Ross School of Business – University of Michigan

Faculty
There are approximately 150 full-time faculty members at Ross, with an additional 60 or so adjunct or visiting professors, whose classes span 13 areas as well as the undergraduate, master’s and Ph.D. programs.  Ross’s professors also contribute to the school’s 19 research centers and institutes, which range in focus from entrepreneurship to tax policy research.

Curriculum
Professors at Ross teach using a mix of case studies, classroom discussion and lectures with an emphasis on experiential learning.  This emphasis is particularly notable in the school’s Multidisciplinary Action Projects (MAP), in which teams of students spend a term completing consulting projects for real companies.  Ross also offers a variety of courses, extracurricular opportunities and competitions for students looking for further practical experience.  First-year students are typically divided into six sections of approximately 80 students each, and each section takes the same required first-year courses together.

The academic year for the full-time MBA program begins in early September and ends in late April.  The first year is divided into four seven-week terms, with students taking three to four classes for the first three terms and concluding with MAP for the last term in late spring.  Students at Ross may also pursue a term-long independent study project if they are in good academic standing.  In the second year, students take elective courses that last either seven or 14 weeks.  There are short breaks between the fall, winter and spring terms.

Ross requires each full-time student to complete 57 credits worth of classes in two years in order to graduate with an MBA degree.  A total of 27.75 of those credits are completed through the 10 core courses first-year students take.  These courses span from accounting to marketing and are almost all eligible to be waived.  To waive core courses or other degree requirements, students may opt for an exam, demonstrate prior academic or professional experience in the material or cite a professional designation such as a CPA.  Along with the core courses, students must also complete the required course “Competing in the Global Business Environment” and fulfill requirements in communication and Law/Ethics by choosing from a list of eligible courses or securing a waiver.  Ross students are required to complete at least 25 credits worth of electives, 10 of which can be graduate coursework in other University of Michigan departments.  While Ross does not offer any majors, the school does break down its courses by department and offers career path guides to aid students in selecting elective courses.  Students looking to gain further exposure to international business may also spend a semester studying abroad at one of Ross’s 20 exchange partner schools.

Other MBA Degree Options
In addition to its two-year full-time MBA program, Ross offers evening and weekend part-time MBA programs, a 21-month Executive MBA program, and a 16-month Global MBA in which students spend three months abroad in Asia followed by thirteen months in Ann Arbor.  Ross has established more than 20 dual degrees with other University of Michigan – Ann Arbor departments in areas such as law, engineering, education and more regionally based studies. Students also have the option to create their own dual degree programs within the University.

Academic Departments at Ross

• Accounting
• Business Communication
• Business Economics and Public Policy
• Business Law
• Finance
• Management and Organizations
• Marketing
• Strategy
• Technology and Operations

Degree Offerings at Ross
Full-time MBA Program
https://michiganross.umich.edu/full-time-mba

Evening/Weekend (Part-Time) MBA Program
http://michiganross.umich.edu/evening-mba

Global MBA Education
http://michiganross.umich.edu/global-mba

Executive MBA Education
http://michiganross.umich.edu/executive-mba

  Get all of this info to read on the go! Download the Ross School Snapshot PDF.

Clubs, Conferences & Competitions
Students at Ross contribute to an extensive range of clubs and other extracurricular activities.  Currently, there are over 70 clubs open to full-time MBA students, covering professional, community, diversity and social interests.  One popular club is the Community Consulting Club (CCC), through which undergraduate and graduate students perform nonprofit consulting projects for Southeastern Michigan organizations.  Members of the CCC complete 10 to 15 projects per year, such as designing a growth strategy for the Ann Arbor Hospice or creating a base of corporate sponsors for Habitat for Humanity.  Ross students may also participate in more traditional career-based clubs such as the Finance Club and the General Management Club or in more casual, socially oriented clubs like the Ice Hockey Club and Rock’n’Roll B-School.  Ross’s clubs and research centers work to host a number of conferences each year on topics including business in Asia, and energy-efficient markets, among others.

In line with its emphasis on experiential learning, Ross students are offered multiple opportunities to compete in business-related competitions.  For instance, the Leadership Crisis Challenge puts student teams in the position of senior executives facing a crisis scenario at a major company as they compete for a scholarship and other prizes.  Meanwhile, the Ross Energy Club offers an annual renewable energy case competition each February in which teams of MBA students from top business schools travel to Ross to present solutions to cases written by the club.

Campus Spaces
The Ross School of Business building lies at the southern end of the University of Michigan’s central campus and encompasses most of the business school’s classrooms, faculty offices and informal meeting areas.  The building also includes a large auditorium, a fitness center and a café, in addition to a reception hall and a full-service hotel.  Meanwhile, the Davidson Winter Garden—a glass-enclosed lounge area—serves as a common meeting place for students, faculty and guests.

