Full-Time MBA: Partnering with Business

Founded in 1935, the Collins College of Business is the University of Tulsa’s flagship school, rated highly in various rankings for student satisfaction. It is among a select group of business schools in the United States to hold accreditation by AACSB International – the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business – and is located in Tulsa, Oklahoma, a city named one of America’s ‘Most Livable Large Cities’ in 2012.

The university’s full-time MBA (known internally as MBA: Partnering with Business) is a 16-month program that blurs the lines between classroom and workplace by involving leaders of the local business community in the fabric of the course. The application process is so simple: no work experience or interview is required, so applicants need only submit the standard documents (letters of recommendation, GMAT/GRE scores, university transcripts, and a completed application form) to be considered for a place. Tuition for the full-time MBA costs US$900 per ‘semester hour’, with students required to complete 37 hours of study. There may also be additional costs for foundation courses plus other extras.

The full-time MA offers a rigorous curriculum of core subjects to establish a base knowledge in business disciplines, and electives in finance, accounting, energy, marketing or management that allow students to focus the program to suit individual career goals. The courses are combined with intense, experiential learning in an extremely personal environment. Students of the cohort-style program either work in teams to address issues at local businesses and nonprofit organizations or undertake an entrepreneurial project. Students also partner with a mentor from the local business community to provide professional guidance during the first year of study, as well as complete a resume-building summer internship, and take a multidisciplinary business applications capstone course, which gives student teams hands-on experience solving real issues for local businesses or nonprofits.

The mix of solid theory and its application in a real-life setting places full-time MBA: Partnering with Business graduates in a winning position with employers. Of the 2015-16 cohort, 94% had accepted an offer of employment within a year following graduation, and with firms such as American Airlines, Asemio, and Expedia.