UCLA ANDERSON SCHOOL OF MANAGEMENT

Transcription

1 UCLA ANDERSON SCHOOL OF MANAGEMENT

2 About UCLA Anderson The UCLA Anderson School of Management is among the University of California system s flagship programs. Innovative and prestigious, it is both highly ranked and highly respected and rates among the most desirable graduate school programs in the region. Certainly, UCLA Anderson is one of the most notable of UCLA s many graduate school programs, despite the prominence of the university s elite professional programs in law and medicine. UCLA Anderson is also very much defined by its undergraduate college, particularly in Westwood, which serves as the location of both the college as well as the business school. Westwood Village possesses a laidback college town feel that sits on some of the most desirable real estate in the country, meeting at the intersection of several prestigious communities that include Bel Air, Beverly Hills, and Brentwood. In fact, these tony local residents have lobbied for controls on local establishments to limit the amount of foot traffic passing through Westwood. The impact of campus-wide social and athletic events plays more of a reduced role in the business school experience than it does at many other campus-based MBA programs. Most notably, the UCLA Bruin football team plays in Pasadena, a community located at least 45 minutes away by car. Indeed, most MBA students commute to UCLA by car, choosing to live in the neighboring communities of West L.A., Brentwood, and Santa Monica rather than finding a place that is walking distance to the school. One recent grad calls it a homage to the 1980s band Missing Persons because no one walks in LA. Not only that, but the UCLA Anderson school s own campus is unique in its geographic makeup. Undergraduate students rarely share UCLA Anderson s facilities. In fact, UCLA does not even feature a traditional undergraduate business degree. The five main buildings that make up the UCLA Anderson complex are located at the north-center part of the university campus. This limits the amount of non-mba related foot traffic traveling through the UCLA Anderson complex. Understanding the complete UCLA and Westwood dynamic is an important consideration when understanding your decision to apply to UCLA Anderson. A list of UCLA schools includes: Anderson School of Management College of Letters and Science School of Law David Geffen School of Medicine School of the Arts and Architecture School of Education and Information Studies School of Engineering and Applied Science School of Public Affairs School of Public Health School of Dentistry School of Nursing School of Theater, Film, and Television Neuropsychiatric Institute UCLA Programs As mentioned above, UCLA Anderson is just one of many prestigious programs located on UCLA s Westwood campus. The school s undergraduate program is consistently near the top of every imaginable ranking system for public institutions and the college is certainly a major feeder into UCLA Anderson and it s other graduate programs. Additionally, the school is noted for its top-tier School of Law, School of Public Affairs, School of Medicine and Graduate School of Education and Information Studies (GSEIS). UCLA Anderson students will have the opportunity to take elective courses across a number of UCLA graduate school programs. Opportunities to engage the undergraduate community also exist with MBA students electing to take undergraduate courses. 01 A B O U T U C L A A N D E R S O N

3 UCLA Anderson School of Management The heart of the UCLA Anderson experience is pragmatism within teams and leadership. This ideal is built on a foundation that prizes entrepreneurship, a commitment to community, and team-oriented leadership in its applicants and students alike, and results in one of the most hands-on management programs in the world. Comprised of approximately 700 post-graduate students from extremely diverse backgrounds, UCLA Anderson is a business school that is often able to offer something for everyone. Furthermore, UCLA Anderson is one the most innovative and student-friendly business schools in the nation. The curriculum is constantly evolving right along with the current business environment and with full support of the students. The program has taken steps to strengthen existing connections to traditional industries with Los Angeles. Electives were added to the entertainment and sports offerings that include Sports Management, Entertainment Marketing, and Entertainment Strategy. Additionally, an Entertainment Management Competition was added in 2008, further bolstering UCLA Anderson s relevance to the Los Angeles business community. In an effort to support the students readiness for their summer internships and short-term career goals, the curriculum became more front-loaded in nature. This shift allows students to take five courses during their first academic quarter at UCLA Anderson. In turn, this affords students the flexibility to reduce their course workload as they place more emphasis on their summer internship search efforts. This enhancement was due, in part, to student feedback provided to the UCLA Anderson administration. Electives were added to the entertainment and sports offerings that include Sports Management, Entertainment Marketing, and Entertainment Strategy. Additionally, an Entertainment Management Competition was added in 2008, further bolstering UCLA Anderson s relevance to the Los Angeles business community. UCLA Anderson has taken recent steps to promote its global offerings and perspective. April of 2008 ushered in the first Global Business Leadership Competition (GBLC). The format of this globally focused initiative once again takes the form of a team-oriented competition. This program piggybacks nicely onto UCLA Anderson s existing business plan competitions that include the Deloitte Case Competition and the Knapp Case Competition (described in greater detail below). 02 A B O U T U C L A A N D E R S O N

