Jerry S. Rawls College of Business Administration

Texas Tech University, Jerry S. Rawls College of Business Administration History

Texas Tech University, founded in 1923, is a public, coeducational institution. The 1839-acre campus is located in a suburban area 300 miles west of Dallas. Total undergraduate and graduate enrollment is 27,996.

The Jerry S. Rawls College of Business Administration was founded in 1941 and is located on the main campus, in its own building. The basic educational approach is largely analytical and based on the Stanford model. Cases are used throughout the program.

Texas Tech University, Jerry S. Rawls College of Business Administration Academics

The Rawls College of Business offers the Master of Business Administration (MBA), Master of Science in Accounting (MSA), Master of Science (MS), and International Master of Business Administration (IMBA) as well as a doctoral program in accounting, business administration, finance, marketing, management information systems, production and operation management, and statistics, and a joint degree in law (MBA/JD, MSA/JD), medicine (MBA/MD), architecture (MBA/MArch), foreign language (MBA/MA), personal financial planning (MBA/MS, MS/MS), and environmental toxicology (MBA/MS). Other programs include foreign exchange with Finland, France, Italy, Great Britain, and Mexico and internships in accounting and health organization management. The strongest areas of study are health organization management, finance, information technology, accounting, and general business. The most popular courses are Management, Finance, Marketing, Accounting, Management Information Systems, and Entrepreneurship. Regular programs bring distinguished speakers and visiting professors to campus, including the Chief Executives’ Roundtable.

Forty-eight total credits are required to complete the MBA, including 12 elective credits. Required courses include:

• Financial and Managerial Accounting
• Statistical Concepts for Business and Management
• Price and Income Theory
• Executive Skills
• Financial Management Concepts
• Marketing Concepts and Strategies
• Managing Organizational Behavior and Organizational Design
• Legal, Regulatory, and Ethical Environment of Business
• Operations Management and Management Science
• Information Technology for Managers
• Managerial Decision Theory
• Strategic and Global Management

Students with a BBA take 6 hours out-of-classroom experience in lieu of certain course work.

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 1 year; maximum, 6 years. For students attending part time, the minimum is 2 years; maximum, 6 years.

There are 67 total full-time graduate business faculty, all of whom hold a doctorate; there are 34 part-time faculty, all of whom hold a doctorate. Faculty salaries are rated below average for Category I institutions, based on the AAUP rating system. Average number of courses faculty teach is 4; average business class size is 29.

Texas Tech University, Jerry S. Rawls College of Business Administration Unique Programs

Library

The university’s main library houses a collection of more than 2.3 million volumes, 2.2 million microform items, 500,000 special business collections, and 83,000 audio/video tapes/CDs, and subscribes to 30,788 periodicals. The business library is particularly strong in its scholarly journals collection, financial research reference tools, and finance, marketing, and management book collection. Students have access to such databases and networks as CRSP, Census, IRS, Compustat, Firstsearch, Wilson Business Abstracts, ABI/INFORM, Bloomberg Financial, Disclosure, Infotrak, Lexis/Nexis, ProQuest, and Standard & Poor’s. Other opportunities for research consist of grants, internal funding, faculty development leaves, teaching-assistant support, patents and trademarks, a GIS lab, and a federal depository for government documents.

Computers

Graduate business students need not have their own PCs. The business school has its own computer facilities, consisting of more than 200 PCs and access to the university’s mainframe computers.

Career and Job Placement

In spring 2006, 125 companies recruited on campus. Eighty percent were national corporations. Majors most in demand were finance, management information systems, and accounting. Average starting salary of the graduating class was $42,777; range was $32,000 to $65,000. The percentage of graduates finding jobs were:

• national corporations 35%
• regional corporations 29%
• local large enterprises 18%
• local small enterprises 18%

Placement services are extensive. Placement services for alumni include career fairs and on-line access. Placement is available through Rawls Career Management Center and the university placement office. Fifty percent of the most recent graduating class found jobs within three months of receiving their degree.

International Students

International students must take the TOEFL or the University of Michigan Language Test. International students must score 550 on the Paper-Based TOEFL (PBT). They also must submit a translation of their transcripts and proof of adequate funds to cover 9 months or 1 calendar year of study. There are special fees of a $60 application fee. Financial aid is available for these students and consists of academic scholarships and teaching assistantships. The application deadline for fall entry is March 1.

Calendar

The school operates on a traditional semester basis. Semesters are 15 weeks long; summer sessions, 4 weeks. Graduate programs are offered during the day and evening and weekends.

Texas Tech University, Jerry S. Rawls College of Business Administration Admissions

A bachelor’s degree is required. Most important admissions factors are GMAT results, grades in upper-level courses, and essays. A strong mathematics background is not required.

The number of applicants for the 2006-2007 class was 303; 58 were accepted; 42 enrolled. The average GPA was 3.54; average GMAT score was 602. Transfers are not accepted. Minority students are actively recruited by visits to minority institutions and advertisements in minority college newspapers.

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 $50, 2 letters of recommendation, and a resume. The application deadlines are July 1 for fall entry; November 1, spring; April 1, summer. Students are notified as early as possible of the admissions decision. The latest acceptable test date for fall entry is July 1. Once accepted, students may defer admission.

Texas Tech University, Jerry S. Rawls College of Business Administration Financial Aid

About 44% of graduate business school students receive financial aid from scholarships, loans, and graduate assistantships, for a total average of $4500 annually; maximum $22,000. The FAFSA and the school’s own financial statement are required. The application deadline is March 1 for fall, spring, and summer entry.

Tuition for in-state residents is $185 per credit. Nonresidents pay $460 per credit. On-campus room and board costs approximately $6000; books and supplies, $1000; personal expenses, $4500, for an estimated annual total of $18,906 for in-state residents and $25,506 for out-of-state residents. Graduate student housing consists of on-campus dormitory accommodations, but most graduate students live in off-campus apartments, which are readily available. There is a referral service to help procure off-campus housing.

Texas Tech University, Jerry S. Rawls College of Business Administration Students

Eighty-seven percent of the current graduate business school class are enrolled full time; 25% have had an average of 4 years of full-time work experience prior to entering graduate school, a factor preferred by the school. The greatest percentage of students are from Texas (89%). Thirty-three percent are women, 18% are minorities, and 6% are foreign nationals. The average age at entrance is 25; ages range from 21 to 58. Seventy-one percent enter directly from undergraduate school; 5% already have a graduate degree. Students’ undergraduate majors were as follows: 47%, business; 45%, engineering; 24%, math and science; 11%, social sciences; 9%, liberal arts; and 4%, economics. In 2006, 251 graduate business degrees were awarded.