Both on- and off-campus housing is available to full-time MBA students.  The Northwood Community Apartments is Michigan’s on-campus housing facility for graduate students, students with families and faculty, though demand for the apartments runs high.  Off campus, a majority of students rent apartments in such popular neighborhoods as South U, South of Hill and Southeast Side.

  Get all of this info to read on the go! Download the Ross School Snapshot PDF.

Career Services
The Office of Career Development (OCD) takes a two-pronged approach to assisting students’ career search efforts.  The career counseling staff individually counsels students on their job searches and offers regular career workshops.  Meanwhile, the recruiter relations staff oversees the on-campus interview process, job postings and recruiter events. The OCD provides students with a variety of means to meet recruiters, including networking hours, on-campus presentations and off-campus site visits.  Interviewing for full-time positions begins the first week of October, and interviewing for internships begins in late January.

Career Statistics
Roughly 94% of the Ross Class of 2016 seeking employment had received a job offer at the time of graduation, and that number climbed to 98% within three months of graduation.  The mean base salary for a Ross graduate was $119,959 with an average signing bonus of $28,375.  Consulting was the most popular function post-graduation, claiming over 36% of the class; meanwhile, finance and marketing functions attracted roughly 21% and 18% of the class, respectively.  About 6% of 2016 graduates found general management roles, while the rest took positions in strategic management, operations or other functions.

The most popular industry by far for the Class of 2016 was consulting, as over 32% of students entered that industry.  Nearly 21% percent of the class entered the technology and telecom services industry, while financial services and investment banking combined accounted for roughly 14% of the class and 10% entered the consumer goods industry.  Other industries of interest to Ross graduates included public healthcare, retail, and energy, all receiving 7% or fewer of the class.

Following a common trend among business schools, Ross sent approximately 35% of its 2016 graduates to jobs located in the same region as the school: the Midwestern U.S.  About 24% of the class went to the Western U.S., and 21% of the class headed to the Northeast.  An additional 8% of the class took positions overseas, and the remainder opted to work in other regions of the U.S.

  Get all of this info to read on the go! Download the Ross School Snapshot PDF.

The Class Profile
The average GMAT score among the 415 students in the Ross Class of 2018 was 708, with 80% of the class scoring between 650 and 750.  Meanwhile, the average GPA was 3.4.

The majority of the Class of 2018 came from quantitatively focused academic backgrounds; a full 38% of students have undergraduate degrees in business or economics, while 32% entered with a degree in STEM fields (science, engineering, mathematics, or technology) and 30% in the humanities.  Students in the Class of 2017 entered the MBA program with an average of five years of work experience.  The class mostly comprises citizens of North America at 69%, with 31% international students from 33 countries.  Women constitute 40% of the Class of 2018, and 24% of the class identify as a member of a minority ethnic group.

Application Procedures
Prospective students can apply to Ross in one of three admissions periods, which typically occur in October, early January and late March.  To be considered for admission to the MBA program, applicants must submit a current résumé, application form, essays, undergraduate and postgraduate transcripts, one letter of recommendation and a nonrefundable $200 application fee.  The admissions committee also requires that applicants submit GMAT or GRE scores and, if applicable, scores from the TOEFL or IELTS exams.  The school notes that participation in a “team exercise” held either on campus in Ann Arbor or at one of several international locations is highly recommended.  Interviews are required for admission to the program and are conducted on an invitation-only basis, typically by a member of the admissions staff or an alumnus.

Application Checklist

• Data Forms
• GMAT/GRE and TOEFL/IELTS Score(s)
• Résumé
• Application Fee
• Recommendation
• Academic transcripts
• Essays

  Get all of this info to read on the go! Download the Ross School Snapshot PDF.

Tuition for the 2016-2017 academic year was $59,350 for Michigan residents and $64,350 for non-residents.  With the addition of textbooks, housing expenses and other personal expenditures, Ross estimates that the total cost of attending is $81,990 for in-state students and $86,990 for those from out of state.  To help finance their education, students are automatically considered for scholarships when they are granted admission, and no additional application is necessary.  These scholarships are awarded based on academic, professional and personal accomplishments and potential value to the community, with awards ranging from $5,000 to full tuition.  Ross also offers scholarships through the Tauber Institute for Global Operations and the Frederick A. and Barbara M. Erb Institute for Global Sustainable Enterprise.  In addition, students are encouraged to apply for other scholarships offered by the University of Michigan, as well as private scholarships.  Students seeking further financial support may apply for a federal loan through the Federal Direct Lending Program if they are U.S. citizens or permanent residents.  International students may secure loans without the need of a U.S.-based co-signer through the Ross School of Business-University of Michigan Credit Union.

Cost of Attendance (per year)

• Tuition
  MI State Resident: $59,350
  Non-MI State Resident: $64,350
• Food & Housing: $14,676
• Books: $1,716
• Federal Loan Fees: $222
• Other/Personal: $5,698
• Registration Fees: $328
• Total
      MI State Resident: $81,990
  Non-MI State Resident: $86,990

  Get all of this info to read on the go! Download the Ross School Snapshot PDF.