4 The UCLA Anderson Approach Unlike Harvard Business School, where the Case Study Method serves as such a clear and distinguishable backbone to the HBS approach, UCLA Anderson s methodology is comprised of a multi-faceted approach primary delivered in a lecture format. The following are the key aspects of a UCLA Anderson education that comprise the framework of the MBA experience: The UCLA Anderson Culture. The emphasis on teamwork inside and outside of the classroom is the hallmark of the UCLA Anderson experience and the foundation for the rest of the school s approach. Student collaboration and leadership within teams is the attribute that ties everything together at UCLA Anderson. There are several schools with great student cultures NYU Stern is known for the way students look out for each other during the job search process and Duke Fuqua is legendary for the enthusiasm on display from the various student groups but Anderson s culture is largely unmatched, save perhaps for Kellogg. In fact, Anderson and Kellogg can often seem very similar in this one area of true collaboration and a spirit of teamwork that runs through the entire program. Diversity of Coursework within a Generalist Approach. The classroom approach at UCLA Anderson mirrors its general curriculum. While students may focus on a certain subset of course work, there are no declared specialties or designations. With the 10 core classes, students are expected to collaborate with other team members, each from differing professional backgrounds and skills sets. By putting everyone on the same page, the core offers a base of skills that are as much lessons in human relations and cooperation as they are on a given subject matter. Beyond the core, students will gravitate towards a multitude of electives in eight specialty areas. These eight areas include Consulting, Entertainment and Media Management, Entrepreneurship, Finance, Management, Marketing, Operations, and Real Estate. Practical Approach to Learning. Many elite business schools offer its students the chance to study in the field and to get real world experience, but few incorporate the mantra of learning by doing to the degree of UCLA. The crux of this approach is the Applied Management Research project (AMR). The AMR project is conducted in teams of 4-6 students during the second year and represents a capstone to the UCLA Anderson experience. From the number of students who participate in business plan competitions to unique classroom opportunities to creating and test new technologies, UCLA Anderson allows every student to find a way to put their theoretical learning to the real world test. The school offers a nearly unparallel variety of courses and labs that focus almost entirely on learning by doing. The AMR project is conducted in teams of 4-6 students during the second year and represents a capstone to the UCLA Anderson experience. Prominent programs and organizations such as the Riordan Programs and Challenge for Charity offer students the opportunity to explore concepts surrounding social responsibility. Leadership and Social Responsibility. As mentioned above, UCLA Anderson puts a great deal of focus on leadership and a commitment to community. This applies to the admissions process, but also to the coursework and educational experience as the school attempts to elevate good leaders to great ones. Specific leadership courses and a pre-term orientation course, Leadership Foundations, bring this approach to the curriculum. Prominent programs and organizations such as the Riordan Programs and Challenge for Charity offer students the opportunity to explore concepts surrounding social responsibility. Global Perspective. Like many top business schools, UCLA can boast an increasingly global approach to its learning environment and coursework. The student body is comprised of students from 40 different countries and the school has focused coursework and experiential learning opportunities specific to the global landscape, such as the Global Access Program, Advanced International Exchange Program, and Special Topics in Management courses that focus on emerging economies. 03 A B O U T U C L A A N D E R S O N

5 Admissions at UCLA Anderson Essay Topics UCLA Anderson is known for its family essay, which asks for a candidate s background through the lens of family and community. Additionally, UCLA Anderson is noteworthy for including an audio/video question (candidates are given the choice of two prompts) among the four essays: 1 Describe the ways in which your family and/or community have helped shape your development. (750 words) 2 Describe 3 Describe 4 Select the biggest risk you have ever taken, the outcome, and what you learned in the process. (500 words) your short-term and long-term career goals. What is your motivation for pursuing an MBA now and how will UCLA Anderson help you to achieve your goals? (750 words) and respond to one of the two following questions. We would like you to respond to the question by recording an audio or video response (up to 10Mb maximum) for upload in the online application. If you are unable to submit your response via audio or video, then please prepare a written response instead. (250 words) a. Entrepreneurship is a mindset that embraces innovation and risk-taking within both established and new organizations. Describe an instance in which you exhibited this mindset. b. What is something people will find surprising about you? Full-time MBA Program Deadlines UCLA Anderson has two sets of application deadlines, depending on whether the prospective student elects for the full-time MBA or a fully employed part-time MBA (FEMBA) option. Keep in mind that UCLA Anderson is on Pacific time and that the application is due at 12 a.m. Eastern (9 p.m. Pacific) time on these deadline dates. The full-time MBA deadlines are as follows: Round One Deadline:... October 14, 2009 GMAT/TOEFL Deadline:...September 30, 2009 Decision Notification:... January 13, 2010 Round Two Deadline:... January 6, 2010 GMAT/TOEFL Deadline:...December 31, 2009 Decision Notification:... March 31, 2010 Round Three Deadline:... March 17, 2010 GMAT/TOEFL Deadline:...February 28, 2010 Decision Notification:... May 19, A D M I S S I O N S A T U C L A A N D E R S O N

6 Admissions Criteria The following is a statement listed on UCLA Anderson s website: The Admissions Committee evaluates applicants prospects as leaders in management and their projected ability to succeed in, benefit from and contribute to the UCLA Anderson MBA Program. Committee members carefully consider personal and academic background information, GMAT scores, TOEFL scores (for most international applicants), achievements, awards and honors, employment history, letters of recommendation, and college and community involvement, especially where candidates have served in leadership capacities. The Admissions Committee seeks to create a community of students who bring unique contributions from their diverse backgrounds and experiences and who will collectively enrich the educational experience. As one might expect, UCLA Anderson relies heavily on academic record, GMAT scores, essays, resumés, and, of course, interviews to assess each of the areas outlined in the above statement. In particular, UCLA Anderson really zeroes in on high academic achievement, GMAT scores, and demonstrated leadership in both one s personal and professional experiences. Accepted applicants with 99th percentile GMAT scores and undergraduate dean s list type grades have been known to receive lofty scholarships. Although extremely important, the amount of full-time professional experience prized by the admissions committee is a lesser condition than an applicant s role as an impactful and collaborative leader. Personal leadership experiences be it academic or extracurricular in nature are also weighed more heavily in the admissions process than the sheer number of work months. Applicants who demonstrate early leadership within their personal and professional lives, high GMAT scores, and undergraduate grades should take a closer look at UCLA Anderson in hopes of garnering a substantial scholarship. Interviews. Interviews are offered both on-campus and with alumni located off-campus. In both instances, the interview is blind, in the sense that the interviewer does not have access to the candidate s application materials. Interviewees should be expected to walk their interviewer through the resume while explaining the characteristics that make them a collaborative leader within a team environment. The remainder of the interview is focused on Why UCLA Anderson, Why MBA? This provides the candidate with an opportunity to conclude the interview with a series of follow-up questions that demonstrate true knowledge of the program. UCLA Anderson is similar to the general business school population with its interview approach. Interviews are invite only with 29% of all applicants receiving an invite to interview. On-campus UCLA Anderson interviewees are generally second-year student volunteers. Off-campus interviews are generally conducted by recent alumni. The tone of the interview is casual and conversational as these volunteers have been instructed by the admissions committee to avoid conducting pressure cooker type interviews. Admissions Statistics Full-time MBA Enrollment Applications Acceptance Rate...20% Interview Rate...29% Yield...52% Average GMAT score Average GPA Although extremely important, the amount of full-time professional experience prized by the admissions committee is a lesser condition than an applicant s role as an impactful and collaborative leader. The tone of the interview is casual and conversational as these volunteers have been instructed by the admissions committee to avoid conducting pressure cooker type interviews. 05 A D M I S S I O N S A T U C L A A N D E R S O N

