Saint Mary's College of California, Graduate Business Program Admission
Saint Mary's College of California, Graduate Business Program Undergraduate Program
Saint Mary's College of California, Graduate Business Program Application

The Facts

Saint Mary's College of California is a rather small, private institution located in the town of Moraga, California, and is affiliated with the Roman Catholic Church. The Graduate Business Program is home to over 410 graduate business students, 95% of whom have had an average of 8 years of full-time professional experience, a factor taken into serious consideration by the admissions committee when reviewing applications. As a result of this fact, the average age of enrollment is around 34, however, ages range from 22 all the way up to 52. Approximately 5 % of currently enrolled students entered the graduate business program directly from their undergraduate education, and about 5% already have a graduate degree of some sort. The Graduate Business Program is perhaps best known for combining case method and theory to provide emphases on general management, finance, marketing, as well as international business. The school offers graduate degrees in the Master of Business Administration (MBA), Master of Business Administration/ Executive (MBA/Exec), as well as several foreign exchange programs. Some of the most popular programs of study include courses in the areas of finance, marketing, international business, as well as small business planning.

Admission to Saint Mary's College of California's Graduate Business Program is fairly competitive among the relatively few students who apply; last year, over 300 students applied for admission to the school, and approximately 180 of those students were admitted. Eventually however, only about 100 of the admitted students actually enrolled for the coming semester. The admitted students had an average undergraduate GPA of about a 3.4, as well as an average GMAT score of 540. The admissions committee requires all applicants to have a minimum undergraduate GPA of at least a 2.75, and a minimum average GMAT score of at least 500. Students are able to start graduate course work in either the fall, winter, spring, or summer, and students are notified of their admission status on a rolling basis.

The Graduate Business Program has 12 full-time faculty members, all of whom hold a doctorate degree. The school is also home to 25 part-time faculty members, of whom 80% hold a doctorate. The average graduate business class usually has no more than 20 students, and most faculty members teach an average of 3 courses at any given time.

Placement Services

The Graduate Business Program has rather limited placement services, as most students already have a full-time professional position. Many of the students' employers strongly encourage their pursuit of a graduate degree, and often finance their attendance, as it will make them a more valuable part of the company. Placement services are also available to all graduate business program alumni for an unlimited number of years after they received their degree, including a representative in the career development office as well as various online boards and services.

What's Good

"I think the classes are the perfect size. You really get a chance to bounce ideas off of one another."

"We have some really terrific guest speakers that come throughout the year. It helps enrich what you are learning in class."

"There are some wonderful courses offered here; it's nice to have an abundance of choices."

What's Bad

"I wish we had more extensive placement services available to us. It's tricky for those of us who aren't already employed."

"There are some professors who are a bit tricky to talk to outside of class; they're just too busy with other courses."

"There can be some pretty fierce competition here. The pressure does tend to build throughout the year."

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