University of Louisville - College of Business

The small MBA program at the University of Louisville College of Business is a gem that is "only getting brighter everyday." Professional, Full-time, and Entrepreneurship MBAs are available, and all classes are held in the evenings or on weekends. Full-time MBAs have 3.5-hour classes held three evenings a week, and most students take advantage of the eleven-month competitive paid internship program, which provides significant exposure to local business contacts and features an international trip that "provides global perspective for concepts learned in class"—not to mention it practically pays for the cost of tuition. Lectures are often case-driven and geared towards application of concepts and ideas, and case reviews use current events. While professors are gracious, "they also have high expectations of the students."

The cohort setup is "wonderful": "To share all your classes with the same fifty people really allows for great team-building and collaboration," testifies a student. Students come from all industry backgrounds and are "very outgoing and interactive in class debates," which "adds to the conversations and provides diverse outlooks on situations." "Each week has been very challenging, and I have learned material that I can immediately use at work," says a student. Courses are designed so that fundamental topics are reinforced throughout the program, and this cohesive curriculum "congeals the concepts so that strategic and technical thinking will persist beyond graduation."

The "fantastic administration" is "well-organized [with] good communication," which is especially impressive since most classes meet in the evenings when administration is not typically present. Class schedules are handled by the administration and all students need to do "is let them know which classes we are interested in, and they do the rest. It is a very conducive environment to learn in." That being said, "electives are somewhat limited."

The alumni are very helpful and "willing to meet with anyone if they are interested in a career path and try to give them help, guidance, or contacts of how to pursue their future careers." "I have had many meetings with different alumni and finally I landed a great job in wealth management because of the alumni," says one student. A sizeable city like Louisville draws employers to campus, and there are similarly "great internship oppor- tunities for MBA students." The paid internship for full-time MBAs is one of the school's greatest boons, and while this means almost everyone is already employed across all programs, the Ulmer Career Center is still available for résumé assistance, interview prep, career counseling, and recruiting events.

The University of Louisville "has a fine campus" and the College of Business building "provides students with great resources," though "the surrounding areas need work for students to feel safe after dark." Students are given amenities such as "free food, access to Wi-Fi throughout campus and designated MBA-only study rooms, computer labs, and lounge areas." As a whole, this is a relatively young group native to the area, and outside of class students "always invite anyone and everyone to come grab some food or drinks at local restaurants on/near campus." "We try to have fun, but we also make sure we get our work done," says a student of a cohort that is "very motivated to get as much out every class as possible, both individually and as a group."