And students benefit as well. Faculty bring their research and experience into the classroom adding to the level of discussion and learning.

Transcription

1 Slide 1 I m George Andrews, Associate Dean. On behalf of Chicago Booth, I d like to welcome you to What You Need To Know, an overview of the Weekend MBA program. Determining whether or not to get an MBA can be a difficult and complex decision. What you need to know is designed to help you better evaluate this MBA opportunity so you can make the best decision for you, your family, and your career.

2 Slide 2 A Booth MBA will set you apart. You ll learn to support your ideas with rigorous analysis and real world data. You ll gain the confidence think on your feet and back up what you say. These are skills you can take anywhere and apply to any situation. Throughout your career. The Chicago Approach lies at the heart of our unique position. Simply put, we don t teach fads or trends. If you don t understand the core business principles, you can t repeat today s success tomorrow. OVER MULTI-DISCIPLINE: We use multiple disciplines - accounting, economics, psychology, sociology, and statistics - to analyze and evaluate business challenges and opportunities. You ll use these different lenses to understand how markets work, organizations function and customers behave. OVER FACT-BASED: Fact-based analytical tools and methods are used as a framework for decision-making. You ll learn to demand facts, question assumptions and examine problems from all angles. OVER CRITICAL: Booth is all about ideas - generating, analyzing, comparing and refining them. You ll go deeper into an issue than ever before. And emerge with the skills to think critically and act decisively. (Jake Varghese Weekend MBA student quote) Because of my experience at Booth, I view situations differently now. It s like the blinders have been taken off and I can see the core of the problem. Faculty at Chicago Booth will help teach you how to think not what to think. You will engage with them in dialogue - asking questions and examining ideas.

3 Slide 3 There are no differences in the in-classroom experience between our full and part-time programs. The same faculty teach the same classes and the same material. Booth creates an atmosphere that fosters new thinking. In many institutions faculty are put into departments with little chance for ideas to cross pollinate. Here, you may have a finance professor doing research with a behaviorist. Much of what is leading-edge knowledge is created this way. And students benefit as well. Faculty bring their research and experience into the classroom adding to the level of discussion and learning. Booth faculty are accessible. Have a question about a class discussion? Need help with a competition? Want some feedback on career options? Just stop by their office at Gleacher, or reach out after class, in the hallway, by or phone. (DAVID ALPERT, 10 QUOTE) I sent an to one professor saying I was lost on something, and he picked up the phone and called me. They really care about the concepts and the students. Some of the faculty you ll meet in class include.

4 Slide 4 Kevin Murphy: Murphy is the only MacArthur Genius at a business school. Among his research interests is the economic value of improvements in health and longevity. Ragu Rajan: Former chief economist at the IMF, Rajan presented a paper at the Jackson Hole Conference in 2005 that predicted the financial crisis. He won the Financial Times and Goldman Sachs Business Book of the Year award for Fault Lines: How Hidden Fractures Still Threaten the World Economy. Richard Thaler: Behaviorist and co-author of the bestseller Nudge, Thaler has advised the British government. Emily Oster: Oster made Foreign Policy magazine s list of 100 Top Global Thinkers. Another aspect that sets Booth apart from other MBA programs is our flexible curriculum that allows you to tailor a program that meets your career goals.

5 Slide 5 We believe that we have the most flexible program on the planet. You decide what classes will help you fully maximize your educational experience. You determine if you want more marketing than finance, or if you want to take all entrepreneurial course offerings. You choose the level of class you feel will best challenge you. If you re a CPA, you don t have to repeat what you already know - you can take advanced courses right away. You plan when in the program you take them. If you know a specific course will help you on the job or prepare for a career transition, you don t have to wait. And because you choose what classes you take and when, you ll find yourself mixing with Evening, Weekend and full-time students. This is a benefit not many other schools offer. You can take any of our 14 concentrations. Other weekend programs require their students to choose from just a small selection of the total concentrations or majors available to their full-time students. There is only one aspect of the program that is required of all students and that is Effective Leadership.

6 Slide 6 Studies have shown that, over time, MBA s spend less time in functional roles and more time setting a focus and providing vision, as well as leading people through the execution of this vision. Therefore, how well you communicate, collaborate, and motivate people are critical skills for leadership. At Booth, we help you build and develop those vital skills. Through self-assessment, group exercises and personalized feedback, you ll discover your own leadership style. Another important aspect of the Booth Experience is community. We think our community is one of the most vibrant around.

