Beth Ellis of W P Carey on Business Schools

Beth Ellis of W P Carey on Business Schools main image

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Beth Ellis was the Director of the Graduate Career Management Center at the W. P. Carey School of Business at Arizona State University, where she has now taken up a position as a Faculty Associate. She talks about the current MBA landscape and the challenges business schools are facing.

The W. P. Carey School of Business is one of the largest and highest-ranked business schools in the country, with more than 10,000 students and both MBA and undergraduate programs ranked Top 30 in the nation by U.S. News & World Report. Arizona State University overall was recently ranked the No. 5 university in the nation for corporate-recruiter preference, according to a survey by The Wall Street Journal.

What are the business and social trends that schools are having to adapt to in order to produce the most relevant graduates?

The W. P. Carey School has been focusing on various business imperatives, including leadership and communication skills, in order to produce relevant graduates for employers. One social trend we are adapting to is how to effectively communicate with students via Twitter and other social media. We have also implemented a W. P. Carey School of Business official LinkedIn site for current MBA students and alumni, which has been very successful.

How have MBA hiring trends and starting salaries been affected by the shifts in the economy?

The W. P. Carey School’s full-time MBA program has not been affected by the recent shifts in the economy. In 2011, 90 percent of our graduates were employed at 90 days post-graduation, and the mean salary was higher than in 2010. We are currently tracking the same as last year and hope to produce employment numbers the same or higher than in 2011. We have a dedicated graduate career management center to help students with the placement process. The Wall Street Journal ranks Arizona State University No. 5 in the nation for corporate recruiter preference.

What type of skills are in demand? Are you starting to see the emergence and demand for new or nontraditional skills?

W. P. Carey MBA students must be analytically adept, as well as demonstrate exceptional leadership and communication skills. Employers are seeking “the entire package,” in other words, very intelligent and academically prepared leaders who can quickly step in and make a difference. We also continue to see great demand, in particular, for our supply chain management program, which is consistently ranked Top 10 in the nation.

How are MBA programs adapting to meet the needs of the startup and entrepreneur communities?

Entrepreneurial companies have long been regarded as a growth engine of our economy. In fall 2012, all full-time and executive MBA students at the W. P. Carey School of Business will be required to take an entrepreneurship course. It is also a required elective in the evening MBA program's entrepreneurship emphasis. The school’s approach is to expose our students to entrepreneurship as a mindset versus a personality trait possessed only by a few. Therefore, our graduates are able to apply this thinking to startups, small businesses and within large enterprises throughout our communities.

Being a global citizen has become essential for any effective professional. How are MBA programs set up to meet this need?

W. P. Carey MBA programs integrate global business cases across all core courses. The school also provides a number of off-site and international electives. Such courses broaden students’ exposure to business concepts outside the traditional classroom by utilizing hands-on learning environments. Recent international electives have been offered in Beijing, Shanghai, Cambodia, Thailand, France, Spain, the Balkans, Peru, Argentina, India, Italy, Germany, Austria and the Czech Republic. Our Phoenix-area executive MBA students take an international trip during which they work to solve a real-world business problem in the group’s chosen country. We also have an executive MBA program in China that is ranked Top 20 in the world by the Financial Times.

In the new media landscape, authenticity is a buzz word. How do you determine the right fit for your school, and what is your ideal candidate?

In today’s business world, people are demanding a higher quality product -- one that is engaging, personal and provides a memorable experience. In our admissions process, we expect the same type of authenticity that is expected in the business world. We assume a prospective MBA student will bring a diversity of experiences to the table, including a strong academic background, a promising resume with rich work experiences and qualified references who can provide valuable insight into the applicants’ potential. The candidates who will be most successful in the admissions process and in our program are those who can clearly communicate their value in a personal and genuine manner. They will have spent time identifying how the pursuit of an MBA and the knowledge, skills and abilities acquired during the program will assist them in achieving their personal and professional goals. We also look for examples of how students dealt with a situation where they had to make an ethical or moral decision. Once admitted, we help prepare our students to be authentic, ethical stewards of business through a course offering called “Leading with Authenticity.”

Technology has obviously revolutionized the classroom. How are you incorporating technology into the learning experience?

Today’s MBA students use technology on a daily basis in both their professional and personal lives. Similarly, we utilize technology to help students manage their coursework, engage during class, and work collaboratively with their peers outside of class. We use Blackboard as a course management system to communicate and share information with students, electronic textbooks to allow students to access content from anywhere, clickers and other interactive tools during class, and Google docs for students to collaborate outside of class. Podcasts, simulations and multimedia tools are utilized.

What’s the best piece of advice you can give an aspiring or current MBA student?

We would advise students to take advantage of all of the courses, activities and trips offered by the program. Be involved in the student-led clubs and organizations; take everything seriously; determine their career goals prior to entering the program; expand their career networks while in school, and be prepared for success! The W. P. Carey School’s full-time and evening MBA programs are ranked Top 30 in the nation by U.S. News & World Report, and the Phoenix-based executive MBA program is ranked No. 13 in the world by The Wall Street Journal.