Chapman University - Argyros School of Business and Economics

Chapman University, a “small,” “beautiful” private university in Orange County, California, has a “very strong MBA program” that offers students a great education. But “it’s not just about the classes,” at Chapman. “It is about the relationships, the networking, and the experience. It is a comprehensive, 360-degree program.” Chapman is “a research-intensive university” that offers “entrepreneurship incubators” and many other unique opportunities to its enthusiastic students. This is just one of the many reasons students are convinced that Chapman “will become one of the top business schools in the nation.”

Chapman’s distinguishing features include its programs in Entrepreneurship and Financial services, a dual MBA/MFA in Film and Television Producing, a “good studyabroad program” and its popular Flex MBA, which allows working students to attend fullor part-time during the evening. Chapman’s traditional full-time MBA program has a strong focus on student career campaign. Students in both programs receive the majority of their credits from Chapman’s core curriculum, which provides a solid foundation in business and finance. Electives include entrepreneurship, international business, corporate entrepreneurship, and marketing.

Students say they receive a “very personalized education” from the “outstanding faculty.” Chapman’s small classes are taught by “Ph.D.s and established professionals,” who are “dedicated,” “highly accessible,” and “expect a lot.” Academic and professional development is complimented by mentoring programs and contests run by the Ralph W. Leatherby Center for Entrepreneurship and Business Ethics, and research opportunities, conferences, and workshops hosted by the A. Gary Anderson Center for Economic Research, The Walter Schmidt Center for International Business, and Larry C. Hoag for Real Estate and Finance. Beyond the campus, the school has strong ties to the local business community, which gives students the chance to forge “lasting business relationships.” Chapman students say the school does an excellent job preparing them to deal with “current economic conditions” and whatever else they may face in the future.

Chapman’s MBA program “has only become stronger with the addition of a highly visible office (Career Management Center) on campus,” which employs “three full-time career placement specialists” to assist and support students in reaching their career goals. The center provides lots of specialized opportunities through individual career counseling and its many networking events, including the “Dinner for Eight” program, where eight students are selected to have an intimate dinner with a local business leader. One student says that the greatest strength of Chapman isn’t the Career Management Center but “the people associated with the school,” who provide “strong contacts, great jobs, networking, and lasting business relationships.” The majority of graduates accept- ing new jobs took positions in the consumer products field, or in media or entertainment. The top five employers last year were Standard Pacific Homes, Ingram Micro, Experian, ADP, Commerce National Bank, and Lanes Capital Partners.

Life at Chapman is filled with opportunities for networking and academic enrichment. The Entrepreneur Speaker Series and the Distinguished Speaker series regularly host influential business leaders, and each of the four research institutes offer additional lec- tures, panel discussions, and even book signings. The MBA association, run by a group of students elected by their peers, organizes lots of social and professional events, such as “Pizza and Beer Night,” which “gives students the opportunity to eat and have some drinks with a high profile executive in a relaxed, non-pretentious atmosphere.”

Many Chapman students attend part-time, and students tend to be on the younger side, so there is a wide-range of work experience and perspectives in classrooms. Though many students come from work in business attire, others sport “flip-flops and board shorts,” though they “clean up nice, when they have to.” Students are “friendly” and “smart,” and are “very willing to collaborate and help one another succeed.” They’re “not at all competitive about grades, so study groups are very common.” “There are a lot of sports and community events” for students who need a break from homework or networking, and “plenty of nearby restaurants and bars that support a small community vibe.”