7 Visiting UCLA Anderson One of the best ways for candidates to truly understand if UCLA Anderson is a proper fit is to visit the campus and get a feel for the academic environment, student life, and overall campus culture. Additionally, visiting the school offers the opportunity for face-to-face contact with current students, professors, and admission representatives. UCLA Anderson offers a variety of ways for candidates to come and experience the school for themselves: Small Group Information Sessions. Registration is not required to attend an on-campus Small Group Information Session but is strongly encouraged. These events last one hour and are primarily a Q&A session with an admissions officer or second year student. These are by appointment only and are held weekly during the fall. Class Visits. UCLA Anderson encourages prospective students to visit to experience the creativity and teamwork of its student body firsthand. Although strongly encouraged, registration is not required for a class visit through the Office of Admissions. If not registering in advance, prospective students must stop by the MBA Admissions office for a schedule of classes that are available and that a candidate can attend. Classes are 120 minutes long and held on Monday through Thursday of each week during an academic quarter. Visitors are introduced and are often called upon to participate in the discussion. Student Guided Visit. Class Visits are a subset of a more holistic experience, known as the Student Guided Visit. This program allows prospective students to meet with current UCLA Anderson students in and out of class (think lunch appointment ). Candidates should check with the Office of Admission for scheduling. Special Events. UCLA Anderson s Women and the MBA program, is a femalecentric information session staffed by the admissions committee, female alumni and current female students. Online registration is required. The Embracing Diversity Weekend is another specialized outreach event usually held in November. This event is co-sponsored by the Latino Management Student Association (LMSA) and African American Students in Management (AASM). Outreach Events. Like nearly all business schools and academic programs, UCLA Anderson offers a variety of opportunities to engage with members of the school s community outside of Westwood. Many are hosted by the business school, while others are larger events or co-sponsored events at which UCLA Anderson participates. The school offers a complete list of its events on its website event calendar. Anderson Days. Another highly regarded special event is Anderson Days, or A-days for short. This event is for students accepted at UCLA Anderson. It gives all admitted prospective students a final opportunity to evaluate the school. For those applicants who have already been accepted, this provides another great networking opportunity even before school starts. Attendees meet fellow admits, engage current students, network with alumni, and get a hands-on feel for the types of resources available at UCLA Anderson. Through a relaxed, yet engaging environment, admitted students get a true sense of the resources, organizations, initiatives and community that is UCLA Anderson. A-days is held twice a year for admits, usually once in February and once in April. Anderson Afternoons. Additionally, there are a number of more informal schoolwide events every week. These often afford interested students additional opportunities to engage the community at UCLA Anderson. The infamous and long-standing Lit Club tradition occurs every Wednesday night at a different West Los Angeles watering hole. UCLA Anderson librarian students impart short readings and bits of wisdom that take the tone of a roast. Another good opportunity is the Anderson Afternoon. If scheduling a class visit, candidates should consider a Thursday, as Anderson Afternoons are held at 5:00 p.m. every Thursday and feature beer, wine, food, and the opportunity to socialize with current Anderson students. Contact Information. MBA Admissions & Financial Aid Office 110 Westwood Plaza, Gold Hall - Suite B201, Los Angeles, CA Phone: (310) Fax: (310) mba.admissions@anderson.ucla.edu 06 A D M I S S I O N S A T U C L A A N D E R S O N

8 Financial Assistance at UCLA Anderson Anderson does not provide as many fellowship and scholarship opportunities as other top programs such as Harvard Business School or the Kellogg School of Management, but it does feature a lower price tag, particularly for California residents. Financial Assistance Options UCLA Anderson presents the following options for exploring financial assistance: First Year Merit-Based Fellowships. The UCLA Anderson Fellowship committee selects a number of recipients each year to receive two-year merit-based awards for varying amounts that are granted to incoming students based on overall application strength. The school does not broadcast the number of awards granted or the amount. Second Year Merit-Based Fellowships. The school also offers a limited number of merit awards for second-year students, based on first year grades in core courses and community involvement. Need-Based Scholarships and Grants. All admitted students to UCLA Anderson are invited to fill out a financial aid application as well as a FAFSA to be considered for need-based grants and scholarship awards. Federal and Private Loans. As with most graduate programs, UCLA Anderson makes available a series of loan programs that comprise the bulk of each student s financial assistance: Federal Stafford Loan Available to U.S. citizens and permanent residents. The maximum dollar amount is $20,500 and the subsidized amount can be up to $8,500, depending on financial need. The federal Stafford loan comes at a fixed interest rate of 6.8%. Federal Perkins Loan An interest-free loan while in school, it is a smaller loan program available to qualified students who are U.S. citizens and permanent residents. Tuition and Cost The following estimated annual costs are based on information released by Anderson for the academic year: California Resident Tuition...$35,673 Room and Board Expenses...$13,407 Computer Allowance...$2,500* Books and Supplies... $2,400 Travel... $2,481 Personal... $2,523 Total...$58,984 Non-Residents Tuition...$43,915 Room and Board Expenses...$13,407 Computer Allowance...$2,500* Books and Supplies... $2,400 Travel... $2,481 Personal... $2,523 Total...$67,226 *Applies to the first year only. Candidates should note that the housing, supplies, travel, and personal amounts are estimates based on the majority of UCLA Anderson students. Federal Graduate PLUS Loans ( G-PLUS ) This loan can cover cost of attendance after other assistance has been calculated, provided the student qualifies and is a U.S. citizen or permanent resident. It comes with an 8.5% fixed interest rate. Private Loan Programs Once a UCLA Anderson student has borrowed $20,500 in federal loans, they may borrow from loan providers with which Anderson has partnered. For U.S. citizens or permanent residents, private loans are available through Sallie Mae and Wells Fargo. Note: Anderson provides links to a series of outside funding opportunities that may provide further financial assistance to its students. 07 F I N A N C I A L A S S I S T A N C E A T U C L A A N D E R S O N

