Tuesday, October 09, 2012

Wilmington, N.C. - Once again, the University of North Carolina Wilmington is recommended by the The Princeton Review as one of the best institutions in the nation for students pursuing a Master of Business Administration (MBA) degree.

The professional MBA program in UNCW's Cameron School of Business is listed in the 2013 edition of The Princeton Review's "Best 297 Business Schools." It has been included six times in previous years.

Using information compiled from student surveys, the book profiles each school with specific references to academics, student life, admissions and career placement services. One of the highlights noted about UNCW's professional MBA program is its Learning Alliance, a 15-month experience in which student groups are assigned a local company to study and consult on its business procedures and competitive environment.

A student quoted in UNCW's profile said, "Rather than just writing a marketing report based on a case study, an actual marketing project will be performed where students work with local businesses on their particular marketing needs."

Larry Clark, dean of the Cameron School of Business, said hands-on experiences are a component that the school takes pride in providing throughout its curriculum.

"UNCW's inclusion in Princeton Review's listing is recognition of the quality and 'real world' focus of our MBA program, which gives students the tools they need to be successful in a variety of business settings," he said. "Hands-on experience in actual business situations helps them develop effective research, consulting, writing and decision-making skills."

The Princeton Review also notes teaching quality as a major asset at UNCW, describing the Cameron School of Business as "uniting a top-notch business faculty with an intimate campus atmosphere."

Direct student quotes about the business faculty include:
• "Exhibit strong, experienced leadership in preparing, teaching and guiding students through the business program"
• "Highly educated with a lot of 'hands-on' work experience"
• "Range from economics teachers who have worked at the Fed for 30 years to management teachers who have worked for large corporations in high positions globally"

The Princeton Review compiles its information from surveys of 19,000 business school students and school-reported data.

Students from any undergraduate background may enroll in the professional MBA program, and approximately 60 percent of students come from academic fields other than business, including engineering and science. The average age of students in the part-time, evening program is 30, with seven years of average work experience, and most are looking to immediately apply their graduate school experience in their current professional positions.

Interested students also may choose an International MBA program, which offers dual degrees with universities in Spain, Russia and other countries, requires study abroad and is open to students with undergraduate degrees in business.

For more information about UNC Wilmington's MBA programs, go to www.uncw.edu/mba or contact Karen Barnhill, graduate programs administrator, at 910.962.3903 or barnhillk@uncw.edu.

Media contacts:
Mark Hurt, University Relations, 910.962.7259 or hurtm@uncw.edu
Dr. Vince Howe, MBA director, Cameron School of Business, 910.962.3882 or howe@uncw.edu