Cleveland State University, James J. Nance College of Business Administration Admission
Cleveland State University, James J. Nance College of Business Administration Undergraduate Program
Cleveland State University, James J. Nance College of Business Administration Application

The Facts

Cleveland State University is a rather large, public institution located in the city of Cleveland, Ohio, and has a combined graduate and undergraduate population of over 16,480 students. the graduate James J. Nance College of Business Administration, however, is significantly smaller, and is home to about 1,215 graduate business students. Approximately 91% of the currently enrolled students have had an average of 6 years of full-time professional experience, a factor taken into serious consideration by the admissions committee when reviewing applications. Perhaps as a result of this fact, the average age of enrollment is around 27, however, it ranges from 21 all the way up to 60. Approximately 7% of the currently enrolled students entered directly from undergraduate school, while about 3% of the students already have a graduate degree of some sort. The graduate Nance College of Business Administration is perhaps best known for its integration of students into the real-world, as well as for its combination of theory and case study methods. The school offers graduate business degrees in the Master of Business Administration (MBA), Executive Master of Business Administration (EMBA), Master of Accounting (MACT), Master of Computer and Information Science (MCIS), Master of Labor Relations and Human Resources (MLRHR), as well as a doctoral program in business administration and a joint degree in law (JD/MBA). The school also offers plenty of internship and work-study opportunities. Some of the most popular programs of study include courses in the areas of accounting, ecommerce, finance, health care, information systems, management, as well as marketing.

Admission to the university's graduate business program is fairly competitive among the many students who apply; last year, over 1,200 students applied for admission to the school, and approximately 910 of those students were accepted. Eventually however, only about 470 of the admitted students actually enrolled for the coming semester. The admitted students had an average undergraduate GPA of about a 3.1, as well as an average GMAT score of about 514. The admissions committee requires all applicants to have a minimum undergraduate GPA of at least a 2.0, as well as a minimum GMAT score of at least 450. Students are able to begin graduate course work in the fall, spring, or summer, and are notified of their admissions status on a rolling basis.

The graduate business school has 75 full-time faculty members, of whom 94% hold a doctorate degree. The school is also home to 10 part-time faculty members. The average graduate business class usually numbers around 32 students, and most faculty members teach an average of 3 courses at any given time.

Placement Services

The school has rather extensive placement services; last year, there were 41 companies actively recruiting on campus, 17% of which were national corporations. The majors most in demand by these companies included accounting, finance, marketing, as well as operations. The average starting salary of the most recent graduating class was around $53,000, however, it ranged from $34,500 to $85,000. Over 82% of the same class were able to find jobs within three months of obtaining their degrees.

What's Good

"The classes are nice and small, which makes it a lot easier on both the teacher and the students."

"The career services are excellent, particularly the one on one career counseling. It really can help to put things into perspective."

"I wish there were some study abroad programs here; it would be nice to have a more international focus."

What's Bad

"There isn't really much on campus graduate housing available, so you'll probably have to go off campus to lodge."

"There are some professors who are difficult to find outside of class."

"The administration seems a bit more concerned with the undergraduate students, which I can understand, but it's a little annoying sometimes."

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