9 UCLA Anderson Students Anderson students come to business school to learn, to develop careers, to lead, and to have fun. The last part of that sentence is not true at every top MBA program, but at UCLA Anderson, there is a vitality and a cooperative spirit that permeates the experience. Pre-MBA Industries: Finance...20% High Tech...15% Consulting...9% Public Sector and Non-Profit...9% Entertainment and Media...8% Real Estate...6% Health Care and Biotech...5% Work Experience Percentages: 0-3 years...22% 4-7 years...65% 8+ years...13% Average years of pre-mba work experience years Student Stats Median Age...28 Female Students...34% Minority Students...21% International Students...32% Countries represented...52 Full-Time Program Class Size Undergraduate Majors: Engineering...24% Business...23% Economics...19% Social Sciences...11% Math and Science...9% Humanities...7% Other...7% Undergraduate Institutions represented Most Common Undergraduate Institutions: California UCLA UC Berkeley Stanford Non-California University of Pennsylvania Northwestern University University of Michigan Duke University Harvard University Princeton University University of Virginia Cornell University National Taiwan University Boston University 08 U C L A A N D E R S O N S T U D E N T S

10 Student Organizations Anderson features over 30 clubs on campus, broken up into Professional Clubs, Identity Clubs, and Interest Clubs, all spearheaded by the Anderson Student Association. First-year students gain exposure to these organizations at the annual student club fair. Industry clubs such as the Investment Finance Club, Management Consulting Association, Marketing Association, High-Tech Business Association, Entertainment Management Association and Net Impact are among the most critical to the development of future professional personal goals. The school s website includes a complete list of clubs and student organizations, however some of the most popular and important industry and professional clubs and organizations at Anderson include: Entrepreneur Association (EA) Investment Finance Association (IFA) Management Consulting Association (MCA) Anderson Real Estate Association (AREA) High Tech Business Association (HTBA) Strategic Operations Management Association (SOMA) Net Impact (NI) Asian Management Student Association (AMSA) International Business Association (IBA) These organizations provide time sensitive and insider information about the industries and functions they represent. Each organization will host sessions about specific careers within their field, how to prepare an approach job interviewing, in addition to sponsoring recruiters and firms during Career Night s or Days On The Job. Additionally, organizations geared more towards personal development and networking are extremely popular at UCLA Anderson. Among the most popular are: Challenge for Charity (C4C) Challenge for Charity is the largest philanthropic organization at UCLA Anderson. C4C is part fund raising, volunteer hours and sports competition, all in the name of two charities: Special Olympics and LA Works. Every spring UCLA Anderson competes against eight West Coast business schools in the annual MBA challenge for charity sports competition. MBA programs traditionally in attendance are UCLA Anderson, USC Marshall, Pepperdine, UC Irvine, Stanford GSB, UC Davis, USF, UC Berkeley Haas, and the University of Washington. Programs with the highest attendance are usually UCLA Anderson and Stanford GSB. UCLA Anderson students raise money by holding events such as the Santa Barbara wine trip, the Casino Night and Auction, the Junior Achievement bowla-thon, and an annual ski trip to Whistler. All schools are competing for the coveted Golden Briefcase trophy, with UCLA Anderson bringing home this trophy for the last two years. Challenge for Charity (C4C) Wine Club Ski and Snowboarding Club Latino Management Student Association Asian Management Student Association Women s Business Association 09 U C L A A N D E R S O N S T U D E N T S

11 UCLA Anderson Academics As discussed in the UCLA Anderson Approach, this is a program that combines theoretical, practical and experiential learning with a focus on leadership within teams, entrepreneurism, social responsibility, cultural fit, and globalization. These bedrock elements inform each and every aspect of the UCLA Anderson academic experience as well as the type of recruitment that occurs on campus. Teaching Philosophy UCLA Anderson s coursework is consists of three primary teaching styles to cover the bulk of the curriculum. The teaching style used with UCLA Anderson s courses breaks out in the following manner (percentages approximate): Lecture (70%) Experiential Learning (20%) Case Method (10%) Class Organization Each incoming class at UCLA Anderson is divided into five sections of approximately 70 students each. These sections, labeled A, B, C, D and E, are further broken down into teams of four to five individual student teams within the core courses. The make-up of each individual student team is deliberate. UCLA Anderson students are placed with other team members that complement and contribute to the overall academic acumen of each member and team. Specifically, each team member will most likely represent a differing professional path, academic concentration, and personal background. Additionally, these teams are considered official study groups during the core courses, where grades are often awarded to teams rather than the individual student. Sections A and B attend class starting at 8 a.m. while Sections C, D and E begin their day at 10 a.m. The earlier sections A and B tend to be more popular with married students while the later sections contain a number of members who enjoy staying up past midnight. While students at some other business school remain in their sections for their entire first year, UCLA Anderson s section system really only applies to its first two quarters, after which students enroll in elective courses based on any subject matter area they choose. However, beyond the core, members of each section remain closely engaged and aligned, however they are free to form their own study groups based on their own interests. Academic Calendar The UCLA Anderson academic calendar is divided into three academic quarters: Fall, Winter, and Spring. The tentative calendar for the academic year is as follows: September 8-23 MBA Orientation 24 Fall Quarter instruction begins December 7-11 Fall Quarter final exams 11 Fall Quarter ends January 4 Winter Quarter instruction begins March Winter Quarter final exams 19 Winter Quarter ends 31 Spring Quarter instruction begins June 7-10 Spring Quarter final exams 11 Spring Quarter ends 10 U C L A A N D E R S O N A C A D E M I C S

