Georgetown University’s Newspaper of Record since 1920

The Hoya

Georgetown University’s Newspaper of Record since 1920

The Hoya

Georgetown University’s Newspaper of Record since 1920

The Hoya

Business School Stock on the Rise

ALEXANDER BROWN/THE HOYA
ALEXANDER BROWN/THE HOYA

When the lavish Rafik B. Hariri Building opened in 2009, it appeared to signal the university’s investment in its McDonough School of Business. Based on the school’s performance and accolades this academic year, it seems that investment is paying off.

Earlier this month, Bloomberg Businessweek ranked the MSB as the top undergraduate business school for finance. Last September, a NerdWallet Education study recognized the MSB for having the second-highest rate of graduate employment for the Class of 2011, at 89 percent.

The 2012 U.S. News & World Report ranked the MSB 17th in the nation for undergraduate business schools, up from 20th the year before The school was singled out for its international business program, which was tied as the fourth-best of its kind.

“I think it’s simply the outcome of a set of things that have been underway here for several years. It’s kind of like the word on the street has been catching up to the reality of the undergraduate program here,” MSB Dean David Thomas said.

The report evaluates schools based on peer evaluations, high school counselor ratings, freshman retention rate, six-year graduation rate, class sizes, faculty pay and credentials, admissions selectivity and financial resources.

The graduate program climed three spots to 30th place in the 2012 Bloomberg Businessweek list of full-time master’s of business administration programs. The school also received an “A” grade in career services, teaching quality, critical thinking, leadership skills and classmate caliber. Businessweek’s recognition of the school continued with the bestowal of the No. 1 ranking for undergraduate finance, based on surveys of the Class of 2013.

Thomas also pointed to the success of the evening MBA program. “We are now ranked the No. 1 evening MBA program in Washington, D.C. One indication of that is the selection indicators — GMAT and GPA — of those in the evening MBA program are better than those in any of our regional peers’ full-time programs,” Thomas said.

These accolades, plus a trend toward professional preparation in colleges, translated into a record-setting undergraduate applicant pool this year. Early action applicants for the Class of 2017 numbered 1,196, marking a 12 percent increase from the previous year. The MSB became the most selective of the four undergraduate schools in general admissions, outpacing Georgetown College for the first time everwith an acceptance rate of 15.7 percent.

The MSB has also made strides in programming, with the National Society of Hispanic MBAs awarded the school the 2012 Brillante Award for Education Excellence, recognizing the school’s commitment to diversity in recruitment.

A group of local public school principals turned to a specially designed version of the school’s yearlong Executive Masters in Leadership program this fall.This specific EML program was established in conjunction with D.C. Public Schools Chancellor Kaya Henderson (SFS ’92, G’07) and funded through the MSB and university scholarships in addition to outside grants, reducing the cost to participants.

While the school benefits from this recognition, the administration will not rest.

“We’re not done by any stretch of the imagination,” Thomas said. “We have set a goal to have all of our programs ranked in the top 10, and we’ve got quite a ways to go before we get there.”

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