Atkinson Graduate School of Management

Willamette University, Atkinson Graduate School of Management History

Willamette University, founded in 1842, is a private, coeducational institution affiliated with the Methodist Church. The 70-acre campus is located in an urban area 45 miles south of Portland. Total undergraduate and graduate enrollment is 2740.

The Atkinson Graduate School of Management was founded in 1974 and is located on the main campus, in its own building, Seeley Mudd Building. Courses also are offered at Willamette University Portland Center, Portland, Or. (MBA). The full-time MBA program emphasizes experiential learning and develops the knowledge and experience needed for career entry, change or advancement. The professional MBA program is designed for working professionals. Students immediately apply what they learn to their work environment and develop a broad enterprise wide view of management decision making.

Willamette University, Atkinson Graduate School of Management Academics

The Atkinson School offers the Master of Business Administration (MBA) as well as a joint degree in MBA/JD for full-time MBA. Other programs include joint degree (MBA/JD), 3-2 degrees with Willamette’s College of Liberal Arts and Albertson College of Idaho, on-campus work programs, internship programs, and foreign exchange with Denmark and France. The strongest areas of study are finance, marketing, general management, human resource management, marketing, public management, and management science. The most popular courses are marketing, general management, finance, and information technology. Regular programs bring distinguished speakers and visiting professors to campus and includes Executive-on-Campus and visiting professionals.

Sixty-six total credits are required to complete the MBA, including 30 elective credits. Required courses include:

• Executive Economics
• Managing Exchange I and II
• Managing Organizations I and II
• Foundations of Quantitative Analysis
• Statistical Inference and Model Formulation
• Management Controls
• Management of Business Processes and Information Systems
• Finance
• Integration and Professional Development
• Strategy

Required courses for the Professional MBA include:

• Managing Organizations: Design and Change
• Data Analysis, Modeling and Decision Making
• Managerial Economics and Finance
• Managing Organizations: Human Resources
• Management Controls
• Creating and Implementing Market Driven Strategies
• Macroeconomics and the Financial System
• The Environment of Business
• Management of Business Process and Information Technology
• Strategic Management
• International Management/Business
• Integrative Project

Students may eliminate or substitute requirements by substituting a course for a waived course.

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 14 total full-time graduate business faculty, all of whom hold a doctorate; there are 6 part-time faculty, of whom 20% hold a doctorate. Faculty salaries are rated well above average for Category IIA institutions, based on the AAUP rating system. Average number of courses faculty teach is 4; average business class size is 30.

Willamette University, Atkinson Graduate School of Management Unique Programs

Library

The university’s main library houses a collection of more than 476,067 volumes, 1,220,195 microform items, and 8400 audio/video tapes/CDs, and subscribes to 3231 periodicals. Students have access to such databases and networks as Academic Search Premier, Business Dateline, Business Source Premier, IngentaUncover, EconLit, PAIS, PsychInfo, Web of Science/Social Science, Newspaper Source, Presidential Papers, Standard & Poor’s NetAdvantage, STAT-USA, Directory of Corporate Affiliations, JSTOR, Lexis/Nexis. Other opportunities for research consist of the Oregon State Library and the College of Law Library; interlibrary loan programs provide access to an additional 2.5 million titles; Orbis provides access to member libraries; and the Willamette University Public Policy Research Center.

Computers

Graduate business students must have their own PCs. Students have 24 hour a day wireless access to the Internet, e-mail, and local network services including specialty software and printing. Students are required to have a laptop computer with wireless LAN capability and a standard suite of software.

Career and Job Placement

Majors most in demand by companies recruiting in 2006 were finance, marketing, general management, and human resources. Average starting salary of the graduating class was $58,000; range was $38,000 to $96,000. Placement services are extensive. Placement services for alumni include employer referral and career counseling. Placement is available through Atkinson School Career Services Office. Eighty-four percent of recent graduating class found jobs within three months of receiving their degree.

International Students

International students must take the TOEFL. International students must score 570 on the Paper-Based TOEFL (PBT) or 88 on the Internet-Based (iBT) version. They also must submit a translation of their transcripts, proof of health consisting of records of immunizations, and proof of adequate funds to cover 2 years of study. International students must purchase health insurance. Financial aid is available for these students and consists of merit-based scholarships. The application deadline for fall entry is May 1.

Calendar

The school operates on a traditional semester basis. Semesters are 16 weeks long; summer sessions, 6 weeks. Graduate programs are offered during the day and evening.

Willamette University, Atkinson Graduate School of Management Admissions

A bachelor’s degree is required. The minimum undergraduate required varies with the major. Most important admissions factors are GMAT results, a successful interview, and academic accomplishments and ability. A strong mathematics background is required.

The number of applicants for the 2006-2007 class was 143; 96 were accepted; 50 enrolled. The average GPA was 3.31; average GMAT score was 597. Transfers are accepted. Minority students are actively recruited by an endowed scholarship program, attendance at minority career fairs when available, and minority searches.

Students may begin the MBA program in the fall and summer. To apply, students must submit an application form, a transcript, GMAT scores, a nonrefundable application fee of $50, and 2 letters of recommendation. The application deadline is May 1 for fall entry. Students are notified within 3 weeks of the file’s completion of the admissions decision. The latest acceptable test date for fall entry varies. Once accepted, students may defer admission for up to 1 year upon written request.

Willamette University, Atkinson Graduate School of Management Financial Aid

About 85% of graduate business school students receive financial aid from scholarships, loans, and graduate assistantships, for a total average of $19,392 annually. Stipends and programs available for minority students include the Endowed Scholarship Program. The FAFSA is required. The application deadline is May 1 for fall entry.

Tuition for all students is $777 per credit, or $23,330 per year. On-campus room and board costs approximately $7300; books and supplies, $1200; personal expenses, $2400; and other fees, $50, for an estimated annual total of $34,280. Graduate student housing is limited on campus; most students live in off-campus apartments. There is a referral service to help procure off-campus housing.

Willamette University, Atkinson Graduate School of Management Students

Seventy-three percent of the current graduate business school class are enrolled full time; 40% have had an average of 19 months of full-time work experience prior to entering graduate school. The greatest percentage of students are from Oregon (42%). Twenty-eight percent are women, 10% are minorities, and 21% are foreign nationals. The average age at entrance is 25; ages range from 21 to 43. Forty-eight percent enter directly from undergraduate school; 5% already have a graduate degree. Students’ undergraduate majors were as follows: 24%, economics; 22%, social sciences; 20%, math and science; 16%, liberal arts; 14%, business; and 4%, engineering. About 5% of entering students leave by the end of the first year due to academic or personal reasons; 90% remain to receive their degree. In 2006, 57 graduate business degrees were awarded.