University of Northern Iowa - College of Business Administration

It’s not hard to understand why MBA students would be compelled to attend University of Northern Iowa. Indeed, it’s a “well-respected business school” and offers “competitive tuition” rates. And, with a very accommodating class schedule, it’s clearly a program that’s designed to support individuals who are “working full-time.” In fact, many of the “major businesses in the area send employees [to UNI],” which leads to some fabulous networking opportunities.

Academically, MBA candidates are privy to “small classes” that allow for individual attention. Moreover, courses tend to place “an emphasis on teamwork.” Students especially rave about the capstone business consulting project which “takes everything the students have learned and challenges them to apply [that] knowledge to local businesses or nonprofits with the guidance of mentors.” The capstone is a “fantastic” educational experience and these MBAs relish the “opportunity to solve a real business problem.”

Additionally, UNI professors “bring a lot of experience and knowledge to the MBA program.” For the most part, they are also “responsive to students’ needs,” and they “know [how to] present the material well.” The “efficient” administration earns high marks as well. As one second-year gushes, “The amount of administrative . . . support is amazing relative to the number of students. Turnaround on questions is very fast and the administration can support an advising need in short-notice.” And, finally, perhaps this first-year says it best by simply referring to the faculty and staff as “awesome.”

The career services office at University of Northern Iowa really helps students under- stand how to market their knowledge, training, professionalism and work ethic (attri- butes that the MBA students here have in spades). Importantly, the office hosts two massive career fairs every year, one in the fall and one in February. However, don’t expect career services to rest on those impressive laurels. Throughout the year, the office works to arrange a number of on-campus interviews for students as well, which helps to explain how over 95 percent of University of Northern Iowa MBAs are employed within six months of graduation!

Companies and organizations that have recruited and hired University of Northern Iowa students include: Central State Bank, Deloitte, Enterprise-Rent-A-Car, ConAgra Foods, Inc., John Deere, Northwestern Mutual, Pella Corporation, Penske Truck Leasing, Renewable Energy Group and Toyota Financial Services.

The College of Business Administration at UNI manages to populate its classes and cohorts with individuals of varying “backgrounds, ages and experiences.” Then again, that shouldn’t be too surprising given that there’s a large number of “international [stu- dents who hail] from different parts of the world.” Thankfully, no matter their heritage, most UNI MBAs appear to be “mature, wise and thoughtful.” What’s more, they are “smart, driven people who are fun to be around.” And the vast majority have proven to be “business savvy” and “family-oriented” people “who value their education and free time.”

Further, UNI does an amazing job at fully integrating both part-time and full-time stu- dents, ensuring they have the [opportunity to work with [each other].” The university also strives to accommodate both working professionals and students with families. And it’s clear their efforts are paying off. Indeed, the school “sponsor[s many] activities for the [entire] family including sporting events, seminars and concerts.” These are all well attended, proving that there’s plenty of fun to be had outside of the classroom.