12 Leadership Foundations Leadership Foundations is a two-unit, five-day course that immediately immerses students in UCLA Anderson s hands-on and team-oriented approach to leadership. In introducing this approach to all students, the course feels like a team-building boot camp or an MBA pep rally rather than a traditional classroom environment. Students develop team-building tools, and establish norms that will guide their working relationships within UCLA Anderson s core courses. Using seminars, lectures and case studies faculty introduce the necessary academic frameworks that facilitate management decision-making. By introducing the necessary methods of operating at UCLA Anderson, faculty clearly lay out the expectations for how learning is approached at UCLA Anderson. Leadership Foundations is also part of a greater two-week UCLA Anderson orientation for incoming students. While week one focuses on teamwork, week two focuses on introducing each student to the vast number of resources available to them at UCLA Anderson. The pace of this orientation is quick, with orientation days lasting often in excess of 12 hours. Students have remarked that orientation is like being shot out of a cannon. Prepare yourself for everything from extreme dodgeball to assignments due on the first day of class to Professor Introductions. Management Core In a similar fashion to other top business schools, UCLA Anderson takes a generalist approach while allowing for a great deal of elective coursework, as well as a non-declared specialty path (covered below). However, the foundation of the MBA experience at UCLA Anderson is still anchored around a series of 11 core courses. The core is front-loaded with five classes required in the fall quarter and continues for the remainder of the student s first year. Students are allowed to take a maximum of three electives during the first year in addition to the core. Leadership Foundations (Pre-term) Data & Decisions Financial Accounting Financial Markets Managerial Economics Marketing Management I Corporate Finance Marketing Management II Operations Technology Management Business Strategy Managing and Leading Organizations In introducing this approach to all students, the course feels like a team-building boot camp or an MBA pep rally rather than a traditional classroom environment Students have remarked that orientation is like being shot out of a cannon. Anderson Strategy Group. Recently, the UCLA Anderson administration has taken specific efforts to improve the business strategy curriculum. As the UCLA Anderson is a student-led culture, second-year students have formed the Anderson Strategy Group. The Anderson Strategy Group is a management consulting firm staffed entirely by UCLA Anderson students. Student managers lead teams of MBA students in conducting pro-bono consulting work. Again, by utilizing UCLA Anderson s pragmatic approach to education, students were recently given the chance to put newly acquired MBA skills into action for local Los Angeles for-profit and non-profit organizations. Note that UCLA Anderson has a track record of waiving courses that students have already completed in another setting. This is another indication of the studentfriendly nature of the program and the school s willingness to allow its students to dive into the subjects that interest them most and take advantage of elective courses, including the multitude of experiential learning courses and labs available at UCLA Anderson. 11 U C L A A N D E R S O N A C A D E M I C S

13 Study Abroad Opportunities Foreign exchange programs are extremely popular with second-year UCLA Anderson students. Approximately 20% of the second-year class collects to study abroad. UCLA Anderson is a member of Postgraduate Institute of Management (PIM) International: a network of international MBA programs. Among the most popular study abroad destinations are Spain and Australia. Additionally, exchange students from international MBA programs attend class at UCLA Anderson. This adds an additional and significant element of diversity at UCLA Anderson. Course Enrollment One market-like phenomenon that all UCLA Anderson students get to know well is its course bidding system, in which students bid on elective courses using points. Students all receive the same number of points at the start of each academic year, and must allocate their points based on what courses they want to take and the professors from which they most want to learn. If a course can fit 50 students, then the 50 students who bid the highest will all get in, at the lowest winning bid. Therefore, if 200 people bid on a class, and the fiftieth-highest bid was 140 points, then all 50 winning students get into the course for 140 points. If a student bid 300 points, then the other 160 points are returned to him. The bidding system forces students to make some tough choices. Oftentimes, the choices that students make are based on who s teaching a course. For instance, should a student go with the rock star economics professor and make do with a relatively new and perhaps less-known marketing professor, or go for the wellknown marketing professor and take their chances with the unknown economics instructor? A common saying at UCLA Anderson is, Bid on professors, not courses. As a student you will almost always be able to take every course that you want, although you may not always get the professor that you want for each one of those courses. Andersonfeedback.com is an excellent resource for faculty and course ratings. This site is not endorsed by the UCLA Anderson administration. It is a site that was started in 2000 by a number of students and has since taken on a life of its own. This is another testament to the student lead culture at UCLA Anderson. Specialty Areas UCLA Anderson takes a generalist approach to academic specialization by offering specialty areas as opposed to declared majors as part of the MBA experience. Regardless of the specialty path a student selects, the school is focused on bringing a generalist focus and pragmatic approach to both its student body as well as its coursework. Specialties include: Accounting Decisions, Operations, and Technology Management Communications, Media, and Entertainment Management Entrepreneurial Studies Finance Global Economics and Management Human Resources and Organizational Behavior Information Systems Marketing Policy Real Estate The most popular of the above majors among the class of 2008 were: 1. Entrepreneurial Studies 2. Finance 3. Marketing 4. Real Estate 5. Decisions, Operations, and Technology Management 6. Communications, Media, and Entertainment Management 12 U C L A A N D E R S O N A C A D E M I C S