7 Slide 7 (JACOB FENTON, 10 QUOTE) One of the things I like most about the part-time program everyone is working, is genuinely interested in what their classmates are doing, and wants to establish connections that will last beyond the program. You ll also find lots of ways to make new friends and build your network at Chicago Booth. In class. And out. Find someone to carpool with. Make a contact in a city you travel to. Get an insider s view of a company you re interested in. Classmates - working individuals just like you are a huge resource. You can tap into their wealth of information about career paths, industries or companies. You can also relax and unwind with classmates at post-midterm and finals events at the Midway Club hosted by the Student Advisory Council. Or take in a baseball game on a group outing. We have a large and active student population with 34 student groups. There are groups to help you grow in your career such as the Chicago Banking Club. Ones that address a special interest such as civic leadership or philanthropy. As well as social groups to help you unwind like the running club, poker club or cinema club. Your network extends far beyond your classmates. As a Booth student, you join our community of 45,000 alumni. The only school with campuses on three continents, Booth s network is truly global with alumni in more than 115 countries. As a Booth student, you ll have lots of support.

8 Slide 8 Our Part-Time program was built specifically for working individuals. Everything we do has you in mind. We staff the program office to be open when you need us. During the week, we re here from 9:30 in the morning to 9:30 at night. On Saturdays, our office is open from 8:00 am until 5:00 pm. OVER COMMUTING: With students travelling from cities such as San Francisco. Minneapolis, New York and Houston, Booth offers resources to make your commute easier. We provide a shuttle service from both Midway and O Hare airports and take you back after classes. Also, we ve negotiated special rates at several hotels if you need a room. We even offer free coffee when you get to campus to help start your day. We recognize the commitment you are making to pursue an MBA and want to make sure you have what you need to succeed.

9 Slide 9 Part-time students have complete access to career services. We staff the Career Services office before classes and on weekends to accommodate your schedules. Booth offers career support for life. For example, when Lehman went under our Career Services reached out to all our alumni working there to offer help. We actively worked to place them in other institutions if they desired. Our proactive outreach made front page in the Wall Street Journal that week. I d now like to turn to some basic information about the program to help you see if Chicago Booth Weekend MBA is for you.

10 Slide 10 Most of our students - who are around 30 years old - average 7 years of work experience. However, the average is just that an average. The weekend program attracts working individuals from all around the country. Cincinnati. Dallas. New York. San Francisco. 86% come from outside Illinois. Booth students work in all kinds of industries from energy to consumer goods. And all kinds of job functions from product strategy to engineering. We also have students with music backgrounds, heart surgeons and life-long military leaders. Booth looks to fill the classroom with diversity in every sense of the word.

11 Slide 11 The Weekend MBA program starts in the Fall. Classes meet Saturday morning from and in the afternoon from 1:30-4:30. Some of our Weekend students also take an Evening MBA class on Fridays when it fits their travel plans. Classes meet at Gleacher Center in downtown Chicago. Located just off the Magnificent Mile at the Chicago River, campus is easy to get to and close to shopping and hotels. All students are required to complete 20 classes and they must successfully complete the Effective Leadership Module to earn their degree. If you take two classes a quarter, you can complete the program in 2.5 years. However, because we recognize students may need to take a quarter off or reduce their course load to accommodate work or family needs, you have up to 5 years to finish your MBA. For example, if you re a tax accountant, my guess is that you get pretty busy starting at the end of a calendar year and continuing through March. You may want to slow down and take one, or even no classes. I hope you re thinking of applying to Chicago Booth. Let s take a moment to go over admissions.

12 Slide 12 The Weekend MBA Program starts in the fall. We review applications on a rolling basis. Early Decisions are made in February with final admission made in May. Around 100 people are admitted to each new class. Everyone has certain aspects of the application where they re strong, and others that will be a weakness. If you don t have something in one area, use the other parts of the application to shine! In the end, we look at every aspect of the candidate and weigh their strengths and weaknesses. Our goal is to bring in individuals who have shown they have the characteristics needed to be a leader in their work organizations or society at large. I realize you probably have a lot of specific questions about our application process as well as the Weekend MBA program itself. We have several ways for you to get answers directly from our Admissions staff so you can decide if Booth is right for you.

13 Slide 13 One of the best ways to interact with us and ask questions about your specific situation is to participate in one of our monthly online chats, many of which I host. Chats are a great chance to learn more the admissions process, application tips, and other admissions-related questions. Visit the Evening MBA and Weekend MBA program site at for details. Our Admissions Team is also available to answer any specific questions you might have. Feel free to us we ll respond within 24 hours. Attend a class. If you want to experience, first hand, the rigors of the Chicago Booth MBA, we invite you to attend one of our exciting classes. To do so, please us at [email protected] Let me say one last thing. Booth is here to facilitate a transformational experience. One that requires hard work, long hours and much effort, but an experience that will forever change, for the better, the way you interact with the world. It will change the way you think about problems, both personal and professional, and set you on a new trajectory in life. I hope to see you in Chicago.