program in Entrepreneurship. The strongest areas of study are finance, health care management, insurance studies, management consulting, marketing intelligence, and operations and information management. The most popular courses are in finance and operations and information management. Regular programs bring distinguished speakers and visiting professors to campus, including the Executive Speaker Series. Visiting professors come for research presentations and guest lectureships.

Fifty-seven total credits are required to complete the MBA, including 21 elective credits. Required courses include:

• Managerial Statistics
• Financial Accounting and Reporting
• Market Driven Management
• Managing Organizations
• Economic Analysis for Business
• Cost Analysis and Control
• Financial Management
• Operations Management
• Management Information Systems
• Business, Law, and Ethics in Modern Society
• Enhancing Leader and Team Effectiveness
• Strategy Policy and Planning

Required courses for the MS in Accounting (online) include:

• Contemporary Financial Issues
• Contemporary Managerial Accounting Issues
• Global Financial Reporting and Analysis
• Advanced Assurance Services
• Taxation of Business Entities

Students may eliminate or substitute requirements only through comparable graduate work from another accredited university and the approval of program administration.

Business students may take relevant nonbusiness courses in other departments. The minimum time permitted to complete the master’s degree program attending full time is 2 years; maximum, 6 years. For students attending part time, the minimum is 3 years; maximum, 6 years.

There are 105 total full-time graduate business faculty, of whom 90% hold a doctorate; there are 33 part-time faculty, of whom 30% hold a doctorate. Faculty salaries are rated above average for Category I institutions, based on the AAUP rating system. Average number of courses faculty teach is 4; average business class size is 25.

University of Connecticut, School of Business Unique Programs

Library

The Homer Babbidge Library houses a collection of more than 2,702,195 volumes, 3,303,734 microform items, and 66,295 audio/video tapes/CDs, and subscribes to 35,230 periodicals. The business library is particularly strong in finance, accounting, management, marketing, and operations and information management. Students have access to such databases and networks as Value Line, Standard & Poor’s, Dow Jones, COMPUSTAT North America, CRSP, EVENTUS First Call, Global Insight, I/B/E/S, Bank Regulatory, Blockholders, CBOE Indexes, CISDM, DMEF, FDIC, Fama Freneh, Momentum, and Liquidity, Federal Reserve Bank Reports, PHLX, Penn World Tables, SEC Disclosure of Order Execution, and TRACE. Other opportunities for research consist of e-business, financial services, IT-enabled business applications, and interlibrary loans through the Boston Library Consortium.

Computers

Graduate business students must have their own PCs. The business school has its own computer facilities. All graduate and undergraduate business students are required to have a notebook computer. Therefore, there are more than 2200 terminals and 46 servers. Types of software available to students include Microsoft Office XP, Norton Antivirus, WS-FTP, POM, SPSS 9.0, Windows Media Player, Internet Explorer, Netscape Navigator, Adobe Acrobat Reader, Winzip, Microsoft Visual Basic, Microsoft Visual J++, Microsoft Visual C++, Visual Studio Net, Microsoft Photo Editor, and Microsoft FrontPage Express.

Career and Job Placement

Majors most in demand by companies recruiting in 2006 were finance, information technology, and health systems management. Average starting salary of the graduating class was $70,318; range was $53,000 to $95,000. The percentage of graduates finding jobs were:

• national corporations 59%
• local large enterprises 20%
• regional corporations 11%
• local small enterprises 10%

Placement services are extensive. Placement services for alumni include direct referral to employers, electronic job posting, and web-based postings. Eighty-eight percent of the most recent graduating class found jobs within three months of receiving their degree.

International Students

International students must take the TOEFL. International students must score 575 on the Paper-Based TOEFL (PBT) or 90 on the Internet-Based (iBT) version. They also must submit a translation of their transcripts, proof of health consisting of immunization, and proof of adequate funds to cover 1 year of study. Financial aid is available for these students and consists of graduate assistantships. The application deadline for fall entry is January 31.

Calendar

The school operates on a traditional semester basis. Semesters are 15 weeks long; summer sessions, 6 weeks. Graduate programs are offered during the day and evening and weekends.

University of Connecticut, School of Business Admissions

A bachelor’s degree is required, along with a GPA of 3.0 and a GMAT score of 560. Most important admissions factors are academic accomplishments and ability, GMAT results, and work experience. A strong mathematics background is required.

The number of applicants for the 2006-2007 class was 305; 185 were accepted; 89 enrolled. The average GPA was 3.4; average GMAT score was 603. Transfers are accepted. Minority students are actively recruited through corporate partners and using specialized databases.

Students may begin the MBA program in the fall, spring, and summer. To apply, students must submit an application form, a transcript, GMAT scores, a nonrefundable application fee of $65, 2 letters of recommendation, a resume and a statement of purpose. The application deadlines are April 15 for fall entry; January 16, spring; May 23, summer. Students are notified of the admissions decision on a rolling basis for evening programs. The latest acceptable test date for fall entry is June (January for international applicants. Once accepted, students may defer admission for up to 1 year.

University of Connecticut, School of Business Financial Aid

About 57% of graduate business school students receive financial aid from scholarships, loans, and graduate assistantships, for a total average of $26,500 annually; maximum $27,100. Stipends and programs available for minority students include graduate assistantships and grants. The FAFSA and the school’s own financial statement are required. The application deadline is April 15 for fall entry.

Tuition for all students is $540 per credit. On-campus room and board costs approximately $8864; books and supplies, $3500; personal expenses, $3000, for an estimated annual total of $25,374 for in-state residents and $38,654 for out-of-state residents. Graduate student housing is available on campus, but is limited. There is a referral service to help procure off-campus housing.

University of Connecticut, School of Business Students

Twelve percent of the current graduate business school class are enrolled full time; 95% have had an average of 5 of full-time work experience prior to entering graduate school, a factor preferred by the school. The greatest percentage of students are from Connecticut (42%). Thirty-six percent are women, 15% are minorities, and 5% are foreign nationals. The average age at entrance is 28; ages range from 21 to 48. Eight percent enter directly from undergraduate school; 9% already have a graduate degree. Students’ undergraduate majors were as follows: 33%, business; 18%, engineering; 15%, fine arts; 13%, math and science; 9%, economics; 9%, liberal arts; and 3%, social sciences. In 2006, 26 graduate business degrees were awarded.