College of Management

University of Massachusetts-Boston, College of Management History

University of Massachusetts Boston, founded in 1964, is a public, coeducational institution. The 184-acre campus is located in an urban area 3 miles south of downtown Boston. Total undergraduate and graduate enrollment is 13,500.

The College of Management was founded in 1983 and is located on the main campus. Courses also are offered at Boston’s downtown financial district. The basic educational approach stresses a team-focused, case-based approach with theoretical underpinnings.

University of Massachusetts-Boston, College of Management Academics

The Graduate Business Program offers the Master of Business Administration (MBA), Master of Science in Accounting (MSA), and Master of Science in Information Technology (MSIT). Other programs include a 3-2 degree with UMass Boston’s Colleges of Liberal Arts and Science and Mathematics; foreign exchange with 9 countries; an interdisciplinary program in public policy; cooperative programs with Tsinghua University in Beijing, Waterford Institute of Technology in Ireland, University of Frankfurt, and Jaypee University of Information Technology in Delhi, India; work-study, joint research, and internships. The strongest areas of study are finance, accounting, and international management. The most popular courses are Portfolio Analysis and Investment Management, Cost Accounting, Entrepreneurship, Financial Statement Analysis, and Managing in the Global Economy. Regular programs bring distinguished speakers and visiting professors to campus. There is an Executive-in-Residence program and a Senior Executive Leadership Forum. Additionally, the CM Forum brings 2 to 3 local and national business leaders to campus to speak to the graduate students each month.

Fifty-four total credits are required to complete the MBA, including 24 elective credits. Required courses include:

• Economics for Managers
• Accounting for Managers
• Financial Management
• Statistical Analysis for Managers
• Operations Management
• Computers and Information Processing Systems
• Strategic Management
• Organizational Analysis and Skills
• Business and Its Environment
• Marketing Management

Required courses for the MSA include:

• Intermediate Accounting
• Cost Accounting
• Federal Tax Planning
• Financial and Managerial Auditing
• Financial Statement Analysis
• Accounting Information Systems
• Financial Accounting Theory and Analysis

Required courses for the MSIT include:

• Business Data Communications and Computer Networks
• Database Management
• Knowledge Management and Business Intelligence
• Innovation in IT Management
• Business Process Innovation
• Project and Change Management
• IT for Quality and Competitive Management

Students may eliminate or substitute requirements by recent coursework at the undergraduate or graduate level.

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 15 months; maximum, 5 years. For students attending part time, the minimum is 2 years; maximum, 5 years.

There are 49 total full-time graduate business faculty, of whom 98% hold a doctorate; there are 6 part-time faculty, of whom 33% hold a doctorate. Faculty salaries are rated average for Category l institutions, based on the AAUP rating system. Average number of courses faculty teach is 6; average business class size is 21.

University of Massachusetts-Boston, College of Management Unique Programs

Library

The Healey Library houses a collection of more than 569,764 volumes, 743,479 microform items, and 1636 audio/video tapes/CDs, and subscribes to 3120 periodicals. Students have access to such databases and networks as Dialog, CD-ROM INFOCOM, Lexis/Nexis, Mergent, Business Source Premier, Compustat, and Postmaster General, among many others. Other opportunities for research consist of memberships in a consortium of 9 universities in the Boston area, which gives students access to all their library materials. The state archives and the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library are located on campus.

Computers

Graduate business students need not have their own PCs. The business school has its own computer facilities, consisting of approximately 900 Dell and HP PCs and 100 Macs available from 8 a.m. to 11 p.m. Monday through Friday and 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. weekends. Full Internet access and a wide range of software including MS Office, SPSS, and Compustat are available.

Career and Job Placement

In spring 2006, 104 companies recruited on campus. Seventy-five percent were national corporations. Majors most in demand were accounting, finance, and information systems. Average starting salary of the graduating class was $82,000; range was $39,000 to $145,000. The percentage of graduates finding jobs were:

• national corporations 60%
• regional corporations 25%
• self-employment 15%

Placement services are extensive. Placement services for alumni include all those open to students. Placement is available through a separate placement office for graduate business students and the university placement office. Eighty-five 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 600 on the Paper-Based TOEFL (PBT) or 90 on the Internet-Based TOEFL (iBT) version. They also must submit a translation of their transcripts, proof of health consisting of a vaccination record, and proof of adequate funds to cover 1 year of study. Financial aid is available for these students and consists of graduate assistantships with a tuition waiver and stipend. The application deadline for fall entry is May 1.

Calendar

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

University of Massachusetts-Boston, College of Management Admissions

A bachelor’s degree is required, along with a GPA of 2.75 and a GMAT score of 500. Most important admissions factors are academic accomplishments and ability, work experience, and GMAT results. A strong mathematics background is not required.

The number of applicants for the 2006-2007 class was 692; 301 were accepted; 218 enrolled. The average GPA was 3.31; average GMAT score was 578. Transfers are accepted. Minority students are actively recruited by information sessions, advertising, and affiliation with the National Society of Hispanic MBAs and the National Black MBA Association.

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 $40, 3 letters of recommendation, 2 essays, and a resume. The application deadlines are June 1 for fall entry; November 1, spring. Students are notified of the admissions decision on a rolling basis. The latest acceptable test date for fall entry is flexible. Once accepted, students may defer admission up to 1 semester.

University of Massachusetts-Boston, College of Management Financial Aid

About 65% of graduate business school students receive financial aid from scholarships, loans, and graduate assistantships, for a total maximum of $17,000. Stipends and programs are available for Hispanic-American and African-American students. The GAPSFAS or FAFSA, and financial aid transcripts from previously attended institutions are required. The application deadline is May 1 for fall entry.

Tuition for in-state residents is $409 per credit, or $9816 per year. Nonresidents pay $833 per credit, or $19,992 per year. Books and supplies cost approximately $500; personal expenses, $3000, for an estimated annual total of $13,316 for in-state residents and $23,492 for out-of-state residents. Graduate student housing is not available on campus, but is available directly adjacent to the university. There is a referral service to help procure off-campus housing.

University of Massachusetts-Boston, College of Management Students

Thirty-seven percent of the current graduate business school class are enrolled full time; 95% have had an average of 5<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 Massachusetts (59%). Fifty-four percent are women, 19% are minorities, and 18% are foreign nationals. The average age at entrance is 28; ages range from 22 to 59. Fifteen percent enter directly from undergraduate school; 23% already have a graduate degree. Students’ undergraduate majors were as follows: 29%, business; 19%, engineering; 18%, liberal arts; 11%, math and science; 10%, economics; and 10%, social sciences. About 4% of entering students leave by the end of the first year due to academic or personal reasons; 86% remain to receive their degree. In 2006, 74 graduate business degrees were awarded.