The University of North Carolina at Charlotte - Belk College of Business

Students at The University of North Carolina at Charlotte love the “proximity to the financial district in Charlotte,” which is a “financial hub” with “Fortune 500 and other reputable companies throughout the region.” “The flexibility of the program allows you to customize your concentrations, so they are relative to your strengths and what you would like to do in a future career,” remarks one happy student. There is a “focus on banking, as there are a lot of BofA, Wells Fargo, and TIAA-CREF students,” and the school has a particularly strong finance faculty. “The work piles up and is demanding,” one student says, “however, I’m getting used to the pace, and I feel that the extra work I put in is appreciated and noticed.” UNC Charlotte “is known for its diverse background and for its high expectation of students, which helps set up a two-way benchmark establishing goals for both the business school and the students.”

Students are very happy with the “very hands on” and “extremely flexible” administration. There is a “strong commitment from administrators to help students succeed at scholastic and career goals,” and “administrators will bend over backwards to help you in any way they can,” such as “constantly making you aware of internships and available jobs.” The administration is particularly quick at “answering questions or fixing problems.” “I have not had an issue yet that they haven’t fixed quickly,” one student says. “Overall they are friendly, responsive, and knowledgeable.” “The business school staff is very helpful and always available.” Students do feel the administration should do more for students outside of normal weekday work hours. There are “not many ‘after-workhours’ networking opportunities” and not enough “night/weekend class offerings for graduate studies.”

Students are also proud of their professors, who “really care about their students” and whose “doors are always open.” “My professors for the most part seem engaged, very intelligent, and reasonably demanding. The professors don’t want cookie-cutter answers and encourage depth in responses.” “A majority of the professors are top-notch,” and the ones who aren’t are “subject matter experts at worst.” Although most professors “are really great,” others “miss the mark and just teach the syllabus.” “Like any academic institution, it’s bureaucratic, but not so much.” One student explains the school “is accessible, and you can always be pointed in the right direction.”

The administration at the Belk College of Business is the school’s “primary strength.” They put in extra work to help students network and intern to improve future job pros- pects. “They helped me to create an exchange program with a top MBA program in the UK, even though no previous relationship existed,” says one student. “UNC Charlotte offers great mentoring and career placement,” and its location in the financial hub of Charlotte is very helpful for students. The school has “close ties to the Charlotte business community” and a “reputation for placement.” The school claims a mean base salary of $83,000 for new graduates. Some prominent alumni include Susan DeVore, president and CEO of Premier; John P. Derham Cato, Chairman of the Board, president, and CEO of The Cato Corporation; and Kelley Earnhardt, General Manager of JR Motorsports.

Students are very impressed with the diversity at UNC Charlotte. “We have students from all races, all different types of work backgrounds, etc. It is very beneficial for class discussions because of all the different types of opinions that are voiced.” There is every- one “from students straight out of undergrad school to workers who have been in the field fifteen years, but everyone is friendly.” “Students are heavily engaged in academics and current events.” Still, “most are in their early thirties with careers and are married,” and some students wish the school recruited younger students. Others enjoy the “experi- enced workers who see a benefit in taking time from their personal lives to invest in this program” and provide a “great mix of professionals from different industries.”

Students do feel that the “social aspect of the school” is lacking. “I feel that there really isn’t a strong connection with graduate students and campus life. There aren’t many graduate-level activities and clubs, which is quite the opposite environment from what I am used to,” explains one student. A stronger social aspect could also improve the “brand” and make it “even stronger in the surrounding areas.” There could also be more “family involvement in the MBA program, such as weekend activities. This will allow spouses and children to feel good about their loved ones being away from home twice a week for two years.” That said, “emphasis on student life has been increasing with the construction of the new Student Union and the fact that a new football program is com- ing to the school.” “We know it’s a business school,” one student laments, “but a little less formality to actually make it fun and worthwhile would be great!”