14 UCLA Anderson Professional Programs, Research Centers, and Joint Degree Programs Professional Programs Professional programs present students with an opportunity to expand on experiential learning and research in a particular area of interest. Professional Programs include: Applied Management Research Program (AMR) - AMR is a required, secondyear field study project. Students sign up with sponsor organizations in teams of 4 to 6 members. This project gives UCLA Anderson students the opportunity to put theory into action. A consulting project with the real world implications, AMR recommendations center on specific actions that a client organization can take to execute on a strategic plan. Lasting a majority of the second-year, AMR projects can be viewed as a thesis project and a test in building effective teams. Management Development Program International Exchange Program Global Access Program Advanced International Management Program Management Communication Program Student Investment Fund UCLA Anderson features 6 research centers: These centers host lectureships, seminars, and workshops, and foster collaboration between the students and the faculty in the form of cutting-edge research. These centers include: 1. UCLA Anderson Forecast Center 2. Laurence D. and Lori. W. Fink Center for Finance & Investments (Fink Center) 3. Center for International Business Education and Research (CIBER) 4. Entertainment and Media Management Institute (EMMI) 5. The Harold and Pauline Price Center for Entrepreneurial Studies 6. Richard S. Ziman Center For Real Estate Riordan Programs - The Riordan program is a very notable initiative sponsored by UCLA Anderson and co-led by UCLA Anderson students. UCLA Anderson students serve as mentors to high school students, undergraduates, and recent graduates. In providing professional and personal advice to these mentees, often underrepresented minorities seeking to apply to top MBA programs, UCLA Anderson students build relationships with the surround Los Angeles community. Leaders in Sustainability Program - UCLA Anderson is taking in a leadership role in creating a curriculum around sustainability. The Leaders In Sustainability program, developed at UCLA Anderson and led by Professor Charles Corbett, is an initiative that allows UCLA graduate students to collaborate with each other. Participants take core courses and choose relevant electives in sustainability. Additionally experiential learning and training allows participants of this program to develop skills relevant to potential employers. A relatively new offering, the leaders in sustainability program has grown from 20 participants to over 100 in the last year. This program is an excellent opportunity to bring a number of interdisciplinary viewpoints and skill sets into the repertoire of any UCLA Anderson student interested in sustainability. Additionally, building a network with other graduate students within the schools of engineering, law, public policy and urban planning will only serve to strengthen the students UCLA Anderson experience. 13 U C L A A N D E R S O N A C A D E M I C S

15 Joint Degree Programs MBA/JD. As a university with an elite law school, UCLA Anderson students also have the opportunity to pursue dual degree with the School of Law. One of the few elite universities in the nation to offer a four-year JD-MBA, UCLA Anderson allows students to complete both degrees in four years and to graduate with their respective classes (MBA in year two, School of Law in year three) while splitting their time and courses between UCLA Anderson and the School of Law. While applications to both programs must be submitted separately, UCLA Anderson does allow MBA students to apply for the law school during their first year in the MBA program. Students must complete 73 semester units of law coursework. This includes the first year law curriculum and 40 elective units at the School of Law. The four years break out in the following fashion: 76 quarter-units at UCLA Anderson The MBA core (42 quarter-units) 7 electives at UCLA Anderson (26 quarter-units) Applied Management Research Project (8 quarter-units) 73 semester units at the School of Law The first year law curriculum (33 semester-units) 40 elective semester units at the School of Law 120 weeks of residence credit for the School of Law. MBA/MD. The dual-degree program between UCLA Anderson and the Medical School allows students to complete courses for both programs in five years, rather than the six years it would typically take to achieve both degrees separately. MBA/DDS. The dual-degree program between UCLA Anderson and the Dentistry School allows students to complete courses for both programs in five years and one quarter. UCLA Anderson requires 96 units of courses over two years, 40 units are core courses, 46 units are elective courses, 2 units are the pre-term Leadership Foundations course, and 8 units are comprised of the field study. The School of Dentistry requires 298 units over four years (15 quarters) plus 26 units of selective for a total of 324 units. This large number of units includes a substantial portion of clinical patient care hours. MBA/MSCS. The dual-degree program between UCLA Anderson and the Henry Samueli School of Engineering and Applied Sciences (HSSEAS) allows students to complete courses for both programs in three years. Graduating students receive both the UCLA Anderson MBA and the Master of Science (MS) in Computer Science. Connecting the technical aspects of technology and information systems with management decision making, students can achieve both professional management acumen and deeper domain expertise in computer science. MBA/MLAS. The MBA/MA Latin American Studies degree is a two and a half to three year concurrent degree program sponsored by the UCLA Anderson the UCLA International Institute Latin American Studies Program. Graduating students receive both the UCLA Anderson MBA and the Master of Arts (MA) degree in Latin American Studies. Individuals preparing for careers in international management with special focus on Latin America should explore this option. Connecting the language and culture with international management, students can achieve both professional management acumen and deeper domain expertise in Latin American studies. MBA/MLIS. The MBA/Master of Library and Information Science Program is a three-year full-time concurrent degree program sponsored by UCLA Anderson and the Graduate School of Education and Information Studies Department of Information Studies. Graduating students receive both the UCLA Anderson MBA and the Master of Library and Information Science (MLIS) degree. MBA/MSN. The MBA/MSN program is a three-year concurrent degree program sponsored by UCLA Anderson and the School of Nursing. Graduating students receive both the UCLA Anderson MBA and the Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) degree. Individuals preparing for management careers in a hospital, consulting, or healthcare setting should explore this option. MBA/MPH. The MBA/MPH is a three-year concurrent degree program sponsored by the UCLA Anderson and the School of Public Health. Graduating students receive both the UCLA Anderson MBA and the Master of Public Health (MPH) degree. Individuals preparing for management careers in health care should explore this option. MBA/MPP. The UCLA MBA/MPP is a three year concurrent degree program sponsored by UCLA Anderson and the School of Public Affairs. Graduating students receive both the UCLA Anderson MBA and the Master of Public Policy (MPP) degree. Individuals preparing for management careers in firms with strong ties to local, regional and federal governments should explore this option. Additionally, those seeking management roles in the non-profit sector should explore this option MBA/MAUP. The MBA/MA Urban Planning (MBA/MAUP) degree is a three-year concurrent degree program sponsored by UCLA Anderson and the UCLA Department of Urban Planning, School of Public Affairs. Individuals preparing for management careers in urban planning within the public and private sectors should explore this option. 14 U C L A A N D E R S O N A C A D E M I C S

