Dallas, affectionately referred to as the ‘Big D’ is possibly Texas’ most famous city, immortalized in the eponymous TV show, and known worldwide for NFL legends Dallas Cowboys. It’s the US’s fastest growing metropolitan area, and an affluent, vibrant city.
Dallas is also home to two excellent schools featured in the QS Global MBA Rankings 2019. Naveen Jindal School of Management at The University of Texas at Dallas is ranked 41st in the US and 88th in the world, while SMU – Cox School of Business is ranked joint 57th in the US and 111-120th globally.
Both schools offer exceptional MBA tuition in the Lone Star State, but how do the programs compare? Read on to find out…
Top MBA Programs in Dallas: UT Dallas v SMU Cox | ||
UT Dallas (Naveen Jindal) | SMU Cox School of Business | |
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Inside the MBA classroom
Both programs include a mix of core and elective courses, as well as a summer internship. They also offer opportunities for specialization in several areas. However, there are some key differences between the programs.
At UT Texas, students undertake core courses in all semesters, including financial accounting, marketing management, organizational behavior and strategic management. Students have around 32 core semester credit hours and 21 elective credit hours, including an optional international field trip.
Although it’s not required, students are encouraged to consider concentrations to deepen their knowledge and expertise in certain subject areas. The school offers 15 concentrations including Finance, Healthcare Leadership and Management, Marketing, Real Estate and Supply Chain Management.
SMU Cox’s approach to specialization differs in that you can choose up to two areas of concentration to fit your program around your interests and goals. Each concentration requires 12-16 credit hours. Concentrations offered include Accounting, Management, Strategy & Entrepreneurship and Business Analytics.
The Global Leadership Program is a mandatory year-long immersion culminating in an all-expenses paid 10-day trip touring a region’s corporate headquarters and meeting c-suite executives. Past destinations have included Seoul, Paris, Tokyo, Buenos Aires and Havana.
Outside the MBA classroom
Both schools benefit from their location. The Dallas-Fort Worth area has one of the largest concentrations of corporate headquarters for publicly traded corporations in the US: the 2017 Fortune 500 list showed that the city of Dallas has nine Fortune 500 companies, with the region having 22.
AT&T, the largest telecommunications company in the world, has been headquartered in Dallas since 2008. The city is also the third most popular destination for business travel in the US.
SMU Cox takes advantage of this with their Business Leadership Center, which offers around four semesters per week targeting leadership areas. This includes visits from industry professionals from companies including Accenture, Dell and Walt Disney Company.
There is an optional non-profit consulting program for six weeks every spring, where you and a team of classmates can help a local non-profit to solve its core business challenges.
In terms of career development, Cox’s Career Management Center helps during and after your studies with a dedicated career coach. ‘Treks’ are also available – these are city trips organized for MBA students in career trajectories in Marketing, Energy and Finance. You spend time at several organizations, talking to employees, meeting upper management and learning from Cox alumni who work there.
UT Dallas is similarly focused on career development for their MBA students, who have an impressive placement rate of 90 percent within three months of graduation and a class average salary of around US$90,000 – US$100,000.
The Career Management Center (CMC) words closely with MBA students, with each student having a dedicated career coach, plus professional development opportunities with partner companies. The CMC also hosts industry forums and mock interview days. Recent UT Dallas employers include Amazon, Deloitte, Ernst & Young, JP Morgan and Toyota.
