I came to the FEMBA program (3 years) at Anderson to switch careers. The first year, I focused on my core classes and surveyed the post-MBA industry landscape. My second year, I recruited for a traditional summer internship, side-by-side with the full timers via on-campus recruiting and was very competitive--I received multiple offers. If a summer internship is secured through on-campus recruiting, Anderson forces the FEMBA to quit his/her job, which is what I did. Heading into my third year, I also participated in the full-time job on-campus recruiting and received multiple offers. Also, due to the flexibility in the curriculum, I completed the FEMBA program 2 quarters early (mid-December of the third year).
My end result (summer internship and full time offer through on-campus recruiting) exceeded my expectations at Anderson. I came to business school to get paid, and I ultimately did. The FEMBA program enabled me to recruit side-by-side with the full timers, and many times my experience made me a stronger candidate (in the eyes of recruiters) than many of the other students I was competing against.
Beyond all that, the classroom experience was great. I took my core classes with my fellow FEMBAs but then also took many of my electives with full-timers and EMBAs. The networking opportunities were tremendous.
To future applicants: if you have a great job and are still figuring things out (but you know you want to get your MBA), consider the FEMBA program. You can still get paid from your current employer, survey opportunities, and figure things out towards the end of your first year. Full timers get thrust into the flames quickly--classes start in September, and recruiting for summer internships starts in October. If you have a solid background, high GMAT, earn a high GPA at Anderson, and network appropriately, you can land a top tier job post graduation in MBB consulting, a buldge bracket bank, or a top-tier tech firm. I've seen FEMBAs (and obviously FTMBAs) land internships and jobs with these prestigious firms.
The thesis for the FEMBA program is the Global Access Program (GAP) that's a team consulting engagement for a foreign company looking to enter the US market. If you don't have much experience in consulting, this 6 month project will give you that and more. This experience will put together much of what you learned in school and will serve you well in post-MBA jobs.
I work at a firm that hired recruits from other local MBA schools (full-time), and they did not do a thesis as intensive as GAP. In our jobs, there's a clear-cut difference between them and me.
You can land a job at any top consulting, banking, or tech firm coming out of Anderson, whether it's the FEMBA or FTMBA program. Obviously, the top, top firms only have 1-2 seats for internships/full-time offers (compared to the 10+ at the highest ranked schools), but if you have the right stuff, you can compete with the best of them. The same CANNOT be said for the other MBA programs in the Los Angeles area.
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Thank you immensely for this review!
Two years later, I find this review insightful because I also plan to marticulate in the fall with Anderson's FEMBA program, then continue into a 'full time' courseload after the first year. I've read countless posts about the disadvantage of transitioning careers as a part-time student, but strongly believe nothing beat ambition backed by strong qualifications. Anderson appears to be one of few business schools that permit PTers to participate in OCR. My goal is to earn placement into an MBB, yet consider and explore IB. I hope to return with my own success story and review. Again, thanks for your insight!