16 UCLA Anderson Faculty The UCLA Anderson faculty is populated with many prominent business leaders, researchers, and teachers. Among UCLA Anderson students, there are several professors that are considered a must to have for a class, due to their reputation both as educators and as experts. These notable professors include: Antonio Bernardo Professor and Faculty Chairman Professor Bernardo is one of the leading minds in the area of corporate finance and asset pricing and has been published in virtually every leading academic journal. He teaches the bulk of his courses in the areas of Economics and Finance and has been at Anderson since 1994, where he has twice won the Teaching Excellence Award voted on by second year full-time MBA students. William Cockrum Adjunct Professor The 1998 and 2002 winner of the Teaching Excellence Award, Professor Cockrum was also named the top entrepreneurial professor in the nation by Business Week in He has created a case-study entrepreneurial finance class that he has taught for over 20 years and that is considered the benchmark for such coursework in the MBA industry. In addition to currently teaching entrepreneurial finance, business ethics, and investment management, Professor Cockrum is also a member of the school s Board of Visitors and the Anderson Alumni Board. Edward Leamer Professor, Chauncey J. Medberry Chair in Management The Director of the UCLA Anderson Forecast program, Professor Leamer leads the effort in producing quarterly economic projections for the nation and the state of California. Arriving at Anderson in 1990, Professor Leamer has published four books and over 100 articles. He teaches primarily in the subject area of Economics, with his courses focusing on such diverse topics as the U.S. business cycle, the impact of the Internet on economic geography, and the potential impact of the FTAA on inequality in Latin America. Alfred E. Osborne, Jr. Senior Associate Dean, Professor Professor Osborne serves in the function of Senior Associate Dean of the business school, but also is a popular professor of Global Economics and Management and the founder and director of the Harold Price Center for Entrepreneurial Studies at UCLA. An expert in corporate governance, Professor Osborne formed a certification program for companies to help officers and directors take their companies public. He is also an active expert in social enterprise and entrepreneurship, initiative several partnerships with major corporations through the Price Center. Eric Sussman Lecturer Professor Sussman has been voted the Teacher of the Year an astounding eight times by Anderson students since he started at the school in He has also received two faculty awards (the Citibank Teaching Award in 1998 and the Neidorf Decade Teaching Award in 2008). He teaches courses in the following areas: accounting, financial statement analysis, corporate financial reporting, and real estate investment. Professor Sussman also teaches finance courses to both UCLA s undergraduate students and Executive Education students. Off campus, Professor Sussman is the president of Amber Capital, Inc., a real estate investment company. Victor Tabbush Adjunct Professor The winner of the 2000 Teaching Excellence Award winner, Professor Tabbush also won Outstanding Teaching Awards for his work with the Executive MBA Program and the Fully-Employed MBA program. He specializes in healthcare economics and health management and is a highly-coveted speaker on healthcare issues. Professor Tabbush has additional interests in diverse subjects such as antitrust, employment issues, pricing, and wrongful death cases. 15 U C L A A N D E R S O N A C A D E M I C S

17 Grading System The UCLA Anderson grading system is comprised of a typical A-F model, with a cumulative average of C required for graduation. The school also offers a pass/no credit option for experimentation with more aggressive coursework, with regard to electives. The reality of the UCLA Anderson grading system is that the top performers in a course will get the A and the lower performers will receive a B. While it is possible to receive a grade of C, this will require that the student grasps very few of the concepts taught in class. However, C grades are not without consequence. UCLA Anderson requires that their students maintain a grade point average of 3.0. Cumulative GPAs lower than a 3.0 require that a student be put on academic probation. Those students remaining on academic probation for more than two consecutive terms may be asked to leave the program. In reality, this rarely happens as the school administration works with each student to raise their GPA. The UCLA Anderson faculty is divided into 9 academic departments: Accounting Decisions, Operations and Technology Management Finance Global Economics and Management HR and Organizational Behavior Information Systems Interdisciplinary Group in Behavioral Decision Making Marketing Policy 16 U C L A A N D E R S O N A C A D E M I C S

