Eastern Washington University - College of Business and Public Administration

Current and future Spokane professionals choose Eastern Washington University’s MBA program for its blend of affordability, convenience, and quality. The curriculum consists of forty-eight credit hours, with elective concentrations in accounting or finance. In addition to the traditional MBA, the school offers “a dual master (MBA/MPA) option” for those interested in the public or nonprofit sector. Taking a full course load, the MBA “program can be finished within one year,” though the flexible schedule is highly accommodating to working professionals too. “Night classes fit well within a typical eight to five working schedule,” and the campus in central Spokane is “easily accessible from in or slightly out of town.” Most importantly, the school’s instructors are “very understanding when you have personal circumstances interfering with class, and will do everything they can to work with you while still maintaining the highest academic standards for their students.”

At this small public school, students speak highly of the MBA faculty, describing their professors as “knowledgeable, professional, personable, down-to-earth, accessible, and reasonable.” Many instructors are “very highly regarded in the academic community,” staying active in business research and regularly publishing scholarly articles. They are not only academics though. With strong ties to the local business community, professors “bring significant professional experience to the classroom, which helps tremendously in understanding and applying models and theories taught in class.” Plus, with students ranging in age from twenty-one to fifty-nine, “The diversity of students and faculty significantly enhances the learning environment and challenges you to think more critically.” Nonetheless, some students would like to see the program take an even more practical approach, saying the coursework contains “very few case studies” and skips over some essential skills, like business-plan writing.

While rigor varies by course, most “professors are tough” and classes are time-consuming. According to a current student, “We all work our tails off together to get through this program.” Fortunately, professors are “all very accessible outside the classroom, even when you don’t come knocking during office hours,” and most “go out of their way to explain things in a way that you can understand.” Likewise, “the administration is very helpful and patient” and the “easy enrollment process” makes it easier for working students to consider a degree. In addition to kindness and convenience, cost is a major reason students choose the program; EWU is “considerably less expensive than its neighboring competitors, yet it has the same AACSB accreditation.”

Eastern Washington University’s Office of Career Services provides counseling and job placement assistance to the entire student body. The office organizes occasional career fairs, on-campus interviews, and other recruitment events, in addition to maintaining an online career management system, which matches potential employers with current students and alumni. Career Services is mostly focused on the school’s large undergrad- uate population, so recent graduates in the MBA program are the most likely to benefit from their services.

Within the business school, students would like to see more contact with the local com- munity: “The MBA program director does what she can as far as generating job leads for us, but it would really help if the business school were to develop partnerships with businesses.” The good news is: no matter what your career plans, counting yourself among the many EWU alumni is a huge benefit in the real world. At EWU, “the network you gain access to is by itself worth the cost of the program.”

Though it is a small program, there is quite a bit of diversity within Eastern Washington University’s MBA class. The affordable in-state price tag draws many locals, but the program also attracts “students from all over the world, so there is a high percentage of international people” on campus. In terms of life experience, “many students come straight from undergraduate into [the] MBA program,” while others enroll mid-career. Overall, the mix of people and personalities creates a positive learning environment wherein “each student brings a wealth of personal and professional experiences” to the classroom.

Eastern Washington University’s main campus is located in the small town of Cheney, Washington, whereas MBA classes are taught on a satellite campus in downtown Spokane. With no direct link to the school’s large undergraduate community, there is not much action at the small business school facility. A student admits, “The campus I am on does not have many student activities; it would be nice if some could be added.” Nevertheless, there is “a very positive, supportive atmosphere” throughout the business school as well as “an increasing sense of students working together to achieve similar goals.” Up-to-date facilities, including a 200-seat auditorium, create a great learning environment, and there is plenty of nearby parking in addition to numerous public transportation options for commuters.