F.W. Olin Graduate School of Business

Babson College, F.W. Olin Graduate School of Business History

Babson College, founded in 1919, is a private, coeducational institution. The 370-acre campus is located in a suburban area 15 miles west of Boston. Total undergraduate and graduate enrollment is approximately 3400. Enrollment figures in the above capsule are approximate.

The F.W. Olin Graduate School of Business was founded in 1951 and is located on the main campus, in its own building, Olin Hall. The basic educational approach is a mix of the theoretical, the case method, and experiential learning. The theme of the graduate school is Entrepreneurial Leadership in a Changing Global Environment, with entrepreneurship, finance, marketing, consulting, and e-business as specialty areas.

Babson College, F.W. Olin Graduate School of Business Academics

The Babson Graduate School of Business offers the Master of Business Administration (MBA) and Master of Science (MS) in Accounting. Other programs include a business mentor program within the first year of full-time programs, foreign exchange with 5 countries, an international management internship program, a management consulting field experience program, 3-week and 1-week electives abroad in 8 countries, joint research, work-study, an MS Finance program with Lucent Technologies, and an MBA with Intel. The strongest areas of study are entrepreneurship, international business, finance, marketing, strategy, and e-business. The most popular courses are in finance, marketing, entrepreneurship, global business, and global strategy. Regular programs bring distinguished speakers and visiting professors to campus. Several speaker series bring CEOs to campus. Founders Day honors entrepreneurs, and there is an Executive-in-Residence program.

Sixty total credits are required to complete the Evening MBA, including 27 elective credits. Required courses for the Evening MBA include:

• Financial Accounting Theory
• Marketing Systems
• Microeconomic Foundation of Business
• Organizational Behavior
• Statistics
• Macroeconomics and the Monetary System
• Managerial Aspects of Accounting
• Managerial Finance
• Managing Operations
• Quantitative Foundations of Decision Support Systems
• Law I
• Strategic Management
• 8 electives

Required courses for the 2-Year MBA include:

• In Modules:
• Creative Management in Dynamic Organizations
• Assessing Business Opportunities
• Designing and Managing the Delivery System
• Managing Business in a Changing Global Environment
• 1 course from menu in:
• entrepreneurship
• global business environment
• strategy
• global strategy
• 9 electives

Required courses for the 1-Year MBA include:

• In Modules:
• The Competitive Marketplace
• Law for Managers
• Accounting Decision Making
• Data Analysis and Modeling
• Financial Decision Making
• Organizational Analysis and Action
• Marketing Management
• Microeconomic Reasoning and Applications
• Writing and Speaking for Managers
• Macroeconomic Reasoning and Applications
• Management of Information Technology
• Operations and Total Quality Management
• Field Experience
• 1 course from menu in: entrepreneurship
• global business environment
• strategy
• global strategy
• 9 electives

Students may eliminate or substitute requirements for the Evening MBA only, with a waiver exam and/or a B or better from an accredited college or university.

The minimum time permitted to complete the master’s degree program attending full time is 12 months; maximum, 8 years. For students attending part time, the minimum is 42 months; maximum, 8 years.

There are 135 total full-time graduate business faculty, of whom 93% hold a doctorate; there are 58 part-time faculty. Faculty salaries are rated well above average for Category IIB institutions, based on the AAUP rating system. Average number of credit hours faculty teach is 18; average business class size is 30.

Babson College, F.W. Olin Graduate School of Business Unique Programs

Library

The university’s main library houses a collection of more than 130,000 volumes, 346,500 microform items, and 3900 audio/video tapes/CDs, and subscribes to 1500 periodicals. The business library is particularly strong in entrepreneurship and venture capital, investment services, innovation and change management, consumer marketing, the multicultural workplace, and quality, technology, and strategic management. Students have access to such databases and networks as Dow Jones News Retrieval, Lexis/Nexis, Bloomberg, Bridge, Datastream, and Zack’s. Other opportunities for research consist of 250 databases and on-line search capabilities, Internet, World Wide Web, FirstSearch, and the Arthur M. Blank Center for Entrepreneurship.

Computers

Graduate business students need not have their own PCs. The business school has its own computer facilities, consisting of the Horn Computer Center, equipped with more than 100 PCs and a separate laboratory with 30 Mac computers. A variety of business-oriented software is available. The laboratories are open to all graduate students.

Career and Job Placement

In spring of a recent year, 205 companies recruited on campus. Majors most in demand were finance, marketing, and general management. Average starting salary of the graduating class was $72,025; range was $28,800 to $200,000. The percentage of graduates finding jobs were:

• large corporations 53%
• small companies 28%
• medium corporations 19%

Placement services are extensive. Placement services for alumni include lifetime services offering career counseling, access to resources, seminars, and jobs newsletter. Placement is available through F.W. Olin Center for Career Development. Eighty-two percent of a recent graduating class found jobs within three months of receiving their degree.

International Students

International students must take the TOEFL. They also must submit a translation of their transcripts, proof of health consisting of immunization records, and proof of adequate funds to cover 1 year of study. Financial aid is available for these students and consists of fellowships awarded on a merit basis. Check with the school for current application deadlines.

Calendar

The school operates on a traditional semester basis. Semesters are 14 weeks long; summer sessions, 7 weeks. Graduate programs are offered during the day and evening.

Babson College, F.W. Olin Graduate School of Business Admissions

A bachelor’s degree is required, along with a GPA of 2.8. Most important admissions factors are GMAT results, work experience, and career plans. A strong mathematics background is required.

Transfers are not accepted. Minority students are actively recruited by the Manager of Diversity Programs; attendance at Destination MBA events; direct GMASS mailings; and scholarships.

Students may begin the MBA program in the fall and spring. To apply, students must submit an application form, a transcript, GMAT scores, a nonrefundable application fee of $100, 2 letters of recommendation, a resume, and essays. Check with the school for current application deadlines. Students are notified 8 weeks after the deadline of the admissions decision. Once accepted, students may defer admission for only 1 year.

Babson College, F.W. Olin Graduate School of Business Financial Aid

In a recent year, about 44% of graduate business school students received financial aid from scholarships, loans, and graduate assistantships, for a total average of $29,900 annually; maximum $36,000. Stipends and programs available for minority students include an Access Fellowship Program. The FAFSA and the previous year’s tax return are required. Check with the school for current application deadlines.

Tuition and fees total $33,600 for he first 9-month academic year of the 2-year MBA program.Tuition and fees for the 1-year MBA (12 months) total $46,153. Graduate student housing is available for approximately 130 full-time graduate students on campus. There is a referral service to help procure off-campus housing.

Babson College, F.W. Olin Graduate School of Business Students

Twenty-eight percent of a recent graduate business school class were enrolled full time; all have had an average of 6 1/2 years of full-time work experience prior to entering graduate school, a factor preferred by the school. The greatest percentage of students are from the Northeast (53%). Twenty-eight percent are women, 8% are minorities, and 18% are foreign nationals. The average age at entrance is 28; ages range from 22 to 59. Students’ undergraduate majors were as follows: 20%, business; 18%, engineering; 18%, liberal arts; 18%, social sciences; 13%, economics; and 13%, math and science. About 2% of entering students leave by the end of the first year due to academic or personal reasons; 97% remain to receive their degree.