18 UCLA Anderson Business Plan Competitions Deloitte Case Competition. The Deloitte Case Competition is an annual event held at UCLA Anderson that provides MBA students with a perspective of business problems beyond what they learn in a classroom. Traditionally, more than 20 teams from the UCLA Anderson compete against each other. Bolstering UCLA Anderson s pragmatic approach, the focus of the consulting case is centered on an actual Deloitte client with real-world financial implications. The Knapp New Venture Competition The Knapp Venture Competition is UCLA Anderson longest running, student-led initiative. For more than 30 years, this competition, held at UCLA Anderson, has been organized by the Entrepreneurship Association and the Price Center. Constructed to provide UCLA Anderson students with a hands-on experience in the venture initiation, this competition is among UCLA Anderson s most notable. The Legacy Case Competition The Legacy Case Competition is an internal looking UCLA Anderson initiative. Designed to provide an opportunity for students to help strengthen the program, recent case topics have included the generation of action plans focused on a single case question; How can UCLA Anderson increase its alumni giving to the UCLA Anderson Fund? Started eight years ago, the case competition is traditionally sponsored by members of the UCLA Anderson Board of Visitors with a monetary award to the winning team. Marketing Association Case Competition The Marketing Association Case Competition, now in its sixth running year, seeks to present solutions to an actual marketing issue faced by a sponsor company. Traditionally, more than 20 teams compete in a 36-hour competition held annually by the UCLA Anderson Marketing Association. Teams are given only a minimum of information provided through a case and a Q&A session. The team is then left to their own research skill set, acumen and accord. A 20-minute PowerPoint presentation to a panel of judges followed by a 10-minute Q&A session represents the culmination of a team s efforts. Global Business Leadership Competition The Global Business Leadership Competition is a two-day case competition focusing on management and leadership issues within a global marketplace. The GBLC brings students from 16 MBA programs together to compete on three case studies centered on issues faced by global leaders and decision-makers. At a high-level, the competition is also a forum and open dialogue on global leadership. Students, while expected to showcase their talents and global viewpoint, are also expected to engage the global business leaders and faculty in attendance. Net Impact Case Competition The net impact case competition, dubbed the net impact consulting challenge, pairs a local nonprofit organizations with teams of UCLA Anderson students. This two-week case competition analyzes the unique challenges faced by nonprofit organizations from a business perspective. The competition also allows for collaboration between full-time MBA students, parttime MBA students and most recently, graduate students from UCLA s own School of Public Affairs. Ziman Center for Real Estate Homes Case Competition The Ziman Center at UCLA Anderson has partnered with the Urban Land Institute to lead the 1000 Homes program Homes is a phased program and approach directed at reducing rates of homelessness by providing permanent housing to this at-risk group. The first phase of this initiative kickoff with a case competition posted at Ziman Center. Lasting eight weeks, UCLA Anderson student teams are advised by a group of developers, planners and policy experts. Most recently, the marketing Association at UCLA Anderson posted a case competition based on Jim Stengel s upcoming book, Packaged Good. Jim Stengel, the former global marketing officer for Procter & Gamble, was recently appointed as an adjunct professor at UCLA Anderson. The case competition focused on developing innovative ideas for marketing Packaged Good. 17 U C L A A N D E R S O N A C A D E M I C S

19 The UCLA Anderson Campus The UCLA Anderson School of Management is located smack dab in the heart of UCLA s beautiful campus in the Westwood neighborhood of Los Angeles. The school is comprised of six brick and glass buildings designed by the architecture firm of Pei, Cobb, Freed, & Partners in Anderson s website allows for an interactive tour of the campus, which can prove helpful for those candidates who are unable to visit the business school. The approach at Anderson in creating the new business school was to create a campus within a campus, where students could enjoy a lot of the self-contained amenities and resources of a school like HBS, while enjoying the additional benefits of the larger UCLA community, including the world-class athletic facilities and library resources. The buildings that make up the Anderson School of Management are reached by a staircase at the north end of UCLA s Sycamore Alley, which leads to the Marion Anderson Courtyard, which is surrounded by four of the six buildings that make up the business school. The effect is to transport a student from the greater UCLA community into a tightly-knit Anderson community, by passing from world to another. The 6 buildings that comprise the Anderson School of Management are: 1. Mullins Management Commons (staff and faculty offices, sitting atop Café Espresso Roma) 2. Gold Hall (classrooms) 3. Entrepreneurs Hall (classrooms) 4. Cornell Hall (classrooms) 5. The Collins Center (home to Executive Education Programs) 6. The Rosenfeld Library (also home to computing and information services) 18 U C L A A N D E R S O N C A M P U S

20 Professional Recruitment at the Anderson School of Management One of the top reasons to attend Anderson is the plethora of career opportunities that present themselves to its graduates. Job opportunities abound in a variety of industries and arenas for students who excel at one of the nation s most highly ranked and highly respected business schools. Career Development Resources As with most top business schools, UCLA Anderson also has a series of career resources that help first-year students in an attempt to secure the important first summer job, as well as career development opportunities to follow. These resources are spearheaded by the Parker Career Management Center (CMC). The CMC spearheads the many efforts to assist UCLA Anderson students and graduates with the job search process. It is comprised of 13 full-time professionals and features a number of programs that assist first and second-year MBA students, as well as UCLA Anderson graduates. Supplementing this, the CMC offers one-on-one appointments with an additional fifteen career counselors, access to databases containing company and industry specific information databases, interviewing skill-building workshops and podcasts covering general industry information. The CMC capitalizes on UCLA Anderson s collaborative culture by utilizing a studentguided and proactive approach to career development. First-year students are required to submit their resume prior to UCLA Anderson s two-week orientation. Submitting resumes up front gives students and the CMC an opportunity to jump-start the job search process while preparing those students seeking out internships within management consulting and financial services. Internship interviews for these industries occur within weeks of semester start. Resumania is also another popular studentled career event. Every fall term, first-year students can hone their resumes through a 10-min feedback session. Held over the course of eight hours, CMC career counselors and second-year UCLA Anderson students provide an strength and weaknesses assessment tailored to the individual student. Facilitating the first-year internship search, the core course framework is front-loaded. Another testament to UCLA Anderson s student-led culture, this design was implemented by the school s administration as a response to student requests towards jump starting the job search process. The specific initiatives listed on the UCLA Anderson s CMC website revolve around the following areas: Again, with an eye towards student-led and self-directed teams, the CMC created the ACT program in ACT teams are groups of peers united in a industry and function specific job search. Meeting in the fall and winter terms, ACT includes career counseling through bi-weekly sessions facilitated by career coaches and second-year students. Career Counseling. Professional career counselors and second-year student volunteers assist students through the three stages of career change and progression: self-assessment, research, and implementation. Most often, this takes the form of one-on-one counseling. However, the CMC holds career counseling workshops during the year as well. This tag-team offers years of professional counseling advice and the most up-to-date career anecdotes from second-year students. These resources are prepared to go to lengths in preparing students for the nuances of professional networking as well as interview and resume preparation. Again, with an eye towards student-led and self-directed teams, the CMC created the ACT program in ACT teams are groups of peers united in a industry and function specific job search. Meeting in the fall and winter terms, ACT includes career counseling through bi-weekly sessions facilitated by career coaches and second-year students. 19 P R O F E S S I O N A L R E C R U I T M E N T A T U C L A A N D E R S O N