Kaplan’s latest survey of admissions officers shows data science skills are in demand.
While a recent survey suggests MBA programs are taking in-demand tech skills like data science more seriously, a new rankings list evaluates the expected annual salaries of top business school grads. This and more in our roundup of management education news.
MBA programs emphasize data science skills
Every year for the past decade, Kaplan Test Prep has surveyed admissions officers at business schools across the United States so that we can share the most up-to-date and accurate information with aspiring MBAs. Just last week we released our latest batch of findings focused on how business schools are adjusting their curricula to integrate technology-focused courses—namely, data science, big data, and coding. What we found that is that data science and big data courses are part of the vast majority of MBA programs’ offerings, while coding less so.
“What companies are saying is that many of their current employees, who graduated a decade ago or more, don’t necessarily have these skills, and they’re looking to a new generation of business school graduates who do,” said Brian Carlidge, Kaplan Test Prep’s executive director of pre-business and pre-graduate programs. “Our survey finds that many business schools are rising to the challenge to meet this demand.” (Poets & Quants)
Business school ROI
Business students can be risk averse by nature, so it’s only natural for them to want to know their ROI before making a big spend on MBA education. The Financial Times is out with a new rankings lists that explores this very issue: Which business school graduates earn back the cost of their degrees the fastest?
Among the programs at the top of the list were Stanford Graduate School of Business, where three years out from graduation MBAs can earn an annual salary of nearly $195K, and Harvard Business School, where graduates can expect to earn an annual salary of nearly $178K after three years. Both degrees “only” cost around $100K, so it can be considered a strong investment. (BusinessBecause)
Round Three blues
If at first (and second) you don’t succeed, should you try again? When it comes to the business school admissions process, the answer is probably not in many cases. While there are some good reasons to think you might get in if you apply in Round Three, even after business schools have already accepted hundreds of qualified applicants, consider some reasons you might want to wait until next year.
- If you applied in Rounds One and Two and went nowhere, it’s unlikely you’ll do any better in Round Three if nothing changes substantially in your application. But if you accomplished something extraordinary at work, for example, you might stand a fighting chance. Otherwise, considering recharging and reapplying next year.
- If the GMAT or GRE scores you submit still aren’t stellar, considering taking the exam again. This time, put in more preparation and focus. A significant jump in your test score can show admissions officers that you have what it takes.
- If you feel you are really rushing to get all the pieces of your application together, it’s not a good sign. That may results in careless errors and sloppiness. This just might not be your time.
“Even when you put your best out there, you might still fail. However, to be successful, you need to learn how to bounce back and try again,” one expert says. (U.S. News & World Report)
MBA dress code too strict
Rutgers Business School takes it dress code seriously, maybe even too seriously, and for that it recently apologized. Earlier this month, the school banned several students from attending its job fair after they wore outfits designated as verboten. This list includes things like blue suits (What’s the problem with that?) and anything but black shoes. “I am not angry about being turned away… but to be turned away due to my fashion sense is absurd,” said one student. “I didn’t go to show off my style, I went to show my skills and why I should work for (the employers).”
To their credit, the dean of the business school, Lei Lei, issued an apology to the students, saying, “After a meeting with the deans on Tuesday Feb. 14, the Office of Career Management in New Brunswick and Newark contacted the affected students to assist them in reconnecting with recruiters.” The dean also says a review of the dress code is underway. (NJ.com)
Planning for your MBA? Take our free GMAT pop quiz to check your readiness for Test Day.
The post Business Schools Integrate Data Science Into Curriculum appeared first on